Preservation and determination filled Jan Pettit's journey to TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) of Fallon, one that she started in 1973 with the organization in Colorado. She weighed 289 pounds back then and lost 99 pounds in her first year. However, sometimes things don't stick, or maybe they do just in different ways.
When Pettit moved to Fallon in 1975, she had gained most of her weight back. Through a friend, she joined the Fallon TOPS group but between the move, and a new job, her weight bounced up and down. She then had to leave TOPS when her work hours conflicted with their meeting times. By the time she rejoined the Fallon group in 2005, her weight was still at 274 pounds, and at 5' 11" tall her health was also starting to pay the price of the extra pounds. At that point, she also realized that her life was dependent upon her permanently losing weight.
She began her renewed weight-loss journey with her Fallon TOPS friends who kept her on track, and who celebrated her 100-pound weight-loss achievement on April 28, 2023. Nancy Cromwell led the weekly meeting, which included conducting the "State Queen" coronation ceremony where Pettit was crowned for maintaining her current weight of 164 pounds. Cromwell said, "We are here to honor and crown member Jan Pettit as our NV 0039 Fallon Chapter Queen." She then explained that to become a queen, one must first become a KOPS (Keep Off the Pounds Sensibly), and then must have met their weight-loss goal, which was 100 pounds for Pettit. If two of the chapter members achieve their KOPS in the same year, then the member with the highest weight loss becomes the Chapter Queen. Pettit was also crowned State Queen this year for her weight-loss accomplishments across the Nevada chapters. The coronation ceremony included the presentation of a royal cape, crown, bandoleer, flowers, and KOPS Queen charm necklace.
At 82 years old, Pettit keeps her hands busy by crocheting, painting, and coloring. She is also in charge of the group's 50/50 drawing, handling the tickets, and managing the money. This particular week, her name was drawn in the 50/50, and she won half of the pot. In her younger years, she loved swimming, aerobics, walking, working in her garden, and sledding with her kids. She said even though her age is catching up with her since losing weight she doesn't get out of breath as much and her confidence level has increased. During a recent interview Cromwell did with Pettit, one of the things Pettit told her was, "Some things are harder to do now that I've reached my golden years, but they are still easier to do than when I was carrying around all that extra weight."
TOPS is a non-profit weight-loss education and support organization that focuses on developing healthy lifestyles through weight management and sponsor research aimed at finding the root cause and effective treatment of the disease of obesity. They help members make changes that promote good health and last a lifetime, focusing on behaviors, attitudes, exercise, and eating habits.
The Fallon TOPS group meets every Friday in the United Methodist Church's Fireside Room, 280 East Stillwater Avenue. Weigh-ins start at 8:15 a.m., and the meeting begins at 9. New members are welcomed, and each member is recognized for their accomplishments toward their weight-loss goals. Birthdays are celebrated with a crocheted cake and song, and inspirations are shared. The national website is https://www.tops.org/ where more program information can be found.
Pettit likes to tell new people starting their weight-loss journey, "Stick with your plan and never give up. Always eat sensibly and continue to keep moving."
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