Valerie Bertinelli Posts About Weight Loss After Cutting Back On Alcohol: 'I’m Really Starting To Love Myself'

This post has been updated since its original publication date to include new info

Valerie Bertinelli is looking better than ever these days! The 63-year-old One Day At A Time actress showed off her noticeably trimmer figure in a TikTok video back in February this year, while confessing that her weight loss wasn’t actually due to a crash diet or hours upon hours of exercise, but instead, was a result of temporarily giving up alcohol for Dry January! Wow!

Valerie Bertinelli Credits Dry January For Her Impressive Weight Loss

We know what stopping drinking can do for our bodies, as evidenced by the throwback picture Jessica Simpson shared with her fans a few years ago, which was taken before she embarked on her sobriety and 100-lb weight loss journey, and Bertinelli is now the latest A-list example!

In her video, the Hot in Cleveland star said: "So, here's a nice little side effect of Dry January. These jeans that I'm wearing were so tight a few months ago that I couldn't comfortably button them. Now, they're so loose it's time for me to go down a size." She then laughed, and added, "Yeah, I like that side effect."

However, it wasn’t just the lack of alcohol that seemingly contributed to Bertinelli's 10-lb weight loss, which she also spoke about in an even more recent video, as she suggested that cutting back on sugar was also a factor when replying directly to a fan's comment.

"Just from no alcohol? Or sugar too? A battle but one we can win," one fan commented, to which she replied, "I cut back a LOT on sugar." Another fan said they did "Sober October AND Dry January AND way less sugar," but experienced "very little weight loss." However, the fan added that they were "feeling healthier," which inspired Bertinelli, who then replied: "Oooh, Sober October. I like it. I may also do Dry July."

The Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today author posted a video on Instagram on February 1st to mark the end of her Dry January journey, and told fans that while she *may* have a cocktail at the weekend due to having a dinner date, she wants to keep her alcohol consumption to a minimum since starting this new journey!

"Happy last day of Dry January," she says in the video. "I think I'm not gonna drink tomorrow either. I mean I might have a cocktail on Saturday because I have a dinner date, but other than that, I think I'm gonna keep it going for a little while."

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."

Other fans couldn’t help but comment on how great she looked regardless of the weight loss! "You have always been a beautiful woman, never forget that," one fan gushed in the comments section, while another said she was "looking beautiful as always." "You are still gorgeous," praised another fan.

Why Did Valerie Bertinelli Do Dry January?

The Touched by an Angel alum told fans the real reasons behind her decision to do Dry January. "I have decided to do dry January. I like it so far," she said on social media. "I'm doing it for two reasons. One, I want to try and cut down the cravings for my sugar. And I think alcohol exacerbates that."

She said that stress was the second factor, adding; "I want to calm down the cortisol in my body that has been raging for the last five, six years. I've been in fight, flight, freeze, fawn mode. And I want to go into rest and digest. I think cutting alcohol will help me do that."

Valerie Bertinelli's June 2023 Update

On June 10th, 2023, Valerie gave her fans another candid update, this time focusing more on her mental health. She wrote: "Back in November, I really started concentrating on my emotional and mental health. The harsh words and abuse can never be unheard and taken back, but here’s the thing, I wouldn’t have taken them in and believed them in the first place, if I hadn’t been saying harsh and unkind words to myself first."

She went on to talk about some of the things she had been doing to help her mental health, including "therapy, journaling, meditation and a slew of things you’ve watched me talk about on my feed the past year." She continued, "I started to care about myself more and care how I treated myself more which led me to also care about the nutrition I put into my body."

She opened up about her eating habits too, which no doubt contributed to her impressive weight loss. "Caring not so much about calories but what are in those calories? Am I getting enough fiber? Am I getting enough protein? Am I getting enough vitamins, naturally, in my food? Am I drinking too much?" she asked. "What makes me feel better. What makes my body feel better? Keyword, FEEL better," she continued. "I also went dry in January. And I plan to do it again in July. I have cut back exponentially on alcohol and I’m sure that has helped with releasing the weight I was carrying for protection. And it did protect me. I’m grateful for that."

"I don’t need protection any longer. I’m really starting to love myself," she concluded. "Deep down. All this to say I have a lot to talk about and will continue to do so. Thank you for coming on this journey with me. Please be kind to yourselves. You deserve it. We all do. We are enough."

Valerie Bertinelli Gets Emotional As She Tries On Her 'Fat Clothes' In October 2023 Video

The Valerie's Home Cooking star issued another emotional weight-related update just last month. In an October 2nd Instagram video, Bertinelli tried on the very first 'before' outfit she wore for a Jenny Craig weight loss commercial after finding it at the back of her closet. She confessed that she has "never felt more beautiful" despite being close to her 'before' size – before she went on to lose 40 pounds all those years ago.

If you'll recall, Bertinelli became a spokesperson for Jenny Craig back in 2007, and told People in 2009 that the company helped her lose an amazing 40 pounds in just nine months. But despite fitting into what she called her "fat clothes," Bertinelli told fans she has never felt more "at peace."

In the October 2023 video, Bertinelli can be seen holding her phone up to a mirror while modeling the light pink shirt and dark-colored pants she wore all those years ago. "I have done so much emotional and mental work to recover from years of, ugh, pretending everything was OK when it wasn't," she told her followers in the video, before reiterating that health should not be defined by a "body size" or a "number" on the scale, and "your worth as a human being isn't dictated by your body." She added: "I thought I was fat the last time I wore these clothes. 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.'"

In the caption, she added: "I have been doing a lot of emotional and mental purging in the last year. And the past few weeks, purging my closets and getting rid of things that no longer bring me joy. These were in the back of my closet in my office. I don't know why I kept them, but now I'm glad I did. It's nice to see how far I've come emotionally."

"I continue to work on not suppressing or numbing my feelings with food or alcohol and here I am," she concluded. "I am enough. Our bodies do not define who we are as human beings. A number on the scale does not define how much love your heart can hold. Please love yourself, every single part of you. You are enough!"

Valerie Bertinelli's Fans Call Her An 'Inspiration'

Her fans understandably showered Bertinelli with praise for keeping it real. "[You're an] icon, not only because of your incredible talent but you allow yourself to be vulnerable, which makes us allow ourselves to be vulnerable, and that's when growth happens," one fan wrote, as another said, "I [expletive] love you for this." Another added: "I say all the time I wish I was as fat as I thought I was back in the day… good for you!"

Another fan exclaimed: "You look great! And, a huge plus is that a few extra pounds look great as women cross a certain age. Too Thin = frail and fragile looking on anyone who is over 50." Another fan thanked her and called her an inspiration, writing: "Thank you for your raw and honest feelings. You are beautiful and have been your whole life. You are truly my inspiration."