Puberty for me was graduating from Thousand Island salad dressing to Caesar salads. It was like going from hot dogs and hamburgers to beef stroganoff, or from ice cream in a cone to creme brulee.

If you want to get the body you've always dreamed of, you have to earn it.

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.

I just love what I do, and I'm a teacher more than anything.

If I don't take care of myself, if I don't feel good about myself, how can I help others?

When I go to bed at night, I ask God to give me another day; I ask him to keep me strong and make me a good teacher and to keep spreading this right word.

Everything I did with my life I did so that I could give my parents everything they didn't have because of me.