In just 8 months, Daniel Killeavy has literally gone through a transformation. At age 16, he can now look forward to a healthier and happier future!
Daniel’s mother feels that her son always struggled with weight. Daniel was a hungry child with insatiable appetite, and even though the family had a balanced diet, Daniel was gaining weight. He would have very large portions and even hide food from his parents.
Although Daniel was still participating in hurling and soccer, his excess weight was becoming a major issue in daily tasks such as climbing up the stairs. Over the years his parents brought him to several professionals, including dietitians, doctors and psychologists, and Daniel was even tested for Prader-Willi Syndrome. He enrolled on ACE (activity, confidence and eating) programme and went to Weight Watchers, but weight wasn’t coming down as expected.
Finally he was referred to the National Obesity Clinic at Loughlinstown. When the family was informed that Daniel couldn’t be seen until 32 months (due to long waiting list), his parents decided to bring him to my clinic in Oranmore, Galway.
His initial weight of 28st 8lbs gave him a BMI of 50.4, indicating that at his starting age of only 15, he was already morbidly obese. He had high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and elevated liver enzymes that would typically point towards fatty liver disease. He really needed to do something fast to get his health under control and get motivated after many failed previous attempts.
Daniel’s mother Samantha says: ” I knew he was big, but I had no idea it was that bad. We were shocked.” But now, after such success, she feels that the weight loss has come with other, untold benefits for Daniel. ” If you spoke to him some months back he couldn’t look at you, he was so shy. Now, he’s a completely different person. His social skills have increased enormously, he’s genuinely happy in himself, and he even did fantastically well in the Junior Cert.”
Daniel’s stating weight and his insatiable appetite were both clues to me to get him started on my Very Low Calorie Ketogenic Diet. It is based on low calorie and carbohydrate vegetables, and balanced amounts of protein from food-like supplements that you can use my recipes with. For example, for dinner, one could have the pasta that can be enjoyed with homemade vegetable sauce. At lunch time, many people choose the bread that could be served with your homemade soup. There are so many different options to choose from that typically everyone finds something that they enjoy.
Samantha was thrilled with her son’s progress. ” He was allowed lots of small meals based on Dr. Eva’s recipes, and as much soup as he liked. Once he saw the weight coming off, he never wavered. ”
Looking back, Daniel says: “The first few days were tough, but when the ketosis kicked in, around day three, I didn’t feel hungry anymore.”
Now Daniel is following a healthy plan based on ordinary foods. ” My diet is carefully controlled. I make most of my own meals. I had banana pancakes for breakfast today, an wholegrain wrap with salad for lunch, and 150g white meat with veg for tea. I am nearly at my goal weight and feel absolutely fantastic.”
Are you feeling inspired by Daniel’s success? Come and see us in my clinics in Oranmore (Galway), Loughlinstown (Dublin 18) or Fleming Place (Dublin City Centre). We have a variety of different programmes and diets to choose from to ensure everyone can get to a permanent healthier weight!
