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Charlie Kirk
Hey, everybody. Charlie Kirk here live from the Bitcoin.com studio. My conversation with Jillian Michaels. All about Maha Fitness, losing weight, and more. Email us as always, freedomarliekirk.com subscribe to our podcast, that is the Charlie Kirk show podcast page. And get involved with TurningPoint USA@tpusa.com the most important organization in America is TurningPoint USA@tpusa.Com that is tpusa.com Buckle up, everybody. Here we go. Charlie, what you've done is incredible here.
Jillian Michaels
Maybe Charlie Kirk is on the college campus. I want you to know we are.
Charlie Kirk
Lucky to have Charlie Kirk. Charlie Kirk's running the White House, folks. I want to thank Charlie. He's an incredible guy.
Jillian Michaels
His spirit, his love of this country.
Charlie Kirk
He's done an amazing job building one of the most powerful youth organizations ever created, Turning Point usa. We will not embrace the ideas that have destroyed countries, destroyed lives, and we are going to fight for freedom on campuses across the country. That's why we are here. Noble Gold Investments is the official gold sponsor of the Charlie Kirk Show, a company that specializes in gold IRAs and physical delivery of precious metals. Learn how you could protect your wealth with Noble gold investments@noblegoldinvestments.com that is noblegoldinvestments.com it's where I buy all of my gold. Go to noblegoldinvestments.com okay, we are ready for health, fitness and the Biggest Loser. Stacy's gonna love this one. This is a very exciting guest. First time actually ever meeting her. Been following her for a while. And you might remember her on a certain show, the Biggest Loser. So joining us now is Jillian Michaels. Jillian, come on up.
Jillian Michaels
Okay, I will. Thank you so much. I appreciate that. Oh, thank you. I love this. I'm already.
Charlie Kirk
It matches your eyes, too.
Jillian Michaels
Thank you. Thank you, everyone. Thank you so much.
Charlie Kirk
So, so, so nice to meet you. You too. I've been following you from afar for a while.
Jillian Michaels
Same.
Charlie Kirk
And it's just kind of fun how all these paths kind of come together. Right.
Jillian Michaels
It's awesome, actually. And I really have to commend you. Oh, excuse me for being such a uniting cultural force.
Charlie Kirk
Oh, thank you.
Jillian Michaels
I appreciate it.
Charlie Kirk
We have lots of voices here, lots of perspectives, and it's exciting. So for those of you that are not totally familiar with you or your story, who are you? And tell us why you're so passionate about making America healthy again.
Jillian Michaels
Gosh. Well, I am a former fat kid that fell into fitness because I got into martial arts, and I learned over the course of many years and great instruction that when you feel strong physically, you feel strong in every facet of your life. Fell into being a fitness trainer. Ended up working. Sorry, I'll go over here. I don't know why I felt the need to deepen my voice as well in that moment. Quite a. Forgive me. All right. Anyway, I fell into fitness training when I was training for my black belt, and the rest kind of took on a life of its own. And this is why I think when you do what you love, the universe really does conspire on your behalf. And I've had a huge amount of serendipity that I'm grateful for and how I ended up sitting here with you. Maha is definitely part of it, and I'm grateful for that movement. I think it's long overdue. But health became a political football, and so I was dragged into this arena. I'm not sorry. And I think this is where I need to be. And that's where these Venn diagram. The Venn diagram of politics and wellness intersects for me.
Charlie Kirk
And so you were outspoken against a lot of the mandates during COVID Correct?
Jillian Michaels
I was. As time progressed, I didn't really understand the vaccine piece of it all. And to be dead honest, I just assumed it was safe. I mean, why wouldn't it be safe? To say that vaccines weren't safe was like saying the earth was flat. What I did appre very early on is that the lockdowns made no sense and the mandates made no sense. Like, you would walk into a restaurant. This one's my absolute favorite. And you'd have to wear a mask when you walked in, because you could only catch COVID if you were standing up. And then when you sat down, you could take off your mask safely and converse and consume food. And I remember thinking, this does not make a ton of sense to me. And then later, I began to investigate more of what did not make sense.
Charlie Kirk
Well, and my favorite during COVID was when you flew on an airplane where that. The virus is a very, very tricky virus. It takes time off while you eat.
Jillian Michaels
Yes, yes.
Charlie Kirk
So when you're eating or drinking, the virus just kind of chills out.
Jillian Michaels
Exactly.
Charlie Kirk
But otherwise, you must keep the mask on 100%. And very important, you're allowed to eat and drink with people next to you at 35,000ft. But once you land in LA, all the restaurants are closed because you're not allowed to eat next to people in la, but you're allowed to eat next to people on your flight to la, sitting right next to you indoors, not socially distanced.
Jillian Michaels
And the mask also screens out the virus from going into your eyeballs, despite the fact that it only covers your nose and your mouth. Yes, because as we know, you can catch pathogens through your eyes, but not Covid, especially when you're wearing the mask.
Charlie Kirk
So I guess you became outspoken to this and the backstory you were on, you ran or the host the show, the Biggest Loser. Is that correct?
Jillian Michaels
Yeah, way back when.
