Is it cheating?

annacataldo · June 2011

Im starting a biggest loser competition on Tuesday.

Out of the roughly 20people, im the only one who has been dieting, the only who who has lost all their water weight, and the only one who knows how to control sodium intake and staying under fat, etc--the only one who has ever used any type of system (like mfp) to monitor their intake other than calories.

So all these people will start their diet the day of the first weigh in; where i began nearly 4months ago.

We all know that you loose weight faster at first; due to flushing out water weight, and changing your bodies routine, etc.

I am thinking that if i were to just continue on how ive been doing, that i will loose the competition because all these people will loose their water weight, etc, and instantly have a major lead over me. Even after water weight, they will still be at the beginning of their diet losing quicker than me, where my body has already adjusted and theirs hasnt.

My goal has been this whole time "I dont care how slow i loose; and im not giving myself a timeline, my weight will be gone when its gone" and I want my goal to remain that---where all these peoples goals will be "i need to loose weight NOW and loose it as quick as possible, so that i can win".. Granted, i want to win, but im not willing to eat under 1200 net calories a day or going to the gym hours a day (im disabled); or do anything differently then i already am because this is working for me.

So... my question is.. if over the next 4 days (sat, sun, mon & tues); i were to eat excess salt and drink only 8 cups of water a day (instead of my standard 20+ cups), so that i gain water weight/sodium retintion (which could easily go up over 5lbs in 4 days)--would i be cheating, or would I be bringing myself up to an even playing field where i can actually have a small chance of winning because i can loose water weight like every single person there will be doing... if i just continue on how i am doing, i wont have any water weight to loose what so ever...

I also thought of eating alot of cheese products over the next few days so it blocks up my system LOL (i generally try to stay away from cheese for this reason), and considered changing my calorie allotment for the next 4 days up to maintenance level instead of 2lbs loss, so that my body could get use to the amount of calories and then slam it by bringing it back down to my 2lbs a week loss, kinda kick-starting it back to losing quicker; because lets face it, after 4months of dieting, my weight loss has really slowed down.

Dornroschen · June 2011

I would not suggest doing this...why mess with your body's metabolism when you're doing such a great job?

hlm0527 · June 2011

Im curious as to what the prize is? Just bragging rights? If thats the case, I would say youve already got bragging rights for loosing everything you have, why give that up?

rileymama · June 2011

I started a competition the same way...had already been dieting, etc.... and I just took the day of the first weigh in "off" and ate b/f i went....I ended up in 3rd place....

Revolutionwithin · June 2011

I have no idea but OMG 20 cups of water a day. I can barely manage 8!

k2d4p · June 2011

I wouldn't. Join the contest to lose weight. If you win it will be a bonus. The way I see it you can't lose really. Why would you voluntarily mess with your system?

pamfin · June 2011

I think you should just keep doing what you've been doing. Whether it's cheating or not is irrelevant really - you're in it for the long, slow, successful race whereas they'll probably be back where they started in a few months. That makes you the true winner.

btw - I wouldn't count that as cheating.

ronda_gettinghealthy · June 2011

oh dear--:ohwell: I dont know about "cheating" in the game but the damage to your system that is on a healthy streak just doesnt seem to out weigh the benefits of winning a competition:grumble:

so to answer your question--YES you are cheating yourself out of all the hard work you have done.

JUST SAYIN'

JJHudgens · June 2011

I would not suggest doing this...why mess with your body's metabolism when you're doing such a great job?

I Totally agree. Join the competition for the fun, and to help support others on their journeys. Don't do anything to sabotage yourself and the great progress you've made!

JJHudgens · June 2011

I would not suggest doing this...why mess with your body's metabolism when you're doing such a great job?

I Totally agree. Join the competition for the fun, and to help support others on their journeys. Don't do anything to sabotage yourself and the great progress you've made!

ltlemermaid · June 2011

And this is the reason why I avoid weight loss challenges at work! as you stated most people who do this will lose a lot of weight really fast etc and not in a healthy way. The girl that won it at my work last year would go to the gym for hours each day and burn 1000-2000 cals each workout etc and I know she wasn't eating all those back. Where is she now? shes gained it back or at least part of it since shes started eating "normally" again.

