reality tv

No stranger to dieting, Kirstie Alley, the former Jenny Craig spokesperson who lost 75 pounds on the meal-delivery program and then gained back 80 pounds, is set to star in her own reality series early in 2010.

According to People magazine, A&E will air the ten-episode series which will chronicle Kirstie’s journey to lose much of the weight she gained while also trying to be a single mother to two teenaged children in Los Angeles. The weight loss reality series has yet to be named but viewers can look forward to Kirstie’s humor and spunk as she struggles just like so many other Americans to lose weight.

In the past, Kirstie has been unabashedly honest about her weight struggles including her love of food, particularly starchy carbs, her state-of-the-art fitness equipment which collects dust in her garage and envy over Michelle Obama’s arms. Not allowing the scrutinizing eye of the media to thwart her intentions of losing weight, Kirstie vowed on Oprah last spring to “get into a bikini again” and she is poising herself to do just that.

Singer-songwriter Carnie Wilson has just landed her own weight loss reality show that will air this January on the Game Show Network (GSN).

“Carnie Wilson: Unstapled” will follow the former member of the trio pop group Wilson Phillips as she tries to lose the 50 pounds she gained during her two pregnancies.

Wilson is no stranger to weight struggles. In 1999, she underwent gastric bypass surgery and had the procedure taped and shown online. She has also posed for Playboy magazine and wrote two heart-felt autobiographies. It is this candor and honesty that viewers will witness on Wilson’s show Unstapled, an obvious play on her weight loss surgery as she opens up her life and her family’s to the cameras.

It’s nearly impossible to hear Abby Rike’s story and not be overwhelmed by sadness. The good news these days though, is that Abby is not. She is positively beaming, even saying there’s more laughter and joy wherever she goes.

Two years ago Abby’s husband, who she calls her “favorite person on the planet,” her young daughter and newborn son were tragically killed in a car accident. In our interview she explains how prior to going to the Biggest Loser ranch her heart wasn’t in life and felt as though she didn’t have anything left to give. She also tells us how she no longer lets one person fulfill her the way her husband did, and feels blessed to have a wide range of supporters.

Today, Abby’s finding joy in the small things. And in our interview with her she laughed, a lot! She says going to the Biggest Loser ranch served as a catalyst for finding the light in her eyes again.

Tune in, this Tuesday, October 27 to watch Yankees great Derek Jeter and popular chef Curtis Stone lend some extra encouragement to the remaining cast members of The Biggest Loser.

Jeter will share his baseball prowess with the contestants during a game of action-packed baseball. He’ll also talk about the importance of teamwork and relate it to the Biggest Loser challenge.

Once the bats and balls have been put away, Chef Stone comes in and cooks a delicious and healthy Mediterranean Turkey Burger for the winners of the baseball competition.

We’re just about three weeks into DietTribe’s season two. DietsInReview.com had a chance to chat with one of the tribe members, Mary Lasnier, a working-turned-stay-at-home-mom who saw the weight creep on (and never creep off) after giving birth to her second child.

Motivated to accomplish her goal of losing 50 pounds, Mary dished with us about her reasons for joining the weight loss reality show and how she will keep up the momentum of her newly-discovered healthy habits once the show wraps up.

What led you to being on DietTribe?

The idea was brought to me by my dear friend, LaNessa, another DietTribe member. I, fortunately or unfortunately, fell into that category of someone who needed to lose weight. I never had an issue with food or my weight until I had my second child and the pregnancy weight never came off.