Tough Love Miami's Steve Ward may have nicknamed her Miss Delusion (because of her love of vision boards and positivity) but Michelle Betts is anything but. While most girls would go on a show like Tough Love Miami with all sorts of romantic notions, Michelle kept it real telling me she went on with a very open mind to see what she was missing. How’s that for self-awareness?
When we spoke 3 episodes have aired out of the 11 but taping was all wrapped up so she was sworn to secrecy. She did say that the overall experience was incredibly challenging, nothing but wonderful and very, very, very difficult. Can you imagine a house of women with cameras in your face 24/7?
What made her go on Tough Love Miami? She was single for a long period of time and looked at her life and realized something isn’t right. She had a great job, great friends, wonderful life but her relationships never stuck so she knew something was up that she couldn’t fix.
She was very serious about this experience and wrote in a journal every day. Her end result wasn’t ‘am I going to fall in love’, it was ‘what am I going to learn about me’ and as a result her life has only gotten better from being on the show.
In episode #4 she had to wear an earpiece on a date and do everything Steve Ward told her to (in her ear). Because Steve felt Michelle 'plays it safe’ he really pushed her outside her comfort zone.
She's on a day and speaking with a guy who had several piercings when Steve told her in her ear ‘ask him if he has a Prince Albert’. So she asks. For those of you who don’t know, a Prince Albert is an earring in the PENIS. Imagine that? She doesn’t know this guy and she’s asking him about his genitals. HELLO! She figured out what she had asked him when the guy responded with, ‘yeah I didn’t one of those because I didn’t want it to mess with function’.
She’s such a good sport! She got the humor in that and was able to laugh at herself, although she didn’t necessarily enjoy asking this guy about his penis. She realized she did have room for growth.
I was really curious about the 'experience' of being on a reality show like Tough Love Miami and even this fitness expert admitted to it being VERY draining. She would get up an hour to an hour and a half before all the other girls to work out. Between that and the obvious stress of a show like this, she lost weight which Michelle can’t really afford to do (she is tiny).
She admits she over-analyzes things (a lot of us women are guilty on that one) and having cameras in your face all the time was nuts. Cameras where everywhere except in the bathroom. UNLESS you went in there with another person, then they had the right to go in with you. Can you imagine? But regardless of whether you are alone or not in the bathroom, you are mic’d which means they can hear EVERYTHING. NO PRIVACY. Cameras 24/7. Could you do that? I couldn't.
This season, the women were older and set in their ways and quite successful. Put them in a mansion living together and you’ve got a recipe for lots of drama especially with cast mates that have very strong personalities.
The show's host, Steve Ward is known for being VERY direct (the show is called Tough Love afterall) and I asked her how it was taking that criticism. Because she has been pursuing a career in the entertainment industry for nearly 10 years she takes criticism very well in an industry known for rejection. Steve's criticism was tough as he does not sugar-coat things but she could take it. His mom is ‘awesome’ and Michelle considers her a very beautiful, kind, classy woman that came in when a ‘good cop, bad cop’ situation was needed.
What you may not know is Michelle is a small-town girl and is about as real as it gets. No make-up during training and no false eyelashes on the set for this girl. But more importantly she is a kind, decent human being that the public can relate to. She feels her personality has been portrayed correctly so far in the show.
Given how nice she is I asked her how difficult it is being in the cutthroat industry that she is in. While she could probably be much farther in her career had she compromised her morals, this is a woman who refused to do that. If it takes her longer so be it. That is rare in this industry. Imagine a small-town girl going to Hollywood 10 years ago all by herself and being hit with that! Being true to her convictions and surrounded by a wonderful family and good supportive friends is key to everything.
Although she couldn't tell me if she found love or not on the show (I can't wait to find out) we did discuss what are her 'deal-breakers' in a relationship. A deal breaker for her would be a man that doesn’t want to get married and have a family as that is something she does want eventually. And although she has a ‘laundry list’ of what she wants in a man if she catches a guy in a lie, that is a big deal-breaker.
Despite her incredible level of fitness, a man doesn’t have to be such a fitness buff although she will not date a smoker or anyone who does drugs. Being in L.A. she sees a lot of drugs but she will never succumb to those types of temptations.
Being a fitness professional I was curious to know her daily habit in terms of diet and exercise and this girl is regimented (which is no surprise when you see how freaking gorgeous and fit she is). The number one on her list is sleep. Sleep is critical as is a stress-free life.
A regular day for her includes a healthy breakfast (blueberries, oatmeal, green tea and the vice she won't give up: coffee) while doing her hour of positive affirmations and gratitude.
Then it's off to the gym where an hour's program includes: cardio, balance work, reactive training (plyometric, jump squads), core work, weights/resistance training, ab work and stretching. This is the same program she has her clients do.
Other ways she stays fit: power yoga, hiking and pole dancing. Michelle is a HUGE proponent of pole dancing. Beside it being very good for fitness she says it’s very empowering for women.
As soon as she is done with the gym she has a protein shake: 2 tablespoons of flax seed, fresh kale, fresh pomegranate seeds, scoop of organic greens with a scoop of protein powder that she blends up.
The balance of her day consists of lunch, a snack, dinner and then perhaps another snack. A favorite of hers is an apple with the middle hallowed out and a tablespoon of peanut butter put in. She says the properties of these two foods keeps a person satiated.
I asked her if she ever gets the urge to pig out on junk food (I was starting to feel like a real oinker listening to how healthy she is) and she said she believes in a cheat meal. Once a week she has a meal of whatever she wants even if that’s a burger and fries! Deprivation leads to binging! Every Monday Michelle grills 4 chicken breasts and lean burger that she cooks up for the week.
This woman has plans for a DVD series for exercise and spin-offs from that (book, clothing line)! While it's just in the planning stages if there is one person that will accomplish it, it is this very positive driven woman. Her hope is a simple book with standard exercises and meal plans. One of her tips (especially for people who don’t have a lot of time to work out) is jump-roping. Jump-rope for 10 minutes in the morning burns up to 120 calories. She’s got a lot of great tips and advice for people that don’t require a gym membership.
Her 5-year plan: she sees herself married, highly, highly successful in her business endeavors (I personally can’t wait for that).
When I asked her what’s on her iPod she laughed and said she says she LOVES hip-hop, Dr. Dre, Eminem, etc. (it’s great for working out). Last Monday she was at the gym working out to Dr. Dre when she looks over and there’s Dr. Dre in the same gym! How awesome is that? It was such a great moment for her. In addition to hip-hop she also loves John Mayer and Katy Perry’s latest album. Her absolute favorite song when she’s having a bad day is Natasha Bedingfield’s ‘Pocketful of Sunshine’. She tells people if you are down listen to happy music to get yourself moving.
Michelle can be seen in Tough Love Miami on Sunday nights at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. You can also visit Michelle on her blog where she shares fitness/healthtips. She can be found on Twitter at MichellBetts4 and don't forget to like her Facebook page.
