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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Hi Gina,
I totally agree about what you said about Jillian, it’s a shame she’s selling herself to diet pills and the quick fix. The real way to make long term healthy changes is to make lifestyle changes. I’m on day two without diet coke, I watched Food Inc and it put me off the stuff so it’s all good. Have a great evening and a fun weekend.
i’m with you. jillian and biggest loser aren’t all bad. but they have some problems.
i ranted this on facebook not 24 hours ago: biggest loser infuriates me. the show tries to come off as this inspirational healthy living model for americans, but with the prize money looming the distance the contestants go to dangerous lengths to lose the most weight in the weeks after filming stops but before the finale weigh in. it’s gross and misleading. i also think that if severely obese people at home try to engage in the same level of activity as the contestants (without the professional assistance), they could seriously hurt themselves. i also lost all respect for jillian michaels when she started endorsing diet pills. end rant.
I completely agree with you. I was disappointed when I saw the diet pills and supplements. I don’t even like taking vitamins, I’d rather get them from healthy foods!
Also, The Biggest Loser has lost is luster to me, did so a couple seasons back. I hate the competition part of it, people can be so ugly. And honestly, isn’t your health and your happiness worth more than $250,000? I hate seeing a man who has just lost 20 lbs in a week hang his head in shame because it “wasn’t enough.” Gosh.
Great post Gina! Have an excellent weekend 🙂
Totally agree! As a trainer it is so hard to argue with the people that come in the gym saying ‘well Jillian does it.’ But it is so wrong. Unfortunately, I think it is just her getting a little too money hungry. You know uneducated people will buy that garbage!
Myself – I never take on a client who wants to use any kind of diet pills, etc, or doesn’t show me an interest in changing their ways.
i totally agree with you about the money thing. greed is sad
i’m the same way– i only take on certain people as clients.. the ones who want to change their lives and do things the right way
I like Jillian and I like the show.
I would NEVER use any type of weight loss pills; it’s stupid and irresponsible.
I want to know how we really know these Biggest Loser contestants workout for hours and hours a day?? They’re soooo out of shape, can they really even workout all day? If so, what are they doing? I see people spouting off this info, but have never seen any proof that this is what really goes on at the ranch. If you can direct me to some cold hard facts that this is actually true, I would appreciate it! I do agree that if it’s true and they workout for hours and hours a day, that’s unrealistic and unhealthy. Also, I think being on the show and on the ranch causes they people to have unhealthy eating patterns i.e., not eating at all, skipping meals, etc., so I question whether or not they’re really learning a healthy lifestyle. Now, you have to eat to gain, so what’s happening here? How low are the calories? How are they losing if they’re not eating?
As you can see, I have lots of questions…but I tend to agree that The Biggest Loser is a bit bogus, yet I STILL get sucked into it, like it’s some sort of trainwreck I can’t take my eyes off of!
Diet pills=stupid and irresponsible.
😀
rock on!
3 hours every day: 2 hours of cardio, 1 hour of strength training
only eat 1500 calories each day
from this website: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9880085/
Ah, COOL! Thanks. This is insane, but not as insane as the 6 hours I have seen and totally doubted.
I wonder what they’re doing the other hours of the day? Besides all the bulldoodie drama? One thing I have NEVER liked about the show is that people get voted off. Oh, and I don’t understand some of the challenges, as I don’t see them related to weightloss or healthy lifestyle all that much…?
Like I said, I get sucked into this show. I agree w/ comments on Jillian becoming money hungry…and I can’t say it enough-her stupid diet pills are horrible. Should be make a bet on how soon she will get sued because someone died or suffered some sort of medical trauma over her stupid pills? 😉
I couldn’t agree more about a life style change…because anyone can set a goal and achieve it, the question is whether you can actually keep it off. Also, I learned that slow and natural is the way to go!
