I was already a HUGE Jillian Michaels fan, but when those words came out of her mouth, I’m pretty sure I fell in love. (Don’t worry, boyfriend, you’re still my first choice.)
To say I was excited to hear Jillian give the keynote address at BlogFest would be an understatement. I probably said to my roommates 5 times, “We have to get there early, so we can sit in the front row!” They humored me (thanks for dealing with me, gals.), we got to the room early, claimed our seats, and headed to an awesome, sweat-inducing bootcamp workout before hurrying back to our front row seats for Jillian.
I listened so intently, I’m surprised my ears didn’t fall off. This woman is SO inspiring. One of things she said that I think we all need to remember is, “People ask me all the time, ‘How did you get to where you are?’ My response is always the same, ‘Because I think I deserve it.‘”
Instead of thinking about all the reasons you can’t do something or about how you can’t possibly compare to the people that have already done what you strive for, give yourself some credit. Instead of saying, “Why them?” ask, “Why not me?” Then, go after it.
She spoke about fear. In order to overcome the fear that comes with turning a dream into reality, there are three possible outcomes to consider.
- You do it and it all goes right. – YES!
- The worst case scenario happens. – Ok, embrace it. 99% of the things that go wrong are recoverable, so learn from your mistakes and get back out there! After all, if you aren’t making mistakes, you aren’t trying hard enough.
- (This is the kicker) What if you do nothing? – This is the most important thing to consider. Will you live with regret? Will you constantly wonder? If it’s important to you, you have to try!
If the fear that comes with a big dream seems overwhelming, find your “WHY.” Why do you want to do this? Why do you want to lose weight or become a trainer or compete in a bikini competition? If you find your reason, you’ll have the motivation to fight fears, stop just dreaming, and start achieving! Here’s a clip from the talk. (Look how close I am!)
Now, Jillian is a tough cookie. She gets a lot of flack for how she was portrayed on the Biggest Loser, especially the most recent season, but there is a reason she is so tough on the show. She said the Biggest Loser is a different world because it operates on a ticking clock. Any one of her “clients” could go home in a week, and she has to hope that they’ll take something away to be able to keep the weight off and maintain the healthy lifestyle they only got a glimpse of. She said in the real world, it would take her AT LEAST 6 months to build up a relationship with a client before confronting them like she confronts people on the show. In reality, she always tries to find things in her client’s learning zone. They have to learn to crawl before they can stand. Stand before they can walk. Walk before they run, etc. On the show, they have to amp up that process. It’s tough, so she’s tough.
She went on to talk about how she teaches her daughter to lead a healthy lifestyle and to stay away from overly processed sweets and temptations at school. One of my favorite things she said on this topic was:
Speaking of her daughter, do you know she attends a school that is modeled off of Avatar‘s Pandora? For real. James Cameron’s wife started it! I digress…
Back to that very first quote that made me fall in love: “The best fitness regime is one that is holistic.” She said that and I said (to myself, in my head, as I continued to listen intently), “YES! That is me!”
There are so many fitness and food trends out there that it’s easy to be confused. Should I be a runner? Should I do crossfit? Is yoga the best? Is paleo healthier than raw? Is raw healthier than vegan? Carbless, let’s go carbless!
The truth is, we have to stop wondering what we “should” do and just do! Experiment. Switch it up. Study different fitness techniques and nutrition philosophies. Try them and see how you like them. New things are what challenge the body and motivate positive change. That’s why I LOVE trying new things. I consider myself a runner, but I also consider myself a strength-trainer, a spinner, a yogi, and a lover of anything that gets my blood pumping and my energy up. The same goes for food. I did the vegetarian thing until I felt too constricted by it – until I felt guilty for wanting to not be vegetarian anymore.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to have a speciality. If you’re a die-hard crossfitter, I’m impressed and inspired! If eating a raw-food diet is what’s best for your body and mind, I’m all for it! But strict fitness and eating philosophies aren’t sustainable for the masses – and that includes me. I like to dabble. I like to experiment, and I like to share my trial and error with you!
I’ve felt pangs of guilt for not doing yoga everyday or not running everyday. I felt pangs of guilt when I started eating meat again. Jillian Michaels reminded me that that is all ok, and for that, I am forever grateful!
