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2002 LOUISIANA STATE QUEEN
JANIS MOLAISON
SUCCESS STORY
When I joined TOPS® in January of 2002, never in
my wildest dreams did I think that I would have reached my goal weight and
be the Louisiana State Queen. Where do I begin? First of all, I would
never have made it this far without the love and support that I have
received from my family. My family has encouraged and supported me through
this past year. I could not have done it without them. I also have to
recognize my TOPS® chapter for making me feel welcome and a part of their
group from day one.
We all join TOPS® with some common goals: be
healthier, lose weight, and keep it off. We all suffer from the same
addiction. That's right, addiction. I have a problem with food. I love to
cook and bake and eat it all. Everything we do in south Louisiana centers
around food and we have, hands down, some of the best food around. People
who are addicted to things like drugs and alcohol have to learn to
eliminate these things from their lives. Well, you can not live without
food. TOPS® had helped me to maintain control. I have come to realize that
the choice really is mine.
Someone once told me that the only thing you
could control about yourself is your weight. Well, I was out of control.
In the first twenty two years of my marriage, I gained over 100 pounds!!
You know how it sneaks up on you. A few pounds with my first child. A few
more with my second. Twenty after an auto accident. Twenty when we moved.
Twenty with surgery. I ate when I was happy. I ade when I was bored,
frustrated, or anxious. I cleaned when I was angry. I just don't seem to
get angry enough!!!
The first time I really tried to lose weight was
with sugar ... (you know who). I lost thirteen pounds in one month, only
to gain it all back. It's almost impossible to totally eliminate certain
foods from your diet. It's not very healthy and it just doesn't work in
the long run. I know several people who have lost weight with diet pills.
Once again, it all comes back, not to mention the damage that can be done
to your body. That was not for me. I knew that I needed to do it on my
own, not ALONE, but without chemical aids. I had a friend in another
weight loss organization, boy was it expensive! I first heard about TOPS®
about ten years ago. I did nothing. Years later my sister had an
acquaintance who lost with TOPS®. She gave me the lady's name and number.
But, I had excuses. The meeting was too far, the time and date weren't
good for me ...My other sister had an in-law who lost with TOPS®. I talked
to her about it but, again I did nothing. Then my brother has some heart
problems and had to have a stint put in. Well, that made me think. My Dad
died at forty two of a heart attack. My Mom is diabetic, has high blood
pressure, thyroid disease and hig cholesterol. My weight was not in the
"Morbid Obese" category (BMI 38). I had been on blood pressure medication
for a couple of years, my feet hurt all the time, and I was showing some
diabetic tendencies. I HAD NO ENERGY. I was going to be forty in 2002 and
that was also an eye opener. Not long after I saw some not very flattering
pictures of myself, I noticed that one of my neighbors had lost some
weight. She encouraged me to go to a meeting (She called me several times
and even offered me a ride!) I joined that night!
With TOPS® I have relearned how to eat. Keeping a
food chart every day helps me to eat right, exercise regularly, and to
drink my water. I stay away from high fat and sugar laden foods. Following
the TOPS® diet, I have lost 78.5 pounds to goal in eleven months and have
reached my seven under mark going the entire way without a gain!!! I have
lost over forty four inches. My Body Mass Index is now twenty four. I am
no longer in the "Morbid Obese" category and am off blood pressure
medications. I can not begin to describe how good I
feel.
I now know that if I can do this then I can
probably do anything. "I am an intelligent person, I will not let my
emotions control me." Many people have told me that I inspire them, if
they only knew how much they inspire me. YOU can do anything that you set
your mind to do. I am proudly proof of this.
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