Ashley Graham

Words have power. The things that you say to yourself as a parent - the things that you say maybe even just one time to your children - they take it, and they take it into their real world and into their life and beyond. ”

I tried every diet, from living on cabbage soup to fasting to Weight Watchers, and then came the frozen meals and the shakes. I realized that the more I took care of my body, eating what was good for me, then I felt happy and whole. ”

I felt free once I realized I was never going to fit the narrow mold society wanted me to fit in. ”

It doesn't matter what size your hips are when you measure them. It's about, 'Do you feel good and healthy in those hips?' ”

For 10 years, I'd been told I was always going to be a catalogue girl, never a cover girl. Well, I got with IMG and did five covers in a year, boom, boom, boom. ”

A lot of bodybuilders have high BMIs. It's not an indication of your overall health. Like, why put more standards on women saying there's a maximum BMI? I just think we need to be healthy, and I am. ”

People would do the sound of a truck backing up - beeeep, beeeep - as I was sitting down. ”

I've had agents tell me, 'You're not gonna be on the cover of anything; you're a catalog girl.' I've had clients tell me, 'You're too fat, and we can't book you any more because you don't fit into the jeans.' ”

Too fat, too thin, too loud, too quiet - I was never going to fit the standards others created for me. Instead of complying, I protested. ”

I put myself out there, trying to prove that beauty is beyond size. It was risky, sure, but what I risked in terms of personal pride was nothing in comparison to what I was rewarded in terms of personal fulfillment. ”