What are the rules of being able to participate?
Every participant must be at least 18 years of age on the day of their registration into Lighten Up East Texas.
Every participant must also registered into Lighten Up East Texas at a designated LUET weighing location within one of these Texas counties: Smith, Gregg, Rusk, Cherokee, Anderson, Henderson, Rains, Van Zandt, Kaufman, Wood, Upshur, Camp, Morris, Titus, Franklin, Hopkins, Delta, Lamar, Red River, Bowie, Cass, Marion, Harrison, Panola, Shelby, Nacogdoches, Angelina, Sabine, San Augustine, Newton, Jasper, Tyler, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, Houston, Fannin, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro, Freestone, Leon, Madison and Walker counties.
You do not have to be a resident of any of these counties to enter. If you live in Louisiana, Arkansas or Oklahoma, and you work or commute into East Texas, then you can still enter and participate in Lighten Up East Texas. Maintaining a healthy body weight and an active lifestyle is not confined to state lines!
How much does it cost to participate?
There is no cost to enter this challenge. Lighten Up East Texas is free!!
What prizes could I possibly win?
The Grand Prizes for Lighten Up East Texas 2020 include one cash prizes of $5,000. Additional Grand Prizes will be contributed by the sponsor organizations of Fit City Tyler, and all Grand Prizes will be awarded at the Fit City Tyler Celebration Event on Thursday, May 14, 2020.
How do I register?
To enter, you will need to have a starting weight registered at one of our designated weighing locations, before Friday, January 31, 2020. Every registered person will be contacted to return to an official entry location during the last 2 weeks of April 2018 in order to have a final weight entered. Every participant can earn an entry into the grand prize drawing for every 5% of weight that is lost from their starting weight.
· 5.0% - 9.9% = 1 entry
· 10.0% - 14.99% = 2 entries
· 15.0% - 19.99% = 3 entries
· 20% or more = 4 entries
If I did not register at the KickOff event, can I still participate?
Yes! You can visit any of our public weighing locations between the dates of Monday, January 6, 2020, through Friday, January 31, 2020.
How can I learn if my registration has been entered into the database?
Every person who provided an email address or a cell phone number during their registration can receive an email from Lighten Up East Texas in February 2020. You will receive either a text message or an email hat your starting weight has been entered into the master database.
How will you know when I have lost 5% or more of my weight?
Lighten Up East Texas will not know when you have lost 5% or more of your weight until you return to a weighing location in May and have your final weight recorded in our database. Your final weight will be subtracted from your starting weight, and the number of pounds that you will have lost will be divided by your starting weight. This formula will calculate the percentage of pounds you have lost during the Lighten Up East Texas regional weight loss challenge.
How can I track my weight loss?
Create a free account in the It's Time TEXAS Community Challenge. After creating your free account, you can use the free Weight Tracker and keep track of your weight loss.
After March 1st, you will need to use one of several smartphone apps (LoseIt, Weight Watchers Mobile, Gym Pact) or to use any of these websites (MyFitnessPal.com, My-Calorie-Counter.com) that you can use for an online record of your personal weight loss.
You can also perform quick math by reading the next question . . .
What is 5% of my starting weight?
The Fit City Tyler Steering Committee agreed that all body shapes and sizes can receive improved health benefits from a 5% reduction in body weight. This strategy can be applied to persons weighing 150 pounds, 250 pounds, 400 pounds, etc. Also, the concept of Lighten Up East Texas encourages the participation of all East Texas residents to live healthier lifestyles that will promote a slow and a sustained weight loss. These reasons motivated the rule of a 5% weight loss in order to receive an entry into our Grand Prize drawings.
There is a very easy way to determine 5% of your current weight. Let’s use the example of someone who weighs 200 pounds. First, you would take the first 2 numbers of your weight (20) and divide that number by 2. So, 20 divided by 2 equals 10. In this example, a 200 pound person would need to lose at least 10 pounds before they return to have a final weight recorded. In other words, they should weigh less than 190 pounds before the end of May.
