Unpaid SW Consultants?

[Browsie]

Just wanted to also point out that there is a basis of the plan in the SW mag. By making this available to everyone SW themselves are advacating that people are able to follow the plan to some degree when they haven't even joined a group. You can also buy the books on the SW ebay site which you don't have to be a mbr to do. Potentially you could do the plan without any outside help at all. But people need the emotional support which I think is the majority of people use this for.

 

[hollydollystar]

I'm a paying member and don't give two hoots about people who don't pay vs people that do, but I do get the impression a lot of the non paying members are weighing on a sat or sun morning in the nude to weigh as little as possible lol!!! Believe me if I could get away with it at group I would but I do hate waiting til 7pm on a Monday so slightly jealous of the non payers in this respect!! Good luck to everyone who's still trying and not given up

 

[lickthelid]

I pay and weigh in the nuddy because I do it from home as an online member. Plus surely if they do the same every week it's no different to weighing in the evening as long as you do the same every week? Consistency is key

Like you say most of is don't care about who pays and who doesn't. As has been pointed out many times this is a free forum where we share support, both technical and emotional. We all choose what we give and what we don't. I, for one rarely see anyone demanding information, it's normally preceded by a nice message or a "hello how is everyone - can you help me" type message. If I come across a syn query that isn't accompanied by a "please" I generally choose not to answer it, but that's basic manners and nothing to do with anything more than that. There is no sense of entitlement here, as there shouldn't be, except among the few who believe that being able to afford the membership gives them exclusive rights to information that, if we are honest is A readily available via the net if you chose to trawl to find it and B is largely rooted in common sense anyway. Not one of us is expected to give out info or does so under duress. Its nice to be nice and who knows your support may change someone's life. I could never have done this without the support I receive from my friends on here. My life is better because of a combination of begrudging wasting money so I know if I shell out for online I will bloody well stick to it and this forum.

 

[Laurenypop]

End of the day it's up to the paying member a to decide of they want to help the ones who do not - I am a paying member and don't mind answering a couple of the interesting ones. But I do hate the randomers who just come on here to ask a syn question and then bugga off until the next time in a few weeks.

It's the paying members responsibility. I Definitley don't like people at work who keep expecting me to give them free information and to sit down on my lunch break and 'go through the plan' with them. I keep saying 'join SW and see for yourself' but everyone wants a freebie I guess! Lol. Can't blame them

 

[Cheekypasterfield]

I've read the whole tread and it is a really good debate (if you take out any personal direction at people)

Personally I'm not fussed about HOW you've come to SW whether be a regular paying member, a join 1st class get the books and go or you're a Internet surfer/ebay'er and got the info a different way.

What's important is the WHY and there's no denying it everyone is here for the same reason....We want to lose weight.

We're a diverse community, we all contribute different things and it works! Yes that may mean paying members might contribute on SW information but non paying members can contribute support/advice. It's all contributing to a great working community

Enough of me xx

 

[hexe]

I am a paying member and I really do not mind that my shared knowledge may benefit people who are not attending groups/are not online members. At the end of the day, SW is not cheap, ok, not super expensive either, but people on a very low budget would certainly feel the pinch. I believe in solidarity and helping out people who may not be as lucky as myself. It doesn't hurt me and I am sure it doesn't hurt Margaret either.

 

[SarahButterfly]

I've read the whole thread! I can see both sides really.

I joined weight watchers first a couple of years ago, and did it online. I had no classes or no 'proper' support and effectively I wasted my money because I kept cheating and not following it. Then about half a year later I joined the class and spent a lot of time properly understanding the plan etc. Once I'd been going to the classes maybe about 6 months I left and did it from home (not paying) using the knowledge I'd already gained and the support of the WW board here at Minis.

During my time in the groups at WW I spent a lot of money on the books and WW products so I didn't feel bad about doing it from home by myself.

Now I've realised that I can't do it from home very well so I'm joining a SW class on Monday. I don't know how long I'll go to the classes for as I have problems with depression and anxiety so it might be that once I've grasped the basics I switch to online, but I'm hoping to go to the classes for as long as I have the money to.

It doesn't really bother me that some people do it alone from home. Not every one can afford to join a slimming club, but weight loss is important for health and confidence, so if someone wants to lose weight then I'll help as much as I can!

 

[Cheese Thief]

I've just read the entire thread, what an interesting debate!

I'll be perfectly honest and say that its not something that's ever crossed my mind before. Mini's is an amazing source of advice and inspiration, the kindness and generosity of the members in dispensing advice and support has made it such an invaluable place for so many of us on our weight loss journeys. I never suspected anyone might have a problem with that until I came across this thread. I don't give a hoot whether or not someone pays money to SW or not, if they want to lose weight and ask for help, then I'm going to give it. I can see though that there's a massive difference from someone who wants to know a syn value or has the odd question, to someone who wants the whole plan explained to them. I've never seen a post like that myself, but they can jog on, I doubt any of us has the time for that!

I was a SW member for the first 8 months of my weight loss journey and now I follow plan myself from home. I never really got anything from group apart from a lot of clapping and a few stickers. When I started working shifts, changing groups every week was a rubbish experience. I only ever stayed for the WI and often had to drive 10 miles or so just to do that! For me in the end the decision to leave was a no-brainer, plus I could use the money I saved to join the gym. Since then I haven't really looked back, but I do think joining group initially to get the books and get your head around the plan properly is a good idea. Support wise though I've always found Mini's beats group hands down.

I always try to see both sides of the argument so can see the sacrifices the OP has made to be able to go to group. When you're struggling to budget for something and others get the same weight loss results without paying I can see where the annoyance comes from. Hats off to you though for making sacrifices and putting your health first, but honestly if you don't think you're getting much from group now then I don't think that'll change in the future. At least it didn't for me.

Anyway, sorry for the rambling off-tangent post.

 

[ladybird23]

Well Cheese Thief, you have brought the thread right back to the beginning! I said in my OP that I had gained a huge amount from this site in answering queries and getting motivated. On the day I started the thread I had come across a few posts from people who wanted the whole plan explained to them and that was what I was getting at. (Admittedly some of the posts were quite old). I personally would have trouble doing this alone - even though I can't always stay for the whole meeting, knowing that I'm going to be weighed at the group is the psychological "push" I need at the moment. (And the fact that I'm paying over 5% of weekly income to SW so I'm damn well not going to waste it!). I appreciate that some people have been to a group and paid their money and now feel confident enough to go it alone - maybe I will be like that some day.

An open forum is for debating issues just as much as it is for answering queries and helping each other out, and generally people here have given reasoned views - but I don't see the point in wasting energy being sarcastic or vindictive to a poster on an online forum. All that achieves is to show up those who can't enter objectively into a debate, rather than the person who began the debate in the first place.

Thanks for putting across such a well judged response! (And by the way, your own SW journey has been a great source of inspiration to me)