Any one ever went to a TOPS Meeting?
Tjm288
Posts: 53 Member
Take Off Pounds Sensibly? I am thinking of joining the group its 26.00 dollars for a years? Weekly weigh ins? Support groups? Sounds like a good Deal?
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Replies
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sounds like a paid version of MFP.0
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I highly recommend sitting in on a meeting before you join. I tried TOPS and ended up quitting after several months because it was just social hour for a bunch of old ladies. No one really cared whether or not you lost weight or if you kept losing and gaining the same pounds. It was actually very unmotivating for me.0
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I suggest attending two or three meetings before making a decision. Meetings vary greatly.
The meetings I went to were in an old folks home; a pretty depressing setting and the patients wandered in some times, causing disruption and concern. The setting could have been overcome if the meetings themselves were more positive. The meetings centered more on members confessing their slips rather than sharing their victories or strategies for success.
Please don't take my experience to be representative of all TOPS meetings. I've known people who had good results and encouragement there. Try to get a feel for the group attitude.0 -
A co-worker has lost almost 100 lbs in just over a year with TOPS. She loves it....
I think it depends on who else is in the group.0 -
This looks good for those who like that sort of thing.
I get what I need here and more.0 -
My mom has belonged for years. I was there for a while too when I was younger but it really is more of a social group there. No one in the core group is really doing great with weight loss they just talk about and do ok for a while and hang out together... I have only been on this site a few weeks and am doing better then I did there.0
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so you don't like MFP?
If you're not happy here then by all means go try it, I personally have resolved to not pay cash for any more groups etc.
MFP is free, fantastic support, and a great way to record calorie intake and exercise.
Not quite sure why you even ask the question especially here...
I read on another post.. something to the like of " it's like going into a Harley shop & asking what they think of Honda's" kinda strange.
good luck with your weight loss whatever you decide, the most important thing is to be healthy.
If that club works for you then go for it.
good luck.0 -
You don't have to be rude. I am trying to achieve a common goal....weight loss.... I would still use my mfp daily! I love it on here! I just feel like the more information about weight loss I can get is better! I just think having a group once a week might be informational and beneficial to me.0
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Thank you to everyone for your information. I plan on attending a meeting to see. I think the more i commit to weight loss the harder it will be to give up!0
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I belonged to TOPS for a year...
...and gained 35 lbs.
But then, that's my experience. I was not really ready to lose weight, and the social dynamics of the group were just a little weird.0 -
I lost 75lbs thru goin to the meetings. I was a member from June 2007 thru Sept. 2008. I stopped goin bc I started workin 3 jobs and was able to make it to the meetings.
BTW: I never gained any of my weight back and I got to meet alot of ppl and become friends with some of them. I had alot of fun and it was a great motivation winning prizes each week for losin the most weight.0 -
You don't have to be rude. I am trying to achieve a common goal....weight loss.... I would still use my mfp daily! I love it on here! I just feel like the more information about weight loss I can get is better! I just think having a group once a week might be informational and beneficial to me.
I agree - lots of people on here are doing different types of diet/fitness programs but still use MFP for their own personal needs. I think having a place where you weigh in weekly is a good motivator if you enjoy the group.0 -
so you don't like MFP?
If you're not happy here then by all means go try it, I personally have resolved to not pay cash for any more groups etc.
MFP is free, fantastic support, and a great way to record calorie intake and exercise.
Not quite sure why you even ask the question especially here...
I read on another post.. something to the like of " it's like going into a Harley shop & asking what they think of Honda's" kinda strange.
good luck with your weight loss whatever you decide, the most important thing is to be healthy.
If that club works for you then go for it.
good luck.
How rude! :grumble:0 -
We have something similar to that here called Slimming World, I have a friend of a friend who's gone who says it's the worst thing she's ever done. She says all the people there just have a gossip and no one cares about what you lose. She's lost a few pounds but gained them back, then lost them again, then gained them back. All in all very unmotivating apparently! I wouldn't recommend it from what I've heard. xx0
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sounds like a paid version of MFP.
I couldn't have said it better!!0 -
My mom went for a while & said it was a joke. Said none of the women were really serious about losing weight cuz they would have a "healthy snack" after the meeting but it was really all crap!0
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Its good if you do better in a social atmosphere. I have to be my own motivation, but also this site is a real big help.0
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so you don't like MFP?
If you're not happy here then by all means go try it, I personally have resolved to not pay cash for any more groups etc.
MFP is free, fantastic support, and a great way to record calorie intake and exercise.
Not quite sure why you even ask the question especially here...
I read on another post.. something to the like of " it's like going into a Harley shop & asking what they think of Honda's" kinda strange.
good luck with your weight loss whatever you decide, the most important thing is to be healthy.
If that club works for you then go for it.
good luck.
So what you're saying is if you're on MFP, no one can go anywhere else in any other form to get more encouragement and motivation.
TJM288, if you want to try it, GO FOR IT! Just make sure you try a meeting before you sign up (that goes for anything!) Good luck!0 -
I highly recommend sitting in on a meeting before you join. I tried TOPS and ended up quitting after several months because it was just social hour for a bunch of old ladies. No one really cared whether or not you lost weight or if you kept losing and gaining the same pounds. It was actually very unmotivating for me.
I went one time and it was EXACTLY the same. Even the old ladies. LOL0 -
You don't have to be rude. I am trying to achieve a common goal....weight loss.... I would still use my mfp daily! I love it on here! I just feel like the more information about weight loss I can get is better! I just think having a group once a week might be informational and beneficial to me.
