Why Jillian Michaels Changed her Mind on Protein and Fat Loss in the Last 5 Years 

My Hungarian grandmother lived to 91 and her secret was she just lived, she just ate and ate all the animal products available, she made a homemade dessert every single night, she hung clothes in the sunshine, she sang all day long and chased me around the dining room table when I was sassy. She rarely watched tv other than the Lawrence Welk show and she was always happy, even with her imperfect life. We have become unhappy fanatics because we try to fit into images we were never meant to be. We will all die someday, no matter what we eat; just choose to be happy.

I did that 800-calorie, unlimited salad, high resistance training thing for 16 weeks. Got down to my ideal weight...for one day. The moment I stopped that insane & unsustainable eating/exercising, I regained the weight and MUCH MORE. Ruined my metabolism. It's taken me 11 years to get back to healthy metabolism & weight.

I wasn’t going to watch this,she not my favorite person, But listening to this? I have a different opinion on her , than I did 15+ yrs ago🙃I’m glad I watched this! Thank you !

I grew up in the Jillian Michaels era, and fell into many of the same diet traps she did. That being said, I really appreciate this gal and her evolution over the years. Thanks for having her on Thomas!

Most old people loose muscle am a nurse of 20 years-and I can argue that older patients need higher protein.

I have been carnivor for 10 months and I am 1 of thousands who do. It has reversed my health issues.

I would highly reccomend to not trust anything.

I never thought she was credible…

Exactly.. overly processed foods and sugar are the worst IMO.. I am following my 103 year old mother's example. She grew up In Holland and her family had a huge vegetable garden. Potatoes were a staple, and at least a dozen different types of beans. Lots dairy , cheese and butter. Meat, once a week.. Up until her 98th birthday, she was still walking approx 1 km a day. Still knits, does jigsaw puzzles, word search and reads the newspaper.

I’ve lost some serious respect because this woman not long ago railed against keto and low carb. Now suddenly when it’s the popular and most successful program she’s on board? I call bullshit… I see another book coming

I lost a significant amount of muscle mass, head to toe, when I hit menopause at 50 I was eating about 25 g of protein a day on average for a few years before and during. I doubled my protein to 50-70 and without even exercising I gained a noticeable amount of muscle mass back. I felt stronger and more easily gained muscle when I began to exercise.

I applaud anyone who is being so vulnerable to admit their 'mistakes' on stage. I love her exercise app btw.

There is so much conflict about what foods are good and bad for health. But so far, eating a low carb diet (sometimes keto, sometimes carnivore and sometimes just less carb) and cutting out processed food and eating within an 8 or 9-hour window a day has been the best thing I have ever done for my health. Thank goodness we can all agree that sugar and processed carbs are bad so by cutting out those things and not grazing all day long, many people would become so much healthier already.

if we would eat really healthy the food factory industry would collapse that will not be allowed to happen

Thomas its so awesome seeing you doing these interviews. Love the solo stuff, but seeing you with these major players in the fitness space has been really enlightening.

Very gracious of you Thomas after how disrespectful she has been to you in the past.

It’s refreshing to know that two legends such as yourselves are just as confused as the rest of us by all the conflicting data we get daily. I needed this talk today!

All of you seem to be saying whatever will make you money at any given time.

Also was a bit annoying that she felt she needed to point out that you didn’t have a PhD or MD. You and her aren’t even in the same league. Thomas, keep sharing the amazing nuggets of helpful information to the general public.

Thomas is the POSITIVE ENERGY in this video...

I read hundreds of comments on carnivore websites and a common theme is that whatever diet they try including keto the voice in their head constantly telling them to eat( shuts up)when they eat only meat and fat and incessant hunger is a thing of the past!

Jillian was the first person to kick my butt with her home workout DVDs 😂. Happy to see her on the show….keto was my life saver for loosing weight. It was realistic to watch my CGM numbers and like Thomas suggested… I literally couldn’t make ketones unless I really pushed fasting and keto. I know my brain works better with a ketogenic lifestyle at this time in my life. 😂 wahoo! 😅 thanks guys!

Great interview Thomas. I have been following you since before you blew up and it is great to see how you have grown on a personal level. It is one of the reasons I have stuck around because you are not stuck on ego but science. Cheers!

I love this video! Two of my favorites talking sense! Thomas thanks for doing this video with Jillian! This is what everyone needs to hear! REAL food! Moderation! Love you both!

