WWJD - (What Would Jillian/Jackie Do?) - Part 1

Stacie's Progress Pic - (August 2010)

I have good news and bad news.  The good news is that I took a progress picture recently and I can see some major physical improvements over where I was several months ago. My face is slimmer, I've shed some body fat and I've toned up my muscles. I can even see a six pack forming. Honestly I cannot recall ever seeing a six-pack on my body in my entire life (so I'm pretty jazzed about that). Granted, I am sucking in my tummy in this photo, but it's clear that under a thinner layer of abdominal fat I have developed some ab muscles.  It's still hard to believe it's me.

Jackie Warner/Jillian Michaels

 Ok so....what is the bad news you might ask?  Well I seem to have hit a plateau of sorts. My scale has barely moved in the past 4-5 weeks which is an issue for me because I'm in a 12 week physique transformation contest and the whole idea is for me to lose scale weight and lose bodyfat. I feel I've done reasonably well with my diet (except for some occasional impromptu snacking) and my frequency of exercise has been the same if not greater (although I've done more cardio and less weight training lately) so I'm left wondering....just where have I gone wrong? Well I had to go back to the drawing board and ask the question "WWJD -- What Would Jillian/Jackie Do?"  I'm talking about the "Queens of Lean" Jillian Michaels and Jackie Warner. Both are well-respected uber fitness trainers in the industry and have the hot bodies to prove they know that the heck they're talking about.

Fitness Trainer, Author and Gym Owner Jackie Warner

I first learned of Jackie when I tuned into the Bravo reality TV series "Workout" a few years back which featured Jackie running her celebrity gym "SkySport," managing a team of trainers and whipping a bunch of overweight clients into shape. I loved the show and Jackie's style so much that I  decided to pay her a visit at her rooftop Beverly Hills gym to train with her. At the height of the show Jackie's hourly rate was $400/hr (gasp!), but trust me when I say I didn't pay anywhere near that rate. Admittedly I was at a low point in fitness and pretty out of shape. She showed me no mercy and put me through a brutal warm up and circuit training workout. I was not a happy camper. Having not worked out in a long time, my body was detoxing and I just felt like crap, but I wanted to meet her, be in her presence and be inspired. After my workout, we sat down and she gave me several healthy eating tips and a recipe for her recommended morning shake. She was very easy to talk to and extremely down to earth. She shared some things with me about her own personal health which I was surprised to learn but felt I could potentially benefit from. We also talked about some of her other business ventures she had going on including her clothing line and fitness retreat(s) which she invited me to. I told Jackie at that time "I wanna look hot and I wanna see a six pack at some point in my life." She looked at me and said "It's going to be hard given your body type. You're going to have to do a lot of cardio." Well I'm starting to become that woman I always wanted to be and it feels good.

"Fat doesn't make you fat. Sugar makes you fat."  -- Jackie Warner

In response to my plateau situation, I'm sure Jackie would tell me to dramatically increase the intensity of my workouts and cut out all processed sugar from my diet (something I have historically felt was a bit too restrictive for me to do).

Jackie Warner and the cast of "Thintervention" (Season 1)

Jackie's new show "Thintervention" just debuted on Bravo and I must say I really, really like it so far.  In the show Jackie is training another group of overweight/obese clients. The casting department did a great job as most of the clients are funny, entertaining or interesting.  The bunch includes:  an ex -Playboy playmate & Real Housewife of OC (Jeana Keough),  a guy who wants to lose weight so he can get laid and bang hot chics, a former fit model who beat breast and uterine cancer, and a fussy, British, "fag hag" who chain smokes. In the debut episode, Jackie puts them through their first, grueling workout and you can be sure there's lots of sweating, groaning, whining and even some puking. I feel their pain and can relate to what they're feeling 'cause I, too, had the Jackie Warner experience. What's interesting about this series is that it's as much about about life transformation as it is weight loss. For example, the participants attend regular therapy sessions to explore the psychological underpinnings behind why they overeat. Jackie also frequently makes surprise, unexpected visits to their homes to check up on them and see if they are following through with their nutrition, exercise and "homework assignments." These impromptu visits are so much fun to watch. Jackie is hellbent on replacing their bad habits with good habits and she tolerates nothing less than their full commitment. I guess they have her to thank because everyone lost several pounds the first week. Whereas most of them would have otherwise given up sooner, she "cracked the whip" in their workouts and compelled them to "go the distance." It will be interesting to follow them through the series and see what their final results are like.

In Part 2 of "WWJD" I'll share my insights on Ms. Jillian Michaels, why she is such an inspiration for me, and a cool, upcoming opportunity where I'll be working out with her as well. I guess you can say I'm just addicted to pain.  ;)