Yet another weight related reality show will enter TV land. (Sigh)  With shows like Biggest Loser, Dance Your Ass Off and The Price of Beauty, it’s no surprise that former Jenny Craig spokesperson Kirsty Alley will get her own show. The 59-year-old yo-yo dieter has signed on with A&E for a yet to be titled show of 10 half-hour episodes. You may recall in 2005 her short-lived Showtime series Fat Actress, but that was a scripted show. This new reality show will be a first for Alley. Robert Sharenow, the senior VP for nonfiction/alternative programming said,

“Her personal life has been playing out in the media for years, but this will be the first time she’ll be opening up her home to reveal her real life for the cameras.”

Over the past summer Kirsty did confess that she gained 83 pounds but she was ready to get back on track. Latest tabloid photos of her show no change in her size but maybe the show will motivate her.

A couple of months ago Kirstie Alley gave both magazine and television interviews where she confessed that she felt she let people down after having gained all of her weight back that she previously lost while on the Jenny Craig diet.  After the Jenny Craig stint ended in 2007, Kirstie admitted to throwing out her home gym equipment and got back on to old eating habits.

“My food demons are Chinese food, sugar, butter. If I’m at the movies, usually I eat popcorn without butter, but I’d say, ‘I’m at the movies, so who cares?’ And toast with butter. There was a lot of butter going on.”

She even said that this time she was going to do it right, lose the weight on her own and later not just reveal a new body but also her own weight loss product.  However, when she was spotted last week at the Los Angeles airport (see photo above) it looks as if she hasn’t lost any weight yet.  Earlier that day she twittered,

“What to pack? what to wear today?  Does my ass look big without clothes? who are you NOT wearing on the red carpet? makes life so much easier.”

She then wrote,

“OH YES and I will be investing in the SPRAY TAN industry…and necklaces.”

That all doesn’t make a lot of sense, but then nor does it make sense that this woman who is such a great actress and comedian can’t seem to get a grasp on her health.

“I’m ready to work. I messed up along the way, but I’m not going to concentrate on that. I’m gonna go, “You know what? Get back on the horse, lose the freakin’ weight, and then just move forward!”

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Back in 2007, it was Kirstie Alley who brought Valerie Bertinelli on board as a new spokesperson for the Jenny Craig Diet.  But now the tables have turned and it’s Bertinelli who looks like a bikini bombshell and Alley has confessed to having gained 83 pounds.  When Alley saw her friend’s swimsuit photos for People Magazine she said,

“She didn’t just look good – she looked stunning! It was inspiring.  It’s like the student surpassed the teacher, who is now over there in the corner, fat!”

Valerie Bertinelli responded to her comments and said that it was nonsense and that Alley’s weight gain

“is just a bump in the road. Nothing in life goes smoothly all the time,” she continues to say that Alley is “a mentor and a motivator. She’s part of the reason I’ve come this far.”

Bertinelli then went on to say that she and Alley should work together as she knows the dedication required and that she too has to stay motivated now that she has already lost her weight and wants to keep it off.  Bertinelli said,

“She should come work out with me!  She should remember you can’t do everything in one day [and] her exercise has to be consistent. She can do this. There’s no doubt in my mind. I’m still on the journey and still keeping my fingers crossed.  I am one jalapeño pepper away from gaining 40 pounds. It’s not simple! It’s something you work on every day.”

The media is all over Kirstie Alley’s latest weight gain.  In just a couple of weeks time she’s been on the Oprah show and had her face splattered across tabloids.  She also gave an interview with People Magazine where she graces the cover and quotes,

“Yes, I gained 83 pounds.”

Well, there’s no hiding that.  During the interview she recalled the first time she weighed herself again after 15 months and she was shocked at what the scales revealed.

“It said 228 lbs., which is my highest weight ever. I was so much more disgusting than I thought!”

She went on to explain how she had let herself go again once she finished her contract with Jenny Craig.

“It started with New Year’s [2008], right after leaving Jenny Craig. When you’re a spokesperson for Jenny Craig, there’s responsibility. 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 lbs.! It was amazingly successful. But the first nail in the coffin was that I didn’t have to weigh in. I just sort of went wild.”

