Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Weight loss incentives

I know several of you have new bikes as an incentive for losing a given amount of weight. One of the NHS (National Health Service) trusts over here has started offering actual money for sustained weight loss for a trial period: http://www.nhsweightlosstrial.com
Conveniently, it's the one that covers the area in which I live...

The amounts offered are dependent on the actual amount lost and how long you can keep it off, but seem pretty generous - if I can lose the 50lbs I've been aiming to lose this year anyway and keep it off for 6 months, I get paid £425 (about $600).

There's been a fair bit of negative press over this trial, but I figure if the cash is being given away anyway for something I'm planning on doing anyway, it'd be silly not to take them up on the offer..

If I succeed, I'm planning on spending the cash on a new bike, naturally.

Would cold hard cash encourage any of you lot to lose weight and keep it off?

Not really Iam losing for me and my health and to see my new grandaughter grow up . But ya if someone was giving it away I would take it to :)

10,000 miles and I haven't lost a single pound. Come to find out diet plays a huge part in all of this...

No. Cash would be nice, but I lost weight for me. Because I wanted to. Getting paid to do so seems to me to not be a good way to go about loosing weight. Unless the amounts are substantial (like 100 times more than what's posted above). Sure, a reward is nice, but if you lose weight for money, you won't keep it off after you get paid.

Biggest incentive for me... keep the heart pumpin' just a little longer than it would without the exercise.

I think it would be worth doing. The OP is targeting the weight loss already. The program provides additional incentive, support and accountability by having a monthly weigh in.

weight loss + cash = a phenomenal deal

Nope not for me. I use to smoke and still did when they hit $10 a pack in Canada. Stopped when I finally wanted to just stopped. Wieght, same thing I just decided I didn't want to be big anymore. One thing that will encourage any man, for every inch you loose of belly you gain an inch in percieved ***** length:thumb::thumb:

whoa thats awesome. do they have that program anywhere else?

I myself came to a conclusion today. I have been riding again for the 4th time in my lifetime, for the past two years. While out on the trails, I find myself getting past up by everybody and getting short of breath real fast and having to keep resting. It seems that even though I ride a bit, I seem to keep getting bigger. I will admit I have not been watching what I eat at all. When I got home I weighed myself, just a tad under 260, heaviest I have ever been. Starting Sunday, I am going to initiate a whole new eating program. For 2 reasons, I love to ride my bikes and want to be able to REALLY ride them and maby even race someday. And I now know if I don't start to eat better its going to kill me. It took me years to stop smoking "7 years smoke free". But one day I made up my mind to quit,and I did. Today I made my mind to loose the weight. Wish me luck on my journey.

It wouldn't motivate me, and I'd probably turn down money if it were offered to me. Unless I were in a tight spot financially, in which case I would accept. Weight loss can be pricey. Eating better can mean more money being spent on food, and many forms of exercise, such as cycling, mean you have to open your wallet.

I am doing the weight loss for myself, but I would definitely sign up for it for the extra cash. If someone is going to pay me to do something I want to do anyway. Why not. For those other people that are only doing it for the money. It won't last.

Here's why I ride a bike and work hard to lose weight:
http://img365.imageshack.us/img365/1594/girlua3.jpg
http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/198/lynngaggiolilwwp7.jpg
http://c.myspace.com/Groups/00006/31/50/6720513_l.jpg
http://usemycomputer.com/indeximages/2007/February/bw00224.JPG
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y86/jp8900/IMG_0204.jpg
http://a730.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/24/l_a024f7e2ecfbb16cf914c16fd94d38b1.jpg
http://www.loeka.com/gallery/photocontestfav2006/gallery_images/gallery_photo_51.jpg

For me, no, but if it would work for you, go for it. The Biggest Loser Program has proved to me that money is not always the best reason to lose weight. Several of the winners from prior seasons have gain every pound, plus a few back because they went back to their old habits.

Ultimately, it is up to you to want to lose weight and keep it off because that is whats best for your health. If they are going to pay you some money for doing it, then that is just a bonus.

I don't think about losing weight, I only think about riding my bike and improving speed and distance. I'm obsessed with my bike, not the scale.

I don't think about losing weight, I only think about riding my bike and improving speed and distance. I'm obsessed with my bike, not the scale.

Very true, ride your bike and your heart and scale will follow. :p

This (http://fatguy.org/2008/12/28/living-longer-blood-pressure/) is all of the motivation I need.

What Richard Rides said.:thumb:

I recently read (can't remember where, sorry) that negative incentives are far more effective than positive ones (sticks beat carrots :) ).

The suggestion they made was to make a bet with a friend like this: "If I don't lose X pounds by date Y, I'll give you $25." With no upside for you other than keeping the $25.

I have not tried this myself. :) YMMV!

I wouldn't start a weight loss effort for the sole puropse of getting money. Most have posted that weight loss only happens when you want it to. Anything else is temprary at best. You have to want to do it for yourself.

I am with the OP though that if the program popped up and was just a side bit to the original effort, I'm in. New wheel sets ain't cheap, lol.

Interesting that you mostly seem to agree (and I'm with you too), that the money in itself wouldn't be enough. It's a nice benefit of something I'm determined to do though. In buying more fruit and joining gym it'll cost more than the payout anyway...

Not sure that's what the trial has set out to achieve though ;)

I have to agree that money wouldn't be enough of a motivator for me... it hasn't worked for me in the past. Still working on trying to find that thing that's going to seal the deal for me per se... although that picture of me from the MS150 last year really made me shudder...

V