Extra Easy What should "group" do?

sweets154

Full Member
Hi, I'm new here and have think I have read the forum rules but sorry if I've got something wrong!

I have now been to two SW sessions and am finding the eating plan is going ok for me. The consultant has tried to convince me to stay for the group rather than just "paying to get weighed" and says that people who stay for group tend to be more successful. But I've found it sooooo dull. The consultant fiddles around with the PDA and we slowly go though announcing all the losses/gains, although mostly there is a bit of looking around the room before saying "oh no she's gone". At the end of the list it's the end.

I don't get it. I'm not getting how that is helpful. What am I missing?:confused:
 
We always share tips and recipes and our consultant always plans a little thing to say - maybe a product to try e.g mug shots the list of losses ect is done but uses as an opportunity to share. I have been to others who do just the names and losses but normally they try to discuss good points and tips. I find staying to class motivating but maybe I wouldn't if it was like you say! Is there no sharing???
 
Sounds like your consultant could improve the topics she talks about during image therapy. Mine isn't particularly good, but she at least tells everyone about anything coming up, any new products that are SW friendly, asks if anyone has had a bad week etc. In the past the going through the sheets (old school paperwork!) was a standard of most SW classes, but in recent years (and stints at SW), I've noticed that the company seem to be moving away from this as a week in week out activity. Sometimes I think it's great so you get a chance to speak about how you're finding things, but the same thing every week gets very dull. Give it another week or so, and if it's still just as dire, see if there are any other groups you can transfer to.
 
When the system worked with paper sheets, the weighing-in person would say "are you staying tonight?" and put the sheets into two separate piles. The consultant would then take the sheets for those people who were staying and leave the others.

However, when the electronic system came in, there was no provision for marking who was staying and who was going home. From what I hear from my consultant, this drives them absolutely crazy! The PDA presents them with all the members who have weighed in and they have to go through all of them, whether they stay or go.

Which is why she is peering at the PDA and looking round the room, trying to work out who is there! And then it takes so long that there is no time for anything else.

My understanding is that SW are planning to make a software change which will resolve this problem - not before time!
 
Thank you for your replies. I'm surprised how little sharing there is in the group. I haven't really spoken to anybody as there isn't any opportunity. To the gainers she says "is that what you were expecting?" and if they say yes she says "well you can do better next week" and if they say no she says "would you like to hand in a diary". It's a bit formulaic. Tonight one other lady piped up that maybe we could miss the list and just volunteer if we'd had a good week or not and have a bit of a discussion. The consultant giggled like the lady was joking! I approached her afterwards and said I thought it had sounded like a nice idea and she said she's said it before several times : (

Glad to hear a software update might make things a bit more fluid.

I'm really enjoying this forum and made lots of notes from it which is great.
 
I think the other thing to consider is that you have joined at the busiest time in the SW year, many people join up at the start of the new year as part of their new years resolutions, and having got christmas out of the way they have now decided to focus on sorting their weight.

So classes are busier than they are normally, the consultant will be dealing with people she/he hasnt been able to learn all the names of yet and there will be far more people to get round to talk to and less time to do it in.

Stick with it, invariably some people will drift away, the Consultant will get to grips with all their new members names and be more able to identify who is there and who isnt and will have more time to discuss with the group the new information available and recipes and ideas.

Studies have shown that those who do weigh and stay lose better than those who dont. And really, who wants to pay a fiver for something you could get for pence in the chemist?
 
Would be a bit mad to pay a fiver to just get weighed but atm I don't think I'm getting anything extra by staying so either way it's a fiver, in fact staying incurs additional parking costs! But that's a really good point about how busy it may be at the moment - I'll stick with the staying and see how it settles.
 
I have to say our group is exactly the same and it's unbelievably boring. She also talks to prospective members first so group is always late starting. I preferred the ww group, consultant was their whilst you weighed in, did not go around each member asking the same question and new members had a talk at the end after they had a chance to see class in progress.

Our consultant when using paper sheets did not separate them so she did the same thing looking to see who was still there.
 
I also have to agree!! This is the 3rd SW class I've gone to and none of the consultants are what you would call inspiring or charismatic!! Although this one is better. I don't see the need to go individually around absolutely everyone in the class to see who lost or gained what. Pick some out for discussion if u must. last week took so long several ladies got up and left and I don't blame them. I'm sure there are wonderful consultants out there but evidently not the ones I've been to!! Saying that, I love SW and am sticking with it but as for the classes, WW were definitely slicker, more interesting and better organised. unfortunately I can't bear to count anymore points so SW it is!!!
 
JaxieD said:
I also have to agree!! This is the 3rd SW class I've gone to and none of the consultants are what you would call inspiring or charismatic!! Although this one is better. I don't see the need to go individually around absolutely everyone in the class to see who lost or gained what. Pick some out for discussion if u must. last week took so long several ladies got up and left and I don't blame them. I'm sure there are wonderful consultants out there but evidently not the ones I've been to!! Saying that, I love SW and am sticking with it but as for the classes, WW were definitely slicker, more interesting and better organised. unfortunately I can't bear to count anymore points so SW it is!!!

I think you are perhaps being a little unfair. If people pay and stay to group, I think it is reasonable for them to be made to feel acknowledged as an individual and engaged in a little discussion about how they feel things are going. Yes, this can take some time in a bigger group, especially at the moment - but if the consultant delivering the IT isn't good at moving things along, or discussing things interestingly, that isn't the fault of the member who has as much right to be there and talk about how they are doing as any other.

