Thread: What format does your class take??

I was at my SW class with my sister last night and we were chatting about the format that it takes and what the CL actually does throughout the class.

At my class, the first half hour of class is for payment, WI, looking at books in the shop etc. The class leader is never there, sometimes she is inducting new members but when there are no members I have no idea where she is or what she is doing. She then appears for the second half of class to lead the discussions and take questions etc. The payment desk, WI and the shop are all manned by 'helpers' - usually there are 4. I was just quite surprised that there are so many helpers and just wondered if this is normal?

Our class is really quite chaotic. I've only been there a month and have met some really amazing people so there's a good Group atmosphere, everyone very helpful and friendly and very encouraging of one another. So I'm really happy with that aspect of it and have even made a couple of new lovely friends.

However, there are sixty people in the Group and it's just way too much. I'm terribly fond of our leader, she is so sweet, but the class is simply too big for her to handle. On our first night she got confused about EE and asked us just to read the books as she couldn't seem to get her head around it. That's fine, I'm an adult and knowledge is power after all so I've read voraciously around the topic. There are a shocking number of members though who seem to be grappling in the dark as nothing was ever really explained.

The class starts at half five and because there are 60 members, weigh-ins take the bones of an hour. Then it's an hour sit-down and everyone goes through their losses/gains. So there is no image therapy as the sheer size of the class is so prohibitive and it's pretty loud too.

Our leader has about six helpers.

I stay for the first hour to have my WI, catch up with a few people and have a little chat about how we're doing but then I go. I get more use out of going on to Minimins and getting the support and advice here. I probably should stay for the duration but I find the last hour quite tedious and not particularly helpful. Each to their own I guess!

Yes, that's pretty much normal. I mean, a C can't be expected to take pay, weigh people, run the shop and meet & greet new members all at the same time.

The "helpers" are known as the social team, and will do the basic admin jobs whilst the consultant focuses on meeting and greeting new members and talking them through the plan. Weeks when there are little or no new members, our C walks around group chatting to members 1:1, etc.

This should go on for 30 minutes, and the C should then take charge of the group, armed with her PDA, and begin Image Therapy. This can last various times, depending on group sizes.

I joined SW this week and whilst I'm loving the eating plan, books, magazine etc, I actually found the class (image therapy?) very dull. Our consultant is a very sweet lady, with her heart in the right place. Unfortunately the actual class seemed to just be a big moan-fest of how badly people were doing, although most had lost a bit this week. The consultant tried to be positive with them, but seemed a bit out of her depth when trying to get them thinking along a more positive line. One lady even started crying! It's a shame, because I really wanted to stay to class each week, but this experience has put me off. I bought a 12-wk countdown, so does anyone know if I can just go along to a different class instead or do I have to stick with the original class I joined?
Thanks!

Originally Posted by bmthsue

I joined SW this week and whilst I'm loving the eating plan, books, magazine etc, I actually found the class (image therapy?) very dull. Our consultant is a very sweet lady, with her heart in the right place. Unfortunately the actual class seemed to just be a big moan-fest of how badly people were doing, although most had lost a bit this week. The consultant tried to be positive with them, but seemed a bit out of her depth when trying to get them thinking along a more positive line. One lady even started crying! It's a shame, because I really wanted to stay to class each week, but this experience has put me off. I bought a 12-wk countdown, so does anyone know if I can just go along to a different class instead or do I have to stick with the original class I joined?
Thanks!

Aww thats a shame!! No you can go to any class and once you find one you like just re-register there!! It wont affect your countdown and you wont have to pay a joining fee xx

I am a member of the social team. I used to be on the pay but have moved to the shop now, prefer that to be honest. I love being on the social team, chatting to members old and new. I always go and sit with new members at the start of IT. Wow, 60 is a big group and to take an hr weighing in, the queue must be massive! I think the format for all the groups is pretty much the same. I think if you can stay to IT it helps your weight loss as you can get so many hints and tips, but there again I suppose it depends on the consultant. Ours is fab, she starts with any info from head office, asks if anyone has made anything they want to share with group. Sometimes we have taster sessions as well. We have quizzes, competitions and fun She then goes onto the awards, personal weight losses etc, then we have the raffle and slimmer of the week with the fruit basket. Love group and have made so many lovely friends. But I am a chatty people type person and love meeting new members

The class I attend is very boring and I have been to many, all about as entertaining as sticking pins in my eyes. I just don't find it very motivating to listen to other people talking about how many buckets of lager they've consumed or how many laughing cow triangles they've had on their scanbran that week. I only do Green days and all the chat and tips are aimed at the EE folk, so I don't find that helpful. I go to class though, because if I need the public weigh in to keep me going!

