My gym's 'diet challenge' can fuck off!

[womblesofwestminster]

7 weeks ago I signed up to my (women-only) gym's 'Diet Challenge'. It's a tenner to enter and you get recipe ideas. Each week everyone gets weighed and their weight gets displayed on the wall. After 2 months, the person who has lost the most weight wins a facial, a blow dry and their nails done. Not too shabby.

30 of us signed up.

I worked my arse off. I attended the gym 5 x per week and was the strictest with food I've ever been in my life. I'm 5ft1. My start weight was 9st6. 7 weeks later, my weight is now 8st4. I have the highest percentage weight loss from the 30 entries. Some of the other entries began the challenge at 19 stone and did very well but have a lower percentage weight loss.

Now, because I haven't lost the most weight overall (one of the 19 stone entries lost more weight than I did - in sheer number), I win bollock all.

AIBU to think this is an unhealthy way for them to judge weight loss? I would have to have become anorexic to have any chance of winning over the 19 stone entries.

Implied acceptance. You signed up for this, parted with the cash, attended the weigh-ins and presumably checked on the figures on the wall as the competition progressed. I think you would only have grounds for complaint if there was ambiguity - e.g. if weightloss as a percentage of body weight was also included in the weekly stats.

You have got a point, but the time to raise this was before the challenge started.

"You can still win, get your arm amputated."

I sniggered.

I completely agree. It's a ridiculous way to measure results.

YANBU

worra assuming the figures the OP gave are correct, she started of with a BMI of just less than 25, so she wasn't overweight at the start of the competition.

Oh I see. I forget that most people tend to judge by their BMI nowadays.

I never go by that as I prefer to 'eyeball' it if you see what I mean?

There are fat people around whose BMI doesn't necessarily reflect their 'figure' and at 5ft 1" weighing 9st 6lb, the OP could well have felt she was one of those people.

I'm 5ft 3" and as soon as my weight hits around 8st 7lb, that's when I know I need to cut back because my zips and buttons start to get tight.

The winner was the person who lost the most weight. Not %. Actual weight.

You are trying to find a loophole that doesn't exist.

But urgh at the price. Does everyone think that all women want are facial, blow dries & pretty nails?

Take it as a bit of fun and be thankful that it worked as a good incentive for you. Give yourself a prize of facial, nails, hair. There's nothing else you can do really as they've followed the rules as they stated them so to complain WBU.

In future, suggest categories and % loss,, if they can find enough people to sign up.

Just because your clothes get tight doesn't still make you fat Worra. If you were wearing a child's size they would get tight doesn't meant you are fat

Prize!

Hahaha!

I'm talking about my adult size 8/10 clothes. I'm not in the habit of wearing kid's clothes...

When they start to get tight because I'm gaining weight, I reign in the not so healthy food and start exercising more.

My point is, when I start to get fatter around my stomach (mostly) my BMI doesn't reflect the fact I need to lose some weight.

My gym did the same thing during a 12 week boot camp. They explained by saying that their main goal for boot camp was to attract and motivate people who needed to lose weight - give them an initial boost which would carry them through a longer programme. Other people with little or no weight to lose were welcome, but knew they were unlikely to win a prize.

Two main differences - the competition was included in the price of the boot camp, and the prizes were things like T shirts and water bottles - tokens and a bit of recognition rather than making it all about the prize. They wanted the main reward to be the successful weightloss and sense of achievement.

I would wonder about the reasoning behind this type of competition, tbh.

I hated this when I went to WW, whilst breast feeding and after being on steroids.

But, WW reps aren't qualified in what is healthy etc, gym instructors supposedly are.

I would question if they knew anything about effective weight loss and they wouldn't be someone who I would want dietary advice from.

That isn't something I'd want from a gym I am paying for.

Your annoyed that you didn't win a weight loss competition. I assume the point is to become a healthy weight. Which you already were... So you just wanted to look thinner whereas other people were actually aiming on becoming healthier. I don't think giving you a prize for becoming thinner would be a good thing tbh.

As someone who has been 19sone in the past I think YABU. Do you have any idea how much courage it takes to even go into a gym at that size? Have you any clue how hard it is to exercise when you are carrying all that extra weight? So it is not necessarily easy for them.

The terms of the competition were very clearly set out, you didn't win and are now being a bad sport

Birds the diet industry badly needs regulating.

Yanbu. The Biggest Loser programme started measuring weight loss like this in the first series. Then it was pointed out that it was a ridiculous way to find a winner as clearly those who started off the heaviest would always win. So they changed it to percentage of body weight lost which is clearly the better way to do it. Sounds like they haven't thought it throughpproperly at your gym.

www.ehow.com/way_5663641_fairest-calculate-weight-lost-competition_.html

Do drug and alcohol counsellors hold competitions to see which client can stay clean or sober the longest. No? Then why is it ok to do it to overweight people.

Why is it done AT ALL!