Charlie Kirk
And I think a lot of people remember that. Who remembers that with Jillian? So that's a big, big, big show. I want to take a sidebar and just talk about that. How did you get into that, first of all?
Jillian Michaels
Well, I opened a sports medicine facility when I was around 30 years old, and I had briefly worked in the entertainment industry in branding and motion picture packaging. So I had a lot of clients that worked in the entertainment industry, and they'd heard about this show on NBC. And I really did not like the name of the show, but I got pushed to go out for it. And I had thought at the time I was gonna brand my gym. I thought that was gonna be the brand, and I was gonna be the next Curves, which is probably before your time.
Charlie Kirk
I remember Curves.
Jillian Michaels
Okay, fair, fair. You work out there, Charlie?
Charlie Kirk
No. No.
Jillian Michaels
Okay, fair enough. So, long story short, I went out for the job. I ended up getting it, and I had, you know, an on again, off again relationship with the network and the producers for all the reasons that the show remains controversial, but nevertheless, it gave me a global megaphone, and I'm grateful for it and hopefully doing better things with it. That's kind of how I ended up here. But as you know, politically in culture, it became. We began to glorify obesity. And I think this is really pre Covid where I started to get red pilled. That's really when it began in 2019. And there's a famous incident where I was asked by BuzzFeed if I celebrated the fact that Lizzo was obese. And I was like, well, I celebrate Lizzo. I think she's a brilliant artist. I don't think her body is any of my business. And I continued to get pushed. And I was like, if you' asking me whether or not I celebrate the fact that she is overweight, I do not. Because if you truly value her, you would never want her to suffer with any of the comorbidities that obesity carries with it. And that was it. It was. Oh, my God. It was cancel Culture Central. And that was really my wake up call.
Charlie Kirk
So the when you have dealt with this a lot. Biggest loser. Privately, publicly. When somebody is obese and you're experience, what is the percentage composition of it being lifestyle agency and genetics? So how much of it is what they are kind of putting in their body?
Jillian Michaels
Got it.
Charlie Kirk
Meaning, like are they being poisoned by their food?
Jillian Michaels
Unquestionably.
Charlie Kirk
Got it. So that's a factor. So we should have compassion in that.
Jillian Michaels
100 a factor.
Charlie Kirk
Yes, genetics is a factor.
Jillian Michaels
Minimally.
Charlie Kirk
Minimally.
Jillian Michaels
Exceptionally minimally.
Charlie Kirk
Okay, so build that out because we're, you know, people say I'm born this way, I'm born big boned, I'm boring.
Jillian Michaels
No. So you're born with a predisposition for things. And I'm sure you've heard from fantastic MDs far more credible than me tell you that while genetics loads the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger. I have four obesity genes, perfectly healthy. So while I may not get to eat as much as my son, who can eat anything and everything and never gain a pound, and it's exceptionally frustrating. But with that said, if I am mindful about what I eat, I can be very healthy. So you simply have to address the fact that your genes are predisposed to a slower metabolism.
Charlie Kirk
So de emphasis on genetics, which I love because I feel as if that is disempowering 100%. In fact, that's actually a really sad message to tell obese people because it basically removes agency from the equation.
Jillian Michaels
It does so on purpose.
Charlie Kirk
So you think it's on purpose?
Jillian Michaels
Oh, of course it's on purpose. So for example, the psyop with big food is that you can be healthy in any size. And we know that they paid off influencers and even registered dietitians to spread this messaging. And then Big Pharma's narrative is, no, no, no, no, don't worry, you sad sorry thing. You will never be able to help yourself out of this. So just take this drug and then you'll be okay. But by the way, the only mechanism by which the drug facilitates weight loss is that it helps you eat less food. Which brings me to the factor you didn't mention. And that's the psychological.
Charlie Kirk
That's what, that was the last one. So if you had to wait it. And out of a scale of 100. No, but how much of it would be like agency, attitude, mindset, what would you put that 80%, 90% of the.
Jillian Michaels
Problem for people that are morbidly obese, I would put it at 80% of the problem. Because for them food is equated with their psychological survival. And I'll give you a very obvious example. If somebody has been incested or raped or sexually abused, they may choose to desexualize by eating a lot and getting bigger. It's not conscious necessarily, but many people do this and there are many different examples in response to different trauma. So they're not lazy, they're not dumb, they're not weak, they're not stupid. And if you haven't experienced that and you're not morbidly obese, we are still overworked, overstressed. We are spread far too thin. And this food is engineered to be addictive. It's omnipresent. So they exploit people's vulnerabilities. And this is why we went from 5% of our population being overweight in the 70s to 74% of our adult population being overweight today. It's not a 40 quantum leap in genetics and it's not a moral failing of the vast majority of our adults. You're being set up. The system is rigged.
Charlie Kirk
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Jillian Michaels
Do people think I smoke? They're like, I didn't know she was a smoker. I'm like, no, I'm not.
Charlie Kirk
No. But nicotine is an appetite suppressant. So I mean, it's say also big Cognitive enhancer.
Jillian Michaels
It's neurosurgeon.
