Mixed Feelings
Hey everyone!! How’s your Friday going?? I can’t believe this is the first chance I’ve had to post all day! It’s been go-go-go over here until now… so here I am 😀
The most exciting eat of the day was definitely this breakfast cookie…
It was swimming with SUPERFOOD!
To the usual mix, I added maca, goji berries, chia seeds and cacao nibs. Nutrient overload, antioxidants and energizing power! I’m all over that 😀
Some of today’s eats:
Nothing unusual –I promise to get back my creative mojo next week- but I do want to talk about something I have mixed feelings about…
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Jillian.
Don’t get me wrong, Jillian has lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off (like me), trains and aims to motivate others (also like me) but also promotes the use of diet pills and weight loss supplements (not my style at all).
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As a trainer, this is my worst nightmare. Ron and I actually had a pretty heated discussion about this earlier.. he’s not a fan of the Jill-meister either.
Here we are, trying to teach clients lifestyle changes and a famous health and fitness figure promotes the idea of a quick, easy, fast fix. Can we say trickster??? If I were a skeezy trainer, I could teach my clients “fast fixes” to lose a significant amount of weight within a short amount of time and make them feel like I was doing a great job. However, I would see this as highly irresponsible. It’s my real job to encourage lifestyle changes to my clients that they can stick with over the long run. They lose weight (and body fat) slowly and surely, and the weight stays off. Ron put it really well when he said that “If you make it a lifestyle, you have to intentionally mess it up”. Pills usually cause water weight loss. Eventually when you stop taking the pills (some of Jillian’s are $80-something a bottle), the weight will come back.
Here’s what she says about the pills:
My new proprietary, scientifically developed weight-control and body-shaping formulations are designed to cut through all the diet jargon and help you get the results you want.
This is where you start to change your life, to get thinner, stronger, and healthier, shedding excess pounds by changing your eating and exercise habits, and finding the emotional support that will turn failure into success.
My new formulations can help you make it all possible. Believe me, you can change your life. I know it, I’ve lived it, I understand it, and I changed it… YOU can too!
The supplements also contain bitter orange extract. According to this study, bitter orange can cause fainting, heart attack and stroke in healthy people… all for the sake of losing a couple of pounds quickly. I also noticed that on GNC.com that the pills have less-than-stellar reviews.
Obviously, I’m not saying Jillian is all-bad or anything like that- she does some seriously amazing things!- but I do think that she is being irresponsible and contradicting herself by sticking her face on diet pills. The Biggest Loser emphasizes lifestyle changes, and Bob and Jillian emphasize healthy eating and fitness habits that the contestants (and viewers) can add into their routine. While this is a good thing, the Biggest Loser also emphasizes quick and unhealthy weight loss. It’s unhealthy and unrealistic for everyday people to spend all day at the gym, exercising to the point of vomiting and eating a ridiculously low amount of calories. All for weight loss. I’ve said it once, but I’ll say it a million times over again… weight is just a silly number. Body fat says SO much more about body composition. Instead of the giant scale, why not a bod pod???
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Why not have Biggest Loser over the course of the year and then do re-cap episodes during the season to encourage slow, steady and healthy weight loss?
I don’t always stir the controversy pot on the bloggy, but what do ya’ll think of all of this?? Biggest Loser: good or not-so-good? Jillian’s diet pills: ok way to make some money, or totally irresponsible??
Well I’m off to make a green juice and then chill for a while. We’re meeting friends for dinner then seeing the Lovely Bones 😀
Have a wonderful night <3
Gina
*****New Winter Shape Up workouts will be posted on Monday!!!
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I totally agree with you. I think Julian is a freak’n cop-out. I can’t stand her stuff and always put OB note on her pills when i see them at the store. i mean really, she is going against all that she says by selling these dumb pills.
and i can’t say anything about BL because I’ve never seen a single episode. I don’t know what it is about the show, but I just can’t get into it.
I agree with you completely. She is a great, motivating TRAINER… and she knows better than to promote quick fixes that she knows not only will not work, but could create serious health problems. Sigh, I wish she would have kept up her all-natural, diet-and-exercise approach.
Great post!
xo
Kris
Hey Gina,
I couldn’t agree with you more and am SO grateful that you did this post! Upon seeing Jillian’s latest TV infomercials about her diet pills, my heart sank. I used to righteously do her boot camp and Boost Your Metabolism workouts because they made me feel so good and so energized.
