Tops
 

Hi I thought I would just take the leap and be the first one to start the TOPS thread. Hope I get other TOPS members to join me here. Well I will be waiting to see what kind of response I get. Hope to meet another TOPS members soon! Have a great day!
Kerry

Hi ... I've been a TOPS member for two years and have lost almost 60 pounds in that time. I'm in between groups, as the one I was going to was by my old job and it became a hassle when I started working on the other side of the city. I'm planning to check out a new group close to my home this week.

Hi Phantastica,
I have been a TOPS member for the last 4 years. I have been the co-leader for two and half of those years. Now I am the weight recorder. I love the support I get from going to TOPS.
That is great about the 60 pounds lost. Congrats on the weight loss! I had lost 35 pounds and gained it back. So now I am working really hard to take those 35 pounds off and more. I am not going to backslide again. It is so hard the second time around to take off those pounds. They sure are stubborn. LOL I hope you can find a group closer to your current job?
Have a great day!
Kerry

Hi, I'm Emily. Thanks for starting this thread. I joined TOPS a few months ago when I decided WW was not for me, but knew I needed some sort of real-life support/accountability group. It's been great. I only found out about it by digging around on the internet though...I don't think it gets much publicity. I told a friend on the East Coast and she had no idea they existed either and joined hers.

I am not doing the TOPS plan, but just go for the support. I've lost 25 lbs since joining TOPS, and 37 lbs in all. Of course, I have a long way to go.

It's nice to "meet" y'all. Phantastica...congrats on the 60lbs!! That's awesome! I hope the new group is a good fit for you. Kerry, I lost 50lbs a few years ago (ok, 10 yrs), then gained it back and then some. It does seem harder the second time around! But this will be the last time!!

Emily glad you were able to find us. I think that together we can take off those stubborn regained pounds and look forward to living a healthier lifestyle. You are so right about TOPS not getting the right publicity that it deserves. Glad you were able to help out your friend on the East Coast.

I forgot to ask earlier. Does any of your clubs run contest and if so what are they? Currently my club is holding one called "Lose Your Booty and get the Treasure's". We are holding it for six weeks. Everyone who wants to be in it, had to weigh in the night that it started. Then bring in a small gold or silver item to place in the treasure chest. Then in August we will see who has lost the most weight and give them the treasure chest. Since I sell Avon, I got a really cute silver necklace for trying out one of the new perfumes that Avon came out with and donated that. I am really hoping to in be in the running for the treasure chest this time around. Since I havn't come close to ever winning a contest since I started TOPS four years ago.
Have great evening!
Take care,
Kerry

Morning everyone,
Just wanted to wish everyone a great week! I have my weigh-in tomorrow evening. Hoping for some good news. When does everyone have weigh-in?
TOPS Hugs,
Kerry

Where is my fellow TOPS pals?

Originally Posted by KAR73:
Where is my fellow TOPS pals?

I'm here Kar!! I joined TOPS three weeks ago. I have belong to TOPS in the past and did really well, which is why I've rejoined now. I need all the support and motivation I can get.

I'm a bit of a talker and being overweight has made me a diet expert of course. ;) So, I seemed to have volunteered to come up with a fun challenge for the group and have promised to do a program in the next couple of weeks. I'm happy to be able to jump in and get involved. The joy of being my age is that shyness isn't really an issue anymore. :D

I look forward to getting to know the TOPS members here and would be really interested in if we could get our own challenge going.

That sounds great Pita! What kind of challenge would you like to do? Glad you could come join me. It has been really lonely here for the last couple of days. LOL

I'm here! Haven't been able to check out the groups in my area yet. There are a few right by my house, as well as one or two by my work. I'd prefer a smallish group near my home, on a Thursday night. I had Monday-night weigh-ins for too long - weekends always messed that up. LOL.

In the meantime, I'm doing what I know works best for me: vegetable-intensive lunches, breakfasts at home, and light dinners. Some nights, I have dates or go out to dinner with friends, so I'm struggling with finding the right mix of food for enjoyment without breaking the calorie bank. I'm exercising 5x a week - just cardio right now - at a gym before work.

Pita, can you describe your challenge?

Kar, how was your weigh-in?

