Rules

Welcome to the WE Lose WE Win Online Healthy Weights Challenge!

Who can participate?

City of Windsor Employees, retirees, and family members, who are 18 years of age or older.

What is the challenge?

This 8-week team challenge will help you to improve your lifestyle habits and help you to reach and keep a healthy body weight.

When is the challenge?

The challenge is being launched Monday October 17, 2011 and will run until December 9, 2011. Before you can register for the challenge on-line, you will have to attend one of the designated weigh-ins. The weigh-ins will take place the week prior to the challenge (October 11 -14, 2011). You will also need to attend a final weigh-in the week of December 5 - 9, 2011. All participants will be emailed the sites and times for both the initial weigh-in and final weigh-in.

How does the WE Lose WE Win Challenge work?

It's easy. Prior to signing up on-line, registrations were sent out to all employees who were interested in taking part in the challenge. Participants were asked to send their registrations back in order to set up sites and times based on the areas of interest. Once the registrations were in (October 5, 2011), all participants were sent a personal and private email on the times and locations that they could get their initial weigh-in (Oct. 11-14, 2011).

At the weigh-in, each participant will have their weight and waist circumference be recorded by a Windsor Essex- County Health Unit employee or a Fitness instructor. Each participant will be given a copy of their results with the website for them to log onto to register and to start tracking their information. Please note the website will not be active until the day the contest starts (October 17, 2011). Staff will be given resources to help them with their weight loss and a measuring tape so they can track their waist circumference each week. Don't worry if you think you weight will change from the day you get weighed to the day you enter your first week. Just use the measurements you were given at the weigh-in as we will be using these results for our records. It's just a starting point. By week 2 you can adjust for the changes that might have occurred. During the final week of the challenge, (Dec. 5 - 9, 2011) you will repeat the process again. The sites and times will be sent out to you a couple of weeks prior to the final weigh-in.

Registering On-line for the First Time

Once you sign in, you will have the option of entering a "buddy" (their name) to help keep you motivated during the challenge. This "buddy" has to be another participant in the challenge and a City of Windsor employee, retiree or family member over the age of 18. You will also be provided with a random/designated number. This number will be used to compare how you are doing in relation to other participants. Your personal information will not be revealed to anyone - each participant's progress will be shown on a graph with their designated number next to their results.

Each week, you are required to login and enter your body weight, waist circumference, and select your healthy lifestyle goals for the week. You also must return to the previous week and indicate whether or not you completed your goals for that week. WE Lose WE Win is a challenge based on the honour system, which means that you will track your own progress and enter your own results during weeks 2 to 7. We're counting on everyone to be honest and participate in the spirit of the event. It is not really about winning; it's about losing and winning at the same time by making positive healthy lifestyle changes.

For week one you will log in, record your weight and waist circumference, and select your goals in healthy eating and physical activity for the week. For weeks two to eight, you will log in and go to the previous week and check off whether you have completed your goals. Then you will go to the current week, record your weight and waist circumference for that week, and then set new goals for that week. All participants will be asked to provide an e-mail account so that we can send weekly tips and healthy recipes while everyone is involved in the challenge.

How to win the challenge:

There are a few ways to win:

Prizes: Gift Cards to a store of your choice for the following winners:

• Individual who loses the most amount of weight (in pounds) - $250.00 gift card
• Individual who loses the highest percentage of weight - $250.00 gift card
• One random draw-prize for the top ten participants who had the highest amount of on-line points - $100.00 gift card.
• "Buddy" prize will be awarded to the "buddies" who lose the highest percentage of weight ($125.00 gift card/buddy).

The names of the winning participants will only be posted and promoted with permission from the participant.

*You also get points for reaching or keeping a healthy body weight and also for completing your weekly healthy lifestyle goals. At the end of eight weeks, the top ten individuals with the most points will be placed in the random draw..

At the close of the challenge the online weight, waist circumference, and healthy lifestyle goal entry forms will be closed, but health resources will remain available.

Follow these important steps to support your WE Lose WE Win Healthy Weights Challenge journey:

• Add the web link (www.welosewewin.ca) to your "Favourites" and make a note for yourself to remember to login weekly.
• The weight and waist circumference you enter weekly will determine how many points you will receive. You will also receive points for completing and checking off your healthy lifestyle goals each week.
• Visit the WE Lose WE Win Online Healthy Weights Challenge website often to check in on your progress and the progress of your team.