Member News

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2023

February

• Oklahoma Man Being Honored For Weight Loss By National Support Group
  'A national weight loss support group is celebrating an Oklahoma man for shedding the most pounds of all its members in the United States and Canada.'
• Philomath TOPS: A source of strength in weight-loss battle
  'For more than half of a century, the local group has been motivating and supporting Philomath members with their aspirations to shed pounds'

January

• A queen among us
  'There is a royal among us — a queen who earned her crown by conquering weight loss. Jeanette Langlois was given her crown by Take Off Pounds Sensibly. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to helping members overcome health and weight issues with education, group support and an individually based approach'
• Giving: Floyd County woman named weight-loss group's Virginia Queen
  'When Margaret Spangler joined TOPS 47 years ago, she wasn’t seeking any recognition. But her tenacity for losing weight and maintaining her goal over the years earned the 87-year-old Floyd widow the title of 2021 TOPS Virginia Queen.'
• King of SC: Johns Island man loses nearly 50 lbs, meets weight goal
  'A man from Johns Island was named King of South Carolina after losing 46.8 lbs. through nonprofit weight-loss program TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly).'

2022

December

• Kaysville woman named TOPS Queen after losing 84 pounds
  'Cleone Kynaston weighed 117 pounds when she got married in 1952. By 1999 she weighed 240 pounds. The Kaysville woman knew she needed to do something about her weight. She found TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) a nonprofit weight loss support organization in the late 1960s and joined a local chapter in Farmington.'
• Crowned top queen: Alvin resident wins weight loss honor in Texas
  'Margaret Loewen of Alvin is starting her new year off on top of her health goals. Loewen is the 2021 Texas Queen of the Take Off Pounds Sensibly program — or TOPS — for losing more than 45 pounds last year.'
• Midland TOPS club members dedicated to helping one another lose weight
  'The TOPS club in Midland is a support group for people in the area trying to lose weight but the club doesn’t make you follow a diet plan. Members are simply there for one another, helping each other with their individual goals.'
• Couple discover that less can be more
  'Pam Fich first joined TOPS 28 years ago, looking for a new way to approach weight loss. A few years later, in 1996, George joined his wife in her TOPS group.'
• Floyd native named 2021 TOPS Queen
  'Floyd’s Margaret Spangler is the 2021 Virginia TOPS Queen for losing 75.5 pounds while involved with the nonprofit weight-loss organization.'

October

• Meet Your Neighbor: Danny Ross becomes king of TOPS
  'Supporting wife's weight loss trek results in husband losing over 36 pounds'
• Kenai woman becomes TOPS Alaska Queen
  'Struggling with personal weight ups and downs can be a lonely journey, but it doesn’t have to be. An organization called TOPS or taking off pounds sensibly, has been in the weight support business for more than 70 years. And it’s a Kenai woman who has finally garnered the title of TOPS weight loss queen. After more than fifty years, Frances Kilfoyle is finally atop her goals of losing weight and reaching her goal! The program along with a support from family and members has been key to her success.'
• Rio Grande Woman Earns TOPS® Recognition
  'Crystal Purfield of Rio Grande lost 57 pounds and was recently crowned 2021 TOPS New Jersey Queen.'
• Hamlin woman earns TOPS® recognition for weight loss
  'Susan Reynolds of Hamlin, who lost 93.75 pounds, and Paul Wilson of Port Leyden, who lost 48 pounds, are the 2021 New York Queen and King. They were honored at the New York recognition event on June 4 in Auburn.'
• Take Off Pounds Sensibly crowns Winona women the 2021 Minnesota TOPS Queen
  'After losing almost 100 pounds, Emilie Hemmelman of Winona was crowned the 2021 Minnesota TOPS Queen.'

September

• Bennet Woman Earns TOPS Recognition
  'TOPS Club, Inc. (Take Off Pounds SensiblySM), the nonprofit weight-loss support organization, has begun unveiling its top “royalty” from 2021 for 2022. TOPS royalty are women and men who, at the end of the year, have officially recorded the largest weight loss from their starting weight, regardless of the time taken to reach their goal. Kay Pelsor Bouwens of Bennet, who lost 55.5 pounds, is the 2021 Nebraska Queen.'
• Riverview Woman Motivated During COVID To Lose Weight
  'A Riverview woman who lost 51 pounds with the help of TOPS is being recognized. Bobbie Chapman was honoured this year as the 2021 New Brunswick Queen.'
• TOPS Queen. A Story of Weight Loss
  'For 72-year-old Molly Stacey, the more you lose, the bigger you win. Molly is a member of TOPS Club Inc., a non-profit organization that provides weight loss support. The organization recently named her their 2021 TOPS Newfoundland Queen after she shed 92.5 pounds.
• Sioux Falls woman loses over 93 pounds through non-profit
  'Rhonda Dangel continues to be an example of success when it comes to weight loss.'
• Bridgeport man earns TOPS recognition
  'David Desmond named ‘King’ of Pa. for losing 101 pounds'
• 'The best feeling ever': Somerset woman crowned Mass. Queen recounts 260-pound weight loss
  'Debra Harrison was recently recognized for being the biggest loser — but in the best way.'
• Port Leyden man earns TOPS recognition
  'Paul Wilson of Port Leyden, who lost 48 pounds, and Susan Reynolds of Hamlin, who lost 93.75 pounds, are the 2021 New York Queen and King. They were honored at the New York recognition event held June 4 in Auburn.'