I go to the gym and it is to waste my glycogen away… the one stored in my liver, after I used what it is in my bloodstream. I go to the gym to have fun, to enjoy the music while I exercise. I don’t go with a plan. If I loose fat, well… welcome. But basically 50 minutes on the treadmill of cardio also helps me feel less depressed. Strength training is done is just for functional strength gain, since I am getting old. Anything I do at the gym is functional at this point of my life…

I'm not sure what happened to listening to your own body. Really connect with your own needs. We're all different. One diet doesn't fit all. Every day is a new day.

The best conversation around nutrition i've heard for years ...... and I follow them ALL

so wow. full circle regarding all the weird diets over the past 30 years. Firstly I am an MD US trained, actually did my residency in 1990-93 with one of the Biggest Loser contestants in the early seasons. I felt so badly for him, he was tall and healthy at the beginning of residency, and morbidly obese by the end. The stress of residency, lack of sleep and horrible hospital food did it to him. He lost a lot of weight on the Biggest Loser, but seeing him a few years later, he was back to where he was, morbidly obese which made me realize those radical diets just do not work . I also gained a lot of weight in residency for the same reasons, but I practiced integrative medicine after I graduated and also after getting my ND and realized that the quality of food was more important than quantity. I lost the weight I had gained and have maintained health and helped many people do the same. I helped patients by treating everyone like a snowflake; they ALL got a "different" but personally tailored diet based upon their culture, ethnicity, genetics and food preferences or food allergies which were tested for. It is NEVER just "calories in-calories out". I can eat 800 calories a day for 3 months straight (and have done that) and not lose a pound because I am VERY carb sensitive. I cannot lose weight if I eat ANY carbs AT ALL even if only 800 cals/day. But I can eat 5000 calories day on keto and lose a lot of weight. Another "anecdote" regarding calories not being the true issue is that I have had many pets who exhibit that fact alone (i.e.my chubby pets getting much less to eat than half the amount of food that my skinny animals received). Animals do not exhibit placebo effect so I know calories are not the only weight determinant. It's all about individual biochemistry which is WHY ONE DIET DOES NOT WORK FOR EVERYONE! This IS WHY Keto DOES work for some people but NOT for others (which is why everyone should be treated like a snowflake). I practiced integrative and functional medicine in the late 1990s and had what would be considered miracles by "western medicine" standards routinely, just by providing targeted nutrition to each patient individually (each visit was a dedicated hour with a patient). But I had patients who lost weight equally well eating vegan high carb, and patients who lost weight on low carb high fat. I NEVER bought into the diet of the moment (i.e. No eggs, no fat, artificial sweeteners chemicals etc). I knew that "Nature" (God) made things for us to eat and my grandparents who ate LARD DAILY were thin lived long and had NO cardiovascular health issues. Processed foods were encouraged in the 80's and 90's yet all the "literature" of the time was condemning anything with cholesterol or fat. So everyone switched to processed carbs and our whole country got obese doing that (remember "non fat" Entemanns? LOL) The commonalities that I insisted on for my patients was that they eat a WHOLE FOOD diet with NO CHEMICALS (i.e. no artificial sweeteners, no fake fats like seed oils-) they were only allowed ghee, organic butter, and EVOO for oils. Anything out of plastic bags or boxes was prohibited. And they were to eat only organic versions of the foods they liked (pesticides work by negatively affecting the hormonal axis and steroids given to animals to fatten them up affect us as well...FOOD CHAIN-COMMON SENSE) They were told to shop the periphery of the grocery store. And although "intermittent fasting" was not even a "term" back then, all my patients were instructed to eat from 10 AM until 6 PM only. (I was a trailblazer lol) It's just most folks in the 70s were thin and no one ate after dinner until the next morning so I thought I would stick with that concept too. Irrespective of whether my patients were vegan or keto, all my patients did very well with those common themes. My saying to my patients was that "if God/nature didn't make it, don't eat it". I am very glad to hear Jillian has also graduated to a more common sense approach. Good luck to everyone in this weight and health epidemic.

