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(opening music)
INTERVIEWER: I wanted to ask you because I want the girls to know a little bit more about
you, and just want to ask you you know how did you first get into fitness?
JILLIAN: Well, it's such a perfect question to ask me because I was actually a teenager,
um, I was 13 years old and overweight and going through a ton of stuff at home and um,
my mom actually got me into martial arts and that really turned my whole life around because
instead of being that kid in the hallway that was made fun of or you know, picked on, I
began to see myself as the kid that could, you know, break two boards with my right foot
and you carry yourself a little bit differently.
(laughter)
JILLIAN: And it changed my self-image and my self-esteem and really it just sort of
took off from there.
INTERVIEWER: Cool. Now you know, obviously, you had spoken with the girls on the video
JILLIAN: yes
INTERVIEWER: and there's, you can't just, you can't just exercise it has to be joined
with healthy eating and the girls have all those issues talking about you know, losing
weight, not feeling like they can have a milkshake if they want it you know, all those issues
so you know, talk about a little bit about the importance of the fitness and eating and
it goes together, it's not one or the other.
JILLIAN: No, it has to function synergistically, so to speak, um, you know truth be told like
as kids we're exposed to all different kinds of radical forms of weight loss be it, various
eating disorders, or pills that the latest teen idol is taking and at the end of the
day I've done all of them. Tried them all, done them all, been there done that and the
effects, the after-effects of these things are terrible on your body and really take
a toll and so I think it's so important to explain to kids that like there's a healthy
way to go about staying fit, not necessarily being skinny that's going to last you the
course of your entire life. And it's about moderation, it's about balance, you know it's
about having like a couple sips of a milkshake, having you know, a handful of french fries,
just understanding you know, the math of weight loss so knowing to do it in moderation. That's
all that is the best way INTERVIEWER: yeah, right, not three times
a day, treat yourself sometimes JILLIAN: Exactly, balance.
INTERVIEWER: It's true. You know another thing that I see girls struggling with all the time
through the emails they send me and through, you know when I'm talking to them is just,
not feeling like they can speak up, they feel like no one listens to them and they feel
uncomfortable speaking up in group situations or letting their opinion be heard. How can,
how do you think a girl can get over that initial feeling of, I really want to say something
but I can't. JILLIAN: I think it's a couple of different
things. First of all that's a behavior that is developed, it doesn't, I don't believe
that people are actually born with it, I think that you know it's something that you have
to consciously work on and take baby steps, you know. Start by maybe speaking up in a
smaller environment or talking to a teacher and like, the more you begin to voice your
opinion, the easier it will become. And additionally I think this is where fitness comes into play
because fitness literally makes you strong, you're physically strong and when you're physically
strong, it transcends into every other facet of your life because you feel empowered. So
it gives you that courage to say, "I'm going to put myself out there and if I take a hit
or someone knocks me down, so what? I'll pick myself up, dust myself off, and move on to
the next thing" Who cares what they think? So I think, you know, that's why it all functions,
you know, together in order to help us live a happier, healthier life.
INTERVIEWER: Definitely, it's so funny just to listen to you because I feel like I want
to go like change into my workout clothes and get started you know, and just, you know
have my second workout of the day
(laughter)
JILLIAN: I was going to say, don't even! I remember when we first sat down we talked
about you running a marathon, so I'm like, you're third workout of the day
INTERVIEWER: Exactly, no, I don't exercise too much I swear, it's totally healthy, totally
in moderation but it's just really great to hear all of the things that you say because
I think that it really makes girls know that it's doable, that that's really the thing
is that, it's not a mountain to climb that they start first steps up the hill
JILLIAN: Right INTERVIEWER: And you know, they do, they'll
reach the top. JILLIAN: Absolutely, it's about, it's about
having fun and it's about finding balance in your life and incorporating it into your
lifestyle and I think that you know when we first sat down together and you said, you
know, our readers are the leaders of tomorrow, and it really changed the way I thought God
I wish someone had said that to me when I was you know, a young girl, I wish somebody
had, I would have said, "Really?" like, "I can?"
INTERVIEWER: Yeah, yeah JILLIAN: It's amazing what you can do when
someone, you feel like somebody has your back and somebody sees something for you, yeah,
it's true and these girls, I know I just get so much from them and just them talking about
what they want to do with their lives so, for us to be helping them get there feels
really good. JILLIAN: I completely agree.
INTERVIEWER: So, well we hope that we have inspired you guys to use this video often,
daily, as much as possible because really, you have the power to live the life you want
to live so go out there and do it!
(closing music)