Jillian Michaels landed on the fitness scene nine years ago and made her mark on the popular weight-loss series The Biggest Loser. Her coaching style of exacting toughness, combined with compassion, endeared her to almost 15 million fans and contestants, and led Michaels to become the star of a show of her own, titled Losing it with Jillian. On the NBC series, which airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m., she imparts her fitness, exercise, and nutrition knowledge to entire families in their own homes.

Michaels was born on February 18, 1974, and currently lives in sunny California, with her pets. It is hard to believe by looking at her, but Michaels was an overweight preteen, whose tiny 5’2″ frame topped the scales at 175 pounds, by the age of 12.

Michaels took up martial arts, and after seventeen years of experience in Muay Thai and Akarui-Do, she sports a black belt.

Her titles include fitness trainer, author, life coach, and DVD trainer.

She is a former co-owner of Sky Sport and Spa Club in Beverly Hills and is recognized as a certified fitness trainer by the American Fitness Association of America (AFAA) and the National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association (NESTA).

Michaels owns Empowered Media, LLC, and has written four books, Winning by Losing: Drop the Weight, Change Your Life, Making the Cut: The 30-Day Diet and Fitness Plan for the Strongest, Sexiest You, Master Your Metabolism: The 3 Diet Secrets to Naturally Balance Your Hormones for a Hot and Healthy Body and How to Get the Body You Want.

You can follow Michaels daily life, training secrets and her new television series on her Twitterfeed.