[kaplods]

It's nice to meet you Jo, you certainly are welcome here!

I'm so sorry to hear about your dad. The grieving process is so hard on a person mentally AND physically.

You certainly can sit in on a TOPS meeting free. If there are several groups in your area, you can even visit each one before deciding, and most groups will even let you sit in on a couple meetings before deciding (but you can't weigh-in until you join - they probably would let you get weighed, but the weight wouldn't "count" until you join).

I can't say enough wonderful things about TOPS. I first found TOPS around 1994. I'd herniated a disc in my back and couldn't afford Weight Watcher's AND my YMCA membership. I needed the gym membership because being in the water was my only relief from the back pain (at first I could only tread water). In fact when I was able to return to work, I swam before work, at my lunch hour, and after work before going home). The relief from gravity was wonderful. I joined TOPS made wonderful friends and lost 60 lbs.

Then I got a job over an hour away, and I never really "connected" with the groups in my new location (I thought I could do it on my own).

My hubby and I joined our current group in August. We love it so much, we accepted nominations and were voted in as officers (I'm co-leader, hubby is treasurer).

National dues are $24 a year ($36 for two family members in the same household) and include a monthly magazine. Each chapter decides on its monthly dues, most are under $5. Our chapter's dues are $3. Many chapters offer one or more ways to get free monthly dues. For example, in our chapter you can choose free dues or a charm for losing each 10 lbs.

The club offers (but doesn't require) a manual for $15 called The Choice is Mine. It was just edited, so the new edition is being offered for $10 if the club places an order for 6 or more before the end of August. So, you might be able to get a break on the price, or get someone's old edition for even cheaper (I've reviewed both editions, and there are only a few pages of "new" information). The manual gives a lot of information on diet, exercise, nutrition and outlines an exchange program (very much like Weight Watcher's program prior to 1994).

I follow the exchange program, but exchanged a few of the starches for proteins and gave myself a few optional exchanges (so I'd have a little more flexibility if I eat my "minimum" exchanges it's a 1500 calorie plan, and if I eat all of the exchanges I've given myself as "optional" it's an 1800 calorie plan).

That's what's so nice about TOPS, you can follow any food plan you wish, and can change food plans as often as you wish.

Because each group is self-governing to a large degree (they have to follow national chapter bylaws, but make their own chapter rules), you might find one group a better "fit" for you than another. You can even form your own chapter with as little as three people I believe (you might need five, but I think you only need three).

That's why when people tell me they tried TOPS and didn't like it, I ask what they didn't like about it. Most of the time it's something that isn't universal to all TOPS groups, but something that could be changed by a group vote (or by joining or forming a new group). TOPS very much is what you make it. If you want the group to be run differently, you have a voice in making that change.

I'm very much working to change my group. I want to get people more involved in ACTIVELY becoming healthier. Maybe forming some walking groups, or doing some group activities or contests or field trips (we had a fun activity in a grocery store that our treasurer organized). It's possible that our group will eventually change it's focus, or split into two groups, and that would be fine too.

I love that TOPS offers opportunities for group recognition. I'm not shy and I love attention, so the idea of going up on stage for a weight loss award at Fall rally, NRD or SRD (National Recognition Day or State Recognition Day - TOPS events). But the events are not mandatory, so if you're shy, you don't have to participate in those things (though you still will get your chapter awards that are given out, usually several times a year).

I could go on and on, but I'l stop now. Please do join us, we're happy to have you.

[Jello]

Wow, Kaplods. Thanks for the welcome and all the great information! :

I checked out the TOPS site and saw that I could get a free brochure mailed to me so I requested that. I also saw that the closest meeting to me would be Wednesday evenings and that would fit into my schedule just fine.

I'm on vacation next week but when I get back I'm hoping to give the brochure a look-see and then maybe I'll haul my not-so-little rear down there and sit in on a meeting.

