What good can come from it?

Note:  The following was originally published Feb. 17, 2011

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When this blog first began, the following comment was left:

“I do not understand why this has to be done and what good can come from it.”

It’s a good question.  There may be people who believe that putting this blog up is a petty act. There may be individuals who only see it as an ongoing exercise in anger and blame. What is the purpose here? Why does this need to be up? How does this help? What good comes from this?

Keeping silent doesn’t make fear go away. It makes it worse. It creates fears so deep and so dark, they eat you alive from the inside out. Learning how to speak up and face those fears is one of the key lessons from Body for Life.

“Do feared things first.”– Bill Phillips

Going through your day being afraid of saying something that will cause offense is no way to live. Being on a fitness support site and being afraid to give support isn’t right. Being afraid that you’ll say the wrong thing and get kicked off isn’t right. It’s just not right to live in fear every day.

If I’m willing to stand up and say something, it shows others that they have the power to stand up. I learned to stop living with fear. If I’m not going to live in fear, I need to stand up and lead by example.

It’s the same with the weight loss. Every time I share my story, someone realizes it’s not just them. They see that it is possible to lose the weight. They see that they can make this happen because I did it. By telling my story, they find something they can hold on to, something that helps them find a way forward.

I’ve moved forward. I’ve lost the weight. That doesn’t mean I stop telling the story. It helps people. This is the same thing. There are people who are asking questions. There are people who are scared to say something. There are people who still need to know others feel the same way.

That’s why this has to be done. So others know they are not alone. Every time someone reaches out and says, “I thought it was just me”, this is something good. They know it’s not just them.

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31 Responses to What good can come from it?

  1. Mike says:

    I know that this site has been a help for me to realize that it’s okay to not be okay with some of the things I saw over there. It’s been good for me to see that I’m not alone and that I’m not just some weirdo who “didn’t get it”. I bought the book, spent A LOT of money on the new supplement line (at least a lot for me), and invested a lot of time, so I feel I should be allowed to get my grievances out and be done with it. For a very long time, I considered Bill to be one of my heros because of the difference BFL had made in my life. I anxiously read anything the guy had written; it might as well have been scripture in my eyes. Naturally, I was super excited when transformation launched and I spent a lot of time on there, reading what others had written and occasionally posting myself. I tried to find my fit because I wanted so much for transformation to be “the thing” that would turn my life around and make everything just perfect and wonderful. That was obviously an unrealistic expectation, but I feel that’s kind of the image that is portrayed.

    Like most of you, I noticed a lot of things that didn’t seem right and I just chose to ignore them. Things like Bill snapping at people’s comments, then giving what felt like an over-the-top insincere apology, then a few days later deleting his comment if not the entire thread. Stoney mysteriously “moving on to new ventures” when so many people counted on him on a daily basis. By the time I realized the big blow up had occured in September, all of the threads had been taken down, Bill’s profile was taken down “and he didn’t even know it”, and his assistant had posted follow up comments promising Bill’s forthcoming explanation and apologies. Of course that was also soon deleted and the whole big mess was swept right under the rug.

    I would have been okay with all of these things if he had just once come out and admitted that he’s human and makes mistakes too, given a sincere apology, and then left the apology up and not deleted it the next day. I think I would have respected him even more, because it would have shown that he’s practicing what he preaches. Instead, it seems like anything that shows him in a less than perfect light is censored or removed. Like it or not, when you’re the founder and leader of a community like that, people are going looking at you under a microscope; regardless of whether they’re paying you or not. When you preach being totally open and honest, but then you cover up and remove anything negative, people are going to notice and speak up about the inconsistency; rightfully so. What happened to “progress not perfection?”

    In the end, my disappointment is my own fault. I shouldn’t have put any person up on such a high pedestal. In the long run that can only lead to disappointment because we’re all human and we all have our faults. As I sit here today, I am in just about the worst shape I’ve ever been in my life, and that’s my own fault too. I am still working on finding my true reasons for wanting to make a long-term change and I feel very hopeful and confident that this will be the year that I do it.

  2. Jillian May says:

    Dearest Mike! I’m sending you cyber hugs and lots of love. I totally understand where you are coming from, and I have to say, I feel the same things too. I don’t think your disappointment “in the end” was your own fault. Why? Because you thought you had found something that could do others good as you did yourself good. When Bill went missing, I was glued to the site for two days. I had no idea of the alleged “offending thread,” as I didn’t read it. I didn’t know what was happening, but at the time, it felt like a knife had been put through my heart. I was SO EXCITED to have found something that I thought I would belong to for life. I saw myself as a life long supporter and potential leader there. I have been off the site for a while and obviously still am processing it on some level. Reading comments like yours makes me angry, but that’s not your fault. I feel as I do because I wonder; how many others like us are hurting over this? And you are right. One of my biggest thoughts was it was NOT so much Bill going offline and pulling pictures, his name, etc. It was the manner in which he handled it that offended and hurt me the most, because it opened my eyes to see that, just as you have stated, he did not practice what was preached. I think he damaged Transformation forever, because, don’t you think that the ones remaining still wonder if he will up and leave again? It makes me so mad, because I miss everyone there SO MUCH, but the principle of not being a part of something that can hurt people is stronger than my need to avoid being hurted I guess. I would rather walk alone than march in the shadow of a leader who does not appear genuine. Anyway, these are my thoughts, but not all of them, from which I will refrain. I am betting there are many more of us out here. Thank you for sharing yourself with us, because I believe it is healing to know I am not alone. Aren’t you glad that you found this site???

    Love to you!

    Jillian May

  3. Brett says:

    You wrote that someone posted the message about this blog — “I do not understand why this has to be done and what good can come from it.”

    This blog has done a great deal of good for me. I just want you to know that. You have helped me move past the feelings I had for Transformation; the way I felt about my life because of that site, and the torn feelings I had for what I wanted in my life from that site.

    As I noted in my posting earlier this year, Transformation was something that had me going back and forth, over and over again, with feelings of goodness and sadness. I could not shake those feelings and thought I was cursed to have those torn feelings for a long time. I no longer have those feelings. Why? Because of this blog.

