Newly-crowned Miss South Carolina Bree Boyce is the picture of health and fitness now, but the 22-year-old once topped the scales at 234 pounds.
Bree, who lost 112 pounds in two years by exercising daily and overhauling her diet, now wants to inspire others to embrace a healthy lifestyle.
Diets Don't Work
Boyce, who will compete for the Miss America pageant in January 2012, says her "goal in life is to inspire all ages to become healthy through good eating habits, exercise, and believing in yourself."
Bree, who has been overweight all her life, has tried every diet in the book, including Atkins and Weight Watchers, but tells HeavyUSA (see video interview at left):
"What has worked for me the most and long-term was throwing the diet out of the window," she says.
Terrified of Regaining Weight
Boyce says a restrictive approach to eating just wasn't for her.
"I felt I couldn't have that piece of chocolate cake that I enjoy so much because I am on a diet," she recounts.
"If I go about every day and eat the right foods and I say that chocolate cake's there, I'm not going to deprive myself. If I want the chocolate cake that much I'm going to eat it. It's about not eating that chocolate cake every day on every hour...You have to have it in moderation."
Bree says the Miss America pageant provides a great platform for her to spread the message about healthy eating.
"I think what people find so strange is that I've lost 100 pounds and I compete in pageants and I do a swimsuit competition," she says. "People think that's hilarious, that it's so rare.
"For me, being in pageants and my goal to become Miss America strikes people as strange because they have this whole thing with pageant contestants.
They have to be a certain size and a certain weight, you have to look a certain way, have plastic surgery, but I really want to show young girls and guys that you don't have to be a double-zero."
Despite her progress, Boyce admits she's afraid she'll regain the weight. "There's a huge fear in me that I'll gain it back," she confesses.
"But I think I've come to the point where that fear has scared me so much that it's something I think about every time I put something in my mouth, every time I do some physical activity, I think about where did I come from.
"I came from that yo-yo dieter, that overweight child that got picked on when I was small. I came from all that and whenever I want to give up or mess up, I look at those moments, and it really helps me look forward to the future."
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