Kirstie Alley: “I’m Fat. There’s Nothing Else To Call It.”
May 14th, 2009 by Rian | Filed under Misc Celebs & Diet News.
In case you haven’t noticed, there is a cover story running in the May 18th issue of People Magazine about Kirstie Alley’s shocking weight gain.
Kirstie – who has been under fire for her previous controversial & alleged 75-pound loss on Jenny Craig, got on the scale several months ago and realized that she weighed 228 – her all-time high weight. She has decided to lose the weight, but this time keep the details secret.
Here are some highlights from the article:
Q: Okay, how did this happen?
A: It started with New Year’s [2008], right after leaving Jenny Craig. When you’re a spokesperson for Jenny Craig, there’s responsibility. It’s very scrutinized. You have a person every week standing over you when you get on the scale, and I did it naked because those panties could weigh 30 pounds! It was amazingly successful! But the first nail in the coffin was that I didn’t have to weigh in anymore. I just sort of went wild. [...] Ugh, it was the end of me!Q: At what point did you realize you were really gaining it all back?
A: About 8 to 10 months after ending Jenny Craig. I had definitely succumbed. By then I was distraught. You loathe yourself. You hate what you’ve done to yourself.Q: Did you go right back to indulging in cakes and pies the way you did the first time you let yourself go?
A: It wasn’t the exact same M.O. My food demons are Chinese food, sugar, butter. A lot of butter.Q: What else would you eat?
A: For seven months I was a vegetarian. I can’t tell you how much weight I gained being a vegetarian! A vegetarian would probably be eating vegetables. But to me being a vegetarian meant I’m going to eat enchiladas with no meat and I’m going to eat loads of bread, lots of carbs.Q: What’s to blame for your weight gain this time around?
A: If you stop exercising – which I did – and if you stop watching your caloric intake – which I did – you’re gonna get fat. [...] I’m fat! There’s nothing else to call it. I know that a lot of people like to call it a “disease” and an “addiction”, but honestly, the bottom line is that I was just really irresponsible.Q: What weight do you want to get down to?
A: I have to be below 140 to really look good. My real goal’s always too low. I love the way I look at, like, 128.Q: Aside from the triathlon, how do you plan on losing weight this time around?
A: I am creating a weight-loss system that will end the roller coaster ride. Details are completely under wraps.
Kirstie mentions in the interview that she is planning to do a triathlon in Italy when she has lost some more weight. So far, she’s down 20 pounds.
So, what do you all think? I just hope that whatever “system” she came up with is healthy and sustainable for the rest of her life…!
Loading ...Source: People Magazine, May 18th 2009 issue
Tags: kirstie alley, overweight, tabloid, weight gain
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I hope she manages to do it this time! Perhaps all that pressure from being a spokewoman eventually had an opposite effect on her. But I admire how candid she is about it. And really, 128 lbs at 5′8″ is still a BMI of 19.5, which is in the normal range, although on the lower end. LOL At the comment about underwear weighing 30 lbs!! I’m sure she was exaggerating…
I wonder how long she will keep the weight of this time
yeh, shes not looking so good…
I read that article. How do you let yourself gain over 80 lbs!?!? That is just absurd!! Once you stop weighing yourself, eating tons of crap, and replacing your gym equipment, you are setting yourself up for failure. It was only a matter of time before it all came piling back on.
I kind of feel bad for her, but then again she does this to herself by eating tons of shit. It is not healthy to lose and regain that much weight.
Its true what she says about being a vegetarian. I have been one for almost 4 years and have actually gained weight. It sucks! Vegan on the other hand, that’s a smart choice.
She didn’t even sound like she had any faith in herself when she was on Oprah so HELL NO she won’t keep it off. She’s annoying as hell I think. She’s scatter brained and loud. UGH.
Poor thing, I can’t help feeling so sorry for her. I know how stressful it is to fluctuate 15 lbs in a lifetime… imagine 80 lbs, or whatever it’s been for her… 100 lbs? Horrible.
I feel for her. I always have. I think she’s just like me. She just freakin’ loves food and especially anything high calorie and isn’t really into exercise and she probably gains weight easily. I never could succesfully stay on any diet plan until I gave myself one day a week to eat whatever I want. I have my doubts about whether she’ll be able to keep it off, but I’m pulling for her!
barring pregnancy, I don’t know how you can just let yourself gain 80 pounds. It baffles me how it is even possible to gain that kind of weight.
I still Think she’s beautiful.
I feel sorry for her and hope it’s gonna work out, whatever she’s planning. She needs to completely change her eating habits for life, and keep on excercising to keep that weight off.
