Working hard has always been important for Ashley Gertley, who opened her own hair salon at 19 years old, but her dedication and work ethic came at a cost. For years, Gertley sacrificed her own wellbeing for the sake of her career, and she watched as the scales continued to go up and clothes continued to get tighter.

Gertley, now 23, would hardly eat anything while she was rushing around at work, only to binge on fast food as soon as she arrived home at the end of her shift. With all the chaos each day, there was also zero chance to squeeze in a workout, as she told Newsweek that she was “putting business above [her] personal health.”

But in January 2023, Gertley, from Toronto, Canada, knew she could no longer continue with this unhealthy lifestyle, as her weight reached 270lbs and she was wearing US size 16 clothes. She’d tried a few fad diets in the past and nothing worked, but in 2023 she challenged herself to get back into shape and make it last.

“After opening my salon and putting that first to ensure its success, I finally decided it was time to put the same effort I was putting into my business into myself. I worked hard to create a balance between my personal and work life by making time for meal prep, socializing, family time, and working out,” Gertley, the owner of Ashleeybeauty, told Newsweek.

“To lose the weight I shifted to have a complete lifestyle change. It was a more maintainable approach that didn’t make me lose the weight quickly, but it was a gradual transformation with healthier habits.”

Just What Is ‘Dirty Keto’?

Her previous routine involved hours without eating before gorging on fast food and quick meals at the end of the day, but Gertley has swapped that for a high-protein diet with plenty of vegetables and minimal sugar.

She still has some carbohydrates, but not as many as she used to, which is why she refers to it as a “dirty keto lifestyle.” The website WebMD says that a keto diet involves eating less than 50 grams of carbs a day, which can work for short-term weight loss as it has rapid results in the first three to six months, but it won’t have any long-term health benefits.

Hannah Sutter, a keto expert and founder of Natural Ketosis, told Newsweek that “when you reduce your intake of carbohydrate to below 50g a day, your body will automatically use fat for energy.”

For that reason, she said that a low-carbohydrate diet (in other words, a keto diet), “can ensure you burn excess body fat for energy while feeling full and eating delicious natural food.“

The keto diet can certainly be a challenge to sustain, which is why Gertley has gone for a more laid-back approach which still allows her to enjoy other foods “in moderation.”

“I stick to high-protein food with lots of vegetables and low carbs, and I have minimal fruit to reduce my sugar intake. I’ve never stuck to a certain number of calories per day or cut out any foods completely,” she said.

Monitoring her food has made Gertley more aware of what she put into her body, without being completely restrictive, which is why nutritionist Sarah Herrington believes her weight loss has been so successful.

Herrington told Newsweek that following a dirty keto diet, as Gertley has done, can cut back on the unhealthy elements while still providing “food satisfaction” with an enjoyable diet.

“Dirty keto includes a multitude of highly palatable foods, like bacon, steak, and cheese, which allow for the inclusion of fun foods when trying to lose weight,” Herrington said. “Keto diets focus heavily on fats and proteins, which are far more satiating than carbohydrates; meaning they make you feel fuller for less calories.

“When we completely deprive ourselves of certain foods for extended periods of time, then we run into issues, as Gertley did by restricting food all day and subsequently binge eating. Combining a high-protein intake, the inherent muscle-preserving properties of a keto diet, and healthy exercise can assist weight loss.”

But Keto Won’t Work For Everyone

The dirty keto diet worked for Gertley, but Herrington, who provides a holistic and sustainable approach to nutritional counseling at Brio-Medical, notes that it won’t work for everyone.

“It is most important to find a dietary pattern that works for you, your lifestyle, and your preferences, and not just what others have been successful with,” she said.

Indeed, health considerations should be made before starting any diet, and a number of nutritionists have warned against keto in particular. Newsweek previously spoke to Ashley Kitchens, a registered dietician based in North Carolina, who explained that carbohydrates are often demonized in diet culture, but they “are not the enemy” and shouldn’t be cut out.

She continued: “I do not recommend low-carb diets. They are not sustainable, suitable, or safe, especially long-term. Low-carb diets are enticing in the beginning because people tend to drop weight quickly from water loss and they may even feel better. However, low-carb diets are not a long-term solution to weight loss.”

It’s not just her diet that’s been overhauled, though, because Gertley also started a new exercise regime in January 2023 to help shed even more pounds.

“I do Pilates three times a week, and then cardio or a HIIT (high intensity interval training) session three times a week too,” Gertley said.

“I started to notice the difference within the first four weeks. I was losing around 4-5lbs a week, and then after the first few months I was losing 2-3lbs a week. Now, I am losing closer to a pound or less a week as I’m closer to my goal weight.”

People looking to lose weight might hope for quick results, but doing it steadily is considered the best way to ensure it stays off. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those who shed around 1 or 2 pounds a week are more likely to maintain their weight loss, rather than those who lose it faster.

Sharing Her Weight Loss Journey On TikTok

After managing to lose 90lbs in a year and transforming her lifestyle, Gertley began sharing her success story on TikTok (@ashleey.gertley) to encourage others to put their own wellbeing first. A post she shared in December, showing how her weight changed with every passing month, went viral with more than 6.8 million views and over 696,900 likes on TikTok.

Gertley said: “I documented my entire journey with small snippets of how I was looking and feeling, but I didn’t expect the video to get this popular. I’ve had a lot of people reach out and ask how I was able to do this.”

Now, at 180lbs, Gertley is turning her attention to reducing her body fat percentage and gaining muscle, which could see her weight drop to around 160lbs. But it’s not just the physical transformation that’s reinvigorated the 23-year-old, as she’s also learned so much about her mental strength.

“I’ve learned that self-discipline is self-love,” she said. “It’s not a matter of whether I can do something anymore, but it’s whether I have the strength to be disciplined enough to carry it out. You have to be disciplined to fuel your body with better nutrition, which isn’t easy to do but you must remind yourself of why you’re doing it.”

Since sharing the post about making herself “a priority” on TikTok, Gertley was inundated with more than 3,300 comments of support and praise. One comment reads: “The difference between Jan and march alone is insane!”

Another person responded: “You should be so proud of yourself.”

“You are an inspiration and a reminder these transformations don’t happen overnight,” another TikTok user commented.

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