Our beautiful, sweet Rose is one of our Arizona State Queens for 2008. She has been an inspiration to all of the members of our chapter and is now an inspiration for others all over the state. She is positive and upbeat and a genuine cheerleader. Her journey to KOPS was not easy, but Rose made it look that way.

Rose tells about her journey in her own words:

My life has been blessed with 22 years of marriage and 8 wonderful children. We are a family filled with love… but, I didn’t know how to love myself. I can never thank TOPS enough for filling this void in my life. Because of TOPS I have found the courage to love myself and my body.

I wanted to lose weight after my last baby was born. I needed inspiration and support because I felt overwhelmed and out of control in regards to my eating habits. My friend, Wilma Dalby, invited me to visit her TOPS chapter #AZ373, Payson. She was patient with my excuses not to go—each week I had a new one. I finally found the courage to go on September 15, 2005. Because I was nursing her, I brought my 11 week old baby with me to the meeting. We were immediately “adopted” and welcomed with open arms and TOPS hugs. Every Thursday morning we were showered with the simplest yet best rewards—a smile, a high five, a pat or hug, words of encouragement, praise for weight loss efforts, positive notes, warm fuzzies, charms, awards, and uplifting talks! When baby Denise turned one year old my chapter gave her a wonderful TOPS birthday party.

From day one, TOPS changed my self-image. The mental and physical impact that joining TOPS has made in my life has been unbelievable. I have had the opportunity to attend 3 TOPS retreats. Each was invaluable and filled me with the knowledge and strength I needed to continue my weight loss journey. I learned that I didn’t need perfection to like my reflection. Two of my favorite statements are, “I am thrilled to be a lean, attractive, and successful person” and “I love the challenges of making wise choices about my food and exercise program.”

I have a “Wall of Fame” where I put my weekly awards, charms, notes, goals, and dreams. This wall provides imagery and gives me energy to move forward. Each positive image pulls me toward what I want. Goals lead to thoughts, thoughts lead to desires, desires lead to actions, actions lead to habits, habits lead to character, which leads to destiny. Goals are stars to guide us, not sticks to beat us.

I learned that exercise is essential to weight loss and maintenance. Five weeks after I joined TOPS, I went to a circuit training gym. I exercise there three times a week and walk around my neighborhood on the other days. Exercise makes me feel empowered and invigorated.

Using the Exchange System and keeping a food diary are also foundations to my success. When I write down the exchanges I eat I know that I have a balanced diet. I try to eat foods in the following order of greatest to least: water, veggies, grains, fruits, proteins. When I eat, I focus totally on my food and savor each bite. I used to eat too fast and gulp my food down in a big hurry. Learning about healthy foods and how they affect my mind and body is fascinating. I believe that one of the most important things we do in TOPS is study food and how it affects our lives.

“I’m losing weight and gaining control.” This positive affirmation changed my life. TOPS taught me to gain control of my food and exercise choices. I learned to have faith in myself and to have fun in the process. Having fun losing weight is really what TOPS is all about. Each TOPS member is like a snowflake because snowflakes are such fragile things, but look what happens when they stick together. The more often we stick together, the better chance we have to help and support each other in achieving our goals.

Our prior leader, Lee Norman, expressed my feelings perfectly when she said, “Every week during roll call I look out and see the happiness you have for each other when a loss is reported. I also see the genuine concern and compassion when a member experiences a gain. That is when I think about why we belong to TOPS. We need each other. We care about each other. We are our own and each others inspiration and through this we will be successful.”

I reached my goal and became a KOPS on March 8, 2007. This “finish line” is really my “starting line” because I started my new life as a KOPS. TOPS provided a path for me to follow when I needed it the most. I’m so grateful to be a member. I now know that I have the determination to live one day at a time and keep my KOPS status. Always remember: What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

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Barb is the Best!!!

Barb B. was our TOPS AZ 373 Best Loser for the Month of October. She lost a whopping 9 3/4 lbs.!! We are SO proud of you!

Second place was Debbie B. She lost 7 1/4 lbs.

We are so proud of both of these beautiful people. We know it is a struggle, and you are such good examples.

Keep up the good work!

Annette graduates to KOPS!

On November 6 Annette graduated from TOPS to KOPS. We are so proud of her!













Peggy planned the program. Members of the club shared their feelings about Annette with her and Annette shared her thoughts and feelings also. Peggy presented Annette with her certificates and a yellow rose to share with someone who might need some encouragement.

The Candle of Continuity was lit and Annette lit her candle. All KOPS lit their candles and made a "line" of light.





Annette invited a special guest, Shirley, from Pine who had encouraged her while she attended that chapter.














Sue, our chapter leader, Annette and Shirley.

We are SO proud of you! Keep up the good work!!!

Remembering Edythe

A dear friend and mentor, Edythe Finley, died October 21, in Payson, Arizona.

Edythe held many positions in TOPS AZ 373. For many years she served as leader and co-leader. Most recently she was the greeter for our chapter. She made sure that everyone felt welcome and at ease. Every week she would seek members out, give them a hug and visit for a minute or two. She really made everyone feel special.

Edythe was a wonderful example and was one of the main reasons we have such a successful group. She was one of the first KOPS in our chapter. She encouraged others who reached KOPS status to stay involved in TOPS to set a good example for the others. Frequently we have more KOPS than TOPS weigh in!

Edythe made friends where ever she went. Many of her friends were friends from TOPS. Thursday morning after our meeting she could be found enjoying their company at breakfast. She attended many Fall Rallys, Fun Days, State Recognition Days and Retreats and made many friends from all over the state and nation. Her TOPS friends would send her little notes and cards. It was because she genuinely cared about them and was so thoughtful and was always sending notes to them. One time at a state KOPS function they had a contest as to who knew the most people there. Edythe won the contest hands down.

Her life was filled with service. She always made little gifts for the state officers and helped in any way she could. She crocheted an afghan to raffle off for a fund raiser for the state officers. She made "water beads" and plastic canvas weight chart covers for every new member and small articles for the members for holiday occasions. Many times she helped make decorations for state functions.

She always had a positive attitude, even through her health trials and Earl's death. She was amazing.

We will truly miss Edythe and her bright smiles and warm hugs at our meetings. It is our hope that we always remember her and follow her example of positive attitudes, service and especially loving and caring for others.