I had a really bad reaction to her pushing diet pills as well. I feel like her whole m.o. before she got behind these diet pills was that exercise and diet WORK, and that hard work pays off. Diet pills, to me, have always seemed like “cheating.” And DANGEROUS cheating, at that.
I agree with Jessica that it is probably all about the money…sad, but true.
OMG how funny you mentioned this today! Last night I was totally shocked when I saw Jillian’s commercial for her pills & new cleanse because I also thought she was really only about nutrition & exercise changes. I don’t know, for some reason intense 8 hour workouts and magic pills just don’t appeal to me right now 🙂
I’ll just stick with the Winter Shape Up and Lunge and Lifts that literally kick my butt!
Keep at it girly!!
I think the biggest loser has positive aspects because it can inspire people to change. I think Jillian is such a sell-out for having these pills! She used to advocate an all-natural life style, which to me completely contradicts these pills.
I could NOT agree with you more. Honestly.. everyone loves her and I always held similar thoughts. Pills will only get ya so far!!
I think that the diet pills are a definite no-no. Supplements are one thing (multi, fish oil, etc.), but a “fat burner”, not so much. I do however think Biggest Loser is motivating. I hope people understand that the way they do things isn’t always right, but seeing someone like themselves lose weight can be very motivating. I thought it was great on last season’s finale when they showed the girl that didn’t get chosen, I think her name was Erin. She lost 70 lbs at home!! Without the ranch and Bob and Jillian, and without 7 hours in the gym. Ultimately, weight loss takes time and its something America just isn’t ready to accept.
that’s very true.. in our society, it’s easy for people to want instant gratification
I admit, I watch Biggest Loser because I appreciate them encouraging healthier lifestyles in people around the country but sometimes it’s so hard to watch! People get mad about losing EIGHT pounds in a week in the fourth or fifth week! It skews with people’s perception of healthy weight loss. If I lost eight pounds in a week, I would go see a doctor immediately. I understand they are also working out all day and eating probably less calories then I do and I eat pretty healthy. Also, their may not be proof they work out all day except to say they give them those monitors and they usually try and burn 6000 calories it sounded like on one episode last season, or at least 3500(one pound a day). They have said “keep checking this to make sure you burn enough calories a day”. I think it’s a shame they show more of them working out then them eating. I want to know what they are eating exactly, it’s almost as if they are hiding something. That’s just a thought..not accusation.
I love Jillian’s workouts, but the diet pills are pretty upsetting. It’s pretty hypocritical. Also, encouraging chewing gum instead of snacking. Mindless snacking on unhealthy things is bad, but snacking in general is good if they are healthy snacks and in between healthy meals as well. It’s hard to watch sometimes..
I agree with you. I like Jillian’s workout videos and I liked her… until I saw this crap. It seems totally hypocritical. Does she want to endorse liposuction and other “quick fixes” that are not safe and are not actual lifestyle changes? Annoying.
I do enjoy the Biggest Loser but purely for entertainment value. As for the supplements, Jillian actually went on the defense about them to say they’re all natural, meant to supplement diet and exercise, blah blah. Still kinda lame, but whatever.
totally lame :/
i LOOOOVE jillian’s workouts, especially maknig the cut, but i totally judge and hate her for her stupid diet pills. what kind of a message is that sending?
Why even work out if you can just get the same effects w/ a pill, right?!
Jillian, you’re a sell-out. Big time.
i think that the intention of the show is a good one, but totally unrealistic. i am COMPLETELY against Jillian having her face on those pills though…i’ve said that since the day i saw it. it would be great (and promote more realistic weight loss) if they did biggest loser over a year and really encouraged more at-home lifestyle change.
Does anyone have any stats on how many people have kept the weight off after the ranch? It doesn’t seem like it would stay off when they’re back in their home environments. I’d like to see a reunion show.
thats a very good point! i have no idea.
