there is a biggest loser contest starting up in my area. am i wrong to join this challenge knowing i have the band? my husband said i have an advantage over them due to having the band and thats not fair.

i disagree because i have to work just as hard to lose weight too. the band controls my portion size but nothing else.

i just wanted thoughts from other banders.

Be up front with the coordinators, if THEY say it is fair.. then so be it. That is who you need to be concerned with.

What do the contest rules state?

If it asks about it and you have to lie, I'd say no.

I agree. However, if the contest rules say nothing about excluding WLS patients and they don't ask, I don't think there is a necessity to volunteer the info either.

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If you don’t tell them it violates the spirit of the competition. I really don’t mean this to sound so high-and-mighty, I am a very competitive, Type-A person and will use every tool I can to win, but inside at the end of the day, I want my victories to be untainted and for no one to be able to say they should have the proverbial “asterisk” attached to them.

I disagree. I'm sure those in charge of this competition know all about WLS and if it was important to them, it would be in their rules...and it may very well be. The OP should not have to go public about her WLS unless she is comfortable doing so. Remember, we are talking about people who aren't even telling their spouses they're getting the band. Here's the thing...if they didn't exclude WLS patients in their rules, they have no legal grounds for excluding them...and I'm sure their lawyers have considered all angles.

Again, the band is not an 'advantage'. If it was we would not be seeing people who only lost 25 pounds over the last year, or who gained back 100 pounds after losing it the year before or who still struggle with making bad food choices or grazing. It is a 'tool'.

If the band is an advantage, then belonging to WW, Jenny Craig or Nutrisystems would be an advantage. We each choose the tool that we can work with...but the tool does not do the work for us.

I see nothing morally wrong with the OP participating because bottom line is that *she*, not the band, will be doing all the work.

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I agree. However, if the contest rules say nothing about excluding WLS patients and they don't ask, I don't think there is a necessity to volunteer the info either.

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I agree with that. I also admit to not knowing much about "The Biggest Loser." I've only seen a couple of episodes. I don't think the show promotes lifestyle changes. In fact, I saw a program the other night about a former winner who gained all his weight back. Sad, I really felt for him. We've all been there. To do it on national TV, not fun. I applaud him for doing the follow-up show.

But, I could also see the producers of the show overlooking something like a participant having had WLS just to watch the drama unfold when the "secret" is exposed. I would not want to be on the receiving end of that backlash. But, it would make for "must see TV!"

But that is me, and I would have similar reasons for not wanting to Celebrate my losses during the celebrations portion of Weight Watchers meetings or at Curves--unless I specified I was banded.

It isn't that I haven't worked for what I have lost, I have. I deserve what I have "gained."

Interesting thread!!

Denise

denise i know you only watched a few BL episodes but since i have been watching i know they have had to people on there that had gastric bypass so i guess they do overlook it. both people that i saw stated it in the beginning though.

with that said i did join and other than the guidelines of the contest the only rule is that you don't starve yoursef just to win. the same lady has won the last 3 contests by losing 35-40 pounds over a 12 week period,i might need pointers from her.

please keep the posts coming it's really interesting to see what you all think.

There is a Biggest Loser type contest at my work - started last week. Now I want to say that I work in an office that has some RNs and MPHs people -- working in a health-related medical field. The staff know that I had lapband.

I asked if I could join - the rules they got from another company said that if a person has had a WLS within the last 12 months then they COULD NOT participate. But the office I worked for deleted that rule ON PURPOSE. They believe that I have lost the "easy weight" and now am working on the hard to lose pounds. So they let me join!

It cost me $100 and the winner gets $750 and 2nd place gets $250. The contest is 5 months long....so it is a longer than normal BL contest.

I lost one pound from last week -- others have lost 5-7 lbs.

I work out 5 days a week - and I am losing inches...as I have gone down 2 pant sizes in the last 2 months. But my weight has not gone down much.

I was banded almost 9 months ago -- have very little to no restriction. I can still eat almost anything in any amount....so MY will power and my workouts are what is helping me lose the weight....really hoping that I will get some good restriction SOON..

denise i know you only watched a few BL episodes but since i have been watching i know they have had to people on there that had gastric bypass so i guess they do overlook it. both people that i saw stated it in the beginning though.

with that said i did join and other than the guidelines of the contest the only rule is that you don't starve yoursef just to win. the same lady has won the last 3 contests by losing 35-40 pounds over a 12 week period,i might need pointers from her.

please keep the posts coming it's really interesting to see what you all think.

Daqui,

If there is nothing about WLS in the rules, then I say go for it. You said this is about support. You go get the support you need to be a better and stronger you. Try to gain healthy habits and not just have a boot camp type experience. As in, please let this be over soon!

Being healthy and enjoying the journey is what it should be about!

Denise