Weight Loss Challenges

lokihen

I am genuinely curious about the purpose behind a weight loss challenge. My viewpoint might be skewed because I'm not at all competitive, but participating in a challenge wouldn't make me decide to drop to a lower calorie limit or increase my workouts. I'm already at a sustainable level so why add more reasons to focus on the non-linearity of scale movement (or lack of movement)?

I definitely understand fitness challenges to improve speed, strength or endurance.

Nikion901

Well see ... if you don't see the benefit of doing one ... then don't.
Most of the folks I've been involved with on weight loss challenges are not competitive either .. it's more a matter of committing to share with strangers what your weight is every week as a means of being accountable to 'someone' else.

neldabg

It's a different strokes for different folks thing. Challenges help with accountability. Also, it may help give a needed boost in motivation to stick with a weight loss plan and build good habits that will stay even when the challenge ends.

lulalacroix

I recently did one because I thought it would be motivational and help keep me on track. But it wasn't motivational and I realized that I didn't need help staying on track.

DeficitDuchess

Why do, you play; any game? It's fun to, challenge yourself & others, that doesn't mean you've to; be competitive! Ridding oneself of, weight's typically at; least a year or more, so it has to; become a hobby for some people! Also my group isn't just, a challenge we've threads that; offer support & we compliment each other's accomplishments for, some of us like myself whom've no; 1 offline to help or work with, me this' my only alternative to; doing this completely alone & it's working my group has, ridden itself of 367.1 pounds since; we began January 1st!

Plus unlike the, threads I've control of whom's apart of it; since it's private! So if there's a troll/bully I've the, power to remove them via; the group! This' something we aren't able, to do within; the forums & since we're a small community of members we, really get a chance to get to know each other better sort of; like with our News Feeds but it's within a forum of our own setting! I also make charts via, Google Sheets which; keep record & determine winners by, changing 1's weight via; their team color to gold, silver or bronze when, they've won!

(I've hidden, member names to; respect their privacy)

PaulaWallaDingDong

The only thing I like about the weight loss challenges at work is that I'm getting a bonus for something I'm doing anyway. It's not a competitive challenge, either. Lose a certain percentage of your starting weight, get paid.

Before I got my proverbial *kitten* together, though, they were useless. No material or cash prizes were going to motivate me enough to really get it figured out.

Then, being one who actually helps run the challenges, I see all kinds of things that make me shake my head. A lady weighing 104 lbs, not much shorter than me (5'3") joined in. I have no idea what she hoped to accomplish, but we don't "qualify" people, and it doesn't cost us anything more than a few seconds to put their name in a spreadsheet. Then the bulk of the participants are just like how I was. Just joining, rolling the dice and seeing what happens. They often ask me what I've done to lose so much, I show them the app, and then they don't show for the final weigh-ins. And the rest are just people who are banking on a few vanity pounds to earn a little extra scratch. Meh. More power to them. Times are tough.

So, in my experience, weight loss challenges don't help much of anything except to get my employer a few brownie points from some "health in the workplace" organization. I wish I could do more to help them succeed, since that is the goal, but I can only lead the horse to water.

Gallowmere1984

PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »

The only thing I like about the weight loss challenges at work is that I'm getting a bonus for something I'm doing anyway. It's not a competitive challenge, either. Lose a certain percentage of your starting weight, get paid.

Before I got my proverbial *kitten* together, though, they were useless. No material or cash prizes were going to motivate me enough to really get it figured out.

Then, being one who actually helps run the challenges, I see all kinds of things that make me shake my head. A lady weighing 104 lbs, not much shorter than me (5'3") joined in. I have no idea what she hoped to accomplish, but we don't "qualify" people, and it doesn't cost us anything more than a few seconds to put their name in a spreadsheet. Then the bulk of the participants are just like how I was. Just joining, rolling the dice and seeing what happens. They often ask me what I've done to lose so much, I show them the app, and then they don't show for the final weigh-ins. And the rest are just people who are banking on a few vanity pounds to earn a little extra scratch. Meh. More power to them. Times are tough.

So, in my experience, weight loss challenges don't help much of anything except to get my employer a few brownie points from some "health in the workplace" organization. I wish I could do more to help them succeed, since that is the goal, but I can only lead the horse to water.

