Unpaid SW Consultants?

[lickthelid]

The reason I haven't been back lickthelid is because I spent half of the day (and night as you can see from the time of this post) in a hospital. My opening post was carefully worded, and some of the responses have been quite enlightening as to why people don't attend groups - and made me think again to some extent. I don't think there's any need to resort to personal insults on any forum, I merely asked for other poster's opinions - but you seem to have taken a very extreme view in your posts and then point a finger at me because I wasn't online for a few hours! There's really no need to get so worked up about a post on an online forum!

As with another thread about SW groups, there seems to be quite a few people who are not overly impressed with the format of SW groups - as a relative newbie I did wonder if mine was the only group which seems to just be "weight lost - clap" "sts or gained, "oh dear, never mind what will you do next week?". Then we have SOTW, the raffle and then we all go home. I'm kind of waiting for something else to happen!

Thanks to all those who responded with their reasons for not attending or doing it online - as I said right at the beginning, I'm not here to offend anyone I was just eliciting opinions from both sides of the fence. And of course everyone has the choice as to whether they respond to posts or not. And yes, I do see that this is a support system regardless of what route your journey to losing weight is taking. I don't wish anything other good luck to anyone who is battling with the old "fat demons"!

I think you are slightly overreacting here. Maybe a nerve was hit. Also there were NO personal insults so I'm not sure why you even said that.

And what? It's ok for you to play devils advocate and not for me to as well?

At the end of the day I said it was a bit out of hand and for you to single out me rather than everyone else who defended themselves...well.

You, on an open forum, post a gripe about something that you KNEW, in fact stated, may cause offence. It wasn't a question or a problem, it was a moan that encompassed a good number of this sites members (ironically not me, but a lot of people that I like and respect) You can't then plead innocence when people actually disagree with you.

 

[lardylady]

The elitism and apartheid comments were tongue in cheek. Not for the first time you have read my posting faaaar too literally.

Not for the first time have used this "Ooh, I was only joking!" get out clause. You seem to use this excuse faaaar too much.

 

[lardylady]

If SW did have an official forum then the advice would come directly from the organisation, or at least be moderated by their staff, so I doubt that's why they don't have one.

No, they do actually give that as one of their reasons for not having an official forum. I read on the official SW site that people can (with all good intentions) give out misinformation about food optimising and that's one of the reasons why they don't have one.

 

[lickthelid]

Not for the first time have used this "Ooh, I was only joking!" get out clause. You seem to use this excuse faaaar too much.

Maybe because I never take myself or anything too seriously. And funny how I have only ever written that in response to you and none if the other 100s of users of the site? Clearly the nuances are often lost in lack of "real" speech but if you took the time to actually read around some of the things I write you would realise I rarely set out to cause offence and am normally just taking a light hearted swipe at some of the more "conservative" offerings.

Ask yourself how likely it is that I REALLY think the OP is advocating apartheid or elitism? I mean REALLY?!!

I refuse to take this...any of this seriously. Its hilarious the responses generated. This place is supposed to be a source of information, fun and like-minded friendship. Not a dry, boring serious information only website. That's what the FAQ on the SW site is for.

ps why would I need a "get out clause"? I'm not trying to get out of what I have written!

 

[Violet Shrinks]

As with another thread about SW groups, there seems to be quite a few people who are not overly impressed with the format of SW groups

I'm not sure if you are referring to my recent thread about whether or not to keep going to group, but just in case I think I should clarify that when I say using this site for support I mean moral support and community, not consultant type information and understanding the plan. It is precisely because I don't think that my group is providing this kind of moral support that I'm thinking about doing it from home. I have all the plan information I need, bought and paid for several times over - literally, I have more than one set of books from when I have (re)joined in the past!! What I am debating is whether what I am paying for now - i.e. the discipline of getting weighed in group each week and image therapy is worth £4.95 per week. For some people it certainly is. For me I'm not so sure - that is what I'm mulling over. I certainly get more out of this site in terms of motivation than I do from my group or my consultant. SW don't offer an forum, so there is no option to join an 'official' site for this kind of support.

 

[Llamasoks]

Apartheid? Elitism? Blimey! Give the OP a break! If I had to live on a limited income and chose to spend some on attending SW classes, I would also get a bit annoyed at the free advice given out here. Having said that, some of the advice here is not particularly good, which is one reason why SW do not have an official forum!

