Hey there. I get asked about diet bets pretty regularly, and for a while I was convinced I had already shared my thoughts in a podcast. But since I couldn’t find that episode, it’s time to put this out there.
Let me start by saying this… if you’re doing diet bets, they’re working for you, and you enjoy them, keep going. I’m not here to tell you to stop something that’s helping you move forward. One person who comes to mind is Becky from Instagram, @beckytries. She’s lost 80 pounds in under a year and has won a number of diet bets. That’s impressive, and I genuinely admire the consistency and discipline it takes to get those results.
That said, for most people I’ve talked to—especially those who have at least 50 to 100 pounds to lose—I wouldn’t recommend them. The issue isn’t the competition itself. It’s how much of it is tied to something you can’t control… the number on the scale.
The weight loss community already struggles with scale obsession. And in a game where you either “win” or “lose” based on whether you hit a certain percentage, that obsession gets worse. You can lose weight and still be labeled a “loser” because you didn’t hit the arbitrary line. That can do real damage to someone’s mindset. I’ve talked to hundreds of people one-on-one about this stuff. When someone is working hard and still gets that label, it can wreck their motivation.
For the competitive folks out there, I totally get the appeal. I’m competitive too. But I like to build that competition around the stuff I can control… like daily actions. Did I hit my water goal today? Did I stick to my workout plan? Did I show up for myself even when I didn’t feel like it?
If you really want to compete, find a fitness buddy and create a daily checklist challenge. You each set your own minimum daily actions. At the end of the week, count how many boxes you checked. Whoever got the most wins. If you want to throw in a little wager, go for it. The point is you’re competing on behaviors, not outcomes.
This kind of approach not only helps you stay consistent, but it also shifts your focus from “am I losing enough weight” to “am I building the right habits.” That’s what makes progress sustainable.
So yeah, if you’re doing diet bets and thriving, more power to you. Just know that there’s another way to create structure and even competition without relying on the scale. If you’ve ever tried a daily action competition, I want to hear about it. I think it’s a powerful way to push each other in a healthy direction.
If this resonates, consider joining me inside The YLF Experience. It’s a supportive space where we focus on sustainable results, mindset shifts, and real progress that lasts.