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Al Roker is down 40 pounds after sticking to the keto diet

The TODAY co-anchor was asked about the diet's impact on him while cooking up a recipe featuring keto-friendly bread.
Al says that he's lost 40 pounds on the keto diet
Al Roker cooks up a recipe using keto-friendly rolls.Nathan Congleton/TODAY
/ Source: TODAY

Al Roker, who has been following the ketogenic diet since September, said the eating plan has yielded positive results for him so far.

“I’ve lost about 40 pounds,” the TODAY co-anchor and weather and feature anchor said Monday, while cooking up a sloppy Joe recipe that he pairs with his favorite low-carb, keto-friendly bread recipe.

Al has talked openly about embracing the keto diet, frequently sharing keto-friendly dishes he’s created on Instagram. When Savannah Guthrie was following the diet last year, he used to bake her his now infamous keto muffins.

On the show, Al briefly mentioned his weight loss and whether he's been able to keep his cholesterol numbers healthy while sticking to the diet.

“My cholesterol — just had them checked a couple of weeks ago. Everything’s good,” he said before moving back on to his culinary creation.

In a nutshell, the keto diet involves eating foods that are high in fat while staying away from nearly all carbohydrates to achieve a 4:1 ratio of fat to carbs and protein of 4:1. The goal is to lose weight by burning fat for energy instead of carbohydrates.

Al recently defended the diet against criticism from celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels. The former "Biggest Loser" trainer questioned the basis of the keto plan and asked “why would anyone think this is a good idea?”

Al responded to Michaels on Twitter, but on air he said deciding to try keto should be up to individuals, made in consultation with their physician.

“What works for you, works for you,'' he said at the time. "There's science on both sides that says it's not a great idea and science that says it is a great idea."

Al's adoption of the keto lifestyle turned colleague Savannah Guthrie on to the diet last year. But the TODAY anchor admitted on Monday she no long adheres to the plan.

"I broke up with keto," she said.