Now, I have stopped doing them. It just didn’t feel right because it made me feel as though she wasn’t the genuine personal trainer I had first known her to be. As a vegan and fellow raw food junkie, it makes me sad that she is no longer primarily focused on body-mind-soul connection.
On the contrary, I ADORE your positive outlook on health and fitness. Keep up your incredible work and lovely bloggy posts!
Love,
Heather
I was wondering what your measurements are on your breakfast cookie at the top of this post. I just got some chia seeds and do not know what to do with them…and how much to use?
i only threw about a T in there for some texture (and omegas!)
I totally agree with you – irresponsible and uninspiring.
I too lost 20 lbs about 7 years ago and have maintained it with a healthy, active life style. People always say to me ‘you are so lucky, you are thin’. Not naturally! And, I have worked my butt off to do it and maintain it. I didn’t get fit sitting on the couch eating bon bons! I never deny myself anything, but I always try to keep it healthy and have balance in my life.
I love Jillian on The Biggest Loser. But I too must admit that I was shocked when she came out with her new range. What kind of message does that send? On TBL she goes on and on about healthy eating and working out. What’s next? Bob promoting lipo suction?!!! Talk about selling out!
Quick fixes never work. There is no such thing as a ‘diet’ – it has to be a life style change in order to sustain it.
I personally think that Jillian Michaels is a fraud because of her “Fat burning pills” thanks for posting about this, it’s been on my mind!
That is SO disappointing about Jillian. I really admire how she can inspire all of those contestants. She is almost like a therapist for them. But I feel like these pills just undercut everything she and the show stands for, which is losing it the old fashioned way.
Glad you brought this up, and I cannot wait for the new workouts!
I think the reason Biggest Loser is done in such a short time frame is that people are impatient and lose interest easily. If they saw someone losing only 5 lbs a month, would they still want to watch? I think it motivates people to see others lose weight so quickly too. Personally, I believe the only way to lose weight and really keep it off is the slow and steady way. Totally against the diet pills!
I can’t believe that she’s pushing diet pills. Makes me really sad. I liked her in the beginning of TBL…now the $$ is her motivating factor, not health. I’ll take Bob over Jillian any day!
As for TBL, I would never expect any of my clients to be pushed to that extreme, with that low of caloric intake. I’d be really worried for their health and long term ability to keep the weight off, live a healthy lifestyle, etc. It’s no wonder so many of them have had issues keeping the weight off. And the product placement on TBL is RIDICULOUS now. Every segment they are highlighting a new product! I cant take THAT anymore. I am not going to buy Yoplait, Subway or anything else they push. Ugh.
I TOTALLY agree with you. I used to adore Jillian; loved her tough love approach to training; loved her common sense weight loss tips. She’s just becoming over exposed and most likely, looking to earn lots of money. I enjoy The Biggest Loser; it’s nice to see the contestant’s transformations, but I’m totally over the manufactured drama, irresponsible challenges and exercise requirements, and the cheesy product placements. I think Jillian has become a characature of herself; she is always trying to psychoanalize every contestant and isn’t happy until she totally breaks them down mentally. It’s becoming a weekly event and I’m kind of tired of it. Obviously, this is an off topic rant, but it just bugs me!
It’s a shame when people we admire fall prey to the almighty dollar.
Hi Gina! I am really excited to try your breakfast cookie idea, however I was wondering if you could please share what kind of oats you use, I don’t normally eat them but I know there are different kinds like instant, steel cut, etc. Thanks 🙂
I’m all for Jillian’s workout videos but totally against the diet pills! Not the best way to make a buck. She should be motivating people to change positive changes in their lives, instead of having them take a pill that allows them to keep the bad habits that got them overweight in the first place.
i read the lovely bones 4 years ago! ahh i’m getting old…it was such a great book, so i hope the movie is just as good 🙂 let us know how it is!
♥ lindsey
I totally agree with you girl. I’;v stopped watching the BIggest loser..because it promotes losing so much weight so quickly. It is just unhealthy!!!
