Everyone's weight loss journey is different, full of twists and turns and successes and losses. Hopefully, there's more success than struggles, but just know that it's different for every person.

If you're currently on the keto diet, then you know there are secrets to making it work for you. Joanna Wilcox is one success story of many who lost weight on the keto diet. First, she did her research to make sure it was right for her and she also sought therapy which helped her get her thinking straight. After that, she figured out what she could and couldn't eat, and she also implemented other tips that helped her along the way.

In one year's time, Joanna lost 60 pounds, which is pretty remarkable. She outlines below why she decided to give the keto diet a try and what worked best for her. Her positive decisions ultimately led her to lose weight and today she feels healthier than she's ever felt before.

BEFORE: 203

AFTER: 143

Growing up, I didn't have the best eating habits. As a kid, I would get $5 each week for my allowance, and I would ride my bike to the store and buy as much candy as I could. I was sugar obsessed! When I got into junior high school, I would spend my lunch money on horrible food options from vending machines and the cafeteria. French fries and gravy, pizzas, beef jerky sticks, potato chips, you name it. I spent my teenage years overweight, but lost 50 pounds in college because I had to walk everywhere—and I mean everywhere. I didn't have a car and due to a slow bus schedule, I spent a lot of time on my feet walking to my job—50 minutes just one way.

After the births of my daughter in 2010 and my son in 2014, I just never lost the baby weight. Being the mom of two young kids left me strapped for time, especially while juggling a full-time desk job, so I wasn't making the best food choices. My meals almost always consisted of carb-laden convenience foods. If it was salty and carby, I was all over it.

In December of 2016, I was sitting in my car at a local park during my lunch hour listening to a podcast on how to lose weight. The thing is, while I was listening, I was also eating a Burger King chicken sandwich and an extra-large order of french fries with extra mayo.

I knew I couldn't go on this way, wanting to make a change, but never really sticking to it. I decided right then and there to seek the support of a certified psychotherapist for the emotional eating I was doing to cope with the stress and isolation of my job.

I looked into the ketogenic lifestyle, and the success stories I read made me decide to use it to reach my weight-loss goals once and for all.

I started by cutting out carb-rich foods, which included pizza, french fries, bread, pancakes, muffins, cookies, juice, milk, and even high-carb fruits like apples and bananas. I also started to incorporate intermittent fasting, which involves fasting for a portion of the day.

Also, I didn't stop eating out—I just learned how to make better choices while doing so. There wasn't a fast food joint or restaurant where I couldn't find something to eat that fit within my diet.

Looking back at what kept me going, I realize that I was both mentally and emotionally ready for change. I stopped accepting behaviors that went against what I ultimately wanted—and I refused to settle for less than my best, and pushed through.

Losing 60 pounds has brought back an inner self-confidence that I had lost over the years. This new inner strength is now spreading to other areas of my life and I no longer fear change. Yes, I have changed physically and that's great. However, I think the internal changes are the most profound.

Exercise patience! It took you a long time to get your body to a place where you were not happy with it. Do not expect overnight results, or you are setting yourself up to fail. Be patient, and know that you are taking the right steps to move toward your goal. Do that, and the rest will follow.

Joanna's hard work paid off, and it can be the same way for us. Who knows, we may see results right away. In Joanna's case, the fact that she lost 60 pounds in a year's time is remarkable. The keto diet worked well for her, and it can work well for us too. Her new inner strength is no doubt spreading to others who are also on the same diet. There's power in numbers and helping one another succeed!

There's a lot more to Joanna's weight loss journey. To read more about it check out Women's Health.

Featured image via JOANNA WILCOX