What is your group meeting like ???

[Wish me slim]

Hi, my name's Cheryl and I go to my local weekly meeting. Ive been going since last June & and really struggling, Ive lost about 18lbs so far, I had lost more but have put some back on

I really feel that my meetings arent that good, over half the members dont stay. The leader, who is temp but has been with us 6 months, weighs until i get there, then she talks to newbies whilst I finish the weighing. The talk goes on for longer than the weighing so we are sat waiting for her & people tend to get bored & go.
She then goes round the group, little chats along the way which are all very similar each week, does the raffle then its all done.
I have mentioned that previous leaders did games, recipes, talks etc & her rely was that she does that sort of thing in her other groups
Im not sure if its because they are her groups & shes meant to be temp at ours ??

I really feel(&so do a lot of other members) that we should walk out feeling positive but at the moment its just like a waste of our time. I think this is why i am in stale mate & not losing and dont feel i can do it x

What happens at your meetings?

 

[josephsmummy]

I absolutely love my meetings and my consultant is fab. She talks about all sorts of different things and is always really positive. If people are having a bad week and are worried then she calls them the next week to see how they are etc.
Is there another meeting you can go to as it sounds like you are not getting the proper sw experience? X

Sent from my C6603 using MiniMins.com mobile app

 

[lardylady]

I have never found a SW meeting to be inspiring, as it always boils down to the Consultant going around the group and talking to each person individually. I am just not interested if Doris drank a bucket of lager and put on half a stone, or if Hilary has discovered a new thing to do with Scan Bran. At every group I have been to, there is usually at least one annoying child running around and shouting or someone speaking loudly into their mobile, or having a loud chat while the Consultant is speaking. I probably sound like a right miserable old bag, but that's the reason why I don't stay to group any more. I still get weighed every few weeks now I'm at target but you would have to pay me to stay nowadays.

 

[MaccaMarsh]

I agree that it's very much about the consultant and how they handle things. Our consultant is totally lovely and yes, although she tries to get round everyone for a chat there is a lot of "audience participation". She also puts some time aside to discuss things a theme each week, which often corresponds to the latest things on the website, or maybe upcoming events in the calendar such as Valentine's, Easter etc etc. Also she injects a bit of competition by awarding points for weight losses and awards, which two team captains keep tally of. It doesn't mean anything, but it's an extra bit of interest and there is the occasional shameless points "prostituting" which raises a laugh.

But I have been to some of her other groups and the vibe is very different, so I don't think it's entirely about who is leading the group because she uses the same formula for all four groups. In other groups the mix of people is very different, for example in the early session there are a lot more "senior" members who for some reason don't tend to be as engaged as the generally younger (working?) crowd that we get at the later session. The Wednesday night group is different again, very busy as it's still a single session and I find it a bit overwhelming. If there is apathy in the group then the consultant needs to work on that, but the people who stay will only get out of it what they put into it. It does seem like she is approaching it with a rather temporary attitude though, which is a shame if she has a winning formula in her other groups. Also if there isn't a permanent social team that won't help her either because she's messing up the timing and possibly a bit stressed because of that. Our social team are weighed in and ready to start bang on 7pm so that the consultant can focus on the new members and start group proper at 7:30 prompt.

I was a member of a different group a couple of years ago and the consultant there was very different again (and slightly bonkers!). She had the chairs arranged in a "theatre" style whereas in this group we sit in a big circle which I think also encourages people to contribute when you can see the person talking and be interested in what they have to say rather than looking at the back of their head!

I echo what josephsmummy said, maybe visit a different group in your area and see if you like the feel of it better? Different people and different ideas may be what you need to get you motivated again. Or even try another of the same consultant's groups so that you can note the difference between what she normally does and what she's doing for your group. Good luck hun!

 

[haileyhaiz]

I've done Weight Watchers in the past so going to a SW meeting I found very different but I love going to group! Our consultant goes round the group and discusses what people have lost/gained etc and how they've done it but I personally find it inspiring. We all discuss recipes and things online or in the new magazine along with the raffle! Each to their own, think you just need to find a group you like! Good luck

 

[prettykins]

I used to go to a really good group (in Hull), the consultant was brilliant, she was really motivational and friendly etc. I actually looked forward to going and she always managed to make everyone laugh! She didn't go around each member doing the losses, the whole class was about food recipes etc and stuff people genuinely want to hear about.

I go to a different one now, just because it's more convenient( right after school drop off and right next to the school), but I never stay to class as it bores me to tears and feels like a waste of time. I takes so long to go round everyone individually, and obviously it is boring to most people!
The old consultant was told to change her class format and now she has to do this aswell, I think it's new rules since they introduced those handheld things (PDAs ?).
I loved the old class I went to, may go back to that at some point.
I wonder if you can leave feedback in the Sw site about this? I will definately have a look .