She also explained that this time when she gained weight it was different than the other times when she had a big sweet tooth.

“My food demons are Chinese food, sugar, butter. A lot of butter. If I’m at the movies, usually I eat popcorn without butter, but I’d say, “I’m at the movies, so who cares?” And toast with butter. Or let’s say I had two cups of pasta and six tablespoons of butter on it. There was a lot of butter going on.” she continues, “For seven months I was a vegetarian, and 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 lots of bread, lots of carbs.”

Now she is back on the diet bandwagon and is trying to lose the weight once again and get back to a bikini baring body.

“I have to be below 140 to really look good. I have to work my legs like crazy. Actually, do you want my real goal? My real goal’s always too low. I love the way I look at, like, 128. One time on Cheers, I weighed about 148 lbs., and they told me to lose, like, 20 lbs. Now, I’m 5′8″, so at 148 lbs., I wasn’t fat. But they’re saying, ‘You know, you need to lose 20 lbs.’ So what does that put me at? 128. That’s where I keep getting this number.”

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It’s time to review the good, the bad and the ugly in celeb diets of 2008. First a brief recap of 2007. The picks for 2007 were for the most part right on. As predicted, Kirstie Alley did in fact fall off the wagon with Jenny Craig. No surprise, Ricki Lake continues to shine with her remarkable weight loss success as she adopted some key weight loss behaviors. Capping a remarkable turnaround for 2008, Britney went from the worst celebrity diet list of 2007 to the best celebrity diet list this year proving that you are what you eat.

This brings me to theme for the year in celebrity diets of 2008, specifically that “diets don’t work.” The key to sustainable weight loss is not so much a particular diet but the adoption of the proper lifestyle behaviors. It’s the reason why Oprah can’t achieve sustainable weight loss despite trying multiple diets and having all the resources in the world (personal chef, trainer, Dr Oz etc).

You’ll also noticed that this year’s winners all have one thing in common as they develop their new lifestyle dietary behaviors. They achieved their remarkable slim downs by increasing their intake of veggies and fruits. No crazy fasts, diet pills, supplements or miracle cures. Here’s to 2009 and hopefully you’ll find some inspiration from this year’s crop of winners. Enjoy and be healthy, Dr Marc

Best Celebrity Diets for 2008:
5. Jennifer Love Hewitt: Those unflattering bikini photos seem so long ago as this Ghost Whisperer star has been letting her body speak loud and clear; daily fruits and veggies do a body good.

4. Jessica Alba: Jessica exercised her superhero abilities on a regimen of whole foods, cardio and interval training to power her fantastic 25 pound post-pregnancy slim down.

3. Debra Messing: Eating gracefully, Debra lost 42 pounds of her post-baby weight by sticking to a diet high in unprocessed veggies, fruits and lean protein.

2. Kelly Osbourne: By fixing her refined carb cravings with her new addiction to veggies and fruits, Kelly Osbourne is reborn with a healthy new figure.

1. Britney Spears: Since ditching her “Toxic” junk food diet for veggies and lean protein, Britney is sporting a new outlook and an A-list slim down that has everyone wanting “A Piece of Me.”

And the Worst Celebrity Diets for 2008:
5. Carnie Wilson: Carnie proves that even gastric bypass is not a fix for sabotaging behaviors. Despite her much publicized surgery and weight loss, this Celebrity Fit Club participant regained 58 pounds. (Her yo-yo dieting continues; she most recently lost 50 pounds before her current pregnancy.)

4. Monica Seles: This former tennis star may have lost 33 pounds on a high protein diet but she also increased her risk of chronic disease. Advantage: heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis.

3. Hilary Swank: 47 ways to sub-optimal health. Reportedly downing 47 “million dollar” supplements a day, this Million Dollar Baby star is unwittingly subjecting her body to accelerated aging.

2. Kim Kardashian: Kim has kept her shapely “junk in the trunk” figure with exercise and a gig on Dancing with The Stars. However, her junk food diet will inevitably cause… too much junk.

