8 Ways to Get Paid to Lose Weight

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paid to lose weight

Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to lose weight? What if I was to tell you that there are ways to get paid to lose weight? That sure makes the topic a bit more interesting, doesn’t it!

But it might seem too good to be true. Who would pay you to lose weight? The truth is there are a few ways you can get paid to lose weight. We’re going to highlight three of them for you today.

Read on to see if you can use one or more of these ways as a springboard for your weight loss goals.

How to Make Money Losing Weight

Three of our favorite ways to make money losing weight are listed below. Each of the choices works a bit differently. Read them over and see if one or more might be right for helping you lose weight.

1. Healthy Wage

Healthy Wage launched a health and wellness company in 2009. Their goal? To make weight loss and fitness more fun and effective. You bet money on your weight loss and fitness results and win or lose depending on those results.

And we’re not talking small potatoes for cash prizes here. Healthy Wage’s top cash prize is an attractive $10,000.

When Deacon Hayes and his wife, Kim, wanted to lose weight, they decided to use Healthy Wage. They signed up for a Healthy Wage competition where they competed with others.

“The Healthy Wage competition we entered was fun and it held us accountable. My wife won her competition, which was nice because she made some money”.

“I lost mine, so I lost some money, but with Kim’s winnings it was a wash. And the important part was that we both lost weight”.

2. Evidation

Evidation works differently than Healthy Wage. It’s a fitness app that pays you to track your steps. The app is free, and it will pay you $10 for every 10,000 points you earn. You earn points by taking steps and other activities.

Deacon Hayes downloaded the Evidation app last year to help him keep his weight down and be accountable for his health.

“The Evidation app is really easy to use. It’s just a set it and forget it kind of an app. I just downloaded it and hooked it up to my fitness app such as FitBit and Google Fit”.

“I’ve only earned about $10 so far, so it’s not a huge money maker. However, it’s so easy to earn. Why not use it”?

In addition, the Evidation app has offers you can take advantage of to earn even more points. For example, you can participate in offers for health studies or offers to refer friends to use the app.

Rewards are paid out via bank account deposit or PayPal. It takes roughly three to seven days to get your reward once you’ve made the request.

3. DietBet

DietBet works similar to Healthy Wage. They have games – or bets – you can sign up and join in on. Or you can create your own with family and friends.

Everyone throws a bit of cash into the pot, and at the end of the challenge the winnings are split up between the (weight) losers.

Patty of Phoenix, Arizona, joined DietBet after being challenged by a fitness celebrity she follows. “In January, I decided it was time to lose the extra weight I’d gained after having my first baby”.

“A fitness celebrity I follow was kicking off a big group challenge on DietBet and it motivated me to join. To sign up I downloaded the app, paid the fee and took my weigh-in pictures”.

“In 28 days, I made small changes that converted to a overall 4% (6.1 lbs.) weight loss. I paid $30 to join the bet and cashed out $38.07 at the end of the bet. It was simple, motivating and fun!”

When you sign up with DietBet you start by submitting two photos. One is of you standing on a scale, the other is a picture of the numbers on the scale.

DietBet winners have earned over $62 million to date. They’ve got a variety of games to choose from; starting at four-week long games up to twelve-month long games. Visit their website through the link above for more information.

4. MyWalgreens

You can do more at Walgreens than shop for your medications and household goods. Now you can get paid to reach your health goals. MyWalgreens has a 4-week health challenge that pays you in Walgreens Cash rewards for each week you reach your goal.

Only myWalgreens members can play, but it’s free to join.

Each myWalgreens challenge starts on Monday and ends seven days later. All you have to do is complete a challenge, and you’ll earn $1 in Walgreens Cash for the month ($0.25 per week).

If you meet the challenge every week for four weeks, you get an extra spin which may earn you another $2 in Walgreens cash.

As a myWalgreens member, you can set two goals – physical activity and lifestyle goals. To track your progress, you can use a tracking device or enter your progress manually, checking off the days you meet your goals.

When you click on Health Goals in your myWalgreens dashboard, you’ll see the health goals you can use. Choose two goals for the greatest chances of winning your Walgreens cash.

5. Sweatcoin

Sweatcoin homepage

Sweatcoin pays you to walk. But it doesn’t pay you in cash. Instead, it pays you in Sweatcoin, a virtual currency you can use to buy products in their store or donate to charity.

The Sweatcoin app has been rated the top app in over 60 countries because when you improve your health, you benefit society.

So what can you do with your Sweatcoin? 

They offer thousands of products to choose from to reward yourself for your hard work. They include access to apps like Audible and Headspace to physical products like iPhones and Apple watches.

If you’d prefer, you can donate your earnings to top charities, including African Wildlife, Cancer Research, or Save the Children, to name a few.

The British Journal of Sports Medicine found that Sweatcoin users increase their activity by 20% just by earning Sweatcoins.

Don’t worry about your privacy, either. Sweatcoin doesn’t share your information with any third parties – privacy is their number one concern.

6. Stickk

Stickk is an app committed to helping you ‘stick to’ your goals. If you’re tired of setting goals and, after only a few days giving up, you aren’t alone, and that’s what Stickk wants to help.

The Stickk app bridges the gap between setting goals and achieving them with the Commitment Contract. This binding agreement is an agreement with yourself. You put money on the line to keep yourself motivated and define the steps you’ll take to reach your goal.

You choose your goal and set the parameters. You are 100% in charge of the process. Next, you’ll have a referee watching over your progress and your ‘bet’ on the line. 

