My Night with Jillian Michaels – Maximize Your Life!

Happy Monday! And it really is a happy Monday. I had a fabulous weekend at my parent’s house in Milwaukee. I spent a lot of time with family and friends, and enjoyed the beautiful weather! Charlie and I spent a lot of time at the park and my stomach is nice and full from pulling out the grill and barbecuing a bit. I’m getting more convinced that summer is on its way (and that spring will most likely not make an appearance at all this year!).

The highlight of my weekend was seeing Jillian Michaels’ Maximize Your Life tour last night! My aunt drove to Milwaukee, we grabbed some dinner, and then drove down to the Riverside Theater.

My Aunt and I before the show!   

  
Dinner at Chili’s – skinny margarita and Margarita Chicken off the “light” menu.

The show started off pretty hilariously! Jillian came out and stage and in honor of Cinco de Mayo brought out a bottle of tequila to celebrate. I wasn’t able to get any pics because we were on the second level, but the front row definitely did their share of tequila shots! I could tell right away that the night would definitely be a more relaxed setting, which I appreciated. The night was split into two parts – the first half focused on nutrition and exercise and the second half was more “motivational,” focusing on yourself and being able to set and reach your goals. Overall, I felt I knew a lot of what she talked about, especially after just finishing her “Slim for Life” book, but it was interesting to listen to her speak more openly and in-depth about topics.

Jillian in action!

These points really stood out to me:

• The secret to losing weight and being health is simple…EAT LESS AND MOVE MORE! Pretty obvious, yet people (me included, sometimes) still can’t truly grasp the concept of this!
• Calories are like money; you only have a finite amount each day, so be mindful of how you spend them. As someone who is constantly thinking about her budget, this analogy really resonated with me. I don’t necessarily count calories, but this was a helpful reminder to think about what I put into my body.
• The FDA allows sugar to be named in 56 different ways. 56!!!! This is ridiculous, plain and simple. Allowing for so many different names for sugar makes it possible for food companies to not have to list sugar as its first ingredient. This means you may be buying a processed food you think is a better choice because of deceptive labeling. This was a good reminder to me to always be reading the ingredient list!
• It’s ok if you can’t buy organic everything – put your efforts towards buying organic meat and dairy, and pay attention to the Clean 15/Dirty Dozen list. Jillian showed us a pic of cows who have had hormones injected in them and genetically modified corn/food compared to a cow who was not pumped up on hormones and was grass-fed. The difference in cows was disgusting and the difference in what their meat looked like was equally gross. This is advice I may try to adhere to. I’d heard of the Clean 15/Dirty Dozen lists before, and the gist of it is, stay away from foods on the dirty dozen list because they have thin skins that absorb chemicals/pesticides more easily and more likely to have a negative effect on you. You can eat foods on the Dirty Dozen list, but if you do, go organic. (I’m planning to learn more about this and share my findings and thoughts!).
• When you can make the better choice, make it. It’s not practical to totally cut out carbs, protein or fat. It’s just not! So, 80% of the time make the healthy choice and 20% of the time, allow yourself that freedom. Example: if you want potato chips, try Pop Chips (Jillian invests in this company, and we got samples!) which are 100 calories per bag/serving and are not fried. Are these a health food? NOPE. But are they a better option that regular potato chips? YUP.
• Move your ass and move it fast! This is Jillian’s philosophy on exercise. You do not need to spend hours in the gym (which I was grateful to hear!). If you’re not a gym rat and instead, like me, prefer to get your cardio in by walking you dog…GREAT! Make sure you do it 30-60 minutes a day, and start moving faster than usual.
• If you’re looking for the best workout, do circuit training. Combine your strength training with cardio to get maximum calorie burn. She employs the method in her DVDs (I know from experience!) and it definitely gets your heart   rate up in a short amount of time.
• To be successful in your weight loss (or other) journey, figure out what your “why” is. What is it that is driving you to make a change. What is your motivation? Without the “why,” it can be really difficult to commit to the “how” (or the action steps you need to take to achieve your goals).

Free treat – popchips! Haven’t tried yet, but the flavor sounds delish!

Overall, I liked the show. Being 100% honest, the second half was more focused on setting and achieving goals and was a little long-winded for my taste. I would have preferred the whole night to be focused on nutrition and fitness, but that is where my interests lie. I definitely took a lot away from the show and am glad I went. I definitely thought Jillian was engaging  honest, and genuine. I’m happy to share more info with anyone debating to go!

Your Turn!

• How was your weekend? Did you get out and do anything fun?
  
• What your thoughts on Jillian Michaels? Love her or hate her?