Stuck on StickK

I signed a contract with SticK.com this morning. I heard about this website this morning while listening to Morning Edition on NPR. It was one of those moments of serendipity I love so much.

I need to lose some weight and I have been in a state of shock at the fact that I need to lose weight. For most of my adult life I have been one of those women that most women love to hate. I could eat whatever I wanted without gaining weight. I could or could not exercise, it didn't make a difference to my weight. I didn't even own a scale until this past summer. After I had my first two kids, the weight fell off but not so with baby #3. Perhaps it's the combination of turning 40, moving out of the city where walking was a daily habit, and snacking whenever my kids snack that have slowly pushed my weight up.

I've only moved up one size in my clothing but that one size has made a huge difference in my energy level and I definitely feel twinges and aches where I never felt them before when I'm out running. I've been trying to come to terms with the fact that I need to shed this extra weight but it's been more introspection than action. This morning I stepped on the scale and I actually thought there was something wrong with my eyes. My God, the only time I've weighed this much was when I've been pregnant or just after giving birth. Something drastic was needed- in stepped StickK.com to the rescue.

No, it's not some crazy diet where you only eat what sticks to the plate when the plate is turned upside down but a goal-setting contractual website. You set a goal (mine is to lose 34 pounds in 34 week). You then set a monetary price on that goal, mine is $2 per week for a total of $68 (you can set goals without the monetary incentive). If during these 34 weeks I don't reach my goal of a 1lb/week then $2 will be deducted. The money, and I shudder each time I think of it, will go to an anti-charity. I chose the NRA. Yes, if I find myself popping a couple of my moist homemade blueberry muffins into my mouth then this money will be sent to the National Rifle Association. This is not the kind of organization I choose to support with my money.

Now you can choose to send your money to a charity or make a bet with a friend or even an enemy. The idea of sending the money to charity seemed interesting but I don't believe this would offer me the kind of challenge needed to push me to drastic activity. I went for the anti-charity option and now I haven't even looked inside our snack cabinet today. I handed my toddler a mini-cupcake leftover from his brother's birthday without even thinking of popping one into my mouth.

I'm so excited I'm going to set up another contract to get me moving on the completion of my novel by my birthday (July 5), this time I'll pit myself against the global warming deniers.

What goals have you been wanting to conquer once and for all? Let me know and maybe we could all push each other a little closer to our dreams.