
The TOPS Diet for Seniors is a weight loss programme with around 170,000 participants in almost 10,000 chapters worldwide. The programme is based on group support and weight-loss competitions, with no official diet plan or preset calorie intakes. Instead, dieters develop their own approach, with the option of following a 1,200, 1,500, or 1,800-calorie-a-day diet.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Official diet plan | None |
Weekly meetings | Confidential weigh-in, presentations by health professionals, group support, weight-loss competitions |
Diet planning | Optional book called The Choice Is Yours with guidelines for 1,200, 1,500, and 1,800-calorie diets |
Nutrient needs | Met by following the sample plan in The Choice Is Yours |
Physical activity | Recommended, with some local chapters incorporating group walks into weekly meetings |
Number of participants | Approximately 170,000 |
Number of chapters | Almost 10,000 |
What You'll Learn
- TOPS weekly meetings begin with a confidential weigh-in
- TOPS provides incentives for weight loss through group support and weight-loss competitions
- There is no official TOPS diet plan
- TOPS recommends that members seek personalised diet and physical activity plans from health care professionals
- TOPS's The Choice Is Yours booklet provides a sample plan to meet most nutrient needs
TOPS weekly meetings begin with a confidential weigh-in
There is no official TOPS diet plan or preset calorie intakes, so there are no typical meals. Instead, TOPS recommends that its members go to a health care professional for a personalised diet and physical activity plan. However, TOPS does offer an optional diet planning book called *The Choice Is Yours*, which contains simple guidelines for planning diets of 1,200, 1,500, and 1,800 calories a day, based on the USDA Food Guide Pyramid and the diabetic exchange list. The book also offers a sample 28-day menu and exercise guide.
If you stick with the sample plan provided in *The Choice Is Yours*, you should meet most of your nutrient needs while lowering blood cholesterol and controlling blood sugar. However, it's still a good idea to take a calcium and vitamin D supplement, as it's tough to include enough calcium-rich dairy foods in a 1,200- or 1,500-calorie diet. While physical activity is recommended, and some local chapters incorporate group walks into their weekly meetings, exercise could be emphasised more.
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TOPS provides incentives for weight loss through group support and weight-loss competitions
The TOPS Diet for Seniors provides no official diet plan. Instead, dieters develop the approach that works best for them. TOPS provides incentives for weight loss through group support and weight-loss competitions. Weekly meetings always begin with a confidential weigh-in, followed by a program that sometimes includes presentations by health professionals who volunteer their time to speak. There are national contests as well as local chapter contests. Participants compete only within their own age category and weight class.
TOPS recommends that its members go to a health care professional for personalized diet and physical activity plans. In addition, the organization does offer an optional diet planning book called *The Choice Is Yours*, which contains simple guidelines for planning diets of 1,200, 1,500, and 1,800 calories a day, based on the USDA Food Guide Pyramid and the diabetic exchange list. It also offers a sample 28-day menu and exercise guide. If you stick with the sample plan provided in TOPS's *The Choice Is Yours* booklet, you should meet most of your nutrient needs while lowering blood cholesterol and controlling blood sugar. It's still a good idea, however, to take a calcium and vitamin D supplement, since it's tough to include enough calcium-rich dairy foods in a 1,200- or 1,500-calorie diet. Though physical activity is recommended and some local chapters incorporate group walks into their weekly meetings, exercise could be emphasized more.
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There is no official TOPS diet plan
TOPS does offer an optional diet planning book called *The Choice Is Yours*, which contains simple guidelines for planning diets of 1,200, 1,500, and 1,800 calories a day, based on the USDA Food Guide Pyramid and the diabetic exchange list. It also offers a sample 28-day menu and exercise guide. The booklet should meet most of your nutrient needs while lowering blood cholesterol and controlling blood sugar. However, it is still a good idea to take a calcium and vitamin D supplement, as it's tough to include enough calcium-rich dairy foods in a 1,200- or 1,500-calorie diet.
TOPS provides incentives for weight loss through group support and some weight-loss competitions. There are national contests as well as local chapter contests. Participants compete only within their own age category and weight class.
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TOPS recommends that members seek personalised diet and physical activity plans from health care professionals
The TOPS Diet for Seniors is an alternative diet plan that provides no official diet plan. Instead, dieters develop the approach that works best for them. TOPS recommends that its members seek personalised diet and physical activity plans from health care professionals. This is because there is no official diet plan or even preset calorie intakes, so there are no typical meals. However, TOPS does offer an optional diet planning book called *The Choice Is Yours*, which contains simple guidelines for planning diets of 1,200, 1,500, and 1,800 calories a day, based on the USDA Food Guide Pyramid and the diabetic exchange list. It also offers a sample 28-day menu and exercise guide.
The TOPS Diet for Seniors is based on the belief that the maximum way to maintain healthy behaviour is through having a supportive environment. TOPS has approximately 170,000 participants in almost 10,000 chapters in the U.S., Canada, and other countries worldwide. Weekly meetings begin with a confidential weigh-in, which is followed by a program that sometimes includes presentations by health professionals who volunteer their time to speak. Through group support and some weight-loss competitions, TOPS provides incentives for weight loss. There are national contests as well as local chapter contests. Participants compete only within their own age category and weight class. Although physical activity is recommended, some local chapters incorporate group walks into their weekly meetings, and exercise could be emphasised more.
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TOPS's The Choice Is Yours booklet provides a sample plan to meet most nutrient needs
The TOPS diet plan is an alternative diet for seniors that provides no official diet plan. Instead, dieters develop the approach that works best for them. TOPS weekly meetings begin with a confidential weigh-in, followed by a program that sometimes includes presentations by health professionals. Through group support and weight-loss competitions, TOPS provides incentives for weight loss.
The TOPS organisation believes that the maximum way to maintain healthy behaviour is through having a supportive environment. Today, TOPS has approximately 170,000 participants in almost 10,000 chapters worldwide.
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Frequently asked questions
The TOPS diet plan is a supportive environment for seniors to lose weight. There is no official diet plan, but dieters develop their own approach.
TOPS stands for 'Take Off Pounds Sensibly'.
TOPS meetings begin with a confidential weigh-in, followed by a program that sometimes includes presentations by health professionals.
The TOPS diet planning booklet is called 'The Choice Is Yours'. It contains simple guidelines for planning diets of 1,200, 1,500, and 1,800 calories a day, based on the USDA Food Guide Pyramid and the diabetic exchange list. It also offers a sample 28-day menu and exercise guide.