How to Create Weight Loss Challenges

Engaging in friendly competition with friends, family or co-workers can keep you motivated to lose weight. Some individuals may find that the peer pressure of a competition helps them improve their health and keep up with eating right and exercising on a regular basis. A weight loss challenge is also a good way to form a support network for those who participate so they can maintain their new lifestyle after the challenge has ended.

Instructions

• 1

  Find people willing to participate. Look around your community and network of friends to determine who might be willing to undertake a weight loss challenge. If you would rather not approach people directly, issue a notice to let people know to contact you if they are interested. For example, ask your pastor if you can place a note in the church bulletin about the weight loss challenge idea. You can also do the same in a staff newsletter.

• 2

  Determine the nature of the weight loss challenge. For example, you can create a competitive challenge whereby participants lose as much weight as they can within a period of time. Alternatively, you can create a non-competitive challenge whereby every individual is encouraged to meet a personal weight loss goal. In either scenario, you can have periodic weigh-ins throughout the challenge to allow people to monitor their progress. Those who are losing weight are congratulated and those who are not losing are given support and encouragement.

• 3

  Set a timeline for the challenge. If you want to run several challenges, set a timeline for each one that allows people to get into the routine of weight loss and to create an overall lifestyle change so the new healthy habits will stick. For example, you may wish to create a new challenge every three months with weekly check-ins.

• 4

  Decide whether the challenge will be semi-private or public. Decide whether everyone's progress will be made available to all participants or whether only the "winner" each week will be revealed. If one participant does not want his particular statistics revealed each week, his privacy should be respected in order to maintain the goodwill of the project.

• 5

  Establish a database to track the challenge statistics and choose one or two trustworthy people to maintain it in confidence. Alternatively, you may wish to have participants "self-report" their progress every week to the challenge administrators and likewise have participants "self-report" their final result at the end of the challenge.

• 6

  Decide on the ultimate prize or reward at the end of the challenge. Participants can donate money to purchase prizes or your company may be willing to sponsor it if the challenge is workplace-based. If your challenge is large enough, local businesses may be willing to donate a prize to the winner or to anyone who has met their goal. Participation prizes should also be considered for anyone who has signed up for the challenge and stuck with it to the end.

• 7

  Plan and execute motivational events and activities designed to encourage healthy eating and exercise. For example, if a participant is an amateur chef, she may volunteer to provide a healthy cooking class to help participants plan meals. If a participant is an outdoor enthusiast, she may be willing to lead a hike in the local area. Keep the activities fun and pressure-free so people want to participate.