Inspiring stories have the power to change lives, and sharing the success of others can give us insight and hope as we follow our own paths to health. It’s important to remember that each journey is unique, and weight and health issues take time to resolve.

If you’re in it for the long haul or have a lot of weight to lose, read on to learn about Ashley’s story. She’s a mother of 3 and a KetoKrate member who has been following this lifestyle for 5.5 years.

Ashley’s weight had always been a bit of a problem for her. She was a self-proclaimed “chubby kid” despite being athletic. Her two older sisters never seemed to struggle with weight, which seemed confusing and unfair.

She leaned out in high school, but shortly after moving in with her then boyfriend, now husband, her weight piled on.

“I gained about 40 pounds after moving out, and then I got pregnant and gained another 40 pounds.”

As Ashley got older, it became harder and harder to lose the weight she’d gained and so began a cycle of dieting, failing, and gaining.

“I managed to lose 30lbs right before I got pregnant with my 2nd daughter, but it took forever. I was so frustrated because I was following Weight Watchers, restricting, and working out every single day for 12 weeks and I had barely lost 2 lbs.

I always ended up giving up. I would give up and gain the weight back plus more. In total, I ended up gaining 85-90 lbs.”

The turning point came after Ashley’s second pregnancy.

“I was extremely unhealthy and I was always in pain. I hurt all the time. I would get extremely out of breath walking up the stairs and I thought, ‘This is not me!’”

When she was diagnosed as prediabetic with a fatty liver, she knew she needed to do something different to lose the weight.

“I told myself I am going to try this low carb thing and I started the very next day. It was a Tuesday. I remember that because I always would always say ‘oh I’ll start next Monday’ – not this time. I was like I am starting today!”

And she’s never looked back.

“I think what I really needed was something I could stick to. I was always trying things like Weight Watchers, or juice fasts, or other fad diets, and of course, I could never stick to it. When I tried low carb/Keto, it felt very sustainable for me. I knew I could do it for life, and I have!”

It hasn’t been a fast journey by any means, but through determination and persistence, Ashley’s lost 87 lbs!

“At first, my weight loss was really fast. Normal fast, though – not extreme like some of those people who lose 30-40 lbs in a month. I would say I lost between 3-6 lbs every month.

By my one year Ketoversary, I had lost exactly 60 lbs. That’s when it started to slow down. Now there are times when the scale doesn’t move for months and I can get irritated and frustrated.”

Ashley will tell you that past pictures of her are huge motivators during a stall. They serve as reminders of how far she’s come.

“I don’t want to go back to the way I was. I will take this body that I have right now over the body I had 4 years ago any day of the week. I feel better, I look better, and I never want to go back to having the health issues that I had before.”

We asked about her favorite snack from the November Krate, and she laughed as she told us,

“All of them! November was an awesome Krate – it’s hard to pick! I loved the Southern Recipe Small Batch Spicy Dill Pork Rinds and the Crazy Go Nuts Buffalo Walnuts – but everything was so good.”

What advice would she give to someone just starting out? 

“Take progress pictures! Don’t delete or throw away the pictures people take of you even if you hate them! Those are your ‘before’ pictures.”

She’ll also tell you to do what works for you:

“Everyone Ketos differently. There just isn’t one way that works for everybody. Even for myself, there is no one way. I’ve tried every way of Keto – strict, lazy, high protein, lower protein.

When someone tells me that something I eat isn’t Keto, I just say I’ve been doing this for 5 years and I check my Ketones so I know what I’m doing. There is no one way that works for everybody. You have to do what works for you and what you can stick to.”

Learn more about Ashley and her Keto journey on Instagram, follow her at @easy_lc_living