What can I expect if I attend the show? Will I need my workout gear?
Expect and evening of inspiration, information, and entertainment. Expect to be moved and motivated. No fitness gear required. If you want a workout, get one of my DVDs. This is the nuts and bolts of personal and physical transformation. The how to of “loving yourself more,” “taking the first step,” “building self worth and self esteem,” and “making your goals and dreams a reality.”
How is this different from your last tour?
This is the same show for the most part, just in different cities. We won’t have an all new show until next year. However, there are a few small changes: we have incorporated a Q&A into the show and all VIP ticket holders will get a personal meet and greet with me!
During the first tour, was there a pattern in the questions that fans were asking or did each city present it’s own challenges to staying healthy?
People are looking to be motivated. That’s the theme. They want to know how to get and stay motivated and the good news is that this tour will teach you how to do just that – get and stay motivated so you can accomplish any task you set your mind and your heart too.
Can you tell me about some of your favorite moments from the last tour?
There were so many it seems impossible to pinpoint one. I love a direct connection with my audience and that’s what this medium gives me; the chance to look people in the eye and speak with them, not at them. To truly hear and see one another in a way that allows us to connect and when people come together mountains get moved.
What types of takeaways are there from the tour?
Of course if someone came to learn how to lose weight I teach them VERY quickly the simple facts of weight loss so if they choose to make a change with their health they are armed with bullet proof info to do so. More importantly however, I give them an action plan to identify their issues and conquer them. Not a bunch of self help platitudes, but literally a step by step action plan to transform any aspect of their life that they choose to at any point that they choose to do it. They will come away with strategies on everything from managing and moving through fear to releasing old wounds and grudges that poison their happiness and hold them back.
Is the family coming with you on tour?
Always! I can’t be without them. The kids love to dance on stage before the show to warm up the audience.
What is one thing every person can do to get motivated to make changes in their lives?
Identify their “why.” If you have a why to live for you can tolerate any how.
After 13 seasons on “Biggest Loser,” what is the biggest challenge you face with the contestants? Has that changed over the seasons or is the underlying issue always the same?
The actual show. The time frame of the show forces me to move them at such an accelerated pace because they might get sent home at the end of every week. That’s why I am so tough with them – there is no time to allow them to uncover their issues gradually. If we don’t get down to it ASAP they might go home and not have the critical accomplishments they will need to continue on their journey of health and happiness.
How you learned anything from the Biggest Loser that you have incorporated into this show?
In actuality, “Maximize Your Life” is everything I am doing behind the scenes with my contestants on The Biggest Loser. It’s the same info. I take all the tools I utilize on the show to help the contestants grow and change and give them to my audience during my life show. And – this is not just about changing your body – it’s about changing your life. I don’t build bodies; I help people rebuild their lives. That’s what this show will do for the audience.
What do you think is the biggest hurdle for people to get healthy? What is the recurring theme(s) you keep hearing?
People make all sorts of excuses like money and time, but those aren’t real reasons hence the term “excuse.” There are very real reasons that people engage in destructive behaviors though. Any behavior we repeat is affording us something, no matter how much it’s hurting us in another aspect of our lives. During the show I help people uncover why they are holding themselves back and down and then show them HOW to stop and move forward once and for all.
How do you like the one on one interaction with your fans?
It’s what makes me truly love my work.
Now that you’re a mom to 2 kids how do you fit it all in?
I drop a lot of balls, but I am constantly working on balance. I laugh more than I cry. I win more than I lose. I don’t know that one can ask for more than that.
What advice would you give to a busy working mom?
You must make time for yourself. You MUST. If I can do it, you can do it. Plus, it’s the best way to be there for your kids. When you are happy and healthy your kids will follow suit.
Have you learned anything from your kids in terms of health and fitness?
Yes, people are not stupid. They don’t need to be manipulated. Talk to them honestly. Give them the facts straight. They are able to hear the truth. Don’t underestimate people – it fundamentally dis-empowers them and no change made in that state will last.
What’s next for you?
More of the same. I’m lucky and I love what I do.
Jillian Michaels brings her “Maximize your Life” tour to the Benedum Center on Wednesday, March 19. For tickets, visit trustarts.org.
