Sherri Shepherd on Her Bathing Suit Body: 'I Like the Results'

Aug. 20, 2009— -- Sherri Shepherd says her son was the primary motivation for her recent weight loss and her determination to embrace a healthy lifestyle.

"I have a four-year-old I had at a late age," "The View" co-host told Chris Cuomo on "Good Morning America." "My mom passed away at 41 from diabetic complications -- I want to be here for my son."

If you watch "The View," you know that having a big mouth can be a good thing on the hit daytime show.

But Shepherd has spent the past few months focusing on getting smaller in other areas. First and foremost, her body, which she recently debuted in a bathing suit on the show.

After months of a strict diet and exercise regimen, Shepherd donned five-inch Yves St. Laurent heels and a sleek black one-piece as she strutted her stuff to "I'm Every Woman" center stage on "The View's" set. The big reveal was the culmination of a season-long effort to get her in shape.

Sherri Shepherd's Struggle With Weight

Few things in Shepherd's life have been off-limits, and her weight problem has been no exception.

"My biggest health issue has been my weight, which has been up and down for years," she said on the show.

This season the 42-year-old mother of 4-year-old Jeffrey vowed to get serious and shape up.

"At the end of this season, I am going to get in a bathing suit live on 'The View!'" she announced earlier this year to a cheering audience.

The battle was on, and Shepherd's dream team -- trainer Don Scott, endocrinologist Dr. Daniel Donovan, nutritionist Dr. Rovenia Brock and wardrobe stylist Fran Taylor -- were ready to help her conquer her battle of the bulge.

"Now it's time for the real work to begin," she said.

Shepherd will star in her own sitcom this fall on "Lifetime," called "Sherri." She has a new book coming out in October called "Permission Slips: Every Woman's Guide to Giving Yourself a Break."

Shepherd on Weight Loss: 'You Have Your Ups and Downs'

Shepherd's weight-loss plan included personal training sessions four times a week. She dubbed her trainer "The Evil One."

"My trainer Don Scott… he is mean," Shepherd said on "GMA." "I just asked him yesterday, 'Now can we bring the intensity down?'"

He told her it was time to increase the intensity.

"You don't want to be pushed," she said. "I would just break into tears."

Her endocrinologist helped to keep her diabetes in check, and the nutritionist took a hard look at her eating habits.

"This is my smothered pork chops with onions and I would have greens, see the greens," Shepherd explained, showing one of her favorite meals on "The View."

"That's like putting a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound!" her nutritionist laughed.

There were a few hiccups at the refrigerator, as Shepherd also had trouble bidding farewell to favorite foods like cheesecake and muffins.

"You have your ups and downs," she said. "You get back up and you start working out, and you put the cookie down."

The results, Shepherd said, made it all worth it.

"I like the results. I'm going to keep doing it."

And when it was time for the big reveal, Shepherd showed that all her hard work had truly paid off.

She lost a total of 10 inches, which include five inches off her waist and four inches off her bust, and now fits into a size 10 dress. And she gained a whole new confidence.

"I just wanted to fit into a bathing suit, so I hope some people were inspired!" she said on "The View."

She pointed out on "GMA" that she's "still a real woman."

"My thighs are still jiggly," she said, adding that her focus now is on keeping everything in moderation.

"I had a cheeseburger yesterday," she said. "I took the bun off… and then I went, 'You don't have to eat this whole thing."

And the biggest reward of all had nothing to do with her appearance.

"It's so much better," she said. I can run around with my son."