“I looked back at the video and I was horrified at the way I looked. I think you don’t really notice it as much unless you have a picture of yourself and you’re like ‘oh my gosh, what did I do!’” What was supposed to be a fun video wishing her daughter a Happy New Year, turned out to be a major wake up call for Michele W. “That was my trigger to start losing weight,” she says. “I was probably in denial a bit that I had gained so much weight over the years.”

When her sister mentioned HealthyWage and how she could win money for losing weight, Michele was all in. She wagered $55 for nine months that she would lose 50 pounds. “It was important for me to cut my portions down. I have three sons and a husband who can eat whatever they want, so I started logging all my food and still do.” Along with tracking her food intake, Michele began walking two miles a day, which then led to jogging 3 miles a day. “When I exercise, it helps me be more mindful of what I’m eating.” With HealthyWage managing her bet, Michele was able to focus on how she lost the weight. “Being able to choose [how I lost the weight] was key for me. It would be hard to sign up for something where I could only eat this or have to buy that.”

Nine months after starting her challenge, Michele crushed her goal, losing 53 pounds and winning $2,107! “I feel so much better!’ she says. “I’m excited about feeling good and it’s just nice waking up now and feeling better!” In addition to increasing her energy and improving her health, Michele’s excited about achieving her personal weight loss goal and of course, winning that $2,170 cash prize! “HealthyWage has been wonderful for me. I don’t know if I would have continued for this long if I didn’t have that goal I had set and for as long as I had set it for.”