Losing weight is the TOPS

Anna Boman is half the woman she once was. And she feels like twice the person because of it.

That was the message Boman gave to 146 people at Lake Lucille Inn last Saturday at the Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) state convention -- or about 50 people less than the number of pounds Boman has shed.

Boman has lost 194 pounds -- just six shy of her goal of losing 200 pounds -- and she looks fantastic. More importantly, she said she feels fantastic, and that goes to the heart of the TOPS mission.

"We are not a diet group. We are a support group -- a place where everybody has the problem and we work together to overcome that problem," said LaNeida Herrick, the national president of TOPS and the Alaska regional director. "We are noncommercial, and we are affordable. It makes losing weight a fun and enjoyable experience."

Many people are familiar with weight-loss programs such as Weight Watchers, but TOPS has a different mission. While weight loss is the main reason TOPS exists, it is not the only reason. The betterment of its members is just as important to TOPS, and that goal is reached through a number of avenues.

"There are many chapters throughout the state, and each one is a little different," said Gretchen Morava, the state coordinator. "There are weekly meetings that cover a wide range of topics, and we do education and support programs."

People come to TOPS for different reasons, many of them very personal in nature. That was the case for Boman, who turned to TOPS after her mother died of congestive heart failure caused by being overweight. At that point in her life, Boman weighed nearly 350 pounds, and realized she was headed in the same direction as her mother.

"That changed my life forever," Boman told the crowd as she choked back tears. "I knew I had to make a change in my life, and you know what? I did it."

By faithfully limiting her diet to 1,200 calories every day and using an exercise plan that includes walking, the pounds started coming off for Boman. She has dropped 194 pounds already, and she said TOPS made it possible for her.

"I absolutely could not have done it without my local TOPS chapter," Boman said. "Everywhere I go, I talk about TOPS because it really has changed my life."

When entering TOPS, each member has a confidential weigh-in, and they set a goal. Through weekly meetings, they get the social support and encouragement they need to stick to their goal, Herrick said, no matter how big of a weight loss they are facing.

"When they come to TOPS, they can expect hugs, information and support," Herrick said. "We are all in the same boat. We are all battling the same problem."

TOPS doesn't prescribe diets to its members, and they don't have any diet-related products to try to sell to members, either.

"We follow your doctor's orders as part of a weight-loss plan," Herrick said. "We are just a network of people to help you follow what your doctor has outlined for you."

Last Saturday, TOPS members from around the state, as well as from Washington, came to Lake Lucille Inn for a four-day convention in which workshops were presented. As part of the convention, Dawn Campbell of Moose Pass was named the state queen, which is awarded to the person who loses the most weight to their goal. Campbell has lost 63 pounds so far.

"I took me four years to do it, but I stuck with it because of TOPS," Campbell said. "It has changed my life drastically. Of course, losing the weight was the biggest thing, but it has changed my whole attitude, because I'm healthy and have a positive outlook on life now. TOPS helps more people than you know, in more ways than you know."

TOPS also benefits the economy, Campbell said.

"We help the clothing industry because we are always buying new clothes to fit our new sizes," Campbell said with a laugh. "It's a small price to pay."

Once a TOPS member reaches their weight-loss goal, they enter a different program -- KOPS, or Keeping Pounds Off Sensibly. Becoming a KOP can be a goal in itself.

"Every state convention I came to, I kept telling myself that someday, I'm going to be a KOP. It keeps me motivated to see people who have lost 50, 60, 70 pounds and are keeping the weight off," Campbell said. "The state conventions are inspiring."

Nationally, TOPS is flourishing. The organization is a also a leader in obesity research.

"We've donated more than $5 million toward research and obesity-related topics," Herrick said.