The best quotes from Richard Simmons on life, love and weight loss
Richard Simmons knew how to formulate cheeky soundbites.
The always cheerful and witty fitness guru, who rose to fame in the ’80s in striped Dolfin shorts during the era of home workouts on VHS machines, died Saturday at the age of 76. The “Sweatin’ With the Oldies” star had largely retreated from the public eye in recent years, but not without offering a lifetime of encouragement to his fans, witty one-liners about his childhood in food-obsessed New Orleans, refuting rumors about his personal life and gently poking fun at his own outsized image.
Here are some of Simmons’ most memorable quotes about life, love and weight loss:
“I mean, I was way too big. You know how they teach you early on that ‘sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you?’ Well, that’s a lie. But who’s having the last laugh these days?” – Richard Simmons told the (New Orleans) Times-Picayune in 1983.
“The only time I wasn’t fat was on my birthday. I went straight from that meal to Crêpes Suzette.” – Simmons in his “Never-Say-Diet Book” from 1980
“I’m going to donate all my clothes to the Smithsonian when I die because I want my own grand piano. I don’t just want a Fonzie jacket. I want the Richard Simmons grand piano.” – Simmons in an interview with Men’s Health in 2012
“There will always be something strange about eating four grapes before bed, drinking a special tea, or buying that little bean from El Salvador. If you watch your portions, have a good attitude, and exercise every day, you will live longer, feel better, and look great.” – Simmons told the Associated Press in an interview in 2005
“When you die in New Orleans, they fry you before you’re put in the coffin. When we baptize children in New Orleans, we do it with a Bordelaise sauce; we don’t use water.” – Simmons to Men’s Health
“I think there are times when you have to be serious and times when you have to be silly. It’s about knowing when to do it. I try to find a good combination. Being silly cures depression. It surprises people and makes them think. But in between all that silliness, there’s a lot of seriousness that makes sense.” – Simmons to The Associated Press
“The candle will probably be on a zucchini. You know, I’m a vegetarian. … OK, fine. Maybe a Pepperidge Farm Milano cookie. But only one.” – Simmons in a birthday interview with People published the day before his death.
“I have something new to tell you. Please don’t be sad. I’m dying. Oh, I can see your faces now. The truth is we’re all dying. Every day we live, we get closer to our death. Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to live your life to the fullest every single day. Get up in the morning and look up at the sky… be thankful for your blessings and enjoy it.” – Simmons in a March 18 Facebook post that alerted his fans
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