Actually, two of the winners (Ryan and Eric – not sure what seasons) have gained almost ALL (if not more) of the weight back. Here’s a a link about Eric: http://www.dietsinreview.com/diet_column/01/biggest-losers-erik-chopin-gains-it-back/
The one’s I have heard from usually end up gaining most or all the weight back. I’m sure there are exceptions, but still…that kind of proves that it’s not really a lifestyle change.
I follow a few of them on Twitter and Facebook – Ali Vincent didn’t gain any weight back, she is still around 122 pounds and she won a few years ago. Tara Costa and Mike Morelli from S7 have both gained about 15 pounds.
The only two who have gained a significant amount of weight back are Eric and Ryan. The others seem to have gained about 10-30 pounds back, which seems about right, considering a lot of what they lose at the finale is water weight.
Thanks for that, Jennie! I think it’s great the winners are mostly keeping it off, but even more than them I want to know about the people who came in second and third…did the people on the show learn how to make a lifestyle change or did they fall back into their old habits at home? I wonder about this all the time! 🙂
I have always, always thought that about the biggest loser- the fact that they should be measuring body fat rather than using the scale. It was so disappointing to see her tout these “dream drugs” because so many people see her as a fitness guru. On the show, she does offer some great tips but with such a large following, it’s a little scary that she would promote potentially dangerous supplements for the sake of her own wealth. I used to like the show more until the past year or so as I made changes to my own views on eating/weight loss/ weight/etc. It’s so focused on that big scale number rather than making lasting lifestyle changes. Good thing there are trainers like you to promote the latter!
jillian bugs the heck out of me. part of me wonders if it’s really *her* that is promoting this or the “jillian michaels brand”. maybe the two are really interrelated but i wonder if she’s under pressure to do all that stuff, from the $$ team, from society for a quick fix etc. as someone else pointed out: not everyone can have jillian and bob work them out all day everyday.
Thanks for addressing this. I have mixed feelings, as well. I’ve been watching The Biggest Loser since the beginning and at first, it was REALLY inspiring and eye opening. You see these people change their lives and it’s like: wow, cool! But then I started changing my views about health and fitness, and getting away from “weight loss” and more into “focusing on eating well and doing exercise I like and not freaking out about numbers because then I’ll go INSANE” so TBL was less inspiring to me. I started listening to Jillian’s now-defunct radio show, and I grew to love her more because she showed a totally different side than she had on the show. In fact, I think she’s gotten better on the show because instead of being the trainer from hell, she has tried to get people to work on the DEEPER issues behind their emotional eating/rapid weight gain/whatever their problem is. Sadly, ever since the schilling of the diet pills and the constant need to create/promote new games and fitness equipment and so on, it made me realize: I don’t think it’s about trying to change people’s lives anymore, I think it’s about making money. And hey, that’s business and marketing at its best, right? But I guess I feel “betrayed” or something.
I will admit that sometimes I still watch bits and pieces of TBL. In fact, I watched a few minutes from last week and I think I remember Jillian freaking out about someone not burning 3000 calories a day. No wonder these people are dropping weight so fast! Burning AT LEAST 3,000 calories plus only eating 1500? I’m not a nutritionist OR a personal trainer, but I guess I’m confused as to how that doesn’t screw up your metabolism. I won’t discount the fact that Jillian has taught me a lot (especially “Master Your Metabolism”), but it’s just not my thing anymore. I’ve also given up on fitness magazines, as well. As much as I like learning, I feel like sometimes those things border between helpful and triggering, and it’s up to the reader/watcher/consumer as to what they do with that info.
