Plains TOPS group sheds pounds, earns awards

One group in Plains are proud to be losers. They even received an award for their feat.

Becky Powley and Janie McFadgen of TOPS – Take Off Pounds Sensibly – were awarded Division Awards at State Recognition Days at Great Falls June 15-17. Powley nabbed first place in Division IV and McFadgen won top honors in Division VII. The two received the recognition for losing the most weight in their divisions for 2017.

Powley and McFadgen are members of MT TOPS 202, the Plains chapter, which meets every Friday at noon at the Harvest Community Church of God. Powley was also presented the Chapter Angel Achievement Certificate and is a KOPS – Keeping Off Pounds Sensibly – graduate, which she'll keep if she maintains her weight goal.

The Plains chapter also took home three other awards. Linda Bursell was awarded the Perfect Resume Certificate for her excellent chapter record keeping. The chapter won first place for the Best Name Tags and an achievement certificate for the Average Pounds of 5 Pounds or More. The top TOPS loser of the year gets special recognition as King or Queen. Bursell was the Queen runner up for 2016.

The Plains chapter began in 1968 and has 19 members ranging in age from 39-92, but they're always looking for new members, said Powley, chapter leader since April 2017. The minimum age to join TOPS is 7. The cost to join the Plains chapter is $48, but Powley said if anyone would like to check out the group, the first meeting is free. Members set a goal of what they'd like their weight to be and get weighed at each meeting. They discuss healthy recipes and exercise programs and often have guest speakers.

Bursell said TOPS is not like other weight-loss programs. She said it's not commercialized and it's nonprofit. "We're the longest existing weight loss organization in the world," said Bursell, who is the chapter treasurer and the TOPS state treasurer.

TOPS started 70 years ago and has become an international organization. Bursell said there are about 55 chapters in Montana and thousands in the United States. There are also chapters in Thompson Falls and Hot Springs.

"It's not a diet program. It's a lifestyle change," said Ben McFagden, a member of the Plains chapter and an area captain in charge of 15 chapters in northwest Montana. "They teach you how to eat right, control your portions, and work in an exercise program, too," said McFagden, a KOPS graduate last year. To become a KOPS graduate, a person selects his or her target weight, based on age, height and a doctor's recommendation. Once a graduate, the person has a 10-pound leeway, over and under. If a person loses more than 10 pounds, he would have to state a new official weight goal.

"The hardest part of the program is the willpower to eat the correct food and in the correct portions," said Powley. She said it's difficult at first, but gets easier. The biggest benefit of TOPS, she added, is the support a person gets from other members. "I tried on my own. I couldn't have done it without the accountability of that scale and the support group," said Powley, a 59-year-old who lost 38.8 pounds to take first place in her division.

"We all struggle with the same stuff, but the support group made a difference," she said. "When the pounds start dropping, that's what motivates me," said Powley. The Plains chapter has its own Facebook support system that only members can post or see the communications between each other. The chapter has monthly contests of healthy eating or exercise, which are strictly voluntary, said Powley. In April, the members started a "Walking to Milwaukee" program, which entails walking until the group reaches 1,343 miles, the distance from Plains to Milwaukee, where TOPS started, said Powley. About a half a dozen members are participating in the walking program and as of Saturday, they've accumulated 994 miles.

Ben McFagden said TOPS is the best program out there. "It's not all about the weight loss; it's eating more healthy foods and exercising," said McFagden, who's been a member two years and reached his goal the first year.

Anyone interested in joining the Plains TOPS chapter can contact Linda Bursell at 826-3564.