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FAQ -
How do I make a Commitment Contract?
Simple create an account, login, and click the "Make a Commitment" button located on your Profile page. Like to get started now? Click here.
During the Commitment creation process, you will have the opportunity to fully customize your Commitment. Choose a start and end date, add a Referee, put money on the line (Stakes), or add Supporters... it's all up to you!
During the Commitment creation process, you will have the opportunity to fully customize your Commitment. Choose a start and end date, add a Referee, put money on the line (Stakes), or add Supporters... it's all up to you!
Will stickK charge me if I make a Commitment Contract?
No way! Making a Commitment Contract is 100% free, no matter how many of them you make. Even if you put money on the line, stickK won't charge you a penny upfront. stickK will only charge your account if you choose to add a financial incentive to your Commitment Contract and report that you were unsuccessful at reaching your goal.
Can I have more than one Commitment Contract at a time?
You can make as many Commitment Contracts as you'd like, and make them all at the same time if you want.
Can I join stickK without making a Commitment Contract?
Of course. You don't need to make a Commitment to join stickK and enjoy all of the additional services that we offer. After signing up, you can click around to see what other users are up to, meet people who have found success reaching their goals, and if you want, join others' Commitments as a Referee, Supporter, or Recipient of Stakes to help them succeed!
What is the difference between a One-Shot Commitment Contract and an Ongoing Commitment Contract?
I. The One-Shot Commitment
(Not available for all goals) One-Shot Commitments should be chosen for goals that must be completed by the ending date of the Commitment Contract. Only one report will be requested (due on the final day of the Commitment Contact) for One-Shot Commitments.For example, let's say it's January 1st and you commit to finishing your Masters thesis by March 1st. Between January 1st and March 1st, you can work on the thesis at any pace you'd like. At the time of your deadline (in this case March 1st), you file a single report. If you complete the thesis on time, you report that you succeeded. If you do not, you report that you were unsuccessful.
II. The Ongoing Commitment
Ongoing Commitments should be chosen for goals that can be completed in stages, where each stage is measured independently in the form of weekly reports. You chose the number of weeks you will need to achieve your goal.For example, let's say you commit to writing five pages of your Masters thesis every week, for a period of eight weeks. At the end of each week, you file a report. If you wrote the five pages that week, you report success. If you didn´t, you report that you were unsuccessful.
Often times the nature of your goal automatically dictates whether it is a one-shot goal or if it will be ongoing. Some goals can be pursued either way, so choose whichever method you think will work best for you. If you´re a procrastinator, you might want to opt for ongoing!
Please note that you cannot choose the one-shot category if your goal is weight loss, so forget crash-dieting right before the deadline! This goal is an ongoing commitment only, because a gradual approach is the safest way to lose weight.
Where can I see the details of my Commitment Contract?
To access the details of a specific Commitment Contract, view the Commitment that you'd like the details of and then click on the orange "Details" button.
Once my Commitment has started, can I change the details of it?
There are only some details that you will be able to change after you've created your Commitment Contract. After you have created your Commitment, you will be able to add a Referee to your Commitment, edit your Commitment's privacy settings and invite Supporters to your Commitment. All other details of your contract cannot be changed.
Please remember that a Commitment Contracts is binding and that you must stickK to the goal you set. For this reason, please make sure that you have the ability to fulfill your Commitment before creating it. Contact us directly if an error occurred during the Commitment Creation process.
Please remember that a Commitment Contracts is binding and that you must stickK to the goal you set. For this reason, please make sure that you have the ability to fulfill your Commitment before creating it. Contact us directly if an error occurred during the Commitment Creation process.
I made a mistake when creating my Commitment Contract.
We all make mistakes. If you find that you need to change something about your Commitment, please don't hesitate to write to a member of the stickK team and we will be happy to assist. Click here to contact us.
How do I delete my Commitment Contract?
Normally, we do not allow users to delete a Commitment Contract once it begins. We make a promise to hold you to your word, and we intend to keep it. However, if medical or personal reasons, or an extenuating circumstance prevents you from being able to continue with your Commitment Contract, click here to send us a message and we will be happy to help.
How does stickK calculate the number of pounds I have to lose per week?
When your Contract begins, the amount you will have to lose each week is calculated based on the information you entered when you created your Contract. Your starting weight, desired ending weight, and the length of your Contract are used to calculate the pounds you need to lose per week.
The formula is: (starting weight) - (desired ending weight) / (the # of weeks in your Contract) = (the # of pounds to lose per week).
Example: (200 lbs starting weight) – (180 lbs desired ending weight) / (10 week-long Contract) = (2 lbs. per week). In this example, as long as you are successful each week, your weekly target weights (starting with week 1) will be: 198, 196, 194, 192, 190…and so on. So, even if you are ahead of schedule, your target for each week will remain steady.