Great post. When I was an aesthetician at a medspa, we had so many clients that wanted phentermine or smart lipo for the quick-fix. The doctor’s theory was that “success breeds success” and that a quick fix would get the ball rolling on permanent weight-loss. Sounds great in theory, but I can’t think of a single time I saw this approach really WORK! We just want chemicals and technology to do for us what only time and discipline can really do. Gina — speaking of Jillian, what do you think of her 30-day shred? It contradicts your approach of non-consecutive weight training. Is it ok for me to be doing that everyday since I’m only using light weights, and it’s only 20 minutes? Thanks!
haha i was waiting for someone to ask me about the 30 day shred. i think it’s great for a couple weeks, but after that, you might get diminishing returns when it comes to results because your muscles don’t have enough time to rest and repair. i think you’ll still burn fat, but as far as muscle building and toning goes, not so much.
I couldn’t agree more – I’m a long time ‘lurker’ but a first time commenter here – had to join this convo! I’ve long thought that The Biggest Loser promoted a not-so-healthy message. Yes, it’s great that these people are making an effort to make themselves healthier, but the extremes the show takes them to are just not realistic, sustainable life changes. Also agreed on the diet pills. It seems like just an exploitation of Jillian’s popularity and it’s sad to see her promoting something that she should really know isn’t a smart choice.
hey sarah!
thank you for stepping out of lurkdown to say hi! 😀
i think she knows it isn’t a smart choice.. but she’s listening to the dollas
I was a really big fan of Jillian Michaels and to a point I guess I still am but I will admit I lost a lot of respect for her when she started haulking these things.
Before I got real and serious about living a healthy lifestyle I abused and used diet pills. It got so bad I was fainting and passing out and had to be put on a heart rate monitor. I was dehydrated and unheatlhy. I just don’t see how there can be ANYTHING good that comes in a pill and promises weightloss.
I don’t really watch TBL anymore and a lot of that has to do with that I just think it’s a little over the top. There’s a lot of peoples whose lives who have been changed, that I don’t question. But they way they over exercise and eat so little…wouldn’t that make it HARD to want to continue when they weren’t on television anymore?
Gina,
I’ve been following your blog for quite some time and I LOVE IT. (BTW, I’m from Scottsdale.. AZ represent!) I’m 100% on board with you in regards to Jillian. As someone who has her 4 year degree in Exercise Science, CSCS and ACE-certified PT, I work with personal training clients as well as a womens collegiate soccer team and I do it to help each and every one of them. I think we’re both in the same boat that we NEVER would loose sight of helping them, and I believe Jillian has. Hey, if it will make her a quick buck, sure, she’ll promote weight loss pills. As long as she looks good. You would NEVER catch me promoting any kind of quick fix… with some of my clients, I even go as slow to make lifestyle changes as adding an apple to their lunch 3x a week! I think it’s awesome you would take the time to make your clients raw lunches, and I think that really shows you care. You’re doing it because you know it will change their life, not because it will help them loose water weight. Jillian definitely went down a few notches in my book. What a lame way to “help” her clients.
Venting done. Again, love the blog!! 🙂
– Liz
100% agree
AZ REPRESENT!! wat wat!
I completely agree with you about Jillian. I’ve always been a fan of hers and I love her workout videos, but I was completely surprised when she came out with those diet pills. It just seems pretty contradictory of everything she’s been preaching for so long. Not cool. Lasting weight loss only occurs when you can make lasting changes that fit into your lifestyle. Unfortunately, so many people have the quick fix mindset (I know I did at one time!). It seems like now that she’s established herself as a respected fitness and health expert, she’s out to make as much money as possible. Boo for Jillian.
Hey Gina! I’m new to this whole blogging thingy but I wanted to comment on your post because I think you’re blog is awesome! I completely agree with you…I bet Jillian doesn’t even use supplements herself. It’s totally contradictory of her..and def. about $$! I own her book, Making the Cut and in the book she promotes healthy, clean eating void of additives!! ODD! What also annoys me is popular health and fitness magazines that have tons of ads with diet pills!! cough cough Oxygen! Love the mag, but it I’m sure they generate a lot of their revenue from those ads. Oh well I suppose that’s how it goes in the business world!!
Staying away from diet pills,
Treanna
Hi Gina!
