Valerie Bertinelli, 63, models the same ‘FAT clothes’ she wore in the ‘before photo’ for 2007 Jenny Craig weight loss ad – as she talks about how she finally learned to embrace her natural body after YEARS of dieting problems

Valerie Bertinelli has reflected on how her mindset has changed as she now feels ‘more beautiful’ than ever while wearing her ‘fat clothes’ from the 2007 weight loss advertising campaign.

The 63-year-old actress took her with her Instagram to deliver a powerful message about the importance of self-love and how the outfit she donned in her before photos as Jenny Craig spokesperson now gives her confidence.

Wearing a pale pink button-up shirt and jeans, Valerie – who has spent the past two years on a “healing journey” following her bitter divorce from Tom Vitale – opened up about how far she has come emotionally.

The One Day At A Time actress reminded her followers that a “number on a scale” does not define their worth.

As she shot herself in the mirror, she said, “This is what I wore in my very first before photo with Jenny Craig. ‘

She then spoke about the “emotional and mental work” she has done after “pretending everything was fine when it wasn’t.”

‘Health is not body size, health is not the number you see on a scale. Your value as a human being is not determined by your body,” she added.

Valerie once again referenced the clothes she wore during the campaign, adding that she now feels “more beautiful and emotionally stable.”

‘The last time I wore these clothes I thought I was fat. I have never felt more beautiful, more peaceful and more mentally and emotionally stable than I do today and I am wearing my ‘fat clothes’. That’s damned,” she said.

In the video’s caption, she explained that she found the outfit in the back of her closet while cleaning and is glad she kept it all these years later.

‘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. 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 part of you.

“You are enough,” she said at the end of the caption.

Fans of the actress flooded the comments section, praising her for her honesty and gushing over her beauty.

One person wrote: ‘Valerie, your honesty is so beautiful and you will never know the positive ripple effect these posts will have on the women, both young and not so young, who see them.’

Another user added: ‘Thank you for this incredibly brave and vulnerable post.’

Someone else commented: ‘You are absolutely beautiful as your mental and physical strength shines through!’

‘You are so right!! You are a beautiful soul. Keep shining your light! The world needs it,” another person added.

The star lost 20 pounds in 2009 and posed in a green bikini for the cover of People magazine to show off her progress. But over the years the weight crept back on as she went through a painful divorce and watched her ex-husband Eddie Van Halen die.

In June, the actress revealed that quitting alcohol had helped her lose 10 pounds.

She has previously spoken about how “getting out” from her ex-husband helped her lose weight.

‘So it’s time for me to probably go down another jean size. I can not believe it. And this all started in November, the month I got off work and really started focusing on my emotional and mental health. And when I started doing that, I started to worry more about the nutrition I was putting into my body,” she said.

She noticed that she started to focus more on the food she was putting into her body than the calories.

She added: ‘It’s not so much about calories, but what are in those calories? Am I getting enough fiber? Am I getting enough protein? Do I naturally get enough vitamins through my food? Am I drinking too much? What makes me feel better? What makes my body feel better? Keyword, feeling better.’

She separated from her second husband Tom Vitale in 2021 and they finalized their divorce in November.

Before that, she was married to a rock star.

She married Eddie Van Halen in 2001 and they divorced in 2007. He died of cancer in 2020.

In February, she said she had parted ways with her “narcissistic” ex-husband.

The 62-year-old actress tied the knot with financial planner Vitale in 2011, but filed for divorce from him last year due to “irreconcilable differences” and now admits she has found peace with the “painful” breakup following her therapy journey .

In a video on Instagram, she said: ‘It’s so painful, but something is happening that is very helpful.

“I believe a lot of emotional pain is stored in the body, and I do my best to heal from it in every way possible: my therapy, my journaling, my meditation, rolfing. I’m over it! I’m over the narcissist. I’ve long since gotten over the narcissist.’

The Golden Globe winner added that she has been able to live a “better life” since the split and is grateful that she has a life she can rightfully enjoy.