Milk & Honey: Miss America hopeful, Bree Boyce, lost more than 100 lbs and gained a crown

Where have I been all this year that I am just now finding out about this Sweet, southern beauty queen and her inspiring weight-loss story that took her from over 230 lbs. to a sleek, slender, poised and confident beauty queen winning the Miss South Carolina Pageant this year. Now she will be competing for the grand title of pageants; MISS AMERICA, in just a few days. WOW! AMAZING!

I came across her photos and story in the irresistable annual edition of PEOPLE MAGAZINE "Half Their Size" that I picked up in the check-out line a few days ago while shopping New Year's Eve.

I was just casually browsing through the impressive stories of all the folks featured this year when I turned a page and there she was, in her gown, sash, & crown, a true southern belle beauty, with the caption reading, "I USED TO BE FAT". It came complete with before and after photos. YAY!

Now I can't wait to watch the Miss America Pageant January for the first time in decades. Seriously! It has been at least 20 years since I last watched a pageant. It used to be a family tradition with my sisters and my Mom and I. And even before that, with my Grndmother, Mammaw (Lena Rivers) Riffe, and my cousins. We would all dream of growing up and becoming pageant winners but I always had to prefece that thought with another more pressing thought; "If I would lose weight, I could enter a beauty pageant". I was even led to believe by very impartial grandparents, aunts, uncles, and parents that I was pretty enough in the face and had talent and communications skills well enough to not just compete but to win the whole thing! Crown, title, money, scholarships and all. Who ME?

I was a pretty baby! Healthy and normal size at sightly over 7 lbs at birth back in 1962. But that didn't last long! I grew up to weigh more than 500 lbs and a size 56-60, wearing this 80's skirt. I still have it.

Thank God the skirt no longer fits, in a good way! After reducing 335 lbs and still managing to keep half that weight off since 1994, I am not ready YET for a beauty pageant competition, even if I wanted to enter one, but I am determined that in the near future I will be able to fit into my own dream gown that makes me feel like a pretty princess all dressed up for a handsome prince. It will happen someday!

Until then, I will be poised and gracefull while eating my healthy lite snacks with some friends and watching the 2012 Miss America Pageant in 2 weeks and CHEERING for Miss South Carolina. (I will also cheer respectfully for both Miss Kentucky & Miss Tennessee) whatever the outcome on January 14th, I hope she will continue her efforts to bring awareness to obesity and to spread the good news to those struggling with weight problems that there are healthier options than surgery, pills, rigid diet plans and other drastic ways to lose weight.

Not to say that I think less of folks who choose those other alternative routes. You all should know that I would NEVER judge you on your decisions. I am in SUPPORT of each of you and in whatever ways you believe BEST FOR YOU. I hope you all understand. I will always, always, always, encourage, educate, and inspire anyone to do everything you can to get heatlhy by getting excess weight off the same way you put it on. Eating and activity. It is usually a matter of eating too much or eating the wrong foods at the wrong times and not getting enough of healthy fitness conditioning activities that piles on the extra weight and leads us to becoming unhealthy. So, reversing that will reverse the weight problems. Just makes sense, doesn't it. Usually we all need no help in putting it on, but we all usually need help in getting it off. SO HERE IS YOUR HELP! ME!!!

And inspiring stories like Miss South Carolina, Bree Boyce. Like me, she lost her weight the old fashioned way, with healthy eating and working out.... and I love and admire that about her. It really helps to give HOPE TO ALL that it is totally possible to change your weight and change your life!