OSU employee finds success in Weight Watchers at Work program

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Many believe aging means the chance to lose weight has passed. But one Oklahoma State University employee is proof that it is never too late to regain your health.

Linda Turner, a unit assistant with the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, was overweight and thought her age would prevent her from reaching a healthy weight. But when Turner received an email about the Weight Watchers at Work program, she decided to give it a try.

“I had been considered obese for quite a while, and I always thought that, given my age, there was no way I was ever going to lose any weight,” Turner said.  “But they made it so easy for us to have the opportunity to do something about our weight that I decided I would give it a shot.”

Turner immediately appreciated the ease of the Weight Watchers point system and the accountability that came along with weekly meetings and weigh-ins. To date, Turner has lost 57 pounds through the program and seen additional health benefits.

“For the last 30 years I’ve been on three different high blood pressure medicines,” Turner said. “I’ve been taken completely off of one. My blood sugar and cholesterol are down, and I have gone from a relatively high risk for heart attack and stroke to a low risk.”

In addition to her Weight Watchers enrollment, Turner made other lifestyle changes to encourage her to stay active. She bought a recumbent bike to use in the evenings while watching TV and parks her car far from her office to increase her step count. She has also taken advantage of the free fitness classes offered during the day at the Union.

“Now, I find that I don’t feel good unless I am active,” Turner said. “Before, it didn’t bother me to sit on the couch all the time. But now I feel like getting up and moving. I feel better about myself because I’m not carrying around all that weight, and it does a lot for your confidence and how you feel about yourself.”

Turner continues to attend Weight Watchers meetings, something she never thought she would do. But with the help of the Weight Watchers at Work program, she has been able to develop a healthy lifestyle.

“I’m grateful to the university for bringing a program like this to campus,” Turner said. “I live in Yale, so I never would have thought of driving into Stillwater to attend a class. But because the university brought it on campus and gave us the time during the day to go to a meeting, I’ve had an opportunity I never expected.”

Story by Catherine Wilson

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