From a Facebook post in 2019: A friend asked for more details about my weight loss journey, and since I wrote a long-ish response to her, thought I’d share it here too.
1. Alcohol: I quit drinking in Dec 2017, and for me, that was a big part of the success story, but mostly bc I was drinking a lot of wine daily, and those calories added up… Also, wasn’t making the best food/life decisions when sauced up. 
2. Eating out: I don’t eat out much anymore, and when I do, I usually just get a salad with some kind of protein. Not eating out is mostly bc my home cooked meals are better than 99% of local restaurants, and I’ve gotten REALLY fussy about where my food is sourced. So that’s mostly a personal choice, but I know people who can balance the eating out and keto quite successfully, but you have to be willing to be particular when you place your order (and that’s OK).
3. What’s in the house/microwaving: We did a serious PURGE of our pantry when we switched. Threw out/donated anything that is not supposed to cross our lips. This is an important step. Trust me… My parents came to visit, and my dad put some Pringles in the pantry, and for me, it was like having crack in the house and I ended up eating IT ALL, LOL, and then reminding myself that I can’t have stuff like that around… So my pantry has a million types of NUTS instead.
The crux of my journey–everyone’s is different–but mine was about getting unhealthy ADDICTIONS out of my life. Ones I wasn’t even willing to admit to myself were addictions: Sugar, carbs, alcohol, negative/nihilistic people–I’m working on digital minimalism now (less screen time)…
So to answer your question about “a normal life,” you have to ask yourself what is “normal”? Is society’s definition of “normal” what YOU want, or is what society accepts as “OK” really unhealthy/less than optimal/possibly not what you want or need to be your best YOU?
I no longer take my cues from what’s “normal” but rather from: What do **I** want? I want to be healthy long-term and have an excellent quality of living, which means **I** have to WORK AT IT BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE CAN DO IT FOR ME. I want to look my best for my age. I want to EMBODY a life free of as much statism as I can muster, which means eliminating the toxic stuff that is regarded as “normal” in our lives, but that isn’t normal, acceptable, or good for us… Like the Standard American Diet (SAD!) and the entire middle part of a grocery store…
The other major change I made is getting enough sleep–we read in bed and are asleep by 10pm, and up around 5am.
Three books I found inspiring: This Naked Mind; Girl, Wash Your Face; and Bright Line Eating.
I’ll tell you the secret of my success: STICKING TO THE PROGRAM. When I stopped making exceptions, and stopped “negotiating” with myself (which created a lot of cyclical/negative mind-talk) and just DID THE RIGHT THINGS, it became EASY.
THAT’S how you form new and better habits. (I even stopped biting my nails–after 45 years!)
Now, getting to a place where you can do that, isn’t so easy, but those three books will lead you in the right direction. The other thing is once you get your hormones/sugar levels in balance and are eating right, you genuinely don’t get hungry/cravings anymore, and it all gets pretty awesome, easy and ends up simply being how you live and are.
In other words: *YOU* CONTROL HOW YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE AND IT IS A DAILY CHOICE, SO CHOOSE WISELY. 
Keep me posted and GOOD LUCK! I’m proof positive it works!