Why I Love LOSING Weight Loss Competitions

Why I Love LOSING Weight Loss Competitions
Written by Sea of Green Member Kathy Borkoski

This January, two months after I had my first baby, I was still 25 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight. The last time I seriously worked out was for the 2013 Sea of Green Regional’s Team.

Yes, 2013.

I knew I wanted to get back into shape. Every morning I woke up thinking today would be the day I’d start my new fitness plan, only to be derailed by every baby cry, shiny light, and milkshake I came across. And each time I took my first unhealthy bite, I’d tell myself that being a new mom is hard work and I’d start my fitness plan tomorrow.

Now, maybe you aren’t a new mom, but I’m sure you’ve been tempted to the dark side by delicious marketing. Or maybe work got really busy and you had to eat out more often. Or you had an injury that you’ve recovered from, but you haven’t made it back into the gym yet. How did you or how do you plan to get back on track?

For me, in early February, I got an email from my company’s biggest client. They were having a weight loss competition and the winning 5-member team would receive $10,000. This was the external motivator I needed to kick start my own internal motivation. I put together a team of 5 awesome women, and we were off on our healthy adventure.

During the 3 months of the contest, I had a couple of major revelations.

1. It’s easier to put down a free cookie when you have a reason to. If it were easy to avoid unhealthy food, the health industry would wither and die. I needed a contest to help me kick my sugar addiction. Because of the contest, I cleaned out all the unhealthy things that were lingering around my cupboards and put up signs everywhere that said “$10,000. Is what you are about to eat going to help or hurt you?”
2. I need to have more on the line than my pride. For me, I can’t pay $5 a month and go to 24-Hour Fitness; I’ll stop going after 2 weeks. So I rejoined my favorite CrossFit gym (Invictus), where the coaches help me every minute I’m in there and people ask me where I’ve been if I miss a week. Because being a member costs more than a delicious gingerbread latte, I do everything it takes to MAKE my schedule include my gym time.
3. Sexy doesn’t come back on its own. There’s a reason Justin Timberlake had to bring it back. And once I had the external push of the competition, my momentum carried me towards victory. Within a month I was back to doing push-ups off my knees; within 2 months, I was looking forward to every gym day. And finally, at 3 months, I could wear my favorite jeans again. It wasn’t easy. There was a lot of sweat and even more longing looks at unhealthy deserts, but the way I felt inside by the end of the contest was well worth it.

So my contest ended last Friday. My team was not near the top. I was not one of the biggest losers. But the $70 entry fee was worth it. I lost 20 lbs (12.2% of my bodyweight), I refound my love of working out and eating well, and I don’t have to spend a ton of money on a new wardrobe.

What contest are you ready to lose?

Editor’s Note: If you are interested in joining a fat loss challenge and getting some nutrition coaching along the way, consider joining our online Eat Clean Get Lean program. There are cash prizes as well as some other bonuses to keep you motivated. Registration ends Sunday, May 3rd at 9PM PST (or whenever available spots are sold out). For more information, click here!