You are your own biggest obstacle.
Your physical health is your biggest asset.
Imagine, believe, achieve.
These are the mantras that have turned personal trainer Jillian Michaels into a health and fitness inspiration around the world, spurring reality shows, bestselling workout videos and talk show appearances. She's sold more than 3.5 million books worldwide and her newest, "Slim for Life: My Insider Secrets to Simple, Fast, and Lasting Weight Loss," has just been released and is predicted to join her others on the New York Times bestseller list.
Through 14 seasons on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” now seen in 90 countries, and her new show “Losing it with Jillian,” Michaels has become a guru, inspiring people to take control of their own destinies by harnessing their own potential, kick-starting their personal goals and living life without regrets or fears.
And on Tuesday night as part of her “Maximize Your Life” tour, the fiesty brunette set her sights on changing the lives of her Vancouver fans by sharing her own keys to health, happiness and success.
The 39-year-old dynamo really does have a knack for making a personal connection with her audience, reaching out through anecdotes about her own personal, often emotional, journey with weight loss and fitness.
With a bullying father she could only bond with over fatty home-cooked meals, Michaels found her own motivation when she was in high school, tipping the scales at 170 pounds and feeling rock bottom.
She credits joining martial arts -- and gaining control of her emotions -- for pulling her out of what she believed would otherwise be a lifelong negative spiral of gluttony, self pity and shame.
It's a common scenario on her show "The Biggest Loser," as contestants, often hundreds of pounds overweight, break down when ordered by an aggressive Michaels to dig down to do that one more crunch, bench press or seemingly-impossible squat. Once the session is halted, it’s revealed that what’s impeding the progress isn’t a physical block, it’s a mental and emotional one.
Without knowing it we are all hanging onto baggage, Michaels says, whether that means problems with family members, past relationships or feelings of inadequacy. But in Michaels’ eyes those vulnerabilities aren’t weaknesses, but rather obstacles to overcome, much like that last kilometre on a tough run. She believes once you can realize and blast through those internal obstacles you can redefine your self-image and dramatically enhance your physical and mental well-being.
Don't get me wrong: she's tough about it. She doesn’t sugar coat things and has been known to be a screaming bully to contestants she’s supposed to be helping. But it's the cruel to be kind attitude that seems to break down the barriers people have when it comes to taking control of their physical well-being, in many cases emotional blockages like regret, fear, obligation and judgement she believes impact confidence and self-worth.
It's a challenge she issued to the Vancouver audience, made up of 95 per cent women, and their reluctant boyfriends: "How much do you swallow before you say 'I want more?' Ask yourself why you are holding yourself back and you can start to move forward."
But while feeling good inside is a building block to success, it’s hard work that Michaels believes is the key to unlocking your own happiness. You don’t get fit from “phoning it in,” as she likes to say, and transforming your body is best achieved through insanely intense bouts of heart-pounding cardio and strength training.
Her science to shedding pounds is straightforward and easy to follow: nutrition is just math, but you have to keep counting to get it right. Calories into your body can’t outweigh calories out, and if a diet seems too good to be true it probably is.
Michaels says it’s unnecessary to follow complicated and restrictive fad diets like Paleo or fasting to achieve an optimimum fitness level. She believes people should instead focus on what’s actually inside their food, and the quality of what they put into their body. Calorie-free doesn’t mean chemical free. And if you can’t pronounce something on a product label, put it down and choose something else.
She isn’t an organic pusher, although says everyone would benefit from spending an extra $20 at the grocery store a week to try it out. But she advocates eating cleaner when possible and avoiding foods that contain hormones and hormones, or are overly processed.
Life is about making better choices more often, she says, and taking joy from eating and making your body stronger.
“Food shouldn’t just be fuel. Who wants to live like that?” she told the crowd, adding that she eats something sweet every day, but makes sure to add it into her calorie count.
“It’s about balance. Eat clean and you’ll win,” she said.
When it comes to torching those calories she advocates compound movements, like combining cardio with strength training. She cites high-intensity training intervals as a great way to push your body into high gear, instead of wasting hours at the gym on the elliptical trainer.
“I’m busy. I have kids, I have a business. Who wants to be in the gym all day?” she said.
Her philosophies are simple, which is why they can seem terrifying. If we already have all the building blocks to realize their true potential, that means we have no one to blame but ourselves when they fail, and that’s a message some people just aren’t ready to hear.
Deep down, Michaels’ biggest success is teaching people that they already have all the tools they need to realize their true potential and create the future they deserve. After all, she did it, and she believes you can too.
The “Maximize Your Life” tour touches down in 35 cities across the United States and Canada, wrapping up May 21 in Toronto.