ACK, I completely agree with you. I own (and do!) a couple of Jillian’s workout dvds a few times each week. In fact, it was her 30 Day Shred dvd that got me back into working out after having my second baby earlier this year. I love her short but intense workout style and the fact that her workouts do not require much equipment. When I saw her pimping these diet pills/drinks/supplements/whatever earlier this year, I could not believe it! It sends the absolute wrong message to people. There is no magic pill, most of the things found in products like this turn out to be completely awful for your body, and you can’t rely on a pill or supplement for the rest of your life!!! How realistic is any of that? I guess the “eat less, everything in moderation, move more” message just doesn’t rake in much money. Because that is what actually works in the long run.
Love love LOOOOOOOVE your blog! You are so motivating, and I find joy in reading your upbeat posts each day. I appreciate that you don’t worry much about calories and aren’t obsessed with macronutrient ratios. You are living proof that eating well and staying active will keep you lean and healthy. I even did a Vision Board! I never do things like that. Great idea 🙂 Keep up the amazing and inspiring work!
I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you talking about this! Personally, I’ve felt like I’m the only person in the blog world who is totally anti-Biggest Loser! Like you said, a lot of the methods used on the show are unhealthy and unsustainable in the long run- and since the competition is based on who loses the largest amount of weight- some of the measures the contestants take to make sure they’re lightest at the end are terrible. I don’t see it as a show promoting a healthy lifestyle, but rather reasserting the incorrect notion that it’s really all about the weight.
When I found out about her diet pills line, that just reinforced my views. If there was a diet pill that actually worked, didn’t cause adverse side effects, and had long term health benefits there wouldn’t be such a ginormous weight loss industry!
I love Jillian’s workouts and food/exercise philosophy but not the diet pills and supplements.
Love the breakfast cookie. I need to give that a try 🙂
You know, I LOVE all of Jillian’s workout dvds. They’re the best and most challenging that I’ve found–all while keeping me interested.
My heart dropped the first time I heard about her supplements. I’ve read parts of her books and browsed her website and really want to like her, especially because she kicks my butt on the 30 day shred. But c’mon…
I really like Jillian on TBL, but when it comes to the pills she pisses me off. And I do love the show and will always watch it, but I completely agree that they should just have the show last longer so the weight loss can be more realistically handled and the contestants have more time to get into the lifestyle of it. And they so need to do bodyfat loss and not pounds loss. They even have a BodPod at the ranch (I saw it in the background in the episode where they talk to the creepy doc dude). Why don’t they use it?!
Gina, I’m so glad you brought this up about the Biggest Loser! It is something I have thought for a long time–although the aim of the show is a good one, the way they go about it is not so good at all! Too much exercise and too little calories! Plus I don’t feel like the sudden lifestyle shift is really attainable for these contestants and I would imagine that it would be hard to implement these changes long-term, once they’re back in their ‘normal’ lives…
I’m not really a fan of J but I was disappointed to hear about this too. Sometimes people do anything to make a dolla and it’s just sad. I wonder if she would really promote the product to a friend, relative or client..or if there is some anonymity that allows her to put her face on a product that can ’cause fainting and sudden heart attack.’
BTW I can’t wait to see Lovely Bones! I’ll probably cry through the whole thing ;/!
I tried diet pills in my 30’s. They really don’t work…..She is selling out for sure!
Oh boy could we write you a novel here, but thank you for posting this!! First, we had no idea Jillian had diet pills that definitely makes us look at her differently. We are not fans of quick fixes, like diet pills. I think your idea of more steady approach to weight loss is the best way. Lifestyle change is so right…hint the word “life” not overnight.
WONDERFUL post love!!! I don’t agree with the powders, etc. I am a firm lover or eating clean and healthy!
XXOO
Gina,
I couldn’t agree with you more. As a guy, I see so many men looking for that short cut in the form of a pill. There is nothing more satisfying than a hard-earned workout and a decent diet consisting of fresh food.
I love your recipes and fresh perspective on health. Keep up the great work!
I completely agree with you! Diet pills are horrible and are just another “easy” solution. I’ve managed to loose over 100lbs without the help of diet pills.
