Written by Jenny Catton
When embarking on a new diet, many people turn to local diet clubs to provide motivation and support. These types of clubs usually meet once a week with members paying weekly membership fees to attend. There’s no doubt that these clubs are popular – but do they work?
Yes – Cally
I’ve tried to lose weight by myself in the past but lose interest after a few days. By joining a slimming club I’ve been able to stick to the plan because I know that I’ll be going to the club and getting weighed each week – so it’s a real incentive to be good. I’m quite a competitive person too and so it gives me an added boost to know that I’m doing better than other people in the group.
The great thing about being part of a slimming club is that they tell you what to do so you don’t have to struggle to understand the rules of a diet by yourself. I always come away from the class with a list of recipes to cook and the club has books and magazines to provide additional inspiration.
The club I’ve joined works by counting calories and I find this works for me. It can take a bit of getting used to at first but by being part of the class you get access to the leader’s expertise and she’s been a great help in helping me stick to the plan.
All in all, I’d say if you’ve tried dieting on your own and found it doesn’t work, try joining a club – it’s a much more fun and friendly way to lose weight.
No – Ana Maria
I’ve been a member of various slimming clubs over the years but haven’t found one that works. The problem is I either lose weight and stop going or I just lose interest after the initial novelty has worn off – either way I end up putting back on any weight I have lost and usually a few extra pounds on top. Interestingly, almost everyone I’ve met at slimming clubs had tried them before too – so it’s obvious that people go back time and time again. This suggests that they don’t actually work in the long-term.
Some clubs can be quite expensive too. One that I went to was particularly annoying as the leader was always trying to get you to part with even more cash by promoting the club’s books, magazines and branded snacks which were available to buy.
I didn’t enjoy getting weighed each week because if you haven’t lost much weight it makes you feel like a failure. The groups all pretend to be supportive but you can’t help feeling like everyone is judging you if you aren’t losing weight as quickly as they are. Some of the diets can be quite hard to follow as they have strict rules about what you can and can’t eat. I think this is why I always give up. Slimming clubs might work for some people but from my experience, they are a waste of time and money.
