Frequently Asked Questions: The Game-On Health Challenge
First and foremost, please read the FULL SET OF RULES. Many of your questions are answered in the rules. Please read ALL the rules in depth to understand what is expected of you.
How do I decide what is and isn’t a snacking penalty if my meal plan is ‘calorie counting’?
You are asked to be very specific when describing your meal plan in order for YOU to determine what IS and IS NOT allowed in your meal plan. Obviously, eating 1300 calories of candy, fast food, soda, and junk is NOT a healthy eating plan. Please determine your own weaknesses when it comes to eating and include one or two things to eliminate or include. This way you have a plan and understand what it means when you eat outside your own established meal plan. If you eat outside the plan YOU have laid out, deduct 5 points. Drinking soda, diet soda, or alcohol is an automatic 10 point deduction.
Also, you could specify that you are going to eat within 100 calories of your determined calories. Then if you go under or over that 100 calorie mark, it’s a 5 point deduction. Once again, it’s your own plan that you’ve established. I can’t tell you what your individual deductions are. This is something you need to determine and be accountable to yourself on.
Can I drink soda, diet soda, or alcohol on my day off?
Nope. There are no days off when it comes to drinking soda, diet soda, or alcohol. It’s a deduction of 10 points per drink.
Am I allowed to add anything to my water? What about sparkling water… does that count?
The ONLY things you can add to your water are ice, fresh lemon or lime slices, or fresh mint leaves. Sparkling water? No. Crystal light? No. Anything else? No. Nothing is more cleansing than drinking clear, pure, natural, refreshing water that makes up 65% of your body! Drinking 3 liters of water means drinking 3 liters of that clear stuff you shower in. Anything else does NOT count as drinking water.
How many days a week should I be exercising? Doing my habit? Drinking water?
Each category is for 7 days a week. It’s clearly stated in the rules that you receive ONE DAY OFF on all categories. That means 6 days of the week you are drinking your water, eating your meal plan, doing your habits, communicating, getting the sleep, and exercising.
What happens if I get sick? Do I lose all those points?
Unfortunately, if you get sick and unable to workout/drink water/eat/sleep, you DO lose those points. However, if you are able to stretch, focus on yoga breathing, or take a walk for 20 minutes, that can count towards your workout points. Most likely a member from an opposing team will get sick too and that will even things out.
Why can I only weigh myself once a week?
I want you to focus more on how you feel, how your clothes fit, your energy level, improved self image, the sense of accomplishment, and the decrease in symptoms like headaches/digestive issues/fatigue, etc. When you start focusing too much on the number on the scale, it can be discouraging and frustrating for some challengers. This is a challenge to improve your overall health with the added benefit of losing some weight too. The scale doesn’t always show how hard you’ve worked.
When do I report my score?
The first time you report is exactly one week from the starting date. You then report every following Monday until the challenge is complete. For a 10 point bonus, report your score Monday before noon.
What weight percentage am I reporting? How do I calculate my percentages?
For the weekly 15 point weight loss bonus, you need to lose 1% of your starting weight. That means if your starting weight was 150, you need to lose AT LEAST 1.5 lbs each week in order to receive the bonus. Starting weight 130, at least 1.3 lbs each week to get bonus points. Starting weight 180, at least 1.8 lbs each week to get bonus points. Etc. Yes, that means the weight loss bonus will be harder to receive as the game goes on.
For example: If your starting weight was 150 and you need to lose at least 1.5 lbs every week, then your goal weight would be 148.5 for the first weigh in. For week 2 if your starting weight was now 148.5, you still need to lose AT LEAST 1.5 lbs for the week to get the bonus and your new weight goal would be 147 lbs.
For The Biggest Loser, it is the total weight loss percentage. If your starting weight was 150 and you lost 5 lbs, your total weight loss percentage would be 3.3% total weight loss (5/150=0.033 then multiply by 100 to equal 3.3%). Then next week if you lose an additional 5 lbs (total weight loss is 10 lbs now), your total weight loss percentage would be 6.6% (10/150=0.066 then multiply by 100 equals 6.6%). You report your total weight loss percentage.
Can I go over 700 points with my bonus points? What are the bonuses?
YES! The maximum weekly score can be 730. 10 bonus points for reporting your score before Monday at noon, 15 bonus points for losing 1% of your starting weight or perfect week, and 5 bonus points for sharing about The Game-On twice during the week.
I am super excited to do this challenge! I have 2 questions though…first, I am pregnant so shouldn’t be losing weight…does this mean that I have less possible points than everyone else? Second, I have a few friends/family members who might join too, so can we request to be in the same group?
Thanks!
Celeste, congrats on your pregnancy! Yes, that means your total possible points with bonus would be 710. That’s okay though! I never participate in the weigh in portion anyway. When you fill out your registration form, mention the family members you would like on the same team and I’ll do my best to keep you together. Can’t wait to have you compete! Game-On!
I’m confused. Why would she have less points possible? If she chooses the perfect week bonus to get bonus points, rather than the 1% weight loss bonus wouldn’t she have the same points available (730) as everyone else? My husband and I have competed in the challenge before and his goal has not always been weight loss, but with the perfect week bonus he was still able to score 730. Good health is not always about weight loss.
Hey Amanda, this comment was from over a year and a half ago, and I have revised the game several times to make it the game it is today. This was prior to having the option of choosing your 15 point bonus category. My entire premise for hosting the game is to help people focus on health living and not weight loss. Here’s the link to the game on.
Sorry for the confusion Kami. I didn’t see any dates on the comments so I wasn’t aware they were outdated. It’s been awhile since my husband and I competed and we were considering doing another round, but I wanted to brush up on the rules to see if anything had changed since we last competed. When I saw this comment I was obviously confused. Thanks for the clarification. Hopefully this helps clear things up for anyone else who might be considering participating too 🙂
Yes, absolutely! It hard keeping track of all the comments and definitely appreciate you helping me clarify. Thanks again and I would love to have you guys play again!
Can men join?
Absolutely! We have several men play each round.
Hi Kami
Came across this awesome game
Would love to join but dont know if I can
I am based in South Africa
We able to join the next challenge starting on the 20th of July
Please
Hey Raihanah, I’m excited you found my site all the way in South Africa! Yes, you most certainly can join the game. You would just have to follow the rules according to your own time zone and email/Facebook will make it easy to communicate with your teammates. I would be honored to have you join July 20th!
How many people are on a team? I’ve gave some friends and family that want to all be on the same team together?
Great question, Sara! It depends on how many people total sign up for the challenge. They will not be less than 4 or more than 6 per team.