I have been some version of overweight my whole life. Losing weight has been my never-ending battle. I've tried everything from Weight Watchers to Jenny Craig to Jazzercise at home to Overeaters Anonymous–I even got a staple inserted behind my ear because it was supposed to curb appetite. Nothing stuck. I would lose weight, and in a heartbeat I'd regain it all back plus some. I was tired of my body and my life. I needed something that was interactive, that would hold me accountable and surround me with others just like me. That was DietBet.

It was never fully about winning the money. It was more about making a commitment that let me choose what worked best for me, on my time, in my home. It was the idea of being able to communicate daily with other people and learn from their struggles and successes. The weigh-ins kept me focused, but the community kept me motivated. DietBet provided me with so much support, insight, and ideas. People cheered when I only lost 0.8 of a pound, even though I was feeling frustrated. They kept my spirits up, kept me going. The purpose of DietBet is to lose weight and win money, but for me, the money was just a bonus. I liked everything about the game. People want people to win because they know that by winning they are getting healthier! DietBet provided me with hope and strength when I really had none.

I lost 50 pounds in 6 months. Sure the money was a motivator, but the community kept me coming back each day to stay committed and focused. You have nothing to lose but the weight. Even if you don't with the bet by meeting the target goal, you've still won just by shedding those extra pounds! That is worth more than any amount of money.

DietBet really helped me change my life. I never thought I could lose so much weight.  My confidence was in the toilet and my self esteem nonexistent. I felt uncomfortable in my skin. I would rationalize my body size by saying, "I still fit my frame." I pretended it wasn't as big as I seemed. I wasn't living, I was just going through the motions. On top of that, I wanted to start dating again and, surprise, many many men want nothing to do with plus size women, as awful and disgusting as that sounds. That was a starting point for me--to look better so a guy would like me--but that is all it was, a starting point. As the days went on, I started to like me. I started to respect me, I started to LOVE me. I don't know when the last time was that I loved myself. My reason for losing the weight changed. I was now doing it for me, only me. If a guy found me, that would be great, but the real thing was that I found me. I started to change for someone else, but I finished and continue to change for me. That is the biggest win of all.