Hi Phantastica and Pita,
Well my weigh-in didn't go how I would have liked it too. I gained a pound. But that is alright. I have worked harder this week to watch what I eat and have worked out 4 times so far. Getting ready to workout again.
Phantastica, I hope that you will be able to check out some groups by your house soon. I know when I don't go to meetings, the accountablility messes me up and I usually end up gaining. :( Sounds like you are staying on track even without a TOPS group right now. That is great about the cardio workouts too! Keep up the great work!
Pita, how are you working on losing your weight? I am just eating smaller portions, lots of fruits and veggies, and grilled items. I have cut out pop to one glass a week. Don't eat junk food or sweets. Plus I drink lots and lots of unsweetened iced tea and water.
Well I need to get my big butt in gear for the day and do my workout. Plus I need to pick up my paycheck from work before noon or they mail them. Kind of need the money too bad to wait until Monday or Tuesday to get it in the mail.
Have a great Friday!
Take care,
Kerry

Good morning :wave:

Kerry don't beat yourself up over the gain. I had my weigh-in last night and was a little upset that I gained a pound and a half. But I know my eating and exercise have been great all week. I started TOM yesterday right before the meeting and I'm blaming that fun little curse on my weight gain. :mad:

My eating plan is to stick to the healthiest foods possible. I eat lots of veggies, fruits, lean meats, low fat dairy, whole wheat, walnuts, tea and coffee, and a ton of water. I work out 4 days a week at Curves and do my own thing a couple of days at home with an exercise ball and resistance bands. I weigh everything I eat and keep track of what I eat on Fitday. I joined this board and then TOPS for support and accountability.

I began this way of eating and living over a year and half ago but have fallen to my old ways many, many times. Hence why I'm not thin yet! ;) I read the YOU: on a diet book by the Oprah doctors and loved the common sense approach that I already believed in. Something also really clicked inside me. I got a brand new life at 40 and it is beyond my dreams. The only thing clingy to me and pulling me back to my past is this lousy weight issue. I'm sick of it!! So on July 1st I declared it my Independence Day and so far I feel great. Mentally my head is here and ready to do this. It's an everyday battle and I can't let go of my determination for a moment. I will be thin, healthy, and sexy in the year 2008!! :carrot:

As for the challenge, I don't have one in mind really. I just think it will be good for us to have something to focus on in addition to everything else we are doing. Some sort of short term goal we can work for maybe? I'll think on it.

Have a fantastic day. I got to go get the coffee started and get my butt on that exercise ball. :)

Evening Pita and Phantastica,
Hope you both had a fantastic day! My day was okay. My stepsons' brought over an unexpected guest with them today. So they acted up all day long to show off for their friend. That made things tense between the hubby and me all day long. Every time I went to use the computer or watch something on tv, I got beaten to it by one of them. So I was never so glad to go work this evening. But because of me being in a bad mood all day long, it made for one long night at work. I was never so glad to see 10 p.m. roll around. But I did eat healthy today. So in all the stress I was under I was able not to succumb to being an emotional eater. I think that is a first in a long time. I ate a small bowl of Cherrios this morning. For lunch, we took the kids to Wendy's. Well everyone feasted on hamburgers and fries, I ate a grilled chicken sandwich and a baked potato. Then for dinner tonight, I drank a Slim-Fast shake on my 5 minute break. I also had two snacks today. A dozen baby carrots before going to work. Then on my last break of the evening, I ate a Slim-Fast Peanut Butter Cookie bar. This seemed to help eating like this today. That way I was not starving to death by the time I came home, like I was last night.
So what are your big plans for the weekend? I have to work in the morning from 9 to 2. Then I am going to enjoy the rest of my day off. I might try and go see a few of my sds' ballgames tomorrow afternoon. They are playing in a local tournment in my town.
Well I better go and get some rest. Have a great evening!
Take care,
Kerry

Good morning! :wave:

I just finished my high fiber breakfast and am on my second cup of chai tea. I'll start in on the coffee soon. ;)

Yesterday, we had a long day. My daughter flew home from spending the last 2 months with her dad down in Orlando. It is a two hour drive to the Atlanta airport from where we live and her plane got delayed two hours do to lightening in Florida. Not the most fun way to spend an afternoon.

Once we finally got back to town we were all starving and she wanted Olive Garden. I was very proud of myself for sticking to the Venetian apricot chicken with veggies (480 calories and tasty!), low fat dressing on the salad, no bread, and only one glass of red wine. Normally, it would have been a huge plate of Alfredo and all the breadsticks I could devour.

I got up at 2:00 am and weighed and was thrilled to see the scales at 235. This morning the scales still read the same, so, I put myself a little cheerleader in my sig announcing my happy news. :D

Today, I have some work to do for my college courses, get the kid unpacked and wash up all her dirty clothes, and go out for coffee with our best buds later this afternoon. Looks like rain here and for that I'm very thankful!!

