Results of the 90-Day KetoDiet Challenge & Giveaway

This is what I've given away in this challenge

For the 90-Day KetoDiet Challenge, I've given away 15 amazing prizes worth over $2,000:

• 1st-3rd prizes: iPad 3 Mini (16GB, Wi-Fi, color of choice) + iPad cover of choice + Now Foods MCT Oil

• 4th-10th prizes: Cuisinart Ice-cream Maker + Now Foods MCT Oil

• 11th-15th prizes: The Low Carb Dietitian's Guide to Health and Beauty by Franziska Spritzler + The Primal Low-Carb Kitchen cookbook by Kyndra Holley + Now Foods MCT Oil

Here are the winners of this challenge...

1st - 3rd Place Winners

Congratulations to Cindy!

Cindy has joined us again after taking part in the previous challenge where she started at 150 pounds. She has also joined the next 60-Day KetoDiet Challenge! :-)

Starting stats: Weight: 128.7 lbs, Chest: 36", Waist: 28", Hips: 36" & Thighs: 20"
Final stats: Weight: 125.4 lbs, Chest: 34", Waist: 26", Hips: 34" & Thighs: 19"

Still need to lose 10 more lbs. 2" from waist, hips and thighs. I didn't quite make my goals with this challenge but I am closer. Again I would like to thank you so much for all your support in my journey.

Congratulations to Maggie!

I have been "dieting" for the last 10 years. Only to go up and down 5-6 lbs... and quickly giving up. It has been a never ending battle with my weight. At times, I believe I do it to myself. I stop my self from changing. Its the fear of gaining all the weight back on and feeling ashamed of myself. I feel like I am having constant battle in my head. Just last September I had my daughter. I tried exercise and dieting and lost any baby weight quickly, but its the weight that I have just put on through out the years that I am fighting.

So I decided to look around the internet and have a look at other ways of eating. I have heard of a Paleo diet, but never Ketosis. I read up on it and decided why not. I have been on your plan and following your recipes for almost 3 weeks. The first week was tough. I hated eggs, bacon and not being able to have sweets first thing in the morning with my coffee.

This week I am enjoying my coffee with a bit of coconut milk and NO SWEETS!! I have said not to cupcakes and cookies. Which is really hard to do working in an office. We are surrounded by them. I guess, it comes down to what works for you and your body. I am still afraid at times and wake up with all of the pounds I have lost back on my body. I am afraid of the feeling of that failure. I am crossing my fingers and hoping that I can keep it together.

I do have to thank you for the awesome blog and recipes!! I have made your chili recipe--OMG! It was yummy! My favorite breakfast trade in for eggs is the Chia Pudding with Blackberries! It replaced the yogurt I use to eat. Thank you for your support and motivation.

Final results: It's been a bumpy road for me. Lots of ups and downs, but I'm content with the results. Looking forward to the future. I have a goal I want to meet before my daughters 1st birthday. This challenge was great and thanks for your positive vibes!

My start numbers: 173 lbs, waist measures 43", hips 45"
My final numbers: 159.2 lbs, waist 39 ¹/₂", hips 41" weight

Congratulations to Joylynn!

I started the keto diet before I found this blog and challenge. I started this to lower my cholesterol. I had taken Lipitor for 2 months and felt horrible. I started on February 2 giving up sugar and processed foods. That was really hard as sugar was my drug of choice. My son gave me keto diet info several weeks later when I had with a cholesterol level of 232. It is now 157. I am 60 years old, 5'6". I have lost 40 lbs. My size went from a tight 14 to a loose size 8. (Should be in a size 6 shortly as I am toning now using body weight exercises.)

I had a sedentary lifestyle when I started but now I use a Fitbit and average 80,000 steps a week walking hills by my home. I walk daily and exercise 3 times a week. Even though I have increased my caloric intake to maintain, I will continue the keto diet of low carb, moderate protein, and high fat as a way of life. Even my fibromyalgia symptoms have diminished. I wish I had discovered this way of eating long ago. When someone asks, "Was it hard?" My reply... "At first, yes. But completely worth it!"

4th-10th Place Winners

Congratulations to Kirsten!

Thanks for doing the challenge it has kept me going through a rough slump where I'd normally turn to food. After such huge success with the 90 day challenge i'm moving right into the 60 day without a single cheat meal. Instead I bought myself some fancy cheese and shrimp to make a celebratory meal. Hopefully the next round will be equally as successful for me! My personal goal is to get down to 210 by the end of the next challenge.

