What am I actually paying for?

[SpaceAngel]

You can only do what is best for you.

I love Image Therapy. I am naturally nosey and love to hear how everyone has got on. I had one week where I had a 0.5lb gain and I was gutted as I had been following it 100%. If I had just weighed and gone home I would have ordered a takeaway and thought sod it. But it was all the other members and my SWC who said that it was probably just water retention (as I was my TOTM) and you can be sure that it would come off the next week. Lots of the other members said that they had also experienced small gains on their TOTM weeks. So I left feeling a lot happier than I was at weigh in and even more determind to stick to it 100%. And the next week I lost 3lb.

I also love to see if I have won Slimmer of the Week or to see if I have won my next 1/2 stone award. I also like to praise those who have lost and help those who haven't.

If Image Therpay really isn't for you then don't go. Stick to weighing at the chemist. But one weeks where you have gained, and are not sure why, then you can always ask us for advice.

 

[northernboi]

As I said in my original post, my intention in mentioning this is not to offend anyone. I absolutely recognise that many people find 'image therapy' very useful as a tool to aid their weight loss.

But, I don't. And many others don't too. I think it is reasonable to mention this issue - because it's something that a demographic of Slimming World members think and feel too.

Nannydi - if you're going to go on and be a consultant when you reach target (and I wish you the best of luck), you'll learn to recognise that everyone's different. What works for you, won't work for everyone. What motivates you, won't motivate everyone. What you enjoy about image therapy, won't be enjoyed by everyone. I'm sure you know all of this.

But you shouldn't feel annoyed because someone has critiqued an image therapy method in their class... it's fair enough. We're paying for a service and we're entitled to comment on it.

I'm still going to classes, and still staying for image therapy. For me, I can't see the point of going, paying, weighing and leaving. The sole reason for me continuing to go is that it's the only accountability for my weight I have in my life. I don't really speak to my friends about my weight, I'm single and I certainly don't discuss it at work. So the slimming world class allows me to focus, I guess, on weight for an hour a week. I might not do this forever... and I still hate the sessions, but they're a necessity right now if I want to be accountable for my weight.

But I'm not going to stop commenting on what I think about the class because people might be offended by it. They really shouldn't be offended, it's entirely legitimate for me to do so. My class does not involve many of the good things that appear to be happening at other groups. We do not have food tasting, or a handy tips session - we just literally sit around in a circle while the consultant goes through everyone's weight loss. She talks for 80 per cent of the time. And, yes, I find her false.

What I was trying to establish by starting this post was whether it was just my group that was not very good (and I think that's partly the issue here) or whether others felt the same.

I'm certainly not out to annoy or offend those with ties to Slimming World consultants. I'm a customer, making a point about my class that is legitimate. And I'm saying what others were/are clearly thinking too.

 

[Gene Genie]

I reckon i will go next week and if i still feel the same I will sort myself out to weigh myself every Friday (square with the boss finishing 15 mins early etc) and follow the plan on my own. Half the evening last night i was thinking i could get this support on Mini's and i know that I will get the help and advice i need on here as I have hovered round the SW board even whilst doing LT as i knew the day would come when i would have to eat again.

Gen x

 

[nannydi]

i'm not saying that anyone can't say what they think,bloomin heck i all for it but...... what i'm trying to convey is that there is good image therapy sessions and bad ones, good consultants and bad ones ,i know that but for any newbie reading this post they will think that image therapy is totally crap and it isn't it just depends on what you want to achieve from it, if you think that you want tester evenings etc suggest it after all your consultant is human too and knows she can't please everyone at once so if you tell her/him i'm sure they will be open to suggestion
the losing/gaining weight issue is unfortunaltely for you part of image therapy so if you stay then its gonna happen but i personally try that little bit harder every week so i won't gain!!!
i've gained once in 15 weeks so it worked lol
i don't want to get into arguements , that's not me but so many people need image therapy and enjoy image therapy i suppose i got a bit narked cos everyone kept slagging it off but like i said it all down to the individual so if you don't like it don't go!!!!

 

[SpaceAngel]

As I said in my original post, my intention in mentioning this is not to offend anyone. I absolutely recognise that many people find 'image therapy' very useful as a tool to aid their weight loss.

But, I don't. And many others don't too. I think it is reasonable to mention this issue - because it's something that a demographic of Slimming World members think and feel too.

Nannydi - if you're going to go on and be a consultant when you reach target (and I wish you the best of luck), you'll learn to recognise that everyone's different. What works for you, won't work for everyone. What motivates you, won't motivate everyone. What you enjoy about image therapy, won't be enjoyed by everyone. I'm sure you know all of this.

But you shouldn't feel annoyed because someone has critiqued an image therapy method in their class... it's fair enough. We're paying for a service and we're entitled to comment on it.

I'm still going to classes, and still staying for image therapy. For me, I can't see the point of going, paying, weighing and leaving. The sole reason for me continuing to go is that it's the only accountability for my weight I have in my life. I don't really speak to my friends about my weight, I'm single and I certainly don't discuss it at work. So the slimming world class allows me to focus, I guess, on weight for an hour a week. I might not do this forever... and I still hate the sessions, but they're a necessity right now if I want to be accountable for my weight.

But I'm not going to stop commenting on what I think about the class because people might be offended by it. They really shouldn't be offended, it's entirely legitimate for me to do so. My class does not involve many of the good things that appear to be happening at other groups. We do not have food tasting, or a handy tips session - we just literally sit around in a circle while the consultant goes through everyone's weight loss. She talks for 80 per cent of the time. And, yes, I find her false.