She is right, she is overweight, but now that she is aware of it she can do something to change that. She obviously has had a long battle with food. Maybe her new strategy is a gastric band (?). Good luck to her
I hope she got her stomach stapled. That is the only way she could keep off the weight. I think she is addicted, not just irresponsible.
I hope she loses it and keeps the weight off permanently this time, she looks fantastic when she’s thin. She doesn’t have a good record. She needs to learn balance, and exercise.
It’s irresponsible to let yourself go that badly. Gaining 40 lb I understand, but not 100.
I think it’s REALLY irresponsible for a magazine to publish on its front page any kind of relation between “shame, blame and regret” with gaining weight, specially when it’s a magazine for teens. it’s irrelevant whether she really did those statements or not, they should be conscious of the people who’s reading and the problems they might be affecting or creating.
Besides, and now about her, it’s difficult for me to understand how can you gain 80 lbs. i don’t even know how can your body gain 80 lbs. in 10 months…maybe she had some kind of health problem. Anyway, i’m sure that if that’s what she wants, she’ll lose it again.
Poor Kirstie. She might benefit from psychiatric help or, like Kiss_My_Kiwi said, a gastric bypass. She should either lose this weight and keep it off or stay at this weight. Which may not be healthy but yoyo-ing really wreaks havoc with your body!
Poor woman. No, I don’t think she will keep it off. I hope she can but she seems to go up and down year after year (like Oprah and some others do too). Heck, I can relate, I am just so thankful that my fluctuations stay within 10 pounds or so…those stress me out enough, I can’t even imagine 80 or 100 pounds. So was that 128 her weight back when she was younger or was that her low on Jenny Craig a few years ago? For some reason I had thought her Jenny Craig weight was like 140? And she looked very good and fit on Jenny Craig, IMO. She wasn’t thin really but totally a healthy and attractive weight.
I really hope it all works out on her part. I love how honest she is about it.
I wanna see her wear a bikini on Oprah again.
Kirstie needs to get on a sustainable plan, and view it as a lifestyle change…not a temporary diet. With Jenny Craig you have to buy the prepackaged meals and such and you never learn how to function in the real world once you get off their plan. I personally lost 30 lbs with Weight Watchers and I have kept it off for 18 months now…no special foods (you can opt to buy some of their snacks but it isn’t necessary for the diet) and after you lose the weight they coach you on how to maintain the weight. I think Weight Watchers needs to snatch her up now so they can show how plans like Jenny Craig and Seattle Sutton do not work.
props to her for being honest and taking responsibility! at least she can admit she is fat and knows she really only has herself to blame.
hope it works out for her!
Henny it has nothing to do with being a vegetarian. People can make bad food choices regardless of if they eat meat or not. I find it ridiculous when people blame vegetarianism for their weight gain. No, it’s not the lifestyle, it’s the person’s food choices. Common sense should tell a person that no, they can’t subsist on cheese enchiladas and fried rice and expect to be a healthy weight! (I’m a recent vegetarian-turned-vegan myself, so I get kind of passionate about this subject).
I have been vegetarian for 22 years (since I was 14!) and you can eat well or add up the calories in coffee creamer, cheese, fried foods, breads, even avocados, nuts, etc. Like everything else you just have to make sensible choices and not overdo the calorie intake. Normal portions and high calorie foods in moderation.
Well, at least she’s being honest about it.
wow, I feel frustrated when I gain back 5 lbs after I have lost it. So what must feel a person who gains back 80 lbs after losing it? I hope she will get through this and lose that weight once and for all
I hope she takes care of herself..this story is sad. go kristie!
I did Jenny and lost 50 pounds in total. I went from 176 to 108 and it was great. although I am 5′8 i still look healthy since i make sure to train. U have to incorporate this into your life style. I love being active and make sure i get some cardio everyday. Jenny also helped me eat the right way. I have cut out all processed foods and only eat, raw, natural foods. I still bake once a week so i dont deprive myself and i have whole chicken each night. I love it but it is not for all people.
Yeah, I feel for her and it’s going to be especially hard because she’s older, I mean she’s pushing 60. She’s gonna have to really push herself and no more back and forth but I’m rooting for her!
Nice to see she still has a sense of humor! As for gastric bypass, I know someone who had it TWICE and is still morbidly obese. Therapy / counseling is probably the way to go for some people, including Kirstie.
It’s so obvious that this woman is SICK. I can’t understand why she doesn’t get professional help but instead goes out to talk to magazines. It’s actually funny that ppl tell underweight girls “get help!” and not someone like Kirsty who without a doubt has been suffering from an eating disorder for a loooooooong time.
She’s brave to speak about the bounce-back in public. I hope she’s able to achieve the weight she wants.
