Rulon Gardner Quotes

From 1997 through 1999, I had gained so much. People don't realize how something like weight gain can make you sad. Losing weight has changed my life. If you can take control of your life, you can lose weight.

I gained weight, and that started a 32-year struggle with weight and exercise and body image problems.

When I started out as a model, I took things for granted. Because I bagged work thanks to my looks, I didn't give my body any importance. I was a couch potato who'd eat anything. Then, in 2005, a tabloid ran a story calling me fat. I thought, 'I'm famous. How can I be fat?' It was a slap. I decided to get fit.

I never thought in a million years I'd be that healthy girl who wakes up every morning to exercise. After being called 'cherubic and chubby,' I'm rocking a bikini!

If you look at the first TV stuff I did years ago, I've a pretty chubby look about me. I went at it quite hard in the gym at the time. If any footage of me ever came out from those days, I would genuinely die. I did step aerobics to lose the weight, and then I literally ran and ran the weight off on a treadmill.

I'm not worried at all about going to 160 lb.

One of the biggest inspirations before I started shooting came from my brother, when he texted me and said, 'Hey, fatty, it's called 'The Hunger Games', not 'The Eating Games'. So I started working out a lot more and eating a lot less.

I've talked to so many people, men and women alike, that get overweight and their self-esteem just goes in the tank. They think they're judged. They think they're unattractive.

I love the way my weight fluctuates in the newspapers. It was 18 stone and then people look at a bad picture of me and add a few more stone on. I think the highest was 22 stone.

I wasn't athletic as a kid, and I was self-conscious about my body, but then in eighth grade I won a school contest, and the prize was a bunch of personal training sessions.

People tell me, 'You better lose weight if you want to run for mayor.' I said, 'I got the Chris Christie look.'

As a gymnast, you always wear spandex. Being a teenager wearing spandex? It was tough accepting how my body looked, especially if there was any weight gain.

I was up around 340 pounds because the producers said they wanted a really big guy - and I'm not that big, you know! I've lost it all now though. I'm 285 pounds, my sexy weight!

I have been a big guy all my life, I am not going to lose a bunch of weight, because then you're like that weird fat person that got skinny but still has a big head. I don't want to do that. So I'm just trying.

I felt very comfortable about myself when I was much heavier. I feel much better about myself from being fit.

Once you start losing weight and seeing results, you're like, 'I want to see more!'

When you struggle with weight, it's not an internal struggle... it's literally an external struggle, and everyone sees it.

During the course of filming 'Top Chef,' I gain 15 lbs., so I'm used to needing two dress sizes.

Keep in mind that it is very important to stay moving and to get exercise - positive feelings about our appearance develop once we start taking control of our health.

I think people really connect with the idea of someone who's gained and lost weight in this very public way, and also someone who's an emotional eater.

When I was 20, my husband at the time looked at me said, 'You're fat; go run.' There weren't a lot of tools at the end of the '70s to lose weight. It took me a while to realize what kind of exercise would make me happy and I would look forward to doing. And running became it.

I hate my stomach. It's impossible to get it flat, and the area around my belly button drives me crazy.

I'm not slimming down for anyone and losing my figure.

First off, I don't do self-deprecation comedy based on being fat. I would always talk about it honestly. Secondly, I don't care how much I weigh.

My mother always wanted me to be glamorous. When I thought about that, it really fired me up, and once I lost all those pounds, I started to feel really good about myself.