Weight loss clubs

Do weight loss clubs actually do any good? I've been to a fair few, but find I end up thinking more about food than ever. The weighing and portion control is a nightmare. For me it feels like my focus is too much on food.

Also, i am not convinced by the weigh-in, surely weight fluctuates daily and throughout the day. So, getting on the scales and being judged on my entire week based on a moment in time, seems rather unfair.

The weigh-in affects my entire mood for the rest of the week, and I never feel it is mentally good for you.. 'lose', 'stay the same' or 'put on'. I have a 1 in 3 chance of being happy.

Do people lose the weight for life, or once they are away from the spot light, they pile it back on a gain and more?:apthy:

It seems very few people maintain the weight for any period of time. People I have met over the years have, invariably put the weight back on and more.
The thing is, I do not believe the clubs teach people about food and how the body works. The emphasis seems to be about making food good and bad.

I also think the systems are set up to make people think about food more, which seems to put more emphasis on food and the importance of it in your life, which I am not convinced is healthy.

Weightloss clubs seem to promote unhealthy eating through diet. It is possible to lose weight and not be healthy, and I don't think it is acceptable to drink fizzy colas, or to actively encourage it.

Surely they have a duty to educate people to be healthy and build a healthy, sustainable relationship with food

I think they are of great benefit, people benefit from the support they get from other dieters and the fact they are accountable to someone every weigh in keeps them in check. Surely, any Weightloss method is good, as long as people are losing weight.

I think anything that helps people to lose weight should be encouraged, I think the diets are better than they used to be, with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables.

I have to say, I've never attended a weightloss class, but I think if people feel the need to attend one, and pay their money, it is because they are not able to achieve their goal by going it alone.

What ever people have to do, is what they have to do, so long at is not harmful to the individual, I don't see the problem. Lets be honest who loses weight for life?

Some people to lose their weight for life. Or have a much improved weight over many years.

I think they offer a great support network, and it's that, that helps people through.

I think the problem with being overweight is multi-factorial. You can teach someone to eat properly, but if the underlying problems of why people keep eating isn't resolved the diet is always doomed to fail.

It sounds like it is not so much the diet club atmosphere, but the stress you put on yourself.

Although, I do agree that the scales are not an accurate view of your overall weightloss for that week, due the body's natural fluctuation in water retention.

Maybe the scales should measure fat loss and not weight. I think it will be more motivational.

I think the idea of the club is that you can help and support one another. Share tips and advice. I don't think it is for everyone, but they have been around for many years, which attests to their success.

There is a great deal in variation between the clubs, some follow a more restrictive diet with 'sins', while others enough a greater emphasis on loading up on vegetables.

I think they are much better than they used to be. I would like to see more of an emphasis on meal preparation and less on the reliance of processed food.

I was talking about this very subject today, it seems there are some very good clubs that have a focus on whole food and cooking from scratch. But there are some clubs that don't really emphasise whole food, rather low calorie, low fat food.

There is loads of research that suggests that this approach is unhealthy and often results in a lot of processed food. Surely this is neither responsible dieting or leadership. There should be more emphasis on breaking the habit, finding the cause, preparing food and planning ahead.

Surely, anywhere that offers support to people and help them stay motivated is good and beneficial for the people attending.
Some people can do things easily alone, while other people need the support of others around them to keep them focused and accountable.

I do not deny that the concept of the clubs is good and suits some people very well, I do have concerns that they do not teach people how to eat healthily. By this I mean, that you can not eat chips and fried fish, creamy pasta dishes etc and expect to stay healthy. Here is an example from a slimming club site of their 1 week menu.

http://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/healt...rian-menu.aspx

I went to a couple of weightloss clubs, and I lost varying amounts of weight, personally it wasn't for me. It seemed that most of the time is spent chatting to others in the club while people came in and got weighed. Then there was a brief presentation about what foods you could swap to save calories or sins or sugar etc. But there was no real education. I don't think I ever learnt anything about nutrition.

Having recently become a ‘scale jumper’ I have to say my weight fluctuates to an unbelievable amount thoughout the day and varies from day to day, without any change in my diet. AND before you say it, I know it is a tad obsessive to jump on the scales multiple times a day, but I was curious what my weight was pre and post work out, and the scales swing massively.

So, taking all of my research :sly: into account, surely it is not a good guide to attend one meeting a week, jump on the scales and be judged for good or bad based on that one scale reading. Taking this into account, what is the real point of these clubs? Is it to get diet advice?

Save your money and use the internet!

I don’t think it is so much about the weigh-in, it is more about the group support. The weigh-in will show a weightloss over a week, even if the weightloss potentially was better or worse, it would still show a trend of going down.

I did have a little chuckle to myself the other day.....

I overheard a conversation between two people at lunch discussing their diet club....

1) I’d love to have butter on my bread (she was eating dry bread with her soup)

2) you can’t have that, it’s too many points, why don’t you try a cheese triangle, they are free...

I couldn’t help but interject in the conversation...

Me) Are you telling me the club promotes plastic, no nutrition food? Overweight people are often nutritionally compromised and plastic food is an endocrine disrupter which will affect you hormones, and promote fat accumulation.

They both just looked at me blankly, like I didn’t get that ‘butter’ was a sin. :doh

How can these clubs be helping people? Cheese triangles is not food and should not be labelled as such.

I have worked with people who go to diet clubs and every week they declare a loss of half a pound or a gain of a pound and then they lose a lot of weight and low and behold put it all back on again! It seems to me that too much emphasis is put on the food and you become obsessed and think about it more than you would normally. It’s a money making con that only works long term for the minority!

My daughter had a health advisor who was morbidly obese (she was as wide as the door frame!) telling her how to eat properly as she had an eating disorder! She needed to get to a weight loss club, I felt like slipping her a Slimming World leaflet when I left!!!

"After following a balanced diet and regular exercise routine, I successfully lost 30 pounds in six months. This journey taught me discipline and self-care. I feel healthier, more energetic, and confident. Remember, gradual progress is sustainable – take small steps, and you'll achieve your goals!"