I heard about StickK.com on NPR this morning. It’s a website that makes you put up money and if you don’t lose weight, you lose the money (to charity). I signed up with a 52-week goal of losing 37 pounds and a commitment of $2/week. If I lose at least the required amount per week, I get to keep $2. If I don’t, it goes to the organization. This was actually listed as one of their “anti-charities” – that is, a charity you don’t want money to go to – but I would rather give it to them than some neutral charity that they would pick for me. (You can choose your own anti-charity, but not your own charity. The anti-charities are pro-choice, pro-gay rights, pro-environment, and pro-gun control.)
So anyway, if you want to support me, let me know and I’ll put you down as a supporter. This means you can leave encouraging messages on my board or something. I only just got started on the site, so I’m not 100% sure how it will work out, but I’ve already put up my $104 so I definitely want to do this!
Hey there. I heard the same report and I think it’s a very interesting idea. I can definitely see it for some things, but I’m not sure if weight loss is one of them. Mainly I don’t think it’s useful for weight loss because I don’t think weight loss is purely a matter of “will power” although that is what the “experts” will tell you. “Just be more dedicated and you’ll lose weight!” Nope, sorry, I’ve tried that, as have many people I know, and you end up inevitably on a stall for weeks or months despite limiting your calories and exercising a lot. The biological system is much more complicated that a e calories in vs. calories out simplification. There are tons of hormonal interractions that promote fat loss or gain, as well as different metabolic pathways for various macronutrients, etc. Sure, you could simply stop eating for a couple days a week and that might get you the lbs you need to lose, but it probably wouldn’t be the healthiest way to do it!
For me, though, the problem is literally failing to stick with it. I get lazy, I cheat here and there, etc. It’s not that I don’t know how to lose weight, I know all the complexities and proper methods and everything…I just don’t follow through. So I’m hoping this will motivate me to actually DO IT.
Good Post!! It will really help people to lose weight
Thanks for this good post.Yes, you could simply stop eating for a couple days a week and that might get you the lbs you need to lose.