Have you wondered why you’ve never heard of TOPS advertised? The TOPS Club is a nonprofit, noncommercial weight-loss support organization. It originated in Milwaukee, WI.
The group has been around since 1948. Ester Manz started the group as a response to the need to assist overweight and obese people lose weight by setting up a support group system. Over the years, as more weight issues began to surface such as bulimia and anorexia, TOPS expanded their scope to include ALL people with weight problems. They also created an incentive for club memebers who reach and maintain their weight at their goal level to stay in the club as KOPS )Keeps Off Pounds Sensibly)members…giving them extra recognition to help encourage other members in the club.
MEMBERSHIP:
TOPS has over 200,000 memebers in nearly 10,000 chapters in the United States, Canada, and other countries throughout the world. Membership includes women, men, and children.
MEMBERSHIP FEES:
$24 ANNUALLY in the United States, $30 in Canada.
It’s worth checking a chapter out in your area. I remember they let me come to a few meeting to see if I liked it before I joined.
I wish we had one here.
This is just one big advert for that company isnt it?
How pathetic do you have to be to pretend to be a kid on a weightloss diet so you can write a fake blog about your company.
Disgraceful.
I happen to be 54 years old and am a retired postmaster. This blog use to belong to my son and he gave it to me a couple of years ago. He made a post about it when it gave it to me. Obviously, you didn’t READ it.
TOPS happened to be a program that worked for me. I like to share information with people I think is worthwhile.
I’ll excuse your ignorance. You can go eat crow now anonymous.
OOPSS…time flies….I just remembered….I was 54 when I retired…I’m now 56. Silly me!!!!
I think this blog is great and I would also like so say I hope we don’t have to hear from anonymous again.
There is nothing wrong with giving kudos to an appreciated program. Word of mouth is a powerful tool.
Keep up the good work Chris!
Robert F. West
http://www.robertfwest.com
that was kinda random wasnt it. lol. no worries chris, i appreciate your review. keep up the good work.
I went to tops about twenty years ago, I lost sixty pounds. And I wish to find a chapter in my area again. FHow could I find a chapter near me.
Susan,
If you got to Tops website, there is a spot in the upper left hand corner of the home page that says “Find a Chapter”. You should be able to get so helpful information from that page. Good Luck!!
If you have ever been a TOPS member you know just how awsome TOPS is. It works, it is a support group like know other. I have found that with out the support of my TOPS sisters with there encouragment and support I couldn’t do it. THANK YOU TOPS
Hello, I just ran across this site and thought I’d read a few to see what you all had to say about TOPS. I am a very long time tops member. TOPS is not a ‘diet’, TOPS is a support system to help us change our lifestyle. Short story version:I joined in 1987, lost 104.5 pounds in 17 months. Moved to where I could not go to TOPS, my lifestile changed and I regained like 30 pounds. Found a TOPS chapter, drove 60 miles round trip each week for the meetings…… yes it was that important to me!! I needed to be back in TOPS. I lost to my lowest weight 110 pounds. I maintained that by staying in tops as a KOPS for 15 or so years. My life has been changed again with medical issues, meds that do not help weight loss or maintainence. A couple of surgeries that hindered exercise….. (yes it is important!) I gained a bit of weight back, but am not in the process of “losing” what I gained back. I will make it! I am a proud member of TOPS Club Inc. I hope any of you that do not know about TOPS will go to the official site and have a look. tops.org
I am a TOPS member and it is great! The people are so nice and supportive. The lifestyle is sensible and approved by the American Diabetic Assoc. It is simple, no gimmicks, no special food to buy, and it is much less expensive than any other plan out there. Family members can join as well, very open and inviting to everyone. I recommend TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) to anyone and everyone, including people with anorexia or bulemia. Check website for chapters nationwide. You can also start a chapter with only 4 people. Thanks for this site, Chris!
I have been a TOPS member since September of 2009. I really did not start losing weight until April of this year, and have lost 25 1/4 lbs. I love my TOPS chapter. They are a great group, very supportive and fun. I am now walking 3 miles every morning, and plan to keep it up and go further by fall. I want to lose another 75 lbs. to meet my goal. TOPS is a non-commercial, non-profit agency, so you don’t get products pushed at you all the time. I pay $3 monthly and $26 yearly. But, you get all of that back and more if you are the biggest loser of the week, or month. My life changed when I walked in their door, and it will change even more now with their support.
Is Tops a 12 step program?
Glori, If you go to their website or call your local program, they will be able to answer your questions on how the Tops Weight loss program works.
Thank you for the feedback on TOPS. I’m a 42 year old, obese woman who had a heart attack 3 months ago. I’ve been looking for the right program to help me. TOPS sounds like the PERFECT program for me! I have the motivation, I just need support and information!!
I am a TOP’s member also and have been very sucessful thanks to the support received by my leader and my fellow members, some of whom I have become good friends with.
But the BEST thing about TOP’s is the maintenance support you receive once you lose the weight. It’s Called KOP’s (Keep Off Pounds Sensibly)!!
I have been a member off and on since I was in High School. I only leave when there is no way for me to afford the program because my kids and bills come first. My mom has been a member since 1977 in Germany and then in Virginia and now Missouri. The only times she missed is from moving to the different areas and not finding a chapter right away. My dad joined last year and is a KOPS. He also is going to have to probably leave since he has trouble breathing from losing 1/3 of a lung and cant do much anymore.
my name is carol dunn, I belonged to tops appro. 10 years awhile back, would like to join again. please have someone call if tops s still in Jackson, ca.
TOPS is located at the Amador Senior Center at 229 New York Ranch Rd in Jackson CA 95642. They meet on Friday 9:30/10:00am (weigh in then the meeting) There is a 400 pound max for scale. The Captain for this group is Franki Borowski and she can be reached at (619) 820-0601. I hope this helps.
I believe that avoiding ready-made foods could be the first step so that you can lose weight. They could taste beneficial, but packaged foods possess very little vitamins and minerals, making you feed on more only to have enough power to get with the day. Should you be constantly having these foods, changing to whole grains and other complex carbohydrates will let you have more vigor while ingesting less. Interesting blog post.
I was a member and a coordinator for a long time= T.O.P.S. IS A GREAT WAY TO LOSE,
YOU DO IT WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS, THEY NEED TO GO OUT AND PROMOTE IT MORE TO GET CHAPTERS TO THOSE THAT ARE ASKING, ESTER WAS A GREAT LEADER SHE STARTED IN HER KITCHEN WITH ABOUT 5 OF THEM AND IT GREW. WHAT TOPS NEEDS IS MORE OF THEM TO GO TO MALLS AND FAIRS AND ETC: TO PROMOTE IT MORE I LOVE GOING BEING THE WE AREA CAPTAIN AND A COORDINATOR.
TOPS IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT WHEN YOU JOIN YOUR LEADER NEEDS TO BE ACCOUNABLE FOR DOING A GOOD MEETING TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOSE.