Staff writer
People who have lost weight would agree that it is one thing to lose weight. It’s another thing to keep it off.
Lucille Bitner of Marion recently received a 20-year KOPS pin from TOPS Inc. for 20 years of successful weight maintenance.
She weighed almost 210 pounds in 1996 when her children became concerned about her. They said they didn’t want her to become like her 300-pound sister.
Bitner lived at Park City at the time, and someone invited her to join a TOPS club. In a little more than two years, she had lost 55 pounds, reaching her goal weight and advancing from a TOPS, taking off pounds sensibly, to a KOPS, keeping off pounds sensibly.
She said she lost the weight mainly by limiting greasy food, potatoes, bread, and gravies or sauces.
Bitner became active in TOPS and served as an area captain for a while. After she and her husband moved to Marion, she started TOPS KS 1075 Marion in April 2009 with five charter members.
She was president of the club until four years ago when the rules changed, requiring a new president every two years.
Since earning KOPS status, Bitner has lost another 15 pounds. At age 76, she remains active in the work force and is head cook at Marion Senior Center.
The club celebrated her KOPS anniversary with a gift presentation and social time at its Thursday meeting at Hilltop Manor.