The Challenge
Everything in a steps.org weight loss challenge.
The weigh-in comes first. Everything else keeps you coming back to it, and shows you what it means.
Weigh in
Ten seconds on the scale, as often as you like. Change or delete it any time.
- Your weight and a few wordsWhat you ate and how you moved since the last one.
- Food, Exercise or LifeTag the note, and the chart marks it: a circle, a triangle or a square.
- Every weigh-in resets the clockWeigh in again the same day if you like. Each day you weigh in counts once.
Daily weigh-ins, a chart of them and weekly feedback by email: 6.6% of body weight lost in six months, against 0.4% in a group that waited. Obesity, 2013
The 72-hour clock
Each weigh-in gives you 72 hours to the next. steps.org watches the clock for you, like a friendly cop, by email.
- A countdown in the navThe day of your challenge and the time left, always in view.
- One email at 24 hours leftOnly if you haven't weighed in yet. It carries one of your own reasons.
- No off switchKeeping you weighing in is what steps.org is for. Closing your account is the one way to stop it.
- At zero, the challenge endsIt ends unsuccessful, and everything you logged stays on your chart.
The challenge
Your goal against the clock: today's weight, a target below it, and one rule. It runs until you win or the clock runs out.
- One goal, start to finishThe target is set when a challenge starts and stays the same until it ends.
- Win itA weigh-in at or below your target wins. Your next challenge is free.
- The restart priceEach unsuccessful challenge adds $5 to the next start, up to $50. Each day you weigh in takes $1 off.
- Half to carbon removalHalf of every payment goes to carbon removal through Stripe Climate.
Your chart, from day one
It shows from your first weigh-in and runs 3 months past today, with your goal as a line and two paths to it.
- Ideal and ambitiousLosing 0.5% or 1% of your body weight a week, as two dashed lines from your starting weight.
- Your trendOnce your balance reads, your 7-day average carries on as a third line.
- Your balanceLikely in a deficit, even or in a surplus, read from your 7-day average.
- Your notesEach tag has its mark on the chart: a circle, a triangle or a square.
Pick a point, or use the arrow keys, to see that day.
Ideal: 0.5% a weekAmbitious: 1% a weekYour trend
FoodExerciseLife
Why you're doing this
Write your reasons in your own words. One sits beside your chart, and one comes in the email when you're running late.
- As many as you likeAdd or remove them in Settings any time.
- Yours aloneAnyone with your link never sees them, and neither does search.
After 90 days without a weigh-in, we close your account and delete everything in it. We email you 7 days before.
Questions, answered
Weighing in
How often should I weigh in?
At least every 3 days, and every morning if it stays calm. Weigh in at the same time of day, so the days compare. Weigh in again the same day if you like: each day you weigh in counts once.
Does steps.org remind me to weigh in?
Once, by email, when 24 hours are left and you haven't weighed in. The daily habit is yours: pick a time and set an alarm or a daily reminder for it. steps.org sends no daily notifications.
What if I've avoided the scale for weeks?
Step on tomorrow morning and start a challenge. The number is where you start from, and your average picks up from there.
What if I miss a day?
Nothing happens as long as you weigh in within 72 hours of your last weigh-in. Miss that, and the challenge ends unsuccessful. Your weigh-ins stay, and you can start again.
My weight went up. Did I fail?
No. A gain keeps your challenge going just as a loss does. One morning jumps with water and salt, so look at your balance: it reads the 7-day average.
Will it tell me I did well, or badly?
No. steps.org shows the number and your average, and never comments on either.
Does the weight really creep back when you stop weighing?
In studies, weight went up during breaks of a month or more. Those studies watched people, so it may run both ways: people may stop weighing because they gain. The science page has the details.
Will weighing in often make me lose weight?
Nobody can promise that, and we won't. Weighing in tells you where you are. Eating a little less is what moves the average.
Won't weighing in every day make me anxious?
For most adults trying to lose weight, studies found regular weighing didn't hurt their mood. One morning is mostly water, so look at your 7-day average. If a weigh-in ruins your day, stop, and talk to your doctor.
What should I write in the note?
What you ate and how you moved since your last weigh-in. A few words is plenty. Tag it Food, Exercise or Life, and the chart shows you what moves your weight.
The challenge and the clock
What is a challenge?
A challenge is your goal against the clock: it starts with your weight today and a target below it, and runs until you reach the target or the clock runs out.
What's the clock?
Each weigh-in gives you 72 hours to the next. A countdown in the nav shows the time left. With 24 hours to go and no weigh-in, one email reminds you. At zero, the challenge ends unsuccessful.
What happens if a challenge ends unsuccessful?
Everything you logged stays: your weigh-ins, notes and chart. Start the next one when you're ready. Its price goes up $5, to $50 at most, and every day you weigh in takes $1 off.
Can I pause a challenge?
No. The clock is the challenge, and it gives you 3 days between weigh-ins. Away from home? Weigh in wherever you are, and add a note.
Can I change my goal?
Once a challenge starts, its goal stays the same until it ends. Your next challenge can have a new one.
Can I turn off the email?
No. Keeping you weighing in is what steps.org is for, and the email is how it does it. Close your account, and everything stops for good.
Does the challenge care what the scale says?
Only at the finish: a weigh-in at or below your target wins. Until then a gain keeps it going exactly as a loss does. The clock counts whether you weighed in, and when.
What happens when I reach my goal?
You win the challenge, and your next one is free. Start it with a new target whenever you like.
Your balance
How does steps.org know if I'm in a deficit?
It reads the 7-day average of your weigh-ins. Going down means you're eating less than you burn. It shows after 3 weigh-ins on different days.
Does steps.org work with my diet?
Yes. steps.org works with any diet or weight loss program. Keep the one you're on, and note what you tried at each weigh-in. Your 7-day average shows if it's working.
How much should I lose a week?
About 1 to 2 lb (0.5 to 1 kg) is what health services suggest. A trial found people regained the same share whether they lost weight fast or slowly, so pick a pace you can keep.
Sharing
Is my weight public?
Anyone with your challenge's link sees its weigh-ins, under a random name with no photo or email. Each link stays private until you first share it; make it private again any time. Your notes, reasons and payments stay private, and search never lists it.
Who sees why I'm doing this?
Only you. It never appears on a challenge's link or in search. One of your reasons comes back in the email when you're running late, when you most need it.
What's my challenge's link?
steps.org/c/ and a random name, like steps.org/c/wild-hawk-85. Every challenge gets its own, and it never changes. Copy it from the Sharing card on Progress, or turn it off there whenever you like.
Does steps.org work with my smart scale?
Not yet. Apple Health, Withings and other smart scales are coming soon. Until then, a weigh-in by hand takes ten seconds.