So my school is doing a biggest loser challenge. Everyone puts $15 on + one $5 gift card and the biggest loser wins the pot. I haven't signed up because I feel like I might have an unfair advantage (or at least this will be what people will think). Thoughts?

I'm assuming they don't know you've had surgery? Yeah, I would think if they didn't know and found out they might be pissed.

I lost so frigging slowly, I probably STILL would have lost the contest! LOL

@@akreese02 - IMHO, skip it. You know it's not a magic wand, but not worth the wrath of co-workers, esp. women in a school. (not that I'm bitter)

Nah, I would skip it. It's not important that you participate. I would feel as if I had an unfair advantage over the others.

I would skip it. Much as I don't think that you are cheating, pre-surgery if I found out I was losing weight against someone who only had 20% of a stomach, I would be super mad. It isn't anything personal, but when people lose they will find any excuse to accuse you of cheating. I was in a Biggest Loser challenge one year at work (pre-surgery) and one week the scale made me lose like 8 pounds. So then the next week which was the final weigh-in, everyone said to make sure that I wasn't cheating. I ended up winning the challenge, but I was not very forgiving of the people who had said I cheated.

I would be mad to be honest.

I would sidestep that contest for sure.

No good would come of it.

You've already won. Just ride it out and work your plan.

I pretty much had no intentions of participating. I guess a better post would have been the feeling that while I LOVE the sleeve and it has changed my life in positive ways, this scenario would be an example of where sometimes you feel left out. I don't eat in the teachers' lounge because there is SO MUCH bad food in there, it is a slippery slope. Now, I can't participate in a social activity. Of well, the positives out weigh the negatives.

Edited October 9, 201510 yr by akreese02

I participated in something similar at work several decades ago. Talk about a huge set-up for disordered eating. As someone above mentioned, I am in the camp that no good can come of a weight loss competition.

Similar contest at my school right now. I skipped it, and glad I did! Heard several people commented that they wouldn't participate with me (they knew about my WLS) or that I am a cheater if I do it, and that I took the easy way out ... blah blah blah. Had no intention of getting into it, but was kind of hurt by the comments behind my back. Not worth the frustration IMO.

I pretty much had no intentions of participating. I guess a better post would have been the feeling that while I LOVE the sleeve and it has changed my life in positive ways, this scenario would be an example of where sometimes you feel left out. I don't eat in the teachers' lounge because there is SO MUCH bad food in there, it is a slippery slope. Now, I can't participate in a social activity. Of well, the positives out weigh the negatives.

Do you have any sleeve buddies you could have your own sleevers version of the contest with? Or, perhaps come up with and suggest a different (non-weight loss-based) competition you can do with your coworkers.

You would probably win, but you would lose. If they found out later about the surgery, some people may be annoyed at you that you had an unfair advantage.

Skip the contest and cheer on your fellow coworkers/contestants.

You would probably win, but you would lose. If they found out later about the surgery, some people may be annoyed at you that you had an unfair advantage.

Skip the contest and cheer on your fellow coworkers/contestants.

I can say that in my many diet attempts, I did an Herbalife 8-week challenge twice and both times I was second place to a girl that was losing incredibly fast. I thought it was because she had a lot to lose and you drop fast, etc. By the time the third challenge rolled around, I signed up but I was so defeated that I wasn't doing as well as this other girl doing the same diet as me, that I fell off the wagon hard and gained it all back. That's not her fault, it's mine, but later I found out she had sleeve surgery and wasn't even using the product, she just wanted to win the challenge prize. I was FURIOUS and disassociated myself with everyone who knew.

Your decision to compete might not only upset the people in the competition, but effect their weight loss journey. Just some food for thought.