Tyra Banks is back in the bathing suit that set off a front page weight debate on Thursday’s episode of “The Tyra Banks Show.”

The daytime queen sat down for an “Extra” exclusive to discuss why she decided to fire back at the critics, who have called her everything from “America’s Next Top Waddle” to “Tyra Porkchops.”

“They were saying such awful things,” Tyra admitted. “I was like I have to say something.”

The controversy started with the click of a paparazzi camera on an Australian beach. Tyra, who weighed 130 pounds at the height of her supermodel fame, said she’s happier a little heaver.

“It’s a choice for me to be 161 pounds,” the supermodel insisted. “I’ve modeled for so long, I know how to lose weight.”

Now, in an emotional interview, Tyra opens up about her lifelong battle with body image and her struggle to stay thin in the spotlight.

“I tried to stay off the scale as much as possible in my modeling career,” Tyra said. “I didn’t look at that thing.”

‘None Of Us Is Perfect’

  
Published: January 13, 2008 When Tyra Banks found herself mercilessly teased in the press for gaining weight last year, the one-time supermodel didn’t curl up under a blanket. Instead, she went on television wearing her weight—161 pounds—proudly plastered across her chest. “People have to stop thinking that being super-skinny with zero body fat is the most beautiful thing in the world,” says Tyra, 34, the host of her own talk show as well as America’s Next Top Model.
  
The criticism was nothing new. “When I was modeling, people told me I was too large. I was 5 feet 10 and weighed 120 pounds!” she says incredulously. Tyra credits her mother with giving her a strong sense of self but admits that it took a lot of nerve to reveal her weight on national television. “I felt really vulnerable,” she recalls. “I didn’t know if people would laugh at me. But afterward, I felt so liberated. Look, I have cellulite on the backs of my thighs. No matter how much I work out, it’s not going away. It’s my genetics. None of us is perfect.”
  
Tyra is the first to clarify, though, that she does believe in the importance of being healthy. “I’ve always worked out,” she says. “There are so many diet fads. If you want to change your life, you have to have good eating and exercise habits. It can be hard to start. We all want fast results. You want to see a change immediately. But you have to look at your life and the beautiful things in it—whether it’s your children, your home or your friends—and remind yourself that none of that came overnight. It was something you had to cultivate.”
  
Tyra writes exercise into her calendar so that skipping it is not an option. Her current favorite activity is boxing, though she throws in some dance classes as well. But, like everyone, she has days when her motivation flags. “A little investment of money often helps. I recently prepaid for 10 dance classes, and it’ll kill me if I don’t get to them,” she says with a laugh.
  
When it comes to diet, deprivation is definitely not on her agenda. “Food gives me a lot of enjoyment,” Tyra says. “Sometimes I look at other women and think, ‘How could you pass up that cake?’ I falter just like everyone else, but I try to maintain a healthy balance. Lately, I’ve been limiting carbs and cooking with a lot more vegetables.”
  
For Tyra, the most important thing is to feel strong, healthy and fit. “Instead of focusing on the negative and getting caught up in crazy insecurities, I concentrate on what I can accomplish, and that propels me. If you keep putting in the effort, there’s going to be a change.”

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