@ henny:
I’m a vegetarian and lost ten pounds the first month because of the hormones that are no longer in my diet. There are countless studies that say vegetarians weigh less. If you’re a balanced diet vegetarian you should weigh less. And veganism is not a smart choice. Of all the dietary types they live the shortest. Humans are not made to live without vitamin B12 something you can only get from meat or by-products like eggs and cheese. The extreme quantities you get in supplements actually increase your cancer rates.
I remember her when she was small, a very beautiful woman and she still is, but i think she has an eating disorder, she should treat the ED and then go on a diet or better change her lifestyle.
Rian I agree with you 100%. I’m just saying being a vegetarian, I have found myself overcompensating with breads, cheese, etc. That is not saying that all vegetarians gain weight once they cut out meat but in my own experience it has caused me to gain. Not that I really mind because I know I’m not partaking in animal slaughtering and torture.
I wonder why this woman hasn’t considered Gastric Bypass. I’m assuming because she is too afraid to give up the mounds of food she’s been scarfing down over the years. I think she DOES have an eating disorder, and it’s sad that she’s not willing to recognize it. No doubt she binges and no doubt she can overcome this if she is willing to put in the time and effort. That’s simply what it comes down to (and I’m no saying it’s easy).
I actually thing a vegan diet would do wonders for her.
i would say props to her for being so truthful, but it seems quite motivated by her own self-promotion. anyways, i hope she succeeds. she kind of has to keep the weight off this time, or no one will want to do her weight loss program. ha!
Picture this…..Kirstie Alley & Kelly Clarkson butt-naked entangled in a mud fight!!!
I HOPE she some how manages to keep consistent with her weight. Yo-Yo dieting THAT much for so long can’t possibly be good for your body.
hc, you are exactly right! I used to have no appetite and had to force myself to eat and I was a rail. But not by choice. However, now I can eat anything and everything in sight. It is not as easy as saying, “have more will power”. when i had no appetite, i couldnt understand fat people. but now that my chemicals or whatever have changed, i sometimes can not stop myself. i dont care what people say, some people just do not have the cravings that others have. no one wants to be fat. its just alot more difficult for some people and has nothing to do with will power.
Well I hope she loses it. At least she is tall.
Sounds like she has a lot of food she can cut out of her diet, that she doesn’t need (butter, chinese food) so that may make it easier.
She eat’s too much food. Simple.That’s how you get fat!?!? It’s not rocket science.
I just find it incredible that some people need to loose 80-100lbs, scary. Poor woman.
You know what they say “A minute on the lips, a life time on the hips”. Clearly she totally lost track of time.
wow this lady is 58 and freaking gorgeous at any weight! but i really think she can lose another 100 pounds… but who cares she is soo pretty!!!
i have a HUGE problem with kristie (pun intended). she’s been doing women a disservice by lying about her weight for years . there is NO way she was 5′7 125 when she appeared on oprah in her bikini (she claimed she was 200lbs before starting jenny & said she lost 75 lbs). she had to be at least in the 150s.
at her age, it’s going to be really hard to drop 70+ lbs, but i wish her the best.
Lisa S. what you say about veganism isn’t true at all. People around the world who are vegans from birth live some of the longest lives on the planet – many well over 100 years.
“If you stop exercising – which I did – and if you stop watching your caloric intake – which I did – you’re gonna get fat. [...] I’m fat! There’s nothing else to call it. I know that a lot of people like to call it a “disease” and an “addiction”, but honestly, the bottom line is that I was just really irresponsible.”
I just totally love her honesty here.
She will lose weight….but I doubt she will lose as much as she did last time. She needs to find a weight she can stick to.
it seems clear to me she has Binge Eating Disorder. It’s easy to sit and point fingers and say “How can you let that happen to you?!?!” but it’s not just a matter of being stupid or lazy or something. There is a psychological issue that needs to be resolved before you can even deal with dieting or the gym–that’s what I learned, anyway.
You can’t blaim her because she doesn’t have will power. I can’t understand how an alcoholic can’t just stop drinking, knowing they are killing themselves, because I can resist alcohol. Well, it’s the same with eating. Some people are able to eat less, eat better, than others who have underlying issues.
128 lbs? LOLOLOLOLOL no offense this is why she can’t lose weight she has this glorified image of herself in her mind and when she can’t reach it i.e. she is still 200 still 180 she will give up.
Her goal should be 20lbs at a time
I think she needs to go get eating disorder treatment and real therapy instead of just doing a diet and exercise. It’s obvious she has issues with food and uses it as a coping mechanism. If she doesn’t deal with the underlying issues of hurt, loneliness, inadequacy, whatever it may be, she will never be able to maintain a healthy weight in a healthy way.
