Should I join a public "12 week health and fitness challenge"

[lhamo]

A local health food/supplement store runs a "12 week challenge" every year -- basically it is kind of like a local version of The Biggest Loser, though for average people as well as those with more serious weight problems. I am contemplating joining it this year to provide an extra boost/incentive for continuing to increase my fitness and losing the rest of the weight I want to lose to meet my goal. I can see several plusses and several minuses:

Plusses:

1) Extreme public accountability -- will be very motivating to know that other people are watching to see what my results are. WAAAY less temptation to cheat/relax in my work toward my goals

2) They are offering discounts to a lot of local businesses, including free or reduced cost fitness classes. Would be a good way to try some new things (yoga, etc.)

3) Possibly a good way to meet other people interested in health and fitness

4) Prizes if you win -- I doubt that will happen, but they picked some skinny little thing who lost maybe 2kgs as the female winner last year so you never know!


Minuses:

1) As part of the contest rules, you have to be willing to have your photo taken in minimal clothing before and after the event, and stand up on the stage at the end in a bathing suit or sports bra/running shorts. If I meet my goal I'll be ok with this, but at the moment....

2) Registration fee is about $50

3) Kind of a hassle to go register, to to the opening event/weigh in

What do you all think? I feel safer putting this out there here rather than on FAcebook, but need some objective input.

lhamo

[cattledog]

Personally, I would not. There are other ways to meet people (why not just sign up for yoga class instead?). I'm a private person though, and would not be comfortable with this kind of public display.

I don't care for these "Biggest Loser" programs though. They seem like short-term fixes to me. What happens in week 13 when there is no public scrutiny? Will you still be motivated? I'd probably go have a cheeseburger and fries after the contest was over. LOL.

[Glo]

I would definitely take the challenge. Some people have to do something different to get to the next level. Wish we had this kind of challenge in my area. Good luck!

[ctg492]

I am a private person, so the picture thing would end it for me. But if it does not bother you, the rest sounds like fun and health at the same time.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I wouldn't .... because of real flaws in my personality really and how they would interact with this.

For one thing I can be hugely competetitive inside, and not in a positive way. More to the point of asking repetitively and paranoidly: "who's one up and who's one down? Oooh ... is someone one up on me? I hate them for being one up, I hate myself for being one down." Now I realize a thing like this is very much supposed to use competitiveness to get people to excel or whatever. The thing is with me competitiveness is a very poor burning fuel, it generates way more heat than light. So more time is actually spent in envy, self-hate, and spite than in productivity toward goal. :|( If it's supposed to be a game, I'm a poor sport (but I'm probalby not the only one). I'm actually not keen on shame as a motivator either (being ashamed of how one looks in a bathing suit or whatever). I'm also a private person, possibly strongly believe in pursuing intrinsitic motivation (though easily derailed).

Meeting people at yoga classes and stuff sounds way preferable. Now that I could do :) I guess I'm just generally not into pain I suppose, little underacheiving not into pain me :~) I think the only appeal of this to me would be the FREE STUFF (I'm probably going to do some free silly health thing at work for $50, but it's not shaming or competitive).

[puglogic]

I'm not into this sort of thing, but if it will motivate you, go for it. I need accountability and I don't mind competition with myself, as in sparkpeople.com , but this sort of thing sounds like it would feel like a circus to me. But then again, I'm an introvert.

[sweetana3]

My best bfriend did it once and threw herself into it with gusto. She loved people and was, in fact, the oldest one doing it. She was a cheerleader for the whole group all. It fit her personality and was wonderful for her.

She had previously had bariatric surgery and lost a huge amount of weight. She took up golf and did water aerobics. She knew she needed more fitness in her daily life and this gave her the momentum she needed.

The saddest thing about it was she found out she had aggressive cancer(finally diagnosed as pancreatic) while on the program and died before the year was out. I still miss her and still feel she would have won the whole thing.

[krystal]

I think that you should go for it, accept the challenge and prove yourself.Thanks

[lhamo]

Thanks for the feedback, everybody. I've decided that I am doing well enough with my personal, private goalsetting and challenges (currently mid-way through a 10k training program) and I am not going to take this public step. We've got quite a bit of stuff goign on at home and my work situation is also still somewhat in flux (with a new program possibly coming our way in the next few weeks), so I have plenty on my plate.

Maybe next year. Or not. We'll see.

lhamo

[razz]

It is really important to review and decide if you have the emotional, mental and physical time and to focus on something like this as you have done.
It would be too public for me to do something like this.