getting started in your new tops chapter - tops club, inc. · 2017-04-10 · motivated to start...

L-048-A (Rev. 4/13) © 2013 by TOPS Club, Inc. 1

Learn It. Live It.A program for use at chapter meetings

Materials:• pens/pencils• 3”″x 5”″index cards or

slips of paper for each member in chapter

Preparation:Pass out the index cards and ask members to write down their biggest problem in maintaining healthy eating or exercise habits. Members should not write their names on the cards. Shuffle and redistribute the index cards to members.

Getting Started in Your New TOPS Chapter

Get Ready These chapter programs will help you and your chapter to structure the educational portion of

your TOPS meetings using the free My Day One booklets you received. Chapter programs are designed to inform, inspire, make members think, or just provide good fun. A variety of programs, contests, and other helpful resources—including a week-by-week plan for an entire year of TOPS programs—is available to the chapter Leader or Designate on www.tops.org in the Leaders Corner. New programs are included in each issue of TOPS News magazine. Programs may be pre-sented by the chapter Leader, or you can mix it up by encouraging different members to present throughout the year.

Get SetThese two 4-page handouts provide you with a sample week-by-week agenda you may follow

for the next six weeks and beyond. Once you have completed the first six weeks, how you choose to present the remaining programs is entirely up to you and your chapter.

Go!Start with “Getting to Know You,” which is described on this page. If time allows, move on to

the program suggestion for Week 1, which can be found on the next page.

Let’s go around the room and share…• Your name• What brought you to the chapter• What you’d like to achieve as a TOPS member• Any other information you’d like to share—family, hobbies,

job, etc.

(After everyone has shared, ask each member to read aloud from an index card, and moderate a two-minute dis-cussion of each problem.)

Getting to Know You

4 L-048-D (Rev. 4/13) © 2013 by TOPS Club, Inc.


Now that you’re beginning to recognize negative thoughts, let’s keep practicing the first step of awareness for homework. Over the next week, every time you have a negative thought about yourself, put one penny in a clear jar. This visual will help put into perspective just how many negative thoughts about yourself you have over the course of a week. You may even want to write each negative thought you have in a journal. Then ask yourself: “Since I would not say these hurtful things to someone else, why do I talk to myself this way?”

Listening carefully to what your mind is telling you and replacing negative thoughts with positive ones will help you stay motivated and on track to achieving your goals. So choose to say nice, positive, and encouraging words to yourself. When we think positively, set SMART goals, monitor our progress, and recognize our achievements, we can succeed in living healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Motivation, Part 2Materials:• pens/pencils• 3”″x 5”″index cards

for each member in chapter

Preparation:Pass out the index cards and ask members to write down a negative thought they’ve had recently. Members should not write their names on the cards.

If staying motivated were as easy as identifying goals and rewarding ourselves for reaching them, success would be easy. Unfortunately, sometimes we sabotage our success by listening to our own negative thoughts that remind us of our prior mistakes and failures. Because research shows that our mind believes what we tell it, we need to be aware of negative thoughts and turn them into positive ones. In other words, we can change our way of thinking!

Here’s how it works. Say, for example, we think: “I will never reach my goal weight.” Who here has had that thought at one time? Well, you can turn it into a positive affirmation, such as: “It will take time, but I will make healthy choices each day to help me reach my goal weight. I’m worth the effort.”

Let’s try out this technique.

Turn the Negative into Something Positive (Have members sit in a circle. Shuffle and redistribute the index cards that they

filled out at the beginning of the meeting.) Let’s go around the circle. Read aloud your card and change that negative thought into a

positive affirmation.

GETT

Y IM

AGES

/THI

NKST

OCK/

(PEN

NIES

INAJ

AR.T

IF)

A Penny for Your Thoughts

2 L-048-B (Rev. 4/13) © 2013 by TOPS Club, Inc.


Week 1: Turn to page 4 of My Day One and go over

the parts of a SMART goal before asking members to fill out the worksheet on page 5.

Week 2: Review “If you bite it, write it” on page 16

of My Day One. Encourage members to keep a food journal for at least three days over the next week, including a Saturday or Sunday.

Ask members to bring in a Nutrition Facts label (found on the back of packaged foods) for next week’s meeting.

Week 3: Revisit the SMART goals members set in

Week 1. Discuss whether or not goal setting was helpful. Also, discuss members’ food journals and encourage them to continue journaling.

Go over the Nutrition Facts label on page 6 of My Day One. Have members review and compare the labels they brought.

Week 4: Ask members if they’ve been paying more

attention to the Nutrition Facts label. If they have, ask them what they’ve noticed.