Thomas you are a master interviewer. Such a class act! Well done 👏 💙🏋‍♀️

Great interview! Thank you to both of you❣️

Never did like her but this really shows we have to be careful who we believe and follow. And she was on tv telling millions bad advice

This is a clear example of someone lied to by so much of the medical profession she doesn’t know up from down it is scary

I started eating low carb about less than 50 grams but mostly 30 on most days, with two meals a day. I did not do it for weight loss, but to keep my diabetic trait away from me. I succeeded, and I am no longer pre diabetic. I got used to eating this way, and I do not intend to change it. I also increased my exercise and improved my stress and sleep patterns. So far, I am a happy camper. Great interview!

So many of these "experts" changing their mind like every month, so, for anyone that's reading this, first try everything, stick to what makes you feel good, it doesn't matter what it is, check your blood work and that's it. For me is eating at evening intermittent fasting with all macronutrients, which gives me full day energy, no crashes, 0 hunger, my blood work is excellent, etc..., for other may be full keto, of eating 6 meals per day, etc.. and always checking your blood work so you don't have nutrients deficiency., and that's it. And yes, listen to the experts, but don't take their word as absolute, because they will change it very often. Best

I wasn't a fan of Jillian before this interview, but I am now. She's super honest and I love her common sense approach. Thank you for this conversation.

Really appreciate Jillian's humble response and practicality.. very logical and I completely agree.

Ultimately, listen to your body. We live in a fast, advert fed, social media society. We are not intuitively listening to what our body wants or needs. Everyone is different. We also need different things on different days. Once you start to tap into your own body and mind and work out what makes you feel good, what energises you, what depresses you etc - it’s much more simple.

I LOVE this! Just the fact that you're TALKING about it! I must say- "Calories in Calories out" is based on a CLOSED SYSTEM... BUT our BODIES are an OPEN, LIVING, THRIVING, constantly adjusting SYSTEM... (my background is engineering & Neuroscience- NOT a phd) As a personal trainer & Martial Arts Instructor for 30 years I'll say, Jillian's thinking will RADICALLY change once she's post-menopausal... LIFE is a RIDE! =)

Great interview!

You’re a class act, Thomas. I love how you present other points of view and essentially let your audience chose what will work for them. It’s great that you share what you explore.

Follow the crowd Jillian to make $$

So i wasted my money buying her product. 😂.

Loved this down to earth conversation!!! 🙌👏

great episode folks. thank you

I absolutely agree with Jillian! She has changed her mind on things when new research came out. I think she is very genuine. Lots of people change their minds when learning new things

Its obvious her stance is coming from only a goal of weight loss, not necessarily healthy weight loss. There is a world of difference between the two. She talks about how low carb or keto is difficult for people, yet eating 800 calories is not sustainable. With Keto, I have had things in my body heal that I didn't realize I needed healing in. And eating around 90-100 grams of protein per day has been a game changer! My hair has gotten thicker, my muscles are more toned, more hourglass shaped, even my face has added a bit of muscle making me look younger. And I recover much faster after a workout! All by consistently eating more animal protein. Cutting out the carbs=no bloating. My point is, there is a lot more to living a healthy life than only losing weight.

Great guest! Great interview. Thank you 🎉

Wow, thanks! , I really enjoyed this. I had a health food store during the Jillian Michael's bad days, and I pushed the fat makes you fat agenda and filled up on fat-free foods. For me, years later, following Thomas at that point, keto and intermittent fasting was the easy way for me to correct my glucose response to loose 56lbs, 6 years ago. I've kept it off easily, and now I can eat carbs. I saw this interview headline and I scoffed when I saw Jillian and went to, "idiot". So glad I watched. It's a full circle moment because I really liked her back in the day!

I’m only 6 minutes into this interview and wow!! YESSS Jillian!!! Over the years of hearing “all the science” and the PhD’s…I am just really honing in my intuition…and what if, what if I was truly left to my own devices for survival…how would I eat? How would I live in general? We need to learn to trust our bodies, we are freaking amazing. Much love to you both ❤

She was proven drastically wrong. She knows that she has to be seen with reputable people on this subject now. She was not apologetic at all for misleading people for years. Sounds to me that she came back to throw some jabs to try to save face.

This was fun to watch, both of you respectable and actually listened to each other.

Great interview bro 🙏🏾

We’re out here, listening to all the experts, saying opposite things. Very confusing. Very frustrating. How do we stick to anything?