Originally Posted by lardylady

I only do Green days and all the chat and tips are aimed at the EE folk, so I don't find that helpful. I go to class though, because if I need the public weigh in to keep me going!

I do Green as well. I sat through class last night and didn't really get much from it because everyone was talking about what meat they had found that was free. I do usually enjoy the class though so hopefully that was a one off. The public WI definitely keeps me motivated!

Originally Posted by VeggieBev

I do Green as well. I sat through class last night and didn't really get much from it because everyone was talking about what meat they had found that was free. I do usually enjoy the class though so hopefully that was a one off. The public WI definitely keeps me motivated!

Me too, that's what keeps me on the straight and narrow. I have struggled for nearly three years now with home-weighing and I'm finding the public weighing every week really motivating!

I've found that the classes vary wildly. At my local class it would take at Lear an hour to weigh in then 25min of IT where she went round everyone's week individually. The was no shop and she ordered in the books except hi fi bars. Sometimes I had to weigh in after the class if it was really busy and people were arriving to wi at the next one. I stopped going when I hit target as I didn't feel I had to get value for my money.
I did go to a different class to help out a friend when she started and it was so different. There were loads of books to see and she only did significant losses, she had a whole bookshelf to browse through and even a taster evening. Wish I could have kept going but it was really awkward time wise.
Basically it really does depend on the consultant and I'd say if you don't like the class change, it'll really help

I've been to two SW groups. The first had about 15-20 people, a new member would come once every 3-4 weeks, we all knew each other and supported each other.

The second was HUGE. There were a number of groups spread over the day, each had 50-90 people, there were about eight people on the 'social' team and only two members spoke to me over the space of about three months. The C insisted on going around every single person, group took about two hours as a result (1 hour weigh in, 1 hour IT).

Although I preferred the first, SW clearly much prefers the latter, and the performance pay structure for the Cs (the more members, the higher cut they get of the takings) encourages them towards this.

Originally Posted by Sio

I've found that the classes vary wildly. At my local class it would take at Lear an hour to weigh in then 25min of IT where she went round everyone's week individually. The was no shop and she ordered in the books except hi fi bars. Sometimes I had to weigh in after the class if it was really busy and people were arriving to wi at the next one. I stopped going when I hit target as I didn't feel I had to get value for my money.
I did go to a different class to help out a friend when she started and it was so different. There were loads of books to see and she only did significant losses, she had a whole bookshelf to browse through and even a taster evening. Wish I could have kept going but it was really awkward time wise.
Basically it really does depend on the consultant and I'd say if you don't like the class change, it'll really help

Very interesting how classes vary. She sounds very good, the only thing I would say is that you say "she only did significant losses". To be honest I think thats wrong personally, because if you have a loss no matter how small its significant to the member. I had many weeks of just a little half pound but it was significant to me. I think if small losses werent mentioned but large ones wered, that would de motivate me. Others however may disagree. Just my take on it.

* sorry were

Originally Posted by hollys nan

Very interesting how classes vary. She sounds very good, the only thing I would say is that you say "she only did significant losses". To be honest I think thats wrong personally, because if you have a loss no matter how small its significant to the member. I had many weeks of just a little half pound but it was significant to me. I think if small losses werent mentioned but large ones wered, that would de motivate me. Others however may disagree. Just my take on it.

You are right Holly's nan, everyone should get their time in the spotlight, no matter what they have lost or gained. The I in image therapy is Individual, each person getting their time.

As for the books posted about earlier, consultants have to buy books upfront so maybe she couldn't afford it.

Originally Posted by AbFab

Our class is really quite chaotic. I've only been there a month and have met some really amazing people so there's a good Group atmosphere, everyone very helpful and friendly and very encouraging of one another. So I'm really happy with that aspect of it and have even made a couple of new lovely friends.

However, there are sixty people in the Group and it's just way too much. I'm terribly fond of our leader, she is so sweet, but the class is simply too big for her to handle. On our first night she got confused about EE and asked us just to read the books as she couldn't seem to get her head around it. That's fine, I'm an adult and knowledge is power after all so I've read voraciously around the topic. There are a shocking number of members though who seem to be grappling in the dark as nothing was ever really explained.

The class starts at half five and because there are 60 members, weigh-ins take the bones of an hour. Then it's an hour sit-down and everyone goes through their losses/gains. So there is no image therapy as the sheer size of the class is so prohibitive and it's pretty loud too.

Our leader has about six helpers.

I stay for the first hour to have my WI, catch up with a few people and have a little chat about how we're doing but then I go. I get more use out of going on to Minimins and getting the support and advice here. I probably should stay for the duration but I find the last hour quite tedious and not particularly helpful. Each to their own I guess!

Which group do you go to? Sounds exactly like mine!