Valerie Bertinelli on Losing Holiday Weight

We're all guilty of putting on an extra few pounds during the holidays, and while putting the weight on is easy, losing it is a mission. I have been struggling to find a good diet plan that will keep me satisfied but help me shed some weight too.

This past week I was invited to cover an event where Jenny Craig spokesperson Valerie Bertinelli announced the new spokesperson Sara Rue.

Having skipped lunch, I found myself so hungry I grabbed a McDonald's iced French vanilla latte with no hesitation not realizing I had just consumed hundreds of calories and no nutrition. I was still hungry too.

While I've never considered myself overweight, I do have a few extra pounds around my waist and thighs that I'd love to shed, especially because I'm heading to Rio De Janeiro in a couple of weeks for a much needed vacation.

Yes Rio, the city home to some of the most beautiful women in the world--Gisele Bundchen, Adriana lima and Alessandra Ambrosia . Rio is known for its vain obsessed culture where hot bodies occupy its sandy beaches. So the thought of being in a bikini next to Gisele Bundchen's twin didn't exactly get me hyped up about the trip.

With this in mind, I realized that maybe I should ask the advice of Valeria on how I can shed some weight, especially with the holidays around the corner. “Try to stay active! That is the key. There is no bad food out there; I truly believe that it is all about portion. Have a bite of this and that but don’t eat the whole thing."

That's the key to Jenny Craig's diet---portion control. I was inspired by Valerie's weight loss and decided to give Jenny a try.

The first two days were pretty tough. I would look down at my food during lunch and dinner and ask myself, “is this it?” After the second day I realized I don't need to eat until I feel full to actually become fun.

And if you're having problems with your meals, call up the Jenny Craig staff. They're amazing! I had a dinner to go to with some friends and a Jenny consultant got on the phone with me and went through the menu to help me figure out what I can and can't eat and most importantly, how much of it.

Tomorrow will be my first complete week and I'll be meeting with my counselor for a progress report, so stay tuned as I give updates on my weight loss!