    This blog made me realize I was not alone. And I was not wrong. The feelings I had were not wrong, because it was actually the site that was causing those feelings — not me. The way Transformation was being run (and still is) was so conflicting that it was impossible not to have torn feelings. The message there did not go with the way the site was actually being run. Unless you walked through the site and the process with blinders, it was impossible to believe in what it was being said and what was being done — because they weren’t the same things. And this blog let me realize that the confusion that I felt about my feelings for Transformation were not a by-product of anything I did wrong.

    So, (and this may seem a small thing in the scheme of life, but it is a huge thing to me) a small part of the good that has come from this site is you helping me get my life back. I thank you for that. I hope all of us can find the happiness and healthiness we all deserve. Keep up the living and loving folks.

  4. Jillian May says:

    Brett’s statement “helping me get my life back,” is profound. Ironically, my understading was that Transformation was there to help us help ourselves, and others to improve their lives, but in my experience the opposite occured for many of us. -Just a thought. . .

  5. maryann says:

    for all i know..i may have been the one that asked the question. LOL. i dont think so..but…i had so much negative emotion from that experience that i just didnt want to rehash it and relive it…just wanted to LET IT GO. but that really didnt happen, and it didnt just “go away”. With some wise counsel and gentle probing questions, Michelle let me see what it was that was making me hesitant to commit to her site. Fear. i was afraid.
    i had to face it that i was afraid of voicing what was truly happening inside me and how this experience affected me and my life and i didnt want to hurt more people…i didnt want to get in the middle of a battle of the fervent believers and the disheartened ones like myself. I didnt want this site to be just another place to all get together and bash people and the site and rehash all our wounds. i didnt want to get involved in a place that would be in turmoil, goodness knows there was enough of that on that site. you never knew what was coming next.
    THANKFULLY, what i found this site to ACTUALLY BE is a place where healing has begun for many. no fear. no unjustified anger. i do see people choosing their words wisely, but overall the whole feeling here is one of healing, togetherness and a getting our lives back kind of vibe. Hooray for that! Hooray for Michelle and her bravery and wisdom to create such a place…a safe place.

  6. Carolyn says:

    I agree with you, completely, Maryann. I wanted to just let it go, forget about it and move on, and realized that part of that choice was fear. I didn’t want conflict. I didn’t want to add to any negativity, but I now realize that isn’t the case. It was difficult for me to admit that I needed to acknowledge what happened at T.com. It was far easier to believe the lies that I just didn’t get it, or I wasn’t trying hard enough, etc., etc., etc., when the truth is, I did get it, and I was trying had enough – I just didn’t fit into the mold of that group of people. Well, I never was much of one for fitting into someone else’s mold of who I should or should not be and I should have known better than to try and recreate myself into their ideal. The biggest eye opener for me was when my daughter was reading the site and said “gee mom, seems kinda like a cult, I don’t like this place” – and I realized for the first time she was right. It had become a cult-like place, and that was no place for me. The site did not contain the values and morals I wanted to convey to my children, nor that I wanted to continue to embrace in my life, so why was I there? I felt such relief when I finally left I wish I’d done it months before. I don’t regret joining, because every experience is a learning experience – what I do regret is staying so long.

    Thank you, Michelle for putting this site up. I no longer want to just sweep it under the rug, make it go away, or ignore it. I allowed myself to be pulled into an unhealthy situation, and allowed myself to be hurt by it, and the only way to move past that is to acknowledge it and learn from it.

    My personal opinion is that there are many unhealthy, manipulative, passive-aggressive people who are part of T.com right now. That is not to say that all people there are like that, but my experience was that the longer the site stayed up, the more this inner core of people took over and ran things in a fervent manner that, as noted before by many of us, bordered on a cult. This is not the life I chose for myself nor my family, and I hope that those who remain with t.com recognize the unhealthy aspects and make the choices that are right for them, be it stay or go.

  7. Jillianmay says:

    I’ve had almost a year to reflect on my experiences with Transformation. More importantly, I’ve had a year to reflect on my experiences with myself. I have to be honest here, that I allowed myself to put too much stock in other’s opinions of me, and my need for approval from them. I wasted a lot of time in so doing, when I could have been simply working on myself. For me, I realize that Transformation never did anything to hurt me, I allowed myself to be hurt. I have to admit this, because if I don’t, I always will be allowing myself to be hurt and never will take responsibility to grow as a person. I now don’t care whether I have anyone’s approval, or whether I fit into any mold, or “type.” I have to do what I believe is right for myself, and not others. The blow-up that occurred last summer was not my fight, and I knew very little about the circumstances. Rather than remain objective, I became non-neutral in my thinking, and basically threw in the towel when I should have been learning from my own reactions. For this, I am sorry, because I allowed the thoughts and feelings of others to cloud my own thinking. In retrospect, I truly hope those who felt harmed find peace and acceptance. For me, I will continue to examine my own thoughts and recations, and work on introspection. I have no idea what place the bitterness and anger I held onto after my accident had in my development of self, but I have a feeling that those experiences probably will provide invaluable insight as a tool to grow, and to help others. I’m still healing from my accident in Denver, and my never recover fully, but I only have one life to live, and am pretty darn lucky to be living it at all. So, I shall not wallow in self pity or misery, or the misery of others. Beginning today, I shall strive to become a better person, no matter what, and I expecially will not allow myself to stagnate or regress, simply because I perceive that things aren’t going my way for the moment. Life is short, and we only get to live it once. So, henceforth, I shall endevour to live!

  8. Bill's a fake says:

    Bill and Transformation and his camps are all a big joke!!! The man is fake as can be! generous to be sure, but only for the publicity and when it fits his own needs.
    I was always thought that when one does a good deed and is sincere about it, they don’t seek out the publicity for it, how many times have we seen Bill post something to get the publicity out of it? His contests are rigged based on who he can make money off of, not who had the best transformation.