The formula is: (starting weight) - (desired ending weight) / (the # of weeks in your Contract) = (the # of pounds to lose per week).
Example: (200 lbs starting weight) – (180 lbs desired ending weight) / (10 week-long Contract) = (2 lbs. per week). In this example, as long as you are successful each week, your weekly target weights (starting with week 1) will be: 198, 196, 194, 192, 190…and so on. So, even if you are ahead of schedule, your target for each week will remain steady.
Why is this week's target weight higher than my current weight?
This means you’re doing great! As long as you are successful, your weight loss schedule never changes, even if you are ahead of pace. Your Contract will continue to lower the following week’s by the pre-set schedule until you reach your desired ending weight. For a more detailed description of the formula, please read Scenario 1 & 2.
What happens if I reach my weight loss goal early?
Fantastic! If you reach your goal early, you can continue to report each week through the end of your Contract (this might also help to ensure that you don’t gain back any of the weight you lost!), or you can always Contact Us
If I don't meet my weekly goal, do I have to make up what I didn’t lose in the following week?
You will never be asked to lose weight at a faster rate than your original rate. We do this to make sure that you always have a chance to be successful without having to lose an unsafe amount, or an amount you didn’t commit to. For a more detailed description, please read Scenario 1 and 2.
Lose Weight Scenarios
Your initial goal is to lose 10 pounds in 5 weeks. Your original rate is 2 pound per week. Your initial weight is 210; as a result, your Week 1 goal is to weigh 208.
Scenario 1:
Let’s say you beat your Week 1 goal and weigh-in at 205. Now you have four more weeks to lose just five pounds—that’s great, you’re ahead of schedule! When you are ahead of the game like this, we do not change your original weight-loss schedule based on your original rate; as a result, your Week 2 goal is 206.
We have a few reasons for not adjusting your schedule, but our primary concern is your health. We want you to reach your goal, but we also want to help you do it safely. In this example, if we set your goal at anything under 206 pounds we’d be asking you to lose more than 4 pounds in 2 weeks and this rate would be greater than your original rate of 2 pounds per week. Since this isn't what you signed up for, we would never hold you to this. We also don’t readjust your schedule because we find that often times users are able to lose a significant amount of weight at the beginning of their Contract--your body is reacting to new lifestyle adjustments and the pounds can drop off easily. However, over time as your body begins to adjust to a new routine, weight loss can slow, sometimes dramatically. We would never want to put you in a position where you lose a lot weight in one week, and then are forced to continue losing more the following week.
While not readjusting your weight might make your Contract seem easy early on, it does indeed become more difficult. You may even find that once in a while you need the little buffer you have built up by doing so well to start. We have found in nearly every scenario, over the course of a Lose Weight Contract, the actual weight loss slows and the original schedule catches up.
We have a few reasons for not adjusting your schedule, but our primary concern is your health. We want you to reach your goal, but we also want to help you do it safely. In this example, if we set your goal at anything under 206 pounds we’d be asking you to lose more than 4 pounds in 2 weeks and this rate would be greater than your original rate of 2 pounds per week. Since this isn't what you signed up for, we would never hold you to this. We also don’t readjust your schedule because we find that often times users are able to lose a significant amount of weight at the beginning of their Contract--your body is reacting to new lifestyle adjustments and the pounds can drop off easily. However, over time as your body begins to adjust to a new routine, weight loss can slow, sometimes dramatically. We would never want to put you in a position where you lose a lot weight in one week, and then are forced to continue losing more the following week.
While not readjusting your weight might make your Contract seem easy early on, it does indeed become more difficult. You may even find that once in a while you need the little buffer you have built up by doing so well to start. We have found in nearly every scenario, over the course of a Lose Weight Contract, the actual weight loss slows and the original schedule catches up.
Scenario 2:
Let’s say, instead, that you weigh-in at 209 for Week 1. This means you lost only 1 lb, and were unsuccessful for Week 1. Now, you have four more weeks to lose 9 pounds in order to reach your original target weight. That’s 2.25 pounds per week. This exceeds the original rate you committed to lose. Because we would not ask you to lose more than you agreed to in your Commitment, your Week 2 goal is recalculated by stickK (using your original rate of 2 lbs per week) to be 207 for Week 2. This is 2 lbs. less than your previous reported weight of 209.
Although stickKing to this original rate (after not losing enough in week 1) may not get you all the way to 200, it is safer, still moves you towards your ultimate goal AND if you happen to lose enough weight to get back on track, then your weekly goal weight goals will be recalculated to reflect that.
