Jillian Michaels thinks the keto diet is a horrible idea. She recommends a more ‘common sense’ eating style instead.

• Celebrity personal trainer Jillian Michaels has been outspoken about her dislike of the trendy ketogenic diet.
• The keto diet involves eating high amounts of protein and few carbohydrates, which puts the body in a fat-burning state that can lead to quick weight loss.
• Michaels called the keto diet a "fad" and "terrible, terrible idea" in an April 2018 interview, and she told INSIDER she still stands by those comments.
• She also suggested a "common sense" eating plan that includes balanced amounts of protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
• Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

Jillian Michaels has said it once and she'll say it again: she's not a fan of the ketogenic diet.

In April 2019, the celebrity fitness trainer called the keto diet, which involves eating high amounts of protein and fat and few carbohydrates so the body enters a fat-burning state, a "terrible, terrible idea" because of its restrictive nature.

Michaels also dissed the diet in May 2018 during a People magazine interview. "Don't do keto," she said, adding that the diet is nothing more than a fad.

In a recent interview with INSIDER for her 100-mile walking challenge to raise money for global refugees, Michaels further explained her thoughts on the controversial keto diet and offered readers tips on how to eat instead.

If you don't have an insulin-related health problem, Michaels says you should skip keto

The ketogenic diet was created in the 1920s, but back then, it wasn't used for weight loss. Rather, the diet was a way to help people control epileptic seizures.

More recently, the diet has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. 

Michaels told INSIDER she understands the purpose of the keto diet for diabetics.But she doesn't see it as a solution for others who are seeking a quick weight loss method. She believes the keto diet isn't "meant to be an ongoing way of life," but people stay on the diet for years on end.

"People aren't talking about the downsides," she told INSIDER. "When the body is in a ketotic [sic] state you're changing your biochemistry and that can damage your thyroid, attack the s--t out of your liver and kidneys, and your cells don't function optimally."

A healthy diet includes a variety of foods, including carbs

Rather than trying keto for weight loss, Michaels suggested an eating plan she calls "very common sense."

"Don't eat too much food, period. When we look at people gaining weight, it has to do with has much food they're eating," she said.

Michaels said people looking to lose weight should make sure to eat fewer calories than they're expending on a daily basis. On average, a woman has to eat about 1,500 calories daily to lose one pound each week, and a man has to eat about 2,000 calories for the same result.

Additionally, people should focus on the quality of their food in order to glean health benefits beyond weight loss, like a healthy heart. "Just eat more whole versions of your favorite foods, including carbs, protein, and fats. Don't eat steak fat and protein with fillers," Michaels said.

Although Michaels doesn't prescribe a specific type of diet, she said the types of foods found on a Mediterranean diet (think fish, nuts, olive oil, and lots of veggies), make up a solid framework for most people to model their own diet after.

• Read more:
• 25 famous people who've tried outrageous diets, and what the science says about their eating patterns
• I ate like Ariana Grande for a week — and I am baffled by how she does it
• Dermatologists debunk 7 myths about how diet affects skin

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