Here's how it works.....

Okay - so we have done this with my extended family before -so I think we have worked out most of the kinks. This is the first time I have done it remotely with others via a blog - but it shouldn't be too big of a deal. Here's the deal:

• Weigh in to establish starting weight on the morning of January 1st. This will serve as your reference point for the competition. We will keep weights to the nearest 10th of a pound (ex: 150.2 lbs). Weigh in every Saturday morning thereafter for 12 weeks. Weigh ins should be done on the same scale each week, if possible.
• Only you will know your actual weight. The only thing you have to report and share with the group is your change from the previous week (ex: down 0.3 lbs) and your cumulative percentage weight change to the nearest 100th of a percent (ex: down 1.16 percent). Percentage weight loss is calculated like this: starting weight - current weight / starting weight x 100. Here is also a link to an online calculator: http://www.nutrivive.org/Weight_Change.htm. You will share your information by adding a comment to the blog posting for that Saturday. Weekly reports have to be posted no later than midnight on Sunday or you will be disqualified from the competiton.
• As long as you either lose weight or maintain from the previous week - you are good to go. If you gain weight, you have to contribute money to the pot. For every 0.1 lb you gain from the previous week, you owe the pot $1.00. So, if you gain 1 lb from the previous week, you owe the pot $10.00. I will keep track of how much each person owes and at the end of the competition, everyone will send me a check for what they accumulated over the 12 weeks.
• At the end of 12 weeks, the person with the largest percentage of weight loss will win the pot. The only catch is that the winner has to maintain their weight loss for 4 weeks after the final weigh in to get the pot. If the winner doesn't maintain their weight, the pot will be donated to a charity of the winner's choice.

I think that is it. If you want to participate, just add a comment to this post and email me at kmstegner@hotmail.com so I know what the best email address is for you. Feel free to invite your friends to participate - the more the merrier. The biggest thing is that it has to be someone you trust - since it is on the honor system.

This should be fun!