He remembers it like it was yesterday. It was Saturday, September 24th, and Dr. Matthew Roberson was getting ready for a double date with his wife Denise and another couple. After finishing with his shower, Dr. Roberson stepped on the bathroom scale. As he looked down, he stood horrified by the unfamiliar number staring back at him: 210 pounds. He knew his weight had been creeping up over the years, but he had never been this heavy.
Aghast, Dr. Roberson looked into the mirror and saw a familiar, albeit demoralizing image looking back at him: His father’s. “I will not look like my father. He’s 70 years old, and he looks like he’s 10 months pregnant—and he has for years.”
It was at that very moment that Dr. Roberson, who’s a doctor of family medicine and BioTrust’s Lead Medical Advisor, realized that he had to do something. He couldn’t not do something. The words of Steven Pressfield, author of The War of Art, seem apropos: “At some point, the pain of not doing it becomes greater than the pain of doing it.”
Fate, Faith, or Happenstance
How you describe what happens next depends on your convictions. Regardless of who you are or what you believe, I think you’ll agree it was nothing short of a miracle. As fate would have it, Dr. Roberson and his wife Denise were eating dinner that night with BioTrust’s Chief Scientific Officer Shawn Wells and his wife Shelley, who are both highly-respected and sought-after authorities on the Ketogenic Diet.
As the couples were looking over their menus that evening, Dr. Roberson overheard Shawn and Shelley debating whether or not they should eat “keto” or have a “cheat” meal. Highly motivated and feeling a deep sense of urgency to find a weight-loss solution, Dr. Roberson asked, “Keto? What’s that?”
Shawn and Shelley, who are incredibly passionate about educating others on the ketogenic diet, went on to explain that keto is a very-low-carbohydrate, high-fat, moderate-protein diet. They also made it abundantly clear that keto is much more than just another low-carb diet, and while it’s remarkably effective for shedding fat, it’s far more than some fad.
According to Shawn:
“But another thing I love about the ketogenic diet is that it’s far, FAR more than the next fad weight-loss diet. In addition to radically improving body composition and improving appetite control, research has shown—and my clients, family, friends, and I have personally experienced—that the ketogenic diet also:
• Boosts energy levels
• Enhances focus, concentration, and mental performance
• Improves endurance
• Protects against aging
• Promotes heart health
• Improves carbohydrate tolerance
• And more”
Intrigued, ready to take action, and excited to start making changes, Dr. Roberson went home that evening and spent hours researching the ketogenic diet, which he began the very next day. He’s only looked back to see that ghastly image of his former self in the distance of his rearview mirror.
The Success Mindset
If you’ve ever heard of or tried the ketogenic diet, it’s pretty straightforward. You basically eat a LOT of fat—about 70 – 80% of your calories…that means lots of foods like butter, cream, coconut oil, avocado, olive oil, cheese, nuts, seeds, mayo, and bacon. And very-low-carb means VERY low—like 20 – 30 GRAMS per day—which means you’ll be getting the little carbs you eat from veggies, nuts, seeds, and dairy. The rest of your calories come from foods like eggs, beef, pork, poultry, and fatty fish, which provide protein and fat.
As simple as it sounds, it’s not easy, especially in an environment where junk food—heavily processed “foods” that contain loads of refined carbohydrates and poor-quality fats—runs rampant. In other words, the typical Western-style diet (also called the Standard American Diet) is pretty much the antithesis of keto.
In Dr. Roberson’s case, imagine having to face the daily temptation of free lunches brought in by drug reps, typically high-carb pasta dishes or sandwiches. Consider being stared in the face daily by donuts, cookies, candy, and other treats brought in by patients and co-workers.
For most, the type of environment that Dr. Roberson exists in would have eventually overpowered even the most ironclad willpower. But in addition to that very vivid image of himself and his father branded in his mind, Dr. Roberson chose a mantra from day one to which he fully committed himself: “Food is sustenance, not enjoyment.”
You see, Dr. Roberson had a very, very clear purpose, vision, and goal, and once he identified them and wholeheartedly committed to them, every decision he made became much easier. In other words, Dr. Roberson put the most powerful tool he had at his disposal to good use.
As Bob Proctor describes, the majority of us are guilty of not using our imagination or only using it in a self-sabotaging manner—imagining potential problems, roadblocks, failures, and fears. We spend most of our time thinking about the “can’ts”…the things that may hold us back from our deepest wants and lives of our dreams.
The mind is an incredibly powerful tool, and we literally program ourselves—our actions, attitudes, and behaviors—with our thoughts about ourselves and our capabilities. As Dr. Roberson clearly illustrates, the great news is that this is our most powerful tool, and we have control over it. Once you tap into this incredible faculty, you can succeed in any walk of life—including your body and health transformation.
