How to Get Paid to Lose Weight

Many people believe that financial incentives can motivate people to lose weight—a belief that’s backed up by a fair amount of research. 1 This has inspired several companies to create apps that offer weight loss programs with cash prizes.

How weight-loss apps work

Weight-loss apps are typically free to download and use, and their weight-loss programs usually don’t have any entry fees. However, you’ll often have to place a “bet” on yourself, meaning that you’ll lose money if you don’t achieve your weight loss goal.

The risk can be a pro as well as a con; having your own money on the line may drive you to work harder to lose weight.

Exactly how much money you can earn will depend on the program’s rules, but it’s possible to earn up to a few hundred dollars per challenge if the stakes are high.

To join these programs, you’ll generally need:

• A reliable scale to weigh yourself
• A smartphone or computer to track your progress
• Comfortable workout clothes
• Fitness equipment (if the exercise you want to do requires it)

Top 4 apps that pay you to lose weight

Check out these free apps that’ll pay you to lose weight:

1. HealthyWage

Established in 2009, HealthyWage is a company that offers cash prizes as incentives for you to lose weight. They offer two types of “challenges”:

• Individual: When you sign up for an individual challenge, you pick how much weight you want to lose within a set timeframe and place a bet. Your goal, chosen timeframe, and current weight will determine the size of your cash prize. Your goal must be to lose at least 10% of your body weight.
• Team: In a team challenge, your winnings are determined by your team’s “mean proportionate weight loss” (each member’s weight loss divided by their starting weight). Weight loss beyond 16.59% for any team member won’t be counted. HealthyWage teams always have exactly five members.

How much you can earn: Your earnings will depend on what type of challenge you sign up for.

• For team challenges: You can win up to $10,000, but this will be divided among your entire team (you’ll each receive one-fifth of the prize).
• For individual challenges: HealthyWage claims there’s no maximum payout. Your winnings depend on how much weight you lost, how much money you wagered, and how long you took to complete the challenge.

HealthyWage’s site features a prize calculator that you can use to get an idea of how much you might win.

How you’ll get paid: You can choose to be paid in one of the following ways:

• By PayPal: You’ll have to pay a 2.9% + $0.30 fee. Your payment will be processed within 2–5 business days.
• By paper check: HealthyWage will charge you a $7 processing fee. Your check will arrive within 1–3 weeks of your payout request.

Where to sign up: Begin the sign-up process by using the HealthyWage prize calculator (linked above) or download the mobile app from the App Store or Google Play.

App Store Google Play

2. DietBet

DietBet is one of three products developed by WayBetter, a behavior change company. All WayBetter products offer cash prizes for achieving a health-related goal, not all of which are about weight loss (some are about nutrition, overall fitness, and having a healthy mindset)

Similar to HealthyWage, DietBet lets participants bet that they’ll lose weight. It features regular weight-loss games, which fall into two categories:

• Kickstarters: A Kickstarter is a short-term game where you bet on yourself to lose a certain percentage (at least 4%) of your body weight within 4 weeks. The maximum weight loss for a Kickstarter game is 12% of your initial weight.
• Transformers: You have to lose 10% of your weight over 6 months to win a Transformer game. Again, for safety reasons, Transformers feature weight loss limits for each month. For instance, you can’t lose more than 12% of your initial weight in the first round, and can’t have lost more than 30% by the end of the final round.

You can simultaneously participate in up to three Kickstarters and three Transformer weight loss challenges. You can host your own game, but you must recruit at least 2 players.

How much you can earn: Your exact winnings will depend on the size of the pot and the number of your fellow winners. Payouts are somewhat unpredictable; anecdotal reports suggest that you could make anywhere between 5% and 95% of what you put down (in addition to getting your own money back).

How you’ll get paid: You’ll receive your payments via PayPal. Note that all bets for DietBet games must be paid upfront.

Where to sign up: Join a game on WayBetter’s website or download the DietBet app via Google Play or the App Store.

App Store Google Play

3. Competish

With Competish, you compete with a group to see who loses the most weight. Every member has to put down money as buy-in. The minimum amount to start a Competish group is $25.

There are two different types of cash prizes:

• Weekly prizes: You’ll compete against a new person each week, and the winner will win a prize. Separately, the group member that loses the most weight each week will also win a prize.
• Overall competition prizes: The group member that loses the most weight at the end of the competition will win the largest prize (45% of the total pool). The runner-up will also receive a prize (15% of the total prize pool).

How much you can earn: Competish claims there’s no cap on payouts. The money you’ll earn is determined by the size of your group and how much you all put down.

How you’ll get paid: Competish does not collect or transfer money. The person that created the group is responsible for collecting and distributing the winnings.

Where to sign up: Sign up in the Competish mobile app.

App Store Google Play

4. Evidation

Evidation, formerly known as Achievement, is an app that rewards users for engaging in health-related activities, including biking, walking, and tracking their weight loss.

You won’t track your activities with Evidation itself—instead, you’ll use a health and fitness app that’s compatible with Evidation. You can use more than one app at once, but you’ll only be rewarded for your results on one (whichever you’ve used the most).

For instance, if you walk 5,000 steps through Apple Health and 3,000 steps through Google Fit, Evidation will only reward you for the higher step count of 5,000.

You’ll be rewarded in the form of points, which can be redeemed as cash.

You can also earn points by participating in research studies, joining health programs, and completing tasks called “cards,” which include filling out daily check-ins, taking surveys, and reading articles, among other things.

How much you can earn: You can earn up to 100 points per day, which is equivalent to $0.10.

How you’ll get paid: Via PayPal or a bank deposit.

Where to sign up: Register on the Evidation sign-up page or download the Evidation mobile app.

