Victoria lost 147 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Victoria lost 147 pounds. After years of trying various diets, pills, and fads, she started hearing about the Ketogenic lifestyle. She did her research and committed to Keto, keeping her net carbs under 20 grams per day.

I had been overweight most of my life. I’ve tried fad diets, weight loss pills, and Weight Watchers. You name it, and I tried it. I felt so sluggish and couldn’t play with my very active kid. I had so much pain in my knees from carrying around so much weight.

I started seeing information about following a Ketogenic lifestyle, so I did my research, and I haven’t looked back. That was in 2017, and I’ve managed to lose over 140 pounds and keep it off.

I started at around 323 pounds (I could have been heavier than that because I got on the scale after I had already started changing my eating habits). I’m down to 176 pounds and working on maintaining my weight loss, which is harder than the losing part. Every day, I wake up motivated, dedicated, and mentally ready to keep the mental and physical weight off that has held me down most of my life. I feel so much better now! I hope my story is the kickstart someone else needs to keep fighting.

How did you change your eating habits as you transitioned to Keto?
I literally woke up one day and decided that enough was enough. I did my research and found that a Ketogenic lifestyle was something I could get creative with.

I emptied out my pantry and fridge. I started stocking up on healthier choices. I went at least three months with absolutely no cheating and strictly counted my macros (fat, carbs, protein, fiber) using an app. I stayed below 20 net carbs per day.

I read the labels on everything and totally cut out bread, sugar, rice, and all starchy foods. I cut out a lot of eating out and prepped my food. I drink at least a gallon of water per day and do intermittent fasting at least five days a week. Amazon became my friend because back then, it was harder to find ketogenic options in-store.

What did your workout routine consist of?
I did absolutely no working out, aside from occasionally walking in my neighborhood. In the future, I do plan on starting a routine at home, but I would love to find a trainer to do some boxing.

What is your height?
5’4″

Is weight loss surgery or skin removal surgery part of your journey?
I am not interested in weight loss surgery, but I have pondered having lipo to my stomach area. I have some areas I would like to tighten up. If I hit the lotto, then I’m all for it.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
I had to be mentally ready to sever my unhealthy relationship with food. I set out on a lifestyle change, not a fad diet. No matter which route you take, if you do not mentally prepare yourself, you will not be able to sustain any change.

I had to learn to listen to my body and not eat out of habit. Instead, I eat when my body was hungry, and I’m accountable to myself. I follow a ketogenic lifestyle, but I will not sit here and say I will never have fries, cake, or even chips, ever again in life. That’s unrealistic. I make a conscious choice each day to eat well. If I decide to eat French fries, I eat them and move on, but I don’t stay there in that mindset.

What advice do you have for women who want to lose weight?
You can’t please people, so make sure you make the change that’s best suited for yourself. I’ve heard so many comments about my weight loss. They started off supportive (and still are for the most part), but I do get feedback on how I shouldn’t get too small. People don’t realize how unhealthy I was, both mentally and physically, when I was heavier. I will keep doing what I am doing as long as I like what I see in the mirror and feel good about it.

Instagram: @vicke1985