Biggest Loser Work Edition

With the New Year quickly approaching, my job like so many others will be fronting a biggest loser contest.  We will have weekly compositions, goals, and prizes.  To be apart of the contest we have to contribute $10 a paycheck.  So far there are no known stipulations, for we all have to meet our weekly goals and so on, but my question to you is would i be cheating after i have my surgery and still participate in the contest.  Like I said there are no stipulation. Even if I have the surgery I still will have to work hard like everyone else to meet my goals and so on.  What do you guys think?
I won't have my psych eval until Feb and then my surgeon will schedule my surgery, so that's 2-3 months of me doing it on my own without my tool.  The contest last until June.  Should I put it out there that I'm getting the lap band or should i keep quiet?

Hi there,

Just my own personal feelings on this - you can easily participate until surgery as you are on the same playing field as everyone else but after surgery I think it would only be fair to everyone if you tell them that you had surgery. After all, you will ALL be working hard at this and I am sure you would not feel good if you worked really hard to win and halfway through a friend of yours had surgery and won it because of that...

I am just thinking, in the interests of fairness, but would you really feel so good if you won with surgical help?

But it is a personal decision - I personally would tell people once you have the surgery....

Welcome to the board!

Jackie

Hello! I agree with Jackie that its a personal decision. If you are comfortable sharing your surgery with others then do so. You may be surprised. They may be very supportive of you & you could also find yourself being a point of light because of having your surgery. You can bring to the group/table tips, tricks & suggestions that work for you & ones they can incorporate to help themselves in this journey you are all taking. Again, its a personal decision & I wish you all best with your decision.

Hi this is my opinion we did this when I was in college and all knew I had the surgery as well as knowing that I was struggling we to did the 10.00 pay and we did have participates and then they started falling off. So they are doing again this year and what they are doing this year is taking the money collected and  using for a gym membership so the winner will receive the membership that way it motivates everyone to know they will be getting the membership to follow through after the contest is over. You may want to suggest this to whom ever had started this to get more followers. And by all means I say go for it. You deserve the opportunity as well as the others, I didn't win but was 2ND runner up and they may want to consider a prize for that as well. It is very competitive and we did  by-weekly weigh-ins verse weekly. And  if there was no weight-loss or weight gain there was a 2.00 fee so that could be  for the 2ND runner up prize. Good luck keep us posted. 

Hello hotred1,

I would participate unitl I had the surgery. But not after the surgery. I would feel like I have an advantage over the others. I would tell them just to keep it fair, if I stayed in after surgery.

Yes, you will still have to work hard, especially with the band (as I don't believe you get your first fill for 4-6 weeks after surgery).  Even if you don't think it would be cheating, someone else in the contest might (and they might find out about your surgery even if you don't plan on telling now).  This could potentially cause issues at work.  I'd not participate.

I would participate until you have your surgery.  Theis could help motivate you until your surgery date so you don't gain weight before surgery.  However, I do think it's cheating to participate after surgery.

I have the lapband and the weight came off just as slowly as if I were strictly dieting and exercising.  (1-2 pounds a week).  However, I was NOT struggling.  I didn't have to use any hard will power.  I did not have to exercise (at least the first year).  It's a TOOL that the other participants do NOT have.  It's an advantage that they do not have.  For this reason, I think it would be cheating.