If I were you I would just keep doing what you are doing...I wouldn't try to gain weight just to lose it quickly-thats not healthy. Just see what your starting weight is the first day of the challenge and go from there. You have done an amazing job so far why ruin it? If anything maybe reduce your sodium and increase water some more, eat more fruits and veggies and lean meats to keep losing. stay away from sweets etc... You may want to work out a little more BUT make sure you eat enough to fuel your workouts.

You don't want to harm your body /achievements thus far in a stupid competition--no prize $$ is worth that. just focus on what you are doing and keep at it.

redheadmommy · June 2011

I agree with pp. You doing great , why you want to risk to crew up your routine. what is worth more, the competition or a long term weight loss?

Also I never understand this whole waterweight argument to begin with, i do not think it has merit at all. Maybe it can be true for people who used to have a extremely high sodium intake, like eating chips daily, but generally no.

I find myself that I usually lose very little at the beginning, because i am weak and I can not really exercise that much. After a month or two when I improve my endurance and exercise kicks in then I start to lose more.

MsLongWalker · June 2011

I misread the question and had to come back and edit...

I think sabotaging yourself is a bad idea - consider which you want more, the money (which you may not get even IF you sabotage yourself) or the long term weight loss that you've been working toward?

I think starting out mid-diet is fine and can give you a leg up in lots of ways. I started in a BL competition a few days ago and a lot of the people involved just finished up the previous round of BL, so they're ten weeks ahead of me in terms of activity. I might win because I'll show more short-term improvement, but they also have the chance to win because they are already established in what works for their metabolism. (Example, I'm having a hard time figuring out how to fit enough cardio into my day, but they've known for weeks what their schedule will hold.)

I say join, but keep doing what you're doing. Maybe bump it up a notch (if you can) for competition's sake, but don't sabotage yourself. You might have a harder time than you planned on getting the weight to come off again, and that would really suck.

cartern1 · June 2011

I don't think it's cheating - just a bad idea

annacataldo · June 2011

Im curious as to what the prize is? Just bragging rights? If thats the case, I would say youve already got bragging rights for loosing everything you have, why give that up?

everyone who joins puts in $25 into the pot. the winner walks away with all the money... 20 people = $500 dollars... I only work part time; that could be as much as a months pay for me.. I could buy some clothes since all of mine are falling off (but i dont plan to buy any until i loose all my weight cuz i cant afford to), or I could get a gym membership for the year cuz i cant afford to go to the gym. or get a body bug, and it could really help my weight loss if i could win. all my bras are broke and stabbing me and r too small anyway and could really use money to buy new ones.

campi_mama · June 2011

This is totally cheating! Sorry, if you are going to eat sodium or block up your system, just to put on water weight or "bulk lbs" that's trying to trick the system. Not cool in my opinion. If you don't want to compete with people in that stage of their weight loss, don't have a competition. I actually think you have a bigger advantage since you know what you have to do and have things dialed in on what works for you.

redheadmommy · June 2011

I have no idea but OMG 20 cups of water a day. I can barely manage 8!

Same here. I just can not imagine how anybody can drink 20-25 glass of water a day.?!?!? that is like 1.5+ gallon.

annacataldo · June 2011

I started a competition the same way...had already been dieting, etc.... and I just took the day of the first weigh in "off" and ate b/f i went....I ended up in 3rd place....

I havent had a day off in 4 months.. im not going to start now... I was thinking of upping calories, not to gain weight, just in maintenance level, by eating healthy foods such as nuts, etc that are higher calories, and increasing salt by eating like canned veggies instead of fresh because of sodium level. I will have already ate before I went, not only the first weigh in, but every weigh in, cuz the meeting is after dinner; i will have already drank 20 cups of water by weigh in as well. pisses me off that its gotta be late in evening. by default, ill already be 5lbs heavier every weigh in, no mater how good im doing.

Cytherea · June 2011

No, don't do that! Like everyone else said, why mess up something that is working for you?!

