Why I WON'T do the Keto Diet 

We had my 5 year old son on keto for years for his severe uncontrolled epilepsy (averaging 100 seizures a day, 1000+ on his worst days). It was highly managed by a children's hospital, with every meal being prescribed by the doctors. He had to be in the hospital for the first week to induce ketosis because of the severe side effects of the keto flu. We checked his blood 2x a day to monitor his actual ketones to make sure he was in proper range. Monthly bloodwork and doctor's appointments to make sure he was developing properly and getting all of his nutrients. It was intense, but worth it because we finally got some form of seizure control & stability. This is after we had failed to get seizure control from 8 different anti-epileptic medications. BUT we had to take him off of the diet after 2 years because of the liver side effects. Most epilepsy medication is processed through the liver, CBD is processed through the liver, and keto hits the liver really hard as well. We were looking at liver failure for him before he hit his teenage years, which is more terminal than his current rare disease that causes the seizures. So we made the difficult choice to come off the diet in order to preserve his longterm health. Keto is good, but unfortunately, it has some severe drawbacks. Thanks for highlighting them in the video!

Craig please be careful with the upcoming video on learning the splits -- I tried to learn the splits about 5 years ago and I still have a lingering hip injury/strain from pushing myself too hard and I wish I had never done it. And I was trying to go slowly, I did it over even longer than 30 days.

My diet has to be SIMPLE. And EASY. Otherwise I just can't do it, I'm too addicted to junk food. It took me years to develop healthy, sustainable, intuitive eating, and it has nothing to do with any diet or fad.

I lost 90lbs on keto, and I felt fantastic. It also helped me consume less alcohol because when you're on keto you become a real lightweight. The problem came when I realized how weak I was, so I started working out and lifting weights. Some people say that they feel great working out on keto, but that wasn't my experience. I came off and saw massive strength gains. I've gained weight, but not back to where I was, but I've managed to stay relatively lean because I put on a lot of muscle. I do need to drop some lbs, and keto actually helped me understand better how to read food labels and understand nutrition. I just know that I'm going to lose some strength when I lose weight, so I wasn't in a big hurry to start.

Considering most of the long-living cultures out there have a mainly carb-based diet (rice in Asia, yams in Africa) keto just doesn't make sense to me for long term health

I've been in strict ketosis for medical reasons for two years. It worked really well to treat my condition. It was not my goal to lose weight. It took about a year to get used, not physiologically, but in terms of learning how to live: cooking, recipes, eating out, etc. It's been interesting, and it's hard work, but the alternative for me is to be really really ill, so I'm motivated. I don't think it's suitable for WheezyWaiter, who tends to want to do something for a month and talk about it. It takes *years*, in my opinion, to change your life enough. (Btw, I don't have high cholesterol or any other weird symtoms. I get tested regularly because chronic illness. But I'm me and you're you.)

Maintenance Phase is a podcast that did a great episode about the origins of the keto diet, definitely worth a listen!

I started keto 3 months ago and it wasn't for losing weight because I'm underweight. It was because of chronic pain I've been dealing with for so many years and I got rid of that almost 90% with this diet. For me the most important is to not suffer anymore and feel stronger. I was always without energy and couldn't put my feet on the ground without feeling like cracking glass under them. Now I no longer feel all the inflammation, arthritis and chronic pain I felt. It's much more milder, I found joy in living again. I think it's worth trying and if it's not for you switch again to what works for you

My doctor told me a blend of intermitant fasting and Mediterranean diet is best. The blue zones follow this as less to no red meat and way more fruits and vegies.

I found success with keto, but did have trouble keeping it going long term. What worked better was being more relaxed about it, and having a little fruit, more veggies, and rarely bread or sweets. Staying in ketosis wasn't necessary, and just going lite on the carbs was much easier and fulfilling. Breaking that sugar addiction was key.

I used to go eat with the seniors at the senior center every once in a while (I was 15-20 years younger than most), good food, good company. I decided to try keto and went to lunch with the seniors and carefully separated the carbs out but in the end I had half a cookie (as my tablemates were raving about these cookies and telling me to try one). So what, a half cookie, what can it hurt. OMG! The drama of the born again Keto dieters was intense when they found out I ate half a cookie. I told one of them, yes, exactly like this: "I don't think my eternal salvation was jeopardized by a half cookie," and I quit Keto (mostly because I have had enough of shrill born again extremism). I still love my Whole 30 recipes, I like the Mediterranean diet recipes, and I never ate much bread or sugar in the first place, I grow a lot of my own food, my meats are all pasture raised, I cook from scratch. It's enough. And, I can have a cookie with the seniors if I damn well want to and if a friend makes a great lasagna oozing cheese and invites me to dinner to share this special treat -- I'm eating that lasagna!

10:16 "lots of people who don't care about food. blows my mind. there are people who eat to live, not live to eat." Hello. ._. That's me.

Pfft! I lost 30 lbs and gained 50 back. I missed rice. Those humans that say cauliflower rice tastes the same, they are insane

I had a similar experience to Nataly when I tried keto. And also I am glad there are other people out there that enjoy food as an experience, because I hear a lot of people only see it as energy and I've just never been able to think that way. Moderation and exercise I enjoy has probably helped me the most and the only thing I've been able to keep at.

The vast majority of people who do "keto" don't actually do keto. They're just cutting out processed foods and losing weight because of it. I feel that any diet that would remove your ability to have fruit or greatly limit your ability to have vegetables is not worth it. I don't think people really understand how much "75% of your calories comes from fats" really is in a day

I tried keto for a few months and it made me feel incredible. My mood improved considerably, I felt energized, focused and capable of taking on tasks and projects that seemed daunting before. My sleep improved as well. Counterpoint: I love carbs. My sugar cravings disappeared after a while, but I just can't exist without bread (even if it makes me groggy and sad).