Charlie Kirk
Of course. Yeah, that's why I use it. Yeah, it does. And it constricts blood vessels and actually prevents dementia and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. But no, I have a whole theory that smoking is bad. You should not smoke. Smoking is bad and I think it's disgusting. I hate the smell of smoking. But we were a thinner country when people smoked, obviously.
Jillian Michaels
Well, that definitely played a role.
Charlie Kirk
I mean, because it's just when you're smoking as an appetite suppressant. But I'm not. We should not do smoking. Like, do not smoke.
Jillian Michaels
That's bad smoke. Yes, please don't do it.
Charlie Kirk
But, you know, but I could make an argument though that even with a smoke, like, it's funny when, when more people smoked, we were a healthier country.
Jillian Michaels
There were also a lot of other factors. The food. Milk was not filled with hormones and antibiotics and ultra processed was really just sugar and fat, not high fructose corn syrup and 10,000 other ingredients that are designed to trigger the dopamine center of your brain and, you know, impede your satiety hormones. Like it's, it's a, it's a science experiment for sure.
Charlie Kirk
So for people that say, let's say they're overweight, how much of them. Here's now the other kicker, exercise versus diet.
Jillian Michaels
Great question. All right, so it depends on what you're trying to achieve. If you're trying to maintain your weight, food is a factor. But if you're working out, it's arguably the most effective tool at maintaining metabolism. Exactly. Truthfully, if you overeat, that's the thing that's going to make you gain weight. You can't really exercise your way out of it. But if you have a lot of weight to lose, I can't starve it off of you. So here's what I mean with the contestants on the show that people saw go from £400 to £180. I'm not dropping their calories to zero. And even if I did, the math isn't there anyway. In other words, if it takes 3,500 calories to burn off a pound of fat, roughly give or take, it's an estimate, but nevertheless. Okay, so you eat zero. How much does your body burn in a day? Let's say it's 3,000. I mean, that's like your best case scenario and you'll end up destroying your health. So steady state cardio. That's how I would kind of push them. I would make them go on what.
Charlie Kirk
I would call the.
Jillian Michaels
The walk to China. Although that's probably the wrong country to bring up here, but it had no. It had no charge back in the day.
Charlie Kirk
Walk to Kazakhstan.
Jillian Michaels
That's perfect. Yes.
Charlie Kirk
About the same place.
Jillian Michaels
Yeah, 100%. So long story short is I would have them do this long, steady state duration cardio to create a massive energy call. And that's all that fat is. It's stored energy.
Charlie Kirk
Raises their metabolic rate. Yeah.
Jillian Michaels
Burns calories.
Charlie Kirk
So then. So you want. Obviously, I mean, look, if you want to lose weight, just be in a calorie deficit, right? Yeah, it's not that hard. It's like just burn more. Burn more calories than you put in. And definitionally, you'll lose weight. So just a side note, because it just came to me. So you did it for 13 years.
Jillian Michaels
Gosh. Did I?
Charlie Kirk
I know. You said that. Right.
Jillian Michaels
On Biggest Loser. Gosh.
Charlie Kirk
Maybe that's what you said, Right. I don't know. Maybe 13 years ago or. Maybe 13 years.
Jillian Michaels
Jeez. Okay.
Charlie Kirk
You did it for a long time.
Jillian Michaels
Maybe a long time.
Charlie Kirk
So you had hundreds of contestants. Dozens.
Jillian Michaels
Okay. So I would imagine that probably while I was on the show, several hundred came through. I worked with half of them. Now, the. The sad part of this is that you would only get a few of them. It was a game show. It was the gamification of weight loss, which I actually don't agree with, and was one of the things that I took umbrage with the producers. But they would go home week one, week two, week three. But the reality is that probably 35% of the people I worked with continued to be healthy and keep the.
Charlie Kirk
That was gonna be my question. So what percentage of the people that went from 400 to 180 stayed in that range?
Jillian Michaels
For me, roughly 35%.
Charlie Kirk
Did they go back to 400 or did they, like, go to 250?
Jillian Michaels
Not the ones that maintained. The ones that maintained probably went up 20 pounds for the guys, 10, 15 pounds for the girls. Because you also have to remember, they were coming in at that finale like, you know, so lean, and they relaxed and motivated. Yeah, but the ones that put it all back. Put it all back.
Charlie Kirk
And some did.
Jillian Michaels
Oh, absolutely. 66%, I would say.
Charlie Kirk
And that's unbelievable. I mean, so why.
Jillian Michaels
That's nothing. 5% of the people that lose weight are the ones that keep it off. 95% put it back.
Charlie Kirk
But what is the data on dramatic weight loss?
Jillian Michaels
It's that.
Charlie Kirk
So, I mean, meaning people will lose 200 to go regain 200?
Jillian Michaels
Absolutely, yes. And the reason that's so sad. Here's why, though, because while you and I can sit here and say, look how simple this is, just.
Charlie Kirk
No, I'm not saying it's simple. I'm just saying sad.