    Mike Byrnes won the Spring Forward Challenge, did Bill let it out there that Mike was a Coach and on the judging panel of the contest? and now he’s the COO of the company, as I said it’s all about what you can do for Bill!! Money talks and he sure likes to flap his gums about how great he is. Anyone recall the big blowup between him and Lynn Lingenfelter on Facebook? Lynn let out all of these behind the scenes secrets about how Bill really is, now he talks to Bill, is working for him again and singing his praises to anyone who will listen!!

    I attended Transformation Camp and one of the things that I noticed was the information provided and the 5-25 workout could all be found on tcom and on his Facebook page. Don’t get me wrong, the program works and works great but the man behind the program is a liar and has never done a single step in the book!! His language and the way that he treated others at camp was astounding!! One camper asked him a question and he responded with “I’ve been doing this for 22 f’n years!! I think I know wtf I’m f’n talking about” Never mind that one the campers was a minor and was right there to witness the whole thing!! and that’s only incident that happened!!

    I’ve had my own issues with Bill that I won’t go into here but I have reached out to him via e-mail to try and work them out…he ignored me completely, I guess he’s to busy focusing on his 24 year old g/f!! Tcom can be a great place but a toxic place as well, I spoke out about Bill and had my profile deleted and when I sent an e-mail to inquiry why it was deleted I never received a response. It’s sad to me because Transformation can and has changed lives, but when you really learn how fake and twisted it is, it leaves a horrible taste in your mouth!! I feel for those who have been stepped on and hurt by Bill but I would say to them, let it go…he truly could care less!!!

  9. troy says:

    Yeah, that about outlines what most of us know about Bill. He takes things others have made use of and puts it out there as his own creation. The 5-25 I think is Chris Winters’ creation of the workout he used that was successful in his change.
    The championship selection along with the Honorable mention awards were usually coached from beginning to end and I know personally of several honorable mentions that were awarded as the result of Bill having a fallout with certain individuals. It was his way of apologizing to people for being an ass. Then there are several people who never recieved their cash awards and were attacked verbally for even mentioning anything about not getting their rewards.
    All in all, there are more negative things that seem to come from that site and now the camp.
    It seems to be a train wreck in constant flux.
    Thanks for sharing.
    I’m sure there will be more stories.

    • Bill's a fake says:

      I hope that there are more stories!!! more people need to know how he really is so that they don’t get hurt in the process!! I have experienced trouble with obtaining a reward for being named a runner up. It took about 3 weeks of calling and e-mailing before I received a response as to when we would get the cash rewards. Bill played off on my being a veteran, he told other camp members how he awards grants to veterans in reward for service to their country, but once he found out that I was never deployed during my time in the Army then he started treating me like crap. I guess because not being deployed isn’t as marketable as just being a veteran, as he was posting a lot of stuff on Facebook of him doing stuff for veterans and active duty. I thought that the 5-25 looked familiar as I remember watching a youtube video and receiving n e-mail from Chris on tcom regarding his workout routine, they are pretty similar if I am remembering right, I wish I could go look at the e-mail but my tcom account was deactivated for some reason….

      With regards to the champions usually being coach I can totally see that happening!! During the challenge I recall Mike posting on Facebook a photo of the new spin bike that Bill had bought him and numerous photos of them working out together at the Center, although he lives in New York. I think what is most amazing to me is that not many people that been hurt by Bill actually speak out about it, they still hang on his every word and treat him like he is some sort of god or something.

  10. troy says:

    That’s the thing, I don’t won’t to hear stories about people getting hurt, or Bill flying off the handle or even people getting screwed around by his promises that he seems to not fulfill. But it happens on a regular basis and this site was set up for anyone to be able to come here and vent. Many here understand what you are going through. And like you mentioned, it is amazing how many others Bill has jerked around and yet they continue to sing his praises.
    The latest incident with Lynn is a good example. I just wouldn’t have figured that Lynn would have had a price and could be bought like that.
    And I would have to wonder why anyone who is still on T.con wouldn’t at least question what has happened to a lot of the champions and other peoples profiles that have been deleted. It totally reeks of censorship and control of a site where everything appears to be geared toward praise and worship of Bill.
    If you were to get to know some of the people and hear their stories personally, and then read the Transformation book about some of those people, you would be appalled at how he took their stories and made hisself out to look like the knight in shining armour who saved their life.
    Turns out that their knight in shining armour is only a turd wrapped in silver foil.
    I applaud and respect the fact you were on call and ready to defend our country. Not everyone can be deployed. That’s a fact. It’s amazing what new levels he can stoop to.
    Google Aderall………just saying 🙂

    • Bill's a fake says:

      I actually have googled Adderall before and Bill lol, someone else mentioned that about him. In a way it is kind of funny to hear because I am Bipolar 1, the most severe form of bipolar and he acts more like he is bipolar then I am!! lol Like you I would like to not hear about the hurt that Bill has put people through and it is sad that it happens as often as it does. At the camp that I was at someone brought up Clarissa and asked why she hadn’t been active on tcom anymore, he dodged the question and started talking about how much money he was putting in to upgrade tcom.

      It’s funny because of my experience with Bill and noticing how a lot of past champions weren’t active on there is what led to me doing research and coming across this site and it is appalling to think of how he has stolen parts of peoples life stories to make himself look good. The few times that I’ve talked to him and then witnessed him tell the same story but with different details on Facebook or in his blog on tcom, it astounds me that no one catches the inconsistencies. When he did BFL he claimed that was the exercise and nutrition plan that he followed, 4-6 months ago on Facebook he posted old EAS photos and said that back then he worked out 45-60 minutes a day 4-5 days a week, ate what he wanted and did no cardio, doesn’t sound like the BFL lifestyle to me!!

      Thank you and I really appreciate your applauding and respecting my time in the Army, it truly means a lot!!