1. Oprah Winfrey: The queen of media and yo-yo dieter is the poster child for “diets don’t work.” Proper weight loss behaviors and habits should be one of Oprah’s “favorite things.”

After a year of reviewing celebs and their diets, I felt it was high time to give my take on the best and the worst in celebrity diets for 2007. This year’s crop of celebrity diets proves the adage “you are what you eat.” Diets full of fruits and veggies have helped trim down Hollywood’s biggest “losers.” This “best” list of celebs also shows that you don’t have to knock yourself out at the gym to get fabulous. This year it’s all about healthy lifestyle activities with Ricki Lake, Andrea Baptiste and Lenny Clarke getting active by walking, hiking and biking.

Brittany Spears, Beyonce and Ashanti top the worst list by resorting to quick fix weight loss schemes. Diet pills and fasting “detox” diets only give dieters false hope, resulting in rebounding weight and yo-yo dieting. Under the body-conscious spotlight of the media, this list proves that eating well and creating a healthy lifestyle are the best revenge.

The Best Celebrity Diet List for 2007:
4. Jessica Simpson: Jessica got back her daisy dukes, shedding 25 lbs on a 5 Factor diet of lean protein, good carbs, healthy fats and fiber along with circuit and weight training.

3. Andrea Baptiste: She lost 56 lbs on The Biggest Loser and has since dropped another 8 pounds, proving not all weight loss reality TV contestants gain weight back. She continues to “lose” by daily walking and running along with a low fat and low refined-carbohydrate diet.

2. Lenny Clarke: The Rescue Me star has rescued himself, losing 144 lbs with the help of Weight Watchers and a diet of salads, fresh fruit and fish along with swimming and biking.

1. Ricki Lake: A former serial and yo-yo dieter, Ricki downsized from 250 lbs in 1991 to her present svelte 123 lbs by using a food delivery service to limit calories, daily hiking and frequent weigh-ins.

And the Worst Celebrity Diets for 2007:
4. Kirstie Alley: It’s time for Kirstie to call Jenny collect. Processed sugars fuel cravings which may make her diet difficult to stick with.

3. Dr. Phil McGraw: Is the tough-love author of The Ultimate Weight Loss Solution obese? Recent reports of his weight gain show even self-help gurus have trouble following their own advice.

2. Beyonce and Ashanti: Divas shouldn’t let divas do the Master Cleanse (aka the Lemonade Diet). Fasting “detox” diets wreak havoc on the metabolism and when stopped, more calories are stored as fat, so you not only re-gain weight but become proportionally fatter.

1. Britney Spears: Junk food and a quick-fix lifestyle of diet pills and energy drinks caught up with her at the recent Video Music Awards and had everyone thinking “Give Me Less.”

Liza Minelli is reported to have lost 43 lbs on Jenny Craig. I ran across this in the recent issue of People mag but it looks like this is old news since there are reports of her weight loss in January of this year. Liza was also reported to have “thanked” Kirstie Alley for joining Jenny Craig. Call me a little skeptical but this smacks of a carefully orchestrated marketing plan by Jenny Craig to get celebs to endorse these diets. As you know Kirstie is having weight troubles herself and looks to have gained some weight recently.

Interestingly I was not able to find any ingredient info on the Jenny Craig website. Perhaps it’s for a reason because this review on ePicurious.com states that Jenny Craig meals are high in refined sugar, low in fiber and have transfats. The review ends by saying “If you follow this diet, you’ll probably want to take a fiber supplement.”

A diet high in refined sugar will fuel cravings which is why Jenny Craig, which relies on portion control, is going to be difficult to stick with. The recommendation to take a fiber supplement is ridiculous. More fruits and veggies is the answer.

Kirstie Alley reportedly slimmed down to 145 lbs on Jenny Craig and flaunted her bikini bod on the Oprah show. Despite assertions from her public relations people that she isn’t an ounce over 145 lbs, the National Enquirer speculates that she hasn’t been entirely truthful when it comes to her weight. A nutritionist and fitness expert, Jonny Bowden, is quoted as saying “Kristie is way overweight.”

