A chance encounter with a former TOPS pal while on a New Year’s resolution walk on January 1, 2007, encouraged me to visit and rejoin TOPS MO 0330 Kansas City. I had ballooned to 313.5 pounds and, at a height of 5' 7", had become morbidly obese. I rejoined my chapter on January 2, and my wife joined a week later.

My doctor and I came up with a goal weight of 199 pounds. I was determined to change the first digit in my weight from a “3” to a “1”. Because I didn’t want to be overwhelmed with having to lose 114.5 pounds to reach that goal, I told myself I would just try to lose one pound. I would then share and celebrate that success with my TOPS pals before repeating that one-pound process 114 more times.

Along the way on this journey, TOPS gave me encouragement and emotional and psychological support, and educated me with healthy living information. It’s very important to make it a priority to attend meetings regularly, even when you think you might show an occasional weight gain. Those are only bumps in the road on the way to reaching your final destination. Our TOPS chapter had lots of contests and recognitions that fed my competitive nature and provided me more incentives to continue.

Today, exercise is a part of my lifestyle. I go to the fitness center five to six times a week. I take walks with my wife, and I even play senior softball three times a week. I feel better and more vital than I have in years. I now have three granddaughters and am able to play with and be active with them, which is a joy. I feel so good that, since October 2008, I have been working three days a week at a part-time job that requires a lot of physical activity.