  11. troy says:

    To me, my heros are the men and women that serve our country in the Armed Forces and the firefighters and police officers. Their lives are put on the line everyday and enough thanks can’t be given for that. You are the unsung heros.
    There are many things that can be said, emails that show proof of the man behind the curtain. One can look at what he preaches, but doesn’t follow and figure out he could care less about making America the most fit country again. He’s plan is a mass marketing plan, but he always seems to be one step back of the other gurus he follows. His goals seem to be scattered and not well focused on what or where he’s going next.
    He made such an ass of hisself on his own site, I can only imagine he will continue to distance hisself from others when they meet him in person. From what I hear, he has been a total disappointment to many that meet him.
    Something else I always assumed when I read anything that he wrote about hisself, I thought he was well known and everyone knew who Bill Phillips is. I ask people all the time when I’m talking about health and nutrition if they have ever read his books or looked at his cook book and 99% of them respond Bill who?
    I think he is a figment of his own egotistical imagination.
    Again, I’m sorry for what you have gone through and the disappointment you witnessed when you met him. It is my hope, and many of us here that you find some comfort and relief in posting here and can quickly discover you aren’t crazy or you weren’t imagining things when you came in contact with Bill. It is also our hope that he will eventually seek some sort of professional help and then maybe he can continue on his journey in helping others, instead of hurting so many.
    Thanks again for all you are and all you do :)!

  12. Bill's a fake says:

    You have heard correctly, a lot of people that have met him have come away feeling disappointed. I was at 2 of his camps and almost everyone I talked to were turned off by his arrogance, language, and how he distanced himself from everyone, one person made the remark that in his advertisements for Camp he says that you get to spend one on one time with him and that rarely happened. At the dinners he had his own table where him, Maria and some of his staff sat at and they invited one or two people to sit with them, other then that Bill ignored everyone. It is sad to me that Camp is this way because Shane, Brandon, Chelsea and the rest of his staff are amazing and you can tell that they truly enjoy helping others and love what they do. That being said you could also tell that everyone was on edge when Bill was around, you could literally feel the tension.

    I have mentioned Bill before to trainers at my gym and all they know him for is EAS, they know nothing else about him and most don’t even care lol. It makes me feel better and sad at the same time to know that it was not just me that was treated this way. This may sound weird but I have a degree in public relations and marketing and I can see how he turns this around to make money off it, to play the victim. The problem for Bill though is that not everyone is as starstruck about him as he thinks they are, word of mouth is a very effective form of advertisement and words is getting around about how he is. I am glad that I found this website and that I am able to share my story and it has helped bring me comfort and relief by getting it off of my chest.

  13. troy says:

    It’s funny you mention how you said that Bill can turn things around to make money, look like a victim or even as a friend of mine suggested: make a change.
    My friend said it was uncanny, from others peoples rise from injury or tragedy how Bill has done the same with his injury. He has taken his own story and reconstructed in a way to showcase his “life changing injury” and made it one of rising above the normal to get back into optimum shape. I guess you could say he has witnessed a lot of incredible journeys to create his own.
    I hope he doesn’t cause a shoulder or arm injury from continually patting himself on his own back.
    I am so very happy that you have found Michelle’s site and can rest easy that you are certainly not alone.
    If possible, I would like to exchange email addy’s.
    Send Michelle your info if your interested and I’ll contact you if that’s o.k.
    Thanks again so much for putting down your thoughts and feelings here.
    And by the way, I’ve heard that Bill ran off Chelsea and Brandon. What a shame 🙁

  14. Bill's a fake says:

    I sent Michelle my info and I would love it if you would contact me!! You also heard right, he did run off Brandon and Chelsea which is pathetic and sad, especially because of how long they were with him. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with both of them and they are both truly amazing!! I’ve made more progress health wise following Brandon’s tips and insights more then I ever did with the 5-25 workout. I hope that Shane or Tobi are not the next ones that he runs off, they are both amazing as well, I will be forever grateful to Shane for the advice and guidance that he gave me. I was supposed to have back and neck surgery and so far Shane’s advice has kept me off of the surgeon’s table.

    I recall on Facebook about a month or so ago someone posted a video link of one of the webshows with Clarissa only a few months after Bill’s “accident” he was standing and walking, showing that he didn’t really spend all summer long in a wheel chair as he claims he did, classic example of the million dollar body ten cent brain example!! lol

  15. Dude says:

    What happened with Clarissa and Bill?

    It seemed that they were together for several years and had formed a great relationship. She was out there with everyone on the forums and doing her videos and she became a Tcom star.

    They even got engaged last fall about a year ago and then things got quiet. And they shot a Video together in Feb 2012 at the camp. She disappeared right after that and like magic Bill was engaged to someone else.

    Then her account disappeared and she was gone.

    Also, the forums have gotten really quiet and I’m guessing at some point the forums get shut down. I’ve heard the T camper have their own area for support, not sure if its true, but its all so sad.

  16. Bill's a fake says:

    Bill cheated on Clarissa with his now fiancee Maria and has cheated on Maria as well. In a post on Facebook Bill remarked how he and Maria had been seeing each other since Camp 1, which was I believe in January or February, which was when he was engaged to Clarissa. Not sure what all happened with her and Tcom but after he cheated on her he sort of kicked her to the side it seems.

    Bill Phillips is nowhere near the man that he portrays to the public to me, you’d be shocked if you knew the real Bill Phillips. The whole story is pathetic and pretty sad that one man that has helped so many is a fraud and lives his life in a way that is nothing like he promotes himself to be.

  17. Marketing and Grooming says:

    I have a similar experience with Mr. Phillip’s. At the 2010 event he had his assistant, Paige, pull me to the side in the room and told me “Bill wants to chat with you.” I thought it was a great opportunity to “thank” him for his contribution to the fitness world with BFL and Transformation. What I experienced next was what felt like a grooming technique. He took calculated time and made sure he knew my story to attempt to groom me into thinking I could be the next champion. I was one of the “Holiday” winners early on in 2010, and it took four months to receive the $1,000 check, and what was originally announced as a 6 month supply of Rightlight was decreased to 3 months. What I realized was that if I wasn’t playing to tune of his beat, there was never going to be recognition for all my hard work that I put in (not Bill, ME!).

