2 months so far on DietBet and lost about 15 lbs. A few thoughts/tips on the program:
Less is more: If you're motivated on what you can win versus what you won't lose (financially), then I recommend you stick to the lower value Kickstarters. I won a whopping $0.52 on a $50 bet and about $10 for $100 bets, whereas the $35 bets got me $10-15 each. Makes sense, since those putting up more of their own money will be more motivated to hit their targets.
Planning meals and time to exercise doesn't just help the waistline: I was pretty stressed at work prior to beginning DietBet (probably how I got to the point where I needed to diet!) and obsessing over meal planning helped me divert some of my focus onto something I could control, which helped reduce my stress level. Yes, I realize losing weight/exercise also tends to help stress, but this was an unanticipated side effect.
Don't Stop Believin' (that I need to keep losing weight): I feel great right now, but need to keep reminding myself that I still have a long way to go (about another 15 lbs to my comfort weight + another 5 to leave the "overweight" BMI category). I have a bridesmaid dress (long story, but had to go with my old "fat" size) hanging on my door that almost zips up. I try it on about once per week as a reminder.
My scale is sort of evil: Normally it's fine. But it seems to know when weigh in day is and fluctuates like crazy in the morning. I used to weigh in on weigh in day to confirm that I've met the target and then walked through the steps to send pics through the app, which is when my scale would add a pound or two. I got in the habit of writing the word down and taking a picture at my first weigh in, so (if it met my weigh in amount) I could use it as a picture later. Seems like a silly modification, but totally worth it to avoid the frustration.
Documentaries work: If you have HBO Go/Now, Netflix or Amazon Prime, you can get at least one food or obesity documentary for free. Some are not completely factual (I still haven't bought into the whole juicing craze), but they all get me to stop craving fatty or sugary food. I also tend to pace around my living room while watching them around half way through or just have them on when I'm cleaning (harder to read the quotes or infographics, though).
Happy DietBetting!