Are Diet Bet Websites Good For Weight Loss? [Don’t Bet On It!]

Are you wondering whether a diet bet website might be a good way to help you lose weight? They sound like a good idea for motivation.  But, these are the reasons why the diet bet websites aren't the best idea for long-term weight loss and what to do instead. 

The diet bet industry is booming. It's tempting to think that diet bets are a great way to motivate yourself, but the reality is that most of them don't work, which means you're more likely to gain back the weight you lost than to actually keep it off.

They start out with a lot of promise but rarely deliver on their promises in the long term. This is because they focus too much on quick results instead of sustainable healthy eating habits that will help you maintain your new body over time.

Instead of putting money on the line, you should focus on creating healthy habits that will stick with you for life instead of quick fixes that won't last.

This post is all about whether diet bet websites work for weight loss!

What Is A Diet Bet Website?

There are several websites where you bet on yourself to lose a certain amount of weight in a given time. They all work in a similar way: you set the amount of money you’re willing to bet and when your weight loss journey will begin, for how long it will go on, and what your goal weight is

Once this information is entered, you usually take video weigh-ins and send them to the company’s referees and once they confirm your weight loss, you can get started and your diet bets will be activated.

HealthyWage for example, allows you to bet up to $995 per month for 18 months. Healthy Wage then tells you how much money you are likely to win if you meet your goal.

The theory behind diet bet websites is based upon some scientific studies which showed that people were more likely to comply with a weight loss program if there were financial incentives tied to it.

Five Reasons Diet Bet Websites Do Not Work

You Have To Pay To Play

In order to participate, you have to pay. For example, the website Healthy Wage has you put money in each month or you can pay your whole bet upfront. If you meet your goal, then you win your money back plus a little extra. But if you don't lose the weight not only are you not where you wanted to be, you are also out $500.00!

The diet bet websites usually require that you bet to lose at least 10% of your body weight. So if you are 200 pounds you have to commit to at least 20 pounds. If you are 150 pounds then you would have to commit to losing 15 pounds.

If you don't meet your goal then Healthy Wage will allow you to "buy extra time." You can see how this could get expensive. If you don't meet your goal you may be tempted to buy a few extra months so that you don't lose your initial investment. Then when those next couple of months roll around and you haven't met the goal you'll have to decide whether to buy more time. It becomes a game of rinse and repeat.

You Can't Control The Amount Of Weight You Lose

While it may seem like you can control the outcome by just eating less or exercising more, the reality is that there are many different things totally out of your control that contribute to weight loss. You can’t control how your body metabolizes food, hormones, gut flora and a host of other factors that all play a role in weight loss.

Another factor that these sites don't take into account is your personal genetics and metabolism. I personally am a slow loser. Even when I am very compliant with a diet, I may only use a pound or half pound a week.

I could be totally compliant, drink my water, and do everything right but still only lose half a pound that week. And because of that I wouldn't meet my goal which means I don't get any winnings.

Even if you are working out 5-6 days a week your weight loss might not show up on the scale! Your body could gain muscle in which case even though you actually lost fat, it won't be reflected on the scale. Or, you could have a high salt meal, or PMS and retain a significant amount of water which could not only erase your weight loss on the scale and make it look like you actually gained weight.

You Can't Rely On Diet Bet Sites For Long-Term Weight Loss

In order to get the money from diet bet sites, you have to lose the specified amount of weight within the set timeframe. If you gain a few pounds, then not only have you lost the money but now you have to lose those extra few pounds in order to get your winnings.

Even if you do manage to lose weight, it really does nothing to help you learn how to change your eating habits and lifestyle so that you can maintain the weight loss. Long-term weight loss usually requires significant habit change. When we are operating under a "gun to our head" diet it is much harder to make those changes. With diet bet websites there are too many factors out of your control, and the consequences are all or nothing.

Even If You "Win" You Won't Get As Much Money As You Expect

If you do manage to lose weight, the money that you win may be far less than you expect. Healthy Wage for example reports your winnings to the IRS on a 1099 form. Since the winnings are a prize they are taxed at usually around 24% - so if you won $1000 you would have to send Uncle Sam $240 of your winnings leaving you with $760.

On top of the taxes, there are also administrative fees. Healthy Wage charges a fee to have your winnings sent to you via check. If you get paid via PayPal, then PayPal collects an administrative fee.

Also, if you lose more weight you won't win more money. The amount you win is determined by your height and weight and verified weigh ins.

You May Regain The Weight Quicker After The Financial Reward Is Removed

In a Meta study conducted by Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, Annika Theodoulou, Jason L Oke, et al. titled Association between characteristics of behavioural weight loss programmes and weight change after programme end: systematic review and meta-analysis the authors found that with most diets people regained weight after a period of time, but that programs that provided financial incentives for weight loss were independently associated with faster regain of weight after the incentive was removed.

This could be because as we discussed before the primary incentive is a short-term monetary reward rather than focusing on making behavior changes that will help you keep the weight off.

What To Do Instead Of Diet Betting

Choose a diet that you like and that you are likely to stick to

There are so many diets out there, and they all seem to work differently. Which is the best one for you? The key is finding a diet that works with your lifestyle and preferences. That way, it's more likely that you'll stick to it and lose weight in the long-term!

For me, I think a plant-based diet is best for health reasons and also for weight loss. For more information on eating a plant-based diet, check out my articles on the 11 Benefits of eating a plant-based diet, and how I lost weight eating a plant-based diet. 

Change your mindset about weight loss: 

Changing your mindset about weight loss is the first and possibly the most important step to actually losing weight.

If you think of dieting as a punishment, then you're going to have a hard time sticking to it. But if you see dieting as a necessary lifestyle change, then you're more likely to be successful. For more information on changing your mindset read my article here. 

Exercise regularly

This will help you to burn more calories and increase your metabolism.  

Although it is true that you can't out exercise a bad diet, exercise is important in keeping that weight off. Not only does exercise help to burn calories, it also increases your metabolism and helps you to maintain muscle mass when dieting. 

Take the money that you would have "bet" and put it in an envelope or a safe

Once you reach your goal then take the money and treat yourself. If you don't end up reaching your goal in the designated time then you don't have to feel double guilty that you didn't lose weight but you did lose money. 

Conclusion

So, what’s the verdict? Should you bet on your diet? Probably not. There are better ways to lose weight and keep it off without risking your hard-earned money. If you’re looking for a way to get healthy and shed some pounds, there are plenty of other ways to lose weight that don’t involve risking your hard-earned cash – so why not give those a try instead?