Great interview! Glad to see you offering more voices than just the carnivore crowd. She’s right too, we can’t let evil Kellogg’s plotting divide the health and fitness community

After taking several covid shots, for about 3 years now I no longer develop a fever when I get sick. Fluids and rest help but I never completely get better. I HAVE TO SIMULATE A FEVER WITH HOT BATHS. Sauna would also help. This is where heat therapy is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY! Now that the shots rewrote my immune system, it won't let me recover from ANY sickness. I HAVE TO create my own temporary fever to get any kind of relief. Hope this comment helps anyone who's had too many jabs.

Excellent! So much common sense in this discussion! With all the info, opinions and studies out there, this really resonates and validates. Be well!

Yet grains have only been cultivated for the last 10,000 years or so. So yes, large amounts of meat/protein and foraging some berries in winter, or other fruit and veggies IN SEASON, are what we've evolved from and is ancestrally appropriate. We prehistorically, literally had to eat and run, and at the beginning of man's existence, not even cooking food/cooking it much. Charbroiling your steak is carcinogenic.-we are not usually equipped to process burnt food. Edit: also sometimes we wouldn't eat for days until we found more food.

It’s nice to see people grow and learn and when we learn something better, acknowledge it. Very nice😊

That was a great one. Uncensored versions of your content would be awesome.

Gary Taubes related a personal incident involving Jillian Michaels in which she criticized some of his observations concerning the effect on hormones in regards to the different macronutrient consumed. For those who don't know Gary Taubes has a BS in applied physics from Harvard and and MS in aerospace engineering from Stanford. He's a smart guy. Jillian Michaels replied with the absurdity that a "calorie is a calorie." I don't care who you are or how popular a claim may be, anyone who claims such an absurdity is true simply isn't qualified to speak on the subject and should remain silent. People who follow the consensus because it's the consensus aren't thinking critically or can't think critically.

Everyone knows everything. No one knows anything. As Jillian said, it comes down to common sense. It's good to consider the professionals, but in the end we need to listen to our own bodies.

Jillian is the one that I started to work out because of her! Awesome!

Love, love, love this exchange! Everyone is evolving in this conversation, and I think it's amazing! Regardless of what anyone thinks of Jillian, my take is that she always wanted the best for her clients - and she wanted results. It's also wonderful to grow and consider all of the information we currently have along with observations. Like the rest of us, she was applying what she knew, what she learned from others in the communities, and what she observed from her own clients. This is the same thing Sal di Stefano said. I believe that as long as we continue to ask questions, we continue to grow. It's those who never consider differing opinions that get stuck in the mud. I will say this: if "they" think it's confusing for them and they don't know who to believe for information, imagine how those of us who dieted down have felt! We followed the same confusing information and tried many of those things! At the end of the day, learning to listen to the intuition of our bodies is likely better than all of the advice out there - and that takes time and lots of practice (and tracking!). I'm so glad the two of you shared your insights!! 💚

16:00 Agree so much about "intermittent fasting". I don't call it fasting. I call it "eating LESS OFTEN". I became type 2 diabetic by not just eating too much but also eating TOO OFTEN. So what was part of the solution to fix that? Not just eating less, but also eating less often. Having a soda at your side, sipping it all day long, is a constant all day insulin spike guaranteed to make you insulin resistant over the long haul. I learned it from Dr. Jason Fung and his Obesity Code lecture series/book. His research and data is very compelling as an addition to CICO. "Fasting", a.k.a. eating less often, is just another tool in the weight loss tool box along with food choice, portion size, and exercise. Fasting helped me learn the difference between cravings (driven by dietary hormones like ghrelin triggered by too much fructose) versus actual 'growling stomach' true hunger.

Much better conversation than usual, somehow. These two are great as a team. More of you two together please!

Glad to see Jillian has come around on a few things

Great conversation

Glad she's owning up to her errors - and thanks for blanking out her foul language. Stopping listening to her years ago for her erroneous views and foul attitude.

This is fantastic! Love you both!

This is the best interview Ive seen. This is realistic.

this has been more helpful than every other video on health in last few years put together =thanks!!!!

I feel like we're all just here learning together. ❤ I understand why she swayed so many times throughout her career. I feel like we all have, we just didn't do it in front of the camera while being scrutinized. Love you both!!!

This episode should be titled... Jillian Michaels, I was becomming irrelevant

Julian Michael's workout videos were the reason I started working out after I had my 1st baby In july 2015. She's the best!!!

it was brilliant! Thanks!

got nothing out of this, just a rant

I’m halfway through the interview and it’s giving Thomas trying to have a conversation with somebody who is a drunk so they are interrupting

I love all of your health information videos, but you are a very good Long form podcaster and I really enjoy your long conversation videos as well if not more.

