TV personality Al Roker slammed fitness expert Jillian Michaels for shaming the keto diet.
“So @JillianMichaels says #Keto is a bad idea. This from a woman who promoted on camera bullying , deprivation, manipulation and more weekly in the name of weight loss. Now those sound like bad ideas,” wrote Al Roker in a tweet.
So @JillianMichaels says #Keto is a bad idea. This from a woman who promoted on camera bullying , deprivation, manipulation and more weekly in the name of weight loss. Now those sound like bad ideas
— Al Roker (@alroker) January 10, 2019
Roker practices the keto diet and has videos and photos of his keto meals on Instagram. He also posts videos of himself working out and even demonstrating keto recipes.
Michaels spoke in a video for Women’s Health, totally dismissing the keto diet.
“I don’t understand. Why would anybody think this is a good idea?” she said.
Michael’s went on to explain her rationale and why keto deprives the body of certain nutrients needed for a healthy life. She emphasized the importance of consuming a variety of high-quality, low-processed foods and avoiding over-eating in general.
“And to make a very long story short, avoid the keto diet. Common sense. Balanced diet is key.”
Michaels also gave an interview for People in which she argued against the keto diet.
“Don’t do keto. Do not… Don’t… How many reasons do you want? How much time do I have? And I’m not allowed to swear?”
That’s right. My choice. What works for me, may not for others. https://t.co/uzg8VwQOMP
— Al Roker (@alroker) January 10, 2019
Michaels said that following a keto might seem to help with battling certain medical conditions like high insulin levels, but she goes on to say that if you exercise and eat sensibly, you can still get the same benefits as keto without any negative side effects.
“Don’t go keto. Do not.. No… Don’t. Just work out. Eat clean. And don’t overeat. I promise you: balanced diet. It’s that simple.”
Twitter user James Climenhaga responded to Roker’s criticism by bringing up the main source of his past weight loss:
“Or just go under the knife right Al? Many physiologist turn down Keto. Bad for breath, bad for liver just two of the negative effects.”
Climenhaga was referring to Roker’s dramatic weight loss starting in the 2000s, when Roker underwent gastric bypass surgery and dropped from 340 pounds to 190 pounds. However, he started to regain some of the weight later by binge eating during the emotional turmoil of his mother’s hospitalization. He regained 40 pounds during that period.
“I went back,” Roker told Today. “And I hated it. I know what I have to do now to keep that from happening again.”
Roker reduced some of the new weight gain through diet and exercise. He cut out caffeine, alcohol, sugar, dairy, and gluten. His interview with Today did not specifically mention a keto diet.
However, in Roker’s latest food and health posts on Instagram, he proudly shows off bacon he cooked. In another post he shows off egg muffins he baked. And in another he shows himself dripping with sweat, working out, and encouraging others to do the same.
Michaels’s Instagram page also shows her working out, but in many different environments. And she also advertises her book “The 6 Keys.”
There are different popular varieties of the keto diet, but almost all of them require that a majority of your sustenance comes through eating fats. Both proteins and especially carbs are eaten in a much smaller ratio. A version of keto not specifying fats, carbs, or proteins is the intermittent fasting variety, according to the Charlie Foundation.
