If you want to get the body you've always dreamed of, you have to earn it. You can't buy it, you can't rent it. You have to earn it. My formula has always been love yourself, move your body, watch your portions. And it sounds so easy, but it is not. Richard Simmons More Quotes by Richard Simmons More Quotes From Richard Simmons Every day after school, for three hours a day, I would sell those pralines on the street corner. I was just eight years old. I'd bring the money home to my parents and say, "This is just the beginning." Richard Simmons eight home school Truthfully, everyone knows how to eat right. They know the difference between oatmeal and a jelly cream doughnut. They know how to walk. Everyone has this in their brain. When I started, we didn't have all this knowledge. Richard Simmons oatmeal differences brain 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 pigs believe people I get energy from meditation practice and from eating healthy fresh food, only one cup of espresso in the morning, and not drinking too much. Richard Simmons meditation-practice drinking morning What if you can't do what you once did, like run and jump up and down? You can walk, which is also good for your mind and mental attitude. You can do simpler exercises, like getting up and down from a chair without using your hands. You can stay fairly flexible. The most important thing is to not become sedentary. Richard Simmons exercise running attitude For my workout, I'm up at 4am. I say my prayers, count my blessings, and I work out right away. I just get it done. One day I'll tone - chest, back and shoulders - and the next day it's biceps and triceps. I also do 45 minutes of cardio every day. I do that before I even leave the house. Richard Simmons workout prayer blessing For many years, my formula has been to love yourself, move your body and to watch portion size. But the No. 1 thing is to love and value yourself, no matter what you've been through. Richard Simmons love-you years moving My way is the sensitive, emotional way, because that's who I am. A day doesn't go by where I don't sit and cry, listening to the stories. I try to be the clown and court jester and make people laugh. Richard Simmons emotional who-i-am people Most workouts are way too aggressive. Thousands of lunges wear out the body. It's not healthy for the one with the bad back, bad knees, diabetes. I'm never going to do that. Richard Simmons healthy workout body Stop trying to find something in food that will make you feel better. Richard Simmons oysters feel-better trying I have a one of a kind collection of dolls. My house is like a museum. Richard Simmons dolls house museums I took desperate measures to lose weight and did terrible things to myself. I went from diet pills to thirty laxatives a day to throwing up. Richard Simmons desperate-measures pills weight You know, if your parents didn't have you, they'd be living in a nicer home, driving a Mercedes-Benz, with money in the bank and a boat. But noooooo. They had to have you! You've got to give back! Richard Simmons parent home giving Everything I did with my life I did so that I could give my parents everything they didn't have because of me. Richard Simmons parent giving Everyone in Senate is a hurdle, but everyone in there has children. Everyone in there has grandchildren. No one wants to see our kids continue to gain weight, have high blood pressure high cholesterol, diabetes, and depression. Richard Simmons kids children blood I have never lied to the people. I have always told them to love themselves, to move their body, and to watch their portions. I never jumped on any other bandwagons for stupid diets or shots or pills or anything. I'm very worried about our young people. And we need to take care of them, or they're not going to live as long as their parents. And this is really something very important to me. Richard Simmons stupid long moving It's my life dream to be able to go and continue going to schools and teaching them about stretching and aerobics, cardio and strength training, because I want them to have a better life than I did. I don't want them to grow up to be me. I want them to be healthy. I want them not to go through eating disorders [like me]. Richard Simmons growing-up teaching dream When you gain weight, for every pound that you gain, it adds four pounds of stress on your knees. So if you gain five pounds, you've got 20 pounds of stress on your knees. So that's why I'm extremely careful with my portions and my workout, because I can't be overweight. Richard Simmons stress workout add When I talk to kids who are overweight, I see my face on their bodies. Richard Simmons body faces kids How do you get motivated? By knowing your worth. Americans do not know how worthy they are. You deserve to be healthy, but a lot of times, people have, as childs been told - as a children been told that they're no good, that they're never going to be anything else. Richard Simmons knowing children people