My son has a metabolic disorder related to protein and we literally determine whether or not his body is in distress by checking if he's in ketosis with the very strips that I've seen keto pushers using as a good sign. That kinda changed my perspective.

I lost 55 pounds last year going with a pretty strict keto approach. It was the only diet/approach to eating that's ever seen those results from me because it does demand a level of commitment that I just didn't have for other diets/approaches to food. It also got me to the best A1C's I've ever had (Type 1 Diabetic here) and due to the frequent bloodwork I get done as a result of being diabetic I was able to keep an eye on my cholesterol and while it was fine to begin with, it got better - lower bad cholesterol, higher good cholesterol, lower total cholesterol. I've since lightened up slightly to where its more on the very low carb side of things vs making sure I'm always 100% in ketosis. I take supplements to avoid that whole keto flu thing (only ever had it for 2 days) and I've been great. That being said, as you mentioned, you have a healthy relationship with food as is so other than doing it for the lols or the clicks, there isn't a great reason for you to try it.

I had HG (hyperemesis gravidarum) when I was pregnant (extreme morning sickness) and didn't eat or drink water without vomiting for 3 weeks. Finally made it to my first antenatal appointment and I was in such a high state of ketosis that I was taken straight to hospital in an ambulance. I had lost around 4-5kg in a very short space of time. I get the keto diet and why it works but it does seem slightly alarming to me that people are aiming to be in ketosis when being in this state can be a medical emergency. I know you're only aiming for low levels of ketosis with the keto diet, but perhaps some people tip over into higher ketosis and that's why they end up unwell??

Thanks for the content. I might have been one of the KETO fanatics back then. I felt like I had seen the light. Still do, but less fanatic about spreading the anti-carb lifestyle now. My experience. Being former 140kg type2 diabetic and now 'cured' without any medicine is awesome. For me. I have mildly higher cholesterol* but Doc says it's preferable than consistent high bloodsugar. Eat more Fish and kale. My main reason for sticking to it however; that time I promised myself the usual McD drive-through reward on my way back from recycling, and mid-roundabout realised I didn't need or want it and kept going home instead. That kind of self-control I have never experienced before. I can now walk past shelves of snacks without impulse-purchases. I have high energy brain for 16 hours without need for eating, yet never a temper-tantrum. For me, the weight loss didn't sell it, it was reclaiming control from my carbs-addicted brain. I don't eat cake, but the mushrooms, pork rinds, cream, butter, gravy-bowl and cheese fondue all make up for it. I do MISS apple juice. My family learned to accept I skip on the potatoes and bread - in favour of the 'unhealthy' fat - once they saw the effect. To Wheezys point here, For all you beautiful regular sized bodies, I think it doesn't make as much sense to go try KETO. I had plenty of fat to burn (lost about 40ish kilograms between yearly diabetes checkins and I aim to keep myself level at about ~99 kg) (I also only ever use my Docs scales, so weight check is only once a year, weight-loss was never a goal). I do imagine if you do not have enough bulk to burn, no wonder it doesn't work. Besided, most normal bodies know how to burn both Fat and Carbs. KEEP it up. Problem is when you like me teach the body that all energy it ever need comes from the Carbs alone, then it grows lazy and stores fat and only burns the easier carbs for energy. That is where KETO comes in to force it to burn fat. It is slower (also why it sucks for all high intensity sport/activity). I go for 30-100 grams of carbs a day, using common sense and rough maths. If my body get too much carb it goes back to lazy. It is very much similar to addictions. I am a recovering carboholic ;) But yeah. Not for everyone, but I do love it. (Also. Artificial Sweeteners helps, unless you're worried about those as well).

Netflix has a show right now about regions where people live longer than is typical. So far, the diets eaten by people in these regions are high in vegetables and healthy fats, and have plenty of carbs. e.g. the Mediterranean diet. They're tied to a completely different lifestyle as well. Eat a vegetable, talk to your neighbour. Skip keto.

It's also depends on your activity style runners like yourself and me need carbs we need that quick access energy. I did keto for 3 months and even after I got past the keto flu I could not run anymore. And then the whole thing spiraled into an eating disorder but that was a real wake up call that your body needs fuel for what you're doing. If you're working at 9:00 to 5:00 and only getting walks for exercise maybe keto works out for you I had been a casual but consistent runner and weight lifting and I could not physically run anymore on keto. I also felt my brain melt and wanted to die. If it works for other people great do you but I'm really appreciative that you did this video about some of the potential hazards❤

I looooooved keto. I felt so awake. It was just so hard to find food that was suitable and not the same thing over and over and over. Also when you don’t like salmon or avocado, the internet is low in ideas.

“I’m pretty sure you can still play video games on Keto (more research is needed” 😂❤

Hey. Its my first time listening in. I can totally identify with why you're not doing keto. I tried it and it's not for me. You delivered your message in a hilarious and positive manner. I look forward to more from you😊

The missing piece of the puzzle here: I suspect the people who actually follow the diet very strictly are much more likely to experience negative side effects. The rest of us, for whom Keto amounts to just eating the normal carbohydrates included in things like vegetables (and some fruits) while eliminating most sources of refined carbs (bread, pasta, sugar) feel pretty good on the diet, tho I suspect technically we are not really doing Keto.

I only did keto for 10 days, but in those 10 days this is what I experienced:my mouth felt cleaner than it ever has, and my teeth were the strongest & whitest they've ever been. My skin glowed like crazy and I literally looked 10 years younger. I'm 37 & ppl were telling me I looked like I was in my early 20's. I slept better and I had stages where my mind was super clear and stages where it was really fuzzy and groggy. I think I wasn't fat adapted yet and didn't give the diet long enough. I'm trying to get back into ketosis, because I truly believe it's the fountain of youth.

