10 Realistic Ways To Get Paid To Lose Weight – Apps & Ideas To Try
Losing weight is something that a lot of us struggle with at times.
In fact, according to the CDC, adult obesity rates have increased to over 40% across all different age groups.
With full-time jobs, people to care for, spending time with friends, and having fun going out, it’s not easy maintaining that fit lifestyle.
However, if you want to stay healthy and even save more money, getting into shape is certainly a smart move.
Plus, thanks to apps that pay you to lose weight, you can even turn new healthy habits into a potential side hustle!
In this article, we’ll be going over a bunch of ways to make money losing weight! Hopefully, you will find an idea that motivates you enough to continue on your fitness journey.
How Do Get Paid To Lose Weight Apps Work?
We've covered apps that pay you to work out before, and the idea behind this category of app is actually pretty genius.
Apps that pay you to lose weight generally require you to bet on yourself to reach a certain fitness goal.
If you reach that goal, you earn your money back plus interest…if you lose, the money is gone.
Now, there have been studies that show that financial incentives can help people lose weight, which is part of why these apps can be effective.
Similarly, there's a psychological concept known as loss aversion. Without getting into too much detail, this is basically the idea that people would rather “not lose” $5 instead of winning $5.
So, once your own money is on the line, you might be more likely to see a challenge through just to avoid losing your initial bet!
Of course, you know yourself best, and this formula doesn't work for everyone. However, apps that pay you for losing weight have some science behind them, so keep this in mind.
The Best Ways to Get Paid To Lose Weight
The best ways start with fitness apps that involve money in some way, shape, or form.
Stay tuned for a few extra ideas at the end that could also aid in your money-making fitness journey.
Each of these apps have their own little unique differences between them. However, most of the apps follow the same sort of methods to help you workout and get paid.
1. HealthyWage
HealthyWage is a platform that encourages users to improve their fitness and reach their weight loss goals by including financial incentives in the equation.
HealthyWage works in 4 simple steps:
- Calculate your prize using HealthyWage's weight loss calculator.
- Make a bet on yourself to lose a certain amount of weight within a given timeframe.
- Lose the weight and verify your results.
- Cash out.
When you place your bet, you have to deposit a minimum of $100. You must also lose at least 10% of your body weight in order for it to be a valid bet.
Your prize amount is also calculated based on a few factors such as BMI, time frame, weight, and betting price.
However, even a modest weight loss bet can usually earn around 7% to 11% return on your money if you complete your goal…which is comparable or even better than just leaving your money in the stock market.
Plus, the maximum amount you can earn is $10,000 for completing a HealthyWage team challenge.
That’s a huge incentive for someone on a big weight loss journey, and even smaller bets can pay out quite considerable.
Check out our HealthyWage review for all the rules and details.
2. StepBet
StepBet is an app created by WayBetter that allows you to reach your fitness goals by essentially placing a bet on yourself in a large pool with other people.
Like HealthyWage, StepBet works in a series of simple steps:
- Get a personalized weekly step goal based on your previous activity levels.
- Buy-in to a step-based challenge with other players that lasts six weeks.
- Hit your weekly goal every week for the duration of the challenge.
- Split the prize pool with the remaining players at the end of the challenge.
The StepBet app tracks your steps through platforms such as Apple Health, Google Fit, and Fitbit, and your goal is calculated based on previous exercise data so your goal is realistic for you.
Most games have a $40 buy-in. Every week, you’re assigned 3 main sections to stay on track with your goals:
- Active days are your standard step days.
- Power days are when you are supposed to push yourself to reach a slightly higher amount of steps.
- Free days are basically just rest days (if you choose to use them).
You usually earn around $5-$10 per game in profit.
Ultimately, StepBet won't make you rich. However, if you want a low-risk way to make money losing weight and some encouragement to get your steps in, this app is worth trying.
Checkout our Stepbet review for all the details.
3. DietBet
DietBet is another app from WayBetter's family of apps that prioritizes losing weight more than simply staying active.
Similar to StepBet, DietBet lets you buy-in to games with other players trying to reach a goal to lose a certain percentage of their current weight.
Players have to weigh themselves before the start (with proof, of course) and follow through with motivation from other players to win money after reaching their weight loss goal.
Like StepBet, you only earn money if you successfully complete your challenge in time. If you fall short, you lose your entire buy-in.
However, DietBet has less intense games that HealthyWage, and has an option to compete in 4% weight loss games if you're looking for a less intimidating challenge.
Ultimately, this means DietBet isn't the most lucrative weight loss app that pays. However, it's still a great platform for beginners!
Checkout our DietBet review for all the info!
4. RunBet
I’m sure you can take a guess of what RunBet is about, especially this is yet another app in WayBetter's lineup of get paid to lose weight type apps.
RunBet is app is designed to keep you committed to your running goals.
You join a game, place a bet, reach your running goals, and get paid!
Unlike StepBet or DietBet, you only need to track how much you run with RunBet, not your exact weight.
To track your mileage, you simply set RunBet up with another running app such as Garmin, Strava, or RunKeeper on your smartphone to track your pace and distance.
Theoretically, running more should help you lose weight, especially if you pair your running routine with some healthy eating.
Bet’s usually have a minimum of $30 and can have over 100 players in the same pool, and you split the prize pot with remaining players at the end of a challenge to earn a profit!