Starting weight 262.7. -> Current weight 227. (35.7 pounds lost!)

• Waist: 43" -> 37.5" (-5.5")
  
• Hip: 51" -> 45.5" (-5.5")
  
• Thigh: 28" -> 24" (-4")
  
• Calf: 18.5" -> 18" (-.5")
  
• Bust: 50" -> 45" (-5")
  

PS: Weight loss total since starting keto is 140!

Congratulations to Maria!

After taking 3 years to lose 30 pounds, I spent most of this year on a plateau. Then I lost 15.4 pounds on the 90 day challenge!!! I went from 315 pounds to 299.6 pounds and lost an inch off my waist and 1 ¹/₂ inches off my hips. Wahoo!!!

I have been following a healthy Keto diet including whole foods, coconut oil, supplements, drinking lots of water, etc. Then I did something new.During the challenge, I did a cleanse which included, among other things, the daily consumption of green smoothies, protein shakes, pureed soups and mashed cauliflower. I found that when I included one of these with my meals once or twice a day, I would steadily keep losing weight.

The first thing I have every morning is a Bullet Proof Dandy Blend with 2 Tbs. Coconut Oil, 1 raw egg, and cinnamon or nutmeg. Sometimes I add a tsp of organic cocoa powder.

In spite of being a 69 year old disabled, Diabetic woman with limited ability to exercise, I’ve also gotten some amazing results with my blood sugar readings. Now I usually hang out in the “true normal” range with all those people who don’t have Diabetes or other blood sugar issues.

I prefer not to think of myself as disabled, because I don’t plan to stay this way. In fact, my health and mobility are slowly and steadily improving. The Keto Coco Diet (Keto plus coconut oil) is an important part of my daily protocol. I am looking forward to the next challenge. Thank you for making them available to us.

Congratulations to Amanda!

I've come across your blog after looking for keto diet resources and I have to say - I'm in love! The recipes are incredible. I'd like to enter your 90-Day Keto Challenge, so I'll start off with a background of myself.

My name is Amanda and I live in the capital of Canada. I have been actively trying to lose weight since I was about 14 years old (I'm 23 now). Obviously, it has been many failed attempts for almost ten years! Something I had discovered about myself throughout those years is that my body reacts very favourably (i.e., lose weight fast) to a low-carb diet, which I had discovered by going on and off the South Beach diet many, many times. It was never very effective considering I always gave up! I think the longest I had ever managed to stay motivated was about two to three weeks.

I came across the whole concept of the ketogenic diet through other websites, and deciding to follow this lifestyle has to be the best thing I have ever done. I want to shout it from the rooftops! I began actively monitoring my weight/measurements on March 3rd of this year, however I had started the diet about 2 weeks before that. I realize that means by the end of the challenge I will have been doing the keto diet longer than 90 days, but I wanted to share my success so far :) Here are my stats!

Height: 5'10"

Beginning of weight loss journey - February, 2015
Bust: 47" / Waist: 37.5" / Hips: 49" / Arms: 18.5" / Thighs: 31" / Weight: around 265 lbs / Body fat percentage: 44%

Beginning of 90-Day Keto Challenge - March 30, 2015
Bust: 44" / Waist: 34.5" / Hips: 46" / Arms: 16" / Thighs: 28" / Weight: 238 lbs / Body fat percentage: 37%

Today! June 30th, 2015
Bust: 38.5" / Waist: 30" / Hips: 40.5" / Arms: 12" / Thighs: 24.5" / Weight: 193 lbs / Body fat percentage: 28%

I've accomplished this so far by setting my daily carb goal to 20-25g, walking about an hour everyday, and including some strength training exercises about 3 times a week. I have never been this excited to be on a weight loss journey until now!

Another thing is that over the years I became very good at avoiding the camera at all costs! I found a few full-body photos lurking around since I didn't take any photos at the beginning of this for progress comparisons.

So very proud and ecstatic to say that since the beginning of this challenge, I have lost 45 pounds. I did start my ketogenic lifestyle a bit earlier however, at the beginning of March, in which I have since lost 61 pounds!

When I decided to go keto however, I had already lost about ten pounds using more traditional methods, so I've lost a total of 72 pounds since February. I realize this seems fast but my body seems to love being in ketosis! Going keto has been the BEST decision I have ever made for myself. Starting out I was wearing size 18 and 1x shirts. Now, I'm wearing a size 11 and medium shirts. I am finally under 200lbs and the lowest weight I have ever been in my adult life (I'm 23). The last time I was in the 190s, I was 12 years old! Losing weight has been a life-long struggle for me, until this year when I discovered keto. For the first time ever, I actually love my body and feel comfortable in my skin. It's an incredible feeling.

