If you had told Patsy Casteen three years ago that she would be running countless races, line dancing on the TODAY Show, hula-hooping in Orlando and representing TOPS at a medical conference in Philadelphia, she would have laughed in disbelief. Since rejoining TOPS in 2014, Patsy (pictured left) has lost 100 pounds and feels healthier and more active than ever.…
“Good enough” rarely cuts it. If you were having surgery or your car were being repaired, you likely would not settle for good enough and would want to be as close to perfect as possible. But there are other times when good enough is, well, good enough. Take your meal or exercise plan, for example. Have you ever beaten yourself up for…
Monica Thomas has disliked vegetables all of her life … until now. When she decided to be healthier, she knew she needed to include them whether she liked it or not. She started buying frozen veggies and jazzing them up with a little bit of cheese or a small serving of a healthy salad dressing (she now makes her own).…
I don’t think I’ve ever actually been at the weight listed on my driver’s license. I’m not sure if it’s more of a vanity thing, or if I think I will one day reach this weight. Many of us have that certain magic number in mind when it comes to our weight. Maybe you’ve said or thought, “If I could…
Earlier this week, we wrapped up a four-week series of yoga at work for TOPS employees. Aside from feeling a nice blend of relaxed and energized after each session, I loved that we all had varying levels of yoga experience from beginner (me) to advanced. This helped prove that, no matter where we are on our fitness journey, we can…
In one of our last workplace TOPS meetings, we all wrote “Dear John” letters to a habit or personal obstacle that was standing in the way of our goals or no longer serving us. We gave the boot to things like extra weight, certain indulgences and even a pricey gym membership. As 2017 draws closer, and brings with it new…
I remember a time in college when my roommates made cookies with egg substitute, artificial sweetener and butter substitute. The cookies shared the texture of hockey pucks…and the taste, too. Even though these cookies had fewer calories than their more traditional counterparts, they also lacked one important ingredient – enjoyment. We are all different and share different tastes and interests.…
In a previous blog I wrote about motivation and I have to admit that I’ve been thinking about this topic a lot lately. In particular, I feel like we tend to be too hard on ourselves when we aren’t feeling motivated. As I was cleaning up after dinner last night and doing dishes I started thinking, do I ever feel…
One of the top questions we receive as a weight-loss organization is, “How do I get motivated?” This is difficult to answer because the definition of motivation is different for everyone. One person may be pushed by numbers such as scale readings, blood pressure or cholesterol. Others may be more encouraged by praise from friends and family. Inevitably, the follow…