Celebrity trainer Jen Widerstrom is no stranger to healthy eating and hard work. After all, the former Muscle & Fitness Hers cover star made a name for herself coaching people to health on NBC’s The Biggest Loser. But no one is immune to hitting a fitness rut every once in awhile, and Widerstrom recently went through just that.
Following a “very chaotic six months,” she somewhat jokingly accepted the ketogenic diet challenge from fellow trainer and powerlifter Mark Bell, only to realize that she could really use a body reboot once she saw her before photos. Prior to starting the challenge, she had been drinking more, eating fast food, and hadn’t been in a good place mentally, she wrote on her first post.
The post went viral, serving as an inspiring reminder that no one is perfect 100% of the time—even trainers and fitness influencers.
On Saturday, she posted an update at the end of the 17-day challenge, and the results are definitely impressive. For those unfamiliar with the ketogenic diet, it’s an approach to nutrition that seriously limits, if not totally cuts out, carbohydrates and replaces those calories with healthy fats, causing the body to go into ketosis and burn fat for energy.
Her biggest takeaway? We’ve all got the power to make changes, and it’s our choice whether we’re in it mentally. In the caption, she also shared her feedback on the diet plan itself.
As far as pros, Widerstrom felt that the diet method led to quick results, and she didn’t experience cravings or energy drops. She also likes that it’s very clear which foods fit into the plan.
“There is no guesswork and no negotiation that happens—you know exactly what you’re allowed to eat and what you’re not and it takes away any emotional eating or conversations in your head,” she writes in the caption. But she also listed a few cons: It takes a lot of discipline to stick to the diet, so it’s not for people who don’t want to seriously commit, and if you’re not precise with the diet, your body won’t go into ketosis—and that pretty much defeats the purpose.
Finally, she reiterated that everyone’s different, and no diet is definitely a fit for everyone’s body or goals.
“As you all know, I strongly believe one size does not fit all… Making keto NOT for everyone,” Widerstrom writes. “It’s not for me for sure—even though my body does respond well to high fat and protein fuel, given my mental and physical demands. My body NEEDS starch so I choose not to live in ketogenesis.”
Check out her progress photos throughout the challenge in the slideshow post below:
