Money incentive weight loss?

If you don't want to be scammed, don't participate in scams.

My job is doing the biggest loser. You pay 20 to get in the contest. If you lose 5% of your weight by the end of the period you get your 20.00 back. Anyone who does not forfeits their money to the biggest loser. It is a 15 week program so you have to have some commitment to it to succeed. I was already on this program when they started so I did join. Currently I am in second place behind my boss.

My problem with sites like DietBet is that they require a specific goal (e.g. "lose 4% in 4 weeks" or "lose 10% in 6 months") and while mostly they are reasonable, I feel like this could make some people do everything they can do get to that goal, e.g., if you are 3,9% down and the end is near, you might do unhealthy things just to get that victory (e.g. overexercising, not eating and drinking). I would only consider something like that if I can set my own realistic goal (there are some sites like that), but even then imagine losing "only" 35lbs of your goal 40lbs, instead of celebrating all the amazing loss, progress, and hard work, you feel horrible because you lost money... idk, I guess I am in general not too good with "punishment" motivation.

We just finished our biggest winner competition at my job first place in each category wins $200. I was a winner last year but I was second place in my category this year.

I've done a Transformer Dietbet after each of my pregnancies, to lose the baby weight. It's definitely not a scam. I've also done Kickstarter Dietbets. You make way more money in the Transformers, though. The Kickstarters are just basically going to win you your money back plus maybe $10. (Except for one I did and won maybe $20 in top of my original bet.) One Transformer I did went from March to September. I paid $125 up front and won $327 total (met each monthly goal and met my final goal). The second one I did went from January to July. That one, I won much less (I think like $220 total, maybe?) because (I think) there were lots of New Year dieters hopping on board, and they all lost their weight along with me.

It's motivating to me (I do NOT want to lose money), and my results haven't been temporary... except when I get pregnant again. I just completed my 4th pregnancy but this time (since I didn't gain as much as usual) a Dietbet won't be feasible for me (goal weight would be too low to reasonably meet while breastfeeding). I'm really bummed because this one would have gone from July to January and if I won the bet I would have made a killing, I think! The time of year impacts the amount you win, in my opinion.

I've done (and am currently doing) dietbet to lose winter weight and maintain (their maintainer is a year long; I was in their beta group. Since I want to build muscle after this current 5-pound loss, though, I can't do another). The kickstarters are just a bit faster than I like losing (I prefer 0.5lb/week), but not in the dangerous zone, and they're fun. Mostly, you just win your money back, but I made a little profit on the maintainer.

MaddMaestro wrote: »

My husband is currently doing this at his job. The people who want to participate put up money, and whoever loses the most would win the pot. It sucks to know THAT was the only way to get him to lose weight

what's more ridiculous is that a lot of these do it by pounds lost and not percentage of body weight. I tried explaining why that made no sense to a coworker and she just couldn't grasp the idea.... "but i'm heavy and it's hard for me to lose weight! it's not easier just because i'm bigger".

You can guess how well that went. :eyeroll:

Anyways, OP here's the deal.... do you actually want to lose weight? do you have the self discipline to do it? if so, then these bets aren't bets at all, they're easy money. but id question whether theyre helpful or necessary. as far as i'm concerned negative reinforcement is significantly less effective than positive reinforcement and breeds "punishing and guilting" behavior.

joeboland wrote: »

xmichaelyx wrote: »

It's an excellent way to temporarily lose weight and then gain it all back. I've never seen it work permanently, since it does nothing to teach or promote intelligent lifestyle changes that could lead to actual fitness.

My old office did a weight loss competition every year for money, and every year it was the same people who are "really, really going to lose permanently this year."

Agreed. It's highly unlikely to give long-term results, and I've seen it wreak havoc on people in the short term. People will go to insanely unhealthy lengths to try and profit from the monetization of weight loss.

If you are on Instagram or Facebook please look up FatgirlFedUp. She has lost 298 lbs by only diet and exercise and she participates and host dietbets. Very motivational! 4% in 4 weeks is pretty reasonable i believe.