I need support in my community and Weight Watcher meetings are too expensive for me. Would it be wrong to go to TOPS and do WW points for my eating program? I was going to a TOPS meeting tonight, I need to start something soon, I just turned 30 on Sunday and I cannot live like this anymore!

Thanks for your replies.

I do not see why not. Isn't TOPS just a support group? Or do they give you a diet to follow?

Well, they recommend that you bring a diet from your doctor, but my docto jurst says he will refer me to a dietician. That's going to take forever and I already know WW. They will still want to have a signed note from my doctor, so I don't know what I am going to do. It shouldn't be so hard just to join a support group...lol

I did a search and this is what I found out

TOPS Club does not provide a set diet for its members, but lots of helpful ideas on sensible eating are given out each week.

So I do not see why you would need that. And why is your doctor referring you to a dietician...does she/he not know about W/W or does she/he want you to get more nutritional information?

Well, TOPS told me I needed an eating plan that was signed by my doctor, so this meant that my doctor had to give me the eating plan himself. I am told that TOPS has a 28 day plan, maybe I can get it from them and then take it to my doctor, but he seemed so set on sending me to a dietician. I don't know why, I have no special needs, maybe he didn't want to take responsibility for my diet not working or something...yada yada....I have been running circles around this for a month or so, I need to get with it.

Well, TOPS told me I needed an eating plan that was signed by my doctor, so this meant that my doctor had to give me the eating plan himself. I am told that TOPS has a 28 day plan, maybe I can get it from them and then take it to my doctor, but he seemed so set on sending me to a dietician. I don't know why, I have no special needs, maybe he didn't want to take responsibility for my diet not working or something...yada yada....I have been running circles around this for a month or so, I need to get with it.

TOPS (as far as I can remember) does not even check to see if you have a 'written' diet to follow! I wouldn't worry about it. Take your W/W materials you have and just have your Dr. sign the first page.

Go for it! I think following the WW program and attending TOPS is a great idea . . . I belonged to a TOPS group years ago and (whispering . . . ) it was a lot more fun than any WW group I have been a member of.

If you do see the dietician, she/he will almost certainly give you a diet that you can fit into the WW program.

I follow the guidelines of the book "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy" (Walter Willett and the Harvard Medical School), but stick "religiously" to WW at the same time.

I went to the meeting last night, it was hilarious. I think I was the only woman under 65! Some of these little ladies have been doing TOPS for 35 years! They were cute as can be. I am not sure how much support I will be able to give and get from this group, but I am willing to try, they were all very nice. There was one other woman my age, but she was pregnant and just trying to maintain her weight. I don't know what to do....I will think on this, I really need to get with it though...

Renee,

Can you afford to join W/W On-Line and utilize these boards and others such as Dotti's or BCB until you are about 5 pounds from your goal and then go to the meetings so you can become lifetime? It is a thought. I think it is like $35 or 40 to join at first but then it is only like $15 a month instead of the $12-15 a week.

I go to TOPS and do the ww plan. The support I get from TOPS is just amazing. The price difference is something to. at TOPS i pay $1.25 compared to 11.00 at ww. If you have the ww material you should be just fine with TOPS.

Renee- you said most of your members are older - so are they ones in my TOPS but those are the ladies that are the first ones to give you support and a helping hand. I would give them a chance. I am so glad I did.

That is still too steep for my budget. I have to be careful because my ex- isn't really reliable with child support, so I get stuck a lot with my husband carrying the weight of everything since I don't currently work. I went to the doctor today and found out I have some other health issues to deal with. More medical bills again. Sigh. I am not worried tho, and she gave me a note for TOPS that gives my goal weight and calories per day. She said I should be around 175-185lbs, and that I should do 1800-2000 calories a day. SHe said tho that she is around 140lbs and she cannot do 2000 calories a day, so I am not sure why she wrote that. Maybe that is my losing calories and that will change to maintain once I get to goal??? I dunno, but I am gonna try.I feel like people come and go on these boards and I am afraid to ask for support because people never stick around. They get all fired up and that lasts for a couple weeks and then they start wimping out on me...lol...Sorry, didn't mean to offend, I just need really motivated people. I need real support.

Renee,

This board seems to be that why. Over at Dotti's we have some that have been there for years (me included) many at goal and lifetimers.

Point Range (123 Success Points) Converted to Calories
(This isn't always 100% true because of fiber)

18-25 points = 1050-1400 calories
20-27 points = 1150-1500 calories
22-29 points = 1250-1600 calories
24-31 points = 1350-1700 calories
26-33 points = 1450-1800 calories
28-35 points = 1550-1900 calories

Thank you so very much Sandy for sending this in.....
but this does not include the 200-250 calories that W/W built in for free veggies and those minor freebies.... (For the new program Winning Points subtract 100 off the high end).

Renee, do you have any of the old books or a palm? If you have a palm then you can download a program for ww onto it.

You can go to TOPS and do the WW yes. its a new rule use to could not. do not feel guilty... tops finally decided that we have to do what plan helps us... so go for it and do not feel guilty... good luck to you. i go to tops and have for quite sometime and i do ww at home... have a good week. LaDean