I don't know if anyone will ever read this (unlikely since you get so many comments) but just my personal story: I struggled for years with my health. Neuropathy, muscle aches, fatigue, panic attacks, brain fog, anxiety, depression, mood swings, diarrhea/constipation, bloat, cramping after eating, and a bunch of other stuff that feels like a distant memory now. I struggled for years with symptoms both physical and mental and my doctors gave up on me. This past winter I had a doctor who finally tested me for SIBO, which came back positive for methane dominant SIBO. My B12 levels were also checked and they were dangerously low. The SIBO was affecting my ability to absorb nutrients and, quite frankly, I was suicidal because of how poorly I was feeling. I saw a new doctor who decided to treat the SIBO with appropriate antibiotics and also told me to go "no carb, no sugar, no carbonated drinks" (essentially keto) for a week leading up to the antibiotics and the duration of the two week course because she said it would make the drugs more effective and that carbs and sugars would only feed the bacteria. I was strict for the entire three weeks, and my life has changed forever. That was several months ago now and everyone in my life remarks about how much better I am. 90% of my symptoms from before are gone. My B12 is back up to a normal range, so all my symptoms from the deficiency are gone. I don't wish I was dead all day, everyday anymore. My doctor said the keto wasn't a long term goal, but it's astounded by the progress I've made and advised that if I felt comfortable enough I could continue with it. I'm not saying this is EVERYONE'S ideal diet. I'm saying that there ARE people who benefit from eliminating carbs and sugar from their daily intake. I take breaks where I go back to eating how I used to, and I always regret it. My gut symptoms always return and I realize how poorly I feel throughout the day. Two arguments I have for naysayers: how can it be dangerous to eat keto when you're basically only eating fresh meats, dairy, and vegetables? Shopping the "outside" of the grocery store is one of the best things you can do for your body, eliminating highly processed food and additives/preservatives. Secondly, it sounds like people forget that electrolytes are a huge, HUGE part of keto. Drinking water alone isn't going to help, you need to make sure you're getting magnesium, potassium, etc. This can be done easily and affordably by adding sea salt, "No Salt" (potassium chloride), etc to your water in small amounts. Magnesium supplements are also a good idea. Lots of people get obsessed with the test strips, but a little known fact is that the color on the strips get darker the more dehydrated you are. Not only is it giving false positives, but it's making people chase that high of seeing a deep level of ketosis, which isn't what you should be after. Lots of people in the keto community don't even check their levels because there's essentially no point in doing so. Just eat healthy and push forward. I know lots of people who would probably die on a keto diet and would never recommend it for everybody. But eating fresh food is definitely not dangerous in and of itself.

After alot of research Into keto and the issues around it, I decided to go on a "Modified" keto diet essentially it was no carbs and sugar for 2 out of 3 meals. For me that was breakfast and lunch. Supper I could eat as much carbs as I'd like. Over 6 months I lost 40 lbs and felt waaay better. I did not track carb consumption or total calories. I ate what i craved when I craved it.... Except carbs. I only ate the carbs I was craving at supper time. So evening snack, breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, all carb free. I found my cravings for carb went down this way. And felt way better, more energy. Alot of the keto downsides I found disappeared when I ate carbs once a day.

it's also worth mentioning that men and women will likely have different reactions on keto. for me, it was very effective to lose 20 lbs (and then i went off of it. still don't drink beer or eat pizza and i've kept the weight off) but my wife felt horrible!

I never went full keto, it's somewhere between keto and low carb, and that has been working great for me the last 5 years. The main goal since the start was to get healthier with something sustainable FOR ME. So, I adjusted the macros to allow for that sustainability (with expert help, of course). So, no grains/cereals (especially wheat & corn based) and other carb heavy stuff (like potatoes), but I decided to keep eating fruit (once a day if it was too sugary) and veggies for the vitamins/minerals/nutrients. I'm more flexible with rice now than when I started, but it's still a once in a blue moon thing. I've learned so much about how my body reacts to food since then, like which stuff gave me acne, what made me feel bloated, what gives me more energy through the day, etc. The point is: look for what is sustainable for YOUR body, make sure it's NUTRITIOUS, let yourself indulge once in a blue moon, and you're most probably golden :)

If you want to continue to improve your relationship with food, might I suggest looking into Intuitive Eating instead of the next diet? I would love to see a video of you trying it for a month. It's a great way of living that could use more visibility on the internets. In particular, I recommend the book by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, it changed my life!

I also had the feeling of my arm go numb. Not from Keto, but I was not eating healthy. I'm so sorry for Nataly's experience, because that is not a nice feeling. :/ I also respect you and her both, for finding humour in it and talking/listening with such candor. It's a fresh breath of air, with you Craig, to hear someone that care about, research and keep an open mind on whatever topic. I literally thought your number 1 reason was going to be "I DONT WANNA!" I mean, that should be enough?! But thanks nonetheless for this insightful view into your life.

I lost 67 lbs on keto and have kept most of it off for 5 years. My bloodwork is the best it has been including cholesterol and I feel great. I won't and don't try to force or convince anyone that it is the best or even for them. I just tell my story of my experience as an example of one. I have gone off keto for awhile when traveling. This resulted in weight gain and feeling worse but the vacation and incredible food made me let go. I regretted it from a weight and feeling good standpoint but not the experience standpoint. I did simple keto where I didn't count calories or any macros except carbs. Stayed under 50 total carbs a day and nothing else to consider. I also focused on whole foods and kept away from processed food or seed oils but not super strict just where and when I could. For me it is a lifestyle and pretty easy. If it is done as a diet temporarily it works but expect the return of weight and feeling worse during transition into and out of ketosis. Find a diet that is a way of eating daily not just for a period of time.