This entire evolution of Jillian simply put, makes me sad. I have always admired the effort and investment she puts into her team on the Biggest Loser. And equally, I felt she had an approach that gave incredible results. I was excited to hear that she had books out and she was cranking out the videos. But now, with a line of pills I think she and the team that guides her professional decisions have taken making money to a level that makes me lose a bit of my respect for her.
We have all been guilty of listening to a commercial, reading an ad or seeing a result show and buying into some gimmick. It’s the beauty of advertising. What makes me upset is her pills are now going to take people who are ready change their life and give them just another gimmick. Something that may or may not work temporarily, and 99% of the time won’t work long term. And then they are back to square one.
As someone who used to take diet pills regularly throughout college, I am sad that people are paying money for something that could jeopardize their health in a very dangerous way. And for what, more money than she has already earned. So sad…
Hmmm, I guess I had an opinion on that one.
😉 Jenn
amen, sister! i am really disappointed in jillians stance behind products like these and like a lot of other commenters think it flies in the face of what she supposedly stands for.
on the topic of tbl i am torn. i love the show. but as someone who is currently trying to lose some excess weight it can be disheartened to watch these people exercise, count calories and then lose twenty pounds in a week. i constantly have to remind myself that slow and steady is what wins the race, and that changing your lifestyle is what is the key to success.
i literally could go on and on about these topics..but that about sums it up! happy friday, enjoy lovely bones. i hear its awesome & marky mark is a hunk!
Ugh, yeah I’m totally disappointed to see these Jillian products. I feel like it contradicts the image she tries to promote–in fact, I used to listen to her radio show, when she was still doing it, and these quick fix diet pills don’t seem consistent with the way she spoke. Like I almost wonder if the marketers took it out of her hands. I’m not trying to defend her, it’s just that to hear her speak so candidly and unscripted on her radio show, you kinda want to believe what you’re hearing! She made it sound like she was working to develop supplements that were purer and higher quality than anything currently on the market, which to someone like me who is usually suspicious of supplements, seemed like an admirable undertaking. What’s on the shelves right now, however, is not what she promised, so I’m scratching my head. She has mentioned on the radio how she often strongly disagrees with some of the product promotions they have to do on TBL, but of course contractually she has to do it anyway, so that’s why I’m still wondering how much of this diet pill thing is her as opposed to a marketing team.
ANYwhey… 😉
Doesn’t change the fact that her products bite the big one. Boo.
Thanks for bringing this up. I believe in Real Foods, not pills, etc. while I admit that I have a canister of whey protein in my apartment, it is completely plant-based and natural, and is only there because my fiance likes it in his smoothies after a hard workout (and I put a little in my breakfast cookies for a little protein boost after a morning run).
I have a question for you though from the fiance – if a guy is looking to put on pounds of muscle, in addition to lifting and upping their food intake in general, what else should they be doing and are there specific foods he should focus on? I cook about 90% vegan and use eggs and fish, but I just don’t like the idea of him loading up on huge portions of meat or junk just because he’s looking to gain weight. I have to admit I’ve been pushing nuts, legumes and avocado in addition to lots of fruits and veggies, but I don’t have the nutritional background that you have. Thanks!
hey catherine,
tell him to add in a smoothie on top of his daily intake. 1.5 c milk, 1/2 cup yogurt, scoop protein, banana, 2 T nut butter, 1 t honey
and you’re totally right to push nuts, legumes and avocado with fresh fruits and veggies. whole grains (brown rice, oats, millet) will help too 🙂
I am not a fan of Jillian’s or the show. I think the entire show is irresponsible and is teaching bad principles to the viewers. I like your idea of a year long show, although that wouldn’t get high ratings.
Hey Gina,
Thanks for starting this discussion. I am a big Jillian fan, I think she has changed the lives of many people and most importantly herself.