That's a good idea. I really enjoy WW AND this forum. Soon I am quitting WW just because I'm unemployed and can no longer afford it but I love the support I get there and my teacher is a HOOT. Whatever it takes! Good luck I'd love to know how it goes!0 -
Yeah when I was much younger I was secretary at a TOPS club, my friend was President. After each meeting we'd all go around the corner to a restaurant and have coffee and eat dessert. Then eventually if we knew we had gained we went to the show across the street instead of meetings. It was a bit of a dump and the shows were mostly soft porn - we were usually the only girls in there with a bunch of old me in trenchcoats.0
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TOPS is very much a good thing. When you are losing weight you NEED support in your journey. TOPS is a great support group. I was a TOPS member years ago and did very well with it. I wish you the best of luck.0
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I was a TOPS member for a number of years and it was a good group. The members encouraged each other but no one was given a "diet" to follow. Each member was to ask their own doctor for advice about diet for themselves and the members were there for support. There were goals set and awards given and maybe it could be called a rather "social" club but I enjoyed the people I met during the time I was a member. I think MFP is a more beneficial way to go because it is a learning tool, logging your meals and seeing the calories in the foods you eat is important to me. I was a Weight Watcher off and on for quite awhile. WW did get expensive and in that program, I was doing points, there was alot of logging in the food consumed each day. This was rather tedious and it seemed you had to think food all the time. I liked the group of people I met there but I think MFP is still the best program for me. I have lost 17 pounds since last March and may want to lose 10 more but I am in no hurry. If I lose 1/2 pound a week that is fine with me. I want to be healthy, eat the right kind of food, and do some exercise. I really am not into extremes in exercise. I hope some of this has been helpful. Have a beautiful Christmas, God bless, fg0
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You don't have to be rude. I am trying to achieve a common goal....weight loss.... I would still use my mfp daily! I love it on here! I just feel like the more information about weight loss I can get is better! I just think having a group once a week might be informational and beneficial to me.
My humble apologies
I certainly didn't set out to be rude but unfortunately that is what you and others have read into what I wrote.
I can't change that & I can only apologise.
There is background for my statement but no point in expounding.
I did however write this which maybe you missed in your annoyance.
"good luck with your weight loss whatever you decide, the most important thing is to be healthy.
If that club works for you then go for it.
good luck."
I sincerely meant well with that & sorry you haven't taken it that way.0 -
I highly recommend sitting in on a meeting before you join. I tried TOPS and ended up quitting after several months because it was just social hour for a bunch of old ladies. No one really cared whether or not you lost weight or if you kept losing and gaining the same pounds. It was actually very unmotivating for me.
This was exactly my experience. I was very uncomfortable.0 -
TOPS is a good group, in theory and dependent upon which groupl/members you find. I highly recommend it, if you are desiring weekly accountability and in person support. Just don't base all judgment upon one meeting or just one group. It"s similar to weight watchers, but cheaper and less "formal". Every chapter is different. However, TOPS, overall, has many things available nationwide. They have celebrations, and retreats, and other things. I used to belong to TOPS when I was much younger. I was in four different chapters. I made life long friends (one for 20 years now.), I lost weight, I had fun, and wonderful support for much more than just my weight. Just like every person is different (and just like on here, not every person is intelligent nor as knowledgeable as they claim to be) so is every chapter. Some focus on the negatives, some the positive, some (unfortunately, I know from one of the groups I was in) focus on where they are going to go for their meal after the meeting! Give it a shot. Nothing wrong with more support. I really don't understand why some of the responders are having a cow over you being interested in adding more support to your weight loss/health journey. Good luck to you! I hope you find what is right for you!!0
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HAHA Wow.....Yucky old men!0
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Wow so many great comments! THANK YOU! I heard of the TOPS from a man who was in the hospital that i work at he had great success in the group...so thats where my interest came up....I want to give a try just to see how I fit there!
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! Wish all of you the best of luck! 0 -
Having said my piece about the weird TOPS group I belonged to back in the 70s, I do appreciate the value of a community and a little healthy competition. We have a group here that was started and continues to be run by one woman. It operates for 12 weeks several times a year. We each pay $40 for the week which pays for the rental of the church basement, the weekly $25 that is given to the biggest loser for the week, the $200 given to the biggest loser by weight for the 12 weeks, and the biggest loser by BMI for the 12 weeks. Oh yeah, it also pays for the 'superfood' recipe each week. Whoever has the inclination can get $10 and create a healthy recipe for a superfood which we all sample and get copies of the recipe for each week. There are guest speakers and special events like the Ride the Bike for Breast Cancer event.
Some people in the group have lost significant amounts of weight with the help of the group.
And some of them go for a stair climb after each meeting. A far cry from the TOPS group I used to belong to.
It was originally called Biggest Losers now it's called Thinner Winners.0 -
Having said my piece about the weird TOPS group I belonged to back in the 70s, I do appreciate the value of a community and a little healthy competition. We have a group here that was started and continues to be run by one woman. It operates for 12 weeks several times a year. We each pay $40 for the week which pays for the rental of the church basement, the weekly $25 that is given to the biggest loser for the week, the $200 given to the biggest loser by weight for the 12 weeks, and the biggest loser by BMI for the 12 weeks. Oh yeah, it also pays for the 'superfood' recipe each week. Whoever has the inclination can get $10 and create a healthy recipe for a superfood which we all sample and get copies of the recipe for each week. There are guest speakers and special events like the Ride the Bike for Breast Cancer event.
Some people in the group have lost significant amounts of weight with the help of the group.
And some of them go for a stair climb after each meeting. A far cry from the TOPS group I used to belong to.
It was originally called Biggest Losers now it's called Thinner Winners.
Wow, the cost for the TOPS I went to was only .50 cents a week. $20 a year dues. We would have the choice to pay $2 a month or the .50cents a week. Guess we got off easy!!!0
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