I joined DietBet when a friend invited me and a few of my other friends/co-workers. I liked the idea of winning the losers money, but I had also been so busy with work and life that I needed the excuse to get in shape because, lets face it, I was overweight. I noticed right away that I was far more energetic, but it wasn't until the whole DietBet group decided to give up drinking that I really started to notice my weight dropping. It astonished me how skipping the weekend scene really did wonders for weight loss, and because the whole group was doing it together we started finding healthy alternatives. I set up a few trips to the batting cages while others set up bike and hiking trips. And none of it came without a little competition, it is a bet after all. I would include in my daily update pictures of cake or links to maps of the best pizza in NYC.
In the end, I lost 12 pounds and split the winning with 2 other people, but at that point I was so happy to have finally made the change in my lifestyle and stuck with it that the cash winnings was just a bonus. I gave all of my winnings, my entry fee and all, to charity.