No matter how much weight people are trying to lose, the struggles they face are the same.
Rather than battle weight loss on their own, members of Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) have the support of an organization behind them.
“The struggle is the same between all members,” said area captain Virginia Leifso. “You may not be losing on a steady basis, but we understand. We can help brainstorm ideas on how you can succeed.”
Leifso has been a member of the local TOPS chapter for 30 years and was recently named area captain. In that role, she travels to Grandview, Dauphin, Snow Lake, Thompson, Flin Flon and Creighton to help provide support to members in those communities as well.
In an organization that takes confidentiality seriously, Leifso is there to answer questions and provide information to members who may have personal matters they don’t wish to bring up in their own communities.
Through her new position, she is also in the early stages of planning an area rally day that will include educational sessions on healthy living, well-being and weight loss.
Ongoing education and support is at the heart of the international, non-profit organization that was founded in 1948. During regular meetings in local communities, members have the opportunity to hear speakers and presentations on a wide range of topics related to weight loss and healthy living.
There are currently two active groups meeting in Flin Flon, one on Mondays and the other on Wednesdays. At the beginning of each meeting, members weigh in and have their weight recorded in a confidential manner. As the meeting begins, they are invited to share their weight loss or gain from the previous week if they so choose.
“There is no shaming,” said Leifso, who has heard of groups where the person who gained the most weight during the past week was required to wear a pig’s nose. “TOPS isn’t like that at all. There is no shaming.”
The act of weighing in each week is a regular motivator for members, according to Leifso.
“You may know you’ve had a bad week and facing that scale is hard. You may want to skip out, but you know that you’re only hurting yourself,” she said.
Through the supportive environment created at each chapter, members are given assistance and encouragement to reach their goals. Chapters often develop reward systems to keep track of their individual success and motivate each other to continue.
The group is open to both male and female members seven years of age or older. Through the information and education available, members are able to develop healthy habits for a healthy lifestyle.
TOPS encourages members to set a healthy target goal weight after meeting with their personal physician. Once the goal weight is met, TOPS members become KOPS, continuing to Keep Off Pounds Sensibly.
“Maintaining your weight can be harder than taking it off,” she said. “The struggle doesn’t end.”
However, through the support and services available through TOPS, Leifso said it can happen. For more information on TOPS, including local chapter contacts, visit www.TOPS.org.
