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Due to recent feedback I’ve gotten from fellow personal finance bloggers over e-mail and twitter, I’ve decided to formally launch the Personal Finance Blogger Weight Loss Challenge!
It is my hope that this will help bring the personal finance blogosphere together to inspire each other to take control of our bodies as well as their wallets. I know the former is much harder than the latter for me! Whether you need to lose a few pounds or 40 pounds you are more than welcome to join up!
This might also be a great opportunity for readers of the personal finance community to follow their favorite bloggers’ progress.
Requirements To Join
There are only (2) requirements!
- Own or write for a personal finance (or personal development/finance) blog or online publication.
- Commitment to e-mail me one e-mail per week with your progress. The entire e-mail can be “-4 pounds total”, etc… This should be done either on Saturday or Sunday morning. Updates will happen Sunday evenings.
How The Challenge Will Work
The challenge will start June 1st, 2009 and run through July 31st, 2009. This is 61 days.
I will break the teams up based on the goals of each member and the total number of participants. For example, each team might have 3 or 4 team members, but each will be close in their overall goal. Teams will be announced, this coming Sunday.
The team who earns the most points will be declared the winner. The winning team will be announced on this blog, as well as any blog who would like to participate. This is not a requirement.
(1) point will be awarded for each pound lost up until a participant hits their goal. If you successfully obtain your goal by the end of the challenge you will earn (5) bonus points. Each extra pound that you lose over your goal will still count, but only count for (.5) points.
Hopefully, this point system will help encourage people to push themselves, but will reward accomplishing the individual goal whether that is 2 pounds or 20 pounds.
We will not be tracking overall weight. If individual participants want to add that into the comments section of the weekly updates they can. We will just be tracking total pounds lost/gained. This challenge will work on the honor system, which judging by my interaction with the community won’t be a problem. After all it’s just a little extra boost to help us all hit our fitness goals.
How To Sign-Up
E-mail me at Baker [at] ManVsDebt [dot] com by May 31st (Sunday) at noon and let me know the following details:
- Name you’d like to be referred to
- Website or blog address for link
- Overall weigh loss goal over 61 days, starting June 1, 2009
- Pinkie-swear you’ll update me once a week with progress.
You can also feel free to leave a comment on this post, although still e-mail me. I will be sending a courtesy e-mail out every Saturday reminding people to let me know their progress. I’ll make it super easy for you ;-)!
People Who’ve Officially Entered The Challenge So Far!
- Baker from Man Vs. Debt
- Dave from Do You Dave Ramsey
- Neal Frankle from Wealth Pilgrim
- Clare from Money Energy
- Matt Jabs from Debt Free Adventure
- Jorge from Independent Minded
- MFD from My Findependence Day
- Miranda from Yielding Wealth
- Savings not Shoes from Penny Pence
- Krista from Change Jar
- Brad from Enemy of Debt
- Abigail from I Pick Up Pennies
- SavingDiva from Saving For Home
- Rachel from Porter Coaching
- Laura from Green Panda Treehouse
- Pretty Penny from My Pretty Pennies
- Linsey from Wise Bread
- John from Might Bargain Hunter
- Jessica at Penny Wise Family
- Kim from Blogging For Change
- Bob from Christian Personal Finance
- Spendthrift from Converting A Spendthrift
- Shane from Beating Broke
- Lynne from The Wiser Miser
- Josh Smith from WalletPop
- Mrs. Micah from Mrs. Micah
- Viviana from The Lean Times
- Kelly from The Centsible Life
- Dusty from Chasing The Bull
Leave any trash talk, comments, or own personal goals below! Let’s help kick each other’s butts into gear!
That is so funny that you started this because I have written a post that I had planned tol post on my blog next week with tips on how I keep my weight down. My thing is needing to exercise. My weight is not much of an issue, but I’m really out of shape! It’s hard with kids to find the time, but I’ve ordered my double jogging (well, walking for me) stroller so I can get started again!
Good luck with this project!
Mama Bird’s last blog post..Flying with Food Allergic Kids
Ah, well hopefully you’ll still be able to get some inspiration! For the 2nd round maybe we can do a “exercising” challenge in general.
Great idea Baker… another great way to connect with fellow bloggers while also motivating us to drop a few lbs…..
Hmm, I’ll set my goal at 16lbs for this challenge… that’s 2 per week for 8 weeks.
Good luck to everyone else participating!
Dave
Do You Dave Ramsey?’s last blog post..5 Things I LOVE about Personal Finance
Dave, glad to have you aboard. I’ve had some feedback from some other bloggers, so I know they’ll be a bunch joining us soon!