BEING A VEGETARIAN DOES NOT MEAN EATING ONLY VEGETABLES! No one can survive on only vegetables. You have to have protein and carbs, too! As a former vegetarian, there’s not much that angers me more than when moronic people like her say that vegetarians are supposed to live on mostly fruits and vegetables. What about legumes, nuts, dairy, eggs and carbs like whole wheat bread and whole wheat pastas?
She’s under cult mind control, and they may not let her get real therapy which is a shame, since it would threaten their control over her. Scientology is a cult. Kirstie obviously has food problems, you don’t have crazy weight swings like she does without some sort of issue.
I’m sure she’s not happy at this weight, but I think she is naturally heavier than skinny and should just go with it and work on getting a healthier weight.
I hate that she feels the need to apologize. She doesn’t owe it to anybody. She still looks 10 times better at that weight than most women her age would. She’s beautiful.
Kirstie Alley statement about vegetarianism annoys me a little. It is possible to gain weight on a vegetarian diet even more than if you ate meat. Yes I agree with that statement but being a vegetarian doesnt make you fat. Making poor food choices as a vegetarian, not exercising would make you fat. Being a vegetarian is not a get out of jail free card that would cure all of your weight problems. I am vegan now and even when I was a vegetarian I never overindulged in bread and cheese even if I like them. Bread and cheese and high quantities of rice do not like me. I know many fat and obese vegetarian who are junk food vegetarians. Eating meals like a small portion of brown rice and beans and salad is a perfectly balanced meal that would not put on so much weight esp with exercise.She really did not know what she was doing.
She will be a yo-yo for her entire life.
She just can’t do this, lose weight due to drugs, gain, lose weight once again, gain, try to lose weight again. Finally she’ll realize that it’s not just about eating fruits and working out. It’s a LIFE CHANGE thing, I personally want her to be healthy but Idk if she can stay that way.
being a vegetarian can make you gain indeed because you can easily overindulge with vegetarian stuff (nuts, dreid fruits and many other) im a vegan so i know (although im wat too restrictive)
The savior Tom Cruise will help her find her way!!!
” I know that a lot of people like to call it a “disease” and an “addiction”, but honestly, the bottom line is that I was just really irresponsible.”
Thank you Kirstie for being honest with yourself and the public! Finally, a fat person taking ownership instead of using the words “disease” and “addiction” as an excuse to be huge and keep eating badly.
I love Kirstie.
Yes she may have been 128lb at 25 but she has to be realistic now. She is better off maintaining a higher weight that she can actually maintain. Maybe 160lb would be a more realistic goal than under 140lb.
NO I’m sorry, if you can allow yourself to get over 200 pounds not once, but twice without doing anything about it, that cycle is just never going to stop. I don’t have hope for her. I hate to say it, but I don’t. You don’t just fall off the wagon and gain 83 pounds. That’s just insane. She has no self control. Its like she goes ALL into a diet\exercise plan and gets so into it at first, and then gets bored and goes so far in the other direction.
I think she needs to go to therapy, and I am serious. I think there are some serious addiction issues that need to be addressed. I think this goes deeper then she realizes.
She’s almost 60. If she continues on like this, she’ll waste the rest of her life in this horrible cycle.
I just think she needs to learn to eat the right way. Plant-based foods are the way to go, with regular exercise. I think the problem with Jenny Craig and other diet programs is that you get meals that are just “healthier” versions of the standard American diet. She could be a healthy vegetarian if she tried. You can cook your own version of takeout that isn’t fried. And she just has to learn to cut out the butter COMPLETELY and any other addictions she has – yes, they are addictions. Everything in moderation doesn’t work for everyone, it can be a cop out if you let it be one.
i wish her all the best
Oh, and Lisa S.- it’s true that plants lack the vitamin b12 that doesn’t mean you can find it naturally in meat either. B12 is not synthesized by animals OR plants- it is made by bacteria. It just happens that animals and their food are contaminated with it. Plants tend to lose it during food preparation.
