Jillian Michaels

Jillian Michaels (born February 18, 1974) is an American fitness expert, certified nutritionist, businesswoman, media personality, and author.

She is best known for her appearances on NBC series such as The Biggest Loser.

She has also made an appearance on the talk show The Doctors.

Michaels was born in Los Angeles on February 18, 1974, the daughter of psychotherapist JoAnn, and lawyer Douglas McKarus, of Syrian origin.

She was raised in the Tarzana neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Michaels was heavy in her youth, using food to comfort herself, which became more pronounced at age 13 when her parents divorced.

Around that time, her weight topped out at about 170 lbs.

Her mother enrolled her in martial arts classes to help her deal with stress, the result of which was Jillian focusing on health, wellness and fitness.

She attended California State University, Northridge, supporting herself as a bartender and personal trainer during that time.

Since 1993, Michaels has held four personal training certificates from the National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association NESTA and The Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), CanFitPro and she is Kettlebell Concepts certified.

Michaels has also developed a continuing education series for trainers with AFAA and holds a nutrition and wellness consultant certificate with the American Fitness Professionals and Associates (AFPA).

Jillian Michaels: The Fitness App is one of the top fitness apps globally and has won awards from both Apple and Google for best of in health and fitness app category.

Michaels has also released 20 fitness DVDs that have sold over 100 million copies worldwide.

Michaels has also authored 9 books on health and wellness topics with 8 NY Times Best Sellers New York Times Best Seller list.

In 2002, after working briefly as an agent with International Creative Management, she opened the sports medicine facility Sky Sport & Spa in Beverly Hills.

As a personal trainer and martial arts black belt holder, Michaels uses a blend of strength training techniques with her clients including kickboxing, yoga, Pilates, plyometrics, and weight training.

Michaels was a trainer on the reality series The Biggest Loser when the show started in October 2004.

On the show, she assumed the role of Red Team trainer and remained in that capacity for the first two seasons.

After her departure in 2006, she was replaced by Kim Lyons.

Along with Harper, Michaels was also a trainer in the Australian version of the show from 2006 to 2008.

She returned to the show in 2007 as the Black Team trainer competing against Lyons' Red Team and Bob Harper's Blue Team.

Michaels launched her company Empowered Media LLC in 2008 and released her fitness video membership website called Fitfusion.com.

Fitfusion is also associated and broadcasts on AT&T U-verse, BroadbandTV Corp, Bell Satellite TV Canada, and other TV channels, as well as Roku, Apple TV, and Fitness OnDemand reaching audiences in Marriott, Hilton Worldwide and Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.

On December 7, 2010, Michaels announced via Twitter that the eleventh season of the show would be her last.

On June 1, 2010, NBC debuted Losing It With Jillian, a spin-off of The Biggest Loser.

In the show, Michaels visits the home and workplaces of family members for a week.

Losing It With Jillian originally ran on NBC in June and July 2010.

Since February 2011, Michaels has hosted a weekly podcast, Keeping It Real, through iTunes.

In December 2011, the show was among the podcasts honored by Apple in its App Store Rewind 2011, winning in the Best New Audio Podcast category.

Michaels made her last appearance on The Biggest Loser on May 24, 2011.

On May 6, 2011, CBS Television Distribution announced that Michaels had signed a multi-year deal to become a co-host of the panel-discussion show The Doctors, as well as to serve as a special correspondent on the CTD program Dr. Phil.

Michaels had been a guest on The Doctors several times previously.

On the show, Michaels hosted a recurring segment called Ask Jillian, which dealt primarily with nutrition and diet topics.

On September 4, 2012, it was announced that Michaels will return to The Biggest Loser in Season 14.

As of January 2012, all eight episodes of the series are available for viewing online.

Michaels left The Doctors in January 2012 after half a season, because, she said, the arrangement "wasn't the fit both the show and I hoped for".

Michaels works with a variety of charities including the UNHCR, the NFL's Play 60, Stand Up to Cancer, Working Wardrobes, Hope for Haiti, Sow a Seed, and Dress for Success.

Michaels also returned for Season 15, which premiered on October 15, 2013, on NBC, but did not return for Season 16 which aired in the fall of 2014.

In 2015, she hosted and co-judged a series on Spike titled Sweat, INC.

In 2016, her reality television series Just Jillian premiered on E!.