Today we are so inspired to share with you a keto success story from Chelsey Forrest. In this article, you will learn how Chelsey dealt with physical and emotional hardships in her life. You will also learn how she was able to stay strong, turned her trauma into triumph and turned her pain into power and strength.
If you’re new to the keto diet, feel free to read our keto guide here and meal plans here to get started.
If you have a success story to share with our community, please get in touch and let us know about it. We’d love to read your success story!
Without further ado, here’s Chelsey’s story:
Please tell us your story:
Every day I’m alive I feel like a walking miracle, life truly is precious. In December of 2012, I was a SURVIVOR of a rape and violent assault. I was currently a member of the United States Army, and it was fellow soldiers that would change and impact my life forever.
I was always in shape and highly athletic before this night, and following my attack I was left with a multitude of permanent life-changing injuries some of which are PTSD, right hand carpal tunnel, three compressed discs in my neck, sacrum stress fracture and miss alignment, worsening endometriosis, head trauma which led to emergency brain surgery to install an VP shunt, and right eye blindness, all before the age of 21.
The weight piled on from surgery, and an inner struggle with PTSD. I gained 75 pounds at 5’9 I was 240 pounds, developed worse PCOS symptoms and anxiety and PTSD were at an all-time high.
I remember having my first facial tremors and minor seizures, and seeing the ketogenic diet being mentioned I was tired on living on 11 prescriptions to fix my “situation” one night turned into almost four years of torment, hating my body, spiraling depression, and even using diet pills and, eating extremely to try and remedy to no help. Finally, in 2016 around December I decided to give Keto a try.
How has your life changed since going keto?
Since starting Keto I have lost all 75 pounds and workout 5 days a week lifting weights, I have met my dream man, and live in a small town where I love to use my military background to train clients and help them meet their fitness needs, I love coaching and preaching Keto ways of living! I have eased a lot of my symptoms of PCOS and through Keto and losing my weight have been able to workout again, and find my passion which helps manage PTSD!
What did you personally do in your first 10 days of keto?
For my first ten days of Keto I kept it very simple, I used the my fitness pal tracker to count all my macros and kept everything under 20 grams net of carbs a day I used a lot of dairy and cheese for my fats, and a lot of sugar free candy all of which I no longer crave or use in my Keto journey.
Do you count and track macros strictly?
I do not use an app anymore as most of it I can do in my head over time routine becomes second nature. However, during the first three months, count your macros and learn portions
Do you exercise? If yes, what’s your workout routine like?
I do exercise I do minimal cardio, I get cardio time in by doing HIIT style weight training I usually use a lot of dumbbells, kettle exercises, and the squat rack is my personal favorite!
Have you ever encountered a plateau? If so, how did you get over it?
Plateaus are apart of a journey, however, I encourage you to look at this as healing your body, take pictures every day I did do that the first six months and that helped to show me even when the scales don’t move your body is always changing in amazing ways!
What is your WHY (your drive/motivation) to keep on track and stay focused?
I didn’t give up because I was kept alive for a reason and if I can be a positive example to even one person that makes me feel incredible you don’t have to roll over and die just because life throws you curve balls
What are your favorite ingredients to prepare keto meals?
My go-to is salted butter it is this only dairy I keep around I love a good garlic lemon butter I am looking into making my own butter! I love a good steak, salad, and mashed radishes.
In one or two sentences, why do you think you are successful in this keto way of eating?
I reflect a lot of past pictures, and motivational quotes, I ask my boyfriend to really support me, and we like to try new recipes together. It’s all about the days you don’t want to do it, go ahead and make that your best day and give it your all!
Finally, What advice would you give someone who is just starting out on keto?
Keep it simple, lose excuses, find an alternative recipe before cheating, don’t do cheat meals there is a Keto version of almost anything!
You can do it, when I first started I was going through a divorce from an abusive ex and in a new long-term relationship with another man who left me and cheated one week after a miscarriage. That day I wanted to eat cake in a bathtub and cry…
However, that day I chose to find the chocolate mug cake recipe eat four of them, hey still not breaking Keto… and write a goal list… Life truly is about loving yourself and putting yourself first all else good will follow. I had to love myself first before good things followed.
We’d like to thank Chelsey so much for sharing with us her inspiring story and useful tips. You can follow her on Instagram at @ketosnapbackfitnesschic for more keto and fitness tips and motivation from her.
