Jillian Michaels: Free Weight Loss Plan?
Jillian Michaels appears on her website wearing a top emblazoned with the word "BULLY". She states "I'm not here to offer you false promises and all that crap that sells. I'm here to offer you a real weight-loss solution."
Jillian Michaels is best known for her role as personal trainer and coach on TV show The Biggest Loser. Now she offers her own weight loss solution that is:
1 Part Diet
1 Part Exercise
1 Part Attitude
The site promises a "free" weight loss plan by way of a comprehensive questionnaire that asks everything from your resting heart rate to your body shape.
After entering my details - the site came up with some interesting customizations (note that the website appeared to lock up when using the Firefox browser):
- Because I have an "apple" body shape (store fat around the stomach and chest) - a particular workout plan that targeted visceral fat was suggested.
- Because I am a fast "oxidizer" - a lower carb approach was suggested (50% protein, 20% carb, 30% fat).
- For the behavioral aspect of the program - Jillian tells me "Well, I say screw willpower". She recommends getting a hobby, curbing mindless eating, and avoiding dangerous situations (like walking by the donut shop).
Not Quite Free?
After that the site wanted my billing details. So much for a free weight loss plan. The costs are $4 per week, billed in 13 week amounts. You can cancel at anytime and will receive a refund for unused days. If you cancel before 4 weeks you will be charged a minimum of $20.No Bull
Jillian Michaels champions a "no bull / no hype" approach to weight loss that is much more than a simple diet. Michaels has also authored a book "Winning by Losing : Drop the Weight, Change Your Life" which maintains a consistent 4.5 star review status at Amazon. That alone is indicative of the popularity of her approach.Like many websites - I wonder how well the presence of a personal trainer translates into an online tool. It's great to read about motivation - it's another thing altogether to have a coach beside you pushing you onward.
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97 Comments
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Created / Updated: January 30, 2012
This happens to be one of my pet peeves. The word free means that there is no cost involved. Invariably, if you follow a link for something that is "free", you have to pay something, most often postage and "handling." This is not free! If I tell you I have an item that I don't want and you can have it free, then when you come to get it or I deliver it I say that'll be ten bucks for handling, I lied to you! Free means it costs you nothing! Unfortunately, there is nothing free, so I will now climb down off my soapbox and shut up.
ReplyThis day an age if people still fall for the 'free' titles they obviously are looking for something for nothing which doesn't make the world go round. done. Now if you are serious about weight loss and you don't want to invest in the social aspect of the internet (which is reviewed by the trainer as per her radio podcast) you can invest in her books...the same thing. I've been following the first one and have seen great results. Quit whining and get moving! The books are awesome - set up a social network of your own...I have.
Replythe ad SAYS!!! "Free Body analysis" NOT "Free Membership" You have to read the actual ad, not just what you WANT it to say.
ReplyYup. People are stupid enough to not read that.
ReplyHi, Heres even a better peeve, my wife signed up thinking she could cancel after a month, just to see if it would work. Two days later I call to try to cancel it for her, they immediately bill you for 13 weeks/or 52.00. Saying it is stated in the terms of agreement that there is no refunds of any type. So we basically threw 50 bucks down the drain, thanks JILLIAN.
ReplyMisleading offer, and very poor customer service.
ReplyI had a 2-week free trial membership for JillianMichaels.com. I went through the enrollment and provided a form of payment for the automatic renewal if I didn't cancel within the 2 weeks. I enrolled on Oct. 5 at 12:30 pm (ET). Over the weekend I logged on to cancel my membership and discovered that the only way to cancel is to call customer service during business hours (Mon-Fri, 9am-8pm ET). No worries, technically, I'm still within my free 2 week trial until 12:30 Monday, right?
Well, first thing this morning I discover that my account has already been charged the $52 quarterly fee. I had to wait until 9am to call them though. Right at 9:00 I called and was told that since I didn't call by 8pm last Friday, the fee was non refundable. The rep pointed out that the confirmation email sent to me on 10/5 spelled out their hours and I should have known to cancel by Friday. After going back and forth and being put on hold for a while they agreed to refund $48 and only charge me the $4 for this week. I'm not happy but it's better than $52.
OK, so this is a totally online service so why do I have to CALL customer service to cancel? Why not offer that option online? That way I could have cancelled on Sunday night. I just think that a reputable company would not make it so difficult to cancel a membership and would provide better customer service.
What a bunch of crap! Buyer beware!
It said I need a balance but it didn't give a large choice of food cravings to choose from.
ReplyShe scares me!
ReplyShe scares me too, just enough motivation to keep me going :)
ReplyI love her three parts of her program with 1 Part Diet,2 Part Exercise, and 3 Part Attitude. I am getting tried of all these weight loss program that are false and will never bring long lasting weight loss to people. I can't wait to check out her sit.
ReplyAs hard as she works the contestants, I can only imagine how hard she will make the people in her program work. They HAVE to lose weight with as much she will work them.
ReplyI have always been a fan of Jillian on the Biggest Loser because of the way that she would just really push people. I think to make changes you have to have your attitude as well as your system shocked to make a great change in your life.
I would really like to see the details of Jillians plan. I bet it rocks.
