I received an email yesterday morning from one of my readers that said, “I’m not sure if you listen to Jillian Michaels but I listen to her podcasts every day and today she was talking about you!!” (Shout out to Leigh-Ann for running on the treadmill AND typing on her phone at the same time—that’s talent!)
Of course the only logical response was, “What!? For real? Holy shit!” Followed up a few seconds later with, “Actually, that deserves a
‘HOLY SHIT BALLS!’
All I could think was, O.M.G. JILLIAN MICHAELS READ MY 10+ Reasons I Love My Ugly Body BLOG!!!
I was ecstatic! But after listening to the first four minutes of the episode I was left with very mixed emotions.
I was THRILLED because when she said, “I LOVED HER” she was referring to ME! (JM LOVES ME!) But then I was sad because she said she wouldn’t share my story with her audience. WHY?! Why, Jillian, WHY?!?!?
She tells her listeners she has been looking for an inspiring post to share with her followers, a story that focuses on body acceptance AND health, not just accepting an unhealthy body. She said that my Ugly Body post has everything she is looking for but…well this is what she said:
“There was this one girl, and the only reason I didn’t post this one, because I really liked her and I really like everything she had to say, is because she was a CrossFitter and I don’t believe in CrossFit.”
I assumed that meant that she doesn’t believe in the methodology, or the coaching style, or the certification process, or the programming. And believe it or not, I can TOTALLY understand- there’s a lot of shit CrossFit out there.
But instead of saying ANY of those things from her professional point-of-view which I would fully respect, she goes on to say, “She would have been the one I would have posted but then you get into this whole cult of CrossFit which freaks me out”
DUDE! WHAT THE CRAP JILLIAN?!
I cannot for the life of me understand why she wouldn’t post an article that has received hundreds (if not thousands) of sob-fest inducing (I cry like a baby when I read them) comments and emails proclaiming from many that reading that article was “life changing” because CrossFit freaks her out.
I totally get not being a fan of CrossFit, I have no problem with that. As a certified personal trainer AND discerning human being, I am fully aware that it has its flaws. While I love doing it and recognize what it has done for me, even I am not a fan of all things CrossFit. I just know that MY CrossFit experience allowed me to find a LOVE for fitness that has enabled me to do things physically that never even seemed possible.
I respect her as a professional—I know she knows her shit—I hope to know half as much as she does about health and fitness one day—I’m working on it! But I cannot for the life of me understand how she could possibly keep something from her audience that she herself LOVED just because it has the word “CrossFit” attached to it.
**Facepalm**
I wish I had a celebrity telephone so I could just call her and be all like, “Yo! Jillian! What’s up with being freaked out by CrossFit? It’s not like I’m wrestling snakes in a mud pit! And also, my story is about WAY more than CrossFit, it’s about being FASTER, STRONGER, BETTER, aka HEALTHIER than ever before and isn’t THAT what it’s about? Let’s hang out some time.”
Anyway, I tweeted to her this morning but haven’t gotten a response. I’m sure she gets tweeted at all day and the chances of my tweets getting lost in the sea of tweets is probably pretty likely. But I am going to remain hopeful that she will see them and maybe, just maybe she will reconsider.
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Given that JM has been a significant part of the body-shaming, eating-disorder-promoting Biggest Loser, maybe it isn’t such a loss? Or is she changing her message to one that actually considers health?
She should have come to Fitbloggin. Your session changed my mind about Crossfit!
YAY! I love that so much, Kay! 😀
This makes me so upset that she wouldn’t share your story. I don’t do crossfit, but your blog was the very thing that changed my perspective about my body. I have also had weight loss surgery and I am left with the excess skin. I have been doing Insanity and not seeing a budge in inches or weight. I realized that the skin is my problem and I need to get over it and shift my attention to the fact that I can do Insanity without dying and how strong I am getting! You inspire me to focus on health and strength instead of this nasty saggy skin. I love what my body can do even if I don’t love how it looks naked!!!
Mary, YOU (and the hundreds of others) is the exact why her not sharing makes me sad too. Ugh.
I love to hear that it had such an impact on you because YES the fact that you CAN DO Insanity is nuts! 😀 Be PROUD!