2003 TEXAS STATE QUEEN
Evelyn Ewing
Loss of 165 Pounds

In my mind’s eye the TOPS®Texas Queen should be tall, young to middle age and pretty.  Maybe next year.
So very many deserve my thanks for helping me to reach my goal.  Among them, my family who accepted me the way I was, and my TOPS®friends who always offered support and friendship.  I began this effort to lose weight when I lived in Shreveport several years ago.  For my dear friends from
TOPS®#LA444, Shreveport some who came all this way to see me graduate, thank you.  A special thank you to my home chapter TOPS®#TX471, Tyler.
I was fat as a child so I really know how it feels with all the emotional and physical baggage it includes.  One of the hardest things to do is to recapture the resolve to by and lose weight after you have lost and regained weight.  This I have done 3 times over my life span.  This is the last! 
Now this I want you to carry away with you and I hope it helps you achieve your goals.
I lost 100 pounds several years ago and it is very hard to not think that’s enough.  For some time I thought that very thing.  When it came into proper focus was when I kept going up and down and more up than down.
All of a sudden I became very angry and I’ll share with you the cause of my anger, the realization that I just wasn’t going to lose any more weight unless I really paid attention.  Kept a food diary and exercise to extent that I was capable of doing.  Keeping a food chart is one my least favorite things---but I do it.
The best of success to each and everyone.
You want to know how long it took me to reach my goal, 13 years and 4 months.

2003 TEXAS STATE KING
Allen Yoder
Loss of 308 pounds

 When I started down this journey, I didn’t imagine myself here.  I had some small success before but I had never stayed to course very long.  I got here with a lot of help from my friends at TOPS®.  I have been much more successful than some of my peers and I really think much of that success is because of TOPS®.
What I can share with you is that you have to have a plan to succeed.  You must act on your plans with an honest and earnest effort.  The road to your goal is paved with lots of small goals along the way.  Just worry about the small goals and the larger ones take care of themselves.