Valerie Bertinelli On Keeping Off the Pounds

It's been more than a year since the former "One Day at a Time" star lost 40-pounds on the Jenny Craig program -- and she has kept it off!

"It's really sexy to try and lose weight," Valerie tells Kris. "Because you've got this goal and you're getting there and each day a little bit more comes off. But with maintenance, it's like, 'Now I've made it here. Now I have to stay and so that gets a little more challenging.' It's the first time ever in my entire life that I've kept the weight off this long."

In her book, Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time, Valerie reveals her lifelong battle of the bulge. She says by the time she agreed to be a spokesperson for Jenny Craig she was ready to move past that.

"I just thought, 'You know what, now's the time.' I'm getting really close to 50, it's getting more and more difficult. I just need to do it," she recalls. "Just make the commitment. And be responsible and be held [accountable] for my actions."

Now "The Cosby Show"'s Phylicia Rashad will be joining Valerie as a spokesperson for the weight-loss plan.

"Maybe it will be inspiring to some," shares Phylicia, who says she decided to try Jenny when she walked up three flights of steps and had trouble breathing. "If somewhere there are women, men and young people, too, who will consider their health and I am a part of that through my involvement with Jenny Craig, that is a good thing."

In addition to showing off her recent success on the program, Phylicia tells ET about the start of a new consumer program called The Jenny Craig Great Take-Off. The year-long program is designed to help men and women realize their goals and dreams achievable through weight loss and a healthier lifestyle.

For  more with Valerie and Phylicia, tune in to "The Insider" tonight.

Published 1/27/09 by