Self-love is far from a piece of cake, butValerie Bertinellihas come a long way in herbody positivity journey.
Bertinelli, 65, got candid on her changing views on weight loss, including her alleged falling-out with a diet company, during a recent appearance on"The Drew Barrymore Show."
While participating in a nostalgia-driven segment titled "Memory Bank" alongside hostDrew Barrymoreand producerRoss Mathews, Bertinelli was shown a throwback photo of herself from herHollywood Walk of Fameinduction ceremony in 2012.
In the photo, the"One Day at a Time"alum wore a short-sleeved, off-white dress with an embroidered overlay. "Look at you, Val! God, you're so beautiful," Mathews gushed on the Jan. 14 episode.
"And I felt so horrified," Bertinelli replied. "I had started a diet program and then became their spokesperson in 2007, and I had lost 50 pounds. And then, life started to get the better of me, and I wasn't taking care of my mental and emotional health, so the weight started to come back on."
Although Bertinelli did not name the company she had an endorsement deal with, the actress and food personality became a spokesperson forJenny Craigin 2007. Sheappeared in several commercialsfor the weight-management brand.
Bertinelli noted that the dress she was wearing at the Walk of Fame ceremony was a size 12, in contrast to the size 4 she became while on the dieting program.
"This was the last year, I believe, that I was with this diet company," Bertinelli continued. "And they fired me [and] eventually said, 'We can't keep going with you because you're gaining weight again.'"
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Despite the professional setback, Bertinelli said she's since learned to prioritize her "mental and emotional health" over her physical appearance.
"I have been up and down, but pretty much, basically, this weight my whole life that I am right now, and I'm a size 10 now," Bertinelli said. "And I would've been horrified then being on the diet program being a size 10."
Reflecting on her personal growth proved to be emotional for Bertinelli, who got choked up while discussing her change in outlook.
"My mental and emotional health, even though I'm getting teary-eyed, is so strong right now," Bertinelli said. "I'm so strong and firm in who I am and, no matter what people throw at me, I know who I am, and I know what kind of person I am, and it doesn't matter how much I weigh. What matters is who I am, how I treat people. Period!"
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Bertinelli also opened up about her relationship with body image and food during a2024 interviewwith USA TODAY.
Bertinelli called herself the "poster child" for being food- and weight-shamed. "I lose weight on Jenny Craig, and I'm lovable? I was lovable before. That messed with my mind. I bought into diet culture hook, line and sinker like everybody else."
The Emmy-winning culinary host, who hosted"Valerie's Home Cooking"on Food Network from 2015-2023, said she got back in the kitchen again as a means of nourishing herself, both physically and emotionally.
The act of indulging "has been given a bad rap," she said. "'I'm going to cheat this weekend.' It's not cheating. We need to allow ourselves the pleasure of our lives. Food is a big, important part of my life."
Contributing: Kim Willis, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Valerie Bertinelli reveals diet company dropped her due to weight gain