Jillian Michaels
Well, or simple math. Meaning, right, that the math is very simple, not hard to understand. Eat less food, you'll lose weight. Don't buy into the narratives. It's simple. But just because it's simple doesn't mean it's easy. So whatever it was that the food afforded them, generally speaking, it doesn't get resolved. So I'll give you one more example. There was a kid that I worked with who was 18 years old. He lost a huge amount of weight, and he went home for the holidays, because on the show, there were holidays, and the contestants would go home, and we would frame it like, we're just gonna see how you guys did on the show. And he came back and he gained seven pounds. So of course, he's giving me all the excuses of, it's hard while you travel.
Charlie Kirk
Pumpkin pie.
Jillian Michaels
I was traveling. It was so hard to find out that I didn't have time to move my body. And we sat down for hours and kind of worked it through what happened. And the long and the short of it is that his mother, when he walked in the door, 100 pounds thinner, his mother broke into tears. And they weren't tears of joy because she's also morbidly obese. So when she.
Charlie Kirk
This is so important.
Jillian Michaels
You already got it right. So he broke the contract. And for her, this is how they bonded. This is how they were close. When she saw him so much healthier and so much thinner, she felt abandoned, and she became sad and depressed and withdrew. So what does the food afford him? A connection to his mother? Is he conscious of that? No, but that is what I mean when I tell you people are not. They're not dumb, they're not lazy, they're not weak. They. The big food is working to exploit their vulnerabilities. But it is because he hasn't worked through this issue that he would return to.
Charlie Kirk
So much of what you're saying is that you actually want to. If you want to be healthy. And so I was recently in the south for a thing, and the south is awesome. I like a lot of it, but it's very obese parts of the South. It is a lot of reasons for it. And honestly, one of the reasons is that it's culturally accepted 100%. And I was in a town where people were very Very overweight. And I mean, they ate a lot. It was fine. I don't eat any of it. Like I fasted that day. By the way, my act, my real like designed weight is like 235. If I ate regular, I'd be like 240. I'm at like 195. I have to work to keep weight off. Like that's.
Jillian Michaels
But that's exactly the point.
Charlie Kirk
I know my nature. I don't want to be, I don't want to be overweight. That's the way it is. But also I come from around like people that are constantly moving and I get kind of socially stigmatized.
Jillian Michaels
Right.
Charlie Kirk
And that's actually positive. The inverse though, is what you're saying is that if there's no social pressure to stop being obese and it's rewarded. No, that's right. That the social currency is actually being obese. In fact, if you are surrounded by 40 people that are overweight and you're the skinny one, you're kind of bullied.
Jillian Michaels
Absolutely.
Charlie Kirk
Or you're ostracized or you're othered at least.
Jillian Michaels
And listen, one would encourage that person to find another community. But when it's your mother, not quite that easy. You're not going out to get a new mom. So there's varying degrees of difficulty. If it makes sense.
Charlie Kirk
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Jillian Michaels
So.
Charlie Kirk
Half of our kids, 50% of our kids are obese or overweight by the age of 15.5% of Japanese kids are obese or overweight by the age of 15.
Jillian Michaels
Why, again, look at the culture. Look what's allowed here and what isn't. Look what's rewarded. And I say this with regard to big business. They literally, they design the food with a team of scientists to addict you. They design. There's a literal multidisciplinary team of behavioralists, marketing experts, PhDs, M.D. neuroscientists. And every step of the way, how do we grab them? How do we addict them, how do we capture them? And I. I believe you've probably met Cali. Means he.
Charlie Kirk
We are on the show many times. He's great.
Jillian Michaels
Cali talks all about how Cali's the.
Charlie Kirk
Guy, Casey's the girl.
Jillian Michaels
Yes. Casey's the doctor, and Callie is the activist who.
Charlie Kirk
Gotta remind myself. I'm sorry.
Jillian Michaels
Yeah, it's totally fine. I do it all the time. And I have known them for quite some time.
Charlie Kirk
They're wonderful.
Jillian Michaels
But he goes on to talk about how big tobacco bought big food in the 80s and just applied the playbook. So that is not allowed in Japan. These chemicals are not allowed in the food. They engineer the environment. Do you remember back in the day when you couldn't bring food into a bookstore? Now they sell food at the bookstore. No matter where you go, the food is there. It's in vending machines. They siphon off billions, hundreds of billions in our tax dollars to go towards refined grains. And then things like SNAP or the WIC program. It's fascinating when they're one side. Well, not really a sidebar, but if I could go on a brief tangent, I was reading an article the other day about the food pyramid and how people who were pushing back on the USDA and rfk, working to change it, they're like, this is what we use to feed our children and our soldiers without realizing how truly abominable that is. Because the Corn Refiners association, the wheat lobbies, the vegetable oil lobby, they created that food pyramid. It's all processed crap. And then they get the contracts and they take subsidy dollars to put that food in our schools, to put it in the ready to eat meals for the soldiers, or what they call the MREs.
Charlie Kirk
Meal ready.
Jillian Michaels
Thank you. Exactly. So this is all rigged and gamed. That kind of corporate influence in politics is probably not allowed in Japan. A lot of this is illegal in Japan. So while you don't want a nanny state, I'm not advocating for that. It's also not fair to rig the system in the other direction. Poison is poison, period.
