Free to Go

[frugal fifer]

I was wondering if anyone had experience of the free to go option that SW do for 11yr+, have you gone with one of your children, had others with children at class? Just curious, especially as the new EE plan would be better for my DD to work with.

 

[Principessa N]

We have a young girl at our group, think she's about 11/12 and comes with her gran and she said last week she and her gran had been doing EE, she also told us that monday was there treat night and they got fish and chips on the way from group, i'm pretty sure she doesn't get weighed every week (or i just miss it) but she's always at group and always hands in a food diary.

 

[jaylou]

From what i understand, there is no weighing and measuring. They can have all red and green free foods and also healthy extras (no weighing cheese etc). They are encouraged to cut down on "treats" and our consultant always says to them that they should "make the best choice". So if there are chips and jacket potatoes on offer at school dinners, they should choose the jacket. I would say EE would fit in with that. It's all about cutting down on the treats and eating a bit more healthily really and thinking about food a bit more. I think there's some info on lifeline online too.

 

[frugal fifer]

Thanks for the replies, I want to help my DD have a balanced healthy attitude to food and I think this may be the way to go, it will be a couple of weeks before we can get back to class but EE seems a really healthy way for her to go.

 

[Jennyonaplate]

From what I understand the child goes free, but accompanying adults have to pay. They used to do a family rate but not sure if that's still the same.

It's a very good way of getting children to undertand about healthy eating as it doesn't put any pressure on them to lose weight or restrict things, they're just advised on making healthy options and keeping treats as treats and not regular snacks. In my old class a young girl used to go along and she was only ever asked what healthy options she had made that week, rather than how much she'd lost.

 

[Rachelina]

When I was at class last year there was a young girl there with her dad, she was weighed every week but the emphasis was clearly on weight maintenance while she grows into her weight rather than weight loss, although she did lose the odd pound every now and again, I think they have to have more healthy extras though than the rest of us and yes it was all about making healthy choices, I think its a fab idea, my daughter is 10 and I wish she was old enough to go, as she does need to lose about 10lbs really, she follows it with me at home mostly so I don't see the difference