There’s a specific kind of loneliness that comes with following a diet and lifestyle that runs counter to everyone around you.

Your coworkers think you’re extreme. Your family worries. Your doctor raises an eyebrow at your food choices even as your labs improve. You read the research, you feel the results in your own body, you watch your health markers move in directions you’ve been told aren’t possible—and yet, in your day-to-day life, you’re the weird one. The one who brings their own food. The one who has to explain, again, why they’re not eating the cake.

I lived in that space for a long time before I walked into my first Hack Your Health convention, and I’m writing this because I think a lot of people reading this live there too.

What Hack Your Health Actually Is

Hack Your Health (formerly KetoCon) is the world’s largest wellness conference focused on low-carb, keto, carnivore, longevity, and holistic wellness. It’s been running since 2017, and it’s evolved significantly over the years—from a niche keto gathering to a full-scale wellness event that draws thousands of attendees, world-class speakers, and over 100 exhibitors.

The 2026 convention runs November 13–15 at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida. There are keynotes, breakout sessions, an expo hall packed with products and services, interactive health stations, cooking demos, workshops, and more. VIP experiences and virtual replay passes are available for people who can’t make it in person.

It’s for practitioners, enthusiasts, and people who are just starting to ask questions about their health. There’s no prerequisite; there’s no gatekeeping. If you’re curious about metabolic health and you want to learn from people who’ve dedicated their careers to it, this is the room you want to be in.

My First Time: Austin 2024

My first Hack Your Health was in 2024 in Austin, Texas, and I need to be honest about something: it felt like coming home.

I had a flood of emotions that I wasn’t expecting. I learned what safety felt like—not physical safety, but the safety of being in a room full of people who understood. People who didn’t think I was extreme for eating the way I eat. People who were kind, curious, and approached health topics with a nuance we don’t often see in the day-to-day.

It’s one thing to know that others like you exist out there in the world. It’s something else entirely to actually meet them; to shake their hands, hear their stories, and realize you’re not the outlier you’ve been made to feel like. It was natural nervous system regulation to essentially link up with a tribe—and I don’t use that word lightly.

The expo hall was full of interesting products and services that challenged me to think and keep an open mind. The speakers were generous with their time and their knowledge. The overall energy was high and positive, yet relaxed—not the frantic, competitive energy you sometimes get at conferences. It felt like everyone was genuinely there to learn and connect.

I also have to say this: meeting the whole food, keto, and carnivore doctors and practitioners I’d been following for years was one of those moments where I was glad to meet my heroes—because they turned out to be exactly who I hoped they were. Everyone was kind, down-to-earth, and approachable. There was no ego to be seen. That says something about the culture of this community.

Here’s something I don’t talk about often: I actually owe my first Hack Your Health for me getting into working as a health coach on a clinical care team. That’s where my application got pulled. That’s where I landed the job that gave me the clinical hours, the high-volume experience, and the real-world feedback that shaped everything I’ve built since. The conference didn’t just inspire me—it changed the trajectory of my career.

Tampa 2025: The Return

My second time was in 2025, when Hack Your Health moved to Tampa. The convention has definitely evolved, and it will continue to evolve—the scale has grown, the speaker lineup has expanded, and the exhibitor hall keeps getting more diverse. What hasn’t changed is the sense of belonging. I walked in and felt it immediately, the same way I did in Austin.

That consistency matters. A lot of events get bigger and lose their soul in the process. Hack Your Health has managed to scale without losing the thing that makes it special: the genuine human connection between people who care about health and are willing to question conventional wisdom to pursue it.

Who Should Go

The beautiful thing about this event is that I think it’s for almost everyone who’s curious about metabolic health.

Practitioners and coaches—if you work in the low-carb, keto, or carnivore space, this is where your community is. The networking alone is worth it, not to mention the continuing education and the exposure to products and research you might not encounter otherwise.

Enthusiasts—if you’ve been doing this on your own and you want to go deeper, hear from the experts, and connect with like-minded people, this is the event. You don’t need a credential to belong here.

People who are just starting to ask questions—maybe you’ve heard about keto or carnivore and you’re curious. Maybe someone you love is dealing with a metabolic health challenge and you want to understand the options. Hack Your Health isn’t just for the converted; it’s for the curious.

The Bigger Picture

I spend a lot of time thinking about what it takes to sustain this lifestyle long-term—not just the food part, but the emotional and social infrastructure around it. One of the hardest things about eating and living differently from the mainstream is the isolation. It’s real, and it wears on people over time.

Events like Hack Your Health are part of the answer. They remind you that you’re not alone, that the work you’re doing on your own health matters, and that there’s a growing community of people—practitioners, researchers, companies, and everyday humans—who are rowing in the same direction.

If you’ve been thinking about going, I’d encourage you to make it happen. November 13–15, 2026, Tampa Convention Center. This year I’m joining as a Social Partner, and they’ve given me a code to share: RANCE.FSH gets you $100 off your ticket at hackyourhealth.com.

I’ll be there as a Social Partner this year. Come say hi.

Photo courtesy of Hack Your Health

Rance Edwards is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) with over 2,000 clinical hours of experience, specializing in chronic disease management and lifestyle medicine.

Interested in working with a metabolic health coach who gets it? Book a free discovery call—no pressure, just a conversation about where you are and where you want to be.