Oprah Winfrey Opens Up About Her Weight Loss Exclusively With Weight Watchers Members
— -- Oprah Winfrey opened up about her 26 pound-and-counting weight loss in a phone call held exclusively with fellow Weight Watchers members Wednesday night.
“I was really at my wit's end,” Winfrey, who started on Weight Watchers last fall after joining the diet company’s board, said on the call. “I've actually done no carbs, vegan, protein shakes and green drinks all in one day.”
“What's different for me this time is I've made the decision is it's not a diet,” Winfrey said on the call, which ABC News was given permission to listen in on. “The difference for me is I have made the shift to this is the way I am going to live for the rest of my life.”
Winfrey, who will celebrate her 62nd birthday on Friday, said being healthy is more important to her now than ever.
“The ability to move freely inside your body is one of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself,” Winfrey told Weight Watchers members. “What I know more than ever is you are nothing without your health.”
"I refuse to give up…until I get it right," Winfrey added. "I'm just here to not only to share my story but to be an inspiration to other people who want to share theirs."
Winfrey has generated buzz for Weight Watchers since buying a 10 percent stake in the company last year, in addition to joining its board.
This week, Winfrey gave the company a boost when she tweeted a Weight Watchers commercial featuring herself to her 30 million Twitter followers. In the commercial, Winfrey says she has lost weight while not denying herself one of her favorite foods, bread.
Winfrey opened up more about that on the call with members, explaining she doesn’t criticize herself for what she does or does not eat.
“Beating yourself up ... that no longer exists for me and that's the beauty of this program,” Winfrey said.
“Rather than throwing in the towel, give yourself credit for every time you don't,” she said. “Every time you make a move in the direction of being accountable to the points, you build strength and strength times strength equals power.”