ReplyHow about a 3-sentence to follow My Free WeightLoss program: Eat a high monounsaturated, moderate protein, low carb diet, trans-free diet till your weight goes down. Add back some carbohydrates until you are maintaining your weight at your goal weight. Stear clear of fried foods, processed foods, and baked goods.
ReplyHere is what works for me:
Jan 1, 2006 I weight 245 pounds.
July 5, 2006 I weight 170 pounds.
That's a lose of 75 pounds.
It's easy. Eat whatever you want every 2 to 4 hours.
ReplyWatch your calories! Mine is set at 1200 per day!
BE SURE TO EAT PROTEIN! NO SUGAR! LOTS OF WATER!
Exercise: Pushups, pull ups, squats, and cardio, (at lease 30 minutes a day)! I did more on some days at less on others. The exercise is as YOU can do. If you can do just 1 of each, that is great! You will find that as the days go by you would increase dramatically!!!!!!
If I has a SO CALLED bad food, (ie. chocolate, I would ride a stationary bike until it showed I burned it off).
Another way to be positive you burned enough calories is by burning exactly half of what you took in for the day.
Hey..... it works great for me and now I have much more muscle and A LOT less fat! :)
Size matters.... went from a 42 RELAX fit jean to a 32 reg fit jean! :)
My motto.... JUST DO SOMETHING!
Here is a GREAT link to GREAT fitness calculators... and YES THEY ARE FREE!!
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calculators.htm
My Favorite:
http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.html
How do you want to look and feel like 6 months from now?
I just read your blog about losing 75 lbs. My question is what was your motivation? How long did you carry this extra weight? and Have you been able to keep it off?
Replythanks yourfriendfannie
Thank You
Replythis kind of sounds like the Body For Life approach by Bill Phillips-it does work i need to get back on it.
ReplyNo Bull approach is always refreshing. However, the dream of a slender self - sells itself. Bull or no bull someone is always selling something.
Really some of the best nutrition advice you'll ever receive can be found in the abs diet book. Heck pick up the "eat right everytime" companion for 7 bucks! It really is solid/actionable information.
ReplyIt's great to see an overall outlook on what's needed to lose weight successfully - meaning, not just the diet itself, but also an attitude and exercising.
Once people realize that, about 90% of diet programs out there can already be considered successful.
ReplyOne thing that is interesting about Jillian's website is that you have the option to have a real trainer contact you via email.
ReplyThis is a great idea – I think she will help many women and men lose weight.
Plus she has sas really hot looking shoulders.
ReplyI was given a 1 week free trial after the "free" weight loss plan. The free trial still requires credit card details but it is said that I could cancel anytime by calling them. Because I am from another part of the world, it is not convenient for me to call at that particular timezone and working hours (and I don't think I could enjoy that toll-free call too).
So I emailed them to ask whether I am able to cancel the subscription via email(regardless it is a free trial or during a paid period). My intention was to find out and confirm BEFORE making any commitment.
They took 1 WEEK to respond my simple question and the person thought I WANNA CANCEL my subscription. I know my English is poor... but I believe my question is still comprehendable. The person wrote: "You can also respond back to this email to cancel. Note that it does take longer for us to respond back to email, so phone is the most efficient way to cancel and prevent charges from going through.".... I already experienced how "FAST" the email response could be....
And thanks to www.diet-blog.com, I found SparkPeople.
ReplyHi!!
If anyone wants to cancel an account at jillianmichaels.com (either a Free trial or a regular account) you can call to Waterfront Media Customer Service at 888.795.4719... it takes a while to get someone to answer, but then it's pretty simple and easy.
I know you (Doriscbwong) doesn't have the chance to enjoy the Toll Free number... but that was the fastest way I had, cause all the numbers at JillianMickhaels.com Contact Us information were not working AT ALL.
ReplyCarla, I just wanted to thank you for the information about canceling JillianMichaels.com accounts. It took me about 10 minutes to get a person on the line, but it was worth the wait to get this thing canceled!
Thanks for the info!
ReplyI called on the 6th day to cancel, and I was on hold for 43 minutes. I had to plug my cell phone in and put it on speaker while I was waiting, so I could keep doing "squats"...(if anyone has heard the hold message, you know what I'm talking about). They didnt charge me.
I did not like the meal plan. I would rather eat what I like to eat, try a few new things, and just keep good track of my intake.
ReplyI really like Jillian, and I think I'm kind of addicted to The Biggest Loser. I think her plan is sensible and realistic, and I hope that she's able to help a lot of people.
ReplyI have her book and dvd's, haven't read the book, haven't done the dvd's. Talk about zero motivation. I did read a book called Thintuition over my vacation because the guy is from Chicago and has his program available at the club next door. I like what he said. Basically, think like a thin person and only eat when you are hungry, stop when you START to feel full. It's tough because I've was a thin person for most of my life but forgot how to do that. I'm actually starting to think before I eat anything and not forcing myself to eat breakfast or lunch at said times simply because you are supposed to. I've tried everything and nothing has worked yet for me, hopefully this will.
That being said, Jillian is my fave trainer on the show, she's a hard motivator but you can tell she really cares about everybody she works with.
ReplyThis is totally bogus... It says free plan and it is not at all!
Reply