fitness

When done correctly, a weight-loss contest can be an fun, encouraging way to lose a few pounds. What makes for a good contest? Read 10 tips below.

1. Decide who will participate.

Your contest can involve anywhere from two people to a million, and it’s really up to you. Of course there are advantages and disadvantages to both ends of the spectrum. A smaller group can mean more individualized attention and a tighter community for all involved. If the participants are coworkers or already part of some type of a group, it will likely be easier to coordinate the actual weigh-ins (being at the same place on a regular basis is a definite plus). A larger group can still foster a sense of community, but community will likely occur in smaller cell groups. A larger group can also mean more resources for prizes and more people to help run the contest.

2. Set the rules upfront.

To a large degree, the success of the contest will greatly depend on your ability to make sure that everyone knows all of the parameters of the contest before signing up to participate. The last thing you want is for people to murmur and complain about how the contest wasn’t fair because of x,y, and z.

 

3. Base the contest off of weight-loss percentages.

Never run a contest where the objective is to simply lose the most weight. It disqualifies people who only have a couple of pounds to lose and can develop unhealthy weight loss goals. By basing the contest off of weight-loss percentages, it helps even the

4. Make a calendar.

Weigh-ins need to be routine and people need to know the timeline upfront. Your calendar can be really basic. For the contests that I have done, people usually have the option to weigh-in at any point during a two-week time period, but the calendar marks the deadlines. This allows for flexibility of schedules.

5. Require an entry fee.

The entry fee does not necessarily have to be money. It can be gift cards, a promise on an exchange of goods or services, or anything else that you can think-up. Whatever it is, it really needs to be something. The truth is that requiring participants to give something up in order to join is a way of helping them commit to the contest. For many of us, myself included, we are more serious about things when we have put something on the line. Requiring participants to put something in also provides a resource for prizes. It’s your decision whether or not you try to make a profit. Running a contest can be a lot of work, but I have never accepted any type of a payment.

6. Offer to do before & after photos.

Who doesn’t love a good before and after photo? It’s the reason that many of us flock to movies like The Princess Diaries, Pretty Woman, Grease, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and Miss Congeniality. Before and after pictures are fun for everyone and make for great recaps after everything is said and done.

7. Provide multiple, confidential weigh-in’s throughout the contest.

Many people are sensitive to their weight and as such, do not want to have their personal info out there for everyone. The best practice is to assign each participant with a user identification. The ID can be used to track information, as well as send mass updates and info about weigh-ins. Only have a few people designated to do weigh-ins. Keeping this group smaller allows participants to weigh-in with one of the same two or three people each weigh-in.

 

8. Send updates.

While people may choose to only do the initial and the final weigh-ins, the strength of your group will really rely on its consistency. By sending regular updates, you can really set the tone of keeping the contest moving, and keeping participants engaged.

9. Prizes!

Prizes are an absolute must. The simplest way to get prizes is to use the entry pieces as the prizes, but prizes can come from anywhere. Perhaps there is someone who will donate to your group. Traditionally, weight-loss contests at least include a grand prize for the winner. I recommend having a first, second, and third place, and separate awards for men and women. In addition to grand prizes, prizes throughout the competition can be a fun way to spur people on.

Here’s an idea: Provide a raffle ticket at each weigh-in to people who have lost weight. At the end of the quarter, collect all of the raffle tickets and raffle off a prize. This keeps participants moving in the right direction, and combats discouragement that can occur for not being in first place.

If possible, don’t stop the prizes when the contest is over! Give the winners a chance to maintain or lose more weight. If they can keep the weight off for the next three months, they get another prize!

10. Build a community.

Whether it is a Facebook group, Fitbit group, Instagram account, or a running club, there are so many ways to get connected. Above all, make sure that your community encourages fitness and health above weight-loss. Allow people to go ahead and report meeting their weight-loss goals, but make sure that the encouragement is centered around developing healthy habits, not just losing weight. Things like “What I ate today” and “How many miles I ran” are fun and encouraging for all involved. The stronger your community is, the better your contest will be.

Final Thoughts...

If you have any tips, please share them below!

Not interested in hosting a contest, but interested in joining one? I am thinking about hosting one, if you are interested in joining it, let me know by emailing me or commenting below.

fitness life

So… this happened. My former boss contacted me about auditioning with a group that she put together for a new show called Dance Battle, produced by Samantha Hanks and set to premier tonight after Dancing with the Stars. The show is really the brain child of Julianne Hough and Maria Menounos. My team didn’t make it, but we were among the final groups being considered and got paid to work with professional choreographers for a few days. It was a tremendous experience.

After working with our choreographers Kristen and Tony for a couple of days, it was obvious that they were the real deal. You would never guess, but Kristen has 4-month old twins. Each choreographer joins the show with a long list of impressive work experience, including television shows and international tours, but what makes them great is their extreme talent and skill in their craft as dancers and teachers. Though my favorite dancer will forever be my sister-in-law, they were so fun to work with!

Following rehearsals, we were put on standby to fill in if another team ended up not being able to make the recording session, but HELLO who would miss that? So, we were invited to the recording.
For the recording, all the stars were out, Julianne Hough and her brother Derek Hough, Maria Menounos, Janice Dickenson, Samantha Hanks, hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Jordin Sparks, and my mom. They all looked fabulous.

Working with the professionals and going into the dance studio was like a whole nother world, and if I am being honest, it was a lot of fun to be a part of it for a couple of days.

Anyway, be sure to watch the show. I’m sure it will be entertaining.

Here’s a link with more info.

fitness

I wasn’t prepared, but that was okay. 

When I told my husband that I was going out for a run to prepare for a 5k the next day, he laughed hysterically.

Well, I went out on that run to test the waters and the truth is... I was met with some very cold, bone-chilling, life-stealing water.

During the two weeks prior to the race, I really debated doing it at all. Then, I got some excellent advice, “Just do it.” Given that it was my first race, I learned that I could massively fail and then use that time as the one to beat for subsequent races. This took so much pressure off of me.

I’m not encouraging you not to prepare, but if you haven’t followed your pre-race prep plan, just do it. And be sure to stretch.

I got passed by Santa.

Yeah, yeah, yeah... Okay, so I got passed by Santa… and a few elves. 
And dogs. And kids. And a guy with a bum leg.

This was a themed race so there were lots of costumes. About midway through, I was able to identify a few people who I was neck and neck with and made it a personal goal to keep pace with them. One was an elf with bells hanging from her skirt. Every time I heard a jingle behind me, I knew it was time to pick up the pace.

They made me wear a bib.

Okay, this is not what you are thinking. I learned that a bib is the name of the paper that is safety-pinned to your shirt. There is a computer chip adhered to the back of the bib that identifies, times and ranks you. After the race, you go to a computer where an attendant pulls up your information.

I was a complete Rockstar.

While I didn’t rock the race, I did play music while I ran and this made the race much less burdensome. I also took advantage of some apps like Nike+ Running and Fitbit to map my run and log my steps. In the end, I didn’t place, but I did get a free orange, t-shirt and a cute reindeer medal that I made into a Christmas ornament. 

I felt invigorated afterwards.

I think I had it in my mind that I would spend the rest of the day dead in bed. Instead, I did some shopping and took care of a few things I had neglected during the week. That’s not to say that this will be the case for everybody, or even for me next time, but it was fun fluttering around town as Super Endorphin Woman for a day. 

Additional Details
Race Info / 5k Reindeer Fun Run. All proceeds went to the Ontario-Montclair Promise Scholars and Recreation Scholarship Fund.
Total Steps / About 6,000.
Apps /  Nike+ Running. Fitbit.