Throughout the years, we have seen Oprah Winfrey ballooning to an alarming weight, only to see her go down to more than half her former size just like that. As of late, the big O, as she’s known in showbiz, has been piling on the pounds again and she says it’s all because she’s been lacking balance in her life.

Only work and no play will do this to you, Oprah admits in the latest edition of her highly popular show. While at the same time asking herself “How did I let this happen once again?” Oprah also opens up about her grueling schedule and the impact so much work can have on one’s state of mind. The star admits she suffered from depression until not long, a thing that she tried to keep hidden from her fans, just like she also did with her weight.

“It's not about the food. It's about using food - abusing food. Too much work and not enough play. Not enough time to come down. Not enough time to really relax. I am hungry for balance. I’m hungry to do something other than work.” the 54-year-old star plainly tells her audience. Although diagnosed with hypothyroidism, which only makes things all that much worse for her, Oprah is determined to make 2009 the year of changes. That includes no more hiding, no more work and nothing else, and starting to see the fuller half of the glass.

“This is the year of hopefulness. My goal is to be the weight that my body can hold and be healthy and strong and fit and be itself.” Oprah says. One thing that she knows for certain is that she never wants to feel the need to resort to all kinds of tricks to cover her expanding physique, as she did in recent months for the cover of her magazine, O.

“I’ve been hiding my body because I didn’t want you to see it. Here I am, one of the most visible people in the world, trying not to be seen on the cover of my own magazine.” Oprah recounts, her words being enforced by her personal fitness guru, Bob Green, who admits that she seemed to have lost her “zest for life.”