Format of meetings

K

Kittyrose

New Member
Hi everyone. I have been going to SW for 5 weeks now and I must say I am very disappointed with the actual meetings. I wondered whether all SW meetings have a similar format?

We have a rather large group at the moment (around 36 members I thought when I did a quick head count) and after we have all been weighed the consultant goes through her PDA, calls out individual names and says their weight loss/gain. We clap and she has a quick chat with them.

It takes around 45 mins to get through everyone and, to be honest, I find this really boring! In addition I am quite a shy person and I REALLY hate having to speak in front of the group. I spend the whole time wondering if it is me next and getting all worked up about it, so it doesn't inspire me or make me feel integrated into the group.

At other groups (not SW) I have been to in the past the consultant has just given out awards, not talked individually and publically to everyone, and has then spent 20 mins or so presenting a good recipe or giving some tips or something useful. If I don't stay it seems so pointless to pay someone almost £5 just to weigh me every week.

Is this what happens everywhere? Or am I just unlucky?
 
Mines the same, I hate it to be honest! I really needed to speak to her last week,but couldn't get her alone. I really am stuck at the mo, despite sticking to plan 100% and need advice. Had to try and corner her and she just said its cuz I am at a healthy bmi now, she didn't offer any advice and just rushed off :=(
 
I think most are the same. Luckily my group only has about 15 people but it does get boring as some members talk for 5 mins or more. Our C does give a talk about new food and recipes but that only takes about 10th mins. I will continue staying as £5 is expensive to WI and I couldn't do it at home.
 
Sorry to hear that yours is the same Purple Star. My consultant hasn't spoken to me privately at all and its nigh on impossible to speak to her on the night. And really, at the end of the evening I just want to get away and get something to eat as, due to the way my day goes, I haven't managed to get home long enough to get any dinner!

We didnt even get to talk to her on the first evening as, there were so many new members, she gave the new members talk to everyone. I have no idea if or when I can ring her for help or advice and not sure I am getting value for money although the SW website access is very useful.
 
The "image therapy" format is dictated somewhat by the SW head office I suspect..
They go round everyone and clap those who lose or STS, and ask you what you did if you had a gain..
our does have a bit of a tips session before that, sometimes offering recipe ideas, sometimes talking about a bit of exercise ( was harping on about exercise balls the other day, they were on special at lidl or something :) ), sometimes a new product and how many syns etc ( very usefull to know that volvic flavoured waters have lots of syns etc )..
 
I think every group is that particular format... saying how everyone did, the exciting clapping etc...

What makes me stay to my group is the people in the group, we're constantly offering each other recipes, advice when things are going round, my consultant just kinda introduces the topic and we sit and chat for ages. (It's been mainly about some syn free sausages you can get from a local butchers .... everyones very excited about that!!)

Do you know anyone at group? If not, even though your shy, just say hi to everyone, ask how the week went that kind of thing. It's the people at group that I find offer the most support (especially if you bump into them at the local shop!!!).

xx
 
I appreciate your advice Stackhead, but its not so easy to speak to people when you are shy and they appear to have been going since the year dot and are already in little groups! I do know someone at the group but it seems that everyone sits in the same place every week and its not the done thing to change places! It takes so long to get through the clapping thing that there's not really any socialising time anyway

Oh well then - looks like I'll have to put up with it! Maybe I'll just stay on the weeks when I get an award. With any luck the group will get smaller over the next few weeks and it won't take so long.
 
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I never claimed to be the most confident person in the entire world, i'm pretty shy myself. It's all about knowing what you want out of group. I've been to SW twice before and once I just sat there and kept my mouth shut, and the other I didn't stay, needless to say I didn't stick to the plan for very long.

This time I knew I wanted to be involved, so on that first night I smiled and said hello to everyone. On the second I asked how the week went and on the third I made friends with the new people... who looked terrified!!!

As for getting through the clapping thing, are you able to turn up a little earlier to group? The socialising I do is before the talking starts, while everyone is getting weighed and the new starters are having their talk...

xx
 
My consultant encourages contacting her for advice outside of class hours: she said she's always there to listen if needs be, I did find the class abit hectic (2yo on arm to!) so if I need her to give me honest advice ever I'll call her mobile x
 
Mine is a large class. WI starts at 5:30. There are approx 40 people and by the time it opens the queue is halfway round the hall. We are very lucky if WI has finished by 6:30. I usually get weighed in and then leave.