Present “Motivation, Part 1” on the next page of this handout.

Week 5: Have members share their vision boards

and revisit SMART goals that members set in Week 1.

Present “Motivation, Part 2” on the last page of this handout.

Week 6: Follow up on the “A Penny for Your

Thoughts” activity from “Motivation, Part 2.” Ask for a volunteer to give the next week’s program.

Your Chapter’s First Six Weeks

Ideas for Week 7 and beyond

You may choose to…

Present the programs in the second 4-page handout.

Or

Choose a program from the Leaders Corner on www.tops.org (available only to the Leader & Designate).

Or

Choose a program from TOPS News.

L-048-C (Rev. 4/13) © 2013 by TOPS Club, Inc. 3


Who here has trouble getting motivated? Raise your hand. Did you know you don’t have to be motivated to start something? Researchers have discovered that we get motivated once we begin an

activity. So if we simply put on sneakers and head out the door, we may start to feel motivated to go for a walk. Let’s take a few minutes to share how we motivate ourselves.

(Allow several minutes for small group discussions.)

1. What events or things can put a damper on your motivation?

2. What tips or tricks get you moving even when you’d rather do something else?

3. If you’ve hit a plateau or had a setback, how do you regroup and stay focused on your goal?

(Call everyone back together from the small groups.)

Throughout the TOPS program, we are reminded frequently that we have a choice in everything we do: what we eat, how often we exercise, how we think, etc. So how can we design our lives so we can easily get—and stay—motivated? First we need to seriously reflect on who we are now (without dwelling too much on how we got here). Then we need to think about who we want to be (our dreams and desires). As you’ll recall, setting SMART goals is one strategy to move from our current status to our future vision. Another approach is to interpret our goals visually with a vision board.

A vision board is a creative and fun way to represent your goals; it’s a poster or collage that showcases your dreams and what’s important to you—and helps you focus on what is worth pursuing. Your assignment—to be completed prior to next week’s meeting—is to create a vision board. You can cover your vision board with any pictures or phrases that will inspire you to become a healthier you, such as:

• Magazine cut-outs of the nutritious, colorful foods you will include in your healthy-eating plan

• Inspiring quotes from articles, poems, or your favorite books

• Photos of yourself you find flattering, or pictures of people who you would like to look like (keeping in mind that most of us

will never again look like our 20-year-old selves or like super models)• Pictures of fun activities you’d like to do more often—playing with the kids or grandkids, golfing, swimming, biking, or whatever sounds fun to you

Materials:• No extra

materials required.

Sample Vision Boards by TOPS members

Follow-up: Bring your vision boards to next week’s TOPS chapter meeting. We will share our vision boards with each other as a group.

Creating a Vision Board

Motivation, Part 1



Materials:• pens/pencils• 3”″x 5”″index cards or

slips of paper for each member in chapter

Preparation:Pass out the index cards and ask members to write down their biggest problem in maintaining healthy eating or exercise habits. Members should not write their names on the cards. Shuffle and redistribute the index cards to members.

Getting Started in Your New TOPS Chapter

Get Ready These chapter programs will help you and your chapter to structure the educational portion of

your TOPS meetings using the free My Day One booklets you received. Chapter programs are designed to inform, inspire, make members think, or just provide good fun. A variety of programs, contests, and other helpful resources—including a week-by-week plan for an entire year of TOPS programs—is available to the chapter Leader or Designate on www.tops.org in the Leaders Corner. New programs are included in each issue of TOPS News magazine. Programs may be pre-sented by the chapter Leader, or you can mix it up by encouraging different members to present throughout the year.

Get SetThese two 4-page handouts provide you with a sample week-by-week agenda you may follow

for the next six weeks and beyond. Once you have completed the first six weeks, how you choose to present the remaining programs is entirely up to you and your chapter.

Go!Start with “Getting to Know You,” which is described on this page. If time allows, move on to

the program suggestion for Week 1, which can be found on the next page.

Let’s go around the room and share…• Your name• What brought you to the chapter• What you’d like to achieve as a TOPS member• Any other information you’d like to share—family, hobbies,

job, etc.

(After everyone has shared, ask each member to read aloud from an index card, and moderate a two-minute dis-cussion of each problem.)

Getting to Know You



Now that you’re beginning to recognize negative thoughts, let’s keep practicing the first step of awareness for homework. Over the next week, every time you have a negative thought about yourself, put one penny in a clear jar. This visual will help put into perspective just how many negative thoughts about yourself you have over the course of a week. You may even want to write each negative thought you have in a journal. Then ask yourself: “Since I would not say these hurtful things to someone else, why do I talk to myself this way?”

