Diet Contest Details and Procedures
Hello MJCF Members-
Start- Saturday, Jan 6st 10am-1 pm. Short eating discussion will start at 10 discuss, give out some links and resources that’ll provide further detail, and field questions. Thereafter we will Weigh you, Measure, get Bodyfat Numbers and take pictures.
End of Contest- Saturday February 17th. 10 am – 12 noon. Weigh, Measure, Pinch and after pictures.
Awards Ceremony- Saturday February 24th. Approx 8pm. Location TBD
Cost– $25. This money is pooled and, minus contest expenses, all of it is distributed evenly among the two winners.
Rules- Only two…
1) You MUST get weighed/measured/BF % pinched and photographed on or after the Start date and on or before the end date.
2 )To win the contest and therefore the money, you must be present at the awards ceremony!
Procedures
We will take bodyweight, circumference measurements at the waist, arm and leg, and 3 site skinfold bodyfat measurements on all contestants. We will take 3 Photos of each contestant. Front, Back, and 1 Athletes choice posed. 6 weeks later, we will repeat all of the above. Then, in the week between the close of contest and the voting we will develop the pictures and place them in a photo album that will be present at the awards ceremony. All contestants who have completed the contest can then vote on 1 female and 1 male contestant to win. The most first place votes wins the contest. Your bodyweights, measurements, and fat % are not released to the other contestants and are not a factor in the voting process. The photos are the only relevant information. This is done in order to allow the relatively fit to participate and still win.
Differences from Years Past
There is no demand to log your food. We will establish an online platform and happily assist and advise anyone who wants our input, but there is no mandatory minimum log requirements.
Pictures will be taken in what we euphemistically refer to as our “storeroom”. This will provide a greater degree of privacy than prior contests have had.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do the contest but not pay, if I don’t care about winning?
No, this is CrossFit and winning matters, but even if you dont care, the fee remains. Plus we need your money for party supplies, and by party supplies I mean beer and wine.
I dont want to get my pictures taken, can I still do the contest?
No. But we will keep them out of any public domain (like the photo album and/or off the website) if you ask.
I’m bashful, Puritantical, or leprous. I don’t want to wear clothes that show my body. Can I still do the contest?
Yes. Wear whatever you want, but a) the more you cover the less obvious the change and b) wear the same thing. 2 different sweaters disguise change more than wearing the same sweater.
I cant make the Saturday photo times, can you take my picture on some other day.
Yes, we’ll have at least 1 alternate day, BUT even a few days of a late start is somewhat of a disadvantage, the contest is quite short already.
Can my spouse/friend/parole officer participate?
Yes. Provided they get before and after photos and attend the Awards Ceremony.
I hate parties, why do I have to go to win?
Ummmm….You may hate NORMAL parties, but this is a MJCF party, where handstands, human pyramids and feats of strength abound. You will enjoy yourself and your alcohol tolerance will be so low it’ll be like 8th grade all over again.
It’s worth noting. This Contest can be approached from a number of different vantage points. Some people use it as a gentle kickstart to a long term, sustainable eating plan, lifestyle change etc etc, and some people are in it for the money and get their teeth whitened, go tanning, and spend the last 36 hours of the contest shedding water with diuretics and a sauna suit. Both approaches are OK by us. You are adults and we’re not here to judge. Like the VAST majority of the fitness industry, we aren’t is credentialed in any sort of nutrition science. I’m of the strong opinion that in this day and age with the nutrition information readily available from VERY esteemed sources, you shouldn’t be paying anyone for nutrition advice unless they have a PhD after their name.
You are all strongly encouraged to participate. We keep it short and we hold it at new year’s every year on purpose. The Holiday’s have come and gone, and people are galvanized by a fresh start and new beginnings. An athlete who is thorough and committed to both diet and exercise frequency can make DRAMATIC visible change in 6 weeks. That said, if you arent fired up to participate, you will not become so as the contest proceeds. If your life is in disarray, if you’d rather wait until warm weather spurs you to action, if you just “need to work at your own pace” then you will probably drop out, be non compliant and fail to make changes.
We urge you to take this seriously. Realize that there IS indeed some sacrifice and discomfort in your future. Bear down and stick to it. You can always go back being the way you were, but you’ll get some good pictures out of it.
Good luck, athletes!