A woman from Cortez has been named the Colorado queen of the weight-loss support organization TOPS, to reign as royalty with a king from Broomfield.
The nonprofit Take Off Pounds Sensibly unveiled its 2020-2021 in a news announcement Thursday. The queen and king are honored for recording the largest weight loss from their starting weight, regardless of the time taken to reach their goal.
Judy Echols of Cortez, who lost 46.25 pounds, and Randall Wood of Broomfield, who lost 50 pounds, are the Colorado 2020 Queen and King.
Echols said she joined TOPS in 2015.
“Even though I’ve had many ups and downs on my weight loss journey, with the support of my TOPS chapter, the educational programs, and the accountability to the scales, I achieved my weight loss goal,” Echols said in the news release.
“Going to my doctor and asking him what he thought would be a good goal weight for me was a huge motivation to me,“ she said.
TOPS offers group support, health education and recognition in its approach to weight loss and wellness.
“Despite the pandemic, with assistance from TOPS support, the 2020 royalty, and many others prior, have exhibited that achieving a personal transformation is still doable through small, sustainable lifestyle modifications,” “Having sustained a 100-pound weight loss for over 15 years, I personally understand the commitment these folks have demonstrated,” said TOPS President Rick Danforth.
Echols and Wood participated in the TOPS International Recognition Days virtual conference July 23-24, 2021.
“Commemorating these life-changing accomplishments is an integral element of TOPS’ winning formula, particularly after a most challenging year,” Danforth said.
TOPS support includes weekly in-person or online meetings. In-person meetings start with private weigh-ins and a time for members to share their experiences, followed by a program that covers health and wellness topics and awards and recognition, when appropriate.
Online, meetings are offered three times a week. Meetings start with a discussion of challenges, successes and goals, followed by an instructional program and action steps.
To learn more about TOPS, visit www.tops.org or call 800-932-8677.
