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Search forBingo fans watching as Keri loses the pounds
Saturday, July 19, 2008, 06:26
Every Saturday afternoon, Keri Prowse steps on the scales at Mecca Bingo in Exeter, where she works as an assistant team leader in the food and beverage department. The 20-year-old from Countess Wear is taking part in a sponsored slim, and aims to not only shed more than 2st but raise hundreds of pounds for Whizz Kidz, a charity that helps disabled children.
Every week staff and customers applaud as the bingo caller announces another successful week's weight loss.
Keri said: “It's really nerve-racking when everyone is staring and I just want to die, especially the first time I did it. But it's a good incentive knowing that everyone is there, watching. You don't want to go through the embarrassment of not losing anything that week!”
Keri started her sponsored slim at the end of May with two other colleagues at Mecca, Davina Warden and Kim Pannel. She is too shy to reveal how much she weighed then, but has already lost 1st 8lb and has slimmed down from a size 16 to 18 to a size 14.
“The company is raising money for Whizz Kidz, which gives disabled children the chance to live more independent lives, and someone suggested a sponsored weight-loss. At first I said I wouldn't do it but in the end I said I would,” she said.
“Even I didn't know how much I weighed then — and it came as a bit of a shock!
“I knew I needed to change my lifestyle.
“My dad is sponsoring me £1 for every 1lb I lose and my boyfriend, Byron Rodgers, is sponsoring me 50p for every 1lb I lose. Lots of the customers are sponsoring me too.
“At the moment I've got about £80, not including the £1 for 1lb money, but I'm hoping to get between £200 and £300 and Mecca Exeter is hoping to raise a total of £2,500 for Whizz Kidz this year.”
Keri hasn't joined a slimming club, but is instead concentrating on eating healthily and doing more exercise.
“I just ate rubbish before. I start work most mornings at 9.30am or 10.30am but I wouldn't have breakfast. If I had time during the day I would grab a sandwich.
“I often don't finish until 10pm so then I would just grab anything when I got home,” she admitted.
“Now I have started to eat breakfast cereal, or I'll have a cereal bar or an apple before work so I don't snack so much during the day. I am drinking lots of water every day and eating lots of salad.
“I take a packed lunch to work every day. One day I might have a soup then some fruit or a jacket potato and salad. And I've never eaten so much fruit!
“I have banned myself from eating chocolate — I used to eat it all the time but not any more. That was my weakness.
“I ride my bike to work most days instead of driving, which is three or four miles each way — although sometimes if the weather is awful I will drive my car.
“Me and mum try and go swimming a couple of times a month as well.
“I've got up to 55 lengths now, which is nearly a mile.”
As well as being weighed every week, Keri has another incentive — she turns 21 in September and would love to wear a pretty dress at her fancy dress party. Although her original goal was to lose 2st in four months, she hopes to lose 3st by her birthday.
“I already feel a lot better about myself. I feel I have got lots more energy,” she said.
“All the customers ask how we are doing and give us a round of applause after the weigh-in which is really nice. It's nice having the other two girls as well because there is a lot of support.
“I'm determined to do it. If it hadn't been for getting up in front of everyone I don't think I would have done it.”
Further details: Mecca Bingo, 01392 275216; Whizz Kidz, www.whizz-kidz.org.uk.
Keri Prowse is losing weight to raise money for Whizz Kidz OLIVER SANDERS EE110708_OS03_05
