The best weight loss motivation? Money

Season after season, "The Biggest Loser" turns morbidly obese humans into "lean, mean, exercise machines".  The secret -- a $250,000 dollar prize.  Oh yeah all the contestants are happy and excited about how they have been able to turn their lives around.  But let's face it, they are in it for the money.  They are able to succeed because they can devote their lives to working out and eating right at least for a couple of months -- and, oh yeah, they have the luxury of a pretty good trainer.

Now a "scientific study" has shown that money will succeed where physical and emotional discomfort have failed.  People will shed pounds, at least temporarily, for a monetary reward.

Does this make sense??

I agree! If I had a great trainer and was about to win a monetary reward, I would be modeling or something! Money makes a differences!

Money is the root of all evil.. sigh.

This is true, but I think in my case I'm motivated enough to lose this weight without the bribe of money. I'm trying as hard as I possibly can, and no one's paying me! Sure, I have cheat days once in awhile, and I sure can eat, but usually on those days my urge to eat is so strong that no amount of money in the world could stop me. I tell myself that I'll feel better if I don't, that I need to keep my eyes on the prize nothing can stop me. And my weight loss has slowed due to being close to my goal, but I'm still working as hard, if not harder, than ever.

This is not to disagree with you, though, the promise of money would sweeten the pot, and probably motivate me if I didn't already have motivation! And I sure can tell you I wouldn't be opposed to $250,000...

"at least temporarily".... and there's the heart of the matter.   90% of all successful dieters have regained the weight lost within 18 months.   The show would be more realistic if there was a $50,000 prize for the person who lost the most weight during the programme but another $200,000 for the one that kept the weight off three or four years down the track....  that would sort the men from the boys.

I also think it has to do with being on TV. I'm sorry, but I don't want to look like the biggest, fattest person in the face of all of the U.S. FOREVER. That's not how I want to be remembered. I want to be remembered as having lost a TON of weight, not of how I failed to do so.

Yea, i do think that sure is one reason they lose so much. BUT, they also have trainers, a fridge stocked w ONLY health food to eat. They don't have to worry about their lives....they are on a ranch devoted to losing weight. I sometimes think that ppl should do BETTER on that show because what else do they do while they are there? Eat healthy, sleep, and workout!

They talked about it on the last show, though....about how a lot of the first contestants on the show gained a lot of their weight back....but of course, they already either have the money or they didn't win.

I think money is a huge motivator though! I actually started a challenge *yesterday* that has a 1500 prize, plus gift certificates at the end. I'll see how much it motivates me!

I'd say that a lot of people needs a certain motivation to do something, and money sure is a huge motivator. I guess it's similar to the education system in Singapore; Students who do fairly or exceptionally well are entitled for a bursury or scholarship, which is also a monetary award ranging from $500 to thousands, which is quite a huge sum of money for students who rely on their parents for money all the time.

As for this contest, I'd say almost everyone would want to try to lose weight if possible, and they are just lacking the push factor to do so.

Those contestants would probably think this: "Wow there's a chance for me to earn $250,000 for something that I've always wanted to do. Why don't I give it a shot?" 

However, the disappointing part is that they don't make use of such a good opportunity to change their lives forever by following the same routine that they had when they were taking part in the show. Seems like they cannot keep up the daily exercise after they relax in the luxury of their own homes (:

Wow! I wasn't paying attention and didn't notice all of the replies.  For those who said they are struggling without reward, let me say this: "You can do it."

I have often thought that I could win that Biggest Loser contest going away except for one problem, I am never going to put on an extra 100 pounds or so.  I did get an extra 50 or 60 on before I turned things around.

Then I have had my ups and downs.  Now I am struggling with a pretty good problem.  I am down from size 38 pants to size 34, which are starting to get loose on me.  I am down from extra large tops to medium, which are still a little tight. And I seem to be down in the 170 - 172 range with a goal of 165.  The problem is: Do I really need to lose that extra 5 pounds?

When I finally got down to 182, I could eat pretty well and maintain my weight.  I dropped down to 168 over a couple of months and then back to 172 for a short time.  This past year, I was doing pretty well at 175.  I cut back on my eating and exercising and dropped to 171 but I really have to keep my eating down to stay at that weight.

From my reading on the Science Digest web site, I believe that we are starting to figure in terms of proteins and genes what drives us to over eat and what prevents us from burning off fat.  In a few years, maybe the next decade, people who have weight management problems will probably be able to get prescriptions to help them keep the weight off.

Money makes people do a lot of things. Murder, Hire someone to murder for you, Rob places, Sell your body, Degrade yourself, etc. It really is the most powerful thing in this world. At least in this case, it's for changing your life and getting healthy rather then something harmful like the things I mentioned before.