Back on SW but find the groups awful! Does it get better?

[fruityb]

I used to go to SW two years ago and that consultant didn't do image therapy. She would say how much was lost or gained collectively and pick out a couple of people who had good losses and ask them one thing they thought helped. It took five minutes. She'd hand out certificates and it was all quite laid back. She told the same stories about herself week in week out however and that got frustrating - I was so tired of hearing about how she used to sneak fish and chips every week! It wasn't for the benefit of new members as there weren't any really! I rejoined recently and hated the first group so much I don't ever want to go back. Two hours of listening to "babes" "gorgeous" "shiny stickers" and her speaking to every single person in the room about losses and gains. There were 40 people there!! I can't bear all the air kissing and the mwah mwah business and the "hi girls" banter. It's too pink and fluffy and covered in glitter. Now I just weigh and go.

Should I stick it out and get swept up in it or do I just bail every week? All the happy clapping and sisterhood bollocks gets on my nerves so much. If I didn't pay to weigh I wouldn't be as good on the diet so I don't mind that, but should I really try to stick this out or just run? I'm in my thirties, "shinies" don't really excite me that much lol

I've been debating joining SW but I think this thread has just sealed the decision to kee the money in my purse and carry on using MFP to calorie count. I couldn't take the sparkles and hunning.

Also, a colleague has been doing SW for years and doesn't appear to have lost an ounce in all the time I've known every her despite her being hugely enthusiastic about how great it is and how easy it is to stick to

@ EatSleep.

January is a shit month anyway - if you are going to do it, get all the crap out of the way by attending in Jan and then just go for the weighing the rest of the time.

I thought it was just me! I only lasted four weeks. A 20 minute discussion about how to grate a cauliflower and make it into a pizza base.....I vommed a little.

And our leader was fatter than me!!! WTF?!

I joined a few years back. I think I went to two meetings. I couldn't actually believe the nonsense the leader talked, she even had pics of food (in case anyone didn't know what a banana or whatever looked like) and the group was spoken to like they might be slightly thick. It was dull and bottom clenchingly tedious. All the clapping people as well for achieving random goals. I found I really didn't give,a,shit that Claire or whomever had reached her goal.

I think if it's to work I'd prefer someone with a knockout figure who was very fit and healthy leading the group and not someone much fatter than me. Some who knows what they are doing, gives good advice talks about exercise, that could work, but as it stands now, i wouldn't ever go back to one, honestly, put me right off.

Ive done sw on and off for 14years.
Ive moved house a fair bit so sampled a fair few classes.
They seem to have deteriorated over time.
Back in2004 my class was fab. Interesting and had a topic every week. Now days its just clapping and stickers and listening to what everyone has eaten all week.
Its the Jane gained 3lbs cos she went on the razz Friday night, fell in the gutter eating her chilli dog and chips (cue lots of giggles and god forbid if her beer buddy is with her in class, they then waste more of my time reminiscing if the barman was hot/she lost her shoe/vomited her 5 downed bottles of prosecco etc)but lets clap her anyway bollocks.

I've never been to a SW class but your stories are hilarious! Almost tempted to join now just to see what they are like myself....

( tho if they are so bad I did wonder why pp didn't join Weightwatchers instead?)

I have to agree with you all here I've been going since April lost 2.5 stone and got to target in September.
I still go to group at least one a month to keep me on the straight and narrow and at least it's free but the image therapy drives me nuts
My consultant whilst she has lost a lot of weight still has along way to go but by her own admission she's more of plan than on
It's all about the 'book bling' unfortunately my book has none as my 5 year olds come with me and they claimed all my stickers
It's the whole round the class nonsense clappy clappy but thankfully in the midst of all the direness at least once in the session someone will say something interesting, a new product or maybe a recipe but on the whole I play my version of bingo and reward myself with a hifi bar (only reason to go to group) for every dozen cliches
My understanding from talking to my consultant is that this format is the prescribed sw way they are aiming at the lowest dominator but they are concerned about the amount of people who are not making any progress over a 20 week period in fact in our group a third have gotten heavier
This I think is why they crack down on tweaks because whilst I think and do use them in moderation occasionally some people wouldn't be able to do that and would use to frequently
It's the same with the flexible syn approach where consultant would say to all on don't for get you've flexible syns can use them when your are t a wedding on Saturday- sw have realised that the consultants haven't understood this and should only be telling people who are 100% on plan and losing weight every week to use flexible syns not people who are to yo yoing

I joined my group 2 years ago and left as my consultant and her little social team were so annoying. She sounds so disingenuous when she talks. During body image I told her that I'd made a dal curry with lentils and she asked me what a lentil was. She also actively encourages people to eat processed food and syn them rather than making food from scratch.
She started a group around the corner from me so joined again and went last week. There was this awful woman in the group who was heckling her and she got awfully frustrated and flustered. It was very awkward.
My main problem is that the consultant and her little team of weighers have the combined IQ of a nat. Everything they say is from a script. They all weigh themselves first (this seems sensible as they are then weighing rest if group) but as soon as they've weighed they get their chocolate / crisps / high syn supermarket sandwiches and scoff them during our weigh ins. Most of them can hardly talk as their mouths are so full of food. Then it's all this blah blah blah mwah mwah bullshit. It's only an hour out of my life a week so will push through as always end up giving up when I leave group. Anyway, my news years resolution is to be more tolerant.