Chose being the operative word here, you could easily have chosen not to, to "scrounge" off us lovely advice giving members, and the difference is, none of us would have judged you for it, or felt aggrieved that you were trying to change your life for the better even though you hadn't paid to do so.

Advice is free here! Support is free here! Friendship too! Changing your lifestyle is not just about paying to get weighed.

Should people who buy books from official suppliers get annoyed that other people get them from charity shops, because we're not supporting the author? Second hand bikes? Cars? I mean come on, we're not supporting our businesses here! The problem with all this is there's not enough room for people to just get on with their own lives without being judged.

 

[Violet Shrinks]

This thread has really got me thinking!! so here are some musings, as a tangent to the original post...

The diet industry in general makes most of its money out of people (like me) falling into the yo-yo diet trap. If everybody joined a plan, got to goal and left thin forever, it would not be the multimillion pound industry it is. Only about 10% of people who lose substantial amounts of weight (on any weight loss programme) keep it off permanently - that is actually a pretty low success rate considering how much we collectively pay for the various weight loss services out there. As individuals we keep trying, because the alternative to give up and pile on the lbs, with all the associated health issues. I suppose what I am saying is that I don't think we should 'feel sorry' for the diet industry, SW included, if we choose to go it alone sometimes. Nor should we feel 'obligated' to keep paying for any service if we don't feel we are benefiting from it. I have bought my SW information legitimately - that doesn't mean I'm obligated to pay to go to group every time I want to use this information. If my consultant, who is an independent business woman, wants to keep getting my £4.95 a week, then she needs to provide a service that I feel is worth paying for on a weekly basis, in the form of useful and helpful Image Therapy. I know that lots of consultants out there do just that. But I'm not going to keep paying £4.95 of my money and give over an hour of my time to stay to a group that I don't feel is helping me at all - that would be madness!!! However, people who are going to group and finding that it really suits them and benefits them will find that it is £4.95 very well spent indeed.

Anyway, just some thoughts prompted by reading this thread...

Ladybird - I'm sorry to hear that you were at the hospital last night. I hope you and you family are ok. Good luck with your SW journey, and please do keep posting and let us know how you are getting on.

 

[ladybird23]

Thank you Violet - getting intimate with hospital wards is unfortunately part and parcel of caring for an elderly person! And no, I wasn't originally referring to you in my OP - I had stumbled upon a lot of threads with people doing SW from home and it got me thinking, that was all. It was a reasonable and legitimate opinion I put forward and it was interesting to see the replies. I didn't expect anyone to get quite so hot under the collar about me opening a debate - after all - that it what a "forum" is - a platform for debate. Most did join in the debate with some sound reasoning.

I think you are quite correct in what you say in your last post. My group consultant is lovely, just lovely - very bubbly personality, good sense of humour and looks great - but yes, I have to admit that I do find the group meeting a bit tedious. A couple of weeks ago over 70 people came through the door - no they didn't all stay, but a lot did. Today the group was much smaller for some reason and I thought we'd get the weight losses over quicker and maybe move onto something a bit different, but it somehow didn't work out that way! I know at the moment so early on in my journey that I need the discipline of someone else weighing me in every week, and determined to get my money's worth, I stay on. (And it gives me a couple of hours away from the caring regime). And however nice a consultant is, you are right in saying that she, and SW are businesses and they have to provide a decent service otherwise they will lose their customers.

 

[Happy Holidays]

I've just read the thread from start to finish, and thoroughly enjoyed the debate, however, I'm now wondering what group I fall into, I was a paying member until I reached target 12mths later, I've been at target for 4 years so don't pay when I go to group, does that mean I'm now a free loader/sponger?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

 

[jaylou]

I've been putting off replying to this but can't ignore it any more....

I have been a member for years, in and out of target, paying and not paying. I have no issue with those who go it alone, in fact I take my hat off to them as I simply could not. In the early days of being on here I would answer loads of questions, offer advice and give support but found over time that if advice wasn't agreed with then it would result in a bit if a slanging match, especially if offering the "company" line, so I've pretty much stopped answering a lot of threads. That's my choice. We all choose what info to give out on here, syn values, healthy extra amounts etc. some are more helpful than others.
I don't think that this forum could ever take the place of a consultant, in fact the "online image therapy thread" is far from that, there's a lot if misadvice given out on there, and on other threads, which would make any consultant shudder.

