Gary Beasley of Andalusia knows he’s overweight.

And now, thanks to Scale Back Alabama, he’s making no excuses. He’s expecting results.

Beasley, along with his wife Cindy and family friend Jennifer Gentry, call themselves “the overeaters.”

“That’s our team name,” he said. “We didn’t get this way overnight. It’s what we did – overeat – that got us here, so it’s only fitting.”

The team was among the 20 or so groups to first sign up for the statewide weight loss initiative at Monday’s weigh-in at Andalusia Regional Hospital.

Valarie McCalman with the hospital’s marketing department said 15 teams were registered as of lunch Monday.

“We’ve got the rest of today and tomorrow for weigh-ins, so I think we’re going to have great participation,” she said.

Beasley said he has a weight loss goal of 100 pounds.

“At my heaviest, I weighed 347 pounds,” he said. “Now, I’m at 310. I have all sorts of health problems. I’ve had five aneurisms. I’m a diabetic. I’m on a C-Pap machine. And why? Because of my weight.

“I’m going to do something about it,” he said.

For those who would like to join Beasley and others for this year’s Scale Back program, weigh-in is today from 7:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. in the hospital’s first floor classroom.

Those who complete the contest and are on a team in which every member loses at least 10 pounds, are placed in a drawing for one of three grand prizes, the top prize being $1,000 per team member. There are also other prize drawings for individuals who lose at least 10 pounds, regardless of their team’s success, and still other prize drawings for people who have lost any weight and show up to weigh out.

For more information, visit www.scalebackalabama.com.