Coming up with a juvenile fatloss bet with my Dad?

[EasyRhino]

Hi,

I'm 33, 6'2" and ~212lbs. No body fat measurements available. I've been working on getting more serious about diet and exercise for the last several months. (last year at my heaviest I was 240+). Still working at it.

My Dad is 63, 6'2", and... lets say 245+. His main activity is golf, of which he plays several times a week (but mainly uses a cart). He's been on a 'diet' since the Carter administration. But that's a running joke because he loves junk food. However, last few years, he's probably been packing on more weight, and doesn't seem to be really working at the diet or exercise as much.

One thing that he may respond well to is juvenile machismo. I think I can come up with a weightloss challenge between him and me, put a token amount of money on it, and then talk trash mercilesslessly.

I'm not sure how to structure such a bet to make it fair, though. I'm in somewhat better shape then him. He's older. At least we're the same height.

The most likely format would be that we both do a starting weigh off, like, tomorrow, then, some time in the future, do another. He wants to do it in one month, when we next see each other, I lobby a longer term like 4-6 months. But even then, when we get the ending weight numbers, what type of scoring formula should we use?

[MQ5]

make the bet about weight percentage. 5%-10% of your weight. That sort of thing. It evens the playing field somewhat. You can not make it entirely fair. He is older and there is nothing you can do about that.

[Leigh P.]

Challenges are a great way to get people going.

What I always suggest people do is to do a diet specific challenge matched with a picture transformation challenge.

For example, I ran the One Big Meal Challenge. Very specific eating but also picture specific. The winner is the person who has the best transformation, not most loss, but transformation. Who complied to their diet best, etc.

Make it involved, get the family talking about it, make it something that brings praise and poking if you mess up. Pride trumps money everytime if triggered right. Here is the details of that challenge to give you an idea.

http://avidityfitness.net/2008/10/17...-one-big-meal/

[soliwit]

I just want to add to not make it a 'lose as much as fast as you can' thing, you don't want to aim for a weight loss of more than 2 lbs a week, I bet you know this, but I am just making sure.
In the end it would only be counter productive to try to lose faster than that, since the chance to gain it all back (and some) would be way bigger.

[EasyRhino]

Yep, I think we're stuck with at least an interim competition of only a month or so, because that's when we know we'll see each other next for the weigh off. But I hope I can parlay that result into a longer lasting competition.

And it's highly unlikely either of us will embark on irresponsible weight loss tactics. Mainly because we're both too lazy and like to eat too much.

I'm leaning towards a simple "net pounds lost ahead of the other" tactic. This would presumably give the advantage to my dad because he's starting at a higher point and might benefit from newbier gains. Enough of an advantage to at least outweight the age thing, I hope.