It does work. It works amazingly. I did keto (not even strictest kind) & the fat just melted off my body; in like 2.5months, I'd lost more than a 10th of my body-weight, felt the best I ever had, & was even starting to see abdominal "11 lines" (aka, feminabs) - all without exercising. It's absolute sorcery. I had to give it up bc we fell on hard times, & meat + coconut + avocados + cheese all are much more expensive than rice, potatoes & (dried) pasta. I also _really_ missed bread. I wouldn't characterise it as a bad experience _at all,_ (I was lucky enough to not even get keto 'flu while metabolically transitioning) but the increased grocery costs may be a barrier to entry to financially endangered ppl.😢

I went on the keto diet because I was strugling with severe brain fog, lack of energy and depression after a year of cancer treatment and covid. It took exactly 4 terrible days for me to feel remarkably better. It was as if a weighted blanket was lifted off my shoulders. My mood drastically improved, my energy levels came back to normal and I was able to focus again. In my opinion you can eat very deliciously while on keto. All my meals were basically enormous brunches- I ate myself silly. Cravings for sweet stuff and bread etc really completely went away in no time. And I am a chocolate fan normally. The feeling of being hungry changed as well. Usually I would feel a need to eat or I would feel bad- blood sugar crashes probably. On keto, I would feel hungry-very simply. My energy levels were incredibly stable thoughout the day and I slept like a baby. My problem was that I lost too much weight so I decided to change to intermittend fasting which still allows my body to be in ketosis for lenghts of time everyday while eating much more varied. I still do IF and on a quite low cabs diet and I feel great. I am not super strict about it either. If I go out on weekends I eat as and when I want. That way it is not difficult at all.

My friend lost over 100lbs, but only stayed on it for a year. A year after she stopped, all the weight and more was back. I think it destroyed her confidence in her bodily autonomy and she adopted other worse habits. She tried to convince me to join her at the outset, but anything that tells you not to eat fruit and vegetables sounds illogical and unhealthy to me.

Oh God, this brought back so many bad memories. I did keto but I kept having to start over because I love doughnuts. And when it invariably never worked as well as I thought it should, I’d get crazy strict. Eventually I had all sorts of gastric problems…blah blah blah…wound up trying carnivore…health got abhorrent…and now I’m trying to switch to a primarily whole food plant based diet but I’ve really f’ed up my entire digestive system so it’s rather difficult. Anywho… people should listen to their bodies more.

Honest to god, unless done under medical supervision for a specific condition (such as epilepsy or diabetes), I struggle to believe that this is actually a healthy diet for anyone. It's disordered and dangerous. Successfully losing weight does NOT automatically equate to a healthy diet.

I did keto for about 4 months and lost nearly 40 pounds. I decided to slowly ditch the diet because I was missing bread a lot, and in the next few months I pretty much gained back all the weight I lost. It definitely works if you're trying to loss weight quickly but at least for me it is not at all sustainable. Also I would frequently have dreams about sandwiches which just added to the misery. Now I'm just sticking to watching my calorie intake and trying to limit fats and sugars and it's been going super well! And more importantly I see this as a way more sustainable way to maintain a healthy weight. Do what works for you!

Everyone wants the easy answer to weight loss. Like there's one simple thing they gotta change to lose weight. Well, there is one simple thing you need to do..... limit your calories. Not the answer people want hear but for most people that's the way it is. Implementation is the hard part.

Here is another reason: constipation. At one point I needed to expel waste for a week or more, but nothing would come out. When i finally decided to spend however long in the bathroom to rid myself of this brick it was traumatic, exhausting and painful. I stopped that day and gained a bunch of weight back after, but that's all on me.

I started eating a keto diet several months ago when I was prediabetic and borderline obese. I've lost 40 pounds, A1C is back to normal, never felt better. I was strict and "extreeeme" at the beginning because I think that's necessary to a degree when you're trying to kick a 45 year habit of bad eating. I've backed off a little now that I'm closer to a reasonable target weight and will even have a fresh baked cookie now and then, but I plan to eat predominantly keto for the foreseeable future.

I did Atkins and lost a lot of weight in the early 2000s. I didn’t do well on eating fat thought and mostly just ate a lot of lean meat. It eventually resulted in hair loss and feeling bad so I stopped. When Keto became a thing I thought-oh! I just need to eat more fat! No. Keto flu didn’t go away for me. My digestive system became somewhat of a personal social hazard. That also didn’t go away. Now I do a pretty balanced diet where I try to eat mostly Whole Foods (but it doesn’t have to be perfect) with a focus on healthy fats, protein, and fiber, with fat being the lowest because that’s just what feels good for me. I track to make sure my calories are what I want, but not every day. I lost 60 pounds this way and I love it. I feel like a magician because I can eat everything. But it’s what he said. Do what works for you.

I haven't seen the video yet but... I did keto a couple of months and after the abstinence effects go away, it works. The thing is... I think it works because you stop eating sugar. Today's food is super high in sugar, and if you don't eat carbs, you stop eating sugar all together. So even after you stop doing keto, your sugar addiction is gone. So you don't crave sweet food as much.

I love that you talked about how Keto isn't bad for everyone. I've been following the Keto diet for about 5 years now. It's my opinion that it would be great for a lot more people in the U.S.A.. That said, I allow myself at least once a month to go crazy with carbs for a weekend. I do this mainly for psychological reasons. Carbs taste good. And they trigger addiction chemicals in the brain. Our bodies recognize the energy density in them and want them. I believe that my "cheat" weekends are what has made the Keto diet sustainable for me for the last 5 years. I will never, not be a follower of the Ketogenic diet. It feels great for me. And my "health" has been amazing on it. My doctor is pretty impressed with the tests he's run.

As someone with rheumatoid arthritis, the keto diet has greatly improved my life in basically every way. I can't say enough good things about it, frankly.

I have actually heard from many that it is especially bad for women and can affect the thyroid.

I've tried keto - but ultimately I love carbs. However! I use a keto supplement daily (which when I started using the supplement, it coincided with my migraines going away and what was several migraines a month has remained at zero since 2016) and I've learned different recipes and ways to exclude added sugar (different sweeteners for some things, no sweetener for others (like tea) ), so I think the concept of it has made me more aware of all the added stuff in our foods.

