By KAREN LAGRANGE COX
TOPS (Take Off Pounds SensiblySM) is a nonprofit weight loss support organization that started in 1948. It is not a diet program but a support system for dieters.
TOPS members support each other emotionally, physically, and mentally in their weight loss mission in a non-judgmental environment.
A tool for TOPS members is the “Real Life, The Hands-on Pounds-off Guide.” The guide contains worksheets, nutrition information, exercise and fitness tips, meal plans, and inspirational articles to help TOPS members achieve their weight loss goals.
Members, in collaboration with their physician, determine their weight loss goal. Once members reach their weight loss goal, they can move to the Keeping Pounds Off Sensibly (KOPS) program. To stay in the club, members must maintain their weight between seven pounds below and three pounds above their goal weight.
Members of TOPS clubs meet weekly to help and support members in establishing a healthy weight. Upon arrival at the meetings, members are weighed, and their weight is logged and kept confidential. In addition to their weight, members keep track of their daily steps and report their weekly steps. There is a time during the meeting for members to walk/dance around the room.
During meetings, members give presentations, such as one recently given at the Abbeville TOPS Club, on the benefits of eating eggs from a Women’s Day Magazine article.
Abbeville TOPS Club
The Abbeville TOPS clb meets on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at the Vermilion Parish Library, 405 East St. Victor Street in Abbeville, Louisiana.
Cindy Brown, one of the Abbeville TOPS members, said, “The thing I like about TOPS is that they don’t put you on a specific diet. Everyone does their own thing: count calories, portion control, KETO, low carbohydrates, etc. What you get from TOPS is support and accountability. Nobody ever says things to discourage; if you gain, the club members encourage the member to get back on track.” Brown has been a member of TOPS since about 1990.
According to Lisa Lange of the Abbeville TOPS, their club has different contests and games in which to participate.
Monthly dues for the Abbeville TOPS club are $10, and annual dues are $37 for the National club. The club uses the local dues to pay hotel charges for its members for the TOPS State Recognition Day, while each member pays for their registration.
The Abbeville TOPS Club consists of eighteen members, with its club officers being:
- Leader: Carolyn Richard
- Assistant Leader: Virginia Broussard
- Treasurer: Susan Dubois
- Secretary: Mary Taylor
- Entertainment: Mike Taylor
- Weight Recorder: Priscilla Breaux
- Assistant Weight Recorder: Loretta Cooper
The State Director is Donna Hebert, and Andrea Livings is the Advocate for the Southwest Region of Louisiana.
To find a TOPS meeting in your area, visit Find a Meeting.
To learn more about Taking Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS), visit its website.
