Putting her money where her mouth is helped Sara Lugger drop over 100 pounds.

When I realized that I was almost 350 pounds, I knew I had to make a change. There was just something about this number that made me realize I needed to try to lose weight again. I was out of excuses not to do it. That's when one of my friends from college told me she had some success losing weight using this website called DietBet.com. Basically, it's website where you join a group of people who bet a minimum of $5 that they will lose at least four percent of their body weight in 28 days. If you lose the weight, you get your money back, plus however much is left over from people who didn't lose the weight. What's cool about these 28-day "games" is that you have a support system within the group. When I was having a hard day, I wrote to people who were also trying to lose weight and told them about it. They always responded with so much support. Read the full article.

I was turning 34 and closing in on being 350 pounds. At that time, I didn’t want to go out with friends, or to any events and outings, because I wasn’t sure if I could even fit in the seats.

One of my best friends was losing weight while being a part of a community weight-loss challenge site called DietBet.com, and after seeing her positivity and the support she was receiving from others in this group, I decided to join as well. In addition, I started working out and trying to incorporate physical activity into my daily schedule. In the mornings, I would exercise on the elliptical for 30 to 45 minutes. I made sure to walk around outside my building at work in the afternoons. And in the evenings, I would either take walks with friends or do dance workouts on my Wii. Read the full article.

Losing weight is going competitive as a new website uses people’s urge to make money as an incentive to shed pounds. DietBet is a New York City-based website that launched in 2013. It allows users to put money on the line that they can win back if they lose a certain percentage of their body weight in a set amount of time.

Ottawa mother Laureen Krumshyn said she bet $200 she’d lose 10 per cent of her body weight in six months and it’s working so far.

“It’s a competitive thing for me,” she said. “I don't like to lose. It's fun knowing that you've made this commitment and you're motivated to do it.” Read the full article.

After having her first baby in 2009, Brandi Laughlin weighed more than 200 pounds. One year later, she shredded 60 pounds, but gained back the majority of it after she had her second child.

“I was just sick with myself and I didn’t want to be a mom that had let herself go,” the mother of two said.

Laughlin said she got serious, started working out with a trainer and even competed in her first bikini competition.

During her weight loss journey, she regularly updated her blog called, “Mama Laughlin.”

"It just kind of stuck. After I had my first child, I was like, ‘I’m a mom now. Mama Laughlin,’” she said.

Laughlin did not know it, but hundreds of women across the country were inspired by her blog, including San Antonio resident Jenica Muse.

“She’s such an inspiration,” Muse said. “It really helped me to realize that there’s a lot of people that go through the same trials and tribulations and have their own weight loss story.”

Since Laughlin has a strong following, a weight loss website called DietBet asked her to host a challenge. Anyone can sign up. All you have to do is place a bet that you’ll lose four percent of your body weight in four weeks. The winners then split the money.

More than 4000 people signed up for Laughlin’s DietBet competition, putting down more than $158,000.

“You’re putting it out there for a chance to lose it all, so that helped give me that motivation to where I don’t want to lose that money. I actually want to win some money and I did,” Muse said.

Muse won $46.31 for losing a total of 12.5 pounds over four weeks.

For most of her adult life, Alfena Rascoe battled obesity. At 238 pounds, the Laurel resident said, the extra weight slowed her down, affecting her stamina at work as a child psychiatric specialist. It also led to high blood pressure, putting her at risk of heart disease and stroke.

"I've done Atkins [diet], protein powder, the lemonade diet," says the 47-year-old. "Everything you can think of, I've tried it. They all work, but my issue is being able to maintain it."

So in March 2013, after a new blood pressure medication caused swollen ankles and shortness of breath, she decided to give dieting one more try. This time, she found a new motivation: money. Rascoe joined DietBet, a website that turns losing weight into a money-making — or money-losing — game. Read the full article.