Barbara Hodges signed up for HealthyWage because she knew that losing weight was something she wanted to do, so she might as well get paid for it.
HealthyWage is an online program that rewards you for losing weight and getting healthy.
"You basically place a bet on yourself and you commit to losing so many pounds in a certain amount of time," Hodges said. "You basically earn back what you've put in plus a reward for accomplishing the goal."
It's all legit and perfectly legal.
"A lot of people find that the threat of losing your money is the most effective motivator," said HealthyWage co-owner David Roddenberry.
He says they get the prize money from big companies who want to do wellness challenges, sponsors and, of course, from people who don't end up meeting their goals.
"When I first did it, I set my calculator at 80 pounds at 200 months. I put in $1,200 for 6 months and I earned back $4,400 dollars.
The minimum you can wager is $20/month.
A calculator on the website shows how much you can earn with your goals. You pay through PayPal.
After that, all you have to do is verify your weight.
"It's a 30-second video of you getting on the scale from the privacy of your home. So you'll do it in front of a mirror. It's just to keep things fair," Roddenberry said.
Then, just lose the pounds and win the cash.