App Store Google Play

How to choose a weight-loss challenge app

Since most apps that pay you to lose weight require you to put money on the line, you should think carefully about your goals before signing up.

For instance, consider if there’s a certain weight you want to hit, or if you just want to live a healthier lifestyle in general. You should also think about how much money you can afford to lose in a weight loss bet and how long you’re willing to commit to a program.

Importantly, you also shouldn’t neglect to discuss your weight-loss plan with your doctor. Betting on your own weight loss can be motivating, but it also has the potential to tempt you to lose weight too fast, which can compromise your health.

While some of these apps do impose caps on how much you can lose and still be eligible for a payout, their maximum weight loss rate might still be outside a healthy range for you. It’s very important to run your intended diet and exercise regime past a healthcare professional, and tell them about the app you’re using. Be sure to get regular checkups.

Most of the weight-loss apps listed above revolve around betting. If you’re not much of a gambler, don’t worry—there are other ways to shed those extra pounds and make money doing it.

In particular, you can get a job (either part-time or full-time) that requires you to get up and move around.

Below we’ve listed five great side hustles for people who want to prioritize staying active on the job.

1. Personal trainer

Becoming a personal trainer is a great job if you’re passionate about fitness. You can work toward your own weight loss goal while you guide and motivate your clients to achieve theirs. By staying in shape, you’ll also set a good example for your clients.

Moreover, as a personal trainer, you’ll have to learn about how diet affects fitness. With a better understanding of nutrition, you can give your clients nutrition advice and also develop healthy eating habits yourself.

How much you can earn: On average, personal trainers earn around $30 per hour.

2. Dog walker

If walking is one of your go-to exercises to lose weight, why not make some extra money while you’re at it? Whether you’re a full-time or part-time dog walker, you’re guaranteed to put in a lot of steps with this side hustle.

Be sure to learn about the basics of how to become a dog walker before you commit to the job. For instance, you may want to get certain qualifications, and you have to know where to find clients.

A good place to find dog-walking gigs when you’re just starting out is a website or app for dog-walkers.

How much you can earn: Dog walkers usually make $10–$20 per hour.

3. Bike courier

As a bike courier, you’ll deliver items and messages by bicycle. With all the cycling you’ll do on your job, you can lose weight quickly in a healthy way (as long as you maintain a reasonably healthy diet as well).

You have to be physically fit to hold down this job, which can be a powerful motivator. You typically don’t need a higher education degree or any special qualifications to become a bike courier, but you should be good at memorizing different delivery instructions.

How much you can earn: Bike couriers earn around $15 per hour.

4. Social media influencer

It’s possible to get paid for sharing your weight loss journey on social media platforms. For instance, you can make money on YouTube by creating videos about losing weight, working out, and staying fit.

Posting fitness videos on your YouTube channel will help you stick to your weight loss goal while building your channel. Once you’ve built an audience, you can start making money via the YouTube Partner Program and landing sponsorships and affiliate marketing deals.

Be aware that this is a very competitive space to break into—there are a lot of people who want to be fitness influencers. You’ll need a lot of dedication and a certain amount of raw talent to break into it, and even if your YouTube channel takes off, it might be some time before you start making real money.

How much you can earn: Your earning potential as an influencer entirely depends on the popularity of your content. In the beginning, you won’t earn much at all, but the sky’s the limit if your channel becomes popular.

5. Try an app that pays you to walk

If you like the idea of using an app that encourages you to exercise but none of the betting platforms we listed seem right for you, try out another app that will pay you to walk. There are several of these, including Sweatcoin, which (like Evidation) offers rewards for meeting step counts.

Not all of these apps will directly pay you in cash, although some will. In some cases, you’ll be able to earn cash-equivalent rewards, such as gift cards or vouchers that you can use to buy products at affiliated stores (which often include fitness and sports stores).

How much you can earn: You can realistically expect to make $0.10 per mile you walk.

Getting paid to lose weight is a good side hustle if your main priority is shedding extra pounds rather than making the most money possible.

In most cases, your earnings will be moderate. This is especially true with the betting apps we listed in the first section, which realistically won’t boost your income that much (and certainly don’t have long-term earning potential, since once you lose enough weight, you won’t be able to use them anymore).

Whatever side hustle you pick, remember to be healthy. If you’re worried about getting too competitive and compromising your health, getting a side gig that keeps you active may be a better option. Having a job like that will help you get into the habit of exercising regularly and develop a healthier lifestyle in the long run.

How to stay healthy and motivated with a weight-loss side hustle

Again, before embarking on your journey to make money by losing weight, visit your doctor and have them okay your plan. Outline how much weight you plan to lose and how fast, and if you’re planning on picking up an exercise-heavy side hustle, get a full checkup to ensure your body’s up to it.

Seeing your doctor is the first (and most important) step, but not the only step. You should also:

• Pay attention to your mental health: Your emotional state matters just as much as your physical health, so take care of it. For instance, if being in competitions tends to induce anxiety for you, then you should opt to enter individual challenges instead of group challenges.
• Pace yourself: You’re playing the long game when it comes to losing weight. Extremely rapid weight loss can be exciting in the short term, but it’s often unsustainable.
• Lean on friends and family if necessary: Assuming you’re on good terms with them, telling your family and friends about your weight loss plan is also a good idea. Their support can help you through difficult periods of your weight loss journey.

You should also take a moment to examine whether there are any underlying issues tied to your weight gain. For instance, it’s possible that you have an undiscovered health problem, or you’re overeating because you’re under too much stress. In any case, it’s important to address the root of the problem in addition to just making lifestyle changes to lose weight.

As long as you go about it responsibly, getting paid to lose weight isn’t just a dream—it’s a practical way to bring in a little extra cash and achieve your health goals. Good luck!