Mention to anyone that you’re trying to lose weight, then hang on – everyone has suggestions, methods that worked, methods that didn’t work, theories on why it’s so hard, and plenty more. The fact is, if there were an easy answer, we wouldn’t have to talk to about it so much. One Chippewa Valley resident, however, believes he has found a strategy that may help locals struggling with weight loss: more talking.

“There’s a stigma when it comes to discussing weight and weight loss,” explains John Gyorfi, founder of “Weighing in on Health,” a collection of weight management support groups hosted by the YMCA of the Chippewa Valley. These groups are open to everyone regardless of YMCA membership, and John’s hope is to connect with those who desire to lose weight and have yet to find success using methods recommended by the internet, traditional medicine, and pop culture. According to John, “Instead of telling people what to do, we try to help them find what they need to help themselves.”

"The point is to connect with others," John Gyorfi said, which can happen without fees, health insurance, or any of the other barriers that accompany most weight loss programs.

John Gyorfi

This de-emphasizing of experts and rules sets “Weighing in on Health” apart from most other weight loss endeavors, but so does the background of its founder. John makes his living as a Realtor in the Chippewa Valley, and while several members of his family have careers in traditional medicine, and the early part of his work life was spent as a drug rep for a major pharmaceutical company, the “expertise” John offers was earned through his own weight loss journey.

“I have a food addiction,” he shares, “and for a long time, my idea of exercise was doing yardwork.” As a former college athlete, John knows what it’s like to be in shape, fall out of shape, and fight to regain a level of health and fitness, and he’s passionate about using his experience and knowledge to help others.

While John is charting his own course when it comes to establishing these groups in the Chippewa Valley, he is following a strong precedent set by other organizations that help their members through social support and processing the mental challenges of addiction and other wellness struggles, such as Alcoholics Anonymous. “The point is to connect with others,” he says, which can happen without fees, health insurance, or any of the other barriers that accompany most weight loss programs.

Weighing in on Health groups meet at both YMCA locations in Eau Claire, as well as the YMCA in Chippewa Falls. Visit ymca-cv.org/hip for more information.