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Kirstie Alley Ready to Peel Off the Pounds

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Kirstie Alley in February 2009
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Kirstie Alley, here in February, said she plans to diet and exercise her way down to her goal of 140 pounds.

(May 6) -- Actress Kirstie Alley knew full well that she had put on weight since her days as a spokeswoman for the Jenny Craig diet program. But she was shocked when she stepped on a scale and learned the magnitude of her gain -- 83 pounds.
"I started screaming," Alley told People magazine. "It said 228 pounds, which is my highest weight ever. I was so much more disgusting than I thought!"
The actress is well known for shedding 75 pounds -- which put her weight at 145 -- on Jenny Craig. But in early 2008, after her gig with the company ended, she let her diet slide.
"The first nail in the coffin was that I didn’t have to weigh in. I just sort of went wild," she told the magazine.
Alley said her big weaknesses are Chinese food, sugar and butter.
"A lot of butter," she told People. "...let’s say I had two cups of pasta and six tablespoons of butter on it. There was a lot of butter going on."
Alley even was a vegeterian for seven months, but ended up gaining weight because she filled up on bread and other carb-rich foods.
Being overweight has affected her daily life, making her self-conscious and less willing to go out on the town.
Alley, 58, has been talking about her weight a lot lately. In an April appearance on 'Oprah,' Alley said she wanted toned arms like first lady Michelle Obama's.
"Don't you look around and see what you want to look like? I'm, like, 'Look, Michelle Obama's guns. I could have those arms,'" she said then.
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How Michelle Obama Stays In Shape

    By Kimberly Papa

    To anyone who's seen Michelle Obama in one of her trademark sleeveless dresses one thing is clear: She's in great shape (those arms!).

    The new First Lady has earned her fabulous figure by sticking to an impressive exercise routine. Find out what she does to stay fit and how she squeezes workouts into her busy life.

    Emmanuel Dunand, AFP / Getty Images

    She makes exercise a priority

    "A proper diet and regular exercise have always been important to me, for both the physical and mental benefits," Mrs. Obama told Redbook. Speaking about her time on the campaign trail she said, "On the road, I talk to a lot of women about the importance of their well-being; we women often put ourselves last on our 'to do' lists, and we need to take better care of ourselves."

    M. Spencer Green, AP

    She sticks to a routine

    Michelle is devoted to carving out time for exercise. She told MomLogic that she goes to the gym three times a week, where she works out with a trainer for about an hour.

    Bauer-Griffin

    She's an early bird

    It's been reported that when the Obamas lived in Chicago, Michelle would join her friends for 4:30 am workouts at the gym.

    EyeWire

    She exercises to de-stress

    "Exercise is really important to me -- it's therapeutic. So if I'm ever feeling tense or stressed or like I'm about to have a meltdown, I'll put on my iPod and head to the gym," the First Lady told Marie Claire.

    Getty Images

    She stays focused

    Her friend Cheryl Rucker-Whitaker told O, The Oprah Magazine that Obama is "One of the women who leave you in the dust. She's a gladiator. She jumps rope 200 times without messing up. We talk in the beginning, but once the workout gets going, she is all business."

    Mark Wilson, Getty Images

    She makes exercise a family affair

    Mrs. Obama told Redbook magazine that her family spends time together doing outdoor activities, such as riding bikes and swimming. It's also been reported that when she can't get to the gym, she'll go for a run with her daughters, Malia and Sasha.

    Alex Brandon, AP

    She adds variety

    Michelle told USA Today that her workout routine includes a mix of cardio, free weights, hitting the treadmill and stair-walking.

    Getty Images

    Her hubby is her workout buddy

    While the First Family was visiting Hawaii in December, it was reported that Michelle and Barack headed to the Semper Fit Center on Marine Corps Base for a morning workout together.

    Getty Images

    She has a positive body image

    During an interview with People last summer, Michelle said that when she looks in the mirror she says she sees a healthy woman.

    Retna

Alley told People she's determined to slim back down to 140 pounds -- a goal that will take lots of work.
"I'm ready to work," she said. "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!'"
People has the full interview.
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Hottest Celebrities Over 40

    By AOL Health Editors

    Valerie Bertinelli

    After shedding 50 pounds, 48-year-old Bertinelli graced the cover of "PEOPLE" magazine, clad in a bikini -- for the fist time in 20 years. This former teen star and current Jenny-Craig spokeswoman ditched the excess weight by cutting calories, running five days a week and doing strength-training exercises with her personal trainer.

