"As soon as I saw Kirstie's first television commercial, I felt like she was speaking right to me," said Annette Blake of Kingston, N.Y., who joined Jenny Craig in January and has since lost 56 pounds*. "I decided to be her 'I'm fat, too' sidekick and lose weight right along with her. And so far, I am!"
Like Annette, Kirstie is more than 60 pounds* slimmer and has less than 20 pounds to go to reach her desired weight. The award-winning actress and mother of two attributes her success not only to the program and her consultants, but also to the following acronym that helped "steer her ship" along her weight loss journey.
"I think the biggest accomplishment anyone can achieve is to be the cause of something, rather than the effect," said Alley at a recent gathering of fans and friends in New York City. "A cause makes something happen-ideally, a positive outcome, such as losing weight, finding someone amazing or getting a new job. It puts you in a position of control and confidence, rather than reaction and reluctance."
• Change-I first had to alter a few perceptions: one, that being fat is just something that comes with age, and two, that losing weight involves suffering, deprivation and working out for 30 to 40 hours a week. Once I changed my mindset, I was ready to take a leap of faith.
• Attitude-For a while, I had this less-than-fantastic attitude that it was okay to be 70 pounds overweight because the man of my dreams would love me for me and wouldn't care if I was fat. Although this could be true…I finally realized that this was not about someone else's view of me-but my view of myself-and that only I could make me happy.
• Understanding-We all have unique talents and attributes. Most of them are good; those that are not, we have the ability to change. Realizing that the positives outweigh the negatives helped me appreciate what is unique about me and also helped me identify areas for personal enhancement.
• Signified Spirituality-This has meant the strengthening of my faith and an increased connection to the people who mean the most to me. I can apply my religious beliefs to enhance myself and my body, help my children and friends, and improve my artistic endeavors.
• Enthusiasm-I now have an abundant amount of endless energy and boundless enthusiasm. I jump on the trampoline with my children, I run and play with them, and my happiness and zest for living permeate their lives as well.
