Valerie Bertinelli: "You Never Have To Give Up Anything Completely"

Looking fantastic at 51, Valerie Bertinelli graces the January cover of Woman's Day. The Hot in Cleveland star, who famously shed 40 lbs., talks about keeping the weight off. She also speaks of her son Wolfie and her ex-husband Eddie Van Halen.

On Dieting: "My dieting philosophy is, you never have to give up anything completely. If there’s something you really like, you’ll always be pining for it. Then, if it’s put in front of you, you’ll go crazy for it. I love movie popcorn, but I don’t have it very often because I know there’s a healthier alternative in unbuttered popcorn and it’s still satisfying. But occasionally I’ll indulge when Tom [husband] and I go to the movies, and I’m not going to feel guilty about it."

On Happiness: "When I think about my 20’s and read all the interviews I did, I wouldn’t say I was miserable the whole time, but there were a lot of ups and downs. That’s life, and there’s no magic formula for being happy. It’s about making a choice: Am I going to let this get me down, or am I going to walk through it and get to the other side? Sometimes it’s getting through the personal stuff that makes you a better, happier person. And when you feel better, it’s easier to take care of yourself."
 


On Doing it All: “Whoever said women can do it all was wrong. We wish we could, but it’s OK that we can’t. We just need to do the best we can. I was separated from Ed [rocker Eddie Van Halen] when my son, Wolfie, was 11 (he’s now 20). I was working full time in Utah and flying back and forth to Los Angeles five days a week because I wanted to put Wolfie to bed at night. But working and taking care of him was hard on everyone—including me. As women, we’re busy taking care of our kids and everyone else in our lives, but we forget to treat ourselves well."

For more photos of Valerie, go to Womansday.com and pick up the January issue of Woman’s Day, on newsstands December 20th.