Valerie Bertinelli Reveals 'Huge A-Ha Moment' That Lead to Her Newfound Confidence: 'I'm at the Best Place in My Life'

It's been a long time coming, but Valerie Bertinelli finally feels comfortable in her skin.

After years of struggling with her weight, the chef explained she no longer deprives herself of certain foods, a decision that's improved her overall mental health.

"I don’t deny myself anything anymore," the 63-year-old shared in a new interview. "I think what do I want, as opposed to what am I going to eat because I need to be careful about calories. If I want pasta alle vongole, I'm going to make that. And I'm not going to feel one ounce of guilt about it."

"But I also don't crave things anymore that won't necessarily feed my body all the nutrition that it needs," she added.

Her new outlook is one of the things that inspired her latest cookbook, Indulge, which also includes personal stories.

"I was in the middle of growth and health and recovery and I found a way to be intentional with joy and I want to share that," the mom-of-one said of why she published it. "For me, it’s through cooking."

Bertinelli revealed she recently tried on her "fat jeans" from 2008, which was when she thought she was heavy.

"They fit me perfectly, and I didn't feel fat and I'm not fat," she stated. "So what the h--- is wrong with diet culture? I looked fine. I looked beautiful. And that was my before picture? It was a huge a-ha moment. They fit and I'm at the best place in my life."

The Kids Baking Championship alum noted that once she was in such a great headspace, she shockingly stumbled upon the perfect man.

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Bertinelli said she met her mystery man a few years ago via Instagram, but they recently took their friendship to the next level despite her previous claim that she was swearing off dating after two divorces.

"I'm in love. It’s a seesaw of emotions because I was adamant I was never falling in love again," she confessed. "I was supposed to die with my six cats and my dog and very happily live the rest of my years alone — I'm good alone. This was not supposed to happen."

"There was something about him that I connected with that felt familiar," she gushed. "It’s crazy the comfort level."

In 2022, Bertinelli endured a bitter divorce from Tom Vitale, while she and Eddie Van Halen — the father of her only child — split in 2007 after more than three decades together.

The Food Network personality and the musician stayed friends until he passed away in 2020 from cancer.

People interviewed Bertinelli.