Also, I love the Biggest Loser to inspire people to get healthy but it’s also so unrealistic. Most people DO NOT HEALTHILY lose 10+ pounds a week. So it sets people up for failure which could lead to them giving up (since they can’t reach the Biggest Loser level). However I’d rather watch people get healthy than 7 strangers living together.
right on sista, right on. i saw this a few weeks ago, and although she says its all natural, etc, its still a diet gimmick/pill/quick fix. not cool. and i totally respect her as well, and covet that bod like no other, but damn, seems so contradictory yea?! i’m glad you brought this up to us, and i definitely back you up on the opinions. i’ve lost weight the good ol fashion way, too, and continue to be healthy the natural way–good eats, moving the body, and mental clarity. i’ve tried pills when i first made the decision to lose some weight, and those bitches effed me up in a weird way. quit that stat.
anywho…have a nice weekend 🙂
The biggest Loser is definitely my week night junky tv show of choice but i have ALWAYS been upset at how MUCH the contestants work out. It’s so messed up because I don’t know anyone who works out that much every day. Also, I think that it’s really really
WEIRD that they dont show what anyone eats on the show.
Totally agree! I was in shock when she started pushing the pills. It seems to go against all the stuff she talked about in her books and on her podcast. i can’t lie . . . I <3 her workout vids esp her level 2 shred it. She can kick my butt like no other rotating through her dvds that I own.
I have those SAME feelings. I love the show to get ideas for new exercises in the gym but I don’t agree with working out all day and the kind of food they consume. I get so annoyed when they sponsor products on the show like their protein powder, extra gum, fiber one cereal etc. Honestly those foods aren’t even “healthy.” They have unwanted ingredients but since they are low calorie it will help with a weightloss that is unhealthy.
It surprises me Jillian has these supplements since she promotes so much of eating WHOLE foods. Why do you need supplements if you are eating WHOLE foods?
I am a fan of The Biggest Loser, but not the fact that Jillian has started endorsing products. 🙁 Sell out all in the name of the almighty dollar. I heard or read once that they only eat 1200 calories/day! That’s what it takes just for your body to function, and then they exercise on top of that. That’s why they can drop a hundred pounds in 3 months. I don’t know, but maybe the show needs to be revamped. The last couple of seasons, the people that won, they looked emaciated and not healthy at all.
I too, was really surprised to see Jillian promoting (and sticking her face on) these pills. I saw the commercial for the first time last night and was kind of appalled by it. It’s sad when people get so caught up in the idea of fame and money that their values are compromised as I think has happened to her. While I think she has good intentions, I am just not a fan of hers. I’m not 100% clear on what her credentials are other than personal training but as someone who is currently doing a masters in counseling, I also think her “training” style crosses some boundaries into therapy that I’m not sure she’s been trained for. Just sayin’….
here in Mexico we say, Con dinero baila el perro…
amen, girl
I totally agree with your thoughts on Jillian. I own all of her videos and enjoy a great workout with the taskmaster! However I was disappointed to see her promoting something that will not work for those who are duped into spending 80 dollars on cheap diet aids. On a side note, bitter orange is not bad, my homeopath prescribed it to me for constipation. When used correctly it is safe and effective.
I too am a trainer and fitness coach and have issues with both Biggest Loser and Jillian. At one time, I really liked her, but with the advent of her new business venture, I can’t say that I am much of a fan. I would have clients coming to me expecting the “biggest loser” type weight loss, which is just impossible for someone not on that show in addition to not healthy. I think it gives people false hope sometimes.
Just wanted to share what Jillian had to say on the subject:
http://www.facebook.com/jillianmichaels?ref=search&sid=1147477928.4047149686..1&v=wall#/notes/jillian-michaels/weight-loss-supplement-answers/134999455926
I live Jillian and the biggest loser but nit her diet pills!
I used to like both BL and Jillian- but I thought it was such a sell out when she started doing those pills!! I had definitely seen interviews before where she talked about losing weight the healthy way, with exercise, clean eating, etc…then it’s like cha ching all of a sudden these pills come out with her face plastered all over…lame. I can’t get on board with BL either, bc half their show is just ads for various food companies, so it’s hard to trust any of their “advice”. Sad that everything comes down to money these days!
I never liked that show. It seems so unnatural the way that they make people lose weight. I agree with you about everything.
Gina,
Ok, I’ll admit, I have been lurking on your bloggy for a while (!) – I love it! We eat almost EXACTLY the same way… glad to know there is a name for it, “quasitarian” – but had to break my silence on this post. I couldn’t agree with you more. While I love Jillian’s no-nonsense attitude and constant motivation on the show (I admit, I soemtimes picture her yelling at me when my runs are dragging), I have been super dissapointed at her selling out in ways that she knows have the potential to cause serious harm to others. So many look to her as a role model and source of guidance and inspiration, and so will buy into her unnatural and dangerous “quick fix” solutions, which makes me sad. I considered buying her newest book, and now certainly will not.
