What is a DietBet?

I never thought to actually explain in detail what a DietBet is. DietBet is a website/app dedicated to encouraging people to lose weight by betting money on their personal success at doing so. There are two main types: Kickstarter and Transformers.

The Kickstarter is a 4-week ‘game’. You take your initial weight-in pictures and once they are approved you’re ready to go. You have 4 weeks to lose 4% of your starting body weight. Bets start at $35, however some games might have higher bets. If you are a member, you can submit your unofficial weigh-in every week to be put into a drawing for various prizes that DietBet gives away. Once that game ends, you have about 48 hours to submit your final weigh-in and have it approved. If you win, the pot is split amongst you and the other winners, with DietBet taking out a small percentage of the total pot before distribution. If you win, you always get at least the money you bet back, and a little more (depending on how many people won).

The Transformer is a 6-month game. Yup. But rather than 4% every month for 6 months, the goal is to lose 10% of your body weight by the end of your 6th month. 3% for month 1, 6% by month 2, 8% by month 3, 9% by month 4, 10% in month 5, and 10% in month 6. It works much like the Kickstarter, however the pot is split between the monthly goals and the final round, with the final round having most of the pot. To qualify for the final round, you need to have lost at least 6% of your initial weight by the time Round 6 starts. So you do not have to win every round, every month during the 6 months. And the rounds you do win will be paid out at the end of the 6-month game.

What about cheating?

The DietBet system has it’s own authentication system. For your weigh-ins, you are prompted to submit 2 pictures (only for DietBet use). The first is of the scale (with you standing on it-feet only). The second is a full body picture of you standing on the same scale. Once those pictures are submitted, a person will review the pictures and approve them (or reject them if something seems fishy). That doesn’t mean it is impossible to cheat the system, but you can’t control everyone right? And in the end the only person they’d be cheating is themselves. In cases of big bets or fishiness, DietBet may require a video submission of your weigh-in.

Is this healthy?

No one wants to lose their money, which is precisely why DietBet has come to its current popularity and effectiveness. It’s one thing to tell yourself you’re going to lose 7 pounds this month. It’s another thing to bet $35 that you will lose 7 pounds this month. It’s also rewarding to know the effort paid off (and paid back) when you win the DietBet and get your $35 back plus a little extra. However, what if you’re trying to lose the weight and it’s not coming off? Then you start panicking because you don’t want to lose the money you bet. What if you joined a $100 bet because you thought you could do it, and now you’re not so sure? You might be tempted to turn to some rather unhealthy measures to lose the weight. DietBet does try to stem this behavior. If they deem your level of weight loss unhealthy, they will not reward that with a win. They have a system set in place of how much weigh loss is too unhealthy in a month. For the kickstarter, that is more than 12% of your initial weight. For the Transformer it’s 12% (R1), 18% (R2), 24% (R3), 27% (R4), 30% (R5 & R6) of your initial weight.

Is it good?

DietBet boasts that 96% of their players lose weight and the science behind behavioral change and motivation is what drives the purpose of DietBet and leads to their players’ successes. Also, many people who have tried DietBet love it because of the community. As you play in the game, you can not only typically win prizes in game, but both give and receive encouragement from fellow players of the same game! You’re not competing against each other but rather trying to help each other reach your goals. I think DietBet can be a really great thing, depending on your personality and drive. I personally like the 6 month Transformer more because I personally find it hard to not lose steam after a few months, and this is just the kick in the rear I need. The Kickstarters are a little intense for me though, I hate stepping on the scale searching for that one number in such a crunched time period; it makes me feel anxious and unhappy. DietBet is starting to venture out into other options though. They’ve started making more varieties such as Flexible Kickstarters that give you up to 6 weeks to lose 4%, StepBets, RunningBets, Workout Challenges, MealPrep challenges and more.

Here are some screenshots from my DietBets.

This was after submitting and confirming my final weigh-in to win my first ever DietBet! It’s cut off a little, but on the far left is my initial weight when I submitted my weigh-in. On the far right is my 4% goal. And in the middle was my current/final weight.

After the 48-hour final weigh-in time, everything is sorted out and the winners are awarded their payout. This was the payout results of my 1st DietBet. The initial bet was $35. Every game is different though 😉

And this is my current Transformer. The 2nd month is almost over. As you can see, I won the first round and it tells me how much I won from the Round 1 pot (but I won’t get that payout until the entire game is completed).

