Reverend Rob

   

Food for thought...

 The meeting hall is full to capacity. Reverend Rob stands at the entry way welcoming members of his flock. He greets familiar faces and newcomers with warm smiles and hardy handshakes. He knows everyone in attendance by name. He can share personal anecdotes about each person in his audience. His followers show up religiously every week, through rain, sleet or snow. The congregation wouldn't miss this weekly gathering for the world. 

     Electricity fills the air as Reverend Rob steps up to the podium at the front of the room. The crowd murmurs while they fan themselves with their tiny booklets as they wait in anticipation for the evening sermon. Everyone in the group knows tonight will be important. Reverend Rob's weekly homily is always life-changing.

     Reverend Rob paces back and forth in the front of the room, a tell-tale sign that he is about to begin the night's service. He commands attention by suddenly bellowing a shockingly loud “How’s everybody doing?” It’s not really a question. Reverend Rob already knows the answer. The fact that people have chosen to sit in the audience means they are already doing well. 

     The crowd reacts with a rush of enthusiasm that would put Oprah’s studio audience to shame. Reverend Rob responds with, “Is that all you got?” The crowd cheers even louder – Gillette Stadium loud after a Tom Brady touchdown. “That’s more like it,” Reverend Rob says, smiling because he knows he has the crowd eating out of his hand.

     That food metaphor is appropriate because this is a Weight Watchers meeting and Rob is the group leader. His work is no less important than a preacher at Sunday service. Rob offers enlightenment to everyone under his guidance. 

     Rob understands the people in his audience. He has experienced the daily struggle of losing weight and keeping weight off. He knows what it’s like to stand in the background when group photos are taken. He can relate because he's been there, done that. 

     Rob’s “sermons” expound upon the success stories of members in attendance who stick to the plan. However, he knows weight loss is a personal thing. What works for one individual doesn’t necessarily work for the next. The plan is flexible and customizable. Success depends on how much you want it. Meeting with others who have similar experiences enables you to find inspiration. Rob knows how to inspire people from within.

     My wife and I attend weekly meetings together. These meetings are more than a diet program support group thanks to Rob. Every week we experience a night of live entertainment rivaling anything at the Stoneham Theatre. Rob's weekly pep talks help keep people on track with humor and pathos. His animated personality permeates the atmosphere leaving no room for negative thoughts. 

     “You lost a pound this week. Perfect! Keep moving in that direction and you’ll be at your goal in no time!”

     “You gained weight this week but you realize where you can improve? Great! That means you’ll do better next week!”

     The plan is all about doing something positive and moving forward from week to week without beating yourself up for any small indiscretion in the kitchen that sets you back. One bad week doesn't negate the previous 12 weeks of success.

     I learn more things at these meetings than just helpful tips to maintain my weight. Most nights there is laughter – gut-wrenching belly laughter – from a story Rob is telling or a quip from a member who has a personal story to share. On a few occasions, the group has been moved to tears after hearing about other member's success or failure, and the reason it happened. Some nights raw emotions are shared. After listening, you can’t help feeling something inside because, after all, we are all human, no matter how much we weigh.

     Rob brings a lightness to your soul no matter what your struggles were during the week. After all, your weight is just a number. And a number on a scale is not the total sum of who you are. We have Rob to thank for making us realize we are so much more than that. Can I get an amen?

Let's Get Physical

     

Leg warmers and headbands?

My wife and I wanted to join a gym for the longest time but we kept finding excuses to put it off. Good excuses like “we’re too tired” or “it’s too late to go check it out” or “it’s too expensive”.
The warmer weather gave us incentive to want to do something – anything – after the horrendous winter we just survived. We spent weeks online looking at various web sites to determine which gym would best suit our needs. We factored in location, price, and services. And we still couldn't make a decision.
    

     It's so much easier not to join a gym than it is to make the commitment to join one. We weren't ready to take the final step. I was paying per month to use the “health club” where I work, but the facilities left a lot to be desired. I liked the convenience of being able to work out during my lunch break, but I was willing to change my routine if I could find something better.
One night after dinner, I ran out of excuses.

      “Do you want to take a tour of one of the gym’s we’ve been considering?” my wife asked.
     

     “I’d like to, but I thought we’d have a cup of coffee and watch TMZ,” I answered.
     

     We ended up at the gym taking the tour, a much better choice than spending another sedentary night on the sofa.
     

     Surprisingly, we liked what we saw. We signed up that night for a year’s membership. The monthly fee is less than I was paying to use the substandard facilities where I work. The new place only had one downside: I didn’t see anyone reading books while pedaling on the recumbent bicycles. I noted this fact to my wife who responded, “Who reads books at a gym?”
     

     “I do,” I said, finding myself just outside the norm once again.
    

      Later that night, my son threw a few offhand comments my way after I told him his mother and I were now officially gym members. “Why did you join that place,” he said. “It’s not even a real gym. It’s for people who don’t really want to work out.”
     

     “In that case, it’s perfect for us,” I said, “because we don’t really want to work out either!” I usually don't get the last word in conversations with my son but he had no retort for my remark.
My wife and I are slowly getting used to our new routine. We meet at the gym most nights after work. We exercise separately since we both have different goals. I have more gym experience but I don’t try to impart my workout philosophy on my wife (that much). Exercise is personal and we both learned a long time ago the secret to a happy marriage is not to try to change your spouse. Change has to come from within. We are keeping up with a five-night-a-week schedule, which is more exercise than we’ve ever done in our lives. I’m not looking for a Schwarzenegger body at my age. I just want to be able to bend my knees without tightness and pain. If we stick to the program, it won’t be long before we reap all kinds of healthy rewards from our new active lifestyle.
     

     Our workout routine has been working out for us. We made a positive choice to overcome whatever mental block was preventing us from doing this before. So far, so good, although I don’t want to give any free plugs by mentioning the name of the place until I’m sure it’s not too good to be true. After all, it’s only been a week.