Not really interested in Keto and don't think I've ever watched a vid from you, but for some reason I clicked and I'm glad I did. The combination of science backed info plus humor made this a very enjoyable watch. We tend to think everyone thinks like us, and the fact that some people can just see food as fuel, or even a nuisance, used to blow my mind. For me, food has always been like a whiny 2 yo yanking at my shirttail, screaming "mommy mommy mommy!" A nearly constant voice in my head reminding me I could eat, I should eat, or some flavor is desperately needed. I did ok on diets, but I'd be thinking about food constantly - always planning my next meal, doing the math to see what I could eat next. It drove me crazy. I am also extremely susceptible to food suggestion - every commercial for food or grocery, a cooking/eating scene in a show, even games that have food shape icons! - and start craving stuff, getting a stomach ache and acid reflux if I don't watch out. My friend was shocked when I told her about this - she just didn't get it. Even weirder, I get as excited about a good salad as she does about ice cream lol.

This comment will probably never be seen by anyone, but I'm gonna go to bat for keto. 1) too strict - there are several keto replacements to foods like bread, ice cream, etc. If you really must have those things, and you are willing to research the ingredients, finding keto versions is a no brainer. Keto sweeteners like Erythritol, allulose, stevia, monk fruit, etc are your friends for making sweet keto food at home if that's your thing 2) bounce back - don't stop eating keto if you don't want the bounce back. You can eat keto for years and suffer no adverse consequences, especially if you do it "correctly", which takes a lot of reading an research, but is doable. And if you have cravings that make you wanna quit keto, refer to #1, and avoid the bounce back. 3) health risks - of the health risks listed, the only one worth addressing is the nutrient deficiencies one, with a brief note on the others in a moment. Any restrictive diet, including keto, ups the risks of a deficiency, since your cutting out so many foods that may have supplied a diverse range of nutrients. The way to address this is to first, get a list of the daily recommended or required amounts of all (micro)nutrients; second, measure what keto foods you like to eat on an average day and add up how much of all nutrients those foods give you; third, if your typical keto foods leave you short any nutrients, add some keto foods that have a lot of that nutrient, or supplement it; and fourth, increase your sodium/potassium/electrolyte intake. If you do this, you should be good for keto in the long term, and you might even avoid several days of keto flu in the beginning. Regarding the other health risks listed, if you are doing keto correctly, they will not be a problem. Just avoid vegetable oils (i.e. oils that are not coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, or butter), dairy protein (basically all dairy except heavy cream and butter), and tapioca fiber and honey (both digest just like sugar)

My doctor gave me the news in november that i was now diabetic. He gave me a few months to reverse it on my own. After reading and listening to the point i was overwhelmed. I put together my program. Yes i cut carbs, but not keto. I call it low carb, less than 70 g per days. I also cut out sugar, less than 25 grams a day, usually about 10 or 15. No, baked goods, no pasta, no corn, no rice, etc. Plus intermittent fasting. I lost 39 pounds in 6 monyhs. About 1 pound a week. Slow but continual. At 6 months i was no longer diabetic, nor prediabetic. I still have 12 pounds to go for other reasons and so i am not on the prediabetic border. I can go over to someones house for dinner. I can go to restaurants. There was an adjustment, but it is easy to do long term, since i am on month 10. This worked for me. And i would not do keto, too extreme, and i am happy with my choices.

It seems like I'm in the minority, but I've been eating keto for years and find it to be very sustainable, and I feel great. When you just eat good quality meat and veggies, you're bound to feel good.

Im starting Keto for second time around. An ill tell ya i never felt so good and fell off first time unfortunately. i got on initailly for Lyme disease. An ended up feeling like( this is what life is SUPPOSED TO Feel LIKE) it was AMAZING!!!! and im now working to get back to that. But hey to each there own. I love apple's too buddy. sacrifices. 😊

I lost about 130 lbs on keto over a ~2 year period. It works for some and not others. Yes, It's restrictive. I found simplicity in that restrictiveness which helped me prevent making the daily bad choices I had been making. Repetition is boring and untenable for some, but for me it simplifies things and I found it more sustainable once I was in a routine and rhythm. I naturally fell into intermittent fasting as well, and then over a period of a few months I tightened my feeding window from 8 hours to 4. In the end I was skipping breakfast, eating lunch around 2pm (a salad of spring mix, chicken, ham, cheese, and the ranch for lunch pretty much every single day), and dinner at 6 (dinner is where I mix it up, but usually boils down to green beans or broccoli + protein, or otherwise taking a dish that involves carbs, like tacos, and removing the carbs). This probably sounds dull and boring to most people but routines work better for me than just freestyle mixing it up.

I was on the keto diet for 2 years and it worked relatively well. I lost about 20 pounds and thankfully never gained it back but I did find that every time I would go off keto for a meal and eat pasta or bread, I got bloated almost instantly. For me, once I "cheated" that one time, I could not cut them out again for any length of time. So I decided that if I craved bread or pasta, I would just eat it. My diet has become a lot more flexible and I could not be happier.

Yup, similar experience. Fast tracked me to heart attack territory. Super high cholesterol, super high triglycerides, inflammation markers off the charts, insulin resistance super high. My IBS got out of control. I did lose weight, but it wasn't worth it. Now I've been plant based for six years and it works fantastic for me. At 40, I've never been healthier.

