My Office’s Biggest Loser Challenge
Someone in my office is organizing a 12-week biggest loser (weight loss) challenge. You buy in for $12. You weigh in each week by Wednesday afternoon (I’ll weigh in on Tuesdays). You pay $2 for each pound gained a week, and $2 if you miss a weigh-in without advance warning. To buy out of the competition, you have to pay out $2 for each week remaining. The cash prize is split between the top 3 losers in the end (55%, 25% and 20% – the winner is calculated by percentage lost, not total pounds).
This has “bad idea” written ALL over it, right?
Of course, I signed up.
I don’t think the idea of winning money will motivate me to lose weight. Or the idea of having to pay money for weight gained. And I don’t even think having someone holding me accountable will make me work any harder either. It might make me feel guilty if I gain weight, but that’s about it.
I think I just thought, “What the hell – I am training for a half marathon and pretty soon I will be putting in between 20-25 miles a week on the treadmill. I might end up losing some weight naturally.” We’ll see what comes of that.
Would you participate in something like this? It seems a bit too private to take to work, but because I’ve just started at this office, and barely know anyone, I don’t care if one person knows what my weight is from week to week.
Revealing it on this blog though, feels impossible. It’s not that I am embarrassed by it; it’s just information I would prefer not to share with family. They already know enough about me and my food struggles as it is, reading this crap. I feel like a number makes my problems even more tangible.
Themocracy
I bet you will do FABULOUS! 🙂 Usually when I try to eat healthy I think about food so much that I eat more unhealthily than usual! I’m a weirdy.
Christina – Maybe if you stuck a banana in your ear, that would help? Just kidding! I hate that feeling of thinking about food ALL THE TIME. It happens to me too. Now, I am just trying to think (look forward to?) about my running. I replace one thought with another…
OMG! THank you for posting this, we are trying to do this in my office and couldn’t figure out how we could go about doing this. The only thing is we don’t want to weigh in at the office or disclose our weight so we were thinking of doing measurements.
The gym I go to has one of these kind of things going on. I am actually sort of sad to not be able to participate. But the thing is, I could lose maybe…MAYBE…10 pounds at most. Any more than that and I would probably be dead. I would definitely lose but I still want in!
Good luck with it though! Sometimes competition/consequences work with me on things and sometimes they don’t. It will be interesting to hear how it goes for you!
Okay, I’m going to pipe up as the voice of dissent. I think this is a terrible idea, because if I had one wish for this country to get healthier about fitness, it would be to take our minds off the numbers. Self included! What happens if someone is working out really hard and gains muscle while someone else just fasts for 12 weeks? The 2nd person wins the pot but comes out unhealthy and probably gains the weight back. (which often happens when people leave the show, by the way)
I have the same issue right now with the Wii Fit. It started as a good idea, but I keep reading blogs where people are obsessing over losing or gaining a pound from week to week. ONE pound can be added and subtracted and added again every day in a given month.
I know the principle is good and it encourages people to work together and hold each other accountable. But I prefer how it’s going at our office–people are holding each other accountable for how often they go to the gym in a given week. 🙂
(sorry–as I warned you in e-mail, I’m a grouch this week!)
I wouldn’t participate if it was proposed to me. It’d make me way too uncomfortable for coworkers to know such intimate information about me. And then if I did gain I would feel doubly ashamed since I had to pay AND my coworkers would know. I also try not to get too hung up on the numbers and pay more attention to how I feel in my body. But this is a loaded topic and there are all sorts of ways to go about it. So if you feel good about it, more power to you!
🙁 I think my comment came off far more harsh than I meant it to. If this is something you want to do that you think will be worthwhile, then by all means go for it! I just personally think it is counterproductive to become attached to the numbers. Sorry for the negative response!
Don’t do anything you aren’t comfortable with on your blog. We don’t need any numbers. We know you are trying to lose weight. And some of us are right there with you (and I don’t want to tell my numbers either)! 🙂
Hmmm, well if Diane is taking back her harshness, I’ll pick it up. I agree with everything she said in her first comment. I don’t like anything that makes your health a contest against someone else. So what if Jane over there wins because she lost the most body %, but you lost enough to feel great and happy with exactly as you are – did you lose? Heck no!
I like competition, but it has to be phrased right, so to speak. I’d much rather see something where you are split into teams, and then in 10 weeks you all have a race or event or something to go up against each other for the prize. Your weight, lack of fitness, and fueling your body inappropriately would hinder you – the reverse would help you – thus helping your team as well as showing you how to change your life and use your results for more than looking pretty.
The way your game is structured, the person who decides to starve themselves longest will win. It should NEVER EVER be about the number. And I’ll tell you something – I’m 160 lbs right this moment. I’ve been 160 lbs and a size 16/18, and I’m 160 lbs right now and I’m a size 8 (before the vanity sizing changed everything – this is straight measurement to measurement of actual proportions.) So what does that number on the scale say? I am 5’10, so technically neither was over weight…. but was that actually true? When I was a size 16 I couldn’t run more than a minute, now I can run miles – still the same weight.
I wish everyone would just throw out their scales.
I’m not yelling at you, I’m just horribly sad every time I hear about something like this where someone is comparing lbs and actually being punished for fluctuations and well… just focusing on the wrong goal. It makes health…. hard, when it could be fun.
