I love my SW group but .....

[*Emsie*]

Yep its hard work however much you want/need to lose and different things are going to motivate different people in different ways amd differently at various stages probably too so one club/groups not going to suit everyone

 

[LisaIris]

Near the start of the year when lots of people were joining, I think I was on about my 3rd or 4th week & it was a busy class. One lady had lost 6lb in her first week but wasn't happy & wanted more. Our leader, in my opinion, spent way too much time chatting with this lady about how she could improve on this. Ladies the opposite side of the room were complaining quietly to each other "she should be thankful, I lost just 1lb my first week" & "move on, she should be satisfied with 6lb". I can't imagine how difficult it must be as the leader & trying to please everyone.

 

[*Emsie*]

Well yes because that woman obviously needed the support even though 6lbs seems a great loss and the c giving her the time may have helped her stay on track rather than thinking sod it its not worth it

 

[Hippopotamum]

I have to disagree about the negatives of the SW group talk, so I'll try to put my point of view across, sorry it's long!

I'm a serial switcher and go between WW and SW, I've just swapped over to SW from WW yet again! I find the 'talk' at WW incredibly dull, as much as I liked my consultant, and she tried to make it interesting, the topic was taken from the leaflet that week and was very formulaic and it lasted spot on 20 minutes. I only stayed for the class twice in about 6mths.

I'll admit I can't stand the clapping at SW (and I hate having to speak myself, I'm quite shy so I find it embarrassing) but I like virtually everything else. I like SOTW as it gives me something to aspire to (as I've already said, even though I'm really big, I just have little losses) and I love to hear how people are doing (maybe I'm just nosy! ) and we applaud a half pound loss the same as a 7lb loss at our group. Also, everyone hears each others stories every week, so I find out that the thin women (who at WW intimidate me!) have maybe lost 2.5st, or so, in the last 6mths and I feel like we have something in common.

It seems I'm in the minority here and it's probably more about familiarity for me, I've been doing SW for the last 20yrs on and off, but I find it all quite motivational, I don't find it demoralising when I don't lose huge amounts, I don't compare my losses to others, but I can be inspired by what others lose, especially when they've struggled, like me.

Wherever I go I always manage to find a really friendly SW group, who are incredibly welcoming and I'd really miss it if they changed to the WW style formal talk where we're all just faces in a crowd. x

 

[LisaIris]

I agree with some of what you've said there. I enjoy knowing that people have had losses, even if they've STS for a month. Some of the tips that come out about meals and/or books to try are often useful. It is difficult for the leader not to take time when they have so many new members who's names they are yet to learn.

The clapping part is a bit yawn but I can see why they do it. I also aspire to get SOTW.....hopefully I will.....bet it won't be this week though lol

 

[Littleslimmingbee]

I think if all consultants were really on top of their game, they'd be able to give an award to the person who's made most personal progress, had a particularly difficult week full of events and managed it all well etc.

it does seem fatally flawed, I won sotw lots my first time. .but at one point I could feel a little air of disappointment within the group. It didn't feel like it recognised everyone.

it is difficult, when others appear to find it all soooo easy. When your working so hard and i think you sound lovely and patient with yourself.

This won't matter when you're at target. . xxxx

 

[Saltwater]

I much prefer WW meetings to SW. My WW consultant used to congratulate those who had achieved 7lb awards, goal, 10% awards, then ask who was pleased/disappointed with their result but it was up to the individual whether to contribute or not. Then we would have a talk about the subject of the week but it was very relaxed and often ended up as a discussion.

The SW meeting I go to has about fifty members who stay to meetings, and it is boring and quite embarrassing at times to go through everyone. By the time this and the raffle has been done it is time for the later meeting. I also find it uncomfortable to make a target for the following week as we all know weight loss often varies from week to week. I must admit I get weighed and go.

 

[AnnaFaraday]

If so many people (and it frequently gets mentioned on this forum) don't like what happens at class, why does SW think they do like it? They must think that, or why would it continue?