It’s just plain unhealthy especially at her age. I won’t pass judgement on her for being fat but she needs to be worried about her health. Being somewhat overweight is normal in America. We like good food. But why not eat healthy “most” of the time. That way when you splurge it’s a true treat. Pick one day a week to have a little fun and eat what you really enjoy. And make working out fun too. Mix it up. Try dancing, roller skating/blading, get a stripper pole, or just be creative. I hope she can keep most of the weight off this time if for no other reason………HEALTH!
ok..not for anything… but how can someone let go of him/herself like that? (watching the “biggest loser”…how can someone be so overweight and pack on fat that is equivalent to “another person”. like being 140 pounds overweight)…HOW? I mean really… HOW?
i say just eat well and exercise- don’t diet. it (obviously!) doesn’t last
I know she doesn’t want to use the term “addiction” as it relates to her weight gain but there may be something to it with her. Kirstie has been very honest in the past about her onetime drug addiction. Former drug addicts often turn to other substances as a substitute for the drugs they no longer take. Its very common for them to gain a lot of weight. She credited Scientology for helping her with her drug addiction. I’m not a fan of Scientology personally but perhaps there are resources there that will help her deal with this as well.
Therapy would be a good start. I really hope she gets a grip on her addictive behavior and loses the weight for good. For her I wish only the best!
Honestly, I think she is a very attractive person and looks really good if dressed nicely. (I’ve seen her in some huge muu muu dresses and they don’t help). I don’t thinks he needs to get down to 140, but she should start being more healthy. I don’t think she is “just fat” and I believe she does have a food addiction that she should be getting therapy for. I say forget about trying to be a size 4, and just eat balanced and healthy and excercise regulary. But she’s going to need psychological help to do this.
she doesn’t need to devise a ’system’ to lose weight, she just needs to cut out all junk and eat mainly fish and veg. It’s not rocket science. I know it is horrible being on a diet, but their is no point being faddy about it. Just eat really healthily and it will slowly come off.
there – not their – my grammar and spelling is slipping
She’s proved that she can loose weight if she wants to, she just have to find a way to keep it off. Like someone said, maby gastric bypass would be an idea? Jojo-dieting is, in the long end, more harmfull for the body than being overweight.
Yep, she’s right. She is fat.
@ Persephone | 14/05/09
barring pregnancy, I don’t know how you can just let yourself gain 80 pounds. It baffles me how it is even possible to gain that kind of weight
Hi Persephone,
If you are carrying a single baby, a weight gain of 25-35 lbs is about right. Women who gain more are just taking advantage of “I’m eating for two” which is downright wrong as well as lazy, stupid and unhealthy. (pet peeve lol)
As for Kirstie, SHE:S telling the truth! Finally someone who admits they just eat too much butter.
Wow. I feel bad for her because she’s definitely caught in a weight struggle. I was much heavier in my younger years, but I lost about 60 pounds and managed to keep it off for 8 years and eat extremely healthy. I couldn’t imagine going up and down like she does. =(
“a lot of people like to call it a “disease” and an “addiction”, but honestly, the bottom line is that I was just really irresponsible.”
On the spot. At least she is honest!
It’s also possible to eat what you want and not gain weight. I do that every day of my life! I think I’m addicted to food and I love bread, bagels etc, also pasta with creamy sauces, but I make sure I also eat tons of salad (fiber) to wash it down and then EXERCISE for 1 hour about 5X a week.
That being said, I dieted from 165 to 120lbs (at 5′7) and have kept this weight, fluctuating no more than 5 lbs for almost FIFTEEN years…it’s not rocket science, the more you eat, the more you have to burn off, and I make sure I do.
She needs inner peace, maybe she eats to fill up loneliness
Barbie, you nailed it. Eat healthy most of the time, splurge occasionally and get some fun, daily exercise. So what if you are a few pounds overweight but not 50 pounds (or more) over. That’s just too much.
it’s difficult to say whether she’ll keep her weight off. but i’d much rather she stayed like this rather than let her weight yo-yo. that way at least she’ll be happier.
or she could go for weight loss surgery. at least she’ll be guaranteed to get somewhere.
but above all i admire her honesty. i think people should learn to view her in that way and understand her situation, rather than sit and criticize her image.
This is a sad story. It is so sad to see her go from getting so healthy to going right back to where she started. I wish her the best in getting healthy and happy with her body.
This woman obviously LOVES FOOD! Come on, how do you gain 80 lbs in 8 Months without eating tons of Junk!! I think she will always have problems with her weight, unless she starts making eating healthy and exercise a part of her every day routine, she will always be tipping the scale.
She needs someone to watch her like a hawk for the rest of her life, to see what she is eating! I really think that’s the only way she can take any permanent control of her weight. She’s tall and wasn’t thin the last time she lost weight, so I’m sure she still weighed like 160-170 but she looked great. If you can’t maintain that, you are addicted to food!
She’s still really pretty though – whatever her weight.
And her honesty is great – not trying to blame it on disease, metabolism (although as you get older that does change) or something…
But being a vegetarian has nothing to do with weight gain/loss, it’s all about what kind of vegetarian food you eat – carrots or carrot cake.
I still like her with or with out the extra weight.