The current busy spell will make things more focussed on getting through the WI results and as I said, this will be made harder by the influx of new members who are yet to be recognisable to the consultant - and also allow less time to get through anything else of interest, but if I paid my fees for a group and got ignored through it, I would be rightfully upset.
 
Ditto MLM! Image therapy is called this for a reason! It stands for Individual Motivation And Group Experience, therefore having the need to discuss each personal individually. It's part of what makes SW as good as it is. It proves invaluable if you at having a bad week or struggling with something as someone else in your group may have been having a similar problem and come up with a way round it. I always stay for class if I'm not working
 
I am also a great believer in IT.
I agree wholeheartedly with MLM too :)

I like the format of SW groups, I like to know how people are doing, what sort of week they've had and support them in their weight losses (and gains).

I would soon get bored if there was a "topic" every week - I've been going for 4 years, how many topics can there possibly be?

There is time to talk to other members if you get there a little earlier. The group timings will be split such that there is a time for WI and a time for IT. I'm sure the consultant does her best to make the group run on time, but if she has to do the new member talk (which happens whilst a member of the "social team" does the WI) then it can sometimes overrun. Same goes for if there are lots of people weighing in - and as MLM has rightly said, this is the busiest time of the year!

By staying to IT you are giving yourself the best possible chance of success. Within a few weeks you'll get to know the people in your group and perhaps you'll get to want to hear what sort of week they've had.

Oooh, one last thing, if it wasn't a successful and tried and tested method (IT) then I doubt SW would continue with it - it's been this way for years, long may it continue (in my opinioin!)
 
I've been attending group sonce Sept 09 and sometimes I do find it boring but without it I don't think I could have lost the weight I have lost. Facing those scales helps me focus on the plan for the week but then the discussions after help keep me on track for the following week. Hearing other peoples stories and sharing tips etc We have had LOADS of new members start the last couple of weeks and its made the group a bit disjointed but hopefully it will get to a place where a comfy again and maybe I will pick up some tips from those new members. Give it a good go but if its not for you then don't stay lots of people don't :)
 
as a consultant can i just say that the whole going around the group with losses and gains and doing the new member talk at the start is exactly what we are told to do by Slimming World. Although on the way discussions should pop up. If your consultant is not asking you what your favourite meal was that week and how you made it or similar questions prehaps you could volunteer the information and get everyone talking.

A new lady in my group said how she was missing chips when I asked her how she'd found her first week which prompted a discussion about slimming chips and wedges and the various ways of making them which left a lot of members inspired for the following week
 
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i, find i'm better off at a class thatn trying to do it at home, i like the group i'm going to at the mo, as it's really helpful to listening to other members and find out how they deal with blips and stay on track. Also our 'c' has set up a facebook page, and that's proving really useful;)
 
i, find i'm better off at a class thatn trying to do it at home, i like the group i'm going to at the mo, as it's really helpful to listening to other members and find out how they deal with blips and stay on track. Also our 'c' has set up a facebook page, and that's proving really useful;)

Is that facebook page for your group only or how does it work please as am thinking could suggest at class tonight?
 
Hi, I'm new here and have think I have read the forum rules but sorry if I've got something wrong!

I have now been to two SW sessions and am finding the eating plan is going ok for me. The consultant has tried to convince me to stay for the group rather than just "paying to get weighed" and says that people who stay for group tend to be more successful. But I've found it sooooo dull. The consultant fiddles around with the PDA and we slowly go though announcing all the losses/gains, although mostly there is a bit of looking around the room before saying "oh no she's gone". At the end of the list it's the end.

I don't get it. I'm not getting how that is helpful. What am I missing?:confused:

Mine is the same, and have been staying for last 3 weeks, and find it very dull. So have found another group other side of town, which Im going to try. It should be sharing good tips, recipes, inspiration etc.. x
 
Our group has just opened and so far has 10 members and 0ur consultant is lovely! She picks a topic each week to discuss and shares ideas, recipies etc etc. She doesnt go through each weight loss/gain just asks if anyone has had a good/bad week in particular and would they like to share.

I really enjoy it and think its £4.95 well spent.

From reading these posts I think Im very lucky to have such a good leader! x
 
I've only been twice so far, once to join and last weeks WI

there are a LOT of new members from what i can gather and it takes time to weigh everyone and obv the C has to talk to prospective members, as she did me.

I like IT, i like to hear how everyone has done, maybe what they have tried and found successfull.

My C tends to natter a bit before she goes round with her PDA thingy, telling us about any new recipies she has tried, new products available etc ( she told us about the spag bol oxo cubes last week... i still havent been able to find them.. grrr)

I do enjoy IT, although yes, it does drag at the moment and it is annoying when someone goes on and on for a long time as one older lady did last week ( she doesnt properly measure milk or portions LOL)
But, she paid her money she is entitled to her say.
 
I have to agree to what you say- I have only been to one of my meetings so far- and I was disappointed to the way it was set up- thankfully on that day we also had a new consultant- and she would hopefully be open to suggestions. I think that it is fair that if you are not satisfied to talk to your consultant- or at least have a chat with her before the main group event starts- so you get something out of it :)
 
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