August

• 'They check on each other'
  'Every Friday morning, a dozen or so folks from all across the area file into the Hilltop community center in West Cullman. Men and women, old and young, they show up to the unassuming, small brick building not only to lend each other some support — but to receive a little support in kind.'
• Clinton woman honored for weight loss success
  'Kathy Cliché of Clinton, who lost 85.4 pounds, and Larry Faber of Mason City who lost 102 pounds, are the 2021 Iowa Queen and King. They were recently honored at the Iowa recognition events.'
• Ludington’s Brett Vanderwater earns TOPS honor
  'Brett Vanderwater, of Ludington, was honored by TOPS for his 76.6-pound weight loss at the Michigan recognition held in Mount Pleasant in May.'
• 88-year-old Claresholm woman celebrated for losing 122 lbs
  'Alberta’s biggest 'losers' are being recognized. TOPS Club has announced its members who lost the most weight by the end of 2021, regardless of how long it took them to shed those pounds. Velda Weisensel, 88, of Claresholm has been named the 2021 Alberta Queen, losing a total of 122.75 lbs.'
• Lincolnville woman recognized as a leading ‘loser’ for 2021
  'Cynthia Rainfrette-Barlow, of Lincolnville, who lost 51 pounds, is the 2021 Maine Queen. She was honored May 14 at the Maine recognition event.'
• Local Man is Crowned TOPS Iowa King
  'Weight loss, for some, is a concept. For others, like Mason City's Larry Faber, it is not only achievable, but it also actually happened. Larry was recently crowned TOPS Iowa King for his weight loss success.'
• QC woman is weight-loss royalty (wait until you see her now!)
  'TOPS provides an individual approach to weight loss and overall wellness. Consistent group support, health education, and recognition are all key components to successful weight management. Iowa has an adult obesity rate of 36.5%, eighth highest in the United States.'
• Claresholm woman is the weight loss queen of Alberta
  'Although Velda Weisensel had lost an impressive 122.75 pounds, she did not think she would be the 2021 queen of Alberta, because that title was going to someone in Lethbridge. However, when the final numbers were tallied, Weisensel was in fact the TOPS 2021 Alberta Queen.'

July

• Pointe Claire resident crowned Quebec Queen for weight loss
  'Pointe Claire resident Jeanne Murrison has been crowned Quebec Queen. She won her title as a member of TOPS, the weight loss network, for losing more weight – 28.5 pounds in total – than any other female TOPS member in the province.'
• Russellville's O'Bryant loses 87 pounds through TOPS, wins 2022 TOPS Queen award
  'I decided to go to the TOPS chapter here in Russellville. I walked in and was greeted royally. I didn’t feel any condemnation or anything. I stepped on their scales and they told me that I don’t have to join, but I was wanting to.'
• Regina Barrett shares her weight-loss story
  'Though it took two years, on April 26, 2021 we were all KOPS at the same time, an exciting evening for us. In that moment, I felt accomplished, that I had done something, that only I could do for myself.'
• Madison woman celebrates success in her weight-loss journey
  'Sitting in the lobby outside her gym, 5-foot, 5-inch Margaret Grillo, 75, looks trim and sporty in her workout clothes. There is no outward sign that Grillo used to tuck away a whole bag of Cheetos in bed with some chocolates every night, or would polish off a whole 'box of macaroni' with butter around midnight.'
• Roseburg man named Oregon King by weight-loss support organization
  'Steve Lewis of Roseburg lost 25.6 pounds in 2021 and was named the 2021 Oregon King by TOPS Club, a nonprofit weight-loss support organization.'
• Marion woman honored as organization's weight loss queen for 2021
  'Brenda Kay Cline of Marion, who lost 154.5 pounds, is the 2021 North Carolina Queen. She was honored May 13-14 at the North Carolina recognition event in Raleigh.'

June

• 'It has to be a change in your mindset': Arizona woman talks her nearly 160-pound weight loss journey
  'Turns out, there's royalty right here in Arizona! A mom has been crowned queen of weight loss after losing more than 150 pounds.'
• Covington man among nonprofit weight-loss group’s ‘royalty’
  'Hays Harper of Covington, who lost 17.8 pounds, and Ann Hedden of Watkinsville, who lost 74.75 pounds, are the 2021 Georgia Queen and King. They were honored in April at the Georgia recognition event.'
• Golden Meadow woman and Houma man earn TOPS® recognition for weight loss successes
  'Tillie Breaux of Golden Meadow, who lost 96 pounds, and Eiffel Levron of Houma, who lost 10 pounds, are the 2021 Louisiana Queen and King. They were honored March 24-26 at the Louisiana recognition event.'
• Boonville TOPS member Paul Wilson crowned TOPS New York State King
  'Members of Boonville TOPS Chapter 1106 attended the annual State Recognition Days in Auburn on Friday and Saturday, June 3 and 4, and witnessed one of their own being crowned as New York State King of the organization.'
• Buckeye woman crowned TOPS queen
  'Buckeye resident Amy Sather has been crowned TOPS' 2021 Arizona and International Queen after shedding 159 pounds, more than any other TOPS female member in the United States and Canada.[
• Muskogee woman, Okay man earn TOPS recognition for weight loss
  'A Muskogee woman and Okay man were recently honored at an event after being named the 2021 Oklahoma Queen and King by TOPS Club Inc.'

May

• Muskogee residents recognized internationally for weight loss
  'Muskogee residents Ed Harmon, Erika Self, and Daryl Collins, as well as several other Muskogee TOPS members, were recognized for their weight loss success at the Oklahoma TOPS State Recognition Days recently in Tulsa. Together, this group has lost more than 400 pounds.'