Kirstie Alley On Weight Struggle: ‘I Hated Myself’

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Kirstie Alley talks to Oprah
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Kirstie Alley in the front row at the Whitley Kros Fall 2008 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week held at Smashbox Studios on March 9, 2008
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Kirstie Alley and daughter Lilly arrive at The Premiere of Sydney White held at The Mann Bruin Theatre on September 20, 2007 in Westwood, California

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FIRST PUBLISHED: April 30, 2009 1:59 PM EDT
LAST UPDATED: April 30, 2009 2:38 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES, Calif. --

Kirstie Alley made a memorable appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 2004 to show off her slimmed-down bikini body – but on Thursday, following a recent weight gain confession from Oprah herself, the star returned to the talk show to open up about her weight battles.

“It’s humiliating,” she told Oprah. “The most painful thing for me is that I have all these people that I inspired and then I let them down.”

The former Jenny Craig spokeswoman – who said she encouraged Valerie Bertinelli, now the new Jenny Craig spokeswoman, to join the plan — added that once she stepped off the plan, the 75 pounds she’d lost on it started coming back.

“When you’re a spokesperson for a weight loss company … somebody weighs you every week,” Kirstie said. “It’s pressure, but it’s good pressure. I do better if I have some pressure on me,” Kirstie said. “When I didn’t have that anymore … I just said, ‘I’m going to cut myself some slack.’ Big mistake.”

And the attention she’s gotten since gaining the weight back hasn’t been positive.

“This [paparazzi] said to me, ‘Fat ass, turn around so I can shoot you!’” she said of a recent encounter.

“I’ve hated myself,” she continued. “You beat yourself up, and I [asked myself], ‘What am I doing?’”

But though she’s had a weight setback, Kirstie said she has made progress on aspects of her health, telling Oprah that she quit smoking after her appearance on the show.

“I haven’t smoked since,” she noted. “I think that this should be celebrated.”

And to get back in shape, she’s moving her gym equipment back into her living room after a year and a half in the garage – and working on her own weight loss line.

“I’ve actually lost 20 pounds in the last five weeks doing that,” she said. “It’s not going to be on the market until probably between November and January 1.”

To get ready for the launch, she’s putting herself on a six-month timeline.

“By November, I have to look ripped,” she said.

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