She's no longer rocking the Sinead O'Connor look.

And she's traded in her 1990s "Stop the Insanity" program for a new one: Foundations of Wellness. She also has her Lifestyle Ex-Change Program, which includes exercise and motivational DVDs and eating tips. (Watch the Video).

But Susan Powter, the infomercial queen who inspired millions of men and women to lose weight — without dieting — has the same brash attitude, the same contempt for the diet and fitness industry and the same size 2 figure.

The housewife, who lost 133 pounds after her husband left her with a 1-month-old and 1-year-old, hasn't gained an ounce since she retreated from the limelight nine years ago to have another child. She's been watching Americans get fatter and she's back — with pink and blonde dread locks, a nose ring and a new interactive program. Foundations of Wellness is an Internet-based program that includes webcam and MP3 messages about nutrition and exercise.

"We have a lot to talk about," says the self-described feminist lesbian who still speaks in a manic rush. "You have to know a lot about food. I have to talk to you about sugar. Let me tell you about refined white. I don't have to jump up and down like an idiot to teach you that. But you need to know. The simpler, the more direct, the more millions of people can get the truth about wellness."

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STOP THE INSANITY

After an infomercial beloved by insomniacs, several New York Times best-sellers, a talk show, audiotapes, fat calipers, exercise clothes for women weighing more than 200 pounds, and even a guest appearance on "Fresh Prince of Bel Air," Powter and "Stop the Insanity" became brand names.

People knew her story: Her husband left her, and she ballooned to more than 240 pounds. She once bought a Jane Fonda video and watched it while eating potato chips. She was a recovering alcoholic.

She defined insanity as "a multimillion-diet industry that fails to help women lose weight permanently, a fitness industry that excludes the unfit, and women hating the way they look and feel."

She gave us hope: You are not a failure. You are not alone.

She told us we could eat: Starvation does not work. She told us we could stop counting calories and fat grams and worrying about the protein-to-carbs ratio.

She gave us easy-to-remember sound bites: It's not food that makes you fat. It's fat that makes you fat. You've got to eat, you've got to move and you've got to breathe.

But despite so much success, nine years ago, Powter stepped down from the infomercial stage. She stopped publishing books and appearing on TV, largely staying out of the public eye.

"It was a moment of knowing that a lot was changing," she says of her decision. "I knew mediums were changing -- radio was changing, the book business was no longer distributing in the same way. I wanted to have another child. I wanted to consciously mother."

She had enough of lawyers and managers: "Then I wanted to be my belligerent self."

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SHE'S BAACK

Powter says she came back for a couple of reasons. She was infuriated when she heard that a high protein diet was resurrected. Powter doesn't believe in Atkins, saying a menu consisting of steak and burgers, no fruit and very little vegetables can cause heart problems. Her other main reason was the Internet, which allows her to communicate with fans in real time.

"The reason I came back to work is the Internet, and direct from me to you about whoever wants the truth about wellness," she says.

Her programs are about baby steps — walk 30 to 45 minutes, do one of her videos and modify the fitness level, incorporate one nutrient, work up to more exercise, more whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans, replace those bad habits with new ones. The message is as simple and direct as "Stop the Insanity."

But that's Powter's MO.

"If you don't want to be a victim of a $276 billion industry that is there to sell you refined white, instant convenient junk and pass if off as food, then you need to learn a bit and activate some different habits," says Powter. "I can help you with those habits because I lived those habits and know them well. You can change your life now. And I mean now for real."

FIND HER ONLINE

http://www.susanpowteronline.com

http://www.powterprogram.com

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asap reporter Megan Scott is based in New York.

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