    Sheryl Crow

    This Grammy winner is nearly as famous for her albums as she is for her show-stopping body. When the 46-year-old recently stepped out on the red carpet looking more toned and fit than ever, she shared that her incredible figure was the result of a regimen of yoga, Pilates and P90X workouts.

    The sweat-inducing system, created by trainer Tony Horton, is made up of 12 different workouts designed to create "muscle confusion" by introducing new moves to beat boredom and avoid plateaus. There's also a three-phase diet plan that focuses on lean protein, complex carbs and limiting fat.

    Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

    Courteney Cox Arquette

    Our favorite 'Friend' and soulless tabloid journalist has only gotten better looking with age. Cox Arquette's secret weapon for those cut arms and toned legs? Tennis and Budokon, an intense workout integrating yoga, martial arts and meditation. Cox Arquette has also been said to use the Blood Type Diet.

    Starface, Retna

    Kim Cattrall

    Our pick for sexiest of the 'Sex and the City' pack is also the oldest. And at 51, we think Kim Cattrall looks even more fabulous now than she did when the show first debuted. Cattrall has said that exercise is crucial for her and that without it she feels sluggish. When she can't make it to the gym for a 30-minute workout, she likes to walk.

    MAP/Splash News

    Daniel Craig

    How does hottie Daniel Craig get Bond buff? It's no surprise that there's a lot of weight lifting in his fitness routine. Craig has said that a routine centered around weights was the only way to bulk up in the short time he had to prepare for 'Casino Royale.' But for his next Bond venture, the 40-year-old stunning star is mixing up his heavy lifting routine with boxing and running.

    Splash News

    Madonna

    Madonna may be single-handedly responsible for helping yoga and Pilates go mainstream. With her enviable arms and taut abs, her body is a walking advertisement for the two fitness disciplines which she has long practiced. Her high water intake (3 liters a day) and strict diet that bans processed foods, alcohol, caffeine and dairy also helps keep the 49-year-old slim. But we're sure the two-hour sessions of dancing and hitting the Hybrid Body Reformer (a pulley-system machine) that she does six times a week don't hurt.

    Dave Hogan, Getty Images

    Jamie Foxx

    The Jamie Foxx workout doesn't involve exclusive gyms or personal trainers. He keeps it simple. Every morning he does four sets of pushups, situps and crunches. But not all at once, mind you. He breaks up the workout with chores. A set of pushups. Brush teeth. One set of ab exercises. Take a shower. And so on. That way, he doesn't have to make time for exercise, it just part of his morning routine.

    Chris Gordon, WireImage.com

    Elizabeth Hurley

    As mothers around the globe know, kids will keep you young. Sexy Elizabeth Hurley, 42, credits her 6-year-old son, Damian for helping her keep fit and trim. "I don't do a lot of exercise," she says." As for her glamour, these days she says she doesn't mind a little airbrushing. Launching her new Elizabeth Hurley Beach line earlier this year, the model-actress-businesswoman said: "I like a certain amount of retouching, like anybody."

    ZUMA Press

    Jamie Lee Curtis

    This soon-to-be 50-year-old is known for doing some pretty racy things with her body including showing off her lovely gray locks and bare top on this year's May/June issue of 'AARP The Magazine' (don't worry, it's PG) and gracing a 2002 cover of 'More' Magazine without any photo touchups. Curtis is adamant, however, that whatever goes into her body be healthy. This former alcohol addict gained weight after sobering up, but has since shed the pounds through cutting out foods that are high in sugar and white flour like crackers, breads and cereals, reports 'People.'

    Vince Bucci, Getty Images

    Chris Noth

    We hear this sexy 53-year-old doesn't eat carbs after 5 pm, avoids pasta and drinking, and has given up beer altogether. He's a bit of a fitness buff too. To get back in shape for his role as Mr. Big on 'Sex and the City' movie, Noth told 'People' he needed to head to the gym. He reportedly enjoys running, playing basketball and lifting weights at the gym.

    Israel Hadari, ZUMA Press

2009 AOL LLC. All Rights Reserved.
2009-04-30 12:40:49

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