Miss South Carolina Bree Boyce, who once topped the scales at 234 pounds, dropped a stunning 112 pounds in two years by eating less and exercising regularly.
The 5'7" Bree, who's now a size two, reveals she was "miserable in my own skin" as a heavy kid growing up in Florence, S.C.
'I'd Go Home and Cry'
"I used to make fun of my weight with others to fit in and be the funny, overweight girl," says Boyce, 22, tells People. "I'd go home and cry, not because of what others had said about me, but about what I had said about myself."
By age 17, Bree weighed 234 pounds and felt exhausted and achy just walking around.
After a doctor told her she needed to lose weight for her health, Boyce started writing down what she ate every day and working out 2-3 times a week.
"I knew there were so many things I wanted to do in life: I wanted to be on Broadway, go to school, get married, have a family," Boyce recounts. "I also wanted to be Miss America one day."
'I Want to Promote Health & Self Esteem'
By age 20, Bree had shed 100 pounds, and was crowned Miss South Carolina in 2011 after shedding an additional 12 pounds.
Boyce, who now embraces a healthy diet and active lifestyle, wants to set an example for others.
"I don't want young girls to worry about the number on the scale," she says. "I'm really promoting health and loving yourself."
Bree underscores that weight loss isn't about quick-fix starvation diets, but a long-term lifestyle change.
"I learned that if I became a healthy person, I could achieve all the goals I wanted to in life," she says. "It was definitely about making that drastic change.
"It was not about going on a fad diet. For years I had failed attempts. People are always searching for a quick fix. It's all about changing your lifestyle."
The 2012 Miss America Pageant takes place in Las Vegas Jan. 14, 2012.
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