Long Weight-Losing Struggle
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Finally Pays Off For Billie Jean
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The happiest day of BllUe Jean
Hoyle Oreen’s life was a few nxonths
ago when she purchased a size 13
dress In a local shop.
Clerks In the store didn't recognize
the woman who walked Into the
dress shop.
Billie, an attractive blonde, had
lost approximately 112 pounds, from
a slze'34H-
She weighed 363 pounds at one
time, now tips the scales at 160.
Billie's struggle with obesity
began when she was five years old
SECTION B Thursday, November 8, 1979
Story By Lib Stewart
Photos By Katrena McCall
and continued until about three
years ago when she became
determined to' 'Lose my ugly fat." It
was hard work.
Continuing her story, Billie said
she tried to lose 10 pounds at a time
simply by cutting down on her food
Intake. She ate a good breakfast, a
light lunch and the evening meal.
Then, she Joined Weight Watchers
and brought home with her their
"Weight Watchers Program Hand
book" and recipes. It worked suc
cessfully.
^ ■'f
.. HAPPINESS IS A NEW FIOURE — BUlle Hoyle Green has lost from 362
pounds to 150 pounds • a size 13 dress, In three years. It was hard work for
the young beautician, who has always hao a problem with obesity. The
happiest day of her life was the day she entered a dress shop and pur
chased a size 12.
"I took It one day at a time and
slowly I began to see some results,"
she said.
"Fat people are really han
dicapped," said BUlle, who recaUed
that her first grade classmates
"made fun of me" as a chUd. "I was
the overweight one In the famUy,
since my sister and the rest of the
famUy were slim. But, I Uked to eat
and couldn't stop myself."
As she grew older, BllUe's weight
remained a problem. She finished
beauty school training, and got
married. But, she continued to gain
weight.
"It's a different world for a fat
person," BlUle wUl teU you quite
frankly, recalling how more than
one person has commented to an
overweight person, "my, doesn't she
have a pretty face. If only she could
lose weight."
Only a person who has had a
problem with obesity knows the true
heartache.
"Large people want stylish
clothes, too, not Just something with
a Jacket and a UtUe bow. BUlle said
the day a sales clerk told her not to
look in the "smaU sizes" but to go to
the rear of the store where the large
sizes were," made, her realize that
she should diet and reaUy "mean
business."
"Why, a size 16 dress to me three
years ago would have been smaU,"
said BUUe, who owns and operates
Signature Beauty Shop on Waco
Road. BUUe has been a Kings
Mountain beautician for 13 years,
and her shop Is unlike most beauty
shops In the area. There are no
vending machines for crackers and
soft drinks.
BUlle, who recaUs that she must
have consumed a thousand cans of
tuna, said that a person con
templating dieting must learn to
"diet for yourself. Unless you make
iq> your own mind, it's no good."
It's also a good Idea to "eat at the
table," rather than carrying your
food to the television set. BlUle af
firms that we eat more food whUe
watching television. Never eat
between meals and Include lots of
walking and exercising In your diet
program.
"Hie less weight you want to take
off, the harder is the Job," said
BUUe, who declared that the last 30
pounds she lost was rough.
BUUe Green has become a more
confident woman In her new "life"
as a sUm woman. She said she used
to be quite shy, didn't Uke famUy
reunions or big get-to-gethers. She
wasn't happy because she was
grossly overweight. Now, she enjoys
herself, has bought a new wardrobe
to fit her Uve-foot-alx slender figure,
and sticks to her regular diet.
Never, never skip a meal, con
tends BUUe, but eat a good break
fast.
The Weight Watchers Program
encourages dieters to eat only the
Judy Directs Military Choir
Judy Ramsey's story of the "lns||-^
and outs" of Ufe with a choir In the '
miUtary Is extraordinary.
Fort Banning, Ga. singers may
come and go, but the 26-year-old
former Kings Mountsdn woman has
a standing appointment on Wed
nesdays as director of the Protestant
Choir at the Infantry Center Chapel.
She spends those evenings with
hymnals. Inspirational melodies and
a 16-or-so member choir.
"One thing about working with a
chapel choir," she says, "Is that
people are being transferred here all
the time. People go on leave and on
training experiences." "You have to
adjust."
