TOPS AZ 373 Payson News

State Recognition Days (SRD) June 5-6

2009-07-12T06:46:00.000-07:00

We had a GREAT time at our TOPS/KOPS World SRD! Joan Savage, our beautiful Queen was the state Queen-Runner-Up with her impressive loss of 90 pounds!
There were several very helpful workshops, including an especially good talk by Nancy Marasco -- the 1st vice president of TOPS Club, Inc. She gave 16 excellent guidelines used by the French women, who are rarely overweight.

General session

KOPS Luncheon
Payson KOPS were in charge of the decorations and entertainment at the KOPS luncheon. Payson KOPS performed our famous Journey song, written by Lee Norman and sung to the tune of "Sentimental Journey", which was a success at the KOPS luncheon. The physical layout of the room was impossible but we did a great job in spite of that. We decorated the tables with globes of the world and gave favors of luggage identifiers with name tags to keep with the theme of TOPS/KOPS World.

Joan and Ila both participated in the graduation ceremonies and Ruthellen received her 10 year KOPS award. Congratulations on their wonderful success.

The SRD for 2010 is Arizona’s 50^th so they chose as the theme:

AZ Struck it Rich with TOPS

May 27, 28, 29 2010

Embassy Suites Hotel

4415 E. Paradise Village Parkway

Scottsdale, AZ

Reservations: 602-765-5800

Reporters: Renee Durfee and Marilyn Burrus

KOPS Honor Day

2009-04-22T17:17:00.001-07:00

Kops Honor Day honored Ila C. for reaching her KOPS goal and Rose H. and Sharon D. for their KOPS anniversaries.

Congratulations to you all!

Chapter Officers for 2009

2009-04-22T16:40:00.000-07:00

We didn't have a lot of surprises when we elected our new officers. They are the same officers we had last year! Sue G. was elected Leader with Joan S. as Co-leader.

Ruthellen is our treasurer and Rose is our secretary again.

Weight recorders are MaryAlice and assistant, Peggy.

Thanks to Ilona for the delightful program.

Best losers

2009-04-22T16:36:00.001-07:00

Best loser for the first quarter was Barb B.
Best loser for the month of March was Ilona S.

Both of these women are an inspiration! Ilona has had at least 6 consecutive weeks of weight loss! Keep up the good work!

Congratulations to some REAL winners!!!!!

2009-04-22T16:19:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Joan S., our chapter queen for her 90# loss!!! Runner up is Annette W. with a 60.5 # loss!!

Division winners were: Cindy P., Joan S., Alrhetta A., Annette W., Ila C. and Stefani W. Way to go!!

Valentine Contest winners were: Annette W., Peggy M., Joan S., Sue G., Bee C., Barb B., Ila C., and Stefani W. Do you see a correlation between division winners and the contest winners?? If we do what we know we are supposed to do, we not only lose, but we become winners in many other ways!!

Congratulations to Marsha W for the publication of her book Trail of Storms. If you are interested in purchasing a copy, contact her.

2008 AWARDS

2009-04-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to all TOPS members that received awards at the 2008 Awards Day held on March 5.

Division winners were: Cindy P, Joan S, Alrhetta A, Annette W, Ila C and Stefani W.

Thank you charms and pins were given to: All Chairmen and officers.

KOPS were honored in the following category:

KOPS at or below goal for 2008:

Peggy M, Kathryn L, Sharon D and Marilyn B.

KOPS in the Black all year:

Ruthellen M, Peggy M, Kathryn L, Sharon D, Sarah B, Marilyn B, Wanda C.

The KOPS that hit a bump in the road on their journey (those that went out of leeway) were given a certificate and a bumble bee pin.

Step Up to the Plate Award was given to Barb B

Outstanding TOPS award was presented to Renee D

and Shining Star Award was given to Bee C

Joan in the news again

2009-04-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

A weight loss success story

Joan Savage is a member of TOPS, and has enjoyed great success with the program. So far, the 74-year-old Payson woman has lost 90 pounds. She has been with TOPS since 2006. Key elements to the program are keeping an exchange record and food diary.

“It has been a wonderful experience for me,” Savage said. Some of her favorite parts of the program are the contests and the rewards of charms. She has claimed more than 40 charms during her time with the program.

“The greatest benefits of the program are the accountability it provides and how cost effective it is,” she said.

She said one of the lessons she has learned is to be thankful for what we have, and know there are some things about our bodies that cannot be changed.

Much of the popular diet literature — found in magazine and newspaper articles and in diet books as well — features claims that after a certain age it is more difficult for women to lose weight. That may be the case, but Savage is a stunning exception. Her advice to others who want to lose weight, “There is no time like the present, so don’t put it off.”

Payson Roundup Thursday, April 2, 2009

Joan in Payson Roundup

2009-02-28T16:21:00.000-08:00

Joan was in the Payson Roundup on Tuesday, February 17, 2009. Here is the story.

Payson woman shares TOPS success story
Winning the weight-loss war often feels like a personal victory in a challenging war of attrition.

In TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), members are weight-loss warriors who get results through the combination of the TOPS program, their friend in the local TOPS chapters, personal motivation, and time.

The goal, say members, is to change their lives from the inside out.

One of those weight-loss warriors is Joan Savage of Payson, who has lost 90 pounds.

Joan, 74, has eight children, 33 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Not surprisingly, she leads a very busy life.

"I always seemed to have time for the family, but not much time for myself," she says.

"I tended to eat when I was happy, sad, mad or just becuse the food was there. I knew I needed to lose weight. Several of my friends were looking so good I asked them what they were doing to lose weight and they told me they had joined TOPS," she says.

