How it works – biggest loser work edition

Apparently I completely forgot all details in my last biggest loser post. Here’s my understanding of how things are organized. (I may have completely made this up, but I think I can find the emails):

It’s $20 to enter and runs for 16 weeks. Half the money is divided up between the top 3.  Surprisingly the other 1/2 isn’t pocketed by the organizer as a fee for having to put up with us. Rather it is donated to charity in the winner’s name. The start and end weigh-ins are mandatory and you can either chose to have your weight published or not. Since I’m a bit of a blabbermouth and it would take more than that to embarrass me (and I’ve shared it with all of you) mine is published. There are optional weigh-ins every second week and progress summaries are sent to the group. Unlike the tv show there’s no one else there to berate me for a lack of progress and tell me what a failure I am so I need to take up the slack.

Winners are not calculated by total weight lost, but rather % lost. This evens the playing field a bit for men/woman and taller/shorter etc to all be thrown into one group. The person with the largest percentage of weight lost takes $160 (and the tax receipt), 2nd gets $50 and 3rd gets their entry fee back.

The organizer has put out some great tips about small changes you can make in your life to help with this journey (stairs rather than elevator, park further away, leave your supper on the stove instead of the table it make 2nds less tempting…) Again differing from the tv show by the lack of personal trainers and dietitians. More work for me, I guess. If I ever start calorie counting I’m so adding that to my activites.

Let me tell you what wasn’t on his list of tips: leave your lunch at home and buy something from the caf. Definitely not on the recommended list…Now excuse me, I have to go pull a car or something.