Shelly-Ann Thompson, Freelance Writer
Danique Williams, Flair Special K Diet Challenger. - WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
FOR MOST teenagers 20 is a milestone. Often they see this as an occasion to be marked. For her 20th birthday Danique Williams wanted to lose about 80 pounds. Hence, when she saw the Diet challenge in the Flair magazine, she opted for the challenge.
Off on summer holidays from classes at the University of the West Indies, Mona, where she's a Language Communication & Society major, Ms. Williams
emailed her letter appealing to be chosen.
"I thought, what a fantastic way to celebrate the first two decades of my life and end years of struggling with my weight," she wrote to Flair. Ms. Williams was chosen and started the Kellogg's Special K cereal diet on July 4.
BACK ON CAMPUS
Eight weeks later and 12 pounds lighter, she is back on campus for her final year. Her schoolmates have even noticed, she says. "People have been saying 'what have you been doing, you have lost some weight'."
On Tuesday she celebrated her 20th birthday. Although she has not reached her goal weight of 130 pounds, she is pleased. Ms. Williams is also determined to be healthy so even a birthday gift wasn't going to disturb her diet. "For my birthday my sister wanted to take me to KFC and I said no? Instead I asked her to take me to the supermarket and there I bought groceries including two containers of yoghurt and an apple," says Williams.
Although the Flair Diet Challenge has ended, she has vowed to continue. "I am not stopping my healthy eating habits. I am going to continue exercising because I care about my weight. I'm not at home - where I have my exercise tapes - so I'll do jogging and walking on campus. I even still use the Special K because it's like routine. I plan to stay on Special K until I lose the amount of weight that I want to."
FACT FILE
Starting weight: 218
Weight after eight weeks: 206
Goal weight: 130
Height: Five feet, four inches
DIET SHEET
Breakfast: Special K and a fruit
Mid-morning: Sometimes juice and a fruit
Lunch: Protein, carbohydrates, vegetables and a fruit; such as baked chicken, rice and peas, raw vegetables and an orange.
Dinner: Special K and a fruit
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Exercise every day, taebo advance or basic. For six days of the week I'll do one-hour of exercise then on the seventh day I do a half hour routine.
