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KING RUNNER UP:
Thomas Brunet
TOPS® #LA 426, (city)
89.25
Pounds Lost to Goal
My Cajun Journey from TOPS to
KOPS
I was born and raised a Cajun
living on the
bayou. Cajuns are known
for their love of
food, mostly seafood, which is
fried,
smothered, sometimes boiled but
always
with a sauce. I guess my age and
weight
caught up with me at the same
time
because I had no more energy and
stopped doing things I had once
enjoyed.
So on January 22, 2007 I walked
into my
first TOPS meeting and started
living
again. The journey was tough but
I never
once regretted the changes I
made. The
support, love, encouragement and
dedication from #LA426, Houma
helped
me reach my KOPS status in 15
months
with a weight loss of 89.25 lbs.
I am also honored to be awarded
Division
4- 1st Place
Winner this year with a loss
of 22.75 lbs.
The new me has more energy and I
enjoy
a variety of exercises. With a
greater
appreciation of life and to be
honest I
don’t miss my old self! Finally,
I give
my thanks to Almighty God, my
soul mate
Judy and all the “Silly Girls”
in our chapter.
I thank you all for the
support and prayers
through out my TOPS Cajun
journey!
Ayieee!!!
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QUEEN RUNNER UP:
Bridget Duhon
TOPS® #LA 504, Cut Off
100.5
Pounds Lost to Goal
I have been overweight all of my life.
I have
tried weight loss programs in the past
with
no prevail. I would always gain the
weight
back, but that changed on July 27,
2007
when I walked into a TOPS meeting. I
was
not expecting the love, support and
the
success that would come. I knewI could
lose
some weight, but I never expected I
would
ever come close to losing the weight
that I did. Before I began TOPS, I
weighed
in at 260.50 lbs. Having high blood
pressure
I was pre-diabetic. I was taking
medication
and visiting the Dr.’s office
frequently. I was
in an accident when I was younger and
hurt
my knee very badly. There were days at
work
that I had to use a crutch to help me
walk
because of all the excessive weight on
my
injured knee.
I had
some friends who were in TOPS.
Before I
decided to join I saw all the success
they had.
Knowing it could help, I decided to
join. My
goal was always to lose 100 lbs. I
set my
goal high because I knew what I
wanted. I
was determined to lose the weight. It was tough, and there were days that I
thought that I couldn’t
do it. I
owe it to my friends at TOPS who from
the first
day I joined, were always supportive,
friendly,
and helpful. I have made many new
friends,
and without their support, I don’t think
I
would have reached my goal. My TOPS
group is
always there for me whether I
succeed
in losing weight or if I relapse and
lose
control of my eating habits and gain
weight.
I have
won numerous awards in my journey to lose weight. However, the biggest
reward is the fact that now I am no longer having knee problems. I can walk
2 to 10 miles a week with no pain. I am no longer taking any medication for
high blood pressure, and I am no longer at risk for Diabetes.
I have
learned that eating healthy and exercising daily are the two most important
factors in losing weight. It’s not really what you eat, but how much you
choose to eat. You should always be active and enjoy taking time to keep
your body moving. Instead of watching a movie and snacking with your family
or friends, you should choose to play a sport or go out biking or walking.
You should never diet, but you should change your way of living. You need to
take control of what you put into your mouth, and choose to walk up the
stairs rather than take the escalator. Simple things like that can help you
lose weight. This state of mind has helped me reach my goal.
So, all
the thanks go to my wonderful TOPS group,#LA504, Cut Off. They are and were
always there for me when I needed support. I look forward to every
Wednesday when I attend the TOPS meetings. With the help and support of my
TOPS friends, I reached my goal, and in the future I plan to keep the weight
off with their love, support and guidance.
Thanks
again for helping me become a healthier and better decision maker when it
comes to eating. Thanks for your love and support and for helping me be the
best ME that I can be.
With a weight
loss of 50.50 pounds this year Bridget is also the Division 3- 1st
Place Winner for 2008.
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