Few could ever have predicted that Harley Morenstein, co-creator of the Epic Meal Time YouTube empire, would ever become a poster boy for the ketogenic diet. The bacon- and Jack Daniels-slinging Montreal native rose to fame in 2010 when he began introducing the world to obscenely gluttonous meals—think the 50-pound Sloppy Big Ben Roethlisberger, or a 470,000-calorie Halloween-themed Frankenpig bursting with bacon pasta—whipped up with an imaginative crew of friends. (Warning: Do not watch his videos if you have a family history of heart disease.)

Perhaps unsurprisingly, as the show gained notoriety, the former substitute history teacher found himself throwing back entire burger patties on set, as if he were snacking on a handful of chips. Also perhaps unsurprisingly, his weight skyrocketed and his energy levels waned.

About three years ago, however, the 33-year-old began cutting carbs and incorporating weightlifting into his forkifting routine, and today, he’s down nearly 50 pounds. While his whole-box-of-cereal days of yore are now but a fond memory, he stills look forward to the weekly cheat days that he's learned to embrace. We caught up with Morenstein to learn about what he eats at midnight when carbs are off the table; how he'd go about choosing a hypothetical last meal; and why knowing what you put in your body is the most epic feat of them all.

GQ: What made you want to switch to keto?

Harley Morenstein: When Epic Meal Time started, I put on weight. And it wasn’t entirely because of the epic meals, but the ingredients. When we’re cooking with six pounds of cheese, I just grabbed it and ate some. If we got ten burgers and only needed six, I thought, “Hey, I’m going to eat some!”

I was always sitting at the computer editing for extended periods of time, too, and then realized my diet, exercise, and sleep were all at a minimum. The biggest and easiest change was going low-carb, because I’m not a guy that likes diets.

How strict are you?

I was 287 pounds at one point. I’m 240 now. At my most fit, I was at 230, but back then I was working out a lot, on top of being low-carb. More than anything, I wanted to loosen up my routine and maintain my weight, so I don’t work out or lift as much. I have my cheat days—and because I’m not extremely serious, my cheat weeks, too.

Do you miss eating whatever you want?

People are always asking, “What would your last meal be?” I’m a boring eater. I like cheese pizza. But I miss eating entire boxes of cereal. Until my early 20s, I was like, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” so why don’t I eat a whole box of Lucky Charms? That is something I have to say goodbye to forever, unless we’re filming a crazy video. I’ll use that as an excuse to suggest that we eat an entire box of cereal.

Watch:Epic Meal Time's Harley Morenstein Used to Punk High Schoolers as a Substitute Teacher

What do you do about carb cravings?

I make it work so I can have a bowl of cereal. Beyond that, I love tuna, eggs, steak, chicken, bacon. I keep plenty of low-carb snacks around, like pork rinds and Pizza in a Bag, my own pepperoni pizza jerky. When I first tried it, I was like, “What’s the carb count on this?” You can’t get a two-grams-of-carbs pizza experience anywhere else like that, you know?

Once you get a taste for carbs, the cravings can come crashing back immediately. I’ve been in and around food for so long that it’s just about being mentally strong—and prepared. When it’s 11 P.M.., you need to be ready with your snacks. Even my ketchup is sugar-free. I put mustard on everything.

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How do you meal prep?

My chefs make eggs, guacamole, sausage, and bacon, put it in a bowl with hot sauce, and call it breakfast. I’m far lazier than that. I’ll microwave some egg whites and put some hot sauce on it. If I have a breakfast meeting, I’ll grab some eggs and sausage or bacon. Pass on the potatoes.

Other guys make a whole bunch of beef patties or chicken breast for the next day, which is smart. I order prepackaged meals that get delivered to the house, and I choose the no-carb options with veggies and various proteins.

Are you ever worried about your heart health and cholesterol levels given all the meat you’re eating?

When I first started, I’d have a bowl of 15 sausages and a huge cup of mustard and hot sauce, and I was like, “Wow! This is dieting!” When people would tell me to have an apple, I’d be like, “I can’t have fruit!” I go for checkups once or twice a year now, and nothing’s come up. There haven’t been any warning signs. I just go by the signs of my body.

Do you have your community’s support?

Yeah, it’s so important to have a great support system. I have a team of guys like Ameer Atari, the chef, and Mike Santos, the director. They’re both on low-carb diets, and have far surpassed me in results. They’re very hardcore about it, and have a direct influence on me. You wouldn’t expect it, but they’re so conscious about what they eat.

I ran into a bunch of WWE wrestlers in Toronto, and a couple of them were sitting down. They had chicken breast and green peppers, and were like, “Aw man, you’re here? Normally I eat way crazier!” I was like, “No, hey, I understand. Me too. I get it. Do your thing, bro.” You wouldn’t expect these big beefy guys to care.

The dynamic has shifted, definitely. You know what’s epic? Knowing what you put in your body! We still realize that there’s beauty in going big or going home with something that’s delicious—just, like, a dessert higher in protein. We’ve made a bunch of keto meals on the channel, too.

Do you work with anyone who hasn’t gone low-carb, and kind of just eats pizza and challah all they want while glaring at you?

That would be Cool Dan, Dan Harroch. He didn’t adopt keto—he plays a lot of sports, so he’s about his carbs. He was kosher for the first 12 years of his life, too, so he wants to cut loose and do his thing. Luckily, there are no rivalries in the fridge.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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