Sept. 2017
Terri Barr’s co workers threw her a surprise, healthy pot luck to celebrate her 2017 BJC Health Hall of Fame Award. The outpatient surgery nurse at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital credits co workers, family and Weight Watchers with helping her through 4 a.m. walks and achieving a 60-pound weight loss.
In January 2017, Barr joined Weight Watchers and started walking early in the morning before work, hiking and going to the gym. Since then her doctor has cut her blood pressure and diabetes medications in half. “Weight Watchers is the way to go,” she says. “You meet people and get fresh ideas. BJC employees need to take advantage of the Weight Watchers discount offered through the YouDecide program. It really does help.”
When Barr first lost 50 pounds, she carried a 50-pound bag of dog food around a store to see how it felt. “No wonder I felt so bad, carrying around that extra weight,” she says. “I feel so much better.”
She now volunteers at Camp Jump Start, a health camp for kids that addresses physical, emotional and social health need. Her healthy habits also have rubbed off on family and co workers, some of whom have joined Weight Watchers and are exercising more.
“Terri is a true leader and inspiration,” says Valerie Jeter, RN, who nominated her for the Health Hall of Fame. “When we see her healthy lunches, observe her will power from sweets and hear about her accomplishments, we can’t but be happy for her and inspired.”
“I was so excited to hear that I had won the Health Hall of Fame,” Barr says “I’ve had so much support from my family and co workers, “They look out for me.”