Tanny is losing

Being a sort of taskmistress (which I take great delight in confessing), I'm in almost daily email or telephone contact with the Health section's weight-loss challenger, Tanica Plummer. Usually, my contacts are under the guise of 'just keeping in touch' but always nudging Tanny to hang in there. I'm sure Tanica has figured it out by now. She highly self-motivated, up to the task, pleasant and so easy to work with that my task is just a breeze.

Pounds are melting

Tanny was selected, at the end of February, from a pile of letters from dozens of readers who answered the Health section's promo to 'Lose the weight and keep it off'.

She is a 23-year-old student at The Mico University College, Kingston, in the first year of her secondary-education degree. She had been struggling with weight management ever since she was a child and at one point weighed in at 245 pounds. The intelligent and confident young lady admitted in our first interview that she "can't seem to get it (weight management) right". All that is now turning around with expert guidance from the Health section's team members.

She won the prize of free nutrition, exercise and mental health consultations. The challenge ends in May. Now six weeks into the challenge and Tanica is already reaping big successes. She is averaging about a two-pound weight loss each week. Congratulations to her!

Wake-up call at five

Weight loss doesn't occur by accident. It takes determination, resilience and consistency. Tanica, for example, is up every morning at five. She does stretches, abdominal exercises and jogs. She is usually an active individual but her exercise programme was beefed up with an exercise prescription from Dr Kenneth Gardner, the Health section's exercise physiologist. (See also Gardner's additional prescription for Tanica in this edition.)

Cornmeal porridge is great

Tanica also consistently pays attention to her nutrition. For breakfast, she eats meals such as cornmeal porridge, callaloo and yam or a vegetable dish. Lunch consist of meals such as vegetables and vege chunks, tofu or another vegetarian dish. She continues to receive expert nutrition advice from Dr Suzanne Soares-Wynter on portion size, eating habits, increased vegetable intake and a better mix of foods to optimise weight management. She was also advised to weigh in every day.

My life has changed

"My life has changed significantly. Persons want to know my secret, my exercise club has grown and I feel even more confident in myself. More bouquets, the comments from colleagues and others have been motivating," she said.

Tanica says that challenges over the last six weeks have been "few and far apart". The main one has been the on-and-off pain in her right knee, an ongoing issue which she now have under wraps. Hang in there Tanica!

Eulalee Thompson is health editor and a professional counsellor; email: eulalee.thompson@gleanerjm.com.

Challenger's data

Weight-loss challenger: Tanica Plummer

Profession: Student, The Mico University College

Age: 23

Height: 5' 4''

Weight (at start of challenge): 225 pounds

Target weight loss: five per cent of weight

Progress: Average two-pound weight loss each week (official weight to be taken end of April)

Start date of challenge: March 1