I won't go back to SW either. I was at the end of my tether each week sitting listening to the weigt loss 'journeys' of 40 strangers every week. None of whom ever spoke to me. They were all in groups and cliques with me sitting there like a spare tyre (with a spare tyre.) And the wisdom from the leader. 'You didn't lose weight this week? Perhaps you just weren't eating enough' (!!!).

none of this sounds anything like the groups I go to

We just weigh & go. Can't stand all the yapping. It's a huge group so takes well over an hour.

I've had the banana discussion. Unless I deepthroat the fecking things it's going to end up mushed by the time I swallow it. I'm not 'changing its constitution', it doesn't miraculously absorb syns from thin air. If you cook, chop, peel or grate food you're 'changing its constitution. And chewing a banana doesn't burn mega calories either.

The plan does work for me though. 2.5lb loss this week.

God yes, the cliques! Natter matter matter about so and so's trip to Portugal. Don't mind me.

It was never that bad in weight watchers where we were all equally awkward individuals trying to pick a seat with empty seats on either side.

Rofl @ deep throat banana.

My colleague loves her sw group. It is all about pastryless quiche and other boaky things. She is very yo-yo but assures everyone that sw is amazing

Yes, I agree about WW. The group seems much better.

Dried pasta isn't made from the same flour you'd use to make pasta, or gravy or whatever else was mentioned, also bought fresh pasta has a coating of oil...

The difference between chewed food and mashed food is that you haven't done the chewing, chewing is part of what makes you feel full.

Also crustless quiche is basically a frittata with a stupid name, it's good.

Just thought I'd mention those things, lol.

There's no need for anyone to ever say hun though

I had to stop going as the food plan was fine but the never-ending chat was getting to me. It didn't matter whether 10 people or 30 people stayed, the chat always took well over an hour. My consultant's favourite phrase was: "Let's unpick that". I'd have unpicked her if I'd gone any longer.

I think I'll stick with mfp when I jump back on the wagon. No hunning, no stickers and I can fucking deep fry my pasta wrapped mashed banana, if I want, without it giving me pityng looks and a fucking lecture about "syns" (that word alone gives me the rage.)

I can't bear SW. Why they have to spend an hour going round the group to talk about how everyone has done (usually excuses) is mind numbing. I swapped to WW and they just say well done group you all lost a total of x lbs this week and move on.

I didn't stick at that because of the times of the class more than anything.

Since lost 3st on Blood Sugar Diet. I now use My Fitness Pal.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Oh and the sheer utter dread when your "turn" is coming and you just want to become invisible cos you don't actually want 30 clannish strangers to pityingly head tilt at you cos you gained a fucking half pound.

At least in WW your secret shame stays secret.

AND they spent the meeting talking not about the past week and how Viv broke a nail so had a fry up, but about the week coming and what social triggers people were worried about. Less bloody post mortems, more future proofing.

"Pasta wrapped mashed banana"

I do the weigh in as part of the "social team" to help a friend and there is no food or comments allowed from helpers in our group. Once when two groups merged the other weigh in person ate a bag of beef monster munch and swigged on a bottle of diet pop while doing the weigh in. I was nearly sick and wouldn't let her touch anything. I've seen people eat a whole pack of hi if bars because most people don't eat on weigh in days.
The group used to be great no clapping unless someone did really well, talked to a few people who had questions and swapped ideas etc. However the managers visit the groups regularly and make the leaders follow the same format and its long and tedious. I agree with everyone who is sick of listening to the same old shit stories and excuses and clapping like a sea lion.

I used to be on the social team.
I don't really know anyone who's kept the weight off long term with slimming world , they always end up back there.
One woman was 26 stone something.
She'd been going weekly for ten years

The reason I think people can't keep the weight of is there is no support when you do get target you get handed a book and told to weight in at least once every eight weeks to keep your free membership if you stay within target zone but that's it.
I struggled I kept losing weight because my head was so full of the rules I couldn't eat properly I had to resent my tartlet to a further half a stone lower hit it and I'm still struggling to eat the additional heb and syns
There is no opportunity to discuss it at group because no one wants to hear that it's not alll sunshine and butterflies when you get to target and they certainly don't want to hear that you can't stop losing weight it's a mess

Not only that but if you fail at target you have to pay again and I think that's what they're banking on - literally !