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.

[Whereisegg]

It seems like you only think it's unfair because you didn't win tbh.

[magoria]

Isn't your prize that you are now an amazing 8st4 where as a 19st person STILL will have stones to lose?

[MrsLettuce]

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.

Sounds like it was quite clear what you were getting into TBH. But, yes, to judge on % loss would probably be a better idea - best mention it to your gym.

[wonderingsoul]

It does seem to look your throwing your toys out of the pram.

Fwiw... I'd count it the way they have to tbf.

[Burren]

Well, unless the contest specified that it would give the prize to the person with the greatest percentage of overall body weight loss, YABU, surely. You can't think it reasonable that the gym wouldn't allow 19 stone people to enter because it was unfair on lighter people...?

[Delphiniumsblue]

You got the best prize- you lost the weight!

[CheeryName]

7 weeks ago? You still have a week left... Take some cakes in for the front runner. After all it's not over until the fat lady sings.

[MarshaBrady]

It still sounds like the 19 stone put in a sterling effort to lose so much and deserves to win.

[womblesofwestminster]

Fwiw... I'd count it the way they have to tbf.

Can you explain why? I want to understand. The gym won't explain (I've asked).

[Whereisegg]

cheeryname

[womblesofwestminster]

MarshaBrady How do you calculate 'effort' in order to reach that conclusion?

[MrsStatham]

I think you have a valid point. However you win anyway because you're 8 stone 4 lbs. Congratulations.

[MarshaBrady]

person obvs! missed out person.

[TheCatsBollocks]

It was who had lost the most weight not the highest percentage.

[MarshaBrady]

How much did they lose Womble?

[MarshaBrady]

Losing weight is hard work, no matter where you start isn't it?

[womblesofwestminster]

CheeryName I love you.

[OrangeMochaFrappucino]

The whole idea of that competition seems flawed to me - what if you'd lost the most weight and been rewarded with the prize but damaged your health? I sort of think that, like Slimming World etc, they should only let people on that sort of programme if they are overweight to begin with - which it doesn't sound like you were. Rewarding people for losing weight isn't a good idea if they don't need to lose it. But this will probably be a great boost for the person who started off at 19 stone and needs plenty of encouragement to get down to a healthy weight. So I think the competition is unreasonable, yes, but not for the reason you state in your OP.

[Whereisegg]

I agree that op has a valid point, but she didn't object until she found out she hadn't won.

[womblesofwestminster]

Thanks MrsStatham. I'm just shocked at the message the gym is sending. Why did they take my money and let me sign up if they knew I had no chance of winning anyway?

[dylanthedragon]

YANBU. They use percentages on the Biggest Losers TV programmes. It does seem unfair to do it on total weight loss given that to match the numbers of the larger entrants would take you into an unhealthy weight range.

Maybe they had seen it as more of an incentive for those who havery a lot of weight to lose. Not exactly fair on you, especially as you had you pay for the privilege of entering the competition.

[PotteringAlong]

You could argue that the % weight loss would be unfair to larger people because they would have to loose so much more weight than you to win... 5% of 9 stone is a lot less than 5% of 19 stone.

[Glittertwins]

Maybe it should have been clearer that the winner would be the most weight off, rather than the greatest percentage lost. Personally, I would have expected the challenge to be the greatest proportion lost to make the challenge equal but evidently that wasn't the case here. You've still lost a lot of weight and are quite rightly pleased with yourself so take it on the chin and keep up the good work.

[Billygoats]

YABU to be annoyed if they stated at the beginning that they would judge this way and not overall.

But YANBU in thinking its a crap way to judge weight loss. As in theory someone 19 stone would find it easier to lose 1 stone than someone at 9 stone.

[fuzzpig]

I agree percentage would've been better but I would've asked to clarify that at the start of the competition or when signing up I think.