Whiteland resident Douglas Schreiner, who was named 2023 TOPS King for meeting his weight-loss goal.
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Slowly, over time, the weight kept building up.
Douglas Schreiner’s weight struggles started in 1979, after his son was born with respiratory problems. A two-pack-a-day smoker, he quit cold turkey for his son’s wellbeing.
But snack foods took the place of cigarettes.
“Naturally, I gained weight, eventually, reaching a place where I was unhappy with my health or clothing size,” he said.
After struggling with various diets and weight-loss approaches, Schreiner finally found an approach that worked. The Whiteland resident joined TOPS Club, a nonprofit weight-loss support organization, in 2016, and since that time, has worked to shed his extra pounds.
He’s now lost 44.2 pounds throughout his journey, earning him the title of 2023 Indiana King through TOPS.
TOPS focuses on an individual approach to weight loss and overall wellness. Consistent group support, health education, and recognition are all key components to successful weight management. Indiana has an adult obesity rate of 37.7%, the ninth highest in the country. In 2023, TOPS members in Indiana lost a cumulative 7,591 pounds.
“All of us in TOPS are immensely proud of our members’ weight-loss achievements,” said Rick Danforth, TOPS president who maintained a 100-pound weight loss for 15 years. “Through their TOPS membership, these individuals can honor their life-altering successes, other members, and those who have preceded them. By maintaining their allegiance to lifestyle modifications, a hallmark of TOPS’ winning formula, TOPS members apply the tools they’re provided and the backing of their peers to attain their weight loss goals.”
Weekly meetings are the heart of TOPS support, whether they are held in person or online. In-person meetings start with an optional weigh-in, with members then sharing challenges, successes, or goals, followed by a brief program covering a variety of health and wellness topics, and may conclude with awards and recognition for the week. Visitors can attend their first TOPS in-person meeting free of charge and are encouraged to try more than one chapter since they’re all a little different.
For Schreiner, the inspiration and support from his group were central to his success. Last year was pivotal in his weight loss journey. His wife created a new slogan for as they each aimed to get healthier: “New Year, New Me.”
“That’s when I buckled down and got serious. I started writing down everything I ate each day and started exercising more. Facing the scale weekly and the continued support of my TOPS group helped to push me to my end goal,” he said.
His TOPS group leader came up with some visual motivation tools to help as well. One was a “vision” board, created to help visualize their goals. Schreiner has his located in the kitchen where he sees it every time he is cooking or thinking about snacking.
Their leader also suggested a small chalkboard and a rock for writing a message to himself. The message on them is “Stay the Course.” The chalkboard is on the kitchen table, while the rock is on my computer table where Schreiner tends to snack.
“We also made sensory bottles to pick up and shake when we wanted to snack. This is to help us think about whether we want that snack before we just mindlessly eat it. All these visual reminders are helping me, ‘Stay the Course,’” he said.
Schreiner, along with Sandy Berning of Harrison, Ohio, were honored as the 2023 Indiana King and Queen on April 19 and 20 at the Indiana recognition event at the Grand Wayne Convention Center in Fort Wayne.
“I could not have done this without my local (TOPS) chapter. They all have been extremely supportive throughout this whole journey. Dean, our Indiana King last year, checks in with me weekly with words of encouragement,” he said. “I want to say thank you to chapter IN1523 for their support throughout my entire journey.”