It's not for everyone, but it's a great diet that can help reverse a lot of health issues. Keto is a lifestyle change, NOT a diet for me or my mother. My mother went (clean) Keto and ALL her labs improved including A1C, Uric Acid, Fatty Liver reversed and she was able to wean off of Metformin which was making her really sick, and her cholesterol numbers are perfect. She doesn't do it for weight loss, it helps keep her inflammation down and she slips up every now and then, but she goes right back to it. She even makes her own mayo from avocado oil. For those people not wanting to try this diet (check out Dr. Berry) I think the biggest health benefit comes from removing the seed oils (Dr. Knobbe has done amazing research) and anything ultra processed. IMO if humans went back to eating REAL whole foods, and yes REAL MEAT & FAT TOO (go to local farms if you can) it would be a much healthier place and everyone wouldn't need to be on so many meds as they age. As another example I had a neighbor that lived to be 105, she didn't know anything about the Keto diet, but she ate low carb without even trying, she would make a large soup with sausage and 7-8 different veggies and eat that through the week. She ate a small amount of bread and barely any sweets. She would tell me that the doctors would prescribe her meds as she aged, she would accept them then toss them in a drawer untaken. LOL! Also, it sounds like your friend may have been having major electrolyte imbalance (magnesium, potassium and salt supplement is needed) and that tends to happen quickly when transitioning into keto.

I did strict keto for 3 months, did everything right, and couldn't think straight, felt like poo, and had no energy. The thing that broke me was watching everyone pass me on a hiking trail when I was (am) an avid hiker. The worst part is I lost no weight from it at all.

My sister tried it when she was young, healthy and really not overweight based on charts at all. She lost almost 30 pounds in a month and ended up in the ER with kidney stones.

Low carb-- sometimes I do what is considered lazy/dirty keto, sometimes carnivore-- literally saved my life. It's not for everyone, but anyone with weight concerns and/or certain health concerns should consider trying it. But even if you don't go high fat/high protein, almost anyone will benefit from giving up sugar & controlling carbs. LDL is an interesting issue because we actually have 2 kinds-- one kind is large/buoyant, which is neutral and doesn't hurt you, your body actually makes more of it to facilitate healing (among other reasons). The other kind is small & dense, that's the dangerous kind. You can be fine with a high LDL as long as you have the good kind, but you have to request the test to find out what kind of LDL you have. If triglycerides are low and HDL is normal, your LDL is probably the good kind.

I tried keto for a month and I was thirsty ALL THE TIME. Like, I was worried I had become diabetic!! And electrolyte drinks didn’t quench it at all. As soon as I reverted to eating “regular” the constant thirst went away.

Thank you!!!! For letting me know I never was doing the KETO diet but rather a KETO-ISH diet. I still eat fruits and vegetables but have lowered my carb intake like cereal, pasta and bread and increased fat, fiber and protein. In general, I try to eat gluten-free food for gut health and I found this works for me :)

One time I hurt my shoulder weightlifting it was terrible and ruined more than a year of my life. It’s possible that weight lifting isn’t actually bad though and that I just did it wrong.

Fiber. Fiber and enzymes. We have to understand our personal genetic disposition to digestion. It is a full life journey.

I did Keto once for 4 months and it was fantastic. Did all the things people talk about. I did it a second time and it was horrible. 1st time I had alot of injuries so was just doing light exercise and walking. Worked great. 2nd time doing lots of Hiit and strength training - could not function. Went terribly. Came good after switching to standard Mediterranean diet.

(Unrelated to the video, but I promise I'll watch it soon) I just started an American politics course in college. One of the boards recommended, "Crash Course U.S. Government and Politics". Super happy to see you're the host of the series.

So happy to see this get addressed! I tried it after my hysterectomy and tbh my fibromyalgia got way better. Then my stomach started to hurt, found out I had filled my gallbladder with stones! Went on meds and a low fat diet for 3yrs and they got better but not the pain. Dr cut it out but too late for the nerves in the area and now I'll have a stabbing pain any time food or gas or even a seatbelt presses on the area AND I have to eat extremely carefully for the rest of my life. Every meal and snack has to be low calorie and balanced and I basically have to graze bc I don't have a gallbladder anymore. If I slip up not only am I turning green but I get horrible vertigo and low blood pressure to the point I can pass out! Imo even if it's working for you it's a bad idea bc you'll be less able to deal with injury or illness but also so many things are lipophilic and could be released and make you much much sicker.

Long term 40 year vegetarian and vegan here. I eat as healthy as I can, try to stay away from white sugar, white flour, alcohol, and and junk foods. I succumb to healthy-ish junk sometimes so I’m not pure. I recommend eating a wide range of healthy whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and fruit for long term best health.

💙 fun fact: my Mom did the Akins diet (arguably the same as Keto), and she lost a lot of weight really quickly but then started coughing up blood and was in serious pain…she turned grey!! And had to go to the emergency room and it turns out that diet screwed with her gallbladder and it was trying to explode! …true story, I was the one who drove her to the hospital. She’s fine now that she doesn’t do that diet anymore

I did strict keto a few times in college. It worked great for mental clarity and my body felt good. However, sleeping was a big challenge, and I never really enjoyed the diet. I haven’t found the “perfect” diet for me yet, but I do know that it is not keto. I just sleep so much better when eating carbs.

I'm sorry to say I haven't been watching your videos this year. I clicked because of Nataly in the thumbnail. Really enjoyed the dynamic delivery - you, sir, crack me up without fail , so thanks!!!

My mantra is: don't eat processed food. Doing that brings you close to keto already, since it excludes bread, pasta, sugar, ... I love keto. It rid me of a list of health problems, and I accidently lost 20 pounds in the proces (10 kg)

Hey Kreg! Short-to-medium-term follower, first time commenter here. Enjoying your vids a lot, so thanks. Also, amazed to see how ridiculous (& unpleasant) the comments are, esp by comparison with the usual! So many people seemingly unwilling or unable to reasonably put a case or posit an alternative, just lots of unevidenced &/or inflammatory/reactive nonsense all over the shop… Wondering if these are the most dorkishly polarised comments a vid of yours has received? Anyway, appreciate some new-to-me info you present here, and your reasoning for *your own* decision. I really like how thought out and contingent it is; that is, your decision is made up of a sequence of variables, and that if any one or some were different you might make another decision. Appreciate in general your emphasis on doing cool stuff - how to keep (or get) moving on making & doing things, finding intrinsic motivation, sort of uncovering & honouring one’s own emphatic YESes in life and going with them. Overlong comment, Sox, but have wanted to say hi for a while. Hey also to Chyna! Really enjoy the rotating cast of players (parents, pals, neighbours, expert folk, the odd glimpse of Ada, etc). Spring greetings from Australia (the backyard macropods say hi too, probably 🦘)

Splits challenge: it would be so cool to see a collab with Movement by David. That channel has been super inspiring for me to work on specific flexibility skills.

