TOPS discusses breaking the cycle of cravings

TOPS Chapter 9319 El Dorado Springs met in The Firefly Services building 700 E. Hospital Rd, Thursday, July 30, for their regular weigh-in and meeting.

Warren called the meeting to order

Carol and Phyllis led us in singing “Oh Give Me A Loss”.

We said our TOPS & KOPS pledges

Warren led us in roll call, 18 members weighed in we had a Gain of 3.0 and a loss of 11.6, giving us a net Loss of 8.6. Best Loser for the week was Warren with a loss of 4.4, other great losses were; Linda C 1.2, Sheryl 1.8, and Pat 3.4 Congratulations to all!

Marilyn presented the program today; she talked about Breaking the cycle of cravings. Sometimes we may sound like a broken record. But we can only succeed if we keep playing that unbroken record. Many of us have faced this; you’ve just finished a satisfying meal, but as you put away leftovers, you spot a container of brownies-frosted, no less! -sitting on the counter. Suddenly, bam! The craving hits. Your brain says it’s brownie o’clock, despite being full. What happens next? I’ll just have one…. if you’ve ever wondered why cravings are so hard to resist, you’re not alone. Your brain is wired to seek pleasure and avoid pain and discomfort; this is the core of cravings. Most cravings are either food related or emotional, and they often overlap, for example, you’re stressed, you might crave comfort food, like mac ‘n cheese, this might trigger a happy memory making the experience even more satisfying Dopamine levels increase, reinforcing the craving. Even if you resist, you may turn to a temporary fix that doesn’t address the underlying issues. Therefore, you need key strategies for overcoming cravings.

Pause and reflect; What do I have to lose? What are my well-being goals?

Align actions with goals; What would the person I want to become do right now? How will I feel in five minutes?

Tune into your emotions: what drives you to binge? Is it loneliness, Grief, Boredom?

Marilyn asked the members what triggers each of us to fall into a cycle of cravings?

Marilyn then demonstrated various Yoga moves that anyone can do to help strengthen muscles and improve balance. These could be done from a chair. They can be found in the new issue of TOPS NEWS which is sent to each member.

Thank you, Marilyn, for a great program.

Contest: Pat presented the contest results:

She said ten people paid to enter the contest, however only five completed the contest. The KOPS who finished the contest were:

Marilyn, she maintained the same weight, walked 479 miles, gave two programs and was below goal for 13 weeks.

Sue: she lost .04, walked 216 miles, journaled 91 days of the contest, and was below goal for 13 weeks.

Linda H. She lost 1 pound, walked 404 miles, journaled for 91 days, gave four programs and was below goal for 13 weeks.

The TOPS who finished the contest were:

Warren: he lost 1.2 pounds walked 487 miles and journaled for 4 days

Pat lost 7.6 pounds, walked 226 miles, Journaled 65 days, and gave 4 programs.

Linda H was the winner, she earned $11 which she refused and gave to 2nd place winner, Pat. The chapter also earned $11.

Congratulations to all! Pat will be coming up with a new contest soon.

Marble Game: There is $11.50 in the pot. Jean won the right to draw but did not get the winning one.

We sang Happy Birthday to Marilyn. The chapter presented a lovely pot of flowers to her for all she does for the chapter.

With no other business we closed with our motto “IF IT IS TO BE IT IS UP TO ME”

Weigh-in starts at 7:45 a.m. the meeting begins at 8:45 a.m. and is over by 10 a.m. For more information call Linda at 417-876-7404. Come and join us.

TOPS toll-free number 1 800-932-8677 or you can find us on the web at www.tops.org.