    What Bill did was give me the tools, but ultimately it was me who showed up did the work, ate clean, and stuck to the regime. Yet he wanted to take full credit for it. I know of one particular champion (won’t name names) who is no longer affiliated with Bill Phillips or Transformation, yet due to contractual obligation must keep the profile on T.com active, and Bill owns all the rights to the champions before/after photos. Not only that but Bill put this particular person in a situation that the champion was not yet prepared for on a personal level (Bill took advantage of his own financial gain to exploit this individual and their pain).

    It took me a long time to realize that I was the one putting Bill Phillips on a pedal stool, and that the reality was I wasn’t the only one doing so. I pulled family and friends in the mix, and subsequently ‘drank the kool aide.’ It was hearing from the aforementioned champion that I realized everything I had heard and read was true, and that all Bill said to me in Denver 2010 was a marketing and grooming attempt to make another story out of me for his financial gain.

    Lastly, as for Clarissa, she has a heart of gold. Pure Gold, and what Bill Phillips has been alleged of doing to her is disgraceful. Mr. Phillips uses his own wife’s stories as marketing ploys to reel in potential T.com campers (and doesn’t allude to the fact that she is now his wife when he does it). I can assure you that Clarissa has moved onto greener pastures and is hugely successful in her most recent endeavors. She’s a fighter, and while Bill may have broken her heart, at least we know her heart is genuine and she truly cares about the people she inspires and coaches.

    I’ve said my peace. I am glad Bill Phillips never got to elect me a champion, and that I’ve left the site because frankly I OWN MY OWN STORY. I am the author of my journey, and he doesn’t get not one ounce of profit from my success!! AMEN!!

  18. Bill's a fake says:

    I had a somewhat similar experience with Bill. I wrote him on Facebook and thanked him for BFL and Transformation and for all of the inspiration over the years, I’d followed Bill since the Muscle Media days. To my surprise he responded and thanked me for my service and sent me a 3 month supply of Right Light for free, I heard about his camp a few weeks later and after talking to Tobi told her that I could not afford the price to attend, I just didn’t have an extra $1495 laying around. She e-mailed me back a day or so later and told me that Bill was offering me a grant to attend for free because he thought that I would really benefit from going to camp and that he looked forward to talking with me.

    Once we got to camp Bill said hello to me and after that he barely said a word to me in person. On the last day of camp he encouraged all of us and me to enter the Spring Forward Challenge and I was named a week 4 winner. During the challenge Bill sent me Right Light for free to “support my efforts” about a week or so before the contest was over I went back to Denver for a reunion with some members of Camp 4 and Bill invited us to attend camp 11 and speak to the other campers, which was a shock because when we were planning the trip we were originally informed that we could not come to the Center because we would be a distraction to the other campers and that if we wanted to workout that it would cost us 50 dollars each to work with a trainer. So much for the whole “you can come back and have your after photos and weight taken for free after your 12 weeks.”

    When we spoke at Camp 11 Bill made sure to mention that I was an Army veteran and went on a speech about how he offers grants to military as a thank you for their service, he told the campers that I was a combat veteran, which I’m not, I never saw combat and once Bill found that out he ignored me completely, I guess my “story” wasn’t good enough in his eyes but he sure as hell went on a pro military campaign for awhile. At Camp 11 Bill presented me with a runners up medal for a contest that wasn’t over for 2 weeks!! I’m not saying that I should have won or that he said that I would win but when someone sends you 6 months of free Right Light during a contest and tells you never to buy anything that all you have to do is e-mail and he’ll send it to you it makes you believe that maybe he has big plans for you. On the last day of camp 11 he offered me some Right Light but I told him that I just didn’t have room in luggage for anymore and he got pissy and snippity with me, took the box from my hand and said ” I guess you don’t need this, looks like you have all you F’ing need” and tossed it back on the pallet. He dropped the F bomb regularly at camp even though one lady had her 15 year old daughter present, told a couple of ladies off for asking him a question and was all over Maria every chance that he got.

    He named one of his employees the winner of the Challenge, he had named the guy a coach a few weeks prior and then named him the Challenge winner and then named him the COO of his company, I was named a runner up and had to wait almost 2 months for my prize money. I spoke out against Bill on Facebook and had more than a few people e-mail me and ask me about my post and how I could say such things about Bill, but I also received e-mails from people that I never expected would e-mailed me telling me of similar treatment from Bill so it helped to know that it wasn’t just me. On the bright side I made many new friends from the whole situation, and I plan on letting as many people as I can know about Bill, I don’t want to see anyone be put through what Bill has put others through, it’s not right. The sad thing is, is that the program works, it’s just to bad that the man behind is as fake as his wife’s smile, who’s as two faced as can be, I overheard a lot of the stuff that she talked about others and Bill behind his back, all I’ll say is that they were made for each other!!!

