I’m sure you all remember Kirstie Alley as super stoic and sexy Vulcan, Lt. Saavik from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn.  Although I hear she also had some success on some little TV show about a bar where everyone knows your name…

Live long, and prosper.

Well wherever you remember her from, you probably know the story by now:  She got fat.

Twice.

I know as well as anyone that bodyweight can fluctuate throughout the year.  Life gets in the way and s^*t just happens.  My weight goes up and down and I do this crap for a living.  No one is perfect.

 
Before, After and After again.

The first time around she got signed on with weight loss center Jenny Craig to pimp out their diet plan.  You might already be aware I think the Jenny Craig diet plan is a crappy one.  It centers around pre-packaged foods and is really nothing more than caloric restriction with a pretty (and expensive) box.  It has its painfully obvious flaws. (see above photos)

Don’t get me wrong, if Jenny offered me a the kind of money they offered Alley I would tattoo their logo on my forehead.

Endorsement induced seizure

Ok, maybe not.

Well, after Jenny’s minions finished with Kirstie Alley she looked great. She dropped piles of weight and fulfilled her contract. Good job, Kirstie.

Then the lights went down and they parted ways. I’m not sure who said adios to whom, but the end result is the same – Kirstie Alley gained 83 pounds back.

At this point let me say day Kudos to Alley, who at the very least had the stones to say she F’d up.  That takes guts.

If you want to read the whole story go get People magazine, but it boils down to a few simple things.

First, once her contract ended, so did her accountability.  Every week
she had to weigh in with direct supervision, and when Jenny moved on to
plumper pastures that stopped.  When you have no one to report to, and
the scale is now in the back of the closet,  those dress sizes and
waist bands can slowly (and not so slowly) creep upward..

Second is she started cutting herself some slack.   A bite here, and nibble there.  She looked great so just a taste here or there can’t hurt.  Uh, think again.

It all counts.

This brings me to the big one: fitness is not a destination, it is a journey.  You don’t get to reach your goal, then say “woohoo!” and go back to eating like crap without consequences. 

Sometimes 83 pounds of consequences.

For most of us to get and stay lean is a constant struggle.  An ongoing battle. Does it get easier?  Yes.  Do you ever get to cheat?  Hell yes – I highly recommend it.   But it does not end – ever.

Think of it like brushing your teeth.  Just because you brushed today and your teeth are sparkling and white does not mean you can just stop brushing. Sure you might forget every once in a while – but you don’t just throw your hands in the air and say “Screw it – I ain’t brushing anymore!”  You have more sense than that.

And I hope Ms. Alley does as well.

“…and don’t eat so damn much!”

You can learn from Kirstie’s mistakes as they are common ones. 

Keep yourself accountable.  Write down what you eat, track what you weigh (or measurements are even better). 

Don’t F’ing nibble – it still counts even if it came off your kid’s plate.

Lastly, try to enjoy the ride. Getting in shape is hard damn work, but that does not mean it has to suck all the time.  Be consistent and dedicated and the results will come.

And to Kirstie Alley, I wish you the best of luck in the days to come.  I don’t know if you are heading back to the Jenny camp or what but no matter what you have a tough road ahead – but I know you can do it (permanently this time).

Joshua Carter, CPT The Body Transformation Expert Carter Fitness http://carterfitness.com 818-337-6175

More From carterfitness

• The Unstoppable Force and the Immovable Object
• In a Pinch: Who’s the Boss?
• In the Line of Fire