Confronting Jillian Michaels on ‘The Biggest Loser’ & Her Fat Loss Strategies

I was one of Jillian’s contestants on the show and I learned so much and continued my education on health after the show. My life changed in so many amazing ways. We were all adults and made our own decisions to take or not take advice from trainers/producers. I truly believe my experience saved my life and I have been able to stay healthy for 13 years! I am not a victim nor do I EVER place blame on the show for my own actions as an adult. Jillian is brilliant and treated us with kindness. Her and Bob helped me regain control of my life and my emotions. 💜

Thomas you're a very good interviewer. You don't interrupt, talk under people, or finish their sentences. You just let them express themselves and their ideas. Excellent work!

When she pointed to exercise as being the key ingredient to weight loss and calling your diet as the part of the equation that keeps you in neutral, I must say my experience was the opposite. My experience (results) give the diet elements more importance. And when I speak of diet elements I'm speaking of 1) the amount of calories, 2) the kind of calories, and 3) when I consumed those calories. Exercise, albeit very important for ones health, didn't play into my weight loss journey, or not as much as I thought it would (maybe 10% credit). 90% of my weight loss came from structuring my diet, my sleep, and limiting my stress.

I worked with Jillian at a restaurant in L.A. called Chit Chat, she was a bartender and I was a manager. She always had a no bullshit, confidence about her, I can see where that came off as arrogance but that's not the case. She always worked her ass off and got the job done. Ah I miss the 90's hahaha

I've never been a big JM fan, but I really enjoyed this interview and a lot of what she had to say. It's nice to see that she's human and has so many emotions on peoples' health. ❤️

I find it interesting how she said “you can’t starve the weight off” Then says 800 calories diet was what she gave them….. what does she consider “starving weight off”?

I watch past shows every day at the gym!!!! Believe it or not I am very inspired by the show and proud of everyone on the show and their hard work! I have lost 50 plus pounds and I know watching past shows has helped!!!!

"We had no idea what we were doing", 5 mins later, "I had this down to such a science"😂😂😂

I had an epiphany in my introspection. When I repeat addictive patterns the signal moves from my stomach to my thyroid and then the brain feels drained and the impulse then occurs. I was meditating one day and I got agitated before I realized the feeling of letting go. I was agitated because a young mother at the pool was more interested in getting noticed in her bikini than paying attention to her nagging kid. I realized most human behavior is helpless against our impulses without self knowledge but particularly the amount of emotional weight I unknowingly carry from witnessing the world. Her helplessness to her self esteem issues were no different than the agitation I was carrying. I felt this intense wave of compassion by admitting to myself we are helpless without a higher power. What I realized was the power of letting go. It took the impulse reaction to my environment away and put me in my frontal lobe. It’s not magic. Because the brain gut control struggles for control. Each time consciously recognizing we are helpless to it puts us back in our frontal lobe. Long story short this same pattern will stop the brain drain for a few minutes when we struggle not to have another drink, sweet, cigarette, energy drink etc etc. If we try and will it away it gets stronger but if we admit we are helpless against our impulses we get control. The very thing that makes a resilient person fierce is what creates a downward spiral when we break our regimen and expose ourselves to addiction risk. The will cannot solve food or drug addiction because when we feel helpless when we just say this to ourselves the gut brain calms down and the brain drain stops for a moment the polarity reverses and now the head has control effortlessly. It’s the last muscle that needs to be developed to end all negative patterns which is to have control in the mind we must let go of our desire to control our destiny and act in the moment with reason and to accept what cannot be changed. It’s my perspective not proven by science. Sure it’s the serenity prayer in action but it does not work when you say it and wait for God itself. Amen means and so it will be. We do not live in a world with an on demand servant god ready to be summoned. That being said the way I figured it out is peculiar as if it were meant by creation. If we are upset with others or craving something bad for us or urgently need to do something but feel exhausted admitting we are helpless against our own selves returns the control.

Hannah, season 11 was exceptional especially your team. You all had each others backs. Yours and season 4 were my favourite seasons.