One “diet” that I don’t think gets enough attention is the TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) program.  Maybe because it doesn’t tout quick weight loss is why the media doesn’t really take notice of it.  I have to say that I know quite a few people who have used the TOPS diet plan and have had great success with it.

TOPS basically is a food exchange program, much like the Richard Simmons Deal-A-Meal program, although TOPS has been around since approximately 1948.  One thing you get with TOPS is support, which is one of the programs main focus.  I have read that those who have support, whether it be online or offline, lose more weight than those who go it alone.  TOPS has 200,000 members with 10,000 chapters in the U.S., Canada, and worldwide.  It’s a very low-cost program, with just a $1.00 contribution required when you attend a support meeting.

So what do TOPS members eat?  Foods are categorized by whether they are a starch, fat, dairy, meat, fruit, vegetables, and then there are what’s called ”free foods,” which include condiments, diet sodas, seasonings, etc.  Based on what a member’s goal caloric intake is for the day is how the number of categories are calculated.  

For example, if your goal is 1500 calories per day, you would eat 5 servings of meat, 6 servings of starches, 5 servings of fruit, 2 servings of fat, 2 servings of milk, 4 servings of vegetables, and your free foods.  It’s really not complicated at all and it is definitely something I could see being a life-long plan because it teaches you how to eat healthy.  Definitely worth that $1.00 per meeting (or really $24.00 a year) investment!

Check out the TOPS eating program at www.tops.org for more information, including success stories and free tools to get started on TOPS right away.