I am a dietitian and I love this video. Losing weight itself isn't that difficult, but at one point you will have to start holding the weight instead of losing more and more. And if you did the weight loss with a super strict diet that will he very hard for you. I work with my clients to first improve their eating habits and meal conpositions, very often it already does wonders to have 3 well balanced meals a day that keep you full and help you not get cravings in between and stop snacking. One client has lost almost 10 kg in 3 months just by actually having a lunch instead of just snacking between breakfast and dinner. Remember: It's a lifestyle change, so do one that you could keep up until you die in 50 years. No forbidden foods, just moderation and regular meals with a healthy amount of physical activity 😊

I'm eating carnivore to keep gerd, arthritis, gastritis, and inflammation away. So far, so good. I used to be a carb addict. I do supplement due to other health concerns. No more bloating. Never thought I'd end up here, but I'm getting my life back.

I'm on the "I only eat what I feel like otherwise I don't eat as I can't imagine me eating it" diet. I had tuna pasta for brunch and later I'm having donburi pork with salads. Tomorrow I don't know maybe samp or choi sum; oh I'm having rice cakes that's what I want tomorrow and I'll make stottie bread as I've been wanting that for awhile. So that's it. I'm 40 years old and eating only what I want and eating only when I'm hungry as it's great for me. I considered keto and a few other diets like intermittent fasting when they were very popular and everyone was taking about them but then I thought, "what would I eat?" and "what if I wasn't hungry?" and that disturbed me so I didn't try either. I just continued to eat what I fancied, when I was hungry. I'm also a mum and that's what I do for my kids too, I don't have set meals or meal times. I just cook what the kids fancy and I feed them when they're hungry; I know that's a lot of cooking but it's great, it works for us. I like your doctor friend his advice is solid, for anybody else (neighbours) this might seem like madness but for us it's good, it works.

Keto bro here, one thing I'll say is it's hard to do keto halfway. Somewhat paradoxically, I think it's easier the more strict you make it. When you have a little bit of carbs your body starts sending signals that it wants more. But when you're fat-adapted and riding high on the ketones with carbs at say

I find the hard-line keto diet unsustainable too. I prefer a moderate carb restriction combined with quite often, but not constant, intermittent fasting. I think these are good tools, but I cannot do their extremes constantly and consistently.

Thank you. The keto diet just seems too extreme for me, not to mention that I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian. I have recently started eating only from 11 am to 7 pm, which possibly triggers short term ketosis, but from my understanding that is not harmful. It has definitely allowed me to lose some stubborn menopause weight!

Pleeeeeeaaaase Do a video, diving into the topic of "everything's going subscription"... I'm trying to be frugal and it's become abundantly clear that the whole world is trying to have us pay them on a reoccurring schedule.

I go into partial ketosis doing intermittent fasting, but I'm also way less strict about it than you were when you tried it. I basically try and not snack after an early ish supper and then have an early lunch while still drinking coffee and tea in the morning and tea at night. But I still have late nights where I have snacks and drinks occasionally, or a day where I'm going out for breakfast. It's just my day to day routine that is IF. And I think I really like it because I can dip out of it every once in a while, or I can have the snacks I want within my eating window.

So you don't mind the bad breath? That was top of the list for my wife ...

Keto did not work for me. I felt awful on it. I was sort of forced to try it a few months ago when I suddenly became type one diabetic after my first round of cancer treatment. I’m on immunotherapy, and my immune system attacked my pancreas, essentially killing it and rendering it non functioning. I went very low carb, and was almost hospitalized because I just couldn’t eat after a while. It wasn’t until a doctor told me that my body actually needed carbs and I began to eat them again did I start to feel better, and my appetite came back.

I used to do keto but then went to carnivore based on what I had learned about it. I liked it so much I'm still doing it 3.5 years later. has really helped with my social anxiety and depression and I no longer have a dad bod even though I have a desk job. All the fat and protein (and probably a LOT of other nutrients that we don't often get cos we eat so much goddamn bread and other useless crap) really stops you wanting to snack because it's so satiating - you just never really feel hungry. But yeah, you gotta do the keto flu transition at the beginning to get the benefits - I gather it doesn't work for everyone for whatever reason but I wouldn't let one or two negative anecdotes and a warming from a most likely brainwashed Dr that has to tow the line get in my way of getting away from the Standard American Diet and potential better health. Carnivore is the ONLY diet that allows you so get off sugar! Look into it, get into some social media groups and witness aaaaaall the people that have benefitted from keto and carnivore. it's much closer to how we would've eaten before the invention of foods that DIDN'T EXIST during our actual evolution as the planets most successful animal and that really starts to make sense when you start feeling the difference.. I can't think what it would take to make me go back to the normal way of eating.

