Kirstie Alley has been candid about her weight loss journey throughout her decades in the public eye.
The movie star, who died aged 71 after a brief battle with colon cancer, has normalized talking about her weight loss and struggles.
“When someone attacks me for my weight, I thrive and thrive somewhere else in the universe. I’m the master at turning lemons into lemonade,” she told Women’s Health in 2014.
Icon: Kirstie Alley has been candid about her weight-loss journey during her decades in the public eye; Seen June 5, 2011 in NYC
During an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2004, Kirstie said she signed on to Jenny Craig because, “Honestly, I didn’t know how fat I was,” via People.
She ended up losing 75 pounds during the program and used her weight journey to launch her hit series Fat Actress the following year.
Kirstie also wrote a book about her journey called How To Lose Your A** and Regain Your Life: Reluctant Confessions of a Big-Butted Star.
In 2005, the actress returned to Oprah where she spoke about Jenny Craig and how it impacted her life after hitting 145 pounds.
“When someone attacks me for my weight, I thrive and thrive somewhere else in the universe. I’m the master at turning lemons into lemonade,” she told Women’s Health in 2014; seen in 1989
“You know, I don’t usually say that, but [Jenny Craig] was lucky. i needed a game I’m one of those people that if you give me a sport or a game or something I really enjoy, then I’m on board,” she said.
“And I was just sick of the whole subject — weight loss, blah blah blah. And that was so much fun because they have 8,000 things you can order [to eat]and you get your own advisor.
She returned to the show the following year and reflected on her body image: “I was so introverted about my body. As I looked back at my films and stuff [I thought], “Wow, you had a really nice body.” But then it was me [feeling] not good enough.”‘
Star: “You know, I don’t usually say that, but [Jenny Craig] was lucky. i needed a game I’m one of those people that if you give me a sport or a game or something I really enjoy, then I’m on board,” she said; pictured on Prince of Bel Air in 1986
Lovely: “And I was just fed up with the whole subject – weight loss, blah blah blah. And that was so much fun because they have 8,000 things you can order [to eat], and you get your own advisor; seen in Pasadena in 1988
After leaving Jenny Craig in 2007, Kirstie said in a 2011 interview that she “reached maximum eating capacity.” I didn’t like the way I looked. I might have had fun getting there, but there was nothing positive about being fat. My body had become really weak. I felt like I couldn’t move,” she told People.
Soon after, Kirstie joined Dancing With The Stars and eventually lost 100 pounds on the show, leading to her launching her Organic Liaison weight loss system.
In 2014, she rejoined Jenny Craig after seeing her weight gain and eventually lost 50 pounds; She used a Jenny Craig meal a day and then had a counselor.
Flashback: After leaving Jenny Craig in 2007, Kirstie said in a 2011 interview that she “reached the maximum eating load.” I didn’t like the way I looked. I might have had fun getting there, but there was nothing positive about being fat. My body had become really weak. I felt like I couldn’t move,” she told People; pictured 2012
Striking: Soon after, Kirstie joined Dancing With The Stars and eventually lost 100 pounds on the show, leading to her launching her Organic Liaison weight-loss regime; seen
On Monday, December 5, 2022, Kirstie’s family announced her death at the age of 71 after a brief battle with cancer that she “only recently discovered.”
Her children Lillie Price, 28, and William True, 30, announced their mother’s death: “We are saddened to announce that our incredible, wild and loving mother has passed away.
A day later, her reps confirmed via People that it was colon cancer.
The legend received treatment at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, near her home in Clearwater, Florida.
“She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great vigour, leaving us reassured of her never-ending zest for life and all the adventures ahead. As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother,” her family wrote on their social media on the evening of December 5.
Kirstie was known for playing Rebecca Howe on Cheers, Mollie on Look Who’s Talking and Look Who’s Talking Too with John Travolta, Diane Barrows on It Takes Two and more.
RIP: On Monday December 5th, 2022, Kirstie’s family announced her death at the age of 71 after a brief battle with cancer that she “only recently discovered”.