Five Ways that Tough Love Trainer Jillian Michaels Helps Diet Failures to Become "Biggest" Losers

Jillian Michaels became famous as the "tough love" personal fitness trainer, in contrast to her more gentle co-trainer Bob Harper on the TV show the "Biggest Loser." She used a drill sergeant style to get results, often screaming, pushing, and loudly prodding the contestants to run, jump, and move.

Consequently, when promos of her new show, "Losing It with Jillian," appeared, most viewers were surprised to see what seemed like a more subdued, compassionate version of the celebrity trainer. Now that the new show has begun, Jillian has demonstrated that she still has her "tough love" skills: she's yelled at obese single moms, scolded unemployed dads, and gotten couch-bound kids to move it - AND successfully lose it!

Here's a challenge for you: tape the show. Then put an exercise bike and an exercise mat in front of the TV. Use Jillian as if she were intending every yell, scream, and (yes, at times!) praise just for you. I know that when I contrasted watching Jillian's "Losing It" program while exercising, I found myself pushing harder, doing more, and even deciding to substitute my usual (warning, confession ahead!) frozen yogurt afternoon snack for a healthier option of low-fat string cheese and an apple. What Jillian does is truly motivating.

Jillian's Five Methods for Helping Others to Achieve Weight Loss Success

1. Jillian isn't afraid to show empathy. In a recent interview with People magazine, she admitted that she herself was "picked on and bullied as a kid." Those on the show are able to see that she cares and that she's experienced similar emotions.

2. Jillian also related to her family through food. Jillian told the People magazine interviewer that when she was growing up, she and her father shared special (and fattening!) foods such as popcorn, pizza, and ice cream. As a result, she understands what is involved when family members focus on showing love through food, and she can help them make the transition to expressing love in other ways.

3. Jillian tackles the tough issues head-on: high cholesterol, heart disease, a widow afraid to feel the depth of the loss of her husband, unemployment. What she offers are the techniques and tips needed to achieve a healthy lifestyle through diet and fitness.

4. Love. It may sound corny, but it's real: Jillian helps these families to show their love for one another. Love can fill that emptiness where junk foods like doughnuts fail.

5. Jillian shares the secrets of her own success. In the People magazine interview, she told the reporter, "I was able to turn my life around, so now I feel my job is to tell people, 'This is not your reality. Anything is possible for you.'" As a result, they discover that weight loss and health ARE possible - and with Jillian's help, they achieve their dreams.

Sources:

People magazine.
June 21, 2010.