Real People. Real Weight Loss.^®

Jerry Boudreau, Pennsylvania   

Although Jerry Boudreau thinks of himself as someone who usually has things well under control, he struggled with a weight problem most of his life. Jerry stepped on the scale and was shocked to find that he weighed nearly 240 pounds. "I realized I was losing the battle," he recalls. A newspaper ad about TOPS piqued his curiosity. He attended a meeting and liked what he found. "That, along with all my newfound friends, finally gave me the push I needed," he says. Jerry changed his eating habits and started exercising. He is now 34 pounds lighter, "I will be an active member of TOPS for the rest of my life," he declares.

Cynthia Mack joined TOPS in 1985 in White City, Saskatchewan, because she had been an overweight child; an overweight teenager; and, by her twenties, was "tired of feeling dumpy." She was motivated the first couple of years in TOPS, but didn’t truly understand or admit why she was carrying the extra weight. In 1989, she became an Area Captain for TOPS. 1991 was a turning point in Cynthia’s personal life and she got on track and started losing weight. She had a good year in 1992, during which time she attended her third TOPS Retreat. She was motivated by the Retreat Director (Barbara Cady) to become a KOPS and to use her talents. She reached her goal in1993, becoming a KOPS, and has maintained her status to date. TOPS retreats hold a special place in Cynthia’s heart, so she was thrilled to become a Retreat Director in 2000. Now a TOPS Ambassador as well, she is inspired, motivated, and humbled by the TOPS members she meets and gets to know. She lives in Regina, Saskatchewan, with her wonderful husband, Larry, who supports her efforts and endeavors.

For Gale, TOPS has never been just a weekly meeting, but rather a priority and a way of life. As a 29-year KOPS (a member who has maintained their weight loss), she has compassion for the members and genuinely cares about the future of TOPS. “TOPS has given me my life, my self-esteem, and many dear friends. I am truly indebted to this organization.”

In 1992, Sonya and her husband moved to Charlotte, NC, to start a business. At this time, her activity level decreased and they began eating out more. Over the next four years, she added 30 pounds to her weight. She decided it was time to reverse the situation—and saw an ad for a TOPS Open House that was within a mile of her home. “After joining TOPS in August 1996, my plan was to stay long enough to lose that extra weight and then quit,” says Sonya. “I reached my goal weight at the end of December 1996, with a loss of 28.5 pounds—but have not quit.”

Sonya stays in TOPS because of the support of her chapter, the tools TOPS has to offer, the motivation she receives, and the accountability of the scales each week. Through TOPS, she has been able to develop a new lifestyle of eating sensibly that still allows her to eat out and maintain her weight loss, now for 14 years. “Knowing me, without TOPS, I would have drifted back up to what I had gained before and probably more,” Sonya shares, “Thanks, TOPS!”

Although Gary Wellington spent his career in a highly physical field his weight was always a problem. He and his wife, Carlene, "have tried all the diets," Gary says. "We've gone on crash diets and had short-term losses, but nothing worked for long." Even after Carlene joined TOPS, Gary stuck to binge eating and oversized portions. His weight rose to about 340 pounds. Finally, a health crisis provided "a wake-up call," Gary says. "I landed in the hospital with a serious blood clot that turned into pulmonary embolism." After he recovered, Gary joined TOPS. He lost 95 pounds, including 61 pounds as a TOPS member, and has kept the weight off since 1990. "When making the necessary lifestyle changes for weight loss, Gary says, "Most people can't do these things by themselves. You must have support. TOPS can furnish that support." 

In 1996, Barbara Hartley and her husband received a "quick start" Internet disc from an Internet Service Provider. Barbara's first comment was, "I don't play games on the computer." However, they installed the software anyway and that very night opened an online chat room for TOPS members. Two TOPS members from South Carolina were the first to visit the chat room, and the women became fast friends. Soon, Barbara was starting TOPS loops, where a group of people signs up to receive daily messages from others on the list. For many people, she says, daily contact and support through the loops, in addition to their weekly chapter meetings, can make all the difference in their weight-loss success.