My journey back to a healthy weight began with the McGill Health Fair in October of 2010. Upon gathering information from the various groups presenting there, it was my conversation with the Weight Watchers representative that did the trick. I started back on the Weight Watchers program the very next day, and to date, I have lost more than 45 pounds. I feel better than I have in a decade, I’m exercising regularly, and I’m in my healthy weight range.
Having the proper support was important, and I got it from my two sons Alex and Thomas. I do not think I could have been as successful without them. Thomas, who is only 12 years old, also started on the program and lost more than 20-pounds. Alex enjoyed the food and participated in the preparation of every meal. I particularly enjoyed the high-fives they gave me with every milestone I crossed. My son and I work out together now and continue to encourage each other.
I also received plenty of encouragement from my colleagues and friends. After all, McGill is a family and families stick together. I am also pleased to say that my weight loss results have prompted a wonderful friend of mine to do the same, and I am so proud of her. Indeed, we are very lucky to benefit from a variety of wonderful programs at McGill.
The health and wellbeing program and the staff fitness program are excellent examples of how our lives are made better by working here. The “5/30 challenge” also helped me to realize the importance behind stress management and getting sufficient sleep. (The 5/30 challenge consists in eating five servings of fruit and vegetables every day for five days and moving 30 minutes a day for five days.) I have also enjoyed a variety of seminars offered by both HR and the Faculty of Medicine, especially the one by our very own Dr. Joe Schwarcz. Finally, fitness classes such as “spinning” have not only proven to be addictive, but they’ve also given me the opportunity to reconnect with my some of my old HR buddies that sweat along with me!
The benefits of weight loss go beyond the obvious. My general outlook has improved greatly with every pound lost. Problems seem lighter and everything seems easier to handle. It’s incredible to realize how so much of our well-being is tied to how we feel within our own body.
The weight loss has had a huge impact (pun intended) on my outlook and performance. I feel energized, positive, and more productive. I now run 7 km regularly. I would like to reach 10 km, and perhaps run a half-marathon in the near future. The health and wellbeing program was exactly what I needed to get started and the staff fitness program is what’s keeping me going.
On more difficult days, the wise words of my Weight Watchers leader echo at the back of my mind: “You don’t fail at losing weight, you just stop trying,” “A lapse doesn’t have to be a collapse,” and my favorite, “If hunger is not the problem, then eating is not the solution.”
Hélène Fyfe
Administrative Manager
Duff Medical Sciences Building
Department of Pathology