European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 28, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday june 28, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 9 after 151 Pound weight loss she son tops of the world Over Here by Randy Pruitt staff writer Hahn a West Germany a celesta Black is half the woman she used to be. Literally. Black used to be in her own words fat. Two years ago the 28-year-old wife of an air Force sergeant had ballooned to 301 pounds the most she had Ever weighed. She was in misery. A a i used to look in the Mirror and cry. I never did want to be fat a she said. She decided to do something about it. Last year she was rewarded. A Black took first place in West Germany for the most weight lost in the tops take off pounds sensibly group. From feb. 6 to oct. 10, 1989, she shed 82 pounds. Before joining the International organization she had lost 69 pounds. Today she weighs 150 pounds and that a where she wants to stay. A it feels great a said the Mother of two boys. She does things she never did before. She wears shorts in Public she swims she dons stylish dresses and goes dancing with her husband staff sgt. Damon Black. She also inspires others who profess to have what she half jokingly Calls an a overactive but losing weight Wasny to easy she said. Nor is keeping it off. A overeating is a serious problem. I Haven to controlled it yet a she said. Black acknowledged that the gum she Chews helps her fight the urge to be eating something. She also confided that later in the Day she would work out for up to three hours. Its this honesty that a helped her reach her goal. That and the realization that there Are no Miracle diets. A you have to be ready mentally first a she said. A you can to do it for anybody else either. You have to do it for Black said she made the discovery and joined tops after finally admitting she was a compulsive eater. Looking Back she sees that her entire life revolved around food. Growing up she sneaked food. While the rest of the family slept she raided the refrigerator. The eating Binge never stopped. Food consumed her life. A in the old Days id Wake up and head straight for the Kitchen a she said. A a in a not a Cereal and milk i eater. Id be eating eggs Toast potatoes cheese. Then id eat the rest of the Day and also sit Down for meals. I ate just to eat not because i was and her weight climbed and climbed. Her fathers military career took her throughout the United states and Europe. Wherever she went she encountered cruel remarks and a multitude of embarrassing situations. She cannot forget the Day in the fifth Grade when the school nurses in Pitburg West Germany weighed every student and her classmates snickered As she tipped the Scales at 156 pounds. A it Hurt me so deep inside a she said. Throughout life other comments also stung. Black has them memorized. A fall the time id hear a you re pretty but you would look so Nice if you a lose a Black laughs now at some of the Well meant remarks. A like some girl who never weighed 95 in her life and she would ask you if you be Ever been on a diet. One of the worst things is somebody Skinny trying to Tell somebody big How to do it. You can to do it because you Haven to lived it. You done to know what its like a she said. Military Roundup army commander appointed to consolidate commissaries Washington apr the Pentagon on tuesday announced the selection of army Mai. Gen. John Paul Dreska commander of the defense construction Supply Center in Columbus Ohio As director of the new detente commissary Agency. Colin Mcmillan assistant Secretary of defense for production and logistics said Dreska will be responsible for consolidating individual service commissary functions into a single defense department organization. A the army Navy Marine and air Force commissary systems taken together Are one of the largest grocery store operations in the United states and it is the department s intention to achieve the kind of efficiencies that a amps l. Emmett Lewis or although she was smiling on the outside celesta Black left was miserable because of her weight problem. Now the 28-year-old wife of an air Force sergeant is an inspiration to others night after going from size 42 to size 11. Black said she can to count the diets she tried. There were the diet pills the Popcorn diet the egg diet the chemical reaction diet a in which she ate eggs one Day and bananas the next and the liquid diet. None of them worked she said. She was beginning to believe what some people were telling her maybe she was genetically programmed to be fat. One Day she was thumbing through a Magazine that featured people who had conquered their weight problem. A a a How do they do it a i wondered. Then i noticed that everyone had a support group. That a the thing that does it. I think everyone needs some kind of a notice in the Hahn Post office announcing a tops open House got her attention. Two tops groups Are Active in the Hahn area. A i wanted someplace where i had to go to weigh in so i would be ashamed of myself if i gained weight. It was just a thing to keep me on track she said. Tops advocates exercise and eating right but in moderation Black said. Blacks habits began to change. She bought tempting but calorie loaded foods for her family but did no to touch them. She stuck a sign on the Mirror in her bedroom that read a yes you for the past two years her wardrobe has been constantly updated. A was soon As i lost 10 or 15 pounds id get rid of my clothes a she said. A if you keep them in your closet you can always go Back into them. I changed the clothes the walk the look everything so nobody knows who 1 her parents who live in Abilene Texas Haven to seen her in More than three years although she has sent them a few snapshots. A a in a still thinking of walking up and knocking on my parents door to see if they recognize me a she said giggling. Black said she was surprised to hear her husband who weighs about 130 pounds say he did no to like her better now. A if he says yes then in be got to stay like this. He married me when i was 250 pounds. He says i look nicer now that in a smaller but my person Hasni to changed just my body a she said. Black has become a role Model for some women. Many seek her help. A a it a sad when a woman Calls and says her husband is going to divorce her because she a fat a she said. A i done to know How to Tell her anything because my husband never did that to me. In a not going to get into their marriage but ill say i think he is the one who has the Black said she a frequently stopped on the Street for conversations that can last up to a half hour. A one woman said i was her inspiration for losing 25 pounds. That made me feel Are available through a commercial grocery store Chain a Pentagon spokesman Pete Williams . Groundbreaking held for korean War memorial new Yorks amps a forty years after North Korea invaded South Korea new York mayor David Dinkins and representatives of the government of the Republic of Korea participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for a korean War memorial. Dinkins used a shovel to turn Over the soil in Battery Park in lower Manhattan directly across from the statue of Liberty. Mondays ceremony was attended by representatives of the 21 countries that served under the United nations Flag in Korea As Well As members of Many veterans organizations. The memorial is expected to be dedicated next Spring at an estimated Cost of $2 million. The Money is being raised by private and business donations with a significant contribution coming from korean Ameri can citizens and korean , county to donate new Friendship tree to unit Wurzburg West Germany a amps a the City of Wurzburg and the county of unto Franken will give the 3rd inf div two Oak Trees to replace a Friendship tree that was blown Down last Winter. The two Oaks one each from the City and county will be presented during a ceremony Friday in the divisions Marne Garden at Leighton Barracks said capt. Steven Shively. The Trees will replace a Friendship tree Given to the division by Wurzburg in 1971