Along the way, you’ll post progress pictures and even bring friends and family on board to be your support.

Right now, there’s $59,000 at stake and 580,000 commitments created. Whether your goal is to walk more, lose 10 pounds, eat healthier, or lift more weights, make a contract with yourself and get going.

7. WayBetter

Losing weight shouldn’t be painful; it should be fun, and that’s why WayBetter was created. The premise of WayBetter is to make losing weight fun by creating social games that help you build momentum to reach your goals.

Each game is a multi-week challenge. You can choose a single activity or a more holistic approach to weight loss.

They help you achieve your goals by breaking them down into smaller goals so it doesn’t feel so overwhelming.

You can set goals to lose weight, take more steps, eat better, or any other health-related goal. 

8. Commit Club

commitcub home page

Commit Club is a social accountability app that can turn your habits into money-making opportunities, or you can use it for free.

On Commit Club, you can have solo challenges, which are free, or join a team and wager against yourself.

You set your commitment, such as walking for 30 minutes daily or quitting sugar. Next, you track your progress by checking in and naming accountability partners who can ‘nudge you’ if you’re falling behind.

You set the duration of the goal and then check in daily. You get your pledge for the day back if you meet your goals. If you don’t, you lose it, and it becomes someone else’s gain.

If you join a team, you get to see everyone’s progress, so you know who’s successful, who is still in progress, and who didn’t make it. Seeing you pitted against your team members can motivate you to push harder, as can the money you have on the line.

Commit Club is 100% free, and you choose the amount you wager if you decide to put money up against yourself. 

Commit Club relies on accountability from others and the motivation of losing money to get you to change your habits, whether they are to lose weight, get fit, move more, or any other health-oriented goal.

Summary

According to Healthy Wage, research has shown that cash rewards have increased weight loss success. Also, research shows that people are more effective at losing weight when their own money is on the line.

So if you feel like you need extra motivation to reach your goal of losing weight, think about trying one of the options listed above.

Putting money on the line might just give you the motivation you need to make some positive changes to your health. And who knew you could be getting paid to walk?

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22 Comments

  1. I want to do the 5 people in a team.

  2. This seems like a great idea! For an overweight person like me, it’s like hitting two birds with one stone!

  3. Deacon, that looks like an interesting way to make some cash. I assume, if you do not lose weight, you lose your investment, right? I think I will give it a shot.

    1. That is correct. If you don’t lose the 10%, you will lose the $150. It is very motivating for me because I hate losing money.

  4. DC @ Young Adult Money says:

    Definitely a cool idea, but unfortunately (or fortunately?) I am trying to gain weight, if anything.

    1. I would say you are fortunate DC. It is easier to gain weight than to lose it. 🙂

  5. Kim@Eyesonthedollar says:

    That is an great challenge. I could lose a few pounds but not 10%. That other app sounds kind of fun though. Good luck with your goals.

  6. AverageJoe says:

    I’m curious if they’ll make or lose money on this? It seems like a money-making dream. So many people start this kind of thing and then peter out when it gets difficult.

    1. I wondered that myself. They say that they receive corporate sponsorship’s, so perhaps they rake the dough in that way as well.

  7. Canadian Budget Binder says:

    A challenge to lose weight and win money.. I think that anyone that needs the motivation of a challenge should take it on. You only live once and keeping yourself healthy and fit, well you can’t put a number on that. Good Luck Mate!

    1. Thanks Mr. CBB! It is a no-brainer if you have the weight to lose.

  8. Debt Roundup says:

    Interesting. I need to lose some weight, but not 10% either. I am looking to lose weight, so I will be in a better group for life insurance premiums. Since my son was just born, I need to up my life insurance, but I need to have a physical. If I drop the pounds, then I will be good.

    1. That is one thing about the challenge, you need to have 10% to lose. I am fortunate, if that is what you would call it, to have that amount of pounds to drop. Glad to hear you are planning to increase your life insurance because you had a kid. It is so important to plan for taking care of your family financially in the off chance that something would happen to you.

  9. If nothing else, money can motivate people! There is another app that pays you to go to the gym, or fines you for not going. Good luck with your weight loss!

    1. Pauline, thanks for the heads up on the App. I will have to check it out. I am not sure I am a fan of paying “Fines” for not working out, but I guess that is supposed to motivate me not to be lazy. I would have a love/hate relationship with that App.

      1. Lyn @ Pretty Frugal says:

        I am that app, Gym-pact. You earn about $.40 in average per workout (over 30 minutes) you commit to. If you miss one, you are fined $5 for each missed workout. Nice if you can make sure you get to the gym, a total bummer if you have an unexpectedly busy week! It also works with RunKeeper so you can use it outside of the gym.

        I definitely have a love/hate relationship with it, but haven’t been fined yet!

      2. You haven’t been fined yet? That is impressive. Thanks for throwing the name of the App out there, that is helpful. I will check it out!

  10. John S @ Frugal Rules says:

    It sounds like an awesome idea. I definitely have some that I could lose, I’ll have to check it out.

    1. It is an awesome idea, one that I thought, “Why didn’t I think of that?” I wish you the best in achieving your fitness goals!

  11. Holly@ClubThrifty says:

    That challenge seems awesome. I just need to lose a few pounds I picked up over the holidays…definitely not 10%. Still, I think that money is a great motivator for people!

    1. Money is a great motivator. I joined a competition last fall where the reward was lunch. That wasn’t as motivating as $150, that is for sure.