The star has faced criticism since childhood but only recently realized that her own opinion is what truly counts. Now, with a changed appearance, she finally embraces and loves her body as it is.

The veteran actress married rocker Eddie Van Halen in 1981 before they divorced in 2007, and later to financial planner Tom Vitale in 2011, with their marriage ending in 2022. Since her second divorce, she has focused on healing and personal growth.

After closing the chapter on her second marriage, the celebrity has taken intentional steps to care for her emotional well-being and start fresh.

In 2023, she spoke about healing from a relationship filled with emotional abuse, sharing that she had been called overweight and unmotivated by someone she described as self-centered.

Through regular therapy, she’s been working to


uncover


“what made [her] tolerate the intolerable,” sharing with her followers that this process has led her to a better path.

The


actress


said that, by searching for the root of her pain and working through it, she had begun to create a better life — one that felt more joyful and fulfilling. For the first time, she genuinely believed she deserved that happiness.

The TV host had moved on from the painful chapter, but entered the most challenging phase, which she believed would bring the greatest rewards.

Her openness about entering a difficult but necessary phase paved the way for another honest moment shared online. Not long after, she recounted the shock of coming across disturbing text messages.

The public figure

questioned

herself, “Why did you let them stay after finding the texts?” Her quiet response — “I don’t know” — revealed the lingering confusion and pain. Though she did not disclose the contents of the messages, she later spoke about confronting deep-seated feelings of not being good enough. She


shared


:

“I have been screamed at so many times and told how fat and lazy I am.”

Acknowledging that those words were projections from someone else, she


admitted


that the real struggle had been accepting them as truth, “My part in all of it was believing it, and I don’t believe it anymore.”

Despite this progress, the emotions still surface. “It doesn’t stop the feelings from coming up and the hurt,” she


added


. Her approach now is to


face


those emotions head-on — “feeling the feelings and letting them go,” while allowing each one to be acknowledged and released.

As she continued working through past pain and letting go of harmful beliefs, the two-time Golden Globe winner reached a new stage in her journey toward self-acceptance by the end of 2024.

On December 3, she shared her gratitude for how far she had come, especially in learning to appreciate her body for all it had carried her through. The star

expressed

feeling a quiet sense of “acceptance and simple appreciation,” a powerful contrast to the self-criticism she once held.

The following day, she offered more thoughts on

body image and self-worth.

She thanked those who related to her message and emphasized the value of self-love, assuring others that their struggles were seen and understood.

The celebrity spoke about the importance of focusing on self-acceptance and self-love, assuring others that she recognized their shared experiences and that they were not alone in facing them.

The actress also took a moment to respond to critics, shifting the focus toward empathy and self-compassion. Addressing those who questioned her appearance or motives, she expressed hope that they would learn to judge themselves less harshly than they do others.

After encouraging others to lead with kindness rather than criticism, she spoke candidly about her own experience with being judged. The celebrity


explained


:

“I have dealt with judgment my entire life starting from when I was a young girl. It has taken me a long time to realize that my judgment, with patient discernment, is the only judgment that counts.”

Building on that realization, she turned inward, asking deeper questions about who she is beyond appearances.

She questioned the


nature of her character


, wondering whether she treats others with kindness. When that kindness falls short, she considers what might be standing in the way — perhaps ego, emotions, or a mix of both.

Her focus now lies in understanding those barriers and working toward becoming the best version of herself each day. The star’s search for personal growth also brought her to a place of clarity about how little control she has over what others think.

She acknowledged that, within her own body, she no longer holds interest in anyone else’s judgment — a shift that took nearly three years of emotional effort to achieve. The first eight months of the year came with physical challenges, making this mental breakthrough all the more significant.

With that breakthrough came a powerful sense of acceptance that transformed how she viewed herself. Actress Valerie Bertinelli


expressed


:

“I don’t care what you think of my body. I don’t care what you think about my posting about it. For the first time in my life, I love my body as it is.”

She looked back on her twenties with a sense of regret, not for how she looked, but for the way she once viewed that younger body with such harshness. Though it was different from the one she lives in now, it had not yet faced the trials that shaped her.

Despite the difficulty of the path, she voiced deep gratitude for it, firmly stating that she would never


trade her present body


for the one she had at twenty.

That sense of peace with her body also influenced how Bertinelli now thinks about health and weight — topics that once came with pressure and unrealistic goals.

She made it clear that her transformation did not involve drugs like Ozempic. Instead, the star, who gained fame for her role in the situation comedy, “One Day at a Time,” focused on learning to slow down and listen to her body. She


shared


:

“I’ve learned patience. Stop with the ‘lose ten pounds in a week.’ Why would you want to? If you want to start taking care of your emotions and your head and your heart, do that, and watch yourself release the weight.”

Though she hasn’t turned to trending medications, Bertinelli supports anyone who finds them helpful. According to her, if something genuinely helps a person, they should feel free to use it. She encouraged others to quiet the constant noise around food and keep moving forward.

For Bertinelli, real change began with addressing


emotional and mental health.


She believed that without doing that inner work, weight loss wouldn’t last. While her progress wasn’t fast, she saw no need to rush it.

That understanding naturally influenced the Hollywood star’s approach to food, steering her away from quick fixes and toward something more meaningful.

The former “Food Network” host


chose mindful eating


over strict diets, recognizing that the issue wasn’t the food itself but the emotions behind it. She admitted to once using food as comfort but learned that true change comes from addressing why she eats, not just what she eats.

Her routine also included


regular Pilates


and


treadmill workouts


, which she said helped both body and mind. In 2023, the television personality once encouraged others not to be ashamed of starting over.

That same year, she gave up alcohol, initially for a month.


Noticing positive changes


, she continued and later shared that she felt better without it, especially as she got older.

Now 64, Bertinelli admitted that adjusting to


aging hasn’t been easy.


In a TikTok video, she shared that while she still feels youthful inside, her body has started to


show signs of change.

The mother of one pointed out the shift in her strength and flexibility, noting that everyday movements take more effort than they used to. With humor, she acknowledged sagging skin and


described


the entire aging experience as “mind blowing.”

Even as she adjusts to the changes that come with age, Bertinelli continues to receive praise from fans. One admirer


wrote


,

“You look amazing! Seems like your life is agreeing with you.”

Another


added


,

“You look so healthy and happy,”

while a third simply


called


her a “cutie.”

Through heartbreak, healing, and honest self-work,

Valerie Bertinelli

has reached a place of peace with who she is today. Her journey has been marked by emotional growth, lifestyle shifts, and a renewed sense of confidence.

Though aging brings its own challenges, she faces them with humor and grace. Above all, she continues to inspire by choosing honesty over perfection and self-acceptance over criticism.