Emily Richman's Keto Success Story
Emily Richman's Keto Success Story

Emily Richman’s Keto Success Story

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Today we are super excited to share with you another fascinating keto success story from Emily Richman. Emily has been on keto since March 2017 and lost over 52 pounds! In this article, you will discover her top tips how she does keto and especially how she’s able to maintain it as a lifestyle, not just a diet.

If you’re new to the keto diet and wondering how it works, feel free to check this guide and meal plan to learn more.

If you have a success story to share with our community, please get in touch and let us know about it. We’d love to read your success story!

Without further ado, here is Emily’s amazing story!


Please tell us your story:

I started my Keto journey on March 29, 2017. I was the heaviest weight I’d ever been at 5’3 and 180 pounds. I’d been on every diet in the book over the last 15 years and I was pretty sure all the yo-yo dieting had finally messed up my metabolism enough to where I couldn’t lose weight anymore. But for some reason, on a random Wednesday, I just decided to try Keto.

I had done low carb diets in the past and had found out about Keto when researching low carb online. But I had never attempted to consistently keep my carbs that low. On prior low carb diets, I still dealt with constant cravings and desires to emotionally eat, so I always gave in and gained any weight I’d lost back (plus some!).

Keto was a whole new experience for me. Very quickly my cravings diminished. My hunger also reduced so much that I naturally started intermittent fasting because I wasn’t hungry until later in the afternoon.

Emily Richman's Keto

How has your life changed since going keto?

With the sugar and carb cravings almost entirely gone, for the first time in a long time, it felt like food didn’t run my life anymore. I could go hours and hours without needing to eat and I could easily pass up an offer of chocolate or sweets. Suddenly I had the power over food and not the other way around.

In my 8 months on Keto, I have lost 52 pounds! I never want to go back to the way I was before. I am Keto for life!

Emily Richman Keto Success

Emily Richman's Keto Story

What did you personally do in your first 10 days of keto?

I jumped right into Keto by getting my carbs to below 20 grams and counting calories. Then I also calculated my fat and protein macros and started tracking those as well. I kept my main focus on keeping carbs low in the beginning and didn’t worry too much if I ate a little over my calories as long as it was with Keto food.

I also kept my workouts easy (mostly just walking) to allow my body to adapt to the change. I supplemented electrolytes to avoid any kind of Keto flu and just told myself that if I was hungry, I could eat, it just had to be Keto approved. After a week or so of that, my hunger was already reduced, so it was much easier to stay under my allotted calories.

Do you count and track macros strictly?

I track all of my macros and calories religiously using MyFitnessPal. I actually really enjoy planning out my food for the day each morning. It makes it where I don’t have to think about what to eat later in the day when I’m busy, because it’s all already figured out. And I look forward to the great meals I’m going to eat!

Do you exercise? If yes, what’s your workout routine like?

I exercise five days a week alternating between walking, running, weightlifting, and yoga. Exercise is healthy for the mind and body, but I’ve learned that diet is the much more important tool for weight loss. So I trusted that my diet was doing most of the work, and that allowed me to not feel the need to go crazy at the gym like I have in the past.

This time around, I work out to feel good and to tone my body, but I don’t stress about burning every single calorie possible. My change in mindset has made working out feel much more fun, and therefore; much more sustainable for the long term.

Have you ever encountered a plateau? If so, how did you get over it?

Weight loss is rarely linear, so I have had my share of weeks where I did not lose any weight. Our bodies are complicated and we don’t always know what’s going on when we see that number on the scale. But I trusted in the process and just had faith that this way of eating was going to work.

So if I wasn’t losing, I would review my food choices over the last week to make sure I didn’t slip up somewhere. But for the most part, the best thing I could do is just keep going. So that’s what I did to overcome weight loss plateau.

What is your WHY (your drive/motivation) to keep on track and stay focused?

My motivation in the past was always to look better. But as I get older, health becomes much more of a focus. I still want to look good, but I know changing my diet and lifestyle now will serve me well in the future, so that has become a driving force. On top of that, I felt like I was hiding beneath my weight before. Now, I feel comfortable and confident in my skin, and that feels better than any food tastes!

What are your favorite ingredients to prepare keto meals?

One of my favorite Keto foods is broccoli! It is so versatile. It’s great to cover with loaded potato toppings (butter, sour cream, cheese, and bacon bits) and pair with a steak. You don’t even miss the potato! It is also my new favorite pasta substitute. I just pour the sauce, meat, and cheese on top and I seriously don’t even miss the noodles!

Is there any book or resources that you would recommend to our readers?

Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It by Gary Taubes is a great book to read if you want to learn more about the Keto diet. It really provided some great insight into how our bodies work and why high carb diets cause us to gain weight.

In one or two sentences, why do you think you are successful in this keto way of eating?

I think I have been successful at Keto because I found something that worked for my personal preferences. If you are eating foods that you don’t like, you’re never going to be able to stick with it. I love the food I can eat on Keto and eating Keto has regulated my hormones so I’m not constantly starving or craving food which allows me to think with a clear head when it comes to food and create habits that help me stick with this way of eating.

Finally, What advice would you give someone who is just starting out on keto?

My advice to someone starting out is to commit to at least four weeks of Keto with NO cheats. The goal is to starve those sugar and carb cravings, and if you’re cheating here and there, you’re just keeping them alive.

So give yourself permission to eat as much as you want for a week or so, but always keep your carbs in check. Once the hunger and cravings diminish, it will be much easier to decrease your calories and start losing weight. Take it day by day, focus on the great foods you can eat and not what you’re giving up, and if you slip up, just start again with the very next thing you eat. Aim for progress, not perfection.


We’d like to thank Emily again for sharing her story and tips with our community! You can follow Emily on Instagram at @thisisketolife for more tips and inspiration from her.

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