Kirstie Alley's Big Life Has the Makings of a Big Flop

Kirstie Alley has battled her weight very publicly for the last few years. You may remember she went on Oprah a few years ago at nearly 230 pounds and was Jenny Craig's celebrity spokesperson until Valerie Bertinelli took the baton.

We saw Alley lose weight through a montage of timely commercials. After losing 75 pounds she modeled her new svelte figure on Oprah in a bikini. Then she gained back the 75 pounds, and 10 more.

Now Kirstie's back with the hope to lose it all again and document it through a reality show, Kirstie Alley's Big Life (A&E). While I don't know what kind of entertainment this will provide, I've already seen, or should say heard, the seeds of what will likely undo her again.

Promoting her show and new line of organic diet food products on the Today Show, she told co-anchor, Meredith Viera, "I created my diet program so I will not crave food and not eat lots of food." Her two major obstacles with weight loss.

But what Kirstie was actually saying was:

I'm putting all my energy on what I'm trying to avoid - my cravings and eating a lot.

Why Kirstie will likely fail is:

I am focused on my obstacles not on my goals.

Well, you don't have to be clairvoyant to see the boulder lurking up ahead on this road to thinness.

Focusing on what we don't want in this case, cravings and eating a lot, rather than what we do want (slim, fabulous me), neuroscience tells us makes the problem bigger and the goal smaller. Whatever you focus on tends to grow bigger. You know what happens if I ask you not to think of a pink elephant. Exactly, now you can't get that beast out of your head. We move in the direction of our focus. Also, the energy required to avoid something we don't want is exhausting and unsustainable.

Typically I write about diabetes and I see the same problem-focus all the time in health care.

Many doctors try to motivate patients to manage their blood sugars to avoid diabetic complications. Again, focusing people on what they don't want. This is so energy-depleting and not very inspiring.

Imagine however your doctor encourages you to focus on the life you want to be living - one where you are vital, fit and active, involved in your community, living happily and healthfully. And your doctor helps you determine one very small and manageable step you can take toward your goal.

Focusing on positive goals inspires you to take more positive actions and to keep taking them. Taking small steps allows the brain to side-step immobilizing fear. We are able to move forward with hope and enough confidence to experience a small success that can then be built upon.

Don't go down the wrong path again, Kirstie. Keep your eyes on what you want, not on your demons. Who knows, it might just inspire a whole new kind of reality show.

 

 

 

Follow Riva Greenberg on Twitter: www.twitter.com/diabetesmyths

Comments

[NickyD]

01:39 PM on 05/14/2010

I love Kirstie's show. As a TV Producer the content and humor keeps one wanting to come back for more. I think there are so many American's who struggle with weight loss just like Kirstie, and she provides inspiratio­n and humor to others who are traveling down that same road.

[jaslyn]

11:51 AM on 04/05/2010

Unfortunat­ely, her show is pretty boring. Why she has so many staff is beyond me, and none of them are interestin­g either. I saw it twice out of curiosity to see how and where she lives, and after that, had to turn it off.

[edgraham]

09:21 AM on 04/05/2010

Tough way to make a living, and not all that much fun to watch.

[Molly Flannery]

11:28 PM on 04/04/2010

Kirstie Schmirstie­! Selling another diet! When are we going to stop this sheep-like behavior?

[NABNYC]

06:41 PM on 04/03/2010

Kirstie Alley's problem is that she is a food addict. She's already been through treatment for drug addiction, kicked the cigarette addiction, but she refuses to see her food addiction as being just as deadly and life-endin­g. So instead of getting honest, she makes jokes. Instead of getting serious, she tries to figure out how to cover up, deny the significan­ce of the problem, and make money at the same time. I watched the first two episodes, and they were very sad. Here she is, trapped inside an enormous body that must be hard to move around, yet she insists that she is so much FUN, her life is so much FUN, her weight is so much FUN. But it's not fun, it's tragic. I have friends who are seriously overweight­, and one thing is for sure: it's not fun. They know the significan­ce of the problem, they feel the pain in their knees and back, they are aware of their inability to participat­e in daily life, and they don't think it's at all fun. They feel helpless to change it, but they don't pretend that it's fun. Kirstie Alley is doing a disservice to herself and to anyone who might look to her for guidance on how to get rid of unwanted pounds.

[Eileen Murphy]

12:26 PM on 04/03/2010

Well said Riva! and while I agree with Shannon in principle "why can't it be healthy, fabulous me instead of slim, fabulous me....?" it can be of course, but only if "being healthy" is Kirstie's goal but not if "being slim" is Kirstie's goal. We can't go changing people's goals because they are not in keeping with ours - that's where all the trouble starts!!
Great read as always
Eileen Murphy

[Independent1969]

10:56 PM on 04/04/2010

I think Kirsties goal is to be both healthy and slim. They are not mutually exclusive.

[Atchka]

02:39 PM on 04/02/2010

Most of what you say seems right on, but how about this... instead of making your goal "slim, fabulous me" how about making it "healthy, fabulous me." There's a reason Kirstie fails time and time again and it has nothing to do with her focus. It has to do with her goal. She could improve her health by improving her lifestyle, yet not get thin. Is that so bad? Do we really have to make it all about thinness? Can't a goal of improved health be the end in and of itself?

Peace,
Shannon
Atchka.com
FierceFatt­ies.com

[Independent1969]

11:42 PM on 04/02/2010

Kirstie is almost 60. She's only been overweight for 4 years of her life. Let's not portray her like she's had this problem all her life. Cut her some slack. Again she's almost 60 and I think she looks great and has a great attitude regardless of her age.

[hehofer]

05:45 PM on 04/03/2010

She looks awful.

[aznurse]

01:30 AM on 04/05/2010

4 years? hmmm, I thought it was longer.

[SeriouslySarah]

10:50 AM on 04/02/2010

I want to lose about 20lbs. Instead, I have gained. I believe you have pointed me towards the light. Slim, fabulous me instead of heavy, chunky wanting to lose...bla­h blah. Thank you! I agree with you about Kirstie also. And I think, it will be very difficult for her to sell this weight loss program. She should have lost about 30lbs on it before the show began, so we could have seen that she made progress. Then followed her on the rest of the journey.