Insiders report,

“When Kirstie goes out in public she plays an elaborate game of trying to cover up her midsection with purses and shopping bags. But there’s no hiding it now because even her flabby arms have cellulite now.”

“I think Kirstie is playing fast and loose with the truth when it comes to her weight.”

Celebrity Diet Doctor Weigh In…
It’s obvious from these latest pics, Kirstie is in fact very much over 145 lbs. This is turning into a public relations disaster for Jenny Craig. Of course, her PR people are going to deny any weight gain. Kirsties Alley’s contract with Jenny Craig, no doubt has big bonuses tied to her weight loss… and it doesn’t look like she is going meet them. Have you called Jenny yet?

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Food delivery services have become all the rage recently with the remarkable success of Nutrisystems. With all the calorie counting and portion control done for you they are especially convenient for those on the go. Epicurious recently rated 5 of the top diet-food delivery plans.

In descending order here’s how the plans were rated:

1. eDiets Deliciously Yours (formerly eDiets express) – daily price $39.26

2. Zone Chefs (endorsed by Liza Minnelli, Ivanka Trump and football player Jason Fabini) - daily price $52.13

3. Pure Foods fresh low carb (formerly Atkins at Home) – daily price $47.80

4. Jenny Craig – (endorsed by Kristie Alley and Valerie Bertinelli) daily price $23.99

5. Nutrisystem – (endorsed by Dan Marino) daily price $12.23

The eDiets plan was rated number one primarily for it’s flexibility compared with the other plans. Here’s a little secret you may not be aware of; eDiets, Zone Chefs and Pure Foods low carb are all contracted from the same manufacturer, so it’s no surprise that the same Very Berry Chicken dish was found on all 3 plans. Under the less costly eDiets plan you can also choose the same dishes on the Zone Chefs and Pure Foods plans so this may be a way to save a few bucks.

Zone chefs follows the Zone Diet by Barry Sears, Phd, which advocates 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fats. Celebrity devotees of the Zone diet include Jennifer Aniston and Cindy Crawford. More gourmet in flavor it was considered too costly by the epicurious team.

The Atkins plan, Pure Foods fresh low carb dominated by meats and artificial sweetners, is high in saturated fats and low in fiber. The Jenny Craig plan was panned for too much sugar (almost a quarter of total calories) and trans-fats. Fiber content was also noted to be too low. The least liked by the ePicurious team, the Nutrisystem plan was noted to be high in artificial sweetners, trans-fats, preservatives and low in fiber. The add-water component to many of the packaged meals reminded them of “astronaut” food. Another aviation inspired comment included “much of the plan tastes like airline food.” Ouch!

Following success with Kirstie Alley’s much publicized 75 lb weight loss, Jenny Craig has signed on fellow celeb Valerie Bertinelli to join the program. Excited to team up with Kirstie as part of this advertising campaign, not to mention getting paid for losing weight Valerie says “I was a huge Cheers fan and have always admired Kirstie Alley’s sense of humor, poise and tenacity. Watching her lose weight and maintain her weight loss publicly definitely inspired me to ‘call Jenny’ and accept the challenge to be a healthier, happier me.”

Viewers can check out her progress as she marches her way towards her 30 lb weight loss goal. At week six into the program she reports a 17 lb weight loss. Way to go Valerie!

The Jenny Craig program is set up to be a no-brainer weight loss program with a pre-packaged meal plan. All the portion control and calorie restriction is done for you. But this can get expensive as Jenny Craig costs $137 per week which is 150% more than the average American spends on food. The biggest downfall of the Jenny Craig program is that it does not teach life-long eating habits. Once off the program, without the discipline and convenience of the prepackaged meal plan, what’s to prevent one from regaining the weight? So what are you to do? Call Jenny again?

“Give a man a pre-packaged meal plan and he will lose weight for a day. Teach him how to eat and he will lose weight for a lifetime.”

CelebrityDietDoctor Proverb