- Valerie Bertinelli asked fans to stop seeking dieting advice from her in an emotional new post.
- She shared that, for her, weight loss has become very personal.
- “Releasing weight is a nice side effect for sure, but this journey has to be, for me, much more than that this time,” she wrote.
Authenticity and openness have been a large part of Valerie Bertinelli’s appeal as a television cooking show host and social media influencer. With vulnerability and a measurable dash of candor, the two-time Golden Globe Awards winner has allowed her fans to peer into the highs and lows of her work, personal relationships and self-image.
Valerie Bertinelli definitely warmed some hearts this week when she took to Instagram to share an update about how she’s prioritizing her mental and emotional health over her weight these days—and fans are thanking her for her honesty.
Valerie Bertinelli Weight Loss Plan
Valerie Bertinelli, the renowned chef, former Jenny Craig spokesperson, and television personality, recently took to her platform, whether it’s her Food Network cooking show or Instagram, to address a request from her followers. In a vulnerable post, she pleaded with fans to refrain from seeking dieting advice from her.
At 63 years old, Valerie has been open about her own weight fluctuations for decades and continues to share her journey towards developing a healthy relationship with her body. However, she wants her audience to understand that her story and practices are not universally applicable.
She explained that one of her exes told her she was “too lazy to do anything about it [so] they wouldn’t rub together.”
Although the past comments once led the 62-year-old to put the jeans “away forever” and “even change the way” she walked in them, the negativity no longer matters to her.
Fans Praise Valerie Bertinelli’s Weight Loss
Many other fans congratulated her for completing Dry January and losing weight, with one saying, “Congratulations Valerie! Beautiful either way! Love you,” and another adding, “Such a good feeling! Good for you!” followed by two hand clapping emojis. “You go, Val,” wrote another, while someone else said they were “proud of all your hard work,” and someone else called her an “inspiration.”
A Little Airbrushing for Bertinelli
Of the picture, she said, “I liked the look in my face. Because the look on my face was pure, ‘I can’t believe I did this either.'”
Bertinelli admits that the famous cover image of her sleek silhouette was photoshopped … but only a body part most might not have anticipated.
May 2010: Valerie Bertinelli is “happiest” with Tom Vitale
Even before they were officially married, Bertinelli and Vitale were in a “honeymoon phase,” according to a friend of the couple. “She’s happiest when they’re together,” the actress’ trainer, Christopher Lane, told PEOPLE. “She’s thrilled to be with the man she loves.”
We Need to “Dismantle” Diet Culture
“I have a lot of decades of thinking I have to look a certain way for people to accept me and to like me,” she writes. “We’re all part of this diet culture that isn’t actually helping us, our mental or emotional health. I’m trying to dismantle all of the things I learned that are ingrained in me. And I’ve learned there are many people that feel the same exact way that I do. Some of us were taught the wrong things.”
“Valerie is one of us,” says Ray. “She’s the girlfriend and neighbor you wish you had. We relate to Valerie’s life, from raising a child to divorce to the weight issues she has faced. She mirrors our show’s viewers with this one exception: She has lived through all of life’s ups and downs in the public eye.”
