Ricki Lake, who debuts in the new season of Dancing with the Stars tonight, says the show's daily four to five hour workouts are already paying off – in inches.
"I'm hoping to pull a Kirstie Alley," says Lake, 42. "Every part of my body hurts. ... When I went in for a costume fitting, I've lost 8 ½ inches. Three inches in my waist. Three in my hips. Over an inch in my thighs and another inch and a half on my arms. It's crazy."
Lake isn't weighing herself, but estimates she gained 15 lbs. since falling in love with her fiancé, Christian Evans. And now she can focus on toning her muscles and dropping sizes. "I have two sizes of Lucky Brand jeans: 8 and 6. Usually I wear the 8 because they are more comfortable but now even the 6 is too big. They used to be tight."
How is the weight melting away?
A typical day is kicked off with oatmeal or an egg white and veggie omelette for breakfast, gazpacho and a chicken breast for lunch ("I'm obsessed with gazpacho," she says) and turkey meatloaf and salad for dinner, along with "a bit of mashed potatoes." She allows herself a glass of wine and even two low fat chocolate chip cookies when the craving hits.
"My weakness is bread," says Lake. "That is absolutely the hardest thing to give up. Pizza is my favorite."
Nevertheless, she's working hard – and shedding weight. "Having my costumes taken in is the best feeling in the world," says Lake, who is matched up with pro Derek Hough. "I'm a little self conscious of my arms and my back fat but they're trimming down really quickly. So I think the longer I'm in the competition, the better I'll feel about my body."