But…I completely agree about the supplements and pills – why would she endorse this stuff? We all know it’s a marketing gimmick, and many of us (guilty) may have delved into things like this at some point in our lives (college years for me, 10 years ago) with no positive result and wasted money. I wish people would just listen to “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is”. Good ole’ fruits and veggies will do the trick!
I totally agree with you about Jillian. I work in an emergency room and the other day a man came in having a heart attack from taking the diet pill Hydroxycut. Those supplements can be highly dangerous!
hey! the lovely bones is terrrrriiible! just wanted to warn you. i read the book and LOVED it, but the movie does it no justice!
what?! aw man
Hi Gina,
Is it possible for you to post the workouts on Sunday nights instead of Monday morning, I do weights first thing Monday morning? Just thought I would ask. Thank you!!
In regards to the Biggest Loser, it is a reality show just like all the other reality shows. They want to get more viewership and in order to do so, they have to do extreme things that will make people want to watch. I don’t think the media execs are really worrying about or thinking too much of the contestants’ health overall. They want to get people to watch their shows and extreme methods and tactics is how they do this. It isn’t right for everyone but for some of the contestants, it is this kick in the pants that gets them off the couch. Everyone wants instant gratification and the Biggest Loser is just catering to that. Entertaining, yes. Healthy, no.
you are right on about Jillian Michaels. I think she got caught up in the fame and money of being on the Biggest Loser and saw how she could get richer by being a spokesperson for diet pills.
You have to be an educated consumer. I’ll do Jillian’s 30 Day Shred anyday, but wouldn’t even take a second glance at her supplements. If it’s not something I can continue to take for the rest of my life, then it’s not something I’m going to buy.
I agree with you 100%. I used to work in a gym and girls (who weren’t REALLY putting effort into training) often asked me about fat burning pills. I used to work in a beauty-products store and women were all about body creams that will make fat disappears (disintegrate!). They will buy anything that says : fat burner, fat cutter, sliming cream, anti-cellulite, in order to make them FEEL like they are actually doing something about it… all this instead of changing life habit : exercising and eat better (not talking about the already thin people with an actual obsession over those products). 100$ cream or 80$ fat burner pills, money can buy happiness no?! 😉 All temporary and superficial… but well there is a lot money to make with us, women, who are eternally unhappy with our look. Can’t blame those who are in the market… it is our choice (and our money) after all!
I agree with pretty much everything you’ve said. While I do like Jillian, and even have a workout DVD of hers, I don’t agree with the “quick fix” mentality that you can just take a pill and the weight will come off. It’s the idea that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. It just seems so appealing to people struggling to get weight off (in an unhealthy way). I’m with you, I think it is important for trainers and anyone in that field to focus on slow and healthy weight loss so that it stays off and people can maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Agreed, 100% There is not quick fix! Jillian went where the money was taking her, unfortunately, and that is troublesome, because it shows that she compromised everything she said she believes in on the Biggest Loser. So much for saying and doing the same thing.
I’m totally with you on being disappointed with Jillian about the diet pills. She has really gone on the offensive on Twitter about it – telling people to ‘read up’ before they judge her, listing all the ingredients and their benefits, etc. I think she knows she sold out, but obvs she doesn’t want to admit it.
The Biggest Loser is extremely entertaining but there are a myriad of problems with it. For one thing, the contestants feel terrible if they lose like EIGHT pounds in a week. They are told to burn 3500-6000 calories a day, and they only eat 1500! Not to mention, they are then sent off home without guidance and told to come back skinny for the finale. The S1 winner, Ryan, said he dehydrated himself for the finale to the point that he was dizzy and peeing blood. And he won. That’s just gross, dangerous and clearly unhealthy.
