What is the Keto Diet? Local women say high-fat diet spurred weight loss

Crystal Pullen's freezer is packed.

The Wayne County teacher prepares all of her food in advance to keep with her strict low-carb diet, called the Keto Diet. She credits the eating plan for helping her shed over 80 pounds in about two years, but she didn't know about it until she tried looking for something else.

"I was looking for a sausage gravy recipe," Pullen said. "I happened to find Cooking Keto with Kristie."

"Kristie" is Kristie Sullivan, who lives in Pinehurst. She has become an important online resource for low-carb eaters like Pullen.

Sullivan has built a social media community with thousands of people who share food and lifestyle ideas. But her journey to where she started in 2013, when she weighed 260 pounds.

"That (year) was when I said, 'This has got to change. I will never be this embarrassed again,'" Sullivan said.

When traditional dieting left her feeling hungry, Sullivan discovered the Ketogenic Diet, also called Keto, for short.

The diet worked for her: She's lost 120 pounds by filling up faster on fat instead of carbs.

"That's what made this sustainable for me," Sullivan said. "I'm no longer hungry. I'm no longer sneaking the food out of the refrigerator."

Some of her favorite foods on the diet are a Philly cheese steak casserole without the bread and chocolate cake made with almond or coconut flour and no-calorie natural sweeteners.

But how safe is that kind of eating?

UNC Rex Healthcare dietitian Shelly Wegman doesn't recommend it long term.

Said Wegman: "Your body turns carbs into glucose, which your brain needs to function properly, but low-carb dieters are getting the glucose from protein and fat, instead.

"That can mess up a lot of things, metabolically speaking, which is why it's not recommended as a long-term solution," Wegman said.

But Sullivan and Pullen say ditching the carbs is a lifestyle change that keeps them healthier and happy.

"Bread or energy? Sugar or a lifetime of medication? It's an easy choice," Sullivan said.

Wegman recommended that anyone thinking about dieting should first talk with a registered dietitian who can analyze their medical history and needs. They can then help devise an eating plan that can embraced as a lifestyle.

Wegman said a lot of insurance plans also cover sessions with a dietitian for those unsure if they have the financial resources to obtain professional help.