Man, I wish my company would do this. I mean, I'd always win if it were a competition because of how I cut, but with the structure you mention, that would be a non-factor. It might actually motivate some of our extremely obese employees to get themselves together.

In fact, I might bring this up to our CEO and VP, and see if I can sell them on the idea.

PaulaWallaDingDong

Gallowmere1984 wrote: »

PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »

The only thing I like about the weight loss challenges at work is that I'm getting a bonus for something I'm doing anyway. It's not a competitive challenge, either. Lose a certain percentage of your starting weight, get paid.

Before I got my proverbial *kitten* together, though, they were useless. No material or cash prizes were going to motivate me enough to really get it figured out.

Then, being one who actually helps run the challenges, I see all kinds of things that make me shake my head. A lady weighing 104 lbs, not much shorter than me (5'3") joined in. I have no idea what she hoped to accomplish, but we don't "qualify" people, and it doesn't cost us anything more than a few seconds to put their name in a spreadsheet. Then the bulk of the participants are just like how I was. Just joining, rolling the dice and seeing what happens. They often ask me what I've done to lose so much, I show them the app, and then they don't show for the final weigh-ins. And the rest are just people who are banking on a few vanity pounds to earn a little extra scratch. Meh. More power to them. Times are tough.

So, in my experience, weight loss challenges don't help much of anything except to get my employer a few brownie points from some "health in the workplace" organization. I wish I could do more to help them succeed, since that is the goal, but I can only lead the horse to water.

Man, I wish my company would do this. I mean, I'd always win if it were a competition because of how I cut, but with the structure you mention, that would be a non-factor. It might actually motivate some of our extremely obese employees to get themselves together.

In fact, I might bring this up to our CEO and VP, and see if I can sell them on the idea.

I will say I like the way they're set up. It's meant to promote continued weight loss. We run them twice a year in 12 week stretches. For "first time," or those who didn't earn a prize last time, cash prizes are given for 4, 7 and 10 percent. Then for subsequent challenges, the goal is 3, 5, or 7 percent with higher prizes awarded, and your finishing weight for the previous challenge is automatically your starting weight for the next challenge, so you get paid more for continuing progress, and you get more time to work on the next goal in between challenges, essentially being rewarded for not yo-yoing. Someone who doesn't win in a subsequent challenge has to weigh in again the next one and are back to the 4, 7, 10 bracket.

Theo166

Goals often have more personal motivational power when you make them public, rather than keeping it between me, myself and I.

Why Sharing Your Progress Makes You More Likely To Accomplish Your Goals
Research has shown that sharing your goals not only makes you more accountable, but it fills a need for social connection.

5 Good Reasons To Share Your Goals. And One Powerful Reason Not To

1. Accountability
2. Clarity
3. Progress Measurement
4. Motivation
5. Connection

Read the article if you want his case for when not to share. I'd have to paste too much to share his logic.

cdkelly

It helps some people stay accountable and for me, more importantly, gives me somewhere to share my successes and wins cause I know that my family, friends and colleagues don't want to hear about my diet and fitness every day lol. I think it's important to celebrate small wins and it gives me a place to do that where people are genuinely excited to hear about them and celebrate them with me.

DeficitDuchess

DeficitDuchess wrote: »

Why do, you play; any game? It's fun to, challenge yourself & others, that doesn't mean you've to; be competitive! Ridding oneself of, weight's typically at; least a year or more, so it has to; become a hobby for some people! Also my group isn't just, a challenge we've threads that; offer support & we compliment each other's accomplishments for, some of us like myself whom've no; 1 offline to help or work with, me this' my only alternative to; doing this completely alone & it's working my group has, ridden itself of 367.1 pounds since; we began January 1st!

Plus unlike the, threads I've control of whom's apart of it; since it's private! So if there's a troll/bully I've the, power to remove them via; the group! This' something we aren't able, to do within; the forums & since we're a small community of members we, really get a chance to get to know each other better sort of; like with our News Feeds but it's within a forum of our own setting! I also make charts via, Google Sheets which; keep record & determine winners by, changing 1's weight via; their team color to gold, silver or bronze when, they've won!

(I've hidden, member names to; respect their privacy)

I recruit, quarterly & thus, currently am! Here's more, information concerning the; group:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10533510/2017-annual-challenge-support-weight-riddance-group#latest