stickK: How Well Does Money Motivate?

As discussed in an August post on stickK and GymPact, money is one motivator that is becoming more prominent in health and wellness.

As I described previously: On stickK.com, when you don’t hit your workout goals or weight goals for the week, your credit card gets charged and money is sent to a person or an organization you initially select. If you hit your weekly goal, no money is lost or gained.

After my post I was asked to be the receiver of funds for a diet challenge. For every week a pound was not lost, I would get $5.00. Here is the feedback my friend gave after the program was over:

• Program worked really well, but she set an unrealistic goal for herself and couldn’t modify it midway.
• She wanted to get to a certain weight by a specific date but the site changed it so the goal became more exact – to lose 11 lbs in 11 weeks, one pound a week. This meant if she had a bad week she would be penalized.
• If she was to do it again, it would be for a shorter time period – 6 to 8 weeks, not 11.
• Would she set it up to pay out more money? No.
• Her biggest change: Users should get a pass week (to stay flat in weight loss) on their goal if there is a holiday or event in the middle of the program. Her birthday was in the middle of her challenge, and after a slip, she couldn’t get back on track.