Okay, at my job there doing this biggest loser challenge, and i was wondering if it was considered cheating to join because I am banded?

Why not just ask the administrator who is organizing the contest? If they say WLS patients are allowed to enter than enter, if not, then just continue losing on your own!

As long as your follow the rules they have set out, whether it's theoretically 'fair' or 'cheating' won't matter.

I would ask to participate but not accept any 'prizes' offered for the winner. I do definitely feel that we banders have an advantage that others don't. It is a little like taking steroids. Yes, those who take the steroids hit the ball with their own arms and run with their own legs - but it feels different to them, it's easier than it is to do it without the medical intervention.

Does that make sense?

On the other hand, if you are not participating in order to deprive someone else of a particular prize or incentive, and just want to get healthy and share some motivation, your coworkers and your company would be really petty for not letting you get healthier right along with them, in the name of camaraderie.

Sometimes there are just these things in the office. I remember a bake-off once where one woman in the office who was a regular Julia Child was disqualified from winning (no one could beat her) but encouraged to participate, which she did, maybe just to show off. lol

I would sign up for the challenge but tell the administrator that you do NOT want to win any incentives, your only incentive is just to get healthy due to your belief system or something.

I would ask to participate but not accept any 'prizes' offered for the winner. I do definitely feel that we banders have an advantage that others don't. It is a little like taking steroids. Yes, those who take the steroids hit the ball with their own arms and run with their own legs - but it feels different to them, it's easier than it is to do it without the medical intervention.

I will be interested to see if your opinion changes next year at this time... :tongue2:

Brad

i'm 5 months in, and I agree with her. I have dieted often. This is the easiest weight loss I have ever had. Short term loss is higher than the avg. diet, if I remember the charts currectly.