X

 

[MaccaMarsh]

Our consultant only works with the PDA about once a month because the session doesn't flow as well (and takes longer). The rest of the time she just goes around the room. I do think they are encouraged to spend a minute or two with each individual member rather than just general chit-chat, but I suppose it's how they do it that's important and can dictate whether it's interesting (or not) for the audience. But I still think the group themselves have a big part to play. It can only take a little bit of merriment from someone to lift the mood, and if people are disinterested even when they're getting their "couple of minutes" it's no wonder the group feels lacking in energy. Perhaps a bit chicken and egg, methinks!

 

[chocolatefudge]

I love my group. Everyone is really friendly and the consultant is brilliant. I seem to learn something new every week and I love the food tasting at the end- she puts so much effort into it.

 

[lydia150970]

My consultant is amazing. She keeps in touch with us all during the week with text messages and emails. We have taster sessions about 4 times a year. You know that she's really committed to every single one of us. IT is great as well she's funny and makes it interesting and worth staying for. I literally can't rate her or her meetings highly enough. I struggle with my weightlos becuase of my medication, although its not impossible for me to lose weight, I only tend to lose 1/2 or 1lb a week but because of my consultant my motivation stays high.

Having the right group and right consultant is the key to success in my opinion.

 

[Snozzberry]

My consultant doesn't use a PDA but just goes around the old fashioned way - when I joined there was a temporary consultant who also didn't use one because the members has said they prefer the way it works that way. I go to a Saturday morning meeting and whilst there seems to be a lot of people coming through the door, not that many actually stay, which I prefer as it makes the meeting go a bit quicker. Last week he had The Boss visiting and asked people to stay if possible and the meeting was rammed. As a result it went on for what felt like a fortnight. I was about half way round and was bored loo of before he got to me. That said, this is the only SW meeting that I have ever made the effort to stay to regularly because I don't totally hate it and I really like the other members. My husband is changing jobs after Easter, which will mean I'll have to change groups if I want to stay to group, as I don't see my 2 year old tolerating a meeting, although my 5 year old would probably be fine. I am dreading this as the other meeting I can get to easily is the Tuesday night one that I joined a year ago and it was tedious as fook there.

 

[Mummy4kids]

I have been to quite a few SW groups over the years and have never stuck with them for very long. Mainly because I've never ''clicked'' with the consultant. I've been a member for 2 years now and love my consultant. He contacts us through the week and I know I can always text him and he'll always get back to me. His classes are fun and informative. Even if I've had a bad week, I wouldn't dream of missing class.

 

[Tanyalina]

Another quick q on this topic, we never get the certificates or magnets like others do? Is there a reason or do many not got them. I was a bit gutted when I didn't get one for my 0.5 stone award xx

 

[Snozzberry]

I got a sticker for my half stone and got a certificate and sticker for my first stone. What are the magnets for, not seen them?

As I said before, our consultant never used the PDA and although it was the bog standard "go round the group" thing, he did invite opinions from the rest of the group if someone was struggling and always started the meeting by asking if anyone had cooked anything different that week. He never really bothered with SOTW (apparently they had always left lol) and never mentioned SOTM once in the 2 months I have been at this group. I dislike both so this sat perfectly well with me

 

[ladybird23]

The old format of going round the room for everyone's weight loss and the clapping etc. can be very tedious. My consultant is absolutely lovely, but she doesn't do a great deal more than the round the room, awards (we do seem to get everything - I was SOTW last week and I won the hugest basket of fruit, veg and other stuff - everyone is asked to bring one item to put in the box even if it's just an apple - sticker and magnet), the raffle and usually that's it. I think though because it is a large group and there's never time for much else. She is quite good if someone decides they're going to describe every morsel of food that passed their lips in the last 7 days, and she will gently get them to shut up. I tend to see how many people are staying and then decide if I'm going to stay. I know there was over 70 people through the door a couple of weeks back and the majority of them stayed so I didn't. There's only so many times you can hear "xxxx has lost half a pound!" CLAP CLAP CLAP, "Well done!" "Good for you" until you actually expire with utter boredom.

I have wondered what I'm doing some weeks paying almost £5 to stand on the scales and then go - but I'm afraid it's all in the mind with me - I've got "WEDNESDAY WEIGH-IN" etched on my brain and I really do need to do the weighing at the group - and as it appears to be working the fiver is worth it even if I don't stay.

 

[Mrs CC]

I've just signed up to online as I wanted to go back to SW but couldn't face the meetings. The way my shifts are means a morning meeting would be better for me, but I tend to find with the morning ones round my way that they're full of old dears and young mums using it as a bit of a coffee morning.

It's not something specific to SW though, I went to WW and there was a group of retired ladies there every week without fail who seemd to put on every week. They huffed and puffed at me once cos I sat next to them and their friend who turned up half an hour late couldn't sit with them as a result. I stopped going to the meeting when I went back to work, but I still see them the odd Friday morning coming out when I nip to the shops. It just puts me off ever going to another group.