Geraldine Green is living proof that you can do anything you put your mind to.
The 57-year-old Green, the mom of hip-hop star Busta Rhymes, recently lost more than 100 pounds and uses her experience as an example for others fighting obesity.
On November 1, 2002, Green began her diet weighing 328 pounds. She is 5foot-9. She reached her goal weight of 183 pounds August 6,2003, and has kept off the 145 pounds for more than a year now. “It wasn’t easy, but with dedication, lots of prayers and exercise, I made it,” Green tells JET.
One of the events that persuaded her to take on a diet plan occurred in 1997. Green was diagnosed with diabetes. “My husband is a diabetic and I said one of us has to be healthy to take care of the other, so I decided I was going to try to lose weight,” Green relates.
“It took three months of me praying and thinking day and night about this diet and finally coming to terms with myself, because it’s all in your head.”
Green keeps a strict routine to help keep the pounds off. “I don’t call it a diet, this is my new lifestyle,” she explains. “I’m maintaining by cutting out [carbohydrates], having vegetables and salads and I watch portion size. When I do have fruit, if it’s a big apple, I will have a half. I drink a lot of water. I eat beans and fish. I don’t cook with a lot of grease; I bake, broil, I steam, I rarely fry. No cakes, no bread, no pasta, nothing like that. I go to the gym five days a week and run four miles on the treadmill and lift weights Monday through Friday before I come to work.
* Geraldine Green is happy she reached her goal size 12 from a size 28 after grudgingly changing the way she eats and exercising. She is thrilled to share her experience with others fighting obesity. “I thank God every day for the new me and the healthy lifestyle I have chosen,” she says.
* After being diagnosed with diabetes, Green began her diet weighing 328 pounds. “I did it one day at a time, baby steps, and for eight months and one week, I never cheated once.”
* After being diagnosed with diabetes, Green began her diet weighing 328 pounds. “I did it one day at a time, baby steps, and for eight months and one week, I never cheated once.”
* Green’s son, rapper/actor Busta Rhymes, was one of her biggest supporters in the early days of her new “lifestyle” and still is. “Every day my children and husband tell me how proud they are of me.”
“Can you see me girl dancing at the club now with my 3-inch heels, dancing all night, running up the stairs, running down the stairs? It’s a new me!”
Green, who no longer needs to take diabetes medication, urges others to take it one day at a time and to take baby steps.
“Anyone who wants to lose weight, they can do it. It is so hard, and cold turkey is not for everyone,” says the New Yorker, who went from a size 28 to 12. “It took me praying about it day and night, so I was mentally prepared. You have to plan your meals. You can’t wait until you’re hungry because you’ll cheat. Cut back and eat less carbs every day and less starch per week. Start to fill up on broth, salads and vegetables. It’s all a game, you just have to stick to it and you will lose weight. It takes discipline and perseverance. I’m living proof.”
Green adds that when she goes to the gym, it helps to not consider it a chore. “I pretend it’s a party. I listen to my favorite CDs. I get my Best of James Brown and C+C Music Factory. I get there, close my eyes and pretend I’m dancing at a party. It’s a blessing and I’m grateful every day for the strength.”
Copyright Johnson Publishing Company Nov 22, 2004
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