Their 8 a.m. Saturday Workshop has turned into a one-on-one bonding experience for Dad and daughter duo Robert and Stephanie, who joined WeightWatchers together in 2018. Each needing to address wellness and weight loss for different reasons, they continue to find support from their weekly Workshops and from each other. “I’m really proud of the progress my dad has made and the steps he has taken to better his health,” says Stephanie. “I’m also very grateful for him being on this journey with me because it pushes me to keep going. I’m just really proud of him! I don’t think I’ve told him that enough.”
WW: What’s your “why” for joining WW?
Robert: I always had a tendency to gain weight. When I was in my teens, I was very self-conscious about my weight and this made me very shy in social situations. In my twenties, I became very active in sports such as tennis, squash skiing, badminton, and motocross. In my later years, things caught up to me and I had to have knee and shoulder surgery and a hip replacement. After gaining about 50 lbs I decided to do something about it and joined the community gym. With the help of a personal trainer, I was able to lose the weight, but unfortunately, I gained most of the weight back as I did not address my eating habits.
Stephanie: In my final year of school I put on a lot of weight. I was trapped in this horrible cycle of not treating my body well. I had no energy and felt very unhealthy. I have always struggled with my weight and being able to maintain it since I was a kid. My anxiety was becoming so bad because of my lack of confidence that I finally decided I needed to do something to turn my health around. I knew that at 26, I needed to get a handle on my health now, as it only becomes more difficult with age.
WW: How has working the program helped you along the way?
Robert: I find it very beneficial to go through the journey with someone who is very understanding and supportive. Every Saturday morning, I look forward to attending the Workshop with Stephanie. I also enjoy cooking and trying Points-friendly recipes together at home.
Stephanie: For me, doing the program with my dad has brought us closer together. I look forward to going every Saturday morning with him and I’m always disappointed when I have to miss a meeting. We wake up early, grab our coffee and go to the 8 a.m. meeting. It’s become a part of my regular routine, it’s been nice to spend the one-on-one time together.
WW: What do you think is key to your success on the program?
Robert: The weekly Workshop has probably been the most important tool for my success, I’ve lost nearly 40 pounds since July. The great support from our Coach Gary and the other members is important as our discussions focus on changing eating habits and to adopting a healthy and positive lifestyle. It’s reassuring that I am not alone in my struggles and have a place to share my scale and non-scale victories.
Stephanie: The workshops, 100 per cent. I’m the type of person that needs to be held accountable and when I know I need to weigh-in at a wellness check-in at a Workshop it pushes me not to give up. It also reminds me that setbacks are okay, and the compassion of my fellow members and my Coach Gary has been amazing!
WW: What’s your favourite WW tool?
Robert: The app is a great tool as it enables me to make the right choices during the day. What I find especially helpful is the restaurant section as I can plan all my meals when we eat out.
Stephanie: I love Connect because on days when I’m struggling throughout the week I will go on and look at the story’s others have shared. Seeing other member reach goal drives me to keep going. It also makes the program seem more human when you can read and see how many people are struggling with the exact same issue.