Weight history

Tanica always struggled with overweight and was unlikely to have been within a normal BMI range as a teenager. She tried unsuccessfully to lose weight on several occasions before using very low-calorie fad diets. Consequently, she regained her weight and tended to regain more than she had lost.

Recommendations: Aim for a 10 per cent weight loss goal initially (i.e., at 225lb, the first goal is to go to about 200lb), then reassess before setting the other 10 per cent goal. (We started her at her first measured weight - 209lb - and so, her first goal was 190lb. Aim for healthy rate of weight loss about 2lb per week.

Diet history

Prior to joining the weight challenge, Tanica (just recently) had started making healthful changes in her diet, which would (and have) encouraged weight loss. Some of these included: eating mostly self-prepared foods (i.e., less fast food or foods from restaurants); eating only chicken and fish; eating more fruits; not adding fats (i.e., margarine, butter, mayonnaise, etc) and eating more whole wheat.

This provided a base with which to improve on as most of the techniques she was already using were appropriate and beneficial for someone attempting to lose weight and adopt a more healthful diet. Additional recommendations were given.

Recommendations: Increase vegetable intake (e.g. salads, steamed vegetables, etc); replace rice, crackers and less 'filling' carbs with more high-fibre ones like yam, green banana, breadfruit, etc. Aim (initially) for two to three servings of fruits and two to three servings of vegetables per day. Tanny was given an idea of how much a serving is and how to time her meals throughout the day

Control of overeating

Tanica did not have regular meals and would go for long periods (more than six hours) in the afternoon without food. She also studies late into the night and in early morning. As a result, she would often overeat or eat unhealthy foods and snacks. There is some evidence to suggest that people who eat smaller but more frequent meals (i.e., four to five small meals versus two to three larger meals), as well as people who eat at regular intervals, are more successful at losing weight and maintaining the weight lost.

Recommendations for Tanica included breakfast, lunch, mid-afternoon snack, small dinner meal and optional late-afternoon snack.

Recommended snacks

Snacks recommended include fruit, dried fruits, unsalted nuts (almonds), low-fat granola cereal, yoghurt, bun, etc. Other recommen-dations: eat vegetables at each main meal; don't eat in front of the television; take more time to eat and enjoy the meal; drink water with meals; and, monitor the amount of sweetened juices.

Her progress

Tanica continues to have a positive approach to the changes in her diet and activity. Generally, she remarks that she is feeling much better and that everything so far is manageable.

Dr Suzanne Soares Wynter is a consultant nutritionist; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.