Valerie Bertinelli Says She’s ‘Holding On to This Weight Because It’s Protecting Me’
Former One Day at a Time star Valerie Bertinelli has been keeping it real with her emotions. And that’s exactly what fans love about the actor. Most recently, Bertinelli opened up about the challenges she’s been facing and the role her weight is playing in getting her through them.
Valerie Bertinelli has been upfront about her weight and body image
In a 2020 essay for Today titled “My year of choosing happy,” Bertinelli opened up about feelings she had become more aware of.
“With the loss of my parents and dealing with other trials life throws our way, I’ve used food as a way not to feel the sadness or the stress,” she wrote. “But by eating something away, all it does is make me feel worse about myself. One of my personal mottos is ‘choose happy.’ But sometimes that choice is really challenging.”
She added that she would be partnering with the morning show in pursuing healthier habits and in seeking authentic contentment.
“I don’t want to get through the hard times by eating it away anymore,” Bertinelli explained. “I want to get through the hard times by leaning on people — which is why I’m looking to you. As you go through your own search for true joy, if you have a trick that can help me, I want to know about it. And if I find a trick that can help you, I’m going to share it. I think we can do this together. I’ll be stopping by Studio 1A over the next few months to check in and share what I’m learning on this journey.”
However, shortly after the Food Network host’s first appearances on Today to kick off the series, the coronavirus pandemic cut it short.
Bertinelli recently stopped by ‘Today’ and opened up about ‘a lot of crazy stuff’
In a more recent appearance on Today, Bertinelli was frank with hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager. She said she’s made the conscious decision to stop stepping on a scale for a while.
“I haven’t gotten on a scale since I finished writing [her memoir Enough Already],” she admitted as she became overcome with emotion. “I apologize to the Today show audience! It’s just very emotional.”
Kotb asked the actor why she was feeling emotional. And Bertinelli revealed: “Because I’m looking at myself in the monitor and trying not to judge myself too harshly right now, because I know that I’m still holding on to this weight because it’s protecting me right now. I’m going through a lot of challenges, a lot of heartbreak, a lot of crazy stuff is going on in my life.”
The star recently admitted her weight has been a natural ‘protection’ for her
The former Hot in Cleveland star recently filed for divorce from her husband of 10 years, Tom Vitale.
“So I know this weight is protecting me right now,” she said. “When I get healthier internally and emotionally, the weight will come off. Because I know I’m treating my body better. I’m drinking less alcohol, I’m eating less sugar, I’m putting more vegetables into my body. But my body is doing this for a reason. Because it needs protection.”