When you have etched your vision into your mind, you start acting like the person you want to become. You can do this by harnessing what J. Martin Kohe calls “the greatest power that a person possesses”: The power to choose.
Jaw-Dropping Transformation
Armed with these powerful tools and consistent support from Shawn and Shelley, who provided daily encouragement and accountability, Dr. Roberson was on the fast track for success. He committed to keto, pledging not to weigh himself for the first 30 days. After the first month, he had dropped a staggering 14 pounds, which surprised even Dr. Roberson.
That early taste of success was more than enough motivation for Dr. Roberson to keep forging ahead toward his goal. After more than doubling his weight loss through the holiday season—cruising through Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas without any hiccups—Dr. Roberson hit a frustrating plateau in January that would have left most at wit’s end.
Stuck at 180 for six weeks, Dr. Roberson focused on one incredibly simple strategy: Being consistent with his BioTrust supplements. “It’s going to sound like a sales pitch, but it’s true. I had been using the products sporadically all along. I had the diet dialed in, and I really felt that taking my supplements would make a difference.”
And they most certainly did. [Please see below for more details on Dr. Roberson’s key supplements.]
Fast forwarding to March, Dr. Roberson had plowed through his weight-loss plateau, dropped another 10 pounds, and achieved his goal of 170 pounds. You read that correctly: In seven months, Dr. Roberson dropped a staggering 40 pounds, which was nearly 20% of his starting body weight. If that’s not astonishing enough, check out his “before” and “after” pictures.
His eye-opening weight-loss transformation was just one of several accomplishments. One of the biggest improvements was a 56-point drop in his LDL cholesterol—a 33% reduction—which led to his doctor taking him off cholesterol-lowering medications. What’s more, Dr. Roberson saw his systolic blood pressure drop about 60 points, another clear indication of improved heart health.
On top of that, Dr. Roberson’s glycemic control markedly improved, as evidenced by significant drops in his insulin and fasting blood sugar. Among the many benefits of his new keto lifestyle, Dr. Roberson has enjoyed much better, more consistent energy levels and feeling noticeably “cleaner”—clean, lean, and clear.
Five months later, Dr. Roberson has remained committed to his new lifestyle, including the ketogenic diet, and he has maintained his weight loss, holding steady at 170. That’s incredibly impressive considering research has shown only about 20% of people are successful at losing at least 10% of their initial weight and keeping it off—and Dr. Roberson lost TWICE that amount!
Secrets to Success
As impressive and inspiring as Dr. Roberson’s transformation is, when you take a step back, it’s not really a huge surprise that he achieved such remarkable success. In addition to his razor-sharp focus, unwavering determination, and a few tricks up his sleeve, he had many of the key ingredients of a successful transformation on his side.
• He had a vision. Along those lines, Dr. Roberson had a vivid image in his mind of what he didn’t want to become. That can be just as powerful as having a clear vision of who you do want to become. To make the right choices daily, you have to have a why, a vision, and…
• He had a goal. Dr. Roberson knew exactly where he wanted to be: 170 pounds. It was a clear target, and he nailed it!
• He had a plan. Dr. Roberson didn’t approach his goal and vision haphazardly. He chased them with a clear plan of action, which centered around the ketogenic diet. Interestingly, Dr. Roberson confessed that he didn’t exercise. In other words, he’s accomplished his goal (and maintained it) with diet and supplementation. While that may seem a bit counterintuitive, there’s tremendous power in his plan. For starters, Dr. Roberson is a very busy man, and had he tried to put too much on his plate, there’s a greater chance he would have become overwhelmed and failed. Even more, this allowed him to…
• He focused on one thing at a time. Instead of trying to take on too much, Dr. Roberson narrowed his focus to his diet allowing him to master it. And after he had his diet nailed down, he committed to taking his supplements consistently. Too often, we bite off more than we can chew, and as mentioned above, we set ourselves up for disappointment and failure. That’s not to say you shouldn’t exercise, or you should ignore things like stress management, sleep, social support, etc. Rather, it’s simply meant to say that taking one step at a time—mastering one new habit at a time—can be an extremely effective strategy, especially when it comes to long-term success.
• He had a mantra. With his focus on his nutrition, Dr. Roberson set his intention: Food is sustenance, not enjoyment. To Dr. Roberson, this shift in mindset was a game-changer, and it played an intricate role in guiding him to his goal.