5. StikK
If you want to get paid to lose weight but don't like the idea of betting a specific amount against other players, StikK is worth checking out.
StikK is a commitment website that allows you to sign a contract with yourself in order to follow through with a certain task.
These tasks can involve anything from losing weight to quitting smoking.
Now, StikK doesn't pay you directly for losing weight. However, you can ask for supporters to chip in to sweeten the deal if you reach your goal.
Plus, since you place your own money down as a stake, StikK adds financial stakes to the equation which they claim will increase your chances of success by up to 3 times!
They have over 500k commitments created and over 50 million dollars on the line. And although it’s not related to losing weight, they stopped over 41 million cigarettes from being smoked!
That’s how powerful these types of platforms can be. Plus, putting money on the line means more money for you if things go well.
6. Charity Miles
Charity Miles is an amazing app that allows you to exercise and earn money that gets donated to charities around the world.
This money doesn't go into your bank account, but hey, this is an excellent way to boost your motivation and to do some good.
Getting started with Charity Miles is also very simple:
- Download Charity Miles for Android or IOS.
- Choose a charity you want to support before beginning a workout.
- Get moving.
- Earn money for that charity the more you exercise.
All you have to do is connect Charity Miles to a health tracking app such as Apple Health or Strava and you can start earning for charity.
You don’t even have to run! Any way you can exercise from weight lifting and dancing to jump rope and biking are all excellent ways to burn a sweat.
Charity Miles makes money from corporate sponsors, so you'll probably see some ads on your phone before and after your workout. However, this is a small price to pay for doing some good.
If you’re less concerned about the money you earn and more interested in the losing weight part of it all, then this app is definitely for you!
Other Ideas To Get Paid To Lose Weight
Moving away from fitness apps for a second, here are a few more fun options for you to make money losing weight:
7. Make a Wager with Friends
If you and your friends are considering losing weight together, then you might want to bet against each other to see who can actually complete their goal.
If you each put money into a pool and redispurse it to the winners at the end of the weight loss journey, you could essentially do what all the fitness apps are doing without the need for the app.
Another option to bet against friends is by giving your friends money and telling them not to give it back to you until you’ve hit your weight loss goal.
Not only is this a safe way to handle the money, but your friends can also motivate you to continue pursuing that goal.
8. Start a Fitness Youtube Channel
Out of all the options to make money losing weight, starting a YouTube channel is probably the option with the most financial potential.
After all, you can make serious money on YouTube if you get your channel monetized and also start affiliate marketing.
In this example, you could start a channel about your weight loss journey and take people with you on your workouts, diet, and fitness routines.
Youtube will pay you through advertisement revenue if you reach a large enough audience where you can actually start making some decent cash.
It might seem silly at first, but people actually really enjoy watching others go through a similar fitness journey as they are. It makes them feel like they’re not alone.
Growing an audience can also be a great way to motivate yourself or meet cool people around you and exercise together!
Of course, making money on YouTube takes time and dedication, so this isn't a a walk in the park.
However, with time and patience, you can hone your craft and build up a channel that serves as a nifty source of passive income.
Extra Reading – How To Get 1,000 Subscribers On YouTube.
9. Gig Apps
If your main goal is to stay active to lose weight, certain side gig apps could be the perfect way to make some money while breaking a sweat.
Gig jobs will also pay you a decent wage for your efforts, which is much more rewarding than some of the previous apps discussed before.
Some prime examples of gig jobs that pay a solid hourly wage include:
- Delivering food by bike for DoorDash.
- Walking dogs with Rover.
- Finding odd jobs in your city with apps like TaskRabbit.
- Find temporary work with Wonolo.
- Complete handyman jobs with Handy.
The best part about these gig apps is that they're also flexible: you can pick up shifts as you please and make money while staying active!
Extra Reading – 10+ Ways To Make Money With Your Bike.
10. Revamp Your Grocery Shopping
In my book, a dollar saved is a dollar earned.
If you’re spending less money at the grocery store to help you lose weight, then you’re technically making money as well.
Cut back on all the junk food (which you won’t want around the house anyways) and start putting your money towards more vegetables and healthy proteins.
By the end of the year, you’ll notice a huge difference in the amount of money you’ve been spending. It’s almost like getting a nice bonus check from work!
Of course, you still need to ensure you're eating a balanced diet and getting enough calories.
However, if you take a look at your grocery bill, you might find that there's some room to trim your bill.
Want to earn even more for your grocery shopping? Checkout:
- The 18 best reward apps to earn cashback rewards.
- 8 apps like Fetch Rewards to make money buying groceries.
Final Thoughts
While there are definitely plenty of ways to make money losing weight, you ultimately need to decide what your financial goals are as well and what you're comfortable with.
Apps that pay you for losing weight are useful if you need a financial incentive to keep you on track.
On the other hand, gig jobs or something like YouTube could be better if you want to make money by incorporating healthy habits into your life.
However, before you make any decision, I highly recommend you ask your doctor if it’s alright for you to go about these things.
As long as you’re doing it for the right reasons, then it shouldn’t be a problem. Just make sure you’re staying safe and taking care of any secondary factors that might affect your health.
Hopefully you’ve seen the benefits of using these ideas that motivate you to workout and help you earn some side cash.
Good look on your fitness and financial journey!
Did we miss an idea for ways to make money for losing weight? Let us know in the comments!
