Another session of Weight Watchers @ Work (WW) is underway at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska (BCBSNE), and it’s a good one.
Michelle Buechler, a claims lead at BCBSNE, is participating in her second session and is happy to be doing so. Buechler’s first session started in January 2019. “A friend at BCBSNE asked me to join with her,” Buechler said, “and I thought, ‘why not?’ I had hit a point where I wanted to get healthy. I lost quite a bit during the first session. Now, it’s not ‘How much can I lose?’, it’s ‘Can I maintain?’”
“After they complete their first session, a lot of people don’t know if they should take the next one,” said Ciara Lee, wellness intern at BCBSNE. “But Rhonda, the WW leader, keeps all the sessions fresh and geared toward all the members. New members and veteran members work as a team in the meetings. Veterans of the group encourage the new, and new members bring a different perspective to the veterans.”
The group meets weekly at BCBSNE. Weigh-in is at 11 a.m., and the meetings run from 11:30 a.m. to noon. BCBSNE employees, including work-from-home employees, may attend at work or at other locations that may be more convenient for them.
Buechler said, “I feel like the more I go to the meetings, the better I feel. It’s like a little community. I like the atmosphere. I know there are people there that I can relate to. I think of it as new people, new friends. You can keep to yourself at the meetings or share as much as you want. Rhonda is amazing, too. She’s very encouraging.”
Buechler added she would “absolutely” recommend WW to others. “There are so many things I like about the program. It’s not a diet. It’s a lifestyle change. You can eat what you want, when you want. It’s all within moderation and how much you want to eat. It keeps you more aware of what you put in your body. If you fall off, you can get right back on with the next meal.”
Before joining WW, Buechler said, “You have to be ready or you won’t succeed. You have to want to change. WW is not a quick fix; it’s long term, but with mini goals along the way.”
WW is one of the many healthy programs BCBSNE offers its employees. Other programs include dietician consultations, short-term counseling, health topic presentations, flu shot clinics and tobacco cessation.
