Belinda, I hope your challenge is going well! Good luck!! : )
Six friends and I have been doing our own local biggest loser Challenge since Jan. 4, 2006. It will come to a close on March 29, so we only have one more week to go. We weigh-in on Wednesdays, most at the same time and all on the same scale. Each person agreed to pay $120.00 for the challenge to up accountablility and to give the challenge a prize. We have weekly winners and then there will be a grand winner, all based upon percentage of weight lost. {(original weight - current weight) / original weight x 100 = % weight loss)} Half of the money was divided up for weekly winnings and the other half goes to the grand winner, of course. We had a trial period from Nov. 30 - Dec. 21 to work out any kinks, also. We decided then to stick to the beginning group and not let anyone join midstream, but since we had one drop out due to a glorious pregnancy we added another. We didn't just let others join randomly throughout the program, is my point with this. We have been very strict about weigh-ins as far as everyone has to weigh on the same day and we try to get the scale to someone if they can't get to it. If someone misses a weigh-in, then they are not eligible for that week's competition. No one is allowed extra days to lose weight. We just try to keep it fair for all involved.
I found SparkPeople by "accident" while surfing to see how many calories I needed daily. That is when my total life-change began! I truly give this site credit to my friends because it is a great tool in keeping track of nutrition/exercise and accountability. I wasn't into the message boards at first, because I wanted to first get a hold on keeping track of things, but aren't they a major motivational tool, as well?!? This site is awesome and I keep telling everyone, "IT'S FREE!!!"
P.S. I'm currently in first place and I'll let you know if anyone sneaks up on me next week! You're right, it does push you to strive harder!!
Paula
BBOWEY 3/24/06 1:46 A
Hi,
Just wanted to let everyone know what me and some friends of mine are doing.
We are competing in a biggest loser competition, my partner and l with another couple. We have been talking about losing weight for ages, but could never get enough motivation to stick with it, until we thought about challenging the another couple. They were in the same boat as us.
Because we live so far apart, we don't worry about weighing ourselves on the same scales, just that we weigh in on the same day. What ever couple loses the weigh in has to do a chore for the winning couple, such as washing the cars, or mowing the lawns, etc
It certainly helps us work harder to do our fitness and look forward to each weigh in.
