Jillian Michaels recently departed The Biggest Loser again. She previously left the show after starting a family with her partner, Heidi Rhoades. Jillian returned in 2013 but left in June after becoming “deeply concerned about the direction the show has been taking.” Many thought this had something to do with contestant Rachel Frederickson losing 60% of her body weight. So Jillian is a free agent again. She’ll continue to release DVDs, and she has a book in the works. Jillian says she was offered a reality show but doesn’t know if she should accept the gig. She believes that her family would be scrutinized if their daily lives were revealed. That’s a refreshing point of view because most reality families decide the money is worth everything. There’s something deeper at work with Jillian. She’s afraid that people will criticize her lesbian partnership:
Has Jillian become more accepting of her body with age?: “No. I’ve become more controlling with my body. As I’ve gotten older, I’m like, ‘I refuse to accept aging as a descent into decrepitude.’ And the irony is that at 40, I’m in better shape than I’ve ever been. At a younger age, I knew the shortcuts around everything and just did x, y and z to look good. Now I’m actually athletic.”
She still has “trouble” areas: “My butt. That’s the worst. I work hard on it–and I used to have a double butt–but it’s never going to be perfect. In my fantasy world, there would be some magic cure for cellulite. Nothing works. God knows that I’ve tried it all. I ironed my a– with a laser. It didn’t work at all. I had it done in a plastic surgeon’s office. They said that this laser could break up cellulite or whatever. Don’t waste the money.”
On cardio cross-training: “Forget the elliptical. It’s a waste of your time. Do incline walking instead. It’s way more effective and burns a hell of a lot more calories.”
On a reality show: “I’ve been approached about having mutual approval over everything to do a reality show. It’s interesting because we can talk about parenting, relationships, health–all the things that are important to me. But then I think, What if I open up and people attack us just because we’re a gay family? It scares the hell out of me.”
Is she comfortable talking about being gay? “I don’t know that I am now, to be honest with you. The gay thing has always been hard for me. When Heidi and I are out and somebody older asks, ‘Are you sisters?’ I say, ‘We’re friends.’ I guess it comes from thinking that they will be shocked or disturbed. Look, I wish I had some strapping football player husband. It would be such a dream to be ‘normal’ like that, but I’m just not.”
[From Health]
I get what Jillian is saying. Of course it would be easier to be like everyone else and not have to deal with discrimination. She’s saying that it’s difficult to deal with questions on a day-to-day basis from people on the street. Jillian also wants to protect her family from invasive attacks on a reality show. Her statements go together, and the context is important.
Some people have criticized Jillian for saying she’s like to be “normal” and interpreted her statements as anti-gay. Jillian spoke with People to clarify her remarks: “I am deeply disheartened and sorry to hear that members of the gay community have misunderstood. I was saying if along the way in my life that had been a choice I would have made it, but it’s not who I am. Gay is not a choice. If I was ashamed of who I am, I would be in the closet.” Jillian isn’t ashamed of being gay at all.
P.S. I don’t know what Jillian has against elliptical machines. They’re great machines for cross-training on recovery days.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet & WENN
I really really like her. I think she’s honest and brave. I wish she cod train me!
Agree Jennifer.
You can, buy her DVDs. Available at Amazon 😉
I was always on the fence about her, but after she expressed concern over “The Biggest Loser” and after I saw a few interviews with her, she started winning me over. And then I saw her on “Say Yes To the Dress” and I think I REALLY like her now. She’s genuine.
She’s right… elliptical machines just move your legs around. People get this idea into their heads that it’s the same or better than walking or running because there’s no pounding, but in reality you’re not firing as many muscles and you have to work significantly harder to get your heart rate up to even get the cardio benefit, which most people don’t end up doing.
I get it. Being gay might not be a choice, but that doesn’t make it easy. It still opens you up to a lot of discrimination. Let’s be honest – there are still people who, if they answer honestly to that question that was posed to her, they can be assaulted, verbally attacked or harassed. Stuff like that is never far from your mind, I’d assume, if you’re gay. I remember when I first met my husband, years ago, he was Muslim. He used to say that he always had to hesitate when somebody asked him “Are you Muslim?” because he always had to think if the answer would get him into a bad situation.
I’m sorry he has to deal with that.
It sounds like she’s comfortable with being gay just not comfortable talking about it. BTW elliptical machines are the devil.
What she says about day to day questions, so true. I HATE getting asked “Are you sisters?” all the time. More often than not, I just respond with “no.” And her comment about being “normal,” probably stems from not constantly wanting to out yourself ALL the time. With straight people, it is always just assumed, no explanations needed and no worry of negative reactions from those around you. With gay people, there is always a fear that the person you are talking to will react negatively.