  19. Not your friend for life, that's for sure says:

    Bill and his wife Maria are a bunch of Frauds. FRAUDS, I tell ya! Bills’ constant mood swings remind me of someone who’s on drugs. It’s not that hard to see. I had success with BFL, and when I saw that Bill had a transformation camp, it just was a perfect fit for me. I had gained a lot of weight from an injury and thought that attending camp would be a perfect way for me to get back into the swing of things. When I emailed Bill about camp, Maria had called me immediately to set things up. I explained my situation and that I really couldn’t afford the price. I was told that Bill would offer me a discount because of my situation and that he really wanted me to attend. They offered me a payment plan, and I decided to go. I later find out that 1)- No discount had been given to me. 2)-They lied to me over the phone about the actual price of the camp. 3)- I paid what everyone else paid to go to camp. When I finally get out to camp, I was promised a bunch of things. Maria is doing all of these projects and asked me to be a part of it. All lies! When my 12 weeks were up, I was made to feel badly about my progress. Supposedly 20 lbs and 8 inches off my waist weren’t good enough in 12 weeks. I was irritated when I saw on Maria’s fb page, congratulating someone who lost 16 lbs her first 12 weeks. I thought wtf is this? I had started to question things before that. I continued to look at Maria’s transformation pics and she looks like someone who lost weight from a bunch of diet pills, not someone following the workout program. Anyone knows that doing this program makes your muscle tone really pop out. Girlfriend has zero muscle tone! To lose “64 lbs in 6 months” without having an ounce of definition, seemed weird to me. I voiced this to several of my other camp members who are drinking the blue kool aid. No one seemed to question it except for one other camper that I had met. Her response “Well, we figured that out from the beginning didn’t we?” I started digging. I found out the truth, in the end. Bill is a total narcissist who only does things so that people will idolize him. If he finds you ugly, he will be a complete jerk to you. If he finds you attractive, then he’s nice to you. I cannot be a part of something that is built on a lie to begin with. I deleted anything that had to do with transformation camp on fb immediately. I just can’t live a lie and I refuse to continue my weight loss journey giving credit to Bill. I started doing other workout programs and eating a different menu and I will tell you that I feel so much better already. I have so much right light left I want to burn it, but with my fixed income, I can’t. Have you ever let that stuff sit? I forgot my shake in my car the one day and it literally was like glue when I came back out. I thought, this crap cannot be good for your body..Anyone else feel that way? Bill makes you believe that his protein shake is the best out there, but the reality is, it’s absolute garbage!

  20. Bill's a fake says:

    I know exactly how you feel trust me!!! Bill and Maria are the biggest frauds out there, what I find funny is how Bill was “seeing” Maria while he was engaged to Clarissa but he wouldn’t publicly be seen with Maria until she lost all of that baby weight…yup, she was pregnant before!! I got similar treatment about the weight loss. I lost 29 pounds in 12 weeks, I was weighed by Shane right before Camp 11 but on Facebook Bill told everyone that I had lost 35 pounds and he made damn sure to mention that I was an Army veteran and how he hands out grants to veterans and military. I had a lot of Right Light left over after I said the hell with Bill and his lies and the only reason I used it was because I had so much left and like you I live on a fixed income so I couldn’t really afford a different protein at the time but everyone that I’ve known or talked to that has tried Right Light has complained about what it does to their stomachs!! Bill leave out that the carbs in Right Light are not low glycemic and at camp he told everyone that has 4-5 a day in an effort to sell more of it.

    I voiced my concerns to other people that attended camp with me and 95% of them stopped talking to me and after I spoke out on Facebook and on Tcom Bill had my IP address blocked from Tcom. He treated me like crap as I’ve listed in other posts and when I brought it to his attention he ignored me. I hope that he understand that a lot of people know that he uses testosterone to build his physique and who knows what Maria’s on, I would have thought that the steady diet of ego that they feed themselves daily that they’d be out of shape. As I saw someone post about Bill, he looks roided out and Maria looks like the midlife crisis!!

  21. Ari says:

    It is really good to find this website and see so much truth written about the diabolical flesh called Bill Phillips. This guy is an absolute asshole who somehow still finds new ways to poor his kool-aid thicker.

    He uses drugs and steroids. He is an avid dexidrine user as well as testosterone user. He gets his juice from Dr. Life. He lied about his knees when he tells everyone he broke them by falling. He lied to everyone about his wheelchair usage. He uses people and then throws them away when he is done. He is a narcissist. He is a cheater. He cheated on that woman from his ****.com and then played it off when he got married 1minute to that little girl he calls his wife. She is a marketing tool and oddly, lost weight from something, not by working out. Birds of a feather.

    Every thing he writes he claimes as his own. His stupid little text messages are all copied and then he adds his signature as if he thought of it. He book is plagiarized. So many parts of his book was pulled from a few.

    Every single thing written on this site is true. He is a bad person who has more cease and desist letters than he can count. the majority of the people from his past hate him, REALLY hate him. He shuts everyone off with money. He’s just a very very bad man and I am disgusted at myself that even believed in his bullshit. Lesson learned.

    For those of them still following that jerkoff, a part of me wants to say, Bill is bad, and for those of you who know it about him, you are just a contributer to the bad. You are just as guilty.

    Ari

  22. Bill's a fake says:

    OHHH I completely agree Ari!!! I know that when I first spoke out about Bill I received support from some that followed him but claimed that they had “seen the light” and told me of their experiences. To my surprise lol, a few weeks later I see them on on his Facebook page singing his praise about how inspirational he is, how great he is, I saw Lynn do the same thing as well. The whole Transformation thing is a joke, I know the program works, I had success with it but most programs will work when paired with a solid nutrition plan, but according to Bill his program works best, the one that he doesn’t even use lol. I actually recall him admitting on Facebook that he never followed Body-for-Life either, he claimed that he worked out 45-60 minutes a day 5 days a week, never did any cardio and ate pizza and drank diet coke every night for dinner. He claimed that he could get away with it because he was in his twenties, I think we all know the real reason lol.

    I tried bringing my issues with him to him through e-mail and he ignored me and then when I posted about it on Tcom he had my IP address blocked. Some day the Karma bus is going to take him for a ride and I wish that I could say that I would have some sympathy for him…but I’d be a lying fool if I said that I would have any lol

