Has anyone here ever tried TOPS?

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jesusgirl6200
jesusgirl6200 Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
Just wondering if anyone had ever tried the TOPS program and if so what you thought of it? I was thinking about it. It seems like a great support system if nothing else and could help with feed back and info, etc. I imagine it depends on your local chapter. But was thinking of just going the online route... Anyone have any information to share on this that could help me decide if it's right for me? I think I need something/someone that is knowledgeable about nutrition and that would keep me accountable to my weightloss and nutrition goals and establish healthy eating habits for life. I am wondering if they would provide this kind of support??

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  • suemar74
    suemar74 Posts: 447 Member
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    I did it with my local chapter. I enjoyed the interaction for the most part, and the weekly weigh-in was very beneficial and helped hold me more accountable.

    The only draw back to my chapter was I was the youngest person there. Most of the members were older and when I showed up, I kept getting, "You don't need to lose weight!" or "I would kill to be as thin as you!" which was all very sweet, but I DO need to lose weight. I am borderline overweight/obese on most charts.

    I ended up quitting, partly due to that, and partly because I didn't feel like I was learning anything more than what I learned from MFP. And then there were some personal issues between some of the women that I didn't want to get in the middle of. FYI...drama doesn't end after menopause, lol.

    Most chapters will let you go to one meeting free of charge to see if it's for you. Try one to see how you fit.
  • jesusgirl6200
    jesusgirl6200 Posts: 4
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    Oh okay, thanks for the info! I really need MAJOR nutritional support. I need the guidance the most in that area. New to MFP so not sure where to find professional nutritional advice or if they have anything like that here. And yes I need the accountability to stick to not just the weight loss efforts but specifically my nutrition goals. Someone that I'd have to be accountable not only to report weight loss/gain to, but my diet as well, at least for a while so I will stick with it. I don't typically have an issue working out... but the eating gets me every time.
  • aliadd70
    aliadd70 Posts: 7
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    Hi JesusGirl! I started TOPS in May. They have an "Exchange Program" that you can use. It goes by the food pyramid. We just had a 3-week class on it. I use TOPS as a Support Group and MFP to log in my food and keep up with my calories. My TOPS Chapter is a very established group. What I like most about TOPS is that it is very inexpensive and theidea of the KOPS program. I am very much looking forward to KOPS status. KOPS stands for "Keeping Off Pounds Sensibly." Like anything, I think you have to really be ready for any program to work. But, we have people in our chapter that have lost close to 100 pounds and stayed at goal weight for 20 years!!! To me, that means TOPS has a successful maintenance program. I must say though, I am the type of person that will get into all the cheers at a football/baseball/hockey game in order to make the most of it. That is kind of how our Chapter is, if you are willing to participate, then you will have fun. But if you want to sit back and say, this is so stupid, then you won't have the best of times.

    Our chapter also gives you the chance to try it out to see if you like it before you join.

    I hope all goes well for you. Pray and God will lead you to the right place. I actually belonged to TOPS years ago to help support a friend and did not enjoy it all that much, but this time, I knew God lead me straight to TOPS and the program He set up for me is working quite well!

    Many blessings!
  • FJcntdwn2sknyluv
    FJcntdwn2sknyluv Posts: 651 Member
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    Been in it 5 years and love the accountabilty. Call the area captain and talked to them, they have a feel of the groups in the area. SO they can try and match you with a group that will maxiumize your chances at success!..
    I have been a past Co-Leader, it's amazing what you learn about food from them. And you are not ;stuck' to the 'exchange program' if you have another program you want to do, you are welcome to do so.

    good Luck
  • B47Jane
    B47Jane Posts: 4 Member
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    I love my TOPS group, but every group is different. Most groups are happy for you to try all in your area to see which one fits you. It is for me mostly a support group, and I need that for the long term since I am happy to lose slowly. The cost is very reasonable so I don't have to constantly be concerned about the cost. My group costs come out to about $10 a month and that includes a nice monthly magazine.
  • bikinibeliever
    bikinibeliever Posts: 832 Member
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    I joined and stayed with it for about a year. It's like any other program, stick with it, you lose. I lost. I was by far the youngest in our local group. There is another local group that has many more people and younger people. I picked the group I joined because it was smaller. I liked the support the group gave. Never did their exchange program, I was actually doing weight watchers then. You could pick any program you wanted to do. In our chapter we all took turns hosting the meeting each week. Meaning, you would decide how the the meeting would progress and what the topic would be. Sometimes people brought informative articles to read and discuss. Sometimes someone shared exercise moves. Yes, we did it right along with the person giving the meeting. I stopped going when I started to get bored with the same info again and again.
  • anifani4
    anifani4 Posts: 457 Member
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    I tried a TOPS meeting a few years ago. It was very small...5 women. They were gossipy and very focused on earning money for losing the most each week. Neither part appealed to me. My conclusion is that a lot depends on the individual group you join. It's worth it to go to the free meeting and read the literature they give you before deciding.

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