Congratulations to Jessica!

Pin itFollow us 148.4k

At the beginning of the challenge I weighed 202.2 lbs, at the mid point I weighed 190.4 and was very much looking forward to hitting the 180s. Well I've since surpassed that. My lowest weight at the end of this challenge is a lovely 183.4 lbs! That makes a total of 18.8 lbs lost in the 90 days. I can hardly believe that I'm nearing the 170s now. I don't even know the last time my weigh started with a 17... As you can see, I cut my hair recently too. I am actually starting to feel confident and comfortable in my own skin, enough that I don't need to hide behind my curtain of hair any longer! It's refreshing!

I certainly faced some challenges throughout the 90 days. I lost my enthusiasm for working towards the end of the 90 days and have been slowly working on getting it back, I ended up getting a job offer, accepting, and quitting my current job which certainly changed my focus somewhat. Instead of putting all of my energy into my lifestyle (keto), I became distracted which resulted in me doing a more 'lazy' version of keto these past couple of weeks. I'm happy to be back at it and am looking forward to focusing on me again. My advice would be to not be so hard on yourself, it's so easy to mess up and 'cheat' or make a mistake and get bogged down in the details. Mistakes happen. Move past it and don't make it a habit - make it a one time thing and just try and think of the bigger picture. Overall, keto makes me feel happier and better about myself and these challenges really are great at keeping me motivated.

Above all, thanks Martina for putting this challenge on! I love reading your newsletters and seeing all of your Instagram posts - you've been a great motivator throughout! So again, thank you so much!

Congratulations to Daune!

When I started this challenge 10 weeks ago I was at a low point. My weight was tipping at 198 pounds, my thyroid was in the gutter, i was suffering from post herpatic nueralgia (nerve pain caused by shingles) , I was taking large amount of prescription medication called gabapentin for the nerve pain which had serious side affects, and I was getting steroid shots weekly. I knew it had to stop.

The first thing I did was look up ketogenic diet and from there I wanted to get ideas of what others where making and eating. I then went on Instagram where I saw people using the hashtag #ketodietchallenge I quickly realized this would be my goal not only to lose weight, but to try and overcome my health obstacles.

My struggles throughout this process have been difficult, my thyroid got really bad at the third week in. I was very week and had difficulty cooking. I must say though, today it is much better. I believe that this is due to the lifestyle change. The other thing I should tell you about my self is that I have had 3 lower back surgeries and currently going to physical therapy because my cervical disc are ruptured. During this process I have completely quit getting steroid injections and I have been tapering down of the medication.

The last week or so in the challenge you may have noticed that I was eating less. This was because I had another shingles flair up. What I have gone through in my life is far less then what others have been through. Everyone deals with struggle. I believe it's how we come through it that makes up the person we become. The last day I weighed 180.6.

Congratulations to Inge!

I was 119 kg when the challenge started and today I am 113.9 kg. That is a total loss of 6.1 kg or 13.45 pounds. I am very happy with the result as I have a few challenges:

1. I have to take regular steroids and immune suppressive drugs which pile on the weight.
2. These steroids also made me diabetic and I need to take quite high doses of Insulin at least 2x a day, sometimes more. Insulin also makes you put on weight.
3. The illness (Wegener's Granulomatosis) keeps me in constant pain and makes exercising difficult.
4. The steroids weaken my muscles and a week ago I tore a muscle in my calf which due to the steroids will take months to heal. I am amazed that despite the tear immobilizing me (rest with leg elevated and on and ice are the only remedies), I still managed to lose more weight.
5. I was doing some exercise with a pulmonary rehab program before I tore the calf muscle and it is rather depressing I have to put that on hold for now.
6. The illness has a nasty habit of flaring up and when it does it is difficult not to be depressed and grab for the comfort food, however I focus on the benefits of staying in Ketosis and I overcome those moments of temptation.

We recently went on a 3 week holiday which included a lot of driving and site seeing. This was difficult as normally we love to try out all the cake shops in all the different towns and drink our hot chocolates. I booked us into places that had a kitchen and we had a car boot full of gadgets and groceries with us so we catered for ourselves. On the way we managed to eat out a fair bit and always found places that would serve food without the carbs. I managed to stay in Ketosis the entire time!

