How does your group work?

[shrinking-sarah]

This is my 3rs attempt at SW one was years ago before EE and that was a good group although the leader used to tell us off if we gained she'd say stuff like " I think we're going to have to sew that jaw of yours up aren't we?" Needless to say I didn't last long there.

My second attempt the leader was fab, really supportive especially when I was struggling, a small friendly group that always ran at least 30 mins over! I dropped out as it was a late group and I had become a single mum so couldn't make the late group anymore.:cry:

My new group is odd. The leader reads out how much people have gained! I don't like it and I've never heard of that happening before. The group is small but very cliquey. On my first meeting, no one spoke to me, no one showed me where the tea/coffee, instead of all sitting in the chairs provided people where sat off in their little groups away from the set out area. I'm not sure in this environment I'll be able to stick it.:sigh:

What's your group like?
How is it run?
What are your social team like?

 

[bilsat]

Hi Sarah.
Sorry you have had such a bad experience with your groups.
I am lucky to have a great group with a brill Consultant who inspired me to join and stay the course!
Our group are a friendly bunch and if we see a new person lurking by the door looking, we go and chat to them and introduce them to the Consultant who is usually weighing people or taking the money etc.
As I usually only loose weight, if I gain any weight, I get applause, I am the only one who does!
Please stick with SW but ask around to see when other groups are......
Pete

 

[stivesliz]

My group is fab and I am on the social team so that's fab too but there are several posts on here saying that other groups and consultants certainly aren't!

SW has a basic structure to follow in their classes and each consultant may interpret it differently but I really would not be happy if a weight gain of mine was announced to the class!

Are there any other groups in your area? Or do you think you should stick with it and see if it gets better? In our group there are a lot of good friends there but I like to think we are always friendly to newbies so I hope that happens for you soon x

 

[alibalibee]

I only rejoined SW a 2 weeks ago and I have to say that my group is fab The Social Team are lovely, the consultant is brilliant. He's the first consultant that I've had that phoned me half way through my first week and asked how I was getting on. The consultant also has a strict *no humiliation* policy, and I know that he actually asked one person to leave because of this. If someone has had a gain, then yes he'll say *so and so has had a wee gain this week, but this is their X week this week, and have lost X lbs so far* and we always applaud their overall loss

 

[hollys nan]

Hi there, I get so upset when I hear stories of bad experiences and unfriendly attitude in group. Like stivesliz I am also on the social team, love meeting new people and I always sit with new members during IT to help them feel more comfortable. Also at our group if anyone has a gain our c just says "xxxx has had a small gain, but in xxxx weeks has lost say 2 stone!" Our group is very friendly and no one "saves seats" for others, we do tend to sit at different seats every week. I hope you have a more positive experience next time you go and if not then perhaps you could join another group elsewhere where the consultant and members are more welcoming.

 

[*Emsie*]

I think I read on here posted I think by Jaylou that it has been changed so c's do read out the gains now because there is no shame in a gain but I may be wrong. The C didn't read out the gains at the new group I joined last week though.
I like people to be friendly when I join groups etc although wouldn't like to be mobbed by people as I like to get used to the place etc

 

[shrinking-sarah]

It just felt like naming and shaming when she read out the gains. I don't like the idea of being humiliated if I have a bad week.

It sounds like there are some good groups out there. This one is my closest and as I don't drive and I'm a single mum so have to work around my daughter realistically it's the only one I can get to regularly.

I'm going to keep at it. I just know I'll end up not staying to group anytime I have a gain. Which is sad when that's the time I'll need support most.

 

[*Emsie*]

Talk to your c then and see if she will not read out the amount you gained as it won't be good if you don't stay for support when you need it x

 

[lilpixiesue]

I first tried slimming world years ago. I went along to a local group, and i hope this doesn't sound awful, but the consultant was huge. I don't have any problem with an overweight consultant per se, we all have our ups and downs with our journey and consultants are people too but she really was very, very big, and I found it hard to believe that a diet she was endorsing could be that good to be honest. I went to weigh in the next week and I had gained 1lb. Consultant asked me how i had done, I told her, she shook her head and tutted and walked away. No one spoke to me in group, I didn't even stay very long as I sat alone being ignored for 20mins before the consultant properly started the group and I felt close to tears,
I felt awful and never went back again.

Then, 4 months ago, I decided to try again. I have moved since the last time so a completely different area, different group. My group is ace The consultant was really motivating durin the new members chat, she was so enthusiastic about the plan that she immediately made me feel i could do it. It was when she told me I could have a full english breakfast and a glass of wine with dinner every day that did it for me. LOL

In image therapy everyone gets a clap. I love that. My C will find something positive, applause for overall weight loss, applause for such a small gain on a holiday week, applause for walking back through the door when you are currently struggling with your journey.

I have made some really lovely friends at group, people spoke to me from the first time i went, everyone welcomes new members really well, its a big friendly happy clappy group. If someone has gained then the C will say "you've had a gain this week. Do you want me to share the number?". Her big thing is "there's no shame in a gain" so it isn't about naming and shaming but just about acknowledging the gain and working out where it's come from. I am always happy to share my number if i've gained, other people aren't.

Everyone chips in with advice and talks to other members, not just the C talking to people one by one.

I am a target member currently (although i plan to reset my target once i have enjoyed a few free weeks!) but i still go to group, and stay, every week as I enjoy it so much.

