Why Fatbets Work: The Research

We're not going to lie and say losing weight is easy. There is suffering involved. We knew that the competition, metrics, and accountability of setting up Fatbets helped us meet our goals, so we spent some quality time on Google one day trying to find out why. Calling this research is stretching it, but we did find some material that supports why the Fatbet concept works.

Excerpts from "Secrets of the 5%" of dieters who have lost weight and actually kept it off (from Spark People, a health and fitness motivational site). These five percent:

• Make it public. The 5% generally don’t keep their weight loss efforts to themselves. They recruit supporters...They swap war stories with friends. They give and take encouragement. Often a goal buddy is involved, or at least a positive, supportive friend who holds the dieter accountable. Studies show that just by writing down or announcing your goals, you automatically increase your chances of success.
  
  
  • Fatbet response: Bravo. With Fatbet.net, you commit to a goal and reveal it to your Fatbet group. They hold you accountable. Where we come from, being supportive may involve good-natured razzing and poking fun at yourself from time to time. That's what the group message boards are for.
  
  
• Pay attention. ...Planning, tracking, reading menus, asking questions, following progress reports they're all part of the 5% strategy of knowing what's going on and preventing setbacks. Usually (if not always) aware of the foods they eat, and on the lookout for opportunities to stay active, they know that good health is no accident. Nutrition Trackers and Fitness Planners play key roles in this strategy.
  
  
  • Fatbet response: Tracking progress and adjusting when you backslide is critical. We suggest weighing yourself at the same time each day and entering your daily weight at Fatbet.net. The progress graphs tell you when to lay off the extra gravy. During some of our Fatbets, we ran together twice each week, which took planning but helped ensure that everyone stayed active at the same level.
  
  
• Enjoy themselves. There's a reason that a healthy lifestyle sticks around for this small minority. They make weight loss a positive experience and have fun with it.
  
  
  • Fatbet response: Fun? Whatever. Losing weight involves changing habits, working hard, and sticking with it. We think watching your own and other group members progress is enjoyable because of the challenge and competitive edge to it. And it is fun to win a Fatbet.

Quote from SELF Magazine:

• "Women who lost weight, then got on the scale daily for the next 18 months had the lowest recurrence of regain."
  
  
  • Fatbet response: If SELF Magazine says it, that's all the validation we need. Research: DONE.

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