I joined an online weight loss competition with a team last summer. I had already been losing weight for 6 months before starting the three month long competition. It was based on percentage weight lost, not pounds... I lost over 10% of my weight in the three months, even though I had already lost 26 lbs before starting the competition. I was on a team with 4 males, all of whom had a LOT of weight to lose, and none of them even came close to the weight loss percentage that I did... our team total percentage was about 5% and many of them were only at a 1% loss. I was actually kinda mad about it... they had such an opportunity to lose a ton of weight, and they didn't, and there was no good reason for it. If I had been on a team of people more like me, we would have easily been at the top of the competition.

You never know what is going to happen. Keep doing what you're doing and you will get there, whether you win or not, you'll at least know that you did it right and were healthy about doing it.

demery12371 · June 2011

In our BL contest here at my work they do % of weight loss not actual pounds. That way it is fair for all.

I am the second heaviest person in it and the smallest one is only in it to maintain... she loses less than .5 a pound every week so she doesn't have to pay for gaining. Each person will have their time but slow and steady will win the race.

You keep up your good work and do what you know in your heart is the right thing for you.

Hugs!

annacataldo · June 2011

I have no idea but OMG 20 cups of water a day. I can barely manage 8!

Same here. I just can not imagine how anybody can drink 20-25 glass of water a day.?!?!? that is like 1.5+ gallon.

Some days i drink 30, lol. 20 is my goal; anything over is extra. I dont drink anything else; no juice, no diet pop, nothing else. I drink 4 cups minimum by breakfast or before i leave the house in the morning, drink 12cups while at work (3water bottles), and then its easy to drink 4+ cups between dinner time and afterwards.

yesterday i only got 16 cuz i was focused on the BL competition and creating it, inviting people to join etc.

You have to drink half your body weight in ounces a day; half my body weight is 17cups a day; then if u excercise, drink caffeine, or have extra sodium you have to drink more, which is why my goal is 20cups instead of 17 that i need.

annacataldo · June 2011

In our BL contest here at my work they do % of weight loss not actual pounds. That way it is fair for all.

I am the second heaviest person in it and the smallest one is only in it to maintain... she loses less than .5 a pound every week so she doesn't have to pay for gaining. Each person will have their time but slow and steady will win the race.

You keep up your good work and do what you know in your heart is the right thing for you.
Hugs!

We are doing a percentage as well, cuz i aint going up against a 450lbs man when im 270 cuz itd just be unfair LOL.

KickassYas · June 2011

I started a competition the same way...had already been dieting, etc.... and I just took the day of the first weigh in "off" and ate b/f i went....I ended up in 3rd place....

I havent had a day off in 4 months.. im not going to start now... I was thinking of upping calories, not to gain weight, just in maintenance level, by eating healthy foods such as nuts, etc that are higher calories, and increasing salt by eating like canned veggies instead of fresh because of sodium level. I will have already ate before I went, not only the first weigh in, but every weigh in, cuz the meeting is after dinner; i will have already drank 20 cups of water by weigh in as well. pisses me off that its gotta be late in evening. by default, ill already be 5lbs heavier every weigh in, no mater how good im doing.

you know i heart your face but honestly i think this is going to mess with the good pattern you're on now. your system is used to what you are doing. sometimes confusion works and you will shed like crazy after but sometimes.... sometimes you end up confusing the wrong direction and your body will before more resiliant to letting go of the fat and water and you'll start retaining everything.

i would hate to see you sabotage what you have going now for $500.

JeanneGreenie · June 2011

I don't think you should do that. I think you should be proud of where you are! After the first week or two, those people will be right where you are and since you already know what you are doing, you may just kick their butts!

annacataldo · June 2011

I would not suggest doing this...why mess with your body's metabolism when you're doing such a great job?

