Thread: magazine stories

Is it just me or does it bug anyone else that as soon as you look at the stories in the mag you know that everyone in it has gone down to a size 10.The women and blokes have done a brill job at loosing all their weight but can't they put stories in of people that have gone down to a 12 or a 14,as this is the majority of people.

And most of the time it's only people in the mag who have lost a lot of weight.
it would be nice to also see people who may only have lost or stone or two x

Interesting thread!

I do agree everybody that's at target looks a right skinny Minnie and not 'average'

Mrswilsoncroft, I have about 6st to lose, and always read the magazine and think everyone has only lost a stone or two and aren't like me (except for the massive losses!).

Had you tried emailing and offering your feedback jojo21? They may take it on board! x

Mrs S - I agree, I think a lot of the most recent cover stars seem to have lost around 2st. That's absolutely brilliant, obviously, and any weight loss is an amazing achievement, but I personally prefer reading the stories about people who have lost more in the region of my own weight loss, as I think it is easier to identify with those who have similar losses to your own. I think it must be hard for the SW magazine people to get the right balance between having people in the magazine who have lost say, in the 2st region, or a lot more, as there are so many people on SW who have lost such varying amounts and a lot of magazine readers to cater for!

Yes i have thought about contacting sw about it but thought i sound it out on here first.There are alot of women(myself included) who will never be a size 10 and sometimes i feel that showing alot of target members that have got there might be a bit demoralising for those of us who are struggling either to get to our own target or maintain where we are.

I think they have to go for the most inspiring stories/pics and although I agree with you and wish there was more target members at size 12/14 I'm not sure that thats what they will show.
As someone who came from a size 28/30,dreamed of getting to an 18 and made it to a size 14 I find it disheartening to see stories of people who start out at my target weight an the story is about how big and unhealthy etc they were but I think people who start out at size 14 ish would think sw wouldn't be any good for them if the after pics were of people the size of their befores.
Not sure if that makes sense but it would be nice to get more of a balance in the magazine perhaps.

I know exactly what you're saying emsie!

I suppose this is why everybody's lifestyle and diet plan is unique.

I look at some before pictures on here and other pages, and I think to myself that if I was their start weight, I'd be delighted with myself and would no way be dieting! Yet they've lost 2,3 or 4 stone and look amazing too!

I suppose having never been a 'normal' size, then normal will suit me fine, however people that haven't always had a weight issue will want to get down to a low target size, or to be skinny!

I'm not knocking people that have less to lose at all by the way! Just wish my head had clicked a long time ago and I didn't have as much to lose! x

No I'm not knocking them either I'm really happy for them that they are realising at a stage when they are able to prevent some of the long term effects (saggy skin,stretchhhhhhhh marks and other delights) and its important that the pics are out there to motivate people to do it but alongside some pics to motivate those of us that are happy to be a bit bigger too!

I only ever bought the magazines for the recipes and I don't bother now, as the books are much better value.

I regard the articles in SW magazine as simply adverts for SW! And believe them about as much as I would believe any other advert.

Originally Posted by jojo21

Yes i have thought about contacting sw about it but thought i sound it out on here first.There are alot of women(myself included) who will never be a size 10 and sometimes i feel that showing alot of target members that have got there might be a bit demoralising for those of us who are struggling either to get to our own target or maintain where we are.

Just wondering why you say you will never be a size 10? Fair enough if its not what you'd like to be but I thought I would always be BIG and never thought I would be a size 18 let alone a 14 and still think its very unlikely that I will be a size 10 but its not impossible and looking at your stats you arent that far off.
Jessikaslashes before and after pics are amazing and a great example of what can be achieved I feel

Originally Posted by *Emsie*

Just wondering why you say you will never be a size 10? Fair enough if its not what you'd like to be but I thought I would always be BIG and never thought I would be a size 18 let alone a 14 and still think its very unlikely that I will be a size 10 but its not impossible and looking at your stats you arent that far off.
Jessikaslashes before and after pics are amazing and a great example of what can be achieved I feel

Really agree with this. I was saying 'I would never be a size 10' (when secretly thy what I would love to be) until I read some of the stories and now I think that I can be and that is my goal ;-)

I have to agree with sculls. Sometimes I think I've set a goal that's too low for me personally, but then you read some of the stories and you can identify and see that at some point they, too, may have also felt the same, but they did it.

Originally Posted by *Emsie*

I find it disheartening to see stories of people who start out at my target weight an the story is about how big and unhealthy etc they were

this!

I am nearly at target, am a comfortable 16, verging on a 14 in some places, but have no desire to be a size 12 or 10. I do intend on sending in my story and pics to the magazine when I reach target and would love to be in the mag. I think it is important that SW show target members like like this- I will have a healthy bmi when I get to target even though I won't be a tiny size. I doubt I would get on the cover though, as ultimately, the cover has to sell the diet and the magazine in the shops, and a size 10 is mre likely to do that than a size 14/16, no matter how much weight they have lost.

Originally Posted by jojo21

Is it just me or does it bug anyone else that as soon as you look at the stories in the mag you know that everyone in it has gone down to a size 10.The women and blokes have done a brill job at loosing all their weight but can't they put stories in of people that have gone down to a 12 or a 14,as this is the majority of people.

I have to disagree here, i've bought the mag since i started SW in 2009 & they do have stories of people at varying sizes, just take a look at back issues. And they also show people who only had a small amount to lose like i did.

Slightly off topic but i am currently a large 12 and was discussing my target weight at group and was discouraged from wanting to get to 9 stone and friends family seem to be saying the same. I would love to be a size 10 and dont see why i should be made to feel bad about that