Valerie Bertinelli Quotes

For me to even be talking about bikini confidence is crazy. If you had asked me a couple of months ago, I probably would have been like, 'what are you talking about...' so it's actually huge for me to even feel okay with putting a bikini on.

I say this in the spirit of feminist encouragement, but I think I'm pretty hot. I've got all the facial features, facing the right way, at the right end, and you can always paint over the bad bits with makeup.

My weight fluctuated when I was 30, and I did the unthinkable - I stepped out as a plus-sized model.

It's important for a woman to feel good in her clothes. It's OK to have curves and to work them.

Don't get hung up on the size. If you feel bad about yourself because a 12 is what fits, take a Sharpie, and write '6' on the label.

If wearing the Spanx helps you get looks, and you feel that energy and response, and you're rocking your body with confidence, that's still how you'll feel about yourself when you get home and take the Spanx off... If your attitude improves from the Spanx, wear the Spanx!

I find that a lot of women respond to my work in that it doesn't make them feel bad about themselves.

Even if I wouldn't wear something myself, I think I know how women feel, how women want to look. I can really relate to women, I get on very well with women... Some women don't. I want to empower women, make women feel the best version of themselves.

Growing up, I was quite self-conscious about getting too tall, but then I realized, 'You know what? I can use it to my advantage. Big is beautiful.'

I was going through puberty and was much curvier than other girls, which made me insecure. Then I saw J. Lo on the cover of 'Latina' magazine, and she embraced those curves and was proud of who she was.

The fact that I got famous and became a sex symbol around my normal, frumpy, love-handled self is so gratifying - and, dare I say, culturally gratifying as well.

If I didn't have to fit in to sample sizes I'd be a size 14, easy. I wouldn't bat an eyelid.

I just want to send the best message possible to women. And I'm just so thankful because I honestly never thought I could model. I've always been told I wasn't tall enough, I wasn't thin enough.

Feeling good about your body and feeling sexy comes from within, not from a number on the scale.

I used to be insecure about my butt, but I no longer think of clothes as something to make me look skinnier.

Once I realized, when I became a plus-size model, that there were more women like me, my confidence immediately shot through the roof.

I used to have this thing about my legs. If you look at all of the Destiny's Child albums from when I was a part of the group, you never saw me in a skirt. I was always the one who wore the pants, because I felt like my legs were too skinny.

I get mad at my girlfriends when they say things about their neck or something, "My neck is a disaster," and I'm like, "Come on, you don't even believe that." You're taking that from the outside world, you know? You look amazing, you're beautiful, you're 40, you're in the prime of your life. I'm not interested in fighting it at all. I don't think anyone else is wrong for trying to fight it, however.

I think that each woman, whatever age, needs to recognize something good in her body. Someone has beautiful legs, someone has beautiful hair, someone else has beautiful decolletage or a beautiful waist or beautiful hands. Everyone has something great.

At school my boobs were bigger than all my friends' and I was afraid to show them. Now, I feel they make my outfits look better. They're like an accessory.

It's my crusade to help women feel good about themselves.

I remember thinking that I'd never show my arms on TV, but over time you loosen up.

I make a point to never, ever point out my physical flaws... this is advice I give to women as often as I can. People don't notice the things we see in ourselves that we hate, so why direct them to it?

Some people would like me to be round again.

Sexuality, desirability has nothing to do with body type. It has to do with how you feel from within. I was at my fattest best in 'The Dirty Picture,' and I was called the most desirable. So there you go. I am quite well-endowed, so I have no complaints.