I would definately do something like this. the subtle (or not so subtle) competition and the support of having a group that might hold you more accountable. I will agree that there are a number of bad ideas that could be going on here but I’ve been around YOU enough to know that you are healthy and I see this as a fun support group and at the end someone will have a few extra bucks to buy some clothes that actually fit 🙂
besides, your progress may set a good example to someone who might otherwise take an unhealthy route. in a weird kind of way this sounds like fun, and maybe I’m just a little foolish; but I did get 6 people at my job to sign up for a study course and that sounds like fun too 🙂
yeah, I’m weird
We have had several successful Biggest Loser competitions at work. They usually have a great turnout. They have teams and the teams come up with hilarious names for themselves and enjoy trying to beat each other. I have never joined one of the teams, but am considering it if they have it again. The weigh-ins are semi private. Good luck!!
Gina (Mannyed) – When I weighed in today, the woman was very discreet about it. She is the only one who keeps track of the numbers. Still, that may be weird. Measurements seem like a good way of keeping track!
tori – I guess maybe you’ll just have to cheer the other people on? Maybe there is some other competition they will have that you can participate in! 🙂
diane – Don’t feel bad for laying it all out! Like I said in my email to you, I am not sure why I signed up for this, because I feel the same way about some of the things you said. But, I am kind of doing this for myself, just to keep track of my progress. A number is just a number, but MY number is too high! I know it. I will be happy to gain muscle, and I know that is part of exercise. I hope to gain muscle! As for everyone else… I realize for some there is never hope. I can only hope their participation in this does them some good, while they participate. P.S. I have never seen the show! Ha!
sizzle – For some reason, I feel comfortable with it. I hope it doesn’t get out of hand though. I know that some adult women and men are malicious enough to… use the information innappropriately.
teeni – Thanks for understanding about the numbers! I am amazed by all the people who put it ALL out there! I just can’t! 😉
Kyra – I see your point. And I understand what you are saying about weighing different amounts and fitting into different sizes. I am like that too. I fit in a smaller size at this weight than I did the last time I was at this weight. But, I don’t know what to say. I am not taking this too seriously, but there probably are people who are, and don’t understand how much weight varies and how little it means. I am just doing it for fun, and I hope no one gets too gung-ho about it, and that it just becomes a helpful tool to stay on track. Personally, if I got rid of my scale, I would be lost. I don’t weigh myself everyday, but I use THAT to keep in check, not a pair of pants, or measuring tape. I try, but it doesn’t keep me on track the same.
de – I like that it opens the means of communicating about it! I would love to discuss my exercise and a healthy lifestyle more with people! So, are you all signing up for LEED? That is great! 🙂
Denise – That sounds like fun! I am not sure if they have had teams before, but the email said this was “back by popular demand”! Let me know if you join in!
i have mixed feelings on this (only because of my “situation”)!!! i think the competition is a great idea but having my co-workers know what i weigh would be horrible for me- it’s horrible enough that dc knows what i weigh!!!! although i can see where having to pay for gaining weight might help me out (maybe- sometimes i’m just like, i don’t care)… like you, i can’t bring myself to post my numbers on my blog… i am embarrassed enough by the fact that i need to lose so much weight… the competition will probably be helpful for some as long as, like you said, (hopefully) no one takes it too seriously!! you will have to keep us posted as to how this goes though, you’ve got my curiosity up!!!
=^..^=
Ohhhh, bleh. I would so NOT do this. But not because of anything mentioned here…well, maybe. I am just an ultra private (in person). I mostly don’t like to share with others things that I feel I need to work on. This would be admitting outloud that I think I need to lose weight. I just don’t like to share those thoughts with others that I don’t consider an extremely close friend. Can you say therapy needed? AND like anyone who just LOOKS at me can tell anyway! I’m so twisted!
CourtneyInControl – I will keep you updated. And like you… I don’t want many to know my weight. Not even Steven. It is embarrassing that I weigh more than him.
Beth – I don’t think you need therapy. I think you sound very normal. I don’t even want my close friends knowing. It’s just hard to trust people… not to judge you.
I am starting one of these at work and am being very discreet w/ it. You get a # when you sign up. You are weighed at the beginning from a volunteer from our local YMCA. You can also join the partner competition as well. Weeks 1-5 are on the honor system and are for tracking purposes. I will leave the scales out and you simply write your weight by your secret #. You also have to check off whether you met your fitness and nutrition goals for that week as well. You set your own based on your own goals. I take your weight that week X .0005 and subtract that from your actual weight for an adjusted weight!
The same person from the Y is coming in to do fitness and nutrition info sessions before we start to educate participants. That same person is doing our week #6 weigh ins as well as the final weigh-ins as well.
There are $ awards 1/2 way through and at the end. I have a payout structure that pays out several spots so many people win, not just one. Each week there are YMCA gifts as well, like day passes etc…
Brian – Wow. That sounds really organized and well-thought out! So, this is something your work does THROUGH the Y? How cool! I may have to suggest something like that for next year! I bet even more people would do it if it was more discreet!
The ones who don’t want to are obviously embarrassed about their weight and those who don’t need to lose any are supportive of it. I am doing p90x and eating healthy and lost a lot of weight and am in much better shape. I started the program where I work. Funny enough, the ones who don’t want to do it are the ones who struggle with their confidence and weight. It helps coworkers lose weight and creates a supportive environment. Several of the ladies at work joined gyms and walk on their time off together. It creates a healthy environment as well. We do healthy pot lucks and I print out weekly health tips. Just to an original weigh in, have HR do the weekly weigh ins, whether they email it or weigh in at the office and do a final weigh in. This does not have to be public knowledge, you just check the weight each week to make sure no one starves themselves in the past week. This is the problem with America and why obesity is the number one killer in America. Come on people, rally around each other and try to help each other out!