I think there are a lot of good things about Jillian though – she obviously cares deeply about the contestants. She is always giving away free passes to her site to people who ask her on Twitter. All of the contestants say she takes on your problems from the minute you walk in the door and is committed to dealing with them, with you. I think she’s intensely passionate about what she does. But… there is the greed factor. She’s always doing more, putting her face on more products, selling games and powders and pills… it’s a slippery slope. I love her, but I can see her issues – she knows how ‘sale-able’ she is, and she exploits that. She knows people will buy most things that she sells, which is a bit too much power for one person!
I still adore her though. I don’t know why. I want her to yell at me 😉
I totally agree with you. Jillian sends mixed messages. The best thing is to lose the weight by lifestyle changes, not by some ‘magic’ pill.
I do watch The Biggest Loser but I don’t agree with what they do. I am surprised there are not more injuries. And I would be curious to see how many of the people kept the weight off…
As for Jillian. She sold out. Never expected that from her. Lost all respect for her! They should bring Kim Lyons back.
OMG, pills are ridiculous. Jillian is a hypocrite by selling this product with her name on it. She should be ashamed of herself!! As far as the Biggest Loser. It has brought more awareness to the problems and it has made it easier for bigger people to feel comfortable going to a gym. More people are walking. The way those on the show lose weight is very deceiving to the average Joe.
I totally agree with you here…I lost all respect for Jillian when she started the diet pill promotion. I don’t understand all the fuss about The Biggest Loser, either. One of the contestants recently was featured in a gossip mag about how they gained almost ALL of the weight back after the show! Definitely not healthy 🙁
I totally agree with you about Jillian. Her shred diet really taught me so much about learning to balance lean meats,whole grains, fruits& veggies & healthy fats. In that book she talks about how you should never take weight loss pills. She has completely sold out & it is so dissapointing because it ruins her credibility in my opinion. Great post!
oh i have something to say! (if you knew me you would know this is NOT a surprise) haha
i do the shred with jillian (and think it’s a great workout), and if you listen to what she says in there… about people giving you false promises and not accepting a sedentary lifestyle, you have to work hard and make big changes etc… if that’s her philosophy, she should NOT be selling diet pills!
i like the shred, and i love that jillian seems to have lots of fans and be inspiring people to change their lives, but i also wonder if jillian ever thought she’d be THIS FAMOUS!?!? maybe she’s riding the high? maybe she’s getting lost in all of it?? i feel like at her core she really is interested in inspiring people to get healthy???
i don’t watch the biggest loser. i boycott! i’m sure, being that i have a lot of weight to lose, people probably think i don’t want to face it etc… not the case! i have been on the rollercoaster and done crash diets and obsessive workouts etc. i’m done! i want balance, and HEALTH… and unfortunately i don’t think that’s what the show is about.
someone at work said a guy lost 20+ lbs in one week!?!?! 6 hours+ a day at the gym and severely restrictive calorie intake? i’m not getting involved!
the show doesn’t care about people getting healthy… they care about money and ratings, and that’s why they’ll never do a year long healthy weight loss show like you suggest, sadly enough.
I really love Jillian’s Master Your Metabolism book but I would never take diet pills, although I do think she is choosier about what she puts in her pills than most. As for the Biggest Loser, I think that if it was a show about “sensible” weight loss it wouldn’t be on the air very long- it’s all about ratings. Jillian spoke a lot on the radio show she used to have about getting into arguments with producers over not wanting to pitch the chemical laden foods they often plug (like Jello and sugar-free gum), which I admire her for.
I think most viewers know that Biggest Loser isn’t typical. As an obese woman myself, I would never expect to see those kind of results, but whenever I watch I find myself motivated to get off the couch and exercise. I think there are a lot of others out there like me, and for us the show is definitely a good thing.
I’m with you, she should be promoting health and wellness, not a quick fix that fails so many people.
She should work more on her skills as a trainer and a motivator and less on her ability to move a product off the shelf!
Great post Gina! I was a really big fan of Jillian because she seemed like such a great trainer and person but as soon as she came out with the supplements I lost a ton of respect for her. I don’t know how she can associate herself with that crap