Janet lost 21 lbs*
*At 6 months, participants in a clinical trial of the WW weight-loss program lost an average of 9.7 lbs (5% of body weight). And, people who track their food more often lose more weight. When actual WW members track their food at least two times a week for 6 months they lose on average 16.6 lbs. (7.9% body weight). Janet lost weight on a prior program and is continuing on WeightWatchers. Watch her journey of navigating success at food truck festivals across the country.
In Janet’s words:
My business partner, Anne-Marie Aigner, and I have run the Aigner/Prensky Marketing Group in Boston for 35 years. When one of our clients asked us to think outside the box for a community event in 2011, food trucks came to mind. We found eight and brought them together for the first Food Truck Festivals of America event in The Pinehills, MA. We expected about 800 people to attend — 4,000 showed up — and we realized we were onto something. As we worked to make our company a sustainable business, I found myself constantly surrounded by tasty gourmet food, and went up a pants size. I have a busy schedule, so I turned to WW Digital to help me get back in control.
Staying healthy on the road
Getting comfortable
I joined the program two weeks before my next food truck festival. I thought to myself, “I have two weeks to pull this together.” Though I found success right away, I was still nervous heading into that first festival. I brought string cheese and apples with me to tide me over. To my surprise, I got through the festival and I lost weight. It was mind-boggling! And I kept moving forward.
On your feet
In the events world, you have to have a lot of stamina and energy. You can be on your feet for nine hours straight. I started realizing that I was walking 15-20,000 steps at each festival. As I was getting healthier, I realized that I sat less and I didn’t need as many breaks throughout the day. I used to hop on the golf cart to get around, and now I don’t even need it!
Enjoying the day
As I started to get more comfortable on the program, I realized that I could enjoy the foods at the festival — I could have the ribs, just not the whole rack. I figured out the key to enjoying a food truck festival: pre-shopping. When I arrive, I’ll check out the list of trucks, walk around, and see what they’re serving. Then I can decide what I want to eat that day. I usually like to find a Mediterranean truck for a tasty Greek salad with grilled chicken, or a taco truck for a grilled fish taco. It’s all so delicious.
How Janet’s success with WW has improved her life
Lifting each other up
We love supporting small business owners because we’re small business owners, too. We’re all succeeding together, and aren’t we lucky to be in a fun field surrounded by such tasty food and drinks? The dishes that the trucks prepare are gourmet. We have a range of options, from a smokehouse on wheels to sushi, doughnuts, and fried Oreos. That’s why grazing is the best approach! Get the pasta, get the sushi, get the BBQ. Get multiple items and have a little taste of each. It’s the best way to enjoy a food truck festival.
Looking to the future
When I look in the mirror, I’m more proud of myself than I’ve been in a long time. I’m most proud of my stamina at age 61. It’s about the physical fitness — I’m in a business that demands it. Anne-Marie and I had been business partners for 35 years when we came up with this new idea. We wonder, “Are we still entrepreneurial?” I guess we are — our Asheville festival is our 67th one to date! We usually arrive at the festival location a few days early. We set up the day before, and then we’ll come back at 5 a.m., the morning of. I enjoy our team so much; I don’t see myself retiring anytime soon!
Interested in going to a food truck festival? Look at the tour schedule on foodtruckfestivalsofamerica.com.
Explore more WW member transformations here.
