30- Day Keto Challenge: The Results Are In!

We are wrapping up our first 30-day challenge, and although I didn’t see the scale move as I wanted it to, I am super proud of the new habits I formed, and I feel amazing. We had an incredible community of like-minded individuals who were full of support and encouragement for each other in our Keto Challenge Facebook group. It truly made the past 30 days go by so quickly. We chat about all things keto and low carb related as each person who joined our group choose what worked best for them and we encouraged each other along the way, shared our hearts when we felt discouraged and learned to be proud of ourselves for nonscale victories instead of focusing solely on the scale. Although I had hoped to end this challenge with a significant weight loss, what I walked away with instead is worth so much more.

After 30 days, I lost one pound, and although at first, I felt a little discouraged I had to stop the madness and speak truth to myself. I would like to lose “five more lbs” but in reality, I am at my goal weight. Therefore, any weight that I might continue to drop is going to come off slowly. Also, I have worked out six days a week for the past four weeks (I only missed one day), I know I added muscle mass to my body, which is my ultimate goal. When replacing fat with muscle, I won’t see the scale move as much. I’m so thankful I took measurements so I could see an accurate picture of what has been happening in my body the past 30 days, instead of depending just on the scales.

Here are my 30-Day Challenge Results and NonScale Victories: 

• I lost 1 1/2 inches in my waist and 3/4 inch in my hips! (See the scale doesn’t show the full picture.)
• I went down a size in my skinny jeans. Woop! Woop!
• I started a new habit of drinking plain water. Before the 30-day challenge I hardly ever drank water, and I was addicted to Crystal Light. Now, I drink water all day long, and I love it. I even plain water something I thought would never happen.
• I have been purposeful to work out whether I wanted to or not, and usually, I didn’t. But, I can tell how much better I feel because my biggest goal is to tone my body. Before this challenge, I honestly just felt defeated when I saw myself in shorts or a sleeveless shirt. Now, I’m nowhere close to where I want to be, but I feel like my legs are tighter, and I saw a tiny peek of a bicep the other day. I know I am moving in the right direction and I’m starting to see real results, which is very motivating.
• I implemented a fasting window at least four days a week.
• I started drinking Bulletproof coffee in the mornings for breakfast and added MCT oil powder to my routine this past week. Surprisingly, I enjoy it and look forward to my morning coffee. All the added fats keep me full until lunch. (If you are looking to add MCT oil to your routine, Perfect Keto graciously gave us a 15% off coupon code. Go here and use code KASEYTRENUM at checkout. The price you see is the discounted price. I have enjoyed their MCT oil powder and Keto butter.)
• I drastically cut back on snacking and have been intentional to listen to my body’s natural hunger signals instead of cravings.
• I sleep like a bear in hibernation and usually wake up before my alarm in the mornings.
• I identified some areas that I knew I needed to be more accountable. Before the challenge began, I was eating too many nuts, which were adding calories I didn’t need. (If you’d like to troubleshoot, here are ten reasons why you might be experiencing a stall.)
• We went away for the weekend, and I stayed on plan with zero cheats. I even tested with keto sticks as soon as we got home and I was still in ketosis.
• I have changed my focus from weight loss to improved health and nonscale victories. This is not a sprint, but a marathon and that means I have to be committed for the long haul not just when I see the scale move.
• I’ve made a meal plan each week and cooked many meals for my family that we all enjoyed together.

I’m so thankful that the scale isn’t my only measurement for success. Otherwise, I would have missed out on so many incredible changes and wins in my health. Going forward, I am focused on toning by incorporating more exercise such as cardio and weight training. I will continue to drink water, keep my net carbs in check, and focus on my health for the long term.

What is next? 

Our amazing Keto Challenge group did not want our 30-days to end. I am telling you this group is so encouraging. So, after much thought, we will be launching a 90-day Keto Challenge June 4th, and we would love for you to join. A 30-day challenge is fantastic for creating new habits, but 90-days produce noticeable results. If you’d like info before the 90-Day Challenge launches, please add your email address and sign up below to receive info in your inbox.

The goal of the 90-Day Challenge to support and encourage each other as we focus on long-term health changes. Our focus is purposeful change instead of unrealistic perfection.