One challenging moment was when we met up with my sister and her husband and took them to the foodcourt for a cuppa. However we passed this wonderful ice cream booth with ice creams to die for. My sister and her husband bought a giant ice cream each. I looked at each and every ice-cream to see if there was anything sugar free but there wasn't so I made them all continue on to the food court where I bought a huge plate of roast pork and crackling instead. It made me so full I could not have managed an ice cream.

Recently we had a birthday party for our son. So I planned this weeks ahead and managed to put together a menu that would please and satisfy all of us, even those not on ketogenic diets. It worked well. I even found the most yummy strawberry cheesecake recipe. Which reminds me, we need a section on Birthday Cakes on your blog :) Got it Inge, I'll post some soon! :-)

So all this time I remained in Ketosis. I bought a breathalyser gadget that you blow into and it gives you a good indication of how well you are in ketosis. I had one night that stuffed it up. I accidentally overdosed on insulin and ended up in hospital overnight under observation. I had to eat chocolate and starch to counteract the insulin I had taken. But it was only a short blip. Next day I was back to normal.

I am so glad I found this website and your App and its many recipes. I can't say I feel deprived. It is getting easier to walk past cake shops and chocolate shops as I know it is worth persevering when I see the gradual weight loss. I also want to prove that long term adherence to this WOE will help with the Autoimmune Disease and reduce all the inflammation in my body.

Thank you for allowing me to continue with the challenge and I look forward to the next one as well. I am in this for keeps :)

Congratulations to Cheryl!

I was amazed and grateful for the wonderful recipes you shared with us, for the first time in a long time, food became fun again and you added taste, flavor and fun to the keto diet.... I couldn't do the apps, but I printed out almost every recipe and bought your cook book so I can have the recipes on hand to make snacks fast.

My goal wasn't to loose a lot of weight, although I did slim down, it was to find great tasting food that I could eat and be pain free and moveable. I was in constant pain 24/7 for years and one day I decided to try the keto diet to lower my cholesterol and with in 4 days I was pain free. I was so excited to be pain free and I told my doctor and he said if people knew what sugar did to there bodies, they would never put another spoonful in there mouth! The problem was, no one gave me food tips, so eating the same thing over and over became so boring and it was hard staying on the keto diet. In desperation I was looking on amazon to find some kind of cook book and I found your cookbook... and then I went to your website and you opened up a whole new world of food choices and sweet things to eat... oh boy do I love sweet things!!! I am so grateful to you Martina and I could never thank you enough for all your help... and putting fun back into eating.

The keto way of eating isn't just a diet to me... it's a way of life. Eating a keto diet I am pain free. If I go off of the keto, I go into terrible pain,muscle spasms and stove up with arthritis to a point that I can hardly move. My doctor told me with my last MRI I should be in a wheelchair with big bottles of pain pills.... but when I stay on the keto way of eating I am moveable, no pain and I feel 20 years younger. ;0) hummmmm I'll enjoy keto with your fun recipe's!

I have learned three things while on this 90 day challenge...

1. I don't like to cook meals, I prefer fast snacks as I am always on the go and forget to eat, and it's too hot to cook.
2. I love sweet things but I found when I reached for food I wanted more protein over sweets.
   
3. I will always follow your website to learn all that you can teach me as you have made a huge difference in my life... and I am so grateful.... Thank you... Thank you!!!

11th-15th Place Winners

Congratulations to Jane!

I started the challenge at 98.4 kg and finished it at 91.6 kg. A loss of nearly 7 kg. It has been really slow in my view and this I know is because of being post menopausal. Us older ladies have a distinct disadvantage as we have to battle excess cortisol and hormone imbalance which conspires against us losing weight easily!

Still I have done it and feel soooo much better. I have come off medication for high blood pressure as my BP dropped. My FBG has been consistently low. I have more energy and am beginning to think about new clothes... today i put on a slimmer fitting T Shirt instead of a baggy one! Yaaaaaay.

Thanks so much Martina for all the tips and recipes, guidance and motivation. I sincerely hope everyone else has had success and... if not... don't give up! You will get there in the end. Think of it as a lifestyle thats full of exciting new things to eat and not a diet or restriction. We eat far more healthily and without hunger... unlike those people still following 'starvation' diets, lolol.

Heres to the next challenge! Hope to see you all there!

Congratulations to Frederick!

Hi Martina, enjoyed the first 90 day keto challenge and plan to be on board for the next one also.