Charlie Kirk
So a couple more topics I want to cover. Are you a fan of Ozembic?
Jillian Michaels
I'm not a fan of Ozempic. You guys might be surprised to hear.
Charlie Kirk
You want less fat people, right? I mean, GLP1s and semaglutide inductions, it's all good. Why are, why are you against it?
Jillian Michaels
Well, okay, you could twist my arm on the following. And I want to lay this out there. There are some pretty respectable people in wellness that advocate for micro dosing it for people who are severely obese as a last resort. And you would get me there? 100%.
Charlie Kirk
It's like an appetite suppressant. Essential.
Jillian Michaels
It works in exactly the same way with a fraction of the side effects at a fraction of the cost. Which is why, by the way, Big Pharma wants to shut down compounding pharmacies. Because you can't do that if you're buying Ozempic and from Novo Nortsk or whatever. Exactly. So my personal issue with this is twofold. First of all, it has a host of nefarious side effects, from intestinal blockage to stomach paralysis, thyroid cancer, rare, but still happens. Pancreatitis, people are losing their vision. Anecdotally, you're hearing about suicidal ideation, accelerated.
Charlie Kirk
Aging, muscle mass decay.
Jillian Michaels
Of course. I mean, the list is long and it's extensive. You can never get off of it or you'll gain all your weight back. It's extremely expensive. Like, this is not a solution. And of course now they're trying to push it as a first line of defense for kids as young as 6.
Charlie Kirk
Years old on the Medicaid schedule, which will cost us like a trillion dollars a year.
Jillian Michaels
100%, I believe RFK1 said, like, I could give a gym membership and healthy food to every family in the country if we did this.
Charlie Kirk
They want 9 year olds on Ozempic.
Jillian Michaels
6 year olds on Ozempic.
Charlie Kirk
Could you imagine they have.
Jillian Michaels
And right now it's a first line of defense for 12 year olds.
Charlie Kirk
It should be illegal for a 6 year old. I mean, I just, it's just incomprehensible where this is heading.
Jillian Michaels
Well, the American Academy of Pediatrics is essentially a subsidiary of Big Pharma. It doesn't mean people. That doctors are not great people. Of course they are. And I work with many of them. Some being the key word. Right? Like in every profession. So that is deeply alarming to me, beyond the fact that it, it doesn't solve the root of the problem. So there's a. There's a great TED Talk for whatever Ted is worth these days. But it was a valuable talk. And it talked about doctors in particular, and they're trained to do triage. So the metaphor is, a bunch of people are drowning in this river. The doctors are jumping into the river. They're grabbing the people out, and they're performing triage. One of the doctors starts walking upstream, and all the doctors on the shore like, what are you doing? We need you here. People are dying. And he's like, I'm going to go upstream and find out why are all of these bodies in the water. That is what you need. That's the way we need doctors to think an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. What is the bigger problem here? This is not solving anything. And by the way, Big Food is now working to engineer their product so that it bypasses the GLP1 pathway anyway.
Charlie Kirk
Well, there you go. So ozempic would be rendered useless. So I think a good universal rule is just eat whole foods. Not necessarily at Whole Foods, but it's fine if you do, but just whole mean. And what is a whole food? There's no ingredients. Like, basically the ingredient is just itself. Ingredients you can pronounce in ingredients that, you know. Almonds. Cashews.
Jillian Michaels
Yeah.
Charlie Kirk
Bananas.
Jillian Michaels
Right.
Charlie Kirk
Apples.
Jillian Michaels
Does it have a mother?
Charlie Kirk
Not.
Jillian Michaels
Did it come from the ground like a Cheeto? There's no Cheeto tree. Yeah, so.
Charlie Kirk
Exactly. And so how much if. Is it difficult if you were to. I think it's difficult to become obese if you just ate whole foods.
Jillian Michaels
You could do it.
Charlie Kirk
You could, but, I mean, the percentages would go down because they're not designed to trigger the flow.
Jillian Michaels
You got it. So they inherently trigger your satiety. Right. So when you look at what triggers satiety. Hormones. It's fiber, it's protein, it's fat. Soda has none of that. In fact, it does the exact opposite. So you drink a soda, it's 250 calories of sugar. It has no fat, no fiber, no protein. So not only is it not triggering your satiety, it's actually crashing your blood sugar because it hits the bloodstream like a ton of bricks. Pancreas, dumps insulin, scrapes all the sugar out of the blood as you're on your way to becoming type 2 diabetic, and you have a sugar crash. And now you're hungry again. And that's just one of the mechanisms it utilizes to keep you hungry. I mean they brag you can't eat just one. It's by design.
Charlie Kirk
So really quick, how, how big would you weight insulin resistance? Are you carbohydrate skeptic?
Jillian Michaels
No. The carbohydrate insulin model of obesity has been debunked by very credible PhDs in nutrition science. And I am living proof. I eat plenty of carbs. If you want to look at it anecdotally, you want to look at it from an observational perspective. The Mediterranean diet is arguably the healthiest with regard to all the pluses across Biomarkers. And it's 60% carbs. The, the key is the quality of the carbs. Hence you come back to whole foods, ultra processed food, those kinds of carbs, refined grains, refined sugars. That's what's exceptionally bad.
