People have been frying foods since Jesus was on this planet, and there is always going to be greasy, fried, salty, sugary food. It is up to the individual to walk in and say, ‘I don’t want those fries today.’ – Richard Simmons
When I was growing up, I did not exercise at all. I was raised in the French Quarter in New Orleans. If I saw someone running, I would call the police because I thought they stole something on Royal Street. – Richard Simmons
We overweight people, we say terrible things to ourselves. Oh, you wouldn’t believe it. ‘You fat pig. How can you do this? You’re a disgusting jerk.’ And that gets you nowhere. That gets you right back into a bowl of pasta fregula. – Richard Simmons
Comedy, not screaming at someone, can make someone lift their legs higher. There is a way to do a push-up and a sit-up, and it doesn’t have to be so complicated. Everyone is putting a difficult twist to it and making you do way too much. – Richard Simmons
I’ve never lived in the visual world. I live very much in an emotional-contact world. – Richard Simmons
For my workout, I’m up at 4 A.M. I say my prayers, count my blessings, and I work out right away. I just get it done. – Richard Simmons
We’re all in trouble, and we all need to sort of pick up the pieces and start to exercise more and really be careful with the food. – Richard Simmons
I suffered from eating disorders when I was just a kid. I did not like me or the way I looked. But back then, you could not tell anyone. – Richard Simmons
Yeah, but I do call them back and follow up. Most people talk at overweight people, I talk with them. – Richard Simmons
I get tired of negativity in our country. I get tired of people who only want to know dirt. I get tired of people who don’t believe in themselves. – Richard Simmons
There are sacrifices you have to make. I don’t have a lot to offer one person. I have a lot to offer to a lot of people. – Richard Simmons
Take a moment every day to find peace. Pull over to the side of the road, turn off the radio, and find peace. – Richard Simmons
The real pride, the real present, is your health and your longevity. My whole career, I have never done anything where competition was involved with weight loss. – Richard Simmons
When you’re feeling down, sad, lonely, negative, you don’t want to take care of yourself – and the weight problem and the diabetic problem and the heart attack and stroke problems and high cholesterol set in. – Richard Simmons
When I go to teach, that’s not my workout. It’s my show. I’m 134 pounds – I’m a teeny thing. I work out 11/2 hours a day and eat 1,600 calories. I can’t stray because I have to fit into these Dolfin shorts! – Richard Simmons
I think it is very important that you like yourself for who you are and not want to look like anyone else. You also have to understand, many people have had cosmetic surgeries in order to look the way they look. So why look like them when you can just look like you? And there is nothing wrong with looking like you. – Richard Simmons
I get an abundance of e-mail every day, some say ‘dear Richard, can you call my husband, he weighs 400 pounds…’ or ‘my 14-year-old is 200 pounds…’ or ‘I just got divorced, no one wants me, I am 500 pounds.’ So I pick up the phone and I call people. – Richard Simmons
My way is the sensitive, emotional way, because that’s who I am. I try to be the clown and court jester and make people laugh. At the same time, you have people in the hospital who have had gastric bypass or lap-band surgery, and they still have to work out. If you don’t work out and eat healthy, you’ll look like a melted candle. – Richard Simmons
My parents always told me to be myself. I was always funny and silly as a kid. And I would always make them laugh. And they always told me to dream big and follow those dreams. – Richard Simmons
Even though my work is whimsical. I have a very serious job. I cry more than I laugh. – Richard Simmons
My nickname is Dickie Jukebox. I own thousands and thousands and thousands of songs. – Richard Simmons
I show them the funny part, the silly part, the laughing part, the crazy part and then the really deep, deep part where I’m talking from my heart to these people. Because I’ve been through everything they’ve been through. – Richard Simmons
Every morning when I get up, I ask God what he wants me to do, ask him to lead me to the right people to help them. – Richard Simmons
Sometimes it’s just ‘Oh my God, I love the taste of fried oysters on French bread with mayonnaise and an order of French fries.’ I’m not going to lie to you – I deal with that temptation every single day, many times. – Richard Simmons