Am I missing something?? What does everyone mean--mess up my body/metabolism??? Plenty of people zig-zag calories every single day, every single week & month because it keeps their body guessing, and they loose more (like a friend of mine who does this and was in a major plateau before she started zig zagging, and now that shes been zig zagging for a couple months she continues to loose her 1-2lbs a week, where otherwsie she wouldve been losing nothing). plenty of people have 1200 calories one day and 1700 the next.. How am i messing up anything? What am I missing here?

annacataldo · June 2011

If anything maybe reduce your sodium and increase water some more, eat more fruits and veggies and lean meats to keep losing. stay away from sweets etc... You may want to work out a little more BUT make sure you eat enough to fuel your workouts.

I dont think increasing water from a minimum of 20cups a day and increasing it higher is really that realistic. i cant work out more; or hardly at all; im disabled... and when i am able to work out i always eat back excercise calories. thats another unfair advantage they will have; is that they will be able to work out where i cant. i mowed the lawn this morning and im needing pain pills, i did wii bowling last night and i had to go home for pain pills, it SUCKS!! I have the energy, the stamina, and everything else to work out, I just cant unless i want pain pills; which i try not to ever take.

hydrosmak · June 2011

I have lost over 130lbs, not just using this site but other calorie counting sites. I have had a few "bad weeks" when I was on travel for work and they paid for all the food so I didn't have as many choices. In each instance I gained about 5-10lbs. It was 95% water weight and lost all of it within a week. In the time after those instances I have never seen any adverse affect to my system and still kept on losing weight at the same rate. So take that for what it is worth.

downwardsunshine · June 2011

Okay, upping your sodium intake for 4 days is NOT going to screw up your body. Come on. I must be in the minority but I would totally do it. You've already stated yourself that against their quick water weight losses, you will not lose as much. If you want to win then go for it. Do you remember the contestant on the Biggest Loser that drank like 20 gallons of water on his free pass week? Didn't he go on to win the whole thing?

annacataldo · June 2011

Okay, upping your sodium intake for 4 days is NOT going to screw up your body. Come on. I must be in the minority but I would totally do it. You've already stated yourself that against their quick water weight losses, you will not lose as much. If you want to win then go for it. Do you remember the contestant on the Biggest Loser that drank like 20 gallons of water on his free pass week? Didn't he go on to win the whole thing?

Month or so ago i lost 6lbs in 7days by INCREASING sodium, LOL, maybe it will have the same affect on me this time? which will suck since im trying to "gain". haha. And when i went back to normal sodium amounts of being under 2k mg, i still continued losing.

Ive never watched biggest loser, so no idea what constestants have done or not.

Im not trying to cheat, just trying to be fair; and all of them will have unfair advantage of water weight.

I might win the over all goal, of losing more than anyone else in a year, or might be the only one who keeps my weight off in the end, but being happy as a skinny person doesnt pay the bills; as I already stated Im wearing broken bras, and clothes that are literally falling off of me, because i cant afford to replace them until next year.. the current bra that im wearing is a 46DDD. Im a 44H... Itd be nice to beable to get some right sizes for my bras, but this one was all i could afford, $10 on clearance at wal-mart and doesnt give me the support i want and kills my back and shoulders. my size 28 pants look great on me now that im size 22, NOT... and all these people will instantly go down up to 10pounds, where slow and steady might win the race, except this group of people has been looking to form an excercise group for the entire spring and wanting to loose weight for a long time, and most are unemployed and can afford gym memberships or diet supplements/aids, and have all the time in the world to go on walks, to the gym, or be active.

grimnir · June 2011

Yeah, I don't think there's anything wrong with getting on the scales more than a little full of it for a minor competitive advantage. Also, I've seen several people mention spending a week eating maintenance every 3-4 months to keep their body from adjusting too much to the reduced calories, and you said your weight loss was slowing down, so I think it's probably a good idea regardless. High sodium for a week? Not gonna kill you, and it might help get you a nice fat check at the end. I'm already planning on taking a week at maintenance when I visit my parents this summer, 3 months into the diet, as sort of a halfway point, assuming things keep going well between now and then. It's a reasonable fear that you won't pick it back up afterwards, but I think you've got what it takes to not let a week slow you down.

becalee26 · June 2011

doesn't it make more sense just to drink a few glasse of water before you weigh in instead of messing around with your current diet?

Is it cheating?

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