Listening carefully to what your mind is telling you and replacing negative thoughts with positive ones will help you stay motivated and on track to achieving your goals. So choose to say nice, positive, and encouraging words to yourself. When we think positively, set SMART goals, monitor our progress, and recognize our achievements, we can succeed in living healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Motivation, Part 2Materials:• pens/pencils• 3”″x 5”″index cards

for each member in chapter

Preparation:Pass out the index cards and ask members to write down a negative thought they’ve had recently. Members should not write their names on the cards.

If staying motivated were as easy as identifying goals and rewarding ourselves for reaching them, success would be easy. Unfortunately, sometimes we sabotage our success by listening to our own negative thoughts that remind us of our prior mistakes and failures. Because research shows that our mind believes what we tell it, we need to be aware of negative thoughts and turn them into positive ones. In other words, we can change our way of thinking!

Here’s how it works. Say, for example, we think: “I will never reach my goal weight.” Who here has had that thought at one time? Well, you can turn it into a positive affirmation, such as: “It will take time, but I will make healthy choices each day to help me reach my goal weight. I’m worth the effort.”

Let’s try out this technique.

Turn the Negative into Something Positive (Have members sit in a circle. Shuffle and redistribute the index cards that they

filled out at the beginning of the meeting.) Let’s go around the circle. Read aloud your card and change that negative thought into a

positive affirmation.

GETT

Y IM

AGES

/THI

NKST

OCK/

(PEN

NIES

INAJ

AR.T

IF)

A Penny for Your Thoughts



Materials:• pens/pencils• paper• copies of the My

Day One booklet

Preparation:Pass out My Day One booklets at meeting or, if already distributed, remind members to bring their personal copy.

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day! Not only does eating a healthy breakfast help you prepare to take on the day, growing research indicates that breakfast is associated with better weight control.

When you skip breakfast, you are depriving your body and mind of the fuel necessary to recharge. Metabolism slows, blood sugar drops, and you may feel sluggish, crabby, or just plain blah throughout the morn-ing. You are also more likely to grab an unhealthy, sugar- or fat-filled choice later in the morning to give yourself a short-lived boost. The solu-tion? Eat a healthy breakfast—preferably one with a blend of protein, whole grains, fiber, and some fat.

(Allow one or two minutes for a brief discussion.)

1. Who here eats breakfast every single morning? What kinds of food do you typically eat?

2. For those who don’t, what are some of the reasons you don’t?

This week, your goal is to eat breakfast every single morning. Let’s turn to page 8 of My Day One and review the Food Exchange System and how we can use the Mix and Match menus in My Day One to plan our breakfasts for the week.

(Review page 8 of My Day One as a chapter and then review the Mix and Match breakfast menu on pages 10–11. Check out the sample breakfast plate at the top of page 11. Allow members ten minutes to put together at least two different breakfasts for the week. Have members share their menu items when they’re finished.)

Follow-up: Bring your menus back to next week’s meeting, and we’ll discuss whether or not we were able to stick to our choices.

Plan Breakfast Using the Exchange System



The TOPS Fruit and Veggie Contest

Materials:• pens/pencils• paper• writing surface

(if needed) Preparation:Review the contest prior to meeting. Select a date four weeks from starting the contest to hold a discussion and celebrate members who completed the challenge, if desired. Discuss prizes in advance.

1. List the letters “A” through “Z” on a sheet of paper, leaving enough space to write next to each letter.

2. Eat a vegetable or a fruit that begins with a different letter of the alphabet. Fill in what you ate on your paper. For ex-ample: Apple for “A,” Beets for “B,” Cherries for “C”—and be sure to include the date. You’ve completed the challenge once you’ve eaten a fruit or vegetable that begins with each letter of the alphabet.

3. You do not have to try a fruit or vegetable that begins with the letter “U” or the letter “X,” as these are likely hard to find, but you can use them for extra credit.

4. You do not have to follow the order of the alphabet. The goal is to add variety to your meal plan while having fun trying new foods.

5. You have four weeks to complete this challenge. We’ll share our experiences at the end of four weeks and recognize those who were able to complete this challenge.

Present the Contest:Eating more fruits and veggies really can be as easy as A-B-C. Just follow the TOPS Fruit and Veggie Contest! Here’s how it works:

Have a tasting: Consider dedicating one meeting to a tasting where each member brings in an unusual fruit or vegetable to share.

Possible Follow-Up Questions for Discussion:1. Would anyone like to share some unique

ways to prepare fruits and vegetables?