Can I ask - is there a certain age group to TOPS? That is, I'd hate to be the only person there over 30 or under 65, you know? With WW, it was mostly women but of all age groups. Not that it's a big deal though.

Another question - the website says I'm required to have a doctor's visit before I join. Is that really true? I haven't been to a doctor in years (pausing to knock wood ) and would rather not have to schedule and pay and take time off from work, etc. Again, though, I guess that's not a big deal.

Thanks again for all your help. If all goes well, I hope to be heading off to my first meeting in about 2 weeks. A little scary but kind of exciting as well.

Jo.

P.S. Came back in to edit my post because I just thought of something else. Is the TOPS plan vegetarian-friendly?

[kaplods]

TOPS is very vegetarian friendly, because YOU choose your food plan. Even if you choose the TOPS exchange plan, the protein exchanges can be vegetarian. Almost all exchange plans are universal (they're all based on the diabetic exchange plan designed, I believe, in the 1950's). That means they're also compatible with any exchange program (Weight Watcher's before 1994, TOPS, Richard Simmon's Deal a Meal, Healthy Exchanges, various diabetic cook books, the Duke Diet, Hillbilly Housewife....). I love that because I collect old cookbooks, and if I find one that lists exchanges I can use it.

I bought, and highly recommend the book, Exchanges for all Occasions. I'm pretty sure there's an entire section on vegetarian exchanges.

Also, if you don't want to do the exchange plan, you can do any plan you wish to. The club doesn't enforce, or even pry into the food plan you choose. If you want to share with the group, you can.

Did the website say that you had to have a doctor's visit before you join, or before you reach your goal weight? We just got a letter from either national headquarters or one of our regional directors on this subject, and the actual rule is that you can't win any awards related to reaching your goal weight nor can you achieve KOPS (keeping off pounds sensibly) status without a goal slip from your doctor. So you don't have to see your doctor, but you do need to have a goal slip on file if you want either of those things (and you can wait until you get there to decide). Many people do not get the goal slip until they reach the weight they want to be at. Since I see my doctor every quarter, I just had him write a goal slip for me, so I'd have it as an incentive. My doctor set my goal weight at 250 lbs, because he doesn't want me to get too discouraged. Personally, I think that I will want to lose more, but this kept us both happy, and I can decide to lose more (and get a new goal slip) at any time.

There is not an age group required of TOPS, but some groups do tend to be comprised of mostly people of a certain age. Though it can really vary. You might find one group that is almost exclusively over 60 or under 30 or you might find one that is very diverse. It really is hard to predict. The group I went to in Ottawa, IL when I was in my late 20's, when I first joined, there were two women my age, and everyone else seemed to be over 60. I felt really weird at first, but we had a very young at heart, fun group, and I stopped noticing (and after I joined, we seemed to get in an influx of younger people, so the group ended up being very diverse). The groups I tried in Bloomington, IL were much younger, but less "spunky." The group I'm in now is pretty wide ranging. Mostly over 35, but one girl is 19. TOPS does tend to have an older crowd, which is one of the things that I'm trying to change. TOPS welcomes people of any age, and there are even children's groups (I think members as young as 9 are accepted with a parent - kids I think do need the doctor's slip before joining - but I'm not sure on that).

I think Weight Watcher's tends to attract a younger "hipper" crowd than TOPS (mostly because they advertise). TOPS doesn't advertise unless local groups want to and have a large enough membership or band together with other chapters to pay for advertising.

Still, with the economic crunch, I've seen a LOT more younger people in TOPS than ever before, especially as Weight Watcher's gets more and more expensive.