Sure, I’m in! I’m on my own weight loss challenge anyway…. we can always stand to lose a few extra pounds! This looks like quite the contest…. great idea.
MoneyEnergy’s last blog post..Only The Mediocre Are Always At Their Best
I am SO in. Look for my email. I’ve decided that I want to try to lose 15 pounds in the next 61 days…
Miranda’s last blog post..10 Most Overpriced Cities in America
Sounds like a great idea! I’ll be signing up for my last 5 pounds to get involved! I love people working together towards a common goal of health and happiness!
(Side note: I think you may need to ammend July 1st for June 1st in point 3 of the email details above)
Savings not shoes’s last blog post..Saving on Holiday housing: Apartment exchange
Thanks, updated!
I’m in, just sent the email! I am reaching for a Biggest Loser goal of 30 or more pounds.
Speaking to Sweet Briar College on September 4th, so I will need the support this will provide. Thanks for putting this together, and I look forward to getting to know everyone involved!
🙂
Enemy of Debt’s last blog post..Debt Free Addicts Anonymous #1: Super Savings Edition
Wow, neat opportunity to speak to a college!
I’m not trying for a huge weight loss (just 8 pounds), but I think it will be fun to have other people to compete against. It’s like Weight Watcher meeting for PF bloggers 🙂
SavingDiva’s last blog post..First Triathlon
I might be interested in the extra accountability, but I only have a few pounds to lose. Maybe 5, my goal is mostly general physical health. Change body fat %, get active, stretching, etc. I may not even end up losing weight if it just changes to muscle.
Let me what you think.
The Happy Rock’s last blog post..4 Simple Tips To Improve Your Wealth Building Skills
What a great idea! I’m spending the next 5 days getting my weights dusted off, my water bottle shined up and my work out clothes ready to go!
Thank you for the incentive and the team work 😉
Krista’s last blog post..My affair with my bank: 10 things I adore about on-line banking
Count me in! I just sent you an email. I want to weigh between 115-120 and I need to weigh myself first to see how much that would be. Approximately 10 pounds I think. Thanks for the motivation and hello fellow teamsters! It is SO ON. 😉
pretty penny’s last blog post..Operation Summer Savings
How coincidental? I just started my newest effort at dropping about 5-7 pounds for the summer! After choking down a parsley/honey/and pineapple smoothie (yuck) I found this post. I’m all for support groups! Thanks for the motivation 🙂
Linsey at Wise Bread’s last blog post..6 Unique Ways to Eat Watermelon
What if you are trying to gain weight? Muscle of course, but I am skinny enough and am trying to kick my butt to gain some muscle mass – how is that for a wrench being thrown in? 😉
ChristianPF’s last blog post..Wii and iPod giveaway! Happy Birthday CPF!
Let’s just work it in reverse! You’re in my man!
Sign me up!
Jessica from Pennywisefamily.blogspot.com.
On a new workout routine and trying to loose a few (like 60) pounds!
I’ll update every weekend, but will need an email addy. I’m [email protected]
Jessica W’s last blog post..Another Great PF Blog With Another Great Contest
I’m not interested in gaining or losing weight, but I’d like to tone some muscle. I’m e-mailing you with a spreadsheet I created outlining my goals. I guess I’ll let you know whether or not I’ve met it. If we’re doing teams, then perhaps I could get 2 points a week for meeting it (since 2lb a week is considered a good amount of weight to lose) and less for anything I skip, more for extra? I can do the calculations if it’s less more.
If we’re not doing teams or anything, I don’t mind being a “met expectations” entry, but if we’re doing teams then I don’t want to handicap mine!
Mrs. Micah’s last blog post..5 Reasons to Use Your Credit Instead of Your Debit Card – Guest Post
Okay, sign me up.
I want to lose 10 pounds. But it seems a bit unfair to award points based on each pound lost, since some of us want to lose less than others. (or lose no weight)
Maybe we could sign off on weekly goals like exercise 3 times a week, keep calories to 1,800 a day, etc. and those goals would count for a point each?
We could keep track of our goals on googledocs. You can set up your goals, Baker, and invite all the participants to view it, and then we can copy everyone on that list and post our own spreadsheets. Personally I need visual accountability to get to my goals.
Kelly’s last blog post..around the web: estate planning edition
Count me in as well.
I want to (actually need to) lose 20 pounds so this will be a great motivation.
Dusty’s last blog post..How to Stay Focused and Avoid Being Bored at Work
I’m in baby……..In your honor…I’m going to drop and give you 20!
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[email protected]’s last blog post..Is College a Waste of Time and Money?
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Darn! I just found out about this and would have liked to participate. I’ll be watching how this challenge progresses.
Andy Hough’s last blog post..May 2009 Goal Review
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