There was a time when Valerie Bertinelli and weight loss went hand-in-hand. But now, the renowned actress and beloved TV personality sees things differently. And when she stumbled across the "fat clothes" from her past Jenny Craig ads, it helped her realize just how far she's come!
Valerie Bertinelli has played many roles in her life. She's been the real-life wife of rocker Eddie Van Halen, as well as Barbara Cooper, the sweet teen next door on One Day at a Time, and Melanie on Hot in Cleveland. Valerie has hosted shows on the Food Network. She’s also been the spokesperson for Jenny Craig, appeared in nearly 25 television movies, and she's authored 5 books.
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Valerie Bertinelli has always been open and candid about her weight loss journey. Like so many of us, she's battled the pressures from society to conform to unrealistic and often unobtainable beauty standards. And in her efforts to achieve the ideal image, her weight has fluctuated up and down.
But Valerie finally came to realize weight loss wasn't the key to her happiness or health. So, she moved her focus away from numbers on a scale and towards lifestyle changes to find health in her mind, body, and soul.
With her focus more on health, Valerie came to realize just how much her perspective had shifted when she came across an old set of clothes.
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While cleaning out her closet, Valerie came across what she'd previously considered her "fat clothes." That included the button-up shirt and jeans Valerie Bertinelli wore in her "before" picture for her very first Jenny Craig weight loss ad.
“I thought I was fat the last time I wore these clothes,” she confessed.
However, now wearing that same outfit, Valerie feels very differently today.
"I’ve never felt more beautiful, more at peace, more mentally and emotionally stable than I do today and I’m wearing my ‘fat clothes,’" she said.
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Valerie's choice is about shifting perspective. Instead of attaching our self-worth to clothing sizes or societal expectations, we should see ourselves through the eyes of God. Every one of us is uniquely created, and that uniqueness should be celebrated, just as Valerie is celebrating hers.
She said, "Health is not a body size. Health is not the number you see on the scale. Your worth as a human being isn’t dictated by your body."
Kudos to Valerie Bertinelli for shifting her perspective. Her pulling out and putting on those "fat clothes" is a celebration of authenticity, self-acceptance, and the belief that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. In the eyes of our Creator, we are loved just as we are.
Valerie's journey encourages us to honor our bodies as temples. Her new perspective on her "fat clothes" is a reminder that self-acceptance is a vital part of this journey. God loves us unconditionally, and we should love ourselves in the same way.
Let Valerie's journey serve as a reminder to embrace our true selves, love ourselves as God loves us, and extend that same love and acceptance to others! Please be sure to share this story with someone who could use a reminder that they are loved, just as they are.
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"Or don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have from God? You are not your ow; for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
h/t: People
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/wolfiesmom
Mel is the senior writer for GodUpdates, finding, writing and sharing Christian, uplifting, and health-related stories from around the world. Mel has a passion for writing and graduated with a degree in English from Randolph-Macon College in Virginia. When she’s not researching and writing stories, Mel is very active in her church. You can usually find Mel playing board games with her husband and two young girls, giving someone a hug, or hunting down a good cup of coffee!