Zalma man crowned for most weight loss at TOPS meeting

John Rhodes is two-thirds the man he used to be, and that earned him a crown on Saturday.

About 900 statewide Take Off Pounds Sensibly members converged on Cape Girardeau for Missouri State Recognition Days, a two-day convention centered on support to lose weight and keep it off. Members who lost the most weight to reach their goals in 2005 were coronated at the Arena Building.

Rhodes, 50, of Zalma, Mo., formerly of Fruitland, was recognized as king for losing 129 pounds. He started out at 364 pounds. The state queen was Tina Gallup of Independence, Mo., who lost 137 pounds.

"Being a king was a real goal, but it was more for my chapter," said Rhodes, who with his wife, Gail, belongs to TOPS chapter 850 in Cape Girardeau.

"He's my hero," his wife said. "His dedicated and goal-oriented focus is how he did it. But the encouragement and not wanting to disappoint members in the chapter was really important too."

He tried Atkins and Weight Watchers and even lost weight on them. Now he takes a balanced approach and eats a lot of low-calorie foods. Sugar is OK in moderation.

"The kind of diet I'm on anyone can live on," John Rhodes said.

And splurging is on the Tuesday night menu, right after their TOPS chapter meets. "We go to any restaurant and eat whatever we've had the urge for all week," Gail Rhodes said.

That's not the only time they eat out, though.

"We're both on the go now and grabbing what's at hand. Now it's like, which restaurant has the best salad?" said Gail Rhodes.

Rhodes likes bacon Caesar salad with grilled chicken at McDonald's, but his favorite is spinach salad.

Annual membership in TOPS is $24; chapter fees vary from 50 cents to $1 per week. For every pound lost in a week, members get 10 cents back.

"When John lost 22 pounds the first week, he actually made a profit," Gail Rhodes said. Chapters have other incentives too -- like $10 for losing 10 pounds in three months.

Rhodes said he finds running his heating and cooling business much easier now. Climbing in and out of the truck, sliding between spaces and bending over are all things he can do now without getting out of breath and feeling fatigued.

"We used to joke about overweight people and how you can tell by looking at their shoes," he said. "Bending over to tie them dead center is more of a chore, so you tie them to the side. It used to be a chore just to get dressed. I'm healthier now and have much more energy."

cpagano@semissourian.com

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