I think i was lucky to find such a fab group first time i (re)joined (i don't really count the first time i tried SW as i never really properly did it) and it is so close to my house. We now have a new C as the other one left but she is great too, and to be honest it is the group memebrs that make the group as much as the Consultant.

 

[cheeky_chaz25]

I have been to 3 different groups and im so glad ive found my newest one the whole meeting is a really relaxed atmosphere, our C is an absolute blast she will share her ups and down with the class and I think thats what makes it the way it is, I had signed upto one a few years ago and the C was very this is the way the plan works if you arent losing weight then your just a liar about what goes past your lips, she even said her self that her personal (obvious) weight gains were a personal and private thing and she wasnt going to discuss them in class but was happy to shout out "oh so & so has gained 2lb this week and im not suprised"

 

[Shirleen]

Ours doesn't even say you've gained she'll say something like 'I know you're probably disappointed this week so what can you put in place for next week'
We have competitions each week and whoever gets a newbie on their team gets 1000 points! A new lady this week was seated by the consultant next to two target members and introduced, how fab is that? She used to be Area manager and has been doing it for 18 years and is clearly passionate about it, hence she has 420 members in the groups she does!
I wish every group had a consultant like her!

 

[Money-penny]

This is my first time attending SW so I guess I have nothing to compare it to except stories on here. So far my group seems to be average - I can relate to some of the good experiences people are having at group, but also some of the bad experiences.

My leader is generally ok, I wouldn't say she was the best consultant out there (still haven't been asked how I'm getting on and the group seems fairly chaotically run) but she's not the worst either and she does explain things well during IT. She reads out gains as well as losses but doesn't put members who gain down, rather she asks questions to see if it's for a good reason like a member having been at a wedding and encourages really good behaviour for the next weeks weigh-in.

I haven't had a gain myself yet but I can understand it might be embarassing for some to have this read out even if your consultant is nice about it. I'm not sure how I'd react in this situation tbh, I'd probably laugh it off as TOTM or water retention if I stuck to plan 100% either that or I wouldn't stay to group that week.

Half of my class seem very friendly and welcoming to new members but they seem to be the older crowd and as I'm quite young I soon run out of conversation with them lol but then there is the other half of the class (middle aged women mostly) who all seem to know each other out of group and are generally very cliquey.

There is one particular member who you just get this air of attitude from that she believes she is the classes 'star pupil' and seems to see new people as a threat to her perceived view of herself - if anyone loses more than her/gets more attention than her in group she has a face on her like a bulldog chewing a wasp! She has done really well losing several stone but it's a shame she still doesn't have the self confidence in her own success and feels the need to put the other members down.

I just try to ignore the cliqueyness and try to get on with everyone, I usually get there fairly early so pick a seat anywhere and if another member has a problem with where I'm sitting then that's just tough, because I've paid my 4.95 just like they have. Like the OPs group a lot of my group seem to sit off the main area in their own groups behind the seats specifically set out for us and this adds to the atmosphere that it's not a friendly place.

There are friendly people or I wouldn't have stayed at all, but it says a lot that none of the people who joined along with me are still attending and although it's a fairly massive class only about 20% of members stay for IT and that's being generous which is a great shame.

I think the main reason I still go however is to be accountable to someone other than myself for my weight - left upto me alone I will start 'cheating' - otherwise I'd very probably just do slimming world online all the time.

 

[audfen]

Our group is great i find the consultant so friendly and she never judges anyone. I recently returned from hols with an 8 and half lb gain (totally worth it) she didnt mention the gain when it came around to me she just asked did i have a great time then later in the week she phoned me to ask how i was getting on and if i needed any help with anything. Thanlfully ive lost 6 lbs since the big gain.
I weigh in on monday at a local hotel it started off with just one group at 7.30 but now there is lots of groups during the day 9.30, 11.30, 3.30, 5.30 and 7.30 if i miss the morning group i go to a later one. Another group has opened on wednesday in town which is great one of the members from the monday group has become a consultant for the wednesday group i am sure she will be fantastic to as she is a lovely woman.

 

[LittleFlutterby]

i have been to 3 groups- 1 is my group at 5pm, 1 is an earlier group at 1pm (if i need to get weighed early- but same C) and i visited a monday group (i get weighed tuesday) once-only because i needed to draw a line under my holiday- and i couldnt do it any other way than get weighed earlier.

I adore my C, and my group. even when i get weighed at 1pm i go back at 5 to my group. It's my social time- everyone knows me there and I have a few friends

I have always been made to feel welcome- even the first week when i was a petrified newbie- and I really was petrified. I was worried about being the biggest person in the room- which at the time I was. Julie (my C) has always been supportive and welcoming to new people- and I always sit by the new members table- so I have a natter with them when they're filling the forms out. I'm also a member of the social team for the group after mine, so I natter to people while I take the money too

Julie never reads a gain out. She says something like "so- what's happened this week?" (in a supportive way of course) unless its a half on then she says its a half. sometimes she does say something like "Mary has lost Xlb so far *clapclap* a gain this week?" but she doesnt say that to everyone- and if anyone wants to have it not mentioned thats ok

SW is all about no-humiliation- thats why i picked it. I needed love and support, not humiliation and negativity!

So sorry you had a bad experience- i think i am so lucky to have such a great consultant and group