When she started: “I started with Take Off Pounds Sensibly, or TOPS Club Inc. (www.tops.org), in 1980,” Ann Hedden said. “From the start of COVID, I lost 75 pounds in total. Before that, I was losing 3 to 4 pounds per year for about five years.”
Age: 79
Personal life: “I live in Watkinsville,” Hedden said. “I have three adult sons. I am a retired RN. I was a hospital nurse. I am currently still working with the American Contract Bridge League (www.acbl.org) as a certified director. I direct the game every Friday.”
The lifestyle change: “The turning point for me was in 2020 during the COVID isolation when the world shut down,” Hedden said. “The only social event I had once a week for a year was going to TOPS. During that time is when I really buckled down and lost the weight. It was a matter of my health when it was affecting my mobility. I didn’t want to see myself in one of those scooters. That was one of my incentives to really buckle down.”
Change in eating habits: “What really worked for me was when I got on a three-meals-per-day meal plan,” Hedden said. “I keep my calorie count between 1,200 and 1,500 per day; that keeps my weight stable. If you go out and eat, one dinner is around 1,000 calories. I avoid eating out. I don’t eat out more than once a week.”
Ann’s how-to’s:
1. Joined TOPS: “I started in 1980 and I actually got down close to goal,” but then life happened and the weight returned. “When you’re stressed, you eat emotionally. If I am stressed, I’ll notice myself grabbing something to eat. There is a physical reason for that. The food makes your brain calmer. When I start to see myself do that, I stop before it gets out of hand.”
2. Starting over: “My next step was starting over when I gained back what I lost and not giving up.”
3. No sweets: “I didn’t have any sweets or tempting foods in a year. When I went back to bridge and they had all these sweet treats out, I had no taste for chocolate. It was weird after being off it for 14 months.”
Exercise routine: “I do yardwork and square dancing,” Hedden said. “They have lessons every Monday night, and on Thursday night, I’ll go to the regular dance.”
Biggest challenge: “Right now my biggest challenge is not binge eating from stress due to recent health issues ... (but) I think I am developing stronger habits now and I won’t go back to bingeing,” Hedden said.
Ann’s top tips:
1. Never give up on yourself: “I never gave up on myself or my desire to lose weight. I kept going even when I was not losing weight.”
2. Watch out for special diets: “You need to change your eating habits to habits that last a lifetime — a permanent lifestyle change.”
3. You need to exercise: “Even just gathering up limbs and doing yardwork can be exercise.”
How her life has changed: “With COVID, a lot of my social club activities have not resumed; those that have don’t serve food, they don’t want to serve food. People used to bring the most delicious foods,” Hedden said. “... Society has changed, and it’s made it easier for me to keep my weight off.” In May, Hedden was crowned Georgia Queen for TOPS Club Inc. “I was honored and surprised, and, of course, for a while, they made a big deal at my chapter and they still say ‘Here comes the queen.’ They say: ‘I’m so proud of you. I admire what you accomplished.’ I keep telling them, ‘If I can do it, you can do it.’”
Seeking readers’ stories of lifestyle changes: We’re looking for stories about changing health habits. While The Atlanta Journal-Constitution does not endorse any specific programs, we include names and links for the benefit of readers who want further information. If you would like to share your story of a lifestyle change, please contact reporter Michelle C. Brooks and include your email address, phone number, and before and after photos (by mail or JPEG). You can email her directly at: ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.
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