Here's my results:

• Start weight 242 pounds -> current weight 213 pounds
• Start waist 40 inches -> current waist 38 inches
• Start fat % 32% -> current fat % 24%

Congratulations to Julie!

Thank you for the challenge. It was a great motivator and the support from the Facebook group was invaluable for sharing tips and information.

Changes since the start of the challenge:

• Weight: -21.04 lbs
• Body fat: -7.3%
• Waist: -2"
• Hips: -1.5"
• Thighs: -2.25" each
• Bust: -1.5"

I've still got 15 lbs more to lose to reach my goal weight but I'm delighted with my achievements so far. :-)

My tips for the challenge... I've fallen off the wagon before but this time, following the pointers below, I am choosing this way of eating as a lifestyle choice, rather than as a temporary diet as I did previously.

1. Do lots of reading on the subject - the more I learn about the harm caused by sugar (and wheat) in our diets, the less I want to eat it.
2. Try to find healthified alternatives/recipes of food (and drinks) you normally enjoy - if it's familiar, you may find it easier to stick to.
3. Use Pinterest to find delicious looking keto recipes to try so you're never short of inspiration. I've saved hundreds, grouped according to meal type etc. Here's one of my boards: http://pinterest.com/ardulie/low-carb-savoury/
4. Unlike previous attempts, I've actually cleared my kitchen cupboards of 'bad' foods to make way for healthy alternatives. This also means I've usually got the ingredients I need to make something keto-friendly.
5. And finally, even with all the information and support available, you have to want to change more than you want things to stay the same. Here's a favourite quote: "If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you always got."

Thanks again for all you do Martina. Great app and service to everyone looking to lose weight and improve their health.

Congratulations to Janice!

Looking at the info in my KetoDiet app here is my progress on the 90 day challenge:

I am feeling good and finding it easier and easier to stick with it. I no longer crave any candy, cakes, cookies, breads, carby snacks or alcohol. They are easy to say no to because sugar no longer drives my appetites or fuels my body. In fact in the last couple of weeks, I find I no longer desire breakfast so once I have supper around 8pm, I don't have an appetite to eat again until 1-2pm the next day. Then I usually have 2 meals and usually no snacks and feel fine. I find I am eating a lot less food and buying a lot less as well, yet am eating whole unprocessed, quality foods. I love experiencing that lean feeling again, I had forgotten what that was like and yet it was my normal (105-115 lbs) for the first 35 years of my life. Thank you for your great resources. I have referred many friends and family to your site as they are noticing how great I look.

Here my measurements from March 30 2015 and May 24 2015, in brackets (final results below):

• Height = 5 feet 3 inches (same)
• Weight = 136.2 lbs (127.6 lbs) - remember I had started keto on March 6 at 142 lbs prior to joining the challenge on March 30th -- so my total weight loss so far has been 14.4 lbs
• Age = 54 (same)
• Waist = 31 in (29.5)
• Hips = 36.5 in (36.5)
• Thigh = 21 in (21)
• Chest (rib cage below breast tissue) = 35 in (34)
• Bustline (nippleline) = 38 in (37)

My result so far is 125.2 pounds. At 5 ft 3 in and starting from a high of 142, that is not quite where I want or need to be or where I used to be --105-110 was my lean weight until I was in my late 30's. So I am headed in the right direction. Here is my weight graph attached. I am grateful for finding your blog and app. I had a rough work/travel week with 7 days straight eating away from home and working long hours on little sleep. It was no wonder that I gained back a 1.5 pounds when I stood on the scale when I got home. I find when I am using the app it keeps me aware of the real composition of what I am eating and not just my guess and I get better results. I will continue to enjoy great food, enjoy freedom from driving hunger and continue to move toward my happy lean body feeling and weight. I will definitely join the next challenge.

Btw... the hardest part of this time of year is all the fresh local fruit. I find I need to be very careful here or those delicious berries derail my carb count quickly.

Congratulations to Jennifer!

I'm so happy that I participated in this challenge. I'm even happier that I stuck with it the entire time, and I'm not planning on stopping! Here are my before and after stats. Thanks so much for doing this challenge, what a wonderful and inspirational time it's been! Total pounds lost: 22.4. Total inches lost: 20.25". I'm super proud of this!

• weight: 246.6 lbs. -> 224.2 lbs
• waistline: 48" -> 42"
• hips: 56.5" -> 51"
• bust: 50" -> 48"
• thighs: 23.75" -> 22.25"