Former Jenny Craig spokesperson Kirstie Alley shared with Oprah how she managed to gain back all of the weight she lost in 2006. Confessing to gaining 85 pounds, 10 more pounds than her pre-Jenny Craig weight, Kirstie candidly discussed how over the past year and a half, she stopped exercising and swapped her 1,400-calorie-a-day Jenny Craig meal plan for her favorite eats like chocolate and Chinese food.
Kirstie Alley in a bikini on Oprah in 2006. (Photo via The Oprah Winfrey Show)
The trouble started when Jenny Craig stopped monitoring Kirstie’s weight through their astutely-monitored weekly weigh-ins. Prior to this, Kirstie would rely on these weigh-ins to keep her accountable to her weight loss. Next, as Kirstie started to give herself some slack and loosen the reigns on her stringent eating and exercise routine, the portions got larger and the food became heavier. Soon after, she decided to turn her exercise room into a dining room and moved thousands of dollars of exercise equipment into her garage where they sat and collected dust.
After intense feelings of guilt, humility, self-loath and public ridicule, Kirstie is determined to once again get back to her bikini-wearing body. In the past five weeks, she has lost 20 pounds using her own weight loss strategy, which she is hard at work at developing into her own diet business. Harboring no hard feelings toward Jenny Craig, Kirstie will officially launch her new weight loss program in the next few months. By February, she has set a goal to “look ripped” with Michelle Obama’s arms and toned legs and butt.
Ironically, she brought new Jenny Craig spokesperson Valerie Bertinelli to the weight loss program who has since graced the cover of People magazine donned in a blue bikini and inspired millions of Americans to follow suit. But rather feeling jealous of Valerie’s amazing weight loss, Kirstie is motivated by her friend and is using her rock-solid body as inspiration to look just as great.
Although the actress remains fairly tight-lipped on what her new weight loss program is all about (we first mentioned Kirstie’s diet plan in February 2024), as soon as DietsInReview learns of its details, we’ll be sure to give you the skinny.
Kirstie is pretty amazing for going through so much weight loss and gain issues. The pressure on her must be intense.
I feel nothing but sympathy for Kristie and kudos to her to getting motivated again…. But we sure don’t need another celebrity diet plan and please not another book!
It would be great if she was interviewed or maybe did an article or two on how she accomplishes her goal, but not another diet plan from someone who suddenly thinks she is an expert.
Kirstie, it was so nice seeing you today on the Oprah show, I too joined Jenny Craig 2 years ago and didn’t make it there either, I have been on so many diets too. I once when I was much younger became a life time member of weight watchers, I started with that again. but then I don’t know what it is I go off the wagon, and I really, really do want to loose weight. I think my whole thing is that I can’t excersise due to the fact that I had surgery on my knee and foot, and this was in November, it doesn’t seem like I will ever be able to do it again the way my heeling process is going.
But I so much want to loose weight, I am so sick of getting up each morning and having to look myself in the mirror like this.
I wish that I could actually stick to some kind of diet or way of life plan, it seems like I am always so hungry, I do eat alot of veggies, fiber & fruit too, but then I eat everything else too. even if it’s a diet thing I eat to much of everything…
Thank you for listening..
Karol
i feel bad for Kristie as well. It is tough to lose the weight but tougher to keep it off!
Jenny Craig is a great program dont get me wrong but the bottom line is they depend on that food and if you do it for the rest of your life great. Once you get off that “special” food you will gain it back. You have to be determined and work with exercise and a diet. I know we all dread that work but its the truth. I had to deal with a diet pill from my physician but that was not the magic cure. Sure it helped but I had to program myself to eat right and exercise 5 days a week. That motivation has helped me to shed 44 pounds and at 43 I am back in a bikni with a flat stomach.
Fewer calories consumed than burned – it isn’t rocket science but sustaining it is soooo hard! We can NEVER go off the wagon – the wagon is our life.
People ask me “don’t you allow yourself a splurge” … NO – splurging is what got me here
I agree with Pam. To think that calories don’t matter is just magical thinking. Good reason to keep a food diary when losing weight – it keeps you honest and on-track.
-Steve
I love Kirsty Alley and she was the best thing to happen to
Jenny Craig and the only reason I wendt to work for them
I have battled my weight my whole life and would love to work with or for Kirsty
I love Kirstie Alley & went on Jenny Craig myself because of her testimony. However, just like Kirstie, I too gained it all back. Honestly, in my opinion, Jenny Craig is just too expensive! If you have the money, then go for it. But, going into debt to get thin is not my idea of success. Besides, it’s really not about what you look like on the outside. Society would like for us to believe that; and poo to those who only like someone because they’re thin! I think they’re shallow people. It’s all about what you look like on the inside that counts…and Kirstie has a wonderful personality, as do many other people! My heart goes out to anyone who struggles with their weight, because it goes much deeper than a weight struggle my friends. Food addiction is a real and ever-present problem with many of us. We should all stick together. My heart goes out to Kirstie and I wish her all the luck!
Kirsty should know bwtter. She will be riding this cycle the rest of her life. I know. She is following in my footsteps & I am about 5 years older than her. Oprah too, as well as most of Americans are too soft on themselves. REWARDS – REWARDS – That IS the problem. In this life, it needs to be SACRAFICE – SACRAFICE to be physically fit and healthy. We, as a whole, just are too weak to sustain that especially if we are trying to change later in life. Our bodies resist rather than respond and we love to cave.
Like Kirstie, it is too easy for us to slack off and grab that fast food meal when we are in a hurry and snack while watching tv, thus easily gaining wight.
I have noticed that when you eat fast food you always seem to want more.
We need to concentrate on eating healthy and that fast food and sweets need to be occasional treats. Healthy food has less calories and makes us feel full longer so we eat less-
at least that is what I have found to be true for us