Let’s try this again. A person who weighs 382 pounds would need to lose 19 pounds. How did I get that number?
Well, the first 2 numbers of their weight is 38, and dividing 38 by 2 equals 19. If I subtract 19 pounds from 382 pounds, that would equal 363 pounds. So, in this second example, if a person who weighs 382 pounds registers into Lighten Up East Texas, then they would need to weigh less than 363 pounds in order to receive an entry into our Grand Prize drawings.
Now, calculate 5% of your current body weight. You will need to lose that many pounds before the end of May in order to receive an entry into the Grand Prize drawings. You can earn another entry for every 5% of weight that you lose. Multiply your 5% by 2, and you can earn 2 entries by losing that many pounds.
What happens if I do not lose 5% of my starting weight before the end of April?
All registered weights and all calculated percentages will not be rounded. Therefore, persons who lose less than 5% of their starting weight will not receive an entry into the Grand Prize drawings.
Why are teams being registered?
Team registration allows friendly weight loss competitions between friends, family members, coworkers, departments within companies, or even companies in different cities! If you are preparing to enter, you can join an existing team, but you will have to contact the captain of the team so that you can write the exact team name on your entry card.
Or, you can create a new team. If you are preparing to register with friends who have also not registered, a team captain will need to register your team.
How many people can be on a team?
It only takes 2 people to form a team. You can partner with your spouse, your significant other, a family member, a coworker, or with a friend.
The maximum number of members per team is 8. Encourage 7 people to join you on a weight loss team and compete against teams in other East Texas cities and communities. You can also choose to form teams within your company and compete against teams in different departments, at different worksites, and in different cities. Friendly competition is also an excellent motivator for achieving success.
Am I allowed to participate as a member of more than one team?
No. Entrants into Lighten Up East Texas will only be allowed to be registered as a member of one team. If a person is registered as a member of multiple teams, then that person will need to select on which team they intend to remain a member.
The captain of every registered team should make sure that their team members, and the team captain him/herself, is only listed as being a member of one team. Failure to comply with this request will disqualify the entire team of its eligibility to win any team prizes.
How are the winning teams selected?
The teams that have the highest combined percentage of weight loss among all of the team’s members will be recognized as one of our top teams. Each member of a team will be required to be registered into Lighten Up East Texas, and return to a weighing location for their final weight to be obtained.
Only the weight loss of the members who return for a final weight will be calculated.
Each team competes against every other team that is registered across East Texas. Just as an example, the first place team could possibly be from Lufkin, the second place team could be from Paris, and the third place team could be from Marshall.
Are the prizes for the winning teams?
Our planning committee is collecting prizes that will be awarded to every member of each winning team.
Do I have to be on a team in order to participate?
You can register only as an individual, and not join as a member of any team. The grand prizes will be awarded to any eligible East Texas that has a baseline weight and a final weight recorded.
Any person can be a member of a winning team and one of the grand prize winners!
Do I need to return to a weighing location every week? Every month?
For the purposes of this regional weight loss challenge, our staff is only collecting your starting weight and your final weight. You may return to a location and have your weight loss checked, but the staff at each location is not required to maintain a record of your weight loss.
If you provided an email address or a cell phone number, our staff will contact you electronically in April. If you did not, then our staff will call one of your listed phone numbers in April.
Can pregnant women enter the weight loss challenge?
If the mother is due before the end of our "Weigh-In Period", she could register before she gives birth or she can wait until after she delivers her child. Her ability to visit a weighing location should be considered based upon her expected due date and upon the guidance of her doctor.
What is the reward for entering the Lighten Up East Texas weight loss challenge?
You have to be at least 18 years of age and lose at least 5% of your weight, so that you will be entered into the random grand prize drawings. The mental and physical changes that you will enjoy include safely losing body fat, increasing your lean muscle mass, and becoming a better version of yourself.
This challenge is open to anyone over the age of 18. Everyone can win the prize of improved health, which can be enjoyed for a lifetime.