Eulalee Thompson - BE WELL

Tanica Plummer can now easily slip into the pair of jeans which has been sitting in her closet for just over two years. The pants were a gift from a relative and she always visualised herself in them one day. She ends The Gleaner's Health section's weight-management challenge with a bang - in her jeans and tipping the scale at 189 pounds (two pounds fewer than the 191 she weighed two weeks ago).

It's been a series of successes for Tanny since she entered the challenge in March. Our target weight loss was a minimum of five per cent of her weight over three months, but Tanny is ending at 16 per cent. She had also been trying all her life to reach the 200-pound mark and she has gone way below it.

"I no longer worry about food and my weight. I can just focus on doing my studies and my exams," said Tanny in the termination session with myself and Dr Wendel Abel, indicating a clear shift in her thoughts and feelings about food and body image, important in weight-loss maintenance.

She continued: "I can now fit in my clothes and feel more comfortable to go out to special occasions and events at school."

Tanny told us that she realised that she doesn't have to fight with food and that she can eat anything, even ice cream which she likes, but in the correct portions and as part of an overall daily caloric intake.

Just prior to the weight challenge Tanica was weighing 225 pounds. Through her own efforts she had shaved off several pounds and at her first official measured weight she weighed in at 209 pounds. Tanny's skin folds have also been coming down and her body mass index is moving closer to within healthy range.

Tanny was selected in February from dozens of letters from readers who answered The Gleaner's Health section's promo to 'lose the weight and keep it off!' She is a 23-year-old student at 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. When she hit the 200-pound mark a few weeks ago, she said that this had been a life-long dream and that she knew that if she could only reach this target there would be no turning back.

Tanny won the prize of free nutrition consultations with Dr Soares-Wynter, exercise prescriptions with exercise physiologist, Dr Kenneth Gardner and ongoing mental health consultations with Dr Wendel Abel and Eulalee Thompson.

She was grateful for the support of the Health team. "I couldn't afford all of this and I am thankful and grateful to you all. Thanks for all your support," she said.

Tanny's success has, of course, warmed our hearts. We have been publishing her programme every other week since March for the benefit of other readers interested in weight management. There were some important factors in Tanny's success:

Support: Tanny had professional support of counselling to assist her explore attitudes towards food, learn about her feelings and behaviour towards food, body image, motivation, self-efficacy and so on. She also had support of fellow students and her family.

Nutrition: Tanny had professional nutrition guidance; she received information on the food groups, portion control, eating smaller more frequent meals, healthy snacking and so on.

Physical activity: Tanny received an exercise prescription that included the exercises which she enjoys such as running. She was motivated to stick to her exercise routine, burning those excess calories.

She monitored her weight regularly.

Tanny's personality was also a major factor in her success - she is highly motivated, disciplined and self-directed.

We end the formal challenge today, but we will keep in touch with Tanny. She's a winner and role model to other young women. You go girl!

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

Tanica Plummer finally fits the pair of jeans which has been sitting in her closet for over two years, while Dr Suzanne Soares-Wynter, consultant nutritionist, takes her hip measurement. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Challenger's data

Weight-loss challenger: Tanica Plummer

Profession: Student, Mico University College

Age: 23

Height: 5' 4"

Start weight: 225 pounds

End weight: 189 pounds

Weight loss: 36 pounds or 16 per cent