Third generation Patresa Phelps, despite other health issues, has lost weight consistently in the years she has been attending TOPS and now finds that her health is improving as well. Patresa is a third generation TOPS member. Her mother attends with her and her grandmother joined TOPS in 1982. Started in 1964, sixteen years after TOPS came into being, the Texas City Chapter is one of the oldest in the country at number 17.
Clara Scott and Virginia Galloway both took a moment to share their journey with me and the stories all have a similar theme. These women take TOPS approach to weight loss as seriously as they do to their commitment to each other.
For many of us weight loss is a life long struggle. The members of this group are fully committed to the program and Patresa is only one of the many success stories to be heard there. Unlike so many programs, the cost for TOPS participation is far from prohibitive and the encouragement the members receive from one another is absolutely free. TOPS meets every Wednesday morning at 8:30 for weigh in followed by the weekly meeting.
- Meetings usually last an hour or so.
- Meeting starts with members sharing challenges, successes, or goals (if they want).
- There’s a brief program. TOPS gives each chapter engaging, professionally prepared programs covering a variety of health and wellness topics.
- Awards go to weekly or monthly best losers, contest winners, and members who’ve reached goal!
- When needed, there’s a quick business meeting before the closing.
- Meeting closes with a thought for the week or other inspirational activity.
These ladies and gentlemen have chosen to follow a healthy lifestyle in this world that offers an overabundance of unhealthy choices. Many of them have stories of success followed by life challenges that have knocked them off course of a time. But TOPS seems to be the guide back to their path. Just goes to show…you can struggle alone and no one will know if you fail. Or you can struggle together and find out that failure is just one leg of the journey we all take and you won’t stay there long when you aren’t going it alone.
See Their ad in this week’s Business Section for more information on how to join.
