When I polled you guys last month about doing another DietBet or a separate sort of challenge on the blog, the responses were pretty evenly mixed—lots of requests for another DB, but also enthusiasm for a challenge not related to weight loss. So let’s do both!
For this month-long challenge, you pick the goal. What’s something you’ve been wanting to achieve? What change have you been needing to make? It can be anything related to health and fitness. If losing 4% of your bodyweight is on your list of goals, awesome—sign up for the Pumps & Iron DietBet. If weight loss isn’t a goal, challenge yourself to something else: Build up the strength to do 10 consecutive push ups without modifying to your knees; train for a 5K; drink half your bodyweight in ounces of water a day for a month; cut out sugar from your diet for 30 days to see how it affects your body; increase your flexibility so that you’re able to touch your toes. Tailor the challenge to your own personal goals.
I’ve put together a printable goal-setting chart to help you map out your challenge, break it into smaller weekly goals, and plan your month. It sounds dorky, but the process of writing down your goals, breaking them into steps, identifying obstacles you’ll face, and accordingly planning for getting through them is so paramount in succeeding. Start brainstorming your goal for next month and I’ll share the printout on the blog next week before the DietBet starts!
The Deets
If you’re unfamiliar with DietBet, it essentially allows you to win money for losing weight. You buy into it for $35, and then everyone who successfully loses 4% of their bodyweight in four weeks gets to split the pot. Usually winners end up doubling their money. It’s fun because you have this ongoing message board with everyone involved in the bet that allows you to support each other, get motivation when you’re lacking, share your victories, and seek advice when you falter. I always end up getting really emotional and typically cry at least twice throughout the month from reading the inspirational support being offered to the mini DietBet community (I know I know, I need to get a grip). Full rules can be found here.
The DietBet and blog challenge will start Monday April 6. I figured it’d be easiest for some people to wait until after Easter/Passover. And April seems like the perfect month because the weather is getting warmer, and that summer-is-coming buzz is absolutely infectious.
Throughout the month, I’ll be hosting giveaways at the end of each week for some added motivation. Everyone who succeeds in reaching their weekly benchmark can enter to win a prize package of awesome health and fitness goodies (that goes for DietBetters and those just taking on the blog challenge).
I’m in the process of finalizing prizes and content, so let me know if there are posts you’d find helpful during the challenge month or prizes that would help motivate you to stay on track. All suggestions welcome! And don’t worry–if you think the whole thing sounds stupid, there will still be all the regular workout/fitness posts I do throughout the challenge. 
Hope you all (or at least some of you) are as excited as I am! I know challenges can be a little dorky, but c’mon—they’re fun! And a great way to get on track toward whatever goal you want to achieve. It’s not 100% final, but my goal will probably be to stick a handstand without using a wall. I think I have the core and upper body strength to do it—it’s just getting over my fear of falling over and practicing the balance. Maybe a month isn’t long enough and I’m being overly ambitious—yogis, feel free to pitch in your two cents!
If you’re interested in the DietBet, you can sign up HERE. You have until early April to get involved and it’s way more fun with friends, so start recruiting family members, friends and coworkers! 
Hey there! I'm Nicole, a group fitness instructor, healthy lifestyle blogger (you probably figured that one out by now) and Certified Personal Trainer living in Boston, MA.
How do we “win” if we’re not playing for the normal 4% rule? I’d love to sign up for a water challenge. I definitely need to drink more water and this would be a great opportunity!
If you’re not doing the DietBet, there won’t be a cash prize. Instead you’ll be able to enter giveaways each week (lots of health & fitness goodies!) if you stay on track towards your goal. I’m going to post a chart to help you track your challenge later today or tomorrow–stay tuned!
Yay! Can’t wait to join the DietBet!
I think I’m going to go for increasing my weekly workout time. Being sick in February got me way off track and I’m only going to the gym once a week. I need to get back on track! Thanks for the motivation! I hope I lose 4% of my body weight but I don’t think I’m ready to put my money where my mouth is. I’ve lost 10 pounds in the last 7 weeks, but I’m stalled right now. Back to activity!
A 10-lb loss is awesome! Congrats!
OOhh yes, I’m so in!! I LOVE a good challenge!! I’m totally with you on the handstand. I would love to be able to hold a handstand for more than 5 seconds, lol, but I haven’t really been practicing. Oops! This is a great time to start and DO IT DAMMIT!! 😉 Love this challenge Nicole!!
Yay! We can keep each other on track with the handstand practice
That’s actually during passover. It starts the 3rd and lasts one week.
Oh shoot–my bad!
I’m excited about this! Either choosing to cut out all added sugars or run 3+ times a week (running has fallen to the wayside with strength and yoga taking it’s place lately). I’ll decide by the start date which goal sounds less awful.
I thought about eliminating sugar, too–my handstand goals seems a little easier though haha
I will defiantly be participating in the blog challenge, don’t know if I want to do the DietBit (don’t want to be out $35 ha!). Thinking about setting a weekly cardio goal like 120 total minutes. .
Been wanting to try dietbet for a while; this is a good opportunity to do it.
Also–I noticed you used the word “dorky” a couple of times and talked about not worrying if “the whole thing sounds stupid” in this post. I just wanted to say, please don’t apologize for the content you put on your blog–your readers are your readers because they like the stuff you have here! You should feel proud of what you have here, what your ideas/inspirations are, etc., because it’s great!
Aw thank you, Jen!!