2. Did anyone find a new fruit or vegetable that you really enjoyed?

3. Did anyone find and try a fruit or vegetable that begins with the letters “U” or “X”?

4. Would anyone like to share a tip for eating more fruits and vegetables?

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2 L-049-C (Rev. 4/13) © 2013 by TOPS Club, Inc.


How Sweet It Is: The Sugar Content of FoodMaterials:• pens/pencils• paper• 3”″x 5”″index cards• writing surface (if needed)

Preparation:If you like, bring along the food items in the quiz, or paste photos of the “dueling” items side by side on five sheets of paper or card stock to refer to while going over the quiz.

For the “small changes” activity, prepare nine 3” x 5” index cards with the “instead of” food item on one side and the “try” item on the other side. See the chart on the next page for the text.

Do you know how much sugar is in the foods you eat? Let’s take a short quiz comparing a couple of food choices and then discuss our answers.

(Pass out the paper and pens/pencils.)

Of these two options, which has more sugar? Write your answers.1. Eight ounces of regular cola or one 20-ounce bottle of citrus-

flavored, vitamin-enhanced water?2. One ounce of dried cherries or one ounce of fresh cherries?3. One small orange or one cup of orange juice?4. One-half cup of baked beans or two Snickers® Miniatures?5. Eight ounces of an energy drink or eight ounces of sweet tea?

1. What did you write for the first one—which has more sugar, the regular cola or vitamin-enhanced water?

One 20-ounce bottle of citrus-flavored, vitamin-enhanced water has about 32.5 grams of sugar, while eight ounces of regular cola has about 27 grams of sugar. Always check the serving size and amount of sugar on the Nutrition Facts label. “Enhanced” waters often have as much—or more—sugar and calories as soda or juice. How many of you got that one right?

2. Let’s move on to the next one. Do dried cherries or fresh cherries have more sugar?

One ounce of dried cherries has 16 grams of sugar, while one ounce of fresh cherries has about four grams of sugar. Given that most of the water is removed from dried fruit, the amount of sugar-per-ounce is higher for dried fruit compared to its fresh equivalent. Dried fruit is still a healthy, vitamin-packed snack; just be mindful of portion size.

3. Moving on to number three: Does one small orange or one cup of orange juice have more sugar?

One cup of orange juice has around 23 grams of sugar, while one small orange has nine grams of sugar. You can count 100-percent fruit juices toward your daily recommended servings of fruit, but be aware of how much juice you are pouring. Depending on the fruit, one-quarter cup to one-half cup of juice equals the same number of calories as the whole fruit. For a low-sugar alternative, add a splash of fruit juice to sparkling water.

L-049-C (Rev. 4/13) © 2013 by TOPS Club, Inc. 3


4. How are you doing so far? What about the baked beans versus the Snickers® Miniatures?

One-half cup of baked beans actually has more sugar—at 12 grams—than two Snickers® Miniatures, which have nine grams total. Should you opt for candy bars instead of baked beans? Not exactly. This simply demonstrates that sugar can pop up in unexpected places, such as canned goods and prepared sauces. Always check the Nutrition Facts label!

5. Finally, which has more sugar—eight ounces of an energy drink or eight ounces of sweet tea?

One eight-ounce can of energy drink has about 27 grams of sugar, while eight ounces of sweet tea has about 17. The can of energy drink has just as much sugar as a Snickers® bar! When it comes to sugary beverages like energy drinks, soda, sweet tea, or even vitamin-enhanced water, it’s not hard to drink through your entire daily calorie budget pretty quickly!

Did any of these answers surprise you? Which ones?

(Allow five minutes for discussion.)

Small Changes Can Make Life Sweeter

We can satisfy a sweet tooth by making simple modifications or substitutions. After all, denying ourselves sweets completely may make us want them that much more. Instead, making small changes can add up to big savings on sugar and overall calories!

(Pass out the index cards.)

Let’s look at how we can modify or replace sugary foods. The cards I passed out have an “instead of” side with a sugary item and a “try” side, which suggests a yummy alternative

Instead of ½ c. of strawberry ice cream with 2 T. of chocolate (44 g. of sugar)

Try ½ c. of vanilla ice cream with ½ c. of fresh, chopped strawberries and 1 T. of chocolate syrup (27 g. of sugar)

Instead of a medium blended iced, mocha with whipped cream (47 g. of sugar)

Try a medium iced coffee with sugar-free vanilla syrup (2 g. of sugar)

Instead of ½ c. of chocolate fudge ice cream (25 g. of sugar)

Try a low-fat Fudgsicle® bar (9 g. of sugar)

