Jennie Garth
Jennie Garth talked about her extreme weight loss, "30 pounds of dead weight," after her divorce with People magazine. People

Jennie Garth has been in the spotlight recently with many talking about her divorce from husband of 11 years Peter Facinelli to her extreme weight loss afterward. But now, Garth is doing the talking in a revealing interview with People magazine.

"[2012] has been a bit of a rebirth for me as a person by shedding that negative space and all the pain associated with that time," the 40-year-old “90210” actress told People.

Garth said that after the divorce, she vowed to "focus on taking better care of myself" by losing "30 lbs. of dead weight."

“I just looked at it like there’s no way I can hide out… and never work again, never love again and never laugh again… Sitting on the couch eating Pringles all day is not going to help anybody,” she said.

According to Garth, she hired a personal trainer and changed her health habits, which she attributed to her weight loss.

“Being fit helps me have confidence. … I have a strong constitution. I have a lot of inner calm about stuff right now,” she said.

Garth and Facinelli announced their divorce back in March after 11 years of marriage, citing “irreconcilable differences.” The pair first met on the set of a made-for-TV movie, "An Unfinished Affair" and married in 2001. They have three children together: 14-year-old Luca, nine-year-old Lola and Fiona, five.

"While we have decided to end our marriage, we both share the same deep love and devotion to our children," the couple said in a statement released to People in March. "We remain dedicated to raising our beautiful daughters together. We ask for privacy and respect during this time."

Back in August, though, Garth was seen looking "dramatically slimmed down -- bordering on frail," according to Us Weekly, which worried many fans. Garth, though, called her weight loss “30 lbs. of dead weight."

But along with confidence, Garth said she wanted to be “a healthy and positive role model for her three daughters.” The actress said before the divorce, she was at times so depressed that she felt she wasn’t being a good mother to her children.

"I spent a couple of years lying in bed and being depressed, it was that 'I can't breathe' pain," she said. "Physically, I didn't look my best and, mentally, I didn't feel my best. I was doing everything I could to be a good mom, but that was all I could handle."