She's Really An Angel

Lin Scanland

Her husband teased that she's too clumsy to have wings in heaven so he bought her a pretty pink pair to wear. She looked divine in them for Halloween, but Lin Scanland really is an angel.

Because of her outstanding service to TOPS WA 1147 Graham, the group voted her the Chapter Angel of the year. She was awarded the honor at the recent TOPS Fall Rally in Puyallup. 

According to her fellow TOPS members, Lin goes above and beyond what is required of her. Here are some of the items she is credited with helping her earn her Angel wings.

• She drives 42 miles from her home in Ashford to Graham each Monday and 42 back home, to lead and inspire TOPS.
  
• She is always there and always very early.
• She keeps many files for TOPS and KOPS on her home computer.
• She sends out a weekly email agenda to Co-Leader and officers.
• She is on the phone committee for TOPS and takes her duty seriously.
• She plans the KOPS Anniversary ceremony for TOPS WA 1147, Graham.
• She makes up the yearly Award Certificates as well as Chapter Helper certificates.
• She fills in for the treasurer and secretary when needed.
• She places publicity in newspapers and on Craig's List. 
• She's a genuine friend to all, ready to give a helping hand or lend an ear to one's problems.

Lin has also been a 7 year member of the Pierce County KOPS Lighter Way Honor Society. 

Lost and Found

I lost 3 pounds again last week by tracking my food intake and swimming every single day, but I’ve been worrying about keeping up the sustained reducing over time. I need to take off 2 pounds every single week to achieve my goal in the time line I’m working toward.  

I found this really neat tool to calculate how many calories you’re burning in a day and it is free to use. You just click on the link, then fill in the blanks with how many minutes you do of each activity on the list in a day. It even has sleeping, sitting, reading and writing on the list as well as sports activities!

Remember your total minutes in a day are 1440, so try and total that as you fill out the list accounting for what you do. After you enter everything you do in a day, by minutes, it will give you a total of how many calories you're burning in a day.

Then if you’re counting your calories or food exchanges, you need to burn 3500 calories more than what you eat to lose 1 pound. So if you’re eating 1500 calories a day on the exchange plan, then you need to do enough activities in the course of the week to burn 7000 calories more than what you ate every day.

I REALLY like this tool and see exactly what I need to change to get those 2 pounds + off every single week.

I must be mindful of everything I put in my mouth. For me this means writing absolutely everything down. Then using this great calculator to figure out the calories I’m burning should take every bit of guesswork out of the equation and help me achieve that 2 pounds a week until I reach goal, then help me sustain my goal weight.   

Here’s the link to try it yourself. http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc

Fun at Fall Rally

What a wonderful day we had at TOPS Fall Rally in Puyallup on Saturday. Quite a few from our Graham Chapter attended for a magnificently motivational time together. Leader Lin Scanland (long red hair, black shirt) was given the Chapter Angel award for her tireless efforts with TOPS WA #1147 Graham.

Guest speaker Robert Sweetgall was amazing with his stories and activities to get the room pumped up and our heart rates going and he did it all with humor and fun activities. Robert said he was Forrest Gump before Gump existed. He made an 11,208 mile foot journey, walking through all 50 states in one year, averaging 31 miles per day. You can learn more about him on his website http://www.creativewalking.com

Graham TOPS member, Beverly Satter, got in the spirit of the day with an energetic walk, hop, and dance around the room in one of the activities Robert had teams competing in.

Seeing the high percent of people who have achieved and maintained their goal weight and KOPS status over time was a huge inspiration to me.
 

Don't miss the opportunity to attend one of these events in the future. It was well worth my $9 investment and totally exceeded my expectations.

VENDORS & CRAFTERS WANTED FOR HOLIDAY BAZAAR!

$ell your wares & see your profits soar at the 'Have Fun at Thun Holiday Bazaar' Nov. 19-20th, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-3. Vendor space available for $30 per 6’x8’ or $40 per 8’x8’ space. $10 extra for a 6’ table & 2 chairs or bring your own. Reserve your space today! 253-846-6715 or tmasura@yahoo.com. Day of bazaar, follow the signs from Meridian & 168th St SE from the entrance to Pierce County Airport Thun Field to the Talon Aviation hanger at 17006 105th Ave E. Puyallup. Thun Fun Holiday Bazaar sponsored by and benefit for nonprofit Take Off Pounds Sensibly, WA #1147 Graham.

Farewell to Joy Cook

Founder of the Take Off Pounds Sensibly TOPS WA 1147 Graham group, Joy Cook, gave a fond farewell program at today's weekly meeting. She was presented with a gift from the chapter for her years of service and inspiring programs.

In 1988 Joy earned the prestigious recognition of TOPS Washington state queen for achieving goal weight and losing 124 pounds.

"Stick with it...success is incremental...it might be 1/4 pound at a time to get to goal, focus on living and eating healthy" was her parting advice to the group.

"We know how to lose and gain weight, we have to learn to live in the middle at goal," she added.

When she moved to Graham she couldn't find a group to transfer to that worked with her schedule of availability, so she started a new chapter.  Over the years it has blossomed to 39 members with several who have reached their goal weight and maintained it earning them KOPS (Keep Off Pounds Sensibly) status.

Joy and her husband are moving to Arizona to pursue a career opportunity. She looks at the change as a way to demonstrate to her grown children that at over 60 years of age you can still do something new in your life.