• He kept things simple. Dr. Roberson’s meal plan was remarkably simple. He had the same breakfast every day: A BioTrust Low Carb protein smoothie with MCT oil. For lunch, if he could, he made do with whatever was brought in for lunch. For example, if sandwiches were brought in, he’d wrap the meat and cheese in lettuce and add mayo. There were many instances when Dr. Roberson had to leave the office at lunchtime because of the poor food choices. Eating keto at restaurants is pretty straightforward (protein, low-carb veggies, and fat…lots of fat). Dr. Roberson confessed that one of his go-to-lunches was the bacon double cheeseburger—no bun, of course—from a famous fast-food restaurant chain. For dinner, Dr. Roberson and his wife would prepare a meal of a protein source (e.g., meat, fish) and two low-carb veggies, both prepared with generous amounts of healthy fats.
• He had support and accountability. Shawn and Shelley Wells played—and still play—a tremendously positive role in Dr. Roberson’s transformation. For example, Shelley helped him with the ketogenic diet, and she checked in with him daily to see how he was doing. The power of social support and professional accountability cannot be overstated. We all need a coach.
• He included a cheat day/meal. From the start, Dr. Roberson incorporated a cheat day into his plan. No, it wasn’t because it’s some magical weight-loss trick. Rather, it was simply a tool he used to stay sane, stick to his diet, and so he could still enjoy the occasional date with his wife, lunch with his family, or ice cream with his kiddos. (Dr. Roberson has three children.) Interestingly, Dr. Roberson initially started with a full cheat day, but he began to notice that doing so left him feeling terribly, which impacted his sleep. Eventually, Dr. Roberson decided to go with a single weekly cheat meal, which he enjoys on Saturday afternoons with his family.
• He chews a lot of gum. Chewing gum has been shown to ease stress, reduce anxiety, and boost mood, and as you can imagine, Dr. Roberson’s life is pretty darn stressful. But Dr. Roberson found that chewing gum helped him in other important ways. It helped him crush cravings and avoid all the junk food, like cookies, donuts, candy, and more, that finds itself in a doctor’s office daily.
Dr. Roberson’s 2 Secret Weapons
As Dr. Roberson mentioned, supplements were critical to his success. “In January, I didn’t do anything else differently. I didn’t change my diet, start exercising, or anything. I just committed to taking my supplements regularly,” says Dr. Roberson. While he used several BioTrust supplements, Dr. Roberson felt like two of them were especially pivotal.
Secret Weapon #1: IC-5
Among the many great benefits of the ketogenic diet is its positive effects on carbohydrate management and insulin sensitivity, and that’s why IC-5 (which is scientifically-designed to boost carb tolerance) is a perfect, synergistic fit. Together, keto and IC-5 help optimize glycemic control, which has far-reaching effects on nearly every aspect of health and longevity, including heart health, brain health, skin health, metabolic function, stress management, healthy aging, healthy levels of inflammation, and more.
“IC-5 helped me process what little carbs I ate on normal days, and it really helped me handle my cheat meals and days,” said Dr. Roberson.
But there’s more to IC-5. What many people don’t realize is that the ingredients in IC-5 also offer anti-aging benefits by activating key anti-aging enzymes and keeping potentially harmful compounds (called AGEs) at bay. These benefits work hand-in-hand with the ketogenic diet, which is also highly regarded for its anti-aging properties.
Secret Weapon #2: BioTrust Low Carb
“It’s the BEST-tasting protein powder I’ve ever tried, hands down, and I’ve tried a lot of them,” says Dr. Roberson. In fact, Dr. Roberson really looked forward to a delicious BioTrust Low Carb protein shake every morning for breakfast. It provided him with metabolism-boosting, grass-fed protein, and it helped keep his energy levels high and his appetite satisfied all morning long. He just added some MCT oil, which has metabolism-boosting, fat-burning, and appetite-suppressing properties of its own. While he tried and enjoyed all of the BioTrust Low Carb flavors, his personal favorite is Chocolate Peanut Butter. “All it took was one taste, and I was hooked,” admitted Dr. Roberson.
Walk the Walk
Hats off to Dr. Roberson and his tremendous, inspiring transformation. Not surprisingly, Dr. Roberson’s patients and staff have taken notice. With Dr. Roberson’s help, many of them have started their own journeys combining the ketogenic diet and BioTrust supplements with the goal of following Dr. Roberson’s example. Dr. Roberson is very proud of his transformation, but he’s even more excited about the positive influence it’s had on others.
You see, there’s a reason Dr. Roberson has dedicated his life to patient-centered care and preventive medicine. He is passionate about helping people live a healthy, fulfilling life to the fullest, and that’s precisely why he wanted to share his story with you. Just like him, Dr. Roberson knows that you, too, can radically transform your body, health, and life when you commit and apply yourself.
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