As for groups, the clapping, the weight losses, the boring stuff and waiting for more.... There is no more, that is group, that is Image Therapy. It's sharing, asking for help, giving advice and support with the consultant there to guide and make sure advice shared is correct. If more people spoke to their consultants and stayed to group there would be a lot less "how much free food, bananas, mullers, pasta can I eat" and "should I eat my superfree before or after my meal if it's not on the plate" type threads.

 

[MollyMolly]

I'm one of those who do attend group weekly.

Well ... I say 'attend group' but what I really mean is shoot through the door (early so I can get weighed sooner rather than later), pay, jump on the scales (more like tiptoe on the scales actually - in the mistaken superstitious belief that this is somehow going to make me weigh less ) and then run out the door to go home.

All that sitting round in a circle navel gazing, clapping and watching people squirm as they make excuses for entirely predictable gains REALLY isn't my cup of tea (it's like a bloody AA Meeting for goodness sake ) Don't get me wrong - I like my consultant and if I had a problem/query regarding the plan or my losses then I'd ring/message him and ask away. But it hasn't happened yet

Now I'm fine with that - I choose to go to group because the public weigh-in aspect keeps me on track and I have no intentions of stopping going to group. But all in all SW have had 6 months of subscriptions from me so far (actually x 2 as I pay for my daughter to come with me and she doesn't stay either) for very little return. That's a total of £257.40 for two plastic wallets, two sets of 3 plan books, a number of printed certificates and shiny stickers and access to a website that I've only ever used to check syns a few times when I first started and my daughter has never even logged on to.

In the spirit of getting value for my money, I am therefore more than happy for others who don't pay (for whatever reason) to benefit from my financial outlay. I don't think I've ever been in a situation where concern for the profits of a big business concern trumps just being kind to people and helping them out, without judgement, if I can

 

[ladybird23]

I've just read the thread from start to finish, and thoroughly enjoyed the debate, however, I'm now wondering what group I fall into, I was a paying member until I reached target 12mths later, I've been at target for 4 years so don't pay when I go to group, does that mean I'm now a free loader/sponger?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

No, it makes you a success story!

 

[OpalLilyEats]

I'm one of those who do attend group weekly.

Well ... I say 'attend group' but what I really mean is shoot through the door (early so I can get weighed sooner rather than later), pay, jump on the scales (more like tiptoe on the scales actually - in the mistaken superstitious belief that this is somehow going to make me weigh less ) and then run out the door to go home.

All that sitting round in a circle navel gazing, clapping and watching people squirm as they make excuses for entirely predictable gains REALLY isn't my cup of tea (it's like a bloody AA Meeting for goodness sake ;-) ) Don't get me wrong - I like my consultant and if I had a problem/query regarding the plan or my losses then I'd ring/message him and ask away. But it hasn't happened yet

Now I'm fine with that - I choose to go to group because the public weigh-in aspect keeps me on track and I have no intentions of stopping going to group. But all in all SW have had 6 months of subscriptions from me so far (actually x 2 as I pay for my daughter to come with me and she doesn't stay either) for very little return. That's a total of £257.40 for two plastic wallets, two sets of 3 plan books, a number of printed certificates and shiny stickers and access to a website that I've only ever used to check syns a few times when I first started and my daughter has never even logged on to.

In the spirit of getting value for my money, I am therefore more than happy for others who don't pay (for whatever reason) to benefit from my financial outlay. I don't think I've ever been in a situation where concern for the profits of a big business concern trumps just being kind to people and helping them out, without judgement, if I can

I just have to say WOW and a massive well done! Your weight loss is amazing - you've achieved a lot in 6 months losing 1/3rd of your body weight! I think it was worth every penny

 

[MollyMolly]

I just have to say WOW and a massive well done! Your weight loss is amazing - you've achieved a lot in 6 months losing 1/3rd of your body weight! I think it was worth every penny

Thanks Hon And yes - I'm a bit of an 'all or nothing' person who just hates wasting money (hence I have long hair so I don't have to pay for haircuts every 6 weeks lol) so the weekly subs are in themselves a good incentive to stay on track, otherwise I'd feel that I might just as well have burned a tenner.

