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| Paul Schiffner, GM of Weight Watchers Canada says “I Have Found My Calling” | ||||
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story Maureen Scott photographs Stephen Uhraney Paul Schiffner, General Manager of Weight Watchers Canada, walks the walk and talks the talk. As a company spokesperson, image is a key aspect of his position. “The only way to know if something works is to try it,” says the slim, fitness buff. “Every Weight Watchers leader or spokesperson is a lifetime member and they must stay within 2 pounds of their goal weight to retain that membership.” Paul is no exception. He joined the company less than a year ago and just four months on the job he lost 10 lbs., reaching his goal weight. “My wife and I are both on the plan. It also helps that I’m a lifetime exerciser.” Paul is an avid golfer, loves to play baseball and coaches junior hockey and baseball in Oakville, where he lives with his wife and their three children. “I’ve always lived in the west end, either in Mississauga or Oakville,” says Paul. “I’ve coached all of my kid’s sports teams here.” Mississauga is the hub for Weight Watchers Canada. The national distribution centre is located in Mississauga and the head office is located on Bristol Circle in Oakville. “All the primary elements for Weight Watchers Canada are located here,” explains Paul. “Our call centre is here, so anyone calling for information on Weight Watchers would call into this office. Plus the centre serves as a training facility for local field managers and trainers in the area.” There are 10 Weight Watchers meeting locations in Mississauga at various churches, halls and Loblaw stores throughout the City. One glance around Paul’s corner office at head office and you know he’s a sports nut. A giant poster of the old Busch baseball stadium hangs beside his desk, golf knick knacks sit on a window ledge, there’s a souvenir Toronto Maple Leaf’s puck on his bookshelf helping to hold up a stack of Weight Watchers' cookbooks. Behind his desk, photos of Paul with his wife and kids. His favourite is one of Paul with his kids in baseball uniforms. Prior to joining Weight Watchers, Paul had extensive management experience with Pizza Hut and Sears Portrait Studios. “I joined Weight Watchers because I wanted to combine my passion for challenging work with my keen interest in health and fitness,” says Paul. But losing pounds takes commitment. “I started a food diary and I was shocked by how much I was eating. I realized the key to the plan is really behaviour modification. Just as we create a business plan for a corporation, we have to have a plan in order to reach our goals. Weight Watchers provides the tools, knowledge, support and motivation to make wiser choices to live a healthier lifestyle.” One of the benefits of joining the corporation is that Paul now loves to cook. He’s also the life of the party, and not just because of his outgoing personality. “People are always asking me how many POINTS are in this or that, or asking for my advice on how to lose those last 10 pounds or fit into their favourite jeans,” says Paul. “They often watch me closely to see what I’m eating and say ‘I’ll have whatever he’s having!’ Somehow the conversation almost always turns to food or fitness. It’s an interesting topic for all of us. Many of my male friends are now on the program.” Paul’s best advise for losing the weight? “Don’t be discouraged with a half pound or one pound weight loss,” he says. “It is significant and those pounds add up. Embrace your weight loss. Commit to it and be in the present.” With obesity approaching alarming levels, the diet industry has become big business. “Society wants a quick fix for everything,” says Paul. “But the most important thing is to focus on making changes in your lifestyle so you not only lose the weight, but adapt a healthy approach to everything you do.“ Paul says the plan hasn’t changed that much from the 1960s when company Founder Jean Nidetch met weekly with a group of friends in her home. “The plan is brilliant in its simplicity,” says Paul. Today, Jean’s “circle of friends” has expanded to include weekly meetings in over 28 countries around the world, plus online membership. “I made the decision to join Weight Watchers later on in my career,” explains Paul. “It is so rewarding. I enjoy helping people and I feel I am making a difference. If I could change one thing in my life, I wish that I had joined Weight Watchers sooner. I have found my calling!” GL |
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