  23. TJP says:

    I have been lamenting for quite some time as to whether I should post anything here but what the hay, I will do it anyway. I want to start off by saying that I think the person at the centre of all this has done amazing work in bringing resistance training and bodybuilding to the masses. His timing was impeccable and his contest back in 1998 saw a revolution within the health and fitness industry. That I cannot question. From there, this man could have become anything and he was the reson I began lifting back in 2001. For that I will be forever thankful.
    Unfortunately, some people who become famous or earn a little or in his case a lot more than others can become paralysed with a perceived greatness that they believe puts them above other individuals who work hard just to make ends meet. They become lost in their own self importance and sadly that can have a dramatic effect on others especially those who choose to put somebody on a pedastal. I am the first to put up my hand and say that yes I was one of those people. That changed as my time at transformation endured.
    I am thinking that maybe I should elaborate ten fold on my current injury that is keeping me out of the gym at the moment so that I can develop a story that may win me 10k. After all, there are some very strong indications that the person in question ellaborated on his own leg injury to sell his own story of triumph over adversity.
    I am not trying to take away from anybody’s story who did overcome adversity, please don’t get me wrong, but just like a journalist getting a scoop, the person in question knows well and truly that sensationalism sells. Just like my brother above suggests, if he perceives that you have nothing he can market or sell on your name, then don’t bother wasting your time to complete a package and turn it in. I have spoken to many of the past champions from transformation and a lot of them share that their story has been ellaborated. Why? Sensationalism sells!!!!!
    I have nothing against the man personally. He has never done anything to me personally and on the three times I met him, I felt respected and that my thoughts and opinions actually mattered to him. And to be honest I feel that one of my own personal theories that I have developed in my own practice within the helping industry, and which I discussed with the man in question, got a small mention in his book, but of course I have no proof of that. Maybe it was just lip service maybe not but I did not line up to meet the man. I don’t line up to meet anybody. You could be the President of USA or some celebrity or the Queen of England, no person is that important that I need to line up to meet somebody. We are all human beings and we all bleed the same.
    I noticed some things during my trip to Denver in both 2009 and 2010 that made me realise that all the hype surrounding this person and all the glorification that was bestowed upon this man was probably unwarranted. I walked with the posse for about 5 minutes during the 2010 Denver marathon and was enjoying the conversation with the person in question. I must admit, I was feeling pretty good about it all until somebody came up and asked the person for a photo. We stopped and had the photo taken. The lady obviously wanted to take a few pics or was having trouble with the camera and it was taking a little longer. I don’t know who she was but she was wearing her transformation blue shirt. Suddenly there was this mighty explosion of profanity. It went something like this “F$%^! How many f*&%$@g photos do you want! My f*&^%$g legs are like concrete”! Charming. Who knows how far this person had traveled to meet their idol. People had come from Europe, Australia, New Zealand and all over the USA to meet this ‘guru’ of the health and fitness industry. I was disgusted for this very reason and basically said “Well I am done shooting the s$%^. Have a great day and ventured on to complete the half marathon. There is the right way and the wrong way to deal with such things and this was the beginning of the end for me and my worshipping of such a person.
    I began to realise that the man who was trying to sell Transformation, which in essence, is a glorification of the AA program, was so far removed from the reality of his own teachings that it became laughable. Can I also just say that for those who have gone through the AA program, I absolutely salute you 100%. To overcome such a stronghold addiction is indeed something that needs to be applauded, commended and appreciated.
    There appears to be no doubt now that irrefutable damage has been caused by certain factions of transformation and when this happens it usually stems from the top. I don’t need to ellaborate any further on what went on in transformation as it is well documented on these pages. I think you are all very strong and courageous for telling your story. I met some amazing people on transformation.com and infact they have become lifelong friends. I also met some who got so caught up in their own self importance that it became a jostling for position as to who could get the divine one’s attention the most. It was quite sickening. Transformation will always have a special place in my heart because of the people that I met and the friendships that were built. Sadly, something that was so great was destroyed by the egoic nature of man, something that was preached but not adhered to by the person in question.
    I sincerely hope that all of you here that have been hurt are able to move forward and take only the good experiences from Tcom and bury the not so good. As a person who has faith in God, I imagine that one day the person in question will come before God’s judgement and have to explain his actions. Sadly he won’t be able to deter or threaten his Creator with cease and desist letters from an attorney.

  24. Semi-happy Camper says:

    I went to one of Bill’s camps late last Fall. It was pretty heady for me to be in the same space as him, as I had followed and admired him for years. I got to do part of my upper body workout with him, which was amazing for me. I will say that he was kind and friendly to me even though I was in horrible shape at the time. The weird part of it all for me was Maria. They were engaged but not married yet. I don’t think it was just me.. I don’t think any of my fellow campers knew what to make of her. He would be talking to the group and would just come over behind the chair and HANG on him kissing the back of his neck. I have nothing against affection, but appropriate timing, right? And before her little talk to the group about her transformation she went in the office and changed clothes into skinny jeans and high heels, like we hadn’t just seen her in her workout clothes a minute before. It’s just a weird weird paring of people. She definitely knows what side her bread is buttered on, but I do feel like Bill told her to stop posting photos of the Chanel bags and Louboutin heels on Facebook, since the luxury goods news seems to have dried up recently. One of my fellow campers thought that Bill was still with Clarissa and was shocked to see Maria there. She asked me what I thought the deal was and I guessed that maybe he wanted kids and Clarissa was too old for that? I couldn’t figure it out… Clarissa always seemed like an awesome person otherwise. From an earlier comment, if Maria was pregnant when/before she and Bill met, what happened to the baby?

    So I had a mixed experience, the education was great, Bill was excellent with me, but the Maria thing was so odd. I still don’t quite know what to make of it.

  25. Bill's a fake says:

    Bill and Maria were I guess you could say “weird” At the camp that I attended where I met her they were both all over each other, Bill would speak and they would off to the side and he would grab her butt or kiss her neck. No one knows what happened with Bill and Clarissa, what I do know is that I attended Camp 4 and a few of the campers had said that they had talked to Clarissa to schedule things and then Bill comes out at a later date and says that he had been seeing Maria since Camp 1. However Maria was not the woman that Bill had with him at Camp 4 either. As for the pictures Maria has a few of her and Bill partying on her Facebook page, one in particular where he is hanging all over her, I’m all for having fun and enjoying your life and your spouse but when you are running a business of health and transformation party pictures in Vegas aren’t really appropriate in my opinion. Bill is kind and friendly to a person’s face, I overheard him make some horrible comments about some of the campers and when I attended one of the dinners and got to sit at a table with him he continued to do the same. There was one lady that he thought was weird so he had kept out of the dinner and only let her in after she agreed to sit at a table with Shane and other staff and to not socialize with anybody.

