TOPS discusses five ways to learn to love our body

TOPS Chapter 9319 El Dorado Springs met in The Preferred Family Healthcare building, 700 E. Hospital Rd, El Dorado Springs, on Thursday, May 9, for their regular weigh-in and meeting.

Warren, our leader, called the meeting to order.

Carol led us in singing “Rock Off the Pounds”

Marilyn led us in some stretching exercises she found in one of our TOPS Magazines. I hope she continues to do this as it was a great benefit to me on that day. I found if I stretch my muscles before gardening and even just housework it helps avoid pain later in the day. Thank you Marilyn. I am going to do these every day and hope you can lead us each week in doing exercises.

We said our TOPS & KOPS Pledges.

Warren led us in roll call; 19 members weighed in. The chapter had a gain of 4.8 lbs. and a loss of 12.2 pounds which gave us a net loss of 7.2 pounds.

The week’s best loser was Sharron with a loss of 3.4 pounds, congratulations Sharron.

Other good losses were; Rachael 1.2, Connie 1.8, and Pat 3.0. Congratulations to all.

Warren pointed out on the TOPSI BINGO contest it has a spot to mark off if you compliment yourself weekly. This turned out to be the perfect lead in to LJ’s

Program today

5 Ways to Learn to Love Our Body

1. Stop picking ourselves apart: no matter how close to perfection our body may be chances are there is something we would change about it if we could. Even celebrities and models who have been stamped with the media’s “perfect body” rating have body parts they dislike- their feet, their hands, their ears -and they do not necessarily have high self esteem either! Rather than pick our bodies apart, look at our body as a whole and…consider the marvelous functions of our body.

2. Consider the marvelous functions of our body. There are millions of microscopic functions that go on in our bodies and we do not even have to think about them. They just happened! Unfortunately, it often takes a crisis or a tragedy, such as a brush with death, a go-around with a disease, or a debilitating accident for some of us to realize that their bodies were not so bad to begin with and that our body hang-ups were a big waste of time. How much time are we spending each day worrying about our weight, our body shape, the size of our rear? What could you be doing during that time? Phone a friend, write a card to a TOPS Friend, exercise, and take the time to compliment these marvelous bodies.

3. Get real. Most of the images we see on television, movies and magazines aren’t real. A model for a magazine cover goes through hours of professional hair and make-up, has professional stylists dressing them in clothes that flatter their angles, top photographers who know their “best side,” professional lighting and that’s all before the chosen photo goes to a company where they can remove stray hairs, wrinkles, blemishes and “extra” curves. Sometime Model A’s head is stuck onto Model B’s body. What we see if often a fabrication.

And it’s not just fashion magazines that are creating a fantasy. Most of today’s “fitness” magazines are following suit. On top of airbrushing and computer generating their models, the models’ muscles are even airbrushed in. But we can get real. TOPS members have real role models who emanate the qualities we desire. We can find these role models in the TOPS News magazine.

4. Change our inner dialogue. It’s been said that we teach others how to treat us. If we believe that, the message that comes across to others is that we are not worth being liked, loved or treated with respect. Some of that comes without even saying a word. The new contest is helping us to believe that we are worth taking care of and that we have the right to be respected and treated with dignity. The first game square tells us to “look in the mirror and say something positive: about themselves.

5. Take car of your body. Diets, pills, quick-fixes, binging, not exercising, over-exercising…all these things disrespect one of the greatest gifts God has given us: our body. We only get one per lifetime, so we need to give it the respect it deserves.

On of the new game squares tells us to sleep 6-8 hours a night. Another square encourages us to increase our water intake. In  TOPS we are taught to respect our bodies by “take of pounds sensibly.”

Thank you, LJ, for a great program that is something we all struggle with.

Marble game: Laura won the right to draw and got the winning one. She got it very early in the game but did win $6.

It was noted Woods no longer takes the receipts for our chapter; they have gone to only doing it for the school. Carol reminded us we still can send in Best Choice Labels and she needs several more to send in.

Warren reminded us to read the TOPS emails sent to each member.

Part of the summer contest is holding a TOPS Walk or participating in a TOPS Walk. Greenfield TOPS will hold one on May 27, starting at 8 a.m. the fee is $15 per person. Awards to the top winners.

There was some talk of our chapter holding a walk. More later.

Warren reminded us that the election is coming up soon. Please be thinking of what you are willing and able to do to help keep our chapter strong.

We lost a former chapter member recently. Marguerite Goodwin was a long time TOPS member till she was unable to attend anymore. She was our 2001 Chapter Queen and a marvelous addition to our chapter.

With no other business meeting was adjourned with our motto; IF IT IS TO BE It is UP TO ME

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

Come and join us.

TOPS #MO 9319 meets each Thursday Morning in the “Preferred Family Healthcare building at 700 E. Hospital Rd, El Dorado Springs. Weigh-in starts at 7:45 a.m. the meeting begins at 8:45 a.m. and is over by 10 a.m.