1st place

photo

Karen Norrod

Retiring on disability left me depressed. I was just sitting around and I found myself eating a pint of ice cream on a regular basis. I soon gained over 100 pounds.  I developed arthritis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and was “pre-diabetic”.  How would my health be in 5 years?  I gave up the ice cream and started to move, first on a treadmill, and then I added “Just Dance” on my Wii and started doing Zumba.  I started my journey at size 26W, and now I am a size 10!  I no longer have high blood pressure, my blood sugar levels are now normal and I am feeling good!  What works for me is moderation, not deprivation.

2nd Place

photo

Katherine Littleton

I joined TOPS in November of 2009, not out of any real desire to lose weight, but to support my grandmother in her efforts.  Yet, I found that as I helped her lose weight, I was inspired to work harder for myself.

Today, I feel like I can do anything...kickbox, run a 10K, pull myself through an obstacle course or even push my grandmother’s wheelchair for hours at the mall as we shop for new clothes.  Losing weight was never my primary goal, but it certainly has been the pathway to greater things. Thank goodness for grandma, she is my guide and my inspiration.