TOPS Club helps woman lose over 120 pounds to gain back confidence

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – In March of 2021, Sherri Bowlby hit the scale at 327 pounds, which is the heaviest she’s ever been.

“I felt like this was my last chance,” she said.

Bowlby decided to join TOPS Club Inc. , which stands for Take Off Pounds Sensibly.

“I can’t even recognize myself. This is not me,” Bowlby said as she held a photo from her first day at TOPS Club.

The nonprofit focuses on lifestyle changes that can last long-term.

“Before, it was all about, you know, counting your points, and you can have this, but you can’t have that,” she said. “With TOPS, you can have anything. It’s just a matter of portion control.”

Local chapters meet weekly.

“We all talk about our weight loss for the week or our challenges for the week. We have some games that we play. We do exercise,” Bowlby said.

The energy in the room is uplifting.

“They encourage you, they support you,” she said.

By the end of 2023, Bowlby lost over 120 pounds and got crowned “Kansas Queen” for losing the most weight in the state.

“I’m really proud of it, and I’m honored,” she said.

Each pound lost helps Bowlby gain back her independence.

“I was afraid to go down the stairs and to propel my weight up the stairs was even harder,” Bowlby said. “It’s nice that I can take care of myself now. I mean fully take care of myself.”

Her TOPS Crown sits out to remind Bowlby to keep going.

“If I can do it, you can do it,” she said.

In 2023, all TOPS members in Kansas lost nearly 5,000 pounds combined.

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