 

[Gwella]

Haven't had time to read all this but joining in to subscribe as I'm intrigued as to what people think.

- I find the support on here at least as helpful as the support at group. The support at group is mostly from other members - the consultant is very nice but we don't really get one-to-one support beyond a bit of extra encouragement or ideas for things that are lower in syns (usually involving sweetener, which I avoid). I like to come here for slightly more introspective psychological rambling and hearing other people's!
- To be honest now I know the plan, I use the SW website for three things only: working out syns on foods that have a free food allowance, finding out new Hexes, and figuring out syns when eating out. It's not a great site.
So I guess what I'm saying is that if I didn't find being weighed weekly helpful, and if I was struggling more financially, I'd be very likely to save myself the money too, especially if I still had a long way to go to target. But that means I can ALSO see how it might annoy people on a tight budget who DO pay subs to have people on here relying on them for the info. I think it's probably fairest to go at least once and get the books, and that'll be a great help anyway.

On the whole on this site I stick to joining in with discussions about emotions and support, looking at where people might be going wrong, and giving/getting ideas, rather than getting into detail on how the plan works, syn values etc. (Actually, people in my group also ask for syn values and so on - don't know why they don't look online!)

All that said, SW is such an effective healthy plan that I think 'hang it' and I just want everyone to know about it! I think it should be borne in mind that for people who really are overweight, the NHS will sometimes pay, and this really should be open to more people, and common knowledge.

 

[jaylou]

I stopped answering posts and queries long before I became a consultant. We are not employed by SW, we are self employed, operating under a franchise.
That said, yes, I would rather people joined a group but unless they were joining mine, I wouldn't benefit anyway!! I just thing you get the best advice and support from a group.

However, i have now retired from this job!

 

[*Emsie*]

Similar could be said for many areas that people find information on via the net, mechanical issues, illnesses, pet problems in the way that the professional would probably rather people came and paid them for the advice/services they can give but it is a facility that is now available to be used so it is going to be used.

As has been mentioned though the advice given may not be 100% accurate and people should always check but then the professionals can be known to make mistakes too

 

[AnnaFaraday]

I belong to lots of forums. This one, a local information forum, a local history forum, a DIY forum, the Answerbank, a Tripadvisor forum on the place I regularly go on holiday, a diabetes forum.

They all work in the same way - people asking questions and offering answers, opinions, solutions. All for nothing, all for the love of it, making new friends along the way. This sharing of information is one of the great strengths of the internet.

 

[Browsie]

WOW!!! I have read this forum with interest and....well where to start!

To Ladybird the OP, fair enough you were just asking a question to gather opinions. However, you did start by saying you intention was to not offend people. This in itself means that it may be a little controvertial and raise peoples tempratures a bit.

Lickthelid - I think it is difficult for people to interpret the written word as just tongue in cheek as there are no facial expressions which usually give the game away. However, I have never thought of your posts as being anything other than a bit of fun and as someone else has pointed out you do use the 'I was only joking' reasoning for a lot of what you post. Because quite frankly thats what it is!! Some people will just simply not get it unfortunately.

On the debate I think the reason why there are people who pay for classes on here in the first place is because they onlyget the support they need for one hour every week. No matter what a cons says they are not there for you 24 / 7. There is always someone on here to help and thats what all people who are trying to lose weight need. Someone to be there no matter what. I have had people who have been mbrs of SW while I haven't calling me at all times because they have txt their cons and they simply haven't got back to them. Live and let live, we don't all think the same life would be boring if we did!!!

 

[jen3]

I couldnt give a damn if people on here are paying members or not - so what, they're saving a fiver a week that I'm paying.

Personally I NEED to go to class and once I got used to the happy clapping I even enjoy them. Someone mentioned AA? Its exactly that - I will go to SW for the rest of my life else I'll fall off the wagon!

People who have never been members though - do you find it hard? I've explained it to a work colleague and even gave her a copy of the plan but shes still as confused as hell "why cant I have this, that or the other?" Because sw says you cant!!! Its ok as shes back on the 5:2 now so I'm getting a rest from the endless texts!!!

I love this site for advice, tips, recipes........and sometimes just a lol thinking "oh yeah I can identify with THAT"!!!