Charlie Kirk
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Jillian Michaels
I have been on stage.
Charlie Kirk
How was it?
Jillian Michaels
It was great.
Charlie Kirk
Sorry, I don't even know what time, by the way. I feel like I'm living in a casino. I don't know what time it is. I don't know what day it is. There's no windows. It's. I have no idea what's going on.
Jillian Michaels
Oh, I'm enjoying my time with you in this casino.
Charlie Kirk
Thank you. No, it's like I. There's no, there's nothing going.
Jillian Michaels
I can imagine.
Charlie Kirk
Yeah, like the Bellagio. Caleb, what's on your mind when you were talking about the people who are successful in their weight Loss because they were replacing whatever that need was with something else. What were the best replacements that you observed in your. In your experience. Experience for that problem?
Jillian Michaels
Okay, so it's not necessarily that they were replacing the need. It became more painful to do what they were doing than the work and the sacrifice associated with the change. So you have to work through the thing that you are arguably losing. Because remember, for these kinds of people, and I say these kinds of people, people who are morbidly obese, that utilize food as a defense structure, it's affording them something that meant their psychological survival. So you have to show them that while at one time or another this probably kept you alive, drug addicts will tell you the same thing. Alcoholics will tell you the same thing. Now, it's completely counterintuitive to you. You need to recognize the pattern. You need to learn that you're safe without this. And to be totally honest, it takes years of therapy. Not everyone breaks through. And this is one of the reasons. I wonder if something like psilocybin or ibogaine would be helpful, because we've seen the incredible transformations that it's given drug addicts that helps them work this stuff through at an accelerated pace and has an 80 plus percent succession rate. But right now you can't do it because it's schedule one, which is absurd. So they have to do all of this work. You have to surround them in a community that's supportive. You have to dopamine detox them. Like, there's a lot that needs to be done. That's why it's.
Charlie Kirk
Say again, like devices. Dopamine detox, like that type of.
Jillian Michaels
So think of it like this. The food is addictive. I interviewed an addiction specialist by the name of Dr. Anna Lemke.
Charlie Kirk
Dopamine nation.
Jillian Michaels
Bingo. Yes. And she said, you can talk to me all day long about trauma, but when they're still hooked on this stuff, there's no hope. Hence the reason that you would want to simultaneously detox them from the chemical addiction while working on the psychological component and then building in successes with food and fitness. It's unfortunately, as simple as it is. It's hard and it is multifactorial. But understanding that is the first step. And working on each one of these things as it presents itself to you goes a really long way.
Charlie Kirk
Thank you. I do want to get anyone in the line that hasn't asked a question today. I'm sorry, Everyone's. I don't mean to. No, it's all right. No, you're good, man. I'm sorry, just. You can still wait in line. I just want to make sure we get to people that haven't yet had answer. Question. Yes, sir.
C
I was wondering. So I recently read in the Epoch Times about vaccines and how the studies with autism and vaccines, how there was many flaws and they sometimes they only tested one form of vaccine. And it was written by a doctor. He was saying he was really unsure if he didn't see anything about evidence of vaccines necessarily causing autism.
Jillian Michaels
Just probably. Joel Warsh probably wrote it. He's great.
C
So, sorry, my question was, have you seen any, anything that points to vaccines actually causing autism or is it just a lack of studies?
Jillian Michaels
Here's the thing, what I can tell you, having tried to explore this with very credible experts, is the solid and safe answer here is we don't know because of several factors and I don't want to take up a ton of time.
Charlie Kirk
No, you're right. No, I'm sorry, I'm just managing.
Jillian Michaels
No, no, no. But if it's okay to explain this one real quick. So cnn. Okay, hold on, let me back up. You've seen Kennedy say we need better research, we need gold standard science. Okay? So CNN goes out and they crowdsource a freaking appendix, a spreadsheet of studies that had placebo controlled trials on vaccines. And they're like, lookit, he's a liar, he's a dummy. This is all you know, it's disputed, debunked. Okay, here's the bottom line. First of all, over half of the vaccines on the spreadsheet aren't even on the children's schedule. Okay, next, what Kennedy is asking for is an inert placebo. So this means one kid had saline and another one had the vaccine. The inert placebo was the salient. So you can do a true study on it. But for the vast majority of those studies, they use something called an active comparable as the placebo. And that means a previous vaccine, which is bananas. Let's say that wasn't the case and they did use an inert placebo. That'd be amazing. What did they actually do the study on efficacy. Oh, it worked ten years from now. Okay. But not long term safety, immunogenicity. How well did your body mount a response to the vaccine? Okay, so that took almost all of them off the table. So now there's like a handful less than I can count on one hand that had inert placebo. Not all of them. A handful of them that utilized inert placebo for long term safety. None of them were Done pre licensing of the vaccine. So what Kennedy is telling you is in fact the truth. We don't have the studies. Now. I'm sure you saw him on Tucker talking about hep B and having an 1134% increased risk of autism, and I could get into all of that. But what they were looking for, and it's no longer in the vaccine, despite other concerns, they were looking at something called thimerozole, which is a preservative that's 50% mercury by weight. That is no longer in vaccines. But obviously, if you look up, you know, hey, mercury and health issues. Not awesome. It's not awesome, but it is out now. And there are other adjuvants like aluminum. We just don't know. Like, with mmr, you've got three different vaccines now together. Not individually. Have they done those kinds of studies. Exactly the point. Hence the reason he's saying, look, I'm not taking away your vaccines, but there's definitely something going on. And we certainly don't have the gold standard science. Why don't we ask questions?
