Golden Goalies – what to expect

Bea Loozer

You are very welcome to come visit us at one of our weekly meetings. But, you might ask, “What is a Golden Goalie meeting like?” Here are some things to expect:

– Each of us weighs in each week. Irene is our recorder, and she keeps track of our progress.

– Roll call. We’re not shy about announcing whether we lost, gained or “turtled.” Though we avoid exact weights, we do announce each week whether we’re up or down. Someone who has lost will win the piggy pot.

– We have various motivational challenges, so we take time to see how people “with envelopes” are doing. Has a member lost weight so can retain the envelope in hopes of winning its contents? If successful (losing for four weeks), she will win a few dollars (up to $14 as I recall); a gain means she will forfeit the envelope and try again later.

– News about members – that includes health news, birthdays and other items of interest, such as what’s happening with previous members.

– Business, if any

– Therapy – although that might not be a precise word for this part of the meeting, it is a time for us to share ideas and learn something new. Or sometimes it’s just a way to remember why we are in the group – weight loss, with fellowship as an added bonus. A volunteer from the group usually leads the “therapy.” Sometimes our leader Sharon brings in ideas, and sometimes we have a guest speaker who is not a member.

– We conclude with a joke.

We start off each Saturday with our meeting. Most of us are committed to the “long haul.” Many of our members have been with us for over 10 or 20 years. And that’s a pretty good way to approach weight loss. Those of us who have been overweight know that it’s best to lose gradually and then focus on maintenance for the rest of our lives with our friends. We invite you to give it a try.

Join us for support, motivation, shared wisdom and some good laughs. Weigh-in is Saturday from 7:00 to 7:45 a.m. in Room A-8, near the Cottonwood Library. The meeting starts after weigh-in. Contact Rita at 895-2559 for more information.