Portage resident Larry Darnell is committed to each aspect of his life. It started when he married his wife 53 years ago and moved to the area. Now, he's working with his wife to crush their weight loss goals through the nonprofit Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS).
In April 2019, Darnell decided to participate in the same weight-loss program as his wife as an outlet to get active and spend quality time together. Through exercise, meal prepping, and mindfulness, Darnell found a passion for fitness.
Darnell also found appreciation for the other members of the chapter since he is the only male member. They made him feel welcomed and supported.
“There are wonderful people in the chapter,” he said. “Everyone helps each other reach their goals.”
Through teamwork, Darnell began to see changes on the scale. Pound by pound, his progress began to show. Quickly, he began climbing the TOPS royalty ladder as Chapter King, Division King, and was then named 2020-2021 State King.
“I started the program at 204 pounds,” he said. “When I was named TOPS King, I was down to 170 pounds.”
According to the nonprofit, “TOPS® royalty are women and men who, at the end of the year, have officially recorded the largest weight loss from their starting weight, regardless of the time taken to reach their goal.”
Darnell received this title at the TOPS International Recognition Days virtual conference in July 2021. After all of his hard work, Darnell was ecstatic to be named State King, as well as reaching his personal weight loss goal.
“It was a blessing. I wanted to lose weight and when I started, I became really excited. Becoming King really means a lot, it really does,” he said.
Now that Darnell has reached his goal, he is not stopping his fitness journey. He keeps active by helping his wife around the house, going on walks, and tending to his father-in-law.
“My wife and I are going back and forth all day long, so that’s our exercise,” he said.
For anyone else looking to lose weight, Darnell shared his own useful tips that helped him reach his goal.
“Eat fruit, vegetables, and have good portion control. Watch what you eat and once in a while, splurge on a small ice cream from Dairy Queen,” he said.
For the program specifically, Darnell credits the TOPS food chart and weigh-ins for holding him accountable.
Darnell has been a Portage resident for 18 years, but lived in Hammond and Hessville prior. He’s always loved giving back to his community in Northwest Indiana, and he continues to do so no matter his age.
“I enjoy helping other people,” he said. “It gets me out of the house, it benefits others, and makes me thankful that I’m able to help those in need.”
Darnell also extends a helping hand to his three children and 10 grandchildren whenever he can, keeping him busy.
“The busier you are, the better it is for you,” he said.
To learn more about the TOPS program, visit https://www.tops.org.