Charlie Kirk
This is what's. It's a truism of life. If you have nothing to hide, why are you offended by the question?
Jillian Michaels
Exactly.
Charlie Kirk
It doesn't make any sense.
Jillian Michaels
Exactly.
Charlie Kirk
I just. Okay. For anything, you can ask any question. Like, I'm not saying there's something there, but I do approve me wrong on campus for three hours. I have nothing to hide. Ask me anything. Can I do a proving wrong of the CEO of Pfizer? Can I do a proving. Like, how do it prove me wrong with the CEO of Johnson & Johnson. Your company's worth $200 billion. The federal government basically subsidizes your existence.
Jillian Michaels
Yep.
Charlie Kirk
Can you sit on a chair for three hours about notes and just like, answer questions about. I'm sorry you have something. So in the fact everyone freaks out and you're running hit pieces. If it was nothing, then the hysteria wouldn't be necessary. You would laugh it off. Like, you just kind of laugh. Like when someone says something that you know that is not true, you're like, oh, yeah, this person's a wacko. Ha ha. But that's not what they do. No, it's like, hostile. No. We must impugn your character again. I. I know enough to be dangerous on this topic. I also think that 72 shots for a young baby over a course of a year and a half is insane, actually. And if a mom wants to do that, more power to you. Fine, I guess. I think no kid under any circumstances should be given the COVID vaccine. I think that's totally evil and totally wrong. That's a gene altering shot. But yeah, look, I think agency is important and I have a lot more I could say about it, but I won't. Thank you. Last question here. It's been a long day.
Jillian Michaels
Thank you.
Charlie Kirk
Jillian, question on, I guess for longevity, especially when you're looking at my age, what are your thoughts or your advice with regards to HIIT workouts? Strength training, and I'm trying to go much higher on protein for continued muscle mass.
Jillian Michaels
As long as you're lifting, then you'll be able to utilize it. But if you're just eating tons of protein and you're not lifting, your body can't use it effectively. With that said, I would tell you, look, default to the basics. Don't eat too much, eat whole foods.
Charlie Kirk
Get your sleep, drink your water, don't drink alcohol.
Jillian Michaels
Really minimize it if you do.
Charlie Kirk
I'm just gonna be honest. It's poison. I checked that off a few years. I say, I say the politically incorrect.
Jillian Michaels
Stuff here, Jillian, but you're actually right.
Charlie Kirk
It's poisoning your body. If you want to live longer, don't drink alcohol.
Jillian Michaels
Here's what I would tell you with the fitness HIIT training, Tabata protocol in particularly, do it. In particular, do it twice a week and lift weights. Do it safely. Obviously you don't need to rupture herniate three discs, but strength train, HIIT train, common sense, it's 90% of it. You don't need to go drink fish tank cleaner. I can't. This is the stuff like, you know what I mean? Methyl and blue. You don't need to do it.
Charlie Kirk
Bobby's a methyl blue guy. Also, one other very simple thing that is biblical, ancient and proven fast, fasting and longevity are a one to one correlation. It's true. It's like again, if you fast for 72 hours, once a quarter or even twice a year, cleanses your entire body of pathogens. You'll back me up on this?
Jillian Michaels
Well, not only that, it's not just the bible. It's in pretty much every religious text.
Charlie Kirk
Fasting's all over the place. No, it's exactly right. There's the ancient world. There's something to say about fasting, but also science. We know it. Fasting's so good for longevity. So, I mean, that's what I recommend. Thank you. We got a dash here. Jillian, you're the best. Thank you so much.
Jillian Michaels
It's an absolute pleasure.
Charlie Kirk
Thanks so much for listening, everybody. Email us as always, for freedom. Charliekirk.com thanks so much for listening and God bless. For more on many of these stories and news you can Trust, go to charliekirk.com.
Podcast Summary: The Charlie Kirk Show – "How to Lose Weight, 'The Biggest Loser' Style" Featuring Jillian Michaels
Introduction
In the August 7, 2025 episode of The Charlie Kirk Show, host Charlie Kirk welcomes fitness expert Jillian Michaels to discuss weight loss strategies inspired by the popular reality TV show "The Biggest Loser." The conversation delves into the complexities of obesity, societal influences on health, and effective methods for sustainable weight loss.
Guest Introduction
Charlie Kirk begins by expressing his admiration for Jillian Michaels, noting her extensive experience with the show and her commitment to promoting health and fitness.
Charlie Kirk [02:08]: "It matches your eyes, too."
Jillian Michaels [02:15]: "We are [on college campuses]. I appreciate it."
