Oprah’s “Check your Health,” with Bob Greene.

After 25 plus years of dieting and gaining it all back in front of the cameras, and in front of half of America, Oprah has four rules for a successful diet.

Key Steps:

The first step isn’t an official step, but it’s key:

Don’t Diet. They don’t work. “Diets. Do. Not. Work. They don’t work!”

1. Set an Eating Cut-off Time. Oprah doesn’t eat anything after 7:30 pm. “Not a grape.” You can choose your own time, but should be at least two hours before you typically go to bed. “It’s magical” how it effects the rest of your eating habits. “When you cut off your eating, that little gnawing feeling is when you’re going into your fat stores. Don’t feed that feeling all the time.”

2. + 3. Eat breakfast, and Redistribute your Calories. Smaller lunch. Even smaller dinner. Why a nice big breakfast? Ironically, it wakes up your metabolism, increases your heart rate, and gives you energy to burn calories the rest of the day.

She and her trainer Bob Greene also talk a lot about exercise, though it’s not one of the key steps.

4. Make healthy food choices. May not help you lose weight, but will help your health.

After 20 plus painful, humbling years, Oprah now says that, thanks to trainer Bob Greene and the above simple lessons, she doesn’t think about it anymore. “It’s not a struggle anymore.” Now, finally, she can more fully live and celebrate life. And that’s what it’s all about, Oprah discovered: loving oneself as much as you love others, feeling worthwhile.