Any TOPS Club members out there?!?!?!!?

JuliesZenpuppy7400

Most people are probably like TOPS what?!?!?! TOPS stands for Take Off Pounds Sensibly and is a weight loss support group kind of like WW. I joined TOPS OR1086 just over a year ago and just under a year ago I joined MFP and am so thankful to have both in my life as they have helped me get ever closer to attaining my goal weight. I am at this point at the lowest weight I have ever been in my adult life!!! With TOPS one of the things you do is go and weigh in every week. For me it's tomorrow!!!!!

So, any other TOPS members out there using MFP?!?!?!? Hope to hear from you!!!!!

iggyboo93

Hey there!! I'm in TOPS too (OR1164)! Just got elected group leader. It's such a wonderful bunch of people. My husband joined to provide support for me (and he wants to drop a few pounds). He was initially the first male in the group but then just tonight another husband signed up. A couple of other members use MFP. This website is wonderful for logging food and exercise but the once a week weigh-in and fellowship with real people is incredibly helpful. We have one KOPS member in our group - she has an amazing story - lost about 90 pounds and kept it off for 7 years. Her daughter is our weight recorder and has also lost a good amount of weight. 198 lbs!?!?! Congratulations! :flowerforyou:

hdkerr

My Gram was a KOPS. Congratulations on your awesome success!

JuliesZenpuppy7400

hdkerr: That is too cool!!! I'm about 25 pounds from getting my KOPS status!!! Hoping to get there by the end of August!!!! :happy:

cburgmeier

To help me lose 92 lbs since last July, my support systems are TOPS WI313, MFP message boards, my personal trainer, my husband, & recording my food in the gym's website so my trainer can keep me accountable. It's great to see people in person and connect with the same group each week. We have a baseball game going on now, where our group was split into two teams. The batter gets an out if they gain or are absent, take first base if stay the same or lose up to 1 lb, take second base if lose up to 2 lbs, etc. My team is winning.

carolemack

I belonged to TOPS about a zillion years ago. They had a very demoralizing ritual at the time of awarding a 'piggy' hat that someone had to wear through the whole meeting and then take home for the week. It was so long ago that I can no longer remember what the criteria was for 'winning' it...either you gained weight or lost the least amount that week. Whatever it was, I found it to be quite disgusting and demoralizing...it was the reason I quit. Do they still do that?

The idea of being weighed in every week is very motivating and I remember that TOPS was much more reasonably priced than Weight Watchers. However, if they still have that backwards approach to so called motivation it wouldn't be for me. Can you shed some light on what goes on at a meeting these days? Thanks.

JuliesZenpuppy7400

cburgmeier: great to hear from you!!!! That is wonderful about your success!!! Sounds like you have really dedicated yourself!!!! And I love the sound of your contest!!! Might have to bring that one up at our next meeting!!!!! Keep up the great work!!!!! :bigsmile:

JuliesZenpuppy7400

carolemack: Oh my!!!! Noooo!!! Nothing like that happens!! At least not in my club!! The only things I have found is love, support & tons of positive encouragement! I'm so sorry that you had a bad experience :frown:
I love weighing in every week, good or bad. It totally helps keep me motivated and all the people in my group are wonderful!!! The only thing I'm not a big fan of is that they like to sing and I'm just not a big singer but that is the ONLY thing I can say "bad" about my club.
Maybe you could check them out again just as a visitor and you might find that things have changed

iggyboo93

I belonged to TOPS about a zillion years ago. They had a very demoralizing ritual at the time of awarding a 'piggy' hat that someone had to wear through the whole meeting and then take home for the week. It was so long ago that I can no longer remember what the criteria was for 'winning' it...either you gained weight or lost the least amount that week. Whatever it was, I found it to be quite disgusting and demoralizing...it was the reason I quit. Do they still do that?

The idea of being weighed in every week is very motivating and I remember that TOPS was much more reasonably priced than Weight Watchers. However, if they still have that backwards approach to so called motivation it wouldn't be for me. Can you shed some light on what goes on at a meeting these days? Thanks.

Oh gosh - I'm so sorry you had to deal with that. That's AWFUL!! This definitely does not happen in my group and I've never heard of it happening in any other group. This goes against the very grain of Esther Manz's vision when she started TOPS. When you report a gain (you don't have to say how much), everyone says they are glad you came. When you report a loss, we clap and cheer.

We weigh in, also we sing a little if the pianist member brings her music book, we do go around for a roll call (celebrate the losses and provide support during the gains), and have a program on various topics. It's definitely not demoralizing.

carolemack

Thanks for the reassurance...I think I will check them out and perhaps give it another try.

thatTOPSlady

I'm a TOPS fan and the leader of TOPS OK 0708, Duncan

My facebook page is here: https://www.facebook.com/duncantops.takeoffpoundssensibly

And I blog about my journey here: http://www.thattopslady.blogspot.com/

djskouge

I belong to a TOPS group in Minnesota...haven't been there for a couple of weeks due to grandson's baseball games! I have lost weight doing a different protocol but am here at TOPS now to KEEP it off and stay accountable...

The group I belong to USED to do the "piggy" thing also...we also had to pay a fine for each 1/4 lb gained...I dont remember the amt, tho.

dd65togo

I belong to a TOPS chapter in Sydney, NS. I started MFP in 2012 and loss 50lbs. Since March 2013 I had some life changes (new job, operation) and unfortunately I stopped exercising and fell back into my old eating habits and have since put back on my weight. I am please to say that I have rejoined MFP 5 days ago and will be starting my own TOPS group in December 2013 and as the leader I need to be an example as I take off pounds sensibly.

ScottH_200

TOPS members friend me if you'd like. I recently joined online and am looking for othet members for support.

Amazon_Who

Bump

Check out the TOPS group. community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1929-tops-take-off-pounds-sensibly

stephdeeday

I used to be in Tops. I lost 60 pounds last year with MFP and TOPS. I was actually the president of my chapter. It was really fun, and more of a social thing for me than anything else. I knew that my coworkers and friends could only handle so much weight loss talk so TOPS was a great place for that. I moved and didn't rejoin in my new city. I also regained the 60 pounds, not because I stopped going to TOPS but because I stopped exercising and counting calories. And started eating family sized bags of chips for dinner again

suzyb225

I just joined TOPS for the first time today. I go to a meeting on Tuesday. I'm excited to try something new. What does everyone have to say about TOPS? Any tips?

Cynd59

I love Tops. I joined a couple of years ago and lost some weight. Had to stop going because of work schedule. Started back in September 2015 and had gained 20 pounds in the 10 months off. I made my goal and became a Kops in February 4th. I have lost 44 pounds since September.
Our chapter is great with lots of support.
Hope you are doing well with your weight loss.