That’s what I got out of it, too. Not that she regretted that she was who she was, but just that it’s tiresome to have to explain something personal to strangers all the time, coupled with the possible judgment.
Exactly!!
Agreed! I appreciate her honesty and I identify with her so much because it’s how I feel/felt. I can’t believe people had the nerve to call her comments “anti-gay” when it’s so clear that’s not in any way way she meant.
Jillian hates elliptical machines and prefers incline walking likely because she has been a spokesperson for NordicTrack incline treadmills since 2009.
Exactly. That new one goes to like 50% incline. That is freaking insane. You would have to be really strong or hold on to the handles for dear life to not slide down that thing.
Go Jillian, that’s all I can say. My husband and I do her workouts together and we both love her. She had a great personality and her workouts are super effective.
I agree about the elliptical. It is a fine for when your legs are fatigued or it is a lighter workout day, but I don’t think it does much good for people who are not already in shape. I think you burn calories fine on it but it really doesn’t get your heart rate up to a level that you will keep burning calories once you finish your workout. She may be a spokesperson for nordic track but I agree with her. If you are trying to lose weight, you need to get your heart rate up in a manner so that you will continue to burn calories after the workout is over. Interval training on a treadmill will do that. Interval training on the elliptical, not so much.
She sounds like a woman that has never been entirely comfortable in her own skin, like a lot of women. I don’t think she is anti-gay, it’s just really sad to listen to her. Women are so hard on themselves. So you have cellulite? So what? So do I, and stretch marks. and I wear bathing suits and short shorts, b/c life is short. Don’t like the way my bumpy thighs look? Then look somewhere else b*tch.
She is super annoying. When she did her short run on The Doctors all she did was yell and interrupt the medical experts. Elliptical machines are great. Of course she says they are not. She is a spokesperson for a different product. I quit Curves when she became involved with them. She should just go away out of the limelight.
Yeah, she seems so angry – I have trouble even watching a commercial with her in it never mind a whole video!!
What’s wrong with elliptical machines? Presumably if you have joint problems they are far better for you than a treadmill.
Because by putting your feet on a track like the elliptical uses, your legs are no linger working against the force of gravity and you aren’t using nearly as much effort as you would walking or jogging, and most people don’t get their heart rate up enough for it to be an effective cardio
I use them for that reason, after a knee reconstruction and a few other issues I can’t use a treadmill that well. I get on the elliptical and set the resistance to something ridiculous and pound out ten disgusting minutes before I take a break for a couple of minutes then do another ten minutes backwards. It works really well but I do agree people tend to not set them high enough or push hard enough a lot.
What is a double butt..??
That’s what I want to know!
I don’t like it when personal trainers come across all dogmatic – do this exercise, don’t do that one. I’ve always found that the best results come from variety and by keeping challenging your body through different exercises.
Two things:
I lost a lot of respect for Jillian when she put out a DVD for teens on ‘the right way to lose weight and think about your body’ (as in, for health not looks). But then she models the EXACT OPPOSITE! She has shilled diet drugs before!!!! Openly, in magazine ads, shilled for them. In many interviews she has made it clear that being thin IS the top priority for her…not necessarily health. So I feel like she’s hypocritical in many ways.
As for the eliptical…yeah it’s not great for those already in shape but frankly for me 1/2 hour on that thing and my heart is pounding and I’m sweating buckets so for some it is definitely effective as cardio
Long time runner, and she is totally right about ellipticals. They really don’t do much. Incline walking, erg (ie rower), bike, even hiking, are all way more beneficial for either straight training (sorry, Jillian) or XT.
I’m pretty sure that a double butt is when one has not two buttcheeks, but four ( the extra cheeks are below the originals). I’m the proud owner of 2.5 ( and I’m on the skinny side).
Also, I’m a huge fan of her and her DVDS
I totally understood what she was saying about being ‘normal,’ and I’m so tired of everyone getting up in arms about everything these days. It’s like celebrities can’t give one interview without having to issue an apology after the fact! There are bigger problems in the world than what celebrities do/feel, just relax.
A few years ago record producer Jimmy Jam said Sometimes I wake up and say Man I don’t feel like being Black today. Meaning he doesn’t want to deal with being followed in stores,people locking car doors or crossing the street when they see a 6 foot 4 inch tall Black man approach.Sometimes you just want to be normal not the “other”.
Exactly, obviously you’d wish that the world we live in wasn’t so geared to viewing white, CIS gendered and heterosexual as normal and everything else as the other but sometimes you’d like the opportunity to not be that “other”.