The Insider.com

Marissa Jaret Winokur sat down for an exclusive interview with The Insider's Brooke Anderson, revealing the wake-up call that made her lose 60 pounds and 12 dress sizes in only six months.

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The chipper actress, always comfortable in her own skin, says that she didn't lose weight to be happy but rather to be healthy. During a doctor's visit in April, the Tony winner was told that her cholesterol level was too high and that she would either have to go on medication or shed some pounds.

RELATED: Marissa Jaret Winokur's Body Transformation

"That was my wake-up call most of all," Winokur says. "I'm definitely not the person that's like, 'I'm going to lose weight to fit in a dress' or 'I need to lose weight for a boyfriend or a job.' I've had a great career. I'm happily married. I have a beautiful son. I've never felt like my weight defines me."

Winokur's weight saw a drastic spike after losing her father over the holidays in 2010, a period of depression that she called "by far, the worst time of [her] life."

"I must have put on 40 pounds just from straight up depression," says Winokur. "I didn't have any other outlet."

The Retired at 35 star speculated as to what her dad would say about her recent transformation, saying, "He would think that I looked so beautiful. But then he would say, 'But you always look beautiful!'"

Tune in to The Insider Thursday night for more of Winokur's interview and her weight-loss methods.