I hope everyone has a lovely day and remains focused on your goals! :hug:

Good Morning, everyone!

Kar, how old are your stepchildren? I, personally, have been a little more dominant in my household. I would have told the kids to go outside and play instead of going online or watching TV when they have company. Don't overlook your own need for relaxation and pleasure, especially when you have to go to work later!

Pita, congrats on 235!! How old is your daughter? What kind of classes are you taking, and are you taking them in pursuit of a degree? How fun! I like school.

I have a sixteen-year-old son who lives with his dad and visits every other weekend (though he lived with me for the first fifteen years), otherwise I live alone.

My weekend - my plans yesterday to visit a friend fell through unexpectedly, so I did household stuff instead. Laundry, dishes, grocery shopping, washed car, got oil changed, cleaned a bit of the storage room, precooked food for meals this week, etc.

Today I was planning to do some exercise, but I'm feeling pretty lazy. I have an aerobic dance video that I do in my living room. I'm thinking of going over to my mom's house to sit by the pool and get some sun, then later meeting up with a friend.

Hi Phantastica, I sure would like to be lounging around a pool today. I live in an apartment complex with a lot of college students. Lying out by the pool with a bunch of young, thin, tan girls is not my idea of fun. :D

My daughter is 15 and is about to be a sophomore in high school. She is one of those, "I'm my own person so don't label me" kind of kids. Very bright, precocious, and a slob! I got to admit I enjoyed seeing her room all spotless for the last two months. ;)

I go to a technical college where I'm getting my marketing management diploma. This is my fourth quarter and I have two more to complete. It's been fun to be a college student at 40. I spent 20 years of my life running a child care business out of my home. This is definitely different!!

Well, I'm off to Starbucks for an iced coffee and some good conversation. :wave:

Hi Ladies,
Phantastica, my stepkids are 11 year-old girl and twin 9 year-old boys. The little girl was in the Outter Banks with a friend from her mom's work for the week. So it was just the boys and their little friend. Normally we do kick them outside and tell them to play. But we had some nasty thunderstorms that day. But I can tell you that I think it will be a long time before they ever have a little friend over again. So what kind of good healthy food are you cooking for this week? Hope you enjoy the afternoon at your mom's by the pool.
Pita, sounds like you are glad to have your daughter home. Sorry to hear that you had a long afternoon trying to get her yesterday. Don't you love doing laundry after a trip? Fun fun fun. Great news on your weight loss! Keep it up! I do the same thing with the scales. I have a nasty habit of weighing myself in the mornings and at night before going to bed. Hope you are able to get a nice dent in your college work today.
I didn't get my workout done today. The boys played in ball tournments all weekend long. So I am a little tired today and decided to take the day off. Plus the humidity is so awful in Ohio today. It looks like it is getting ready to storm. SO maybe it is a good thing the boys lost their game this morning.
Well I think I am going to go and take me a little nap right now. We are suppose to go to the city pool tonight for a pool party for their regular season baseball team. I haven't decided if I am going to go swimming or not yet. I feel uncomfortable wearing my swimming suit in front of people at times. If that makes any sense.
Have a great afternoon ladies!
Later,
Kerry

Good morning :wave:

I need your opinions and help on a TOPS contest that I'm putting together for this weeks meeting. What I've done is find a very cute pick of a flower with 16 petals that comes from a coloring book I found online. I will print this out for each member and they will color 1/2 to a whole petal for different things they do. Below is what I have so far for them to do. I would like a few more ideas that would be practical and helpful for the members.

What do you think?


Flower Power Rules

Color one whole petal if you:
Lose a pound (one petal per pound)
Stay for the whole meeting
Do a program
For contacting and giving support to a member (only one petal for the week)


Color half a petal if you:
1/4 to1/2 pound loss
Turtle
Bring in a food journal (half a petal for each journal, 3 ½ possible)
Bring in a healthy recipe to share with the group

What does "do a program" consist of?

We've also had thhings like exercise 3x a week, drink 64 oz of water a day for a week.

Does "For contacting and giving support to a member" mean outside of the regular meetings?

Originally Posted by phantastica:
What does "do a program" consist of?

We've also had thhings like exercise 3x a week, drink 64 oz of water a day for a week.

Does "For contacting and giving support to a member" mean outside of the regular meetings?

Doing a program means preparing a presentation to give to the group. Example: In a couple of weeks I plan to do a program on the good and bad of fats. Mainly focusing on the type of good fats we should be eating and talking about the bad fats such as trans-fats. I will have a handout with a food list on it, etc.