[KAR73]

Hi Everyone,
Jo it is nice to meet you. Hope you enjoy going to your first meeting in a couple weeks. Enjoy your vacation!
Kaplods, how was your trip? I hope that you had a good weigh in this evening.
I was under the weather for a little bit last week. So I am hoping that my weigh in is a better one this week. Since I didn't get to get any excerise in until this evening, when I mowed the lawn for 2 hours.
Well I hope that you all have a wonderful week. Take care!
TOPS Hugs,
Kerry

[kaplods]

Just got back a couple hours ago, so no weigh-in. The scale I took down broke (we think hitting some pretty rough potholes on the trip down might have had something to do with it). I'll weigh myself tomorrow morning to see if I gained during the trip. My guess is probably, but we'll see. I'm exhausted though and glad to be home.

[KAR73]

Sounds like you had a nice trip though. Hope you can get a good new scale soon. Those potholes are something else this year. Hope you get some rest. Here's to a good weigh in in the morning!
I went to TOPS tonight and lost 4 of the 5.25 pounds I gained last week. So I was tickled.
Here to a good week for us TOPS. I hope to be a KOPS in a year or two.
Take care.
TOPS Hugs,
Kerry

[kaplods]

The trip was great (sorry I dropped the thread, I read it one night too tired to respond and forgot to pick it back up).

Congratulations on your loss! I still do have a good scale at home, we just no longer have a "spare" (we were keeping the scale in the car, because my hubby can't weigh on the TOPS scale yet). Now I tell hubby he has to be very careful with this scale, and remember to bring it in the house after the TOPS meeting.

Hubby turtled this week, and I lost 4.5 lbs! Well, actually only 2, because I forgot to log the 2.5 lb gain I had before vacation on my ticker. Still, I was VERY, VERY pleased.

I'm starting to feel like I can really do this. I know that with a 50 lb loss, you'd think that I would have proven to myself that I AM doing this, but my confidence is really a bit shaky (based on 35 years of only partial success). The most weight I have ever lost was 70 lbs (going from 225lbs to 155 lbs) in high school (and with the help of prescription diet pills). The most weight I lost 60 lbs on Nutristysem once (but would never want to do that again. The food wasn't so much bad, as extremely boring). And I lost 60 lbs in TOPS (my first experience with the group) after my herniated disc in 1993 or 1994.

I guess I won't feel that I'm "really" on the road to success until I've surpased the 75 lb "record." Though I've already surpassed my personal record for a "downward trend" of weight loss. The weight loss is a lot slower, but I've been at it a lot longer than EVER before.

I think the vacation was a real litmus test. I didn't really watch, so had the feeling of going "hog-wild" in terms of eating, but still almost unconsciously made better choices. I can't take that for granted, but it shows me that some choices have become habits, so ingrained that they're my new "normal."

[Jello]

Hello again! I keep meaning to come back in here but time always seems to get away from me these days. Could I be getting old? Nah!

Actually, I was going to come in here and vent and ramble on about not receiving the TOPS brochure that I requested way back when. I'd actually gotten one before years and years ago when I thought about joining but never did. I was afraid TOPS wouldn't send me another one. Humph.

But I take it all back. The brochure/pamphlet arrived in the mail just yesterday. I've only had a chance to give it a once-over. Actually, Kaplods gave me more info than I could ever ask for!!! The original plan was to try the Wednesday evening meeting near me but, of course, I have an appt. and can't make it tonight. The only other meeting that's an option is on a Tuesday night. So it looks like I'm going to have to wait until next week to look into it in person.

My fiance (who does all/most of the cooking in our house - how'd I get so lucky?) is still deciding whether he wants to join with me. He could stand to lose a few pounds but doesn't seem to have a problem in that area. (Figures, doesn't it? ) Either way, I hope to be a TOPS member real soon.

Be talkin' to you both!
Jo.

[kaplods]

Great! I love TOPS, and I hope you do too. I'm all psyched up for the Presidents Challenge - its an exercise contest/challenge that runs through the end of May of '09. Be sure to ask about it, if you don't get information on it, in your new member packet.

I attached a pedometer to my shoe, and it's really helping me get in a lot more walking. It's like I want to see if I can meet or break the record of the day before.