Mrs. Ramsey, a secretary-typist
at West Central Georgia Regional
Hospltsd, got drafted Into the cholr-
dlrecting business. After a sum
mer's experience at her home
church In Kings Mountain, Judy
moved with her husbsind. Captain
Leroy S. Ramsey, to the tiny post at
OaUsheim, West Germany. There
she showed some Interest In
establishing a chapel choir and the
next day the chaplain announced to
the congregation, "She doesn't know
it yet, but she's going to be our choir
director."
Lib
Stewart
A pianist since the age of 8, Judy
had never considered a career In
music.
But In her second year at Meredith
College, she switched her major
from English to music.
"I don't know if the Lord had this
In mind or not -1 was put In a suite
with two music majors;"
Wedding ueUs and a transfer to
Germany took her out of school and
put her In the choir director's chair.
And since most of the people In the
choir did not read music It was a
learning experience for all.
Together they planned ambitious
programs but Inevitably the men
would be called to the field for
training exercises In the middle of
rehearsals for the Christmas can
tata. So Mrs. Ramsey learned to
foods listed on their menu plans, in
the quantities and weights specified.
Weight Watchers strongly advise
students to consult their physician
while participating on the Program
and encourage a periodic program
of medical checkups without In
dulging In self-medlcatlon. A person
under a doctor's care must have his
written permission to follow the
ITogram.
BUlle said one of the recom
mended meals for women; morning
meal, fruit, one serving; choice of
one egg or cheese, soft, one third cup
or 3^ oimces of cheese, semlsoft or
hard, one ounce, or cereal, one
ounce with H milk serving or fish,
cooked, two ounces, or poultry or
meat, cooked, one ounce; bread, one
ounce, bread, one serving,
beverage. If desired.
The midday meal would Include;
choice of poultry, meat or fish,
cooked, 3-4 ounces or eggs, two, or
cheese, soft two-thirds cup or five
ounces, or cheese, semlsoft or hard,
two ounces, legumes, cooked, six
ounces, vegetables, bread, one
serving, if desired, and beverage. If
desired.
The evening meal would Include
choice of poultry, meat, or fish,
cooked 4-6 ounces, or legumes,
cooked, eight ounces, vegetables,
bread, one serving (If not eaten at
midday meal) and beverage. If
desired. DaUy servings of milk, two
servings at any time, fats, three
servings at mealtime, and fruits,
three servings, one at morning
meal, two at any time.
BUlle Green said her goal now Is to
lose about five more pounds and
maintain her dress size at 10 to 12.
Ms. Green's advice to those who
want to lose weight; foUow a
recommended diet, such as Weight
Watchers or from your doctor, and
don't give up. Determination is a key
word In being successful. And, It
won't be easy.
The results, however, are worth
aU the temptations of being glut
tonous.
Accompanying pictures made of
Ms. Green In her shop are worth a
thousand words!
r
. .HAIR STYLIST—BUlle Green has been a KM beautician for IS years
and enjoys her work. A pretty blonde, she completed her diet “one day at
a time.”
rehearse the music before their
departure and then brush them up In
Uie couple of days before the
holidays that they were back.
Another time Judy obtained the
services of a pianist for the Easter
cantata only to lose him to a per
sonal emergency two weeks before
the holiday. By then the regular
chapel's organist had obligated
himself elsewhere and the only one
left was a retired minister In town.
"He didn't speak any English and
I didn't speak any German,” said
Mrs. Ramsey. But with the help of a
choir member or two who could
^eak German a little better than
read music, the performance was a
success.
Mrs. Ramsey hasn't had any
trials to test her patience during the
past three months she has served In
Fort Benning. She selects music for
the choir and directs rehearsal each
week. She sings solo numbers and
plays the organ for weddings. She
plana to start a Junior choir soon.
"I always come home aU charged
up from choir rehearsal because 1
feel good about what I'm doing,” she
will teU you quite frankly.
IT’S A DIFFERENT WORLD-BUUe Green contends
that overweight people are not happy, using herself as
an example of the heartaches she endured during her
growing up years. She made up her mind to lose weight
and succeeded.