She then talks through how everyone has done, and each person says a bit about what they did that week, whether they were happy with how they did, and what they plan to lose the following week. By the time this is done, she has a quick round of holding up food wrappers and asking us to guess how many syns are in them before rushing us out before the next class starts.

It's hardly worth hanging around for really.
 
I have talked to those in front of and behind me in the WI queue but then they go off to their 'own' places in the circle. I can't get there any earlier due to previous commitments - in fact I usually arrive about 20 mins late and tag on the end of the WI queue.

Tbh I don't socialise easily and find that part very stressful, as well as talking to the consultant in front of the whole group. I'm happy to get weighed, be shown a new recipe or be given some new information about the plan or nutrition or something similar and go home.

I shall keep going for WI but not stay every week as it is not helping - it is making me worried and stressed and I want to stick with the plan and not give up. Thanks for all the replies - its good to know that it is the same for everyone.
 
I think image therapy is crucial to successful weighloss for some people! By going thru everyone, and giving people a chance to speak, you can pick up useful tips, or help other members with thing thy may be struggling with that you have experienced yourself. Also consultants give their contact details out in the new member pack, so if you can't get the speak to them alone at group then just give them a call or a text-think positive and positive things will happen!!
 
thats why i stopped going to the meeting i found them so boring and people talking all the time when you do actually try to listen, i did go to one where they didnt do the image therapy bit as there was over 80 people who stay that one was ok
 
Personally I found that I had to 'buy in' to the Imagae Therapy. At first I found it really boring and patronising but now understand how it helps everyone there. Its only 45 mins or so of my week so I try and enjoy it by taking an interest in how others are doing and offering support where I can (even if its just a positive smile or passing comment in the WI queue).
 
my class is large around 40 of us stay. my consultant always sends helpful texts to us and calls you herself when you first start. she will also call you if you are struggling and need support. we can call her if we are stuck and she is very helpful.

The class format is the same and we give advice and tips to people who are staying on plan but not losing etc if if they have no reason why they have put on weight.
 
Hi our class consists of about 30+ and then there is another class straight after with the same amount our consultant is fantastic the format is the same she gives the newbies talk in the corner whilst we pay and weigh in then we sit and wait some people talk some dont we have the option to make a cuppa this is provided by the raffle money each week then we clap the losses and comiserate the gains and give advice, some weeks this is skipped out due to clothing sales and taster evenings we had a cocktail evening once too our c invites us to ring or text her when ever we need too. its sad that others do not manage to experience the same as it is important saying that maybe i just dont get out much so i enjoy the break lol:)
 
I think also that it is a two way street. You learn as much from the other people in the class as you do from the consultant. Strategies for overcoming difficult situations, new food or recipe finds, advice if someone is struggling to stay on plan. And of course, other people can learn from you! So instead of waiting for the consultant to impart pearls of wisdom be more proactive - the more you put into it the more you will get out.
 
Kittyrose said:
We didnt even get to talk to her on the first evening as, there were so many new members, she gave the new members talk to everyone.
I have no idea if or when I can ring her for help or advice and not sure I am getting value for money although the SW website access is very useful.
Click to expand...

You can text, email or ring your consultant during the week. They are there to support you - they don't always get back right away as some of them have other jobs, but they will get back to you.

You said there were loads of new members that week, yet in a later post you said it seems everyone has been going for ages......

Yes, some have gone for a long time and yes, they do sit in the same seats - so what? We get new members all the time, if someone sits in the place I normally sit in, I just sit somewhere else (but then I'm there really early so no-one normally does that!!)

People new to SW often complain on here about the format (there's been lots of posts recently) but it works. If you don't want the consultant to talk directly to you during Image Therapy then ask her not to. We have people who have their losses mentioned but don't talk to the group, the consultant just says "are you okay with everything", she says yes or no and we move on. It's not there to make you feel uncomfortable.

If you are starving and just want to get home for tea then why not take some fruit or a cereal bar to have after you have been weighed in?

I wouldn't recommend just staying the week you get an award, if you can't stay each week then the best weeks to stay are those when you are struggling - that's when you get advice and support from the group.

All that said, it is up to you. I really enjoy the group and get a lot from Image Therapy.
 
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