I wish they’d warn viewers that the sugar alcohols in Extra gum cause gas and diarrhea if you’re not really limiting your intake.
I boycott BL because they humiliate the contestants and mislead viewers. Why make them ‘weigh’ (that’s not really their weigh-in) topless and in bras? To entertain, just like a circus sideshow.
But I’m watching this season, for some odd reason. They do claim their ‘last chance workouts’ are all day or 6 hours, I believe. Also one girl claimed she was ‘first in the gym every morning at 7 and last out every night at 11’ or something. Granted, she wasn’t there all day, but c’mon.
And of course the whole focus on the gym not the kitchen, where 90% of weight management happens for most of us. And the product placement and character acting from Jillian and Bob is just laughable. I can’t believe they can sell a thing, as obnoxious as they are on the show.
The Lovely Bones, if I recall right, was more of a contemplative book, not so much a murder mystery, right? I bet the movie is like A Beautiful Mind, totally NOT what the book was about, just capitalizing on the name of a bestseller.
i really appreciate that someone posted a link to what jillian has to say about the matter… sheds a lot of light on the situation. everyone who has an opinion about this should read her side too… youll find we all pretty much agree. kind of interesting. she doesnt claim to have magic pills, something that will give an instant fix, or anything like that. she even says- like all of us- that the lifestyle change is necessary, that eating healthily is number one… even though i personally have no need to take supplements, they may be just what the person on the treadmill next to me needs. i can only speak and make decisions for me.
ps: had to come out of lurkerdom for this post! love love love love your blog, gina! LOVE it! it’s like my little morning newspaper. thank you thank you for all that you do.
thanks so much for coming out of lurkdom! hope to “see” you around here more often 🙂
I have been astounded to hear all of the new products Jillian is promoting. And I’ve always had mixed feelings about the Biggest Loser. We all know that the best way to get healthy and stay that way is the exact opposite of shows like the Biggest Loser, and as great a trainer as Jillian appears to be, I agree with you. It is highly irresponsible and dishonest to promote something like diet pills.
I am so glad you did a post on this. When I first saw these pills advertised at my local GNC, I was thinking, really? Could Jillian Michaels actually be putting her face on weight loss supplements. And it dawned on me that I few articles I had read with her featured in Fitness RX magazine, she talked about these “supplements” she takes that would be on the market soon. Because the meal plan she suggested was all-natural, I assumed the supplements would be vitamin supplements… How disappointing!!! I can’t imagine how many people have naively bought these products already thinking if she recommends them, why not!
Gina… Excellent post! You are a fantastic writer. I think the best thing you are doing is living the example you are teaching. Which is awesome. I am with you about Jillian. Totally irresponsible, she shouldn’t even be allowed to be on the Biggest Loser anymore…
I don’t like to be the judge of those things though. Thank you for posting on this! I think it is a completely valid and important issue = )
Even if her supplements are all natural and have ingredients that really do aid weight loss, I think when you’re talking about things like caffeine that are readily available, it’s misleading to sell $30+/bottles of pills as some magic bullet. Though her Facebook post is very convincing and made even me, a giant skeptic, almost interested!
I agree! It seems hypocritcal of her promoting these diet pills when she has been doing the complete opposite for years. I used to watch the Biggest Loser and then it got to be the same thing. Extremely obese people losing large amount of weight in a short amount of time. No person in this world has 6 hrs of time to spend in the gym. It is extreme and uncessary. It is sad to see these extremely obese people but what aobut the people who only need to lose 50 lbs? I am not a fan of BL anymore.
Sooo, I have to admit that I actually tried the Jillian pills. I had just hit 34, was exercising and counting calories to no avail and thought that if Jillian said something is good and works then it must.
I mean this is Jillian Michaels..surely she wouldn’t promote something unhealthy or something that was just another way to make some money. So yep, I bought something because it was associate with a trainer that comes across as trustworthy.
Funny enough, after a week I decided that I’d keep trying to lose weight the healthy way and tossed the bottles. I’m finding that Gina’s approach is the best and am already losing weight on the Winter Shape Up. So thank you Gina for the sane advice and no thanks to Jillian who abused those of us who trusted her expertise.
hey amber,
what an amazing comment. thank you so much! i’m so happy the shape up is working well for you, and you’re totally right, healthy is the way to go.
you can do it 🙂