If the customer is bored with it, I wonder how the consultant feels doing it every week.

Maybe it's time for a petition??

 

[Smilingsuzy]

Ah yes, SOTW or MBNA as it should be called (Manky Brown 'Nana Award). I haven't made it any secret that I think SW are missing a trick here and need a very long due overhaul of the 'group' concept because the diet itself is brilliant. They've been trotting out the same old, 'clapping' and SOTW etc for donkey's years. I know there are the SW members who love their group but I think for some people it can be very demotivating and frustrating and that is one of the reasons why I don't think you should hear what everyone else has lost each week unless you choose to share it (especially if they are SOTW and had 10 vodkas and a chicken tikka masala at the weekend). I think it's just best to focus on what you are losing and as long as it's coming off then that's good.

I have a lovely SW leader, but group is boring! I hate the great week what are you committing to for next week repetitive questions. It's worse since the brought in the hand heldsas I think the Leaders have less scope to deviate. Shame

 

[Littleslimmingbee]

ive just switched to doing it from home for many of the reasons listed above. I paid my weekly membership for two years, continued to go every week while at target and early pregnancy. ..and I honestly loved it.

but now I have a 2.5yo who in fairness to my recent consultant went out of her way to welcome the littles.. but I found I didn't get much from it because I was concentrating on her. also while the group was good, I just didn't have time to give up a whole morning or evening. . . After a while I just found it stressing me out. . id have a bad weekend, panic about not having enough time to weigh day to pull it back and then would lose it completely.

 

[Violet Shrinks]

I have a lovely SW leader, but group is boring! I hate the great week what are you committing to for next week repetitive questions. It's worse since the brought in the hand heldsas I think the Leaders have less scope to deviate. Shame

I've just gone back to SW meetings after a long break and I agree that the hand helds seem to have made the whole process more tedious and also more formulaic. When I used to go ages ago, they still went round the whole group, but if felt more natural and also seemed to move faster. The helpers asked us if we were staying for group as we got weighed and separated out our forms so that the leader could just go through those who were actually there, with no endless asking for/skipping past people who had left. Now it just feels like ticking boxes and drags on for ages. I am interested to hear how everybody has done, and in some ways I find the group disclosure of losses/gains part of the motivation of group - it keeps me accountable - but somehow it just seems less helpful and personal this time round. I don't have a major problem with SOTW - although I agree % would be a fairer way to do it, but at our group at least it is announced right at the very end, by which time people are getting fidgety and starting to leave, so there is no chance for the winner to share thoughts about how they had such a good week, which would be helpful.

 

[Smilingsuzy]

Our group was very interesting last night. Next to no one turned up, I think on account of the big challenge we set ourselves last week. Anyway the leader didn't have a lot of people to probe so it was a more chatting class, it was great.

In regards to SOTW I was surprised how it was handled. The person with the biggest loss wasn't in the room, so the SOTW prize became part of the raffle. In previous groups the SOTW applied to the people in the room to encourage people staying.

 

[Jeanne Von Buttonpopper]

If so many people (and it frequently gets mentioned on this forum) don't like what happens at class, why does SW think they do like it? They must think that, or why would it continue?

If the customer is bored with it, I wonder how the consultant feels doing it every week.

Maybe it's time for a petition??

Agree! I think it might be a case of if it isn't broke, don't fix it. But I think the wheels are falling off.

They are relying on their brand. It has a reputation as a good diet and it is. Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool and when you can see someone is losing weight you ask them how they did it and want to do it to. But if the group is so good, why are so many people leaving and why do the books command such a high price on eBay (because people don't want to join the groups). If SW were clever they would find out why people leave instead of just assuming they have fallen off and wagon and don't want to do the diet anymore as in a lot of cases this isn't the reality of it at all. In my personal experience the group was just too large and far too much emphasis was put on the clapping and losses part. I really wanted to learn and I felt I learnt nothing. That was the reason why I left as I have found everything I need here.