This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of HealthyWage. All opinions are 100% mine
Losing weight can be hard, especially if you struggle with motivation.
When I lost weight a few years ago, motivation was one of my biggest challenges and I often felt like I was on this journey by myself.
While losing weight and getting healthy was a reward in itself, finding the discipline to stick with my new healthy habits was more difficult than I would have liked. If only there was a website that financially rewarded you for making healthy choices. Oh wait, there is!
We recently came across HealthyWage, a program that allows users to invest in their own weight loss and get paid real cash prizes for their success! I wish I had known about HealthyWage when I lost weight as you not only have the motivation from winning money if you achieve your goal, but you also gain social support through their online community.
Our HealthyWage review shows how you can use the weight-loss app to create motivation and accountability on your weight loss journey.
Table of Contents
What is HealthyWage?
HealthyWage is a website that hosts weight loss and activity challenges with cash prizes as incentive and motivation to achieve your health and fitness goals, along with social support and healthy competition. With the individual HealthyWager challenge, participants can win up to $10,000!
One participant who won big for losing weight was Amanda L. After giving birth to her third child, Amanda was depressed about her weight. “I never [lost] the baby weight between my second and third child, so it just kept stacking on during my third pregnancy.” Tired of “living in maternity clothes,” Amanda was intrigued when she came across HealthyWage on Facebook. “I needed the motivation to get my butt in gear. So, I decided to sign up and just go for it,” she says.
By cleaning up her diet and adding regular workouts to her schedule, Amanda successfully lost 70 pounds and won $3,041!
The great thing about HealthyWage is that it does not limit you to a specific diet and exercise plan; instead, you have the flexibility to choose how you want to lose weight.
Founded in 2009, HealthyWage administers challenges for various companies and organizations, universities and school districts, as well as hospitals and government entities.
How Does the Weight Loss App Work?
Using HealthyWage is a simple four-step process:
- Determine Your Prize
- Make Your Bet
- Lose the Weight
- Win Money!
At the end of the challenge, if you reach your goal, you win your cash prize. If you don’t reach your goal, you don’t win (nor do you get back your wager).
Determining Your Prize
After signing up, the first step is to play with the prize calculator to determine how much weight you want to lose (must be at least ten percent of your starting body weight); how much money you are willing to bet per month (at least $100 total for your entire challenge); and how many months you need to reach your weight loss goal.
In addition to facilitating her bet, HealthyWage’s progress tracker helped Amanda stay on track with reaching her goal. “My goal was to stay ahead of the progress tracker. If I saw the tracker was catching up to me, I knew I needed to push myself to get ahead.”
The calculator will ask for additional details such as your gender, height, and current weight. To see your set prize, you need to create an account with a username and password, or you can use your Facebook account to login.
You can play with the free prize calculator as many times as you would like until you find a prize (up to $10,000) that motivates you. After you make your bet, your prize amount is guaranteed and will not change.
Your Challenge
Once you’ve found a prize that motivates you, it’s time to place your bet! You can either pay your bet in monthly installments or all at once.
Then, you’ll need to submit a verified weight, which you can easily do through HealthyWage’s mobile app. You’re only required to submit two verified weights: once at the start of your challenge and once at the end; however, it’s recommended you submit weekly unverified weights to help you stay on track to reaching your goal.
Lastly, achieve your weight loss goal by your challenge deadline, and you win your prize! If you want to add to your prize, you can also participate in mini challenges alongside your HealthyWager, as well as refer friends and family and get an additional $40 for each referral sign up!
The Science Behind Their Approach
HealthyWage was founded on science, such as one study by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that showed individuals with a financial incentive to lose weight were five times more likely to reach their target weight than those with no money at stake.
The fear of losing your entry fee, along with the motivation of getting paid to lose weight, is a big motivator for people.
Amanda’s story testifies to this. “I’m money-motivated. I refused to lose my money and told myself that if I win, I’m going to buy myself a new wardrobe. I used both as motivation to get my money back and win more.”
Along with financial incentives, HealthyWage also uses social dieting and things like competition, team work, and encouragement to help users lose weight. In fact, a recent Harvard study found that weight loss (and weight gain!) are contagious.
The feeling of accomplishment at the end is well worth the sacrifice and effort. Amanda says finally losing the weight gave her a renewed sense of confidence and happiness.
“I feel so different. I’m happier. I’m more active with my family. I feel like I’m back to my normal self. I love the way I look now when I look in the mirror. I know that sounds vain, but I feel so much better. It’s motivation to keep going….I’m ready to conquer and do more.”
FAQs
Have more questions? Read for answers before joining the weight loss app.
Is the app safe to use?
Yes! HealthyWage uses 256-bit encryption and payment information is not stored in their system. Personal information is not shared with your teammates or employers.
No food or meal plan is included with the weight loss app. Instead, HealthyWage’s app is more of a motivation tool for weight loss.
How is the prize calculated?
The HealthyWage Calculator will calculate your challenge prize based on an algorithm using several factors, including:
- Your weight
- Body Mass Index (BMI)
- The amount you bet
- The amount of time you want to lose the weight
- The time of year you make the bet
The algorithm is constantly being updated and improved, so HealthyWage says it’s possible for two people in similar situations to receive different prize offerings. But once you make your bet, your prize amount is guaranteed and will not change.
How much money can I win with HealthyWage?
For individual HealthyWage challenges, your prize will be calculated based on the criteria above.
How can they pay people to lose weight?
HealthyWage is able to pay you to lose weight because unfortunately not everyone wins their challenges. For those who lose their bets, their money is used to pay out prizes to people who win.
According to their website, HealthyWage is also “financially supported by insurers, health systems and hospitals, food companies, and the government.”
Can you lose money on the app?
Yes. If you make a weight loss bet and do not win your challenge, your money goes to support HealthyWage and pay out prizes to people who lose weight.
Is the app an effective way to lose weight?
The HealthyWage app can help users lose weight. Although HealthyWage has no meal or workout plans included, it is an effective tool to help users stay motivated to lose weight.
At the end of her weight loss journey Amanda said, “I went from an XL to a size small! I feel great and confident and have more energy. I learned to love myself again, and because of that I’m able to love my family and friends around me even more.”
Summary
Losing weight isn’t always easy but it can be easier to stay motivated with the HealthyWage app. The strong financial and social motivators of HealthyWage make it a great tool for improving your health while getting paid to lose weight.
I’m John Schmoll, a former stockbroker, MBA-grad, published finance writer, and founder of Frugal Rules.
As a veteran of the financial services industry, I’ve worked as a mutual fund administrator, banker, and stockbroker and was Series 7 and 63-licensed, but I left all that behind in 2012 to help people learn how to manage their money.
My goal is to help you gain the knowledge you need to become financially independent with personally-tested financial tools and money-saving solutions.
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