Ricki Lake: Dancing Her Mass Off (And Other Beauty Secrets)

Ricki Lake's dance card is full.

She thanks the aging process. "I'm getting better with age. My entire life is getting better with age. I look better now than when I was younger and I'm so much happier."

"I even look in the mirror and think, 'You look better now than you did at 20.'"

One thing that hasn't changed is Lake's sweet and engaging personality.

That's why fans are rooting for her as she cha-cha-cha's her way into the finale of "Dancing with the Stars." She's prepping a new talk show and is also recently engaged to Christian Evans.

She says the biggest surprise in her life has been finding new love at this age. She was worried that stardom could put a little dent in that love.

"A year ago, I told Christian, 'I want you to know that my life gets crazy.' That's another great thing about aging. You really learn to speak from your heart," she says.

His response was totally supportive.

"He's totally OK with my life," she says. "And now with 'Dancing with the Stars,' we walk into a restaurant and people shout at us, 'We're rooting for you, Ricki!'"

"Christian just laughs," she says. "He's very special. I love him so much."

DANCING HER BEE-HIND OFF

Ricki says that "Dancing" has provided a few challenges when it comes to her ache and pain meter.

 "I feel like a walking Dalmatian," says Lake who has spent all day in "Dancing with the Stars" training. "I have bruises everywhere. I even have a bruised rib."

Here comes the moan. "And I have five more hours of dance practice today."

 "We rehearse from early in the day until midnight and there is no day off. I come out of each rehearsal looking like I just walked out of a swimming pool. That's how much sweat is involved."

She says there is no better exercise than dancing.

 "I used to jump rope for cardio. I've learned that doing the quick step is a lot harder," she says with a laugh.

Of course, there are issues many of us ladies will understand.

"I had two vaginal births," Lake confides. "All women will relate to the fact that when you jump up and down, you have to empty your bladder…all the time."

"I think some of my weight loss can be attributed to running to the bathroom," she says with a laugh.

It follows that her latest "heart" project is the follow up to her documentary "The Business of Being Born," a four part DVD series that continues to explore the modern maternity care system.

"More Business of Being Born" follows celebrity birth stories from Alanis Morissette, Gisele Bundchen, Christy Turlington-Burns, Cindy Crawford, Molly Ringwald, Laila Ali, Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Melissa Joan Hart.

RICKI ON BEAUTY

Of course, I have to ask Ricki her beauty secrets and she's happy to share a few.

"I get a facial every month," she says. "I think it's important to take care of your skin by really washing up every single night. You have to get rid of the makeup.

"I also use good products," she says. "A company called DivineBeauty has amazing skin care products that are all natural."

She says that getting her zzz's is also crucial.

"I'm always trying to get enough sleep and eat well, which means fresh fruits and vegetables, because the show is so demanding," she says. "It's really important to put good food in your body if you want to have that maximum energy."

RICKI'S IN LOVE

Lake is divorced from political illustrator Rob Sussman and they are the parents of sons, Milo, 14 and Owen, 10.

It's amazing that her kids are that age. "I can't believe that my son is 14. It's actually frightening how fast it has gone by. You really see the passing of the years through your kids," she says.

"My 10 year old is still my baby, but my older son has broken up with me. He doesn't want to hang out with mom. He has his own life," she frets.

Lake is happy with Evans.

"I love him so much," she says. "This guy is very different from a man I would have chosen even a year and a half ago. My fiancé is very special."

The change is in Lake herself.           

"I lost weight, got on my feet and feel good in my skin," he says.

" I wanted to meet someone who would be nice to me," she says. "I wanted to be with someone who would support me and didn't think I was holding him back.

"I needed to be with a man who would celebrate my success and want me to reach higher – and I found him," she says with a smile.

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