Instead of 2 T. of raspberry jelly for a topping (24 g. of sugar)

Try topping with ½ c. of fresh raspberries (3 g. of sugar)

Instead of ½ c. of canned pineapple chunks in heavy syrup (22 g. of sugar)

Try ½ c. of canned pineapple chunks in 100% juice (13 g. of sugar)

Instead of ¾ c. of dry cinnamon crunch cereal (10 g. of sugar)

Try a packet of instant, plain oatmeal made with skim milk and sprinkled with cinnamon (5 g. of sugar)

Instead of 1 c. of cranberry juice cocktail (33 g. of sugar)

Try ¼ c. of cranberry juice cocktail mixed with sparkling water (8 g. of sugar)

Instead of a small box of raisins (25 g. of sugar)

Try 17 grapes (13 g. of sugar)

Instead of ½ c. of baked beans (12 g. of sugar)

Try 1 c. of green beans (1 g. of sugar)

to keep us satisfied and on track to reach our goals.

Who wants to start us off? Read the “instead of” side, and then flip the card over to share the alternative.

(Continue reading through all of the cards. Items may be read in any order.)



Materials:• pens/pencils• paper• copies of the My

Day One booklet

Preparation:Pass out My Day One booklets at meeting or, if already distributed, remind members to bring their personal copy.

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day! Not only does eating a healthy breakfast help you prepare to take on the day, growing research indicates that breakfast is associated with better weight control.

When you skip breakfast, you are depriving your body and mind of the fuel necessary to recharge. Metabolism slows, blood sugar drops, and you may feel sluggish, crabby, or just plain blah throughout the morn-ing. You are also more likely to grab an unhealthy, sugar- or fat-filled choice later in the morning to give yourself a short-lived boost. The solu-tion? Eat a healthy breakfast—preferably one with a blend of protein, whole grains, fiber, and some fat.

(Allow one or two minutes for a brief discussion.)

1. Who here eats breakfast every single morning? What kinds of food do you typically eat?

2. For those who don’t, what are some of the reasons you don’t?

This week, your goal is to eat breakfast every single morning. Let’s turn to page 8 of My Day One and review the Food Exchange System and how we can use the Mix and Match menus in My Day One to plan our breakfasts for the week.

(Review page 8 of My Day One as a chapter and then review the Mix and Match breakfast menu on pages 10–11. Check out the sample breakfast plate at the top of page 11. Allow members ten minutes to put together at least two different breakfasts for the week. Have members share their menu items when they’re finished.)

Follow-up: Bring your menus back to next week’s meeting, and we’ll discuss whether or not we were able to stick to our choices.

Plan Breakfast Using the Exchange System



The TOPS Fruit and Veggie Contest

Materials:• pens/pencils• paper• writing surface

(if needed) Preparation:Review the contest prior to meeting. Select a date four weeks from starting the contest to hold a discussion and celebrate members who completed the challenge, if desired. Discuss prizes in advance.

1. List the letters “A” through “Z” on a sheet of paper, leaving enough space to write next to each letter.

2. Eat a vegetable or a fruit that begins with a different letter of the alphabet. Fill in what you ate on your paper. For ex-ample: Apple for “A,” Beets for “B,” Cherries for “C”—and be sure to include the date. You’ve completed the challenge once you’ve eaten a fruit or vegetable that begins with each letter of the alphabet.

3. You do not have to try a fruit or vegetable that begins with the letter “U” or the letter “X,” as these are likely hard to find, but you can use them for extra credit.

4. You do not have to follow the order of the alphabet. The goal is to add variety to your meal plan while having fun trying new foods.

5. You have four weeks to complete this challenge. We’ll share our experiences at the end of four weeks and recognize those who were able to complete this challenge.

Present the Contest:Eating more fruits and veggies really can be as easy as A-B-C. Just follow the TOPS Fruit and Veggie Contest! Here’s how it works:

Have a tasting: Consider dedicating one meeting to a tasting where each member brings in an unusual fruit or vegetable to share.

Possible Follow-Up Questions for Discussion:1. Would anyone like to share some unique

ways to prepare fruits and vegetables?

2. Did anyone find a new fruit or vegetable that you really enjoyed?

3. Did anyone find and try a fruit or vegetable that begins with the letters “U” or “X”?

4. Would anyone like to share a tip for eating more fruits and vegetables?

MEDI

OIMA

GES/

PHOT

ODIS

C/TH

INKS

TOCK

(563

9976

0)JU

PITE

RIMA

GES/

THIN

KSTO

CK (8

7825

045)

getting started in your new tops chapter - tops club, inc. · 2017-04-10 · motivated to start...

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