Obesity and Societal Influences
Jillian Michaels shares her personal journey from being overweight to becoming a renowned fitness trainer. She emphasizes the interplay between genetics, lifestyle, and societal factors in the obesity epidemic.
Jillian Michaels [02:41]: "I am a former fat kid that fell into fitness because I got into martial arts... When you feel strong physically, you feel strong in every facet of your life."
The discussion highlights how societal acceptance and the ubiquity of processed, addictive foods have contributed to rising obesity rates.
Jillian Michaels [21:23]: "Big business literally designs the food with a team of scientists to addict you."
COVID-19 Pandemic Impact
The conversation shifts to the impact of COVID-19 on public health measures related to obesity. Jillian expresses skepticism about the effectiveness of mandates and lockdowns, sharing her critical views on mask policies and vaccine safety.
Jillian Michaels [03:55]: "I was outspoken against a lot of the mandates during COVID... The lockdowns made no sense and the mandates made no sense."
The Biggest Loser: Success Rates and Challenges
Jillian Michaels discusses her experience on "The Biggest Loser," revealing that while the show provides significant weight loss, maintaining that loss is challenging.
Jillian Michaels [07:45]: "Roughly 35% of the people I worked with continued to be healthy and keep the [weight loss]."
She underscores that the majority regain weight due to underlying psychological issues and environmental triggers.
Jillian Michaels [09:16]: "Big food is working to exploit their vulnerabilities. The system is rigged."
Genetics vs. Lifestyle: Finding the Balance
The dialogue addresses the common debate between genetic predisposition and lifestyle choices in managing weight. Jillian advocates for minimizing the emphasis on genetics to empower individuals to take control of their health.
Jillian Michaels [08:12]: "I have four obesity genes, perfectly healthy... If you are mindful about what you eat, you can be very healthy."
Medications and Weight Loss Solutions
Charlie and Jillian discuss the role of medications like Ozempic in weight loss. Jillian expresses concerns about the side effects and long-term sustainability of such drugs.
Jillian Michaels [24:07]: "There are some pretty respectable people in wellness that advocate for micro dosing it for people who are severely obese as a last resort. And you would get me there? 100%."
She emphasizes the importance of natural weight loss methods over pharmaceutical interventions.
Jillian Michaels [25:04]: "It has a host of nefarious side effects... It's extremely expensive. This is not a solution."
Diet vs. Exercise: The Core of Weight Loss
The conversation delves into the classic diet versus exercise debate. Jillian asserts that while exercise is crucial for maintaining metabolism, weight loss fundamentally requires a caloric deficit achieved primarily through diet.
Jillian Michaels [14:28]: "Steady state cardio... it's all that fat is. It's stored energy."
Charlie Kirk [14:51]: "So just be in a calorie deficit, right?"
Psychological Factors and Sustainable Change
A significant portion of the discussion focuses on the psychological aspects of obesity. Jillian highlights how emotional eating and trauma can hinder long-term weight loss success.
Jillian Michaels [10:08]: "The problem for people that are morbidly obese... food is equated with their psychological survival."
She advocates for comprehensive approaches, including therapy and community support, to address these deep-seated issues.
Jillian Michaels [32:16]: "You have to work through the thing that you are arguably losing... It takes years of therapy."
Dietary Recommendations: Emphasizing Whole Foods
Charlie and Jillian advocate for diets centered around whole, unprocessed foods. They stress the importance of avoiding engineered, addictive foods that undermine satiety and promote overeating.
Charlie Kirk [26:52]: "Eat whole foods... ingredients that, you know. Almonds. Cashews... Bananas. Apples."
Jillian Michaels [27:13]: "Fiber, it's protein, it's fat. Soda has none of that."
Debunking Myths: Carbohydrates and Insulin Resistance
Jillian addresses misconceptions about carbohydrates, stating that it's the quality, not the quantity, of carbs that impacts weight and health.
Jillian Michaels [28:32]: "The carbohydrate insulin model of obesity has been debunked by very credible PhDs in nutrition science."
She points to the Mediterranean diet as an example of a healthy, carb-inclusive eating plan.
Longevity and Fitness Strategies
Towards the end of the episode, Jillian provides practical advice for maintaining muscle mass and enhancing longevity through High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and strength training.
Jillian Michaels [38:36]: "Default to the basics. Don't eat too much, eat whole foods... strength train, HIIT train, common sense."
She also emphasizes the benefits of fasting for longevity, aligning with both ancient practices and modern scientific findings.
Jillian Michaels [39:53]: "It's in pretty much every religious text... It has scientific backing too."
Conclusion
The episode concludes with final thoughts on sustainable weight loss, emphasizing a holistic approach that combines diet, exercise, psychological support, and community. Both hosts reiterate the importance of personal agency and making informed, health-conscious decisions.
Charlie Kirk [39:03]: "If you want to live longer, don't drink alcohol."
Jillian Michaels [33:04]: "Understanding that is the first step. And working on each one of these things as it presents itself to you goes a really long way."
Key Takeaways
This episode provides a comprehensive exploration of the multifaceted issue of obesity, offering listeners actionable insights and strategies for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.