Joan joind in 2006 and says, "I just love it. My chapter voted me its angel this year. I'm so happy; I didn't know I could be so happy losing weigh."

She has been co-leader of Chapter AZ 373 twice, and last year went to the retreat in Prescott. "It really gave me a boost," she says.

Savage exercises 45 to 90 minutes a day, walking and using the treadmill.

"My dear husband, Bob, calls me his trophy wife. I am only 10 pounds heavier than I was at age 19," she says.

Also, her health benefits are multiplying.

"I had gottne one knee-replacement and the doctor said I would need another knee replacement done within a year, but now my legs are better. My asthma is gone and my cholesterol is down. I love my new healthy body," she says.

TOPS Club, Inc., the original nonprofit weight-loss education and support organization, recently celebrated 60 years of weight-loss support and success.

Founded and headquartered In Milwaukee, Wis., TOPS promotes successful weight management with a philosophy that combines healthy eating, regular exercise, wellness education, and support from others at weekly chapter meetings.

TOPS has about 170,000 members in nearly 10,000 chapters throughout the United States and Canada, and several chapters in Europe.

To find a local chapter, view www.tops.org or call (800) 932-8677.

Stefani is a winner in so many ways!

2009-02-26T19:00:00.000-08:00

Stefani recently attended Special Olympics in Flagstaff. She won several medals, but this year she won a special award, "Most Inspirational Athlete!" Her coaches nominated her for this prestigious award. They said she is always cheering her teammates on, but she doesn't quit there, she also cheers on the members of the other teams. Another reason for her selection was because they are also proud of her for losing weight. Stefani, you are an inspiration to all of us!

February news

2009-02-26T18:56:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Mary P., a new member. She is off to a good start with a loss this week! Keep up the good work!

Winners of our Winter Contest were announced last week. KOPS 1st and 2nd place were Ruthellen and Peggy. TOPS winners were Ilona and Ila.

Ruthellen took third place in the Lost Dutchman Marathon. Way to go, Ruthellen!!

Happy birthday to Marsha Ward. Hurry and finish your book! We are looking forward to your rejoining us.

Monthly and quarterly winners

2009-01-09T19:44:00.000-08:00

Our monthly winner was Melody. She didn't get to come to TOPS because she had to work. But I saw her at work and told her she was the monthly winner. She was thrilled. She will be there next week. Second place was Linda W. Congratulations to both of you for losing in a VERY difficult month!

Quarterly winners were Barb B. with a loss of 12 1/4 lbs and Debbie B. with a loss of 7 1/2 lbs. Both of you are just doing terrific! Keep up the good work. We are so proud of you and cheering you on!

Winner of quarterly most inches lost was Joan Savage. Way to go Joan! We are SO proud of Joan she reached her KOPS status on the 18th of December!!! You are such a good example of stick-to-it-iveness! You so rarely had a gain and are SO focused. Congratulations!!!

We will be missing David. He will be going to school in Prescott. We are proud of the progress he made while he was with us. He will make many new friends at his new place.

Peggy's 35th KOPS Anniversary Part 1

2009-01-01T22:15:00.000-08:00

Peggy, our assistant weight recorder and special guest of honor.

Mary Alice our weight recorder and wonderful hostess for Peggy's 35th KOPS anniversary celebration.

We had a surprise KOPS anniversary celebration for Peggy to congratulate her on her 35th anniversary as a KOPS. We had weigh in at Mary Alice's home. Then we honored Peggy. Various members shared how much we are blessed to have Peggy in our group. Peggy had shared her struggles during the first five KOPS years in a previous meeting, but referred to it again.

Peggy was given a card shower since she requested no presents. The members had written little notes which were put together in a scrapbook for Peggy.

After honoring Peggy, Mary Alice provided us a delightful home-cooked breakfast of quiche, various breads, and fruit. Much of the food was provided from her garden and hen house. It was a real treat. Thank you, Mary Alice, for your generous hospitality. We all had fun!!!

Some of the guests: RuthEllen and Myra

Janet and Rena

Linda, Honor and Ila

Alice and Ilona

Peggy's 35th KOPS Anniversary Part 2

2009-01-01T21:31:00.000-08:00

Lee is a gifted writer and shared some of her thoughts and feelings with Peggy

Mary Alice telling humorous experiences that occurred with Peggy.

Peggy laughing at the memories.

Maura telling funny stories on herself and Peggy.

Sarah Brown telling about her journey to KOPS and Peggy's encouragement.

Kay Ellis telling Peggy what an inspiration she has been to us all.

Peggy sharing her feelings about her 35 years as a KOPS with her fellow TOPS members.

Christmas Party -- December 11

2008-12-28T15:50:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas party was held at the Crosswinds on December 11th.

We played a game trying to identify each person from a list of things people had done. We learned a lot about our fellow TOPS members! We have led unique lives!

The decorations were delightful. Our committee did a great job in making the room and our tables festive.

Members from the new TOPS club in town were invited also.

Monthly Winners for November

2008-12-28T15:44:00.001-08:00

For the second time in a row, Barb B. was our monthly weight loss winner. Keep up the good work, Barb!!

2008-11-17T20:23:00.000-08:00

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.

To get pictures from this site

2008-11-13T17:49:00.001-08:00

With your mouse, right click on the image. Select "Save Image As..." Then select the location you want to save the image to. The image will be saved to your computer. From there you can print the image on your home computer or send it to WalMart or Walgreens or any other photo processing company that you use.

If you wish to see the image in the blog larger, you can click on it and it will get larger.

Barb is the Best!!!

2008-11-13T17:42:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-13T16:12:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-06T14:47:00.001-08:00

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.