Hello 2020

I have officially left my youthful decade behind me. I’m sure that sounds a little ridiculous, since I’m only 23, but by end of 2030, I’ll be 34 years old. Who knows? I could be 50 pounds lighter, married, with children, in a different country, have a job I never imagined, etc. Exciting…but also scary haha.

Anyway, December/January has been a time of exploration for me. And yes, I’m referring to my diet. Doing the DietBet did spur me into action, craving results, but kind of in a bad way. I do want to lose weight quickly, don’t get me wrong, but I also know that our bodies have a tendency to do whatever they want, despite our efforts. I don’t mind letting my body do its thing and respect the process. But the immediacy of the DietBet timer ticking down made me anxious and pushing for that number on the scale. So, I tried switching things up a lot to see what worked. And I did manage to win my DietBets. GREAT feeling. But I spiraled right after. I’m a stress-eater by nature and that honestly wasn’t stress I needed to add to myself on top of my normal stressors. I slipped out of Keto for like a solid 2 weeks. While I was disappointed in myself a little, I didn’t beat myself up.

2020 (so far) has proven itself good to me mentally. I have refocused myself and my goals. I am not striving for perfection, just a better health and a better relationship with food and my own body. After my 2-week break from Keto, I redetermined my goals. I’d always looked at my weight loss journeys in kind of a gimmicky way (even Keto). I would do a certain workout or certain eating regime for X amount of time, beat myself up when I failed to adhere to it, and stress/depress eat my way back to my original weight. However, so far this year, I’m trying to take a more wholistic approach to my health.

What do I mean? I really want to lose weight, for a number of reasons, but that has never motivated me long-term. I’m really trying to focus on health this year in general. Loving and treating myself well. The ways in which I’m doing that, for example, is by focusing more on self-care. Shameful as it is, I don’t take care of my appearance as well as I should. I’m the kind of girl who rarely puts on makeup and puts little to no effort into her skincare routine or wardrobe or perfume. Not that I’m a slob who smells and doesn’t bathe or anything like that, but to be honest, I’ve always had very low self-esteem so I’ve kinda always told myself, “Why bother? It’ll never be enough.” Sometimes, I do put on a cute outfit and makeup, etc, but more often than not, no. So, I have decided to start treating myself better this year by putting more effort into my self-care. Increasing the number of steps in my skincare routine and putting more effort into my wardrobe etc. I have not been wearing makeup more often or anything like that, but I am trying to redefine how I feel about the whole process. To see it all not as a lot of (wasted) effort, but a way that I can care for myself and express myself.

Food has also always been a trigger for me. I love love love sweets and fried foods, but they are not healthy. Though I have to admit, avoiding them for the rest of my life would be absolutely miserable. So I’m just not gonna. I do want to stick to a Keto diet for now and a long-term lower carb diet, but I still want to enjoy going out with friends and things like that. Moderation and control is key. It’s difficult not to have an all-or-nothing mindset, especially when it comes to Keto and it can be so easy to kick yourself out of ketosis. But I have to tell myself that it’s not the end of the world. Just get back into it. Honestly, I went out of town with my friend on a daytrip and we saw a Krispy Kreme. I bought myself a glazed doughnut, and I do not regret it at all. It tasted so much of home which might sound silly, but it did. And then, I went on about my day. Still eating as planned, still working out when I got home.

Speaking of workouts, I am also making a more concentrated effort to workout. I’m taking the approach that something is better than nothing. Whether or not I adhered perfectly to my diet for the day. Whether or not I feel like doing it. Whether I do a set workout program or a random 10-minute video on Youtube. Some days I workout and feel like a Boss. Other days I feel like a limp noodle. But I love increasing my strength and knowing that my body is better for it.

I’m also trying to focus on doing things that I enjoy. I’ve started reading more again, going to karaoke, studying Korean, and hanging out with friends more. Lately, I had mindlessly watched Youtube or Netflix in lieu of doing anything productive, and honestly it’s draining mentally. It just gives me an empty feeling rather than a fulfilled one.

So, that is where I am right now. Just trying to live a better life, not just chase after that number on the scale. Actually right now I am in the middle of a fast. I only intended it to be 3 days, but I’m approaching the end of my 72 hours and it has been a breeze, so I might just see how long I can go. I feel very calm and zen on this fast and I feel like it has been good to my body. Due to my 2 weeks of cheating, I probably won’t win my current DietBets but I am okay with that. You win some, you lose some. I know that as I focus more on my health and mindful eating, the weight will come off. It’s still a journey, not a race. 🙂