Rachel Frederickson Loses 155 Pounds, Jillian Michaels is in the best shape of her life at 40, thanks to a healthy diet and regular exercise. Michaels said she feels better now than she did at 20 because of her active lifestyle.
As I've gotten older, I'm like, 'I refuse to accept aging as a descent into decrepitude,'" Jillian told Health. "And the irony is that at 40, I'm in better shape than I've ever been."
Michaels, who previously confessed she was scared of turning 40, said she now feels an unexpected sense of self-confidence and calm. "There's a confidence and sense of self that comes with age that I didn't anticipate," she said.
Jillian, who lost 50 pounds during her teens, said cardio exercise is her weight loss secret, revealing she prefers treadmill workouts over the elliptical trainer. "Forget the elliptical," she said. "It's a waste of your time. Do incline walking instead. It's way more effective and burns a hell of a lot more calories."
Michaels, who said she would love to train Hillary Clinton, also lifts weights and does toning calisthenic exercises. Jillian revealed her weight loss, diet and workout secrets in her bestselling book, Slim for Life.
Jillian recently left "The Biggest Loser" after almost 10 years with the reality weight loss competition amid disagreements with producers. Michaels, who left "The Biggest Loser" in 2006 and again in 2011, said her 2014 exit was a mutual decision, but revealed she was fired during season three.
"People assume that I think I'm better than that show. I do not," said Michaels. "On season three, I was fired. On season 11, I asked for time off to start a family. In this go-round, it was a mutual decision."
Jillian, who starred on "The Biggest Loser" when it debuted in 2004, previously said the impetus for some of the changes she had sought involved the anorexia controversy surrounding season 15 winner Rachel Frederickson, who won after losing 155 pounds.
The 5-foot-4 Frederickson, who previously weighed 260 pounds, slimmed down to 105 pounds by the season finale (on Feb. 5). Rachel's emaciated appearance fueled rampant rumors she was suffering from the eating disorders anorexia or bulimia, and drew alarmed reactions from both Michaels and her colleague, Bob Harper (see video at 47 seconds in).
Jillian later blamed Dolvett Quince (Rachel's trainer), for the anorexia controversy, saying he didn't properly supervise Frederickson to ensure she lost weight in a healthy manner. Quince and Frederickson both denied the anorexia rumors, and Rachel has since regained 20 pounds.
At this point, Michaels said she has moved past "The Biggest Loser" and doesn't even watch the show anymore. Jillian, who's openly gay, also revealed that her sexuality is something she still struggles with because of some people's intolerance of homosexuality. "The gay thing has always been hard for me," she said.
"When [my partner] Heidi and I are out and somebody older asks, 'Are you sisters?' I say, 'We're friends.' I guess it comes from thinking that they will be shocked or disturbed. I wish I had some strapping football player husband. It would be such a dream to be 'normal' like that, but I'm just not."
Jillian has since clarified her remarks to People about her sexuality after members of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community criticized her for being ashamed of being gay.
"I attempted to shed light on how hard and scary it can be to be out," she said. "That gay families get attacked and even small daily interactions involve others being 'shocked and disturbed' by the gay lifestyle. If I was ashamed of who I am, I would be in the closet."
Michaels is currently a book for new moms that will detail weight loss tips and parenting advice. She has been approached to do her own reality TV show, but admits she's worried her family will be attacked. "What if I open up and people attack us just because we're a gay family?" said Jillian. "It scares the hell out of me."