What I was trying to establish by starting this post was whether it was just my group that was not very good (and I think that's partly the issue here) or whether others felt the same.

I'm certainly not out to annoy or offend those with ties to Slimming World consultants. I'm a customer, making a point about my class that is legitimate. And I'm saying what others were/are clearly thinking too.

Are there any other classes in your area? It may be worthwhile experiencing another class to see if it's your class that is not to your liking or if it's the whole "Image Therapy" thing?

I think it is important to applaud peoples weightloss but I can see it from another point of view that it can be seen as fake and patronising. I also think it's important to help boost the moral of those who havn't lost.

 

[Charisma]

i enjoy going to get weighed every week, gives me something to work at slimmin world for. i also like sitting and listenin to how much people have lost cause im nosey too. i dont think my consultant is fake she is really nice and friendly and helpfull. also she says her group is the best in the area for weight loss and its been going the shortest time.

 

[Mair]

I think it depends on both you personally and the consultant. I haven't been to a sw class, but used to go to ww. The first time I had a great consultant and lost about 16lb before I moved and had to stop going. After putting it all back on I started going to a new class but didn't like to consultant and the way she ran the class and put on weight because she didn't motivate me at all. I never actally got to know anyone at either of the classes. Rather than go through that again I've forked out £50 for the sw postal membership as I know I can lose weight on my own, and now I've joined this forum I think I'll get much more encouragement and motivation from the people on here than I would at a class. Just reached the end of week 1 and 1.3lb down so it's going ok so far.

 

[Force Ten]

My class has to be out of the building by a certain time, so we don't have time to do tastings which is a shame. We are looking for another building in the same area where we don't have to finish quite so quickly. The consultant is great and very friendly and not false at all and very helpful on the phone or email if I have a query about anything. It is a bit boring having to sit through all the weight losses, but if someone has put on weight she still congratulates them on having lost so much weight up until then, so no-one is left feeling upset. She then tries to find out why they might have put on weight which is quite interesting sometimes and gives me clues on why I might not have lost as much as I thought I had.

If we can't find another venue, I might try another class which is a bit further away, run by the same consultant to see if they have tastings there. We do have a raffle every week and SOTW and SOTM.

We have one guy who has been coming for months and just comes in, gets weighed and leaves again and has lost 17 and a half stone so far!!!! He has a lot more to go but comes religiously every week as he says he needs the discipline of coming to get weighed to keep motivated. The consultant takes a special interest in him and speaks to him on the phone every week to make sure he's doing okay as he doesn't stay to the class. I think he feels embarrassed to stay actually as he is still very large. But every so often the consultant makes him Slimmer of the Month even though he's not there, just to make him feel good.

Obviously every class and consultant are different. It might be worth trying another class if there is one in your area run by a different consultant?

 

[mod-karen79]

i don't like staying to class, but feel awkward legging it!

i think if you have a great consultant then class is brilliant - but in my experience they're a rare find. i would have to drive for half an hour to attend a class by a consultant who i like. there's about 6 classes within a 5 minute drive from me but the consultants aren't very good... no offence to them. i just find i can only relate to the ones who have a laugh and take the p*** a little and not the ones who are a little over enthusiastic!

i wish they'd do a saturday morning class or a 7am class through the week that i could get to before work.

 

[dehli]

I hated the clapping when I first joined, but I've been going for months now, and its nice to see the same old faces, plus the new ones, and I love hearing how they're all doing. My consultant is fantastic, she makes the meetings fun and we all have a laugh. I know that if I didn't stay to image therapy I would have fallen off the wagon a long time ago.

 

[AmandaJayne]

if you don't like staying to image therapy and you think its false then simple answer...........................


don't!


but do you have to moan about it and rip it to bits there are people who do stay because they are genuinly interested in how other people get on and to get a bit of praise!!!! me being one!!

i know quite a few consultants and none of them are what you call false, i have been approached to be one when i get to goal will that make me false?????

don't condemn folk you don't know

its all down to the individual if they want to stay to image therapy like i said in earlier response but like i just said there is no reason to sit and rip it to bits

if you think you can do it without going to class go ahead you may succeed you might not
only time will tell


and the idea about lining everyone up from biggest loser to lowest reminds me of being at school


i am quite proud of my fellow slimmers in image therapy as they are of me and i am quite sincere (as most people are if you ask them ) when they have lost weight and i will applaud accordingly.........and if they have had a gain then at least they have support to try and see why


i don't normally rant on here but this has got my back up
if i have offended anyone then sorry

Ouch!

I've been finding this thread really interesting so far. Thanks for starting it, Northernboi.

I too have been to loads of different classes over the years and some suit me more than others. I must admit, I've never been to any which highlight people who have gained weight, and I would not go back either. I would feel bad enough 'failing', but to have this pointed out to everyone publically would be too much - in fact I'd probably cry too:tear_drop::tear_drop:.

There was a WW class I attended successfully for quite a while and the consultant would tot up all the lbs gained from the whole class and tell everyone at the end. This huge figure sounded so impressive, and much more motivating than dwelling on the negative.

I am doing CD at the moment and it suits me to do the one to one consultations just now. I get the rest of my support from reading threads like this on Minis. I just love browsing around the site, getting advice, and learning about other peoples' experiences - good and bad.

I hope you find a class/consultant that suits you some day, Northernboi. Stick around here on Minis anyway, you won't regret it!

AJ