Making a Difference...One Pound at a Time
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Katherine Pearce (Accounting) had researched, read about, and tried just about everything. Losing weight was proving to be a difficult, uphill road. If a method seemed to be effective, she found it probably wasn't safe. If something sounded too good to be true, she researched and discovered that it probably was.
Finally, Katherine found herself at a Weight Watchers meeting armed with a discount coupon, thinking she would learn the system, then cancel her membership and do it on her own. What she found was more than she bargained for.
"I fell in love with the program," Katherine said. "There's a lot to be said about the accountability of having to show up at that meeting every week, knowing you have to get on that scale. It changes the choices you make throughout the week."
Katherine mentioned her Weight Watchers experience at one of FDLIC's Health Care Committee meetings, and the members were interested in starting up a meeting here at work. They asked Katherine to look into it, and she jumped in with both feet because she so believed in the program.
"The company does so much for us already to help us keep our health a priority. They provide fruit for snacks, and the Wellness Center so we can work out without having to pay a gym membership or buy expensive equipment for our homes." Katherine continued, "This was just a great fit for our company."
Since beginning a Weight Watchers program at FDLIC, about 20 members have joined, including a few immediate family members of employees. "It's making a positive impact even on those not in the program," said Katherine. "There is a lot of encouragement and excitement for our members. A lot of people also have questions and they are learning from us about making healthy choices. I think having the program here helps to raise the level of awareness that we have about health and nutrition at the home office."
Recently, the Weight Watchers group did a food drive for the national Weight Watchers "Lose for Good" campaign. Weight Watchers pledged to donate a dollar per pound lost during the campaign--up to $1 million. Part of the campaign was to gather and donate food items to a local charity, pound for pound of the amount of weight lost.
"Our group took up the challenge, and pledged to lose 250 pounds and donate 250 pounds of food to a local outreach, Love and Care Ministries," said Katherine. "We ended up losing 250.8 pounds and donated 344 pounds of food. Weight Watchers donated $250 on our behalf to food banks across America. It's amazing how something as small as a group of 20 something people can make a difference not only in this company but in the larger community!"