    Bill was very generous and kind to me in public but when no one was around he treated me like sh*t, I apologize for my language. I tried to contact him and tell him how he treated me and how it made me feel and he never responded, but he did block my IP address from Tcom and from commenting on his Transformation Facebook page and Maria being pregnant awhile ago is one of those “little known” secrets. It could turn out to be a false secret but it is something that I heard from more than one person that has been close to him, after I spoke out against Bill a lot of people spoke to me with similar stories and I’m glad because that has helped a lot of to heal. The education that you receive at camp is a joke to me, you can find all of that information on his facebook page and on tcom and on the internet for free, at least you used to be able to, I’m not sure if he has changed anything, the last camp that I was at was 4 and 11 and the information then was all the same, including the handouts.

    TJP above lists the perfect example of how Bill talked to and treated some of the campers, if it was me I would have demanded a refund!! If I am paying you $1495 dollars on top of airfare and hotel I believe that I should be treated with respect and sadly not many people at Camp were.

  26. Smart Guy says:

    I have been following your “GOD” for 18 years.
    I can assure you a GOD he is definitely NOT.

    His history with women and how he manipulates them are HIGHLY fascinating.
    Firstly, He was and is still a womaniser.
    Your GOD loves strip clubs and all the strippers in Vegas know him for his extravagance.
    The only reason he wants a woman is purely for marketing story & financial gains.

    This GOD of yours does not understand love or even needs love. He comes from a broken family you see. He is basically a rich / fucked up / arrogant kid who cannot relate to anyone else except himself. Have you ever heard him mentioning about his brother ? Yea he does have a brother….the one with the unbelievable 6 pack abs ? No ofcourse. He was ” played out” too.

    Your GOD needs admiration & worship from the masses. That’s why ever since his old companies started to fail that he had to quickly sell it off, he could not slip quietly away and spend his silly millions buying a ranch and leave out the American dream somewhere in the desert. He still has to desperately emerge again with a new program after all these years of hibernating in recluse. Why ? He needs to be remembered, revered and worship like God. That’s the ONLY thing he needs.

    So you see how selfish and megalomaniac a person can be ?
    Remember back in his former company, This piece of shit really played out his lovely girlfriend ( ex stripper ) which he knew for many many years.
    This sweet young thing has only 3 uses for your GOD….sex, eye candy and camera persona on his silly fitness videos.
    However, when his ex company and steroid magazine hit a doldrum and sales were declining, he lost his mind, sacked people mindlessly and just simply got rid of her as though she was nothing….She is just another girl that your GOD has screwed & exploited and now its time to get rid of that useless piece of trash and move on.
    Poor girl was so devastated and confused that she became a bisexual.
    She was a manager in that silly company for heavens sake. Rumors has it that now she is a coffee barista “pulling shots ” somewhere in his hometown.

    Oh ! He played out all of his best friends who helped made him famous…
    By that time, he wanted to be surrounded by bankers….not ex convicts and hardocore steroid dealers. Its bad for his reputation you see.

    love, respect or romance have no meaning in this fella’s life.
    His relationship with any woman or man is based purely on business gain & mutual interest. That’s exactly what his latest “fling” is going after….business gain & mutual interest. Trust me, once this new company starts to dwindle, protein sales drops and the money stops coming in, this new “fling” and him will part instantly as there is no love, respect or romance with both of these people. They both come from broken /dysfunctional families. so its all about ego, fame, self worship & money.
    Yes birds of the same feather.
    My last advise for his latest fling…..please contact this asshole’s ex girlfriend in his hometown and see what he did to her to fuck her up. Then make sure to get your fair share from him when the iron is still “hot” and dump him when you are still in his favor. Don’t end up like the barista or his older wife. Most important, make your move when the company is still making money coz this asshole has a standard modus operandi of sacking everyone he knows when the company is not doing well.

    Yup…..That’s YOUR GOD hahahaha

  27. Bill's a fake says:

    Oh we all know that Bill is no GOD lol, it actually amazes and puzzles me by how many people still see him in that light, especially the ones that he’s screwed over and they still hang on his every word!! I remember his brother Shawn, his abs were awesome!! I recall he was in a lot of Muscle Media magazines but then him and Mike Ryan slowly disappeared completely. At the camp that I attended Bill took all of the credit for developing Shawn’s Full Strength Protein Shake, claimed that he came up with the formula and everything for Shawn, which we all is complete BS because he’d be making sure to see a profit from it and he’s be promoting the hell out of it if he made it. I can’t wait to see his arrogant little ass take the fall that he’s destined for!!

  28. Kevin says:

    Check out TC Luoma’s comments on Bill on the web from the 90’s. All of the above is true. Also look into the testimonials of the first Body For Life winners. Meredith (married to a Dr. in the film) was hit on repeatedly. The steroid bits in the film were faked. 4 of the Champions failed drug tests. He targets specific winners to attract specific markets. Most of his EAS supplements had no science behind them, a technique he learned from Joe Weider- another con. Met RX was/is crap. Dr Connelly’s credentials were altered. Bill partnered with Jeff Everson on Met Rx, who is one of the biggest scumbags in fitness. The guys from the 60’s sing Weider’s praises as people do for Bill, because he would lie to get them positions in film, etc. Scwharzeneggar in Conan, being the first time Weider bent the truth. Bill’s recent 10lb gain came from Sustanon 250/Deca 300 and HGH-his favorites. He is retaining water in the photos and has pumpkin face from retention.

  29. Cate says:

    I am astonished at all I’ve read here today. Was simply looking for some inspiration to transform my life and came upon this site by accident. Sad that a man, yes a MAN hurt so many people but it’s not shocking. Hurting People hurt people. I’m not going to judge his intention because only he and God can do that. But his actions speak volumes. This past hour of reading has been something from Hollywood…

    We’ve all learned a valuable lesson here. Don’t worship mere men. Put your faith in spirit not the flesh even when it comes to YOU.

    Place Honor in the proper order, honor God, honor yourself, honor your neighbor. And a Special Shout out to all Veterans – THANK YOU and I honor YOU 🙂

    Peace and love to you all.

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