One correction about when talking to your friend in your video - her doctor has a lot to learn (most doctors only ever take a total of 6hr of nutrition in school and also focus on medications for treatments). It is perfectly normal and fine to be in ketosis long term and our biochemistry and physiology are designed to use ketones for energy. The big advantage humans have is that we can use both ketones and glucose for energy and can switch between them just fine. What her doctor was talking about is a condition called ketoacidosis, which IS a dangerous condition that can happen in type 1 diabetics (and other rare cases). Being in ketosis is NOT the same thing and I’m surprised her doctor doesn’t understand the difference. I’m also wondering if her arm going numb was a result of extremely low electrolytes. It is very common to happen to people transitioning to a ketogenic diet as you flush your electrolytes quickly from frequent urination as the body’s inflammation goes down. This is also the leading cause of the “keto flu“. Ensuring you replenish your electrolytes in the first couple weeks of starting a ketogenic diet pretty much avoids these problems. Also, using a breath meter of test your ketone levels (or the urine test sticks) isn’t very helpful. Both of those devices only capture ketones you are NOT using and will actually start reading less as your body starts to actually USE the ketones in your blood. Until you can use them (fat adapted) you will feel low energy and see high ketone levels on breath/urine tests.

This feels more like spreading misinformation. Your interview has no value at all except being alarmist and giving invalid and unverified information about keto dangers. Was her reaction from keto? Even she herself doesn't know. Does she have any other medical condition that were not disclosed? Any medication? Excessive coffee or tea could be a factor. I am not advocating for keto but trying to remind you that being a content creator with a big audience you have a certain responsibility in regards to dangerous misinformation.

I'm a success story, I've been on Keto for three years or more that and have been loving it. The funny thing is just before going on it I starting literally hating grains, and haven't missed them since. OOH also I'm a Type 1 Diabetic and have been for over 20 years of my life, and its helped me keep my blood sugars in balance cause of the diet!

My Dad’s wife went on a keto diet and insisted that he did too, but they weren’t monitoring their ketones. She didn’t lose any weight because she drinks a couple of liters of whiskey a day, and he did lose weight but also screwed up his kidneys /: I wish that casual keto-dieters were made more aware of the need to monitor your ketones, and listen to your body.

"Why I WON'T take blood pressure medication" "Why I WON'T get back surgery" "Why I WON'T get a cast on my leg" I appreciate that the video has nuance but the title really comes across like it's stigmatizing a legitimate medical therapy. (This isn't a shot at our wheeziest of waiters, the algorithm is a cruel mistress and capitalism screws us all.) I just really wish culture would let go of this insane idea that any given diet should EVER be considered "best" or "worst" in general. It's like diets are religions now. The keto mafia is just as wrong as people who are strictly anti-keto. It's therapeutically valuable for me. It won't be for other people. Just like any particular medication or other treatment. I just hate the paradigm we're under right now with so many people getting so preachy about diet, in any direction, at all.

I had a friend who had the same issues with ketosis. I told him to supplement electrolytes or it would be dangerous - your nervous system will start going haywire. Once he did that, he was good. I'm just going to stick to my whole foods diet with lots of variety 😊.

You made the right choice. Do something safe like the 30 day Indian take out diet. You don't lose weight or anything, but you do get to eat a lot of roti. (It would be a good follow on to the no takeout for 30 day experiment)

I loved this measured takr - and very much agree with what Aaron said!

Considering there are no long term studies for health and longevity and they change the cholesterol narrative to make it seem healthy, I think it's smart to be wary. For as many positive reports, there are as many people who did not have a good long term experience with me among them. So, follow your instincts on this.

My old coworkers son actually got hospitalized for ketosis and it was pretty bad. Thats why i always got annoyed by people that always screamed at others to do keto.

My advice is to change diet "gradually", I did this and gradually reduced my servings over weeks. Benefits no shock diet, you won't feel you are on a diet (easy to stay on it) and I lost 50lbs (from 210lbs to 160lbs) and have remained at this weight ever since.

I've been carnivore since May and have lost 45 pounds. My health has tremendously improved as I'm working to treat 20 years of psoraisis. This diet showed remarkable improvement in stubborn plaques that are not responsive to medicines. This way of eating is not, however, sustainable for me. I'm currently adding foods back in and evaluating them against flare ups. What I do think is that the processing of food directly correlates to my skin and autoimmune disorders. To your guest's point: Find what works for YOU.

Also, it isn't really as hard as you make it sound, after an initial adjustment period. And at that point it requires very little thought, too, as an added bonus. Much less thought than counting calories for me.

I think you have some great points. To preface, here's my backstory: my weight-loss journey in March of 2019. I went from low carb to keto, I was doing intermittent fasting periodically and lost 85 pounds in one year (yay!). I plateaued during the Covid lockdowns and then in 2022 I found my relationship with food becoming very toxic. The restrictions about what you can and cannot eat while on keto started to feel almost like a bullying mentality. I no longer found joy in eating because all the foods that brought me joy were not keto and if I ate them I'd become very depressed to the point of early onset bulimia. After talking with a couple friends and a therapist I decided to step back a bit and simply eat what I wanted for while to reinvigorate my passion for life, and food. Personal pros and cons: Pro: By pushing myself into low carb and keto I managed to reset my system some. These days I simply can't eat an overabundance of sweets or carbs because my body can't handle it like it used to. This helps with mindless eating or over eating, of which I used to suffer greatly. I also have come to respect food. Sweets are meant to be treats and not consumed daily, and carbs are fillers which I find myself no longer craving in the great quantities I used to. It also helped me change my mindset about the order of which I eat the items on my plate. Cons: The restriction of what to eat. Don't misunderstand me I will happily eat all the butter, bacon and cheese I can get my hands on, but by having that little voice in one's head saying, "No, you can't have that, that's not on your diet", what was once a good reinforcement (like a coach) ended up turning into a bully and it did take a toll on my mental health. As for these days, have I gained weight back? Yes. Partially due to the foods I've put into my body, but also due to going back to me sedimentary lifestyle which that part was ALL on me. But I feel much better about the thought process of what I put into my mouth. If I'm on a date I want to be able to have pizza or a alcoholic beverage and not feel bullied about it by my own mental thoughts. When I eat out I still try to go for a low-carb/keto option,(just because they process better in my tum tum) but I don't make it a doctrine like I used to.