For hundreds of years, the Chinese and Indians have recognized that a lack of sleep, movement, and stress are detrimental to health. Meanwhile, in America, despite being the top economic country, we're only just realizing the negative effects of stress and sleep deprivation.

Susan Powter. Wow thats awhile ago. But she was a character

I am neither Keto or Carnivore...I cannot eat meat...I eat a Mediterranean Meatless Diet...This works best for my body...I get my Protein & Nourishment from Chick Peas, Yellow Peas, Lentils & Rice & Veggies & Fruits...I am slim & older adult...Thomas is one of my favorite Holistic Health people to watch on RU-vid 😀

Great video!

I gave up Omad and I feel so much better ! I fast 14 hours and my thyroid is working properly now ! Longer fasts tanked my thyroid raised cortisol too from 20 plus hours . 14 hours of plenty for me .

Wow, you interviewed her 😳. Interesting 🤔.

Any scientist saying "you need to follow common sense" is not a scientist.

I love how you guys break down your personal experience with science and your personal experiences with the workouts and nutrition. Just because you have a PHD doesn't mean we have the proof. Some things are unknown until you do the experiment yourself. You guys are becoming the experts because of colorbating your ideas, knowledge, and experience. I love this, keep doing this kind of content. Awesome! I love hearing your health journey and the failures which lead to your overall experience. Again, awesome!

Wonderful conversation grounded in critical thinking!

Tom attempts to serve to many gods (whoever his guest is) as does a politician to their audience as he morphs his positions as per his guests thoughts and beliefs however because he fancies himself to be such a smooth and clever wordsmith packaged in his ah shucks nice guy I'm so sincere delivery he thinks know one is wise to his perpetual pliable “SALES PITCH”. He gives the impression that he feels that he is smartest guy in the room all the while thinking that nobody notices that he has this opinion of himself but I see his cagey approach from miles away to the degree I can predict how he will adjust his opinions around whatever guest he has on that particular day.

Ahhh so cool to see jillian on the show. thanx to both!

Great talk.

I don't worry about protein. I consume what I crave every day, and often that is basic foods like beans or some kind of legume, rice, potatoes, grains, fruit, veggies, etc. but no meat or dairy and no animal products at all. I haven't been sick other than colds (and that lessened considerably after I gave up dairy) for 30 years, and I have no problem being physically active, so I'm doing something right.

Peter Attia is not a genius. He’s just a guy with a great memory and a lot of excess energy. Someone tell me of an incredible medical breakthrough linked to Peter attia?

Catch 22 on the protein thing... If you have a lower training load say in a week and you think you don't need as much protein that means you'd have more calories coming from carbs and/or fats. Well those are "energy" so if the training load is lower that week, why would you need a higher % of calories from "energy"? I like these videos and there is always a way to argue the "other side". Lets take a sedentary office worker. Would they need 70+% of calories from carbs and or fats or would they benefit from a say 80% protein and 20% fat? Bu they don't train right, so why 80% protein...

I dropped 7 sizes (20 to a 6) eating higher carb 50% 30% fat and around 20% protein - kept it off for 1 1/2 years so far. I think the key for health and weight loss is fiber. I eat 35-60 grams a day. I can't eat too much protein or it starts kidney stones up in me. Everybody has to know their bodies because genetics also are part of this - Giles Yeo's lectures have helped me understand this. I also hike 3 days a week (60-90 minutes) dance and do a full body weight lifting session once a week for 2 hours. I did way more exercise when I was losing weight (9+ hours vs. 6 hours now). I maintain at 2100 calories a day on average. I also eat 4 times a day a full meal, every 3-4 hours up until 2 hours before I sleep, fasting 12 hours through the night and morning and did the same when I was losing weight.

New research excites the early adopters, but after trying it out, most people return toward center a bit. I give people credit for admitting that, and I will continue to watch their content.

Ummm... Lots of people have been doing Carnivore and Keto for years.

I’ve never liked Jillian Michaels, but I found myself agreeing with her quite a lot during this interview.

Excellent video! Especially loved the discussion on anti nutrients! I knew in my heart ❤that was bunk. Now I shall c enjoying my favorite veggie broccoli 🥦🥦🥦

Love JMs perspective.

Great interview. Well done. Thank you!!