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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 2020)
FEATURES WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2020 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A13 No longer tipping the scale: TOPS encourages healthy choices By TAMMY MALGESINI COMMUNITY EDITOR Barbara Buckwalter is a bit of a cheerleader for Hermiston TOPS Club #OR 9110. TOPS, which stands for Take Off Pounds Sensibly, encourages people to make healthy choices in reaching appropriate weight goals. The Hermiston woman, who currently serves as the group’s weight recorder, rallies support for fellow club members. In addi- tion, Buckwalter has a few things to cheer about herself. More than a dozen years ago, she attained her target weight and now has KOPS status — Keep Off Pounds Sensibly. Buckwalter’s sometimes over- the-top enthusiasm gets a royal laugh from other club members. Several years ago she said she would dye her hair purple if the group had no weight gains for two weeks in a row. Earlier this month, Buckwalter made good on that promise — using a rinse in her hair. At a recent meeting, she wore a stocking cap — fi nally unveiling her purple locks when the group sat down to convene its fi rst meet- ing of 2020. “Our group has done really well,” Buckwalter said. “There are ups and downs, but our yearly average weight loss per person is 9.24 pounds.” Hermiston resident Silke Clough, who currently serves as the club’s leader, said Buckwal- ter and others in the group pro- vide positive reinforcement and support in her weight loss journey. Over the years Clough, who is now 73, has focused on exercise, such as walking and hiking, as well as intermittent dieting, in her efforts to lose weight. Although she became a KOPS about 10 years ago, Clough has since tipped the scale too much to maintain that distinction. To remain a KOPS, a member’s weight can fl uctuate up to 3 pounds above or 7 below their target weight. “It’s not uncommon to have some ups and downs,” she said. “You just have to get back with it and stay focused. I won’t give up.” Identifying as a KOPS for more than a decade, Buckwalter said she continues to attend meetings for ongoing support and to encourage others. Years ago, she learned that if she wasn’t proactive with her weight, she would yo-yo back and forth with gaining and losing. “I need to stay accountable to the scale and to other people,” Buckwalter said. Club co-leader Roma Hall is all too familiar with the ups and downs. However, the Hermiston woman is on top of the world these days, as she’s lost more than 130 pounds since November 2018. Hall, who along with her son, IF YOU GO WHEN: Tuesdays, 8-8:30 a.m. weigh-in; 8:45 a.m. meeting WHERE: Landmark Missionary Baptist Church, 125 E. Beech Ave. INFO: 541-580-8668, theotherbarb02@gmail.com ONLINE: www.tops.org Staff photo by Kathy Aney Staff photo by Kathy Aney TOPS member Marie Naugher stands on the scale on Tuesday during the weekly weigh-in as Barbara Buckwalter records the weight and calculates pounds lost or gained. The Hermiston TOPS member who loses the most weight each week receives the “Naked Woman Trophy” (on the right) and the second-place loser gets the Topsie trophy imprinted with the words “Honey, take it from me … you look fabulous.” Staff photo by Kathy Aney Hermiston TOPS member Donna Southwell exults on Tuesday morning after her weekly weigh-in as Sandy Cliff prepares to give her a high fi ve. Russell T. Hall, and a good friend, Patricia Womelsdorf, started the local TOPS group in November 1994. In recent years, Hall’s son and friend died from heart attacks, both attributed to obesity. “After that, I was scared,” Hall said. “I thought, ‘Hey, I’m going to die’ … and that’s what got me.” Several doctors had recom- mended that Hall consider having bariatric surgery. TOPS supports weight-loss surgeries if they are medically necessary. Prior to the surgical procedure, Hall was taking nearly 20 medica- tions, including insulin and three different high blood pressure pills. These days, she’s down to fi ve. In addition, Hall had ambulation dif- fi culties, suffered from back pain and was facing a possible organ transplant if her kidney function continued to deteriorate. The benefi ts of losing weight, CRYPTOQUIP Hall said, are numerous, includ- ing simple things like being able to walk rather than using an elec- tric scooter when grocery shop- ping. Also, she is much happier with choices when looking for new clothes. Local stores, Hall said, just don’t carry very many pretty things for overweight women. “I just feel so much better,” she said. “Since my surgery, I‘ve changed how I eat. I can eat any- thing I want, just in moderation.” However, things like potato chips, licorice and pastries are too tempting. Recognizing them as trigger foods, Hall avoids having them around. TOPS Club Inc., which was established in 1948, refrains from paying celebrities to endorse its program. According to its website, it also doesn’t “promise quick fi xes or promote unrealistic images of Staff photo by Kathy Aney Barbara Buckwalter records each member’s weight during the weekly weigh-in and calculates pounds lost or gained. Buckwalter recently dyed her hair purple to make good on a promise to dye her hair if the group had two weeks in a row of not gaining. the ‘perfect’ body.” Instead, TOPS weighs in on a person’s overall health. And, while they don’t guar- antee weight loss by merely attend- ing meetings, they do offer support as people work toward attaining healthy weight goals, which are established by the member’s doc- tor or health care professional. The program has changed over time. Some past techniques may have included the member with the most weight gain during the week being required to take a ceramic pig home with them. “Back in the day, they did things differently,” Buckwalter said. “There’s no shaming these days.” Clubs utilize incentives to help in motivating members to stay on track with weight goals. Contests can result in winners receiving cer- SUPER CROSSWORD: 6 FROM THE FAB 4 tifi cates, charms, prizes or cash awards. After the weekly weigh-in, results are announced and the top “loser” of the week gains posses- sion of a traveling trophy for the remainder of the meeting. The meeting agenda includes announcements, the singing of motivational songs and presenta- tions about health-related topics. The idea is to build camaraderie to support each other. “We’re not just a weight loss group, we’re more like family,” Hall said. “We’re there for each other no matter what you’re going through.” ——— Contact Community Editor Tammy Malgesini at tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4539. SUDOKU DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK EASTERN OREGON EVENTS The place to fi nd everything happening in Eastern Oregon. Post your events. It’s fast and easy! e-Edition For Hermiston Herald information 541-567-6457 • info@hermistonherald.com 333 E. Main St. • HermistonHerald.com Exact digital replica of this print edition is available online, every Wednesday by 5:30 a.m. Check out Hermiston Herald.com for more information.
