Gamify Your Weight Loss
Now that the year is drawing to a close, you may be thinking about the changes you’d like to make in 2020 to your health, lifestyle, spending habits, and more. The interesting thing is that you are not alone—so many people make resolutions and then break resolutions about one to two months into the new year. Some people no longer create New Year’s resolutions because doing so can be fodder for disappointment, stress, or added pressure that they don’t need.
However, bringing the game back into your resolution can be an excellent, easy way to relieve that pressure and get back to the basics.
A poll taken in August of 2019 shows that 43% of people in the United States made a New Year’s resolution to lose weight that year. And, according to the New York Post, only 8% of those people actually kept their decision to lose weight in 2018. This year, if you decide to make a resolution to lose weight, why not try something different and gamify your weight loss?
What Does Gamify Mean?
If you’re not sure what the term “gamify” means, it’s pretty straightforward: it means to make a game out of something. You can gamify anything—and that includes going to the grocery store and finding the lowest priced toilet paper before other family members do. Just as an example.
The term is relatively new and derives from a culture of people who love playing video or board games. Now that the term has come to weight loss, it’s taken on a new meaning where you can create challenges for yourself or through technology that can help you challenge yourself with others.
Make Up a Personal Challenge
Making up personal challenges can be fun. Here are some tips to help you on this route: know what you are playing for, know what rules you need to follow, and know how to hold yourself accountable if you cheat or don’t meet your goal.
There are many offices that have begun doing office challenges where they form groups, pool money, and try to lose the most weight collectively. If this isn’t for you, try some other games (listed below).
- Create a Nutrition Game: Use nutrition metrics to help you judge a week of success or need-to-do-better, use numbers to set goals (like calorie counting or gathering enough critical nutrients in your daily routine), build a system where you can track your progress (such as a calorie counting app, My Fitness Pal, or Fitbit), and figure out your accountability.
- Give Yourself Incentives: If you reach a specific goal, treat yourself to a movie; if you reach the next goal, buy yourself a small reward, like a new book; if you reach a final goal, get yourself something more significant, like a piece of jewelry or new clothing. Using incentives that are non food-related will help you be more aware of what you are doing and how you are doing it.
Challenge Yourself with Others
If a solo challenge is not something you prefer and you would like a group to motivate you, you are in luck. Technology enables you to play the weight loss game with others, even around the world, through apps and websites like HealthyWage, Stickk, and Charity Miles.
- HealthyWage provides weight loss challenges with cash prizes. You create your team and go up against other people to win big if you meet your goals.
- Stickk is an app and website that has a community of people to help keep you motivated and, as the name states, helps you Stickk to your goals.
- Charity Miles is an app/website that gives money to charities when a person (you!) who signs up to walk/run/bike so many miles hits their mile marker. This app helps you get healthier and helps out other people: if that’s not a fantastic incentive, then we aren’t sure what would be.
Keeping your New Year’s resolution doesn’t have to cause you stress and inspire disappointment if you don’t reach your goals. When you have fun with the process, the outcome is going to be much greater. Gamifying your weight loss for 2020 can help you take off the pressure of losing weight and give you a healthier outlook on the entire experience.
If you are looking to adopt a healthier lifestyle and need help, contact Bee Healthy Clinics. We will be happy to provide you support, give you tips, and guide you in the right direction to meet your lifestyle goals.