Beth Payne is an actress, linguist, comic, children’s advocate and health coach. She has appeared on My Wife and Kids, The Jamie Foxx show and Comic View. Currently, the midwest native who speaks 7 languages, lends her voice to 6 different characters on PBS’s Maya and Miguel. In 2009, her whirlwind life came to a standstill, but her faith helped her get back on track. Here is her story:

How did this journey begin for you? I went from wearing a size 8 in February 2009 up to a size 12 in February 2010. I was in a very unhealthy relationship and I ate comfort food, didn’t work out and was spiritually broken. Once I got out of the relationship. I started working on me. I was focused on really regaining the person back that I lost…..ME!

What motivated you to change? I walked past the mirror one day and didn’t recognize myself. I began peeling back the layers of everything that was weighing me down physically, mentally, spiritually, as well as what was in my environment. I had to build myself up with Gods help in every area. In seven months I was down to wearing a size 4-6! I didn’t lose the weight because of stress. I just kept focused on my Spirit and purging out people, excess stuff, and things about me that was toxic; replacing it with nothing but positive, nourishing activities, food, and people in my life.

What is the most surprising thing you learned during this process? Now I am using what could have destroyed the person that I was called to be! I love motivating people and sharing with them this process in detail. I have several clients that I now work with as their Healthy Life Style Coach! People’s lives are changing in every area!

If you could tell people one thing about being healthy, what would it be? The weight is the physical manifestation of what is going on in the Mind and Spirit! Once you get your life in order everything else falls into place. God works in order. Once we organize our lives one step at a time our lives become a lot easier to handle. We become more aware of what’s around us and what we put in us. There are things people, habits, and foods we all need to remove from our lives and until you do you will always be stuck in a body that you don’t recognize! I am here to help people get out of that. They just have to commit to talking the first step! Looking in the Mirror and saying “I matter and I am worth it!” then believe it! “Good Character is worth more than any material gain! Think First Then Do the Right Thing!” ~Beth Payne