I Got My Life Back at 64: My Keto Journey - Pieter's Journey: Rebuilding Health and Purpose

Last week I turned 64. Birthdays always make you stop and think, and this year I felt it was the right time to share where I am — and how far I’ve come in the last nine months.

Nine months ago, I was 120 kilograms. My knees ached from old operations, inflammation slowed me down, and I carried a constant heaviness in my legs. It didn’t matter if I was fit or unfit, that feeling was always there. I also felt tired by midday, often going to bed early, and wondering if I had the focus or energy to keep building something meaningful in my life.

Today, I weigh 85 kilograms — 35 kg lighter. But the weight loss is only part of the story. The real change is that I’ve got my life back.

The Weight That Held Me Down

For most of my life, I lived with what I called “lame legs.” Heavy, lethargic, almost like dragging a weight around every day. When I woke up, it was there. When I went to bed, it was there. I never thought it would leave me.

Six months into the ketogenic diet, something shifted. That heaviness began to fade. It wasn’t just because I was carrying less weight — it was a different kind of lightness, an energy in my legs that I had never experienced before. For the first time in decades, I wanted to move.

Discovering Mobility Again

My work is hands-on. I often need to get down on the floor, under machines, cleaning or repairing. In the years before keto, that became harder and harder. Getting down was painful, but getting up was worse. Extra weight plus inflammation made even small movements a battle.

About a month into the diet, my inflammation started to decrease. By now it’s almost completely gone. Today, I walk 7–10 kilometers every second morning, and on the other days I cycle 25–40 kilometers, sometimes for two hours. Yes, I still feel strain in my muscles. Yes, I get tired. But the pain and swelling that used to stop me — that’s gone.

Energy I Never Knew I Had

Energy was one of the biggest reasons I started keto. For years, I would hit a wall by midday. By evening, I was finished.

Now, I wake up just after five, go for a walk or a ride, and work the whole day. Some days it’s desk work, other days it’s in the factory developing products or fixing machines. I often carry through until six, and some evenings I still have the focus to edit a video or do research before bed.

I never had this before. At 64, I feel sharper and more alive than I did at 50.

Mood and Mind

Before keto, I was a carb addict. Rusks, bread, rice, potatoes, ice cream, chocolate — I loved them all. But I didn’t realize how much they were messing with my mood. Looking back, I can see how those sugar spikes drove impatience and quick reactions.

I asked my wife, Cornell, if she noticed a difference. She agreed straight away. I’m calmer now. Less knee-jerk. More patient. More accommodating. For me, that’s just as valuable as the physical transformation.

Enjoying Life Again

This is maybe the biggest win.

On a recent trip to Namibia, I realised how much I had been missing. In the past, I would enjoy the scenery, the fire in the evening, the glass of wine. That was my fun. But I couldn’t climb dunes, I couldn’t hike canyons. Cornell still did, but I was left behind.

Now, I can join in again. I can climb, I can hike, I can ride my mountain bike on a camping trip and still have energy for the rest of the day. I can fully enjoy the outdoors. It’s hard to explain the joy of that to someone who has never lost it — but for me, it feels like I got back a whole part of my life that had been taken away.

Facing the Future with Drive

When we closed our business in 2023, I was afraid. At 63, most people are thinking about retirement. I had no pension, no safety net. My fear was that I didn’t have the energy or focus left to start again.

But that fear is gone. Keto gave me back my drive. I’m starting a new venture, developing new products, building again. I have the stamina to work all day, the clarity to make decisions, and the passion to enjoy the process.

Even my product development is shaped by this lifestyle. At first, I thought I’d continue with single-origin chocolate, my old passion. But I realised the sugar content would break the diet. So I started experimenting — cocoa, coffee, macadamia, coconut — making products that give satiety, focus, and energy while fitting into keto. For the first time, I can test products on myself and feel the effects. That’s an incredible opportunity.

Challenges Along the Way

It hasn’t all been easy.

Staying motivated: Even with nut butters to keep me full, hunger comes. You need a strong “why” to keep going. For me, it was wanting my old life back.
Family support: Cornell has been amazing, adapting meals so I always had a substitute for carbs. That made a huge difference.
Finding what works: There’s so much information out there — and so much confusion. I had to learn that everyone’s body is different. What works for one person might not work for me.
Sleep: It’s better than before, but not perfect. Heavy exercise still disrupts some nights.
Exercise adaptation: At first, I struggled to cycle. But as I became fat-adapted, I got stronger again.

These challenges are real, but the rewards are greater.

Grateful at 64

Nine months may sound long, but to me, it feels short for such a big change. I’m not finished yet — I still want to lose another five kilos — but I’m already living a new life.

Nine months ago, I felt old. Today, I feel alive.

For that, I am deeply grateful.

Join the Journey

I’ll be sharing more about the science I’ve learned, the products I’m developing, and the lifestyle changes that helped me get here. If you’d like to follow along:

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