Karen and WeightWatchers go way back. She’s done the program a few times in the past, with some success, but this time around, things are different.
This time around, Karen is doing the program together with her husband, Scott, and that support is making all the difference.
“Especially since he’s the primary one that does most of the cooking in the house, to have him on board right from the beginning made it even easier,” she says.
WW is different this time around too, Karen says.
Last November, she heard about a WW Community Kickstart event in her home city of Brantford, Ont., and knew she and Scott had to go. Complete with WW celebrities, tons of resources, and a three-month free trial, Karen says they were impressed with everything on offer and decided to join right away.
She also noticed how the program has changed over the years and finds it much easier to integrate it into her life now, particularly because of the WW app, which didn’t exist when she was doing the program before.
The timing of the November 2019 event was perfect for Karen and Scott.
Karen had been dealing with some medical issues – an impending knee replacement and treatment for breast cancer, including surgery and 16 rounds of radiation – and wanted to get healthier. Her doctor also wanted her to lose some weight before having the knee replacement to ensure a successful surgery and recovery.
With the simultaneous health issues, Karen was in a difficult situation: She needed to lose weight to have the knee replacement, and she needed the radiation to treat the cancer, but those treatments can cause weight gain.
Then the Brantford Community Kickstart event happened, and it was exactly what she needed.
“It was like, ‘Oh my god, this has just fallen into our lap, it’s just perfect timing,” Karen says. “And the fact that, as I say, [I] could get Scott involved right away, ‘cause he wasn’t very familiar with WW, and he was impressed, too.”
The couple quickly got into the program and started going to a weekly local WeightWatchers Workshop.
“The group was warm and welcoming,” Scott says.
Their daughter and a friend of hers have since followed suit, joining WW as well and finding success.
Karen was able to have her knee replacement, at 25 pounds lighter, in March – just before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“It’s coming along,” she says of her recovery, “it’s just slower than anticipated.” She’s had to do her physical therapy sessions virtually amid lockdown.
“It is difficult, being at home,” Karen says. She’s not able to walk for exercise as much as she used to while she works on getting her mobility back to what it was before the knee surgery. But Scott assures her that will come, and she is keeping a positive outlook.
“Even if you can maintain in these difficult times, and you’re not continuing to lose, I’m not saying we’re failures,” she says.
That outlook, their love and support for each other, and lots of fun along the way have kept Karen and Scott sticking with the program.
“I think one of the best features of the new WW is the phone app for tracking,” says Scott, who enjoys cooking.
The WW app is a key tool that they use daily to keep on target. Scott particularly likes the app’s barcode scanner, so he can scan his grocery items while he’s in the store and get their Points values.
“I like the scanner because it gives me my Point count right then and there and then also logs it in the phone for me,” Scott says. “It’s taken away the weighing and, I would say, the tedium.”
Advice for others
So, what advice would Karen and Scott give to other people who might want to try WW?
“Find a buddy,” Karen says. “Make sure you’ve got somebody, even if it’s virtually.”
And remember, don’t beat yourself up, she says.
“It’s a difficult time we’re all going through, and we can’t add more stress to our lives. But each morning is a brand new day.”
Scott recommends people just dig into the program, get into the tracking and give it time.
“You’ll get used to it. … Just have faith. We’re not in a sprint, we’re in a marathon,” Scott says. “Just like marriage,” he says teasingly, “it’s gonna last a long time and you’re gonna have to work at it.”