Yes, contacting means to call or email a member outside of the regular meeting.

Good ideas about the water and exercise!

Morning Ladies,
Pita that contest sounds really good. I like it. What if you added something in about eating the daily serving size of veggies and fruits? Since I know a lot of people and myself included have a hard time getting those all in. Also stay away from sweets and junk food. Those are just some suggestions. Bring an diet tip in that they read from a magazine and share with the group.
Well this evening is the big weigh-in. I am hoping for a loss. I better think about getting some kind of excerise in for the day.
Oh, by the way I quit my part time job yesterday. I didn't like how they were treating me and I was becoming really moody and depressed at home only have three days there. So my dh and I talked about it and he said it would be okay if I quit. Not to stay there and make myself miserable. So I am now patiently waiting for school to start back up so I can work the after-school program.
Well I better go and get my fat behind moving. LOL
Chat with you ladies later! Have a great day!
Kerry

Kerry my thoughts are with you for a good weigh-in tonight. :hug:

I have been really watching my calories, exercising hard, and obsessively standing on the scales every time I go pee! I know I got the TOM weight off and am trying for at least 2 pounds. I got two more days to make it happen. :D

These are the rules I decided upon for the challenge for TOPS. Let me know what you think since I'm not making the copies until Thursday when I can get them done cheap at my school's library.

Color one petal for doing any of the following

• Have a loss (one petal for losing 1/4 to one pound; additional petals as needed)
• Weigh-in and stay for the whole meeting
• Call or email a member to give encouragement and support
• Bring in a weekly food journal (one petal for 2 to 4 days, two petals for a whole week)
• Exercise for at least 20 minutes a day (one petal for 2 to 4 days, two petals for 5-7 days)
• Bring in a healthy recipe, article, or idea to share with the group. (2 petals for giving a full program)

Pita I really like those rules for your contest. I think they are manageable and doable. I had a sick dh on my hands today, so I was able to run into town long enough to stop and weigh in at TOPS, run to the store to buy some aleve and chicken noodle soup and come home. But I did manage to lose 2 1/2 pounds. So I am happy about that. I am very tired and think I am going to go to bed now. So I will chat with you tomorrow.
Phantasica, hope your week is going great!

:cp: Wayyyyyyy to go on the 2 1/2 pound loss, Kerry!! That is fantastic! :cp:


I have a meeting today with my club at school and there was talk of ordering pizza. :yikes: I really don't need one of my biggest weaknesses showing up the day before weigh-in. Not to mention it will be at lunchtime and I'll be starving. If I do have any, I will make it work with my calories for the day and workout afterwards.

Have a great day!!

Hi Phantastica and Pita,
I hope you both had a good day! I push mowed our yard today. So that was my excersise for the day. I did eat good too! I think I did. I had a Slim fast shake for breakfast. For lunch I had a chicken salad from Wendy's and a small choc. frosty. Then we had a birthday party to go to tonight at the city pool. I ate 2 hot dogs, a small handful of chips and a small piece of cake.
So Pita how did your meeting go at school today? Did you behave around the pizza? Hope you have a great weigh in tomorrow evening.
Well I think I am signing off the computer and going to bed early. I am just a little tired this evening. That sun did a number on me today. I still have a little bit left to do tomorrow morning.
Chat with you both later.
Kerry

Good morning :wave

Thanks for reminding me about the pizza, Kerry! :o I had three pieces, 2 cheese and one sausage. The scales don't show a gain this morning, but they also don't show a loss. :mad: I'm going to eat very little today, exercise really hard at Curves, take my daughter school shopping this afternoon. Maybe by this evening's weigh-in I will have something good to report. If not I have only myself and weakness to blame.

You have a great day and I'll report back in tonight. :hug:

Hope you have a great weigh-in tonight Pita! Sending positive thoughts your way. Sounds like you are going to keep yourself busy today so you won't be thinking about food. Hope you have a great day!

ok im jumping in i looked it up on the web site and i love the idea and only 24 a YEAR ?????? can that be right? i was sooooooo successfull when i went to WW meeting i just cant afford it now im gonna go to the next meeting for sure theres 2 by my house in the evenings im gonna check it out hope ya'll dont mind me jumping in

Welcome Michelle. Yes that is right about the $24 dollars a year. Then there might be monthly dues at your chapter. My chapter charges 2.50 a month. That is to help with charms and awards. If my memory serves me right it is free the first two meetings you attend.
Take care,
Kerry

Hi Michelle, glad to have you here!! My chapter charges only $4.00 a month for the dues. I know that the first meeting is free. The main reason to hurry and pay for your membership is so that your weight loss can start being officially counted. I hope you find a club that is doing well and will give you good support.

