For someone who showed us how gracefully she can move across a dance floor, Kirstie Alley seems to be sorely lacking in grace when it comes to real life. I’m not knocking her talents or her beauty (no matter which end of the scale she’s sticking her foot in her mouth on). But these days, I believe Ms. Alley really needs to catch a clue and shut the hell up – because at this point, she seems to be doing more harm to – than good for – the dieting community.

For starters, I would suggest Ms. Alley stop telling us she’s a Size 4. Again, Ms. Alley is a beautiful woman who looks fab for 60. But she’s clearly not a Size 4. And if she is, her dressmakers need some math lessons. And no, it doesn’t matter what dress size she is. But that’s my point. Why not just put on an outfit and look good? Must you trumpet your ‘alleged’ size and, therefore, make others who might not be that size feel inadequate (whether said size is imaginary or not)?

While it was inspiring to see Ms. Alley take off excess pounds while strutting her stuff on “Dancing with the Stars,” she is now even belittling that achievement by appearing on QVC and trumpeting her so-called weight loss products (which include a dietary supplement that acts as a ‘natural colon cleanser’). What?! How about just eating healthy and going for a walk instead?

Ms. Alley’s Organic Liaison seems to be nothing more than a spurious line of products – the same products she’s been going on and on about for years (including while still heavy on her since-cancelled reality show, which aired long before “Dancing with the Stars”). In fact, in 2009 she appeared on Oprah proclaiming, “I’ve lost 20 pounds in the last five weeks,” crediting her Organic Liaisons.

If Organic Liaisons really works, why didn’t Ms. Alley lose weight years before 2011 when she appeared on “Dancing with the Stars?”

Clearly, one of the reasons that Ms. Alley lost weight was due to the movement and exercise (a key component of weight reduction) she endured while going through the rigorous physical requirements that “Dancing with the Stars” demands. And this is really something to celebrate and learn from. But instead of talking about that, she’s babbling about her ‘premier weight loss products and dietary supplements designed to optimize your weight-loss results.’

Yeah, uh-huh. And I’m a Size 4.

Taking off – and keeping off – the excess weight requires no magical elixirs, no magic wand and no constant chatter about “Improving lives organically.” At the end of the day, it’s about eating less, moving more, getting enough rest and drinking plenty of water. In other words, it’s about adopting a healthy lifestyle.

In my experience, overly marketed shortcuts demean a dieter’s efforts and are created to bilk money out of the dieting community. Fact of the matter is, there are no shortcuts when it comes to getting healthy.

It makes me sad that Ms. Alley continues to come across as so inauthentic. She doesn’t seem to be being true to herself, which is likely one of the reasons we’ve seen her bounce up and down the scale for the past decade. Authenticity is key to curing what ails you. It’s about owning up to your part in it and then making real, lasting changes that result in healthy, permanent weight loss (and true success). It also means treating achievements with respect and reverence. In other words, the newly thin Ms. Alley might do better just to sit with her achievement for a while – especially given her history of gaining, losing, regaining and so on. Why not just be still, appreciative and graceful in the moment instead of trying to sell fellow dieters her ‘premier weight loss products and dietary supplements designed to optimize your weight-loss results.’

When I was in college, I had a teacher who required us to keep a journal that she would review from time to time. My entries continually went on and on about wanting to lose weight (page after page). This, even as I got bigger and bigger while going to school. I was all talk, no results.

At the end of the semester, this teacher added an entry to my journal. In it, she suggested that when I was truly ready to lose weight, that I consider not announcing it to the world, but only to myself. To make it a quiet – even somewhat sacred – decision; one that would elicit action rather than words. Although it took a few more years for this to really ‘click,’ her advice resonated with me then – and still does to this day. Since that time I have always strived to be authentic – not only to myself, but also to those around me.

It all comes down to grace – on or off the dance floor. And these days, Ms. Alley is showing anything but.