Are you a Jillian fan?
Who is your health/fitness roll model?
What quote inspires/motivates your healthy lifestyle?
Awesome! I never really knew much about her, but she does seem really inspirational. I love that video of her. I totally agree, and maybe I will start following. It is so right that you are more confident about everything in your life when you workout! Love this Nicole, thanks for sharing!
Tina Muir recently posted…Secrets to Success: 8 Minutes to a Stronger Core
Thanks, Tina. She’s pretty amazing!
Thanks for sharing these thoughts from BlogFest. I don’t know much about Jillian Michaels (other than her workout DVDs) but I love the quotes here.
Chaitali recently posted…Weekly review
love her so much! and her dads are pretty great!
Jillian is one of the best fitness sensations in the world! I can’t believe you “met” her!
LInda @ Fit Fed and Happy recently posted…Cauliflower Crust Pizza
I still can’t believe it either!
Great post! She sounds so inspiring. I love that quote about “Why not me?”. Sounds corny but it really is true, you have to believe you can do it!
I know of Jillian Michael’s, but don’t really know too much about her, so it’s great to hear such positive comments.
Oh man, as for fitness role models… I think I’d have to go with a few pro athletes. Christine Sinclair (Canadian soccer player), to name one. Anyone who worked hard and is humble yet determined- love it.
Nicole @ Squash on Squash recently posted…Butternut Squash Burritos
Thanks, Nicole (great name, btw). Agree with your definition of a fitness role model: hard work, humble yet determined. perfect!
I love her too-so jealous you got to hear her speak in person!
Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner recently posted…Do you Metronome? Should you?
I am so jealous! I LOVE Jillian Michaels!! She is so inspiring, thank you for sharing this post!
of course! I hope one day you can meet her, too!!
I’m actually, well I WAS NOT a Jillian fan until I read your post, and saw her holistic remark and inspiring words on fear, and “because I deserve it”. I wasn’t a fan because of how tough/rude she comes off on the Biggest Loser. It’s not a flattering light for her to be in, but I understand why she is that way now!
Amber recently posted…Wink Ambassador & Wink Warriors
I’m glad I could change your perspective! Editting can be a really tricky – she’s pretty amazing in person.
I was not a Jillian fan at all until I saw her at Blogfest. I did a complete 180. Thanks for the recap. I was so into her keynote that I didn’t take notes, so I’m enjoying reading everyone’s recaps just so that I can remember what she said.
Debbie @ Live from La Quinta recently posted…Blogfest: It Starts with the People
She was so great, wasn’t she? Better than I could have imagined 🙂
So jealous! I woulda loved to see Jillian Michaels in person!
Tori recently posted…Pregnancy – Week 9
Just keep watching the video and it will be like you’re there! (kinda…)
I think Jillian Michaels is awesome! I know a lot of people think she is portrayed as too hard a trainer on BL, but I actually quite like it. I think her intensity pushes people where they need to go!
Lauren @ Lauren’s Glass Slipper recently posted…2015 Tinker Bell Half Marathon Registration
Agreed! Like she said in her speech, the Biggest Loser operates on a timeline, so she has to be tough to get through.
I love the quote images you created! Such a wonderful way to remember her talk 🙂 I was pleasantly surprised by Jillian’s talk: I was not a fan of hers but I really liked hearing her talk! I love that she recommends a balanced and holistic approach to fitness. More people need to hear that!
Sarah Jane @ Fit Betty recently posted…Get Motivated to Move with Runtastic Orbit {Review}
Thank you! Agreed – a holistic approach is the best in my opinion.
Great post, and thank for the Jillian Michaels video, that was awesome! I consider myself mainly a runner, but this past year I have become a dabbler as well and realized that there are so many other things out there! I’m not really a Jillian Michaels fan, it’s really interesting to see how they portrayed her on the Biggest Loser. Thanks for the recap!
Sue @ This Mama Runs for Cupcakes recently posted…Wonder Mom Wedesday Link up: Back to School
I feel badly for how she’s been portrayed on the Biggest Loser, especially the latest season. She really is wonderful in person and on her podcast 🙂
I was a Jillian fan prior to BlogFest, but I loved her even more after hearing her speak! I took so much away from that day!
Same here! Big girl crush!