Well, I went to my meeting tonight. I didn't really lose since I only lost the 1 1/2 lbs that I gained last week from TOM. So frustrating, but what can I do. I have to keep plugging along doing my best and wait for this weight to get the heck off me!!

The members were very excited about the new challenge with the flower. I hope it motivates us all to do our best. Lord knows this little group of mine can use all the motivation it can get. ;)

Hey Pita atleast you lost something this week! Glad your club liked your flower idea. My club has to come up with a contest for this fall. So that is what i might be working on for the next couple of days.
Hi to Michelle and Phantastica! Hope you are having a great day!
I have to go and run some errands. Chat with you all later.
Kerry

Kerry, have you seen this site? It has lots of good ideas.
http://www.tops123.com/StdTOPS/ideas.html

I took the kid school shopping, and believe it or not, we had a wonderful day together. She is well under budget and loves everything she got. I do love a miracle! :)

Hi Gals,
Hope you are having a great weekend! I was able to sleep in a little bit this morning. It sure did feel good.
Pita, I have checked out that website before. I will have to do that again. Thanks for reminding me of it. I have found some great ideas there in the past. Glad you enjoyed school shopping with your dd. I am going to have to do that for myself here in a few weeks. I find that each year I put it off more and more until the last minute. I guess it is because I don't want to go back to school. LOL
Well I went to that wedding reception with my dh last night. It was nice, but all you did was sit around and chat with people. Plus it was so hot in there. After having a small piece of cake, we left just two hours into the reception.
Well I better think about moving this fat butt and doing some kind of excerise. Chat with you all later.
Have a great weekend!
Kerry

Pita I got three ideas from that website that I am going to bring up on Tuesday night at my meeting.
I did get my WATP's 2 mile tape done. Now I am working on writing info. on my Avon books.

Kerry, I'm thinking of you and hoping your weigh-in went the way you wanted it to go. I assume that you want it to go down, right? :D

I'm struggling this week and up about 3 lbs right now. I'm ovulating which I really believes makes me gain. Plus, I wasn't very good this last weekend. I had no water and no exercise and went to a party where I had one to many jalapeno roll-ups!! :o I have done great the last two days and today have drank about a gallon and half of water. Yes, I will be up all night long heading to the bathroom and stepping on the scales while I'm in there. ;)

Pita,
I gained 4 3/4 pounds. I know that it is from not getting enough water and not excerising. We have had really hot weather here the last week or so. So hot that I wore a sore on my thigh from my shorts. It really hurt so I didn't exercise for fear I would make it worse. Plus the heat doesn't help much when the heat index is 103 and we have no a/c.
Hope your weigh in goes well.
Well I better go and find some light clothes to wear to bed. Still 90 out there at this time. YUCK!
Kerry

Good morning :wave:

Kerry, I agree that the heat and no water has to be the cause of our weight gains. I know my eating has been perfect and there is no reason for me not to be losing.

My weight recorder called last night and the meeting has been cancelled for this week because of the heat. We meet in a room in a church and it does have air but isn't on until we get there and turn it on. Take almost the full hour for the place to start to feel cool. The area where the scales are is not air conditioned at all and our weight recorder has been ill this week. I'll relieved for the obvious reasons, plus I didn't want to have to sit in that stifling room either. I'll get the weight off this week and be good to go!

Hello everyone,

Hubby and I went to TOPS on Monday for the first time in our area (I had been a TOPS member in teh 90's. Lost a lot of weight, moved and my work hours conflicted with all of the meetings). Since hubby and I are both on disability scheduling isn't a problem anymore.

We'll be joining officially this coming Monday. Our monthly dues are $3 month each, and $36 for annual fees ($24 plus 1/2 off for a spouse). I think other family members in the same house, or at least teen children, also get the family discount. We figured that the 1st month at WW would cost more than an entire year of TOPS, and I love the contests and prizes.

My new rheumatologist is recommending WLS, though. I remember when I was a member in the past, you weren't eligible for national recognition or awards if you used medical intervention to lose weight (medications or surgery), but does anyone know if there's a policy against TOPS membership if you've had surgery? I guess I will ask the leader at our next meeting.

Even if I do decide on surgery it will takes months, possibly even a year or more to get approval, so I'm not too concerned at this point, was just wondering.

Colleen, I think they have a separate division for members who have had WLS.