Rules sound pretty good.

I do have one suggestion, though, made in the interest of being as inclusive as possible. The described pic/pose set will be ideal for my goals, but i think a little flexibility will go a long way. For example, maybe something like mandatory 5 pictures but with a little more latitude to tailor your pic set to your stated goal. That way someone focused on muscle definition can focus on muscular poses, and someone just trying to dump a ton of weight can focus on weight loss oriented pictures. I am of the opinion that 300 lb man losing 60 lbs and a skinny weakling gaining 15 lean lbs are equally valuable, and equally commendable. For the muscle gainer, the poses prescribed are ideal, but for the weight loser the flexing poses are just kind of silly.

Not trying to hijack anything here, just tossing out 2cents worth of discussion. Maybe something like:
a brief statement of goals and history (like, 3 sentences "i am" "i was" and "what i want to be")
5 images

front picture

side profile picture

3 freestyle

The freestyle images can be scale shots, weightwatchers style "look at me standing behind my old fat jeas" abdominal close ups, muscular poses, detailed shots of muscular definition, or  whatever else the competitor thinks best showcases their progress and makes the best case for their consideration. I know this makes judging more complicated, but i think this would really give each competitor the opportunity to set and pursue unique and personal goals (so many fail at fitness because they try to meet someone else's goals, instead of their own). This scheme would also force each competitor to think really carefully about goals before hand, and places the burden of choosing what pictures will best compliment their goals solely on their shoulders.


For the record:
what has me thinking this is my own fitness journey to date. As i type this, i feel like front shot, side shot, plus some poses (as currently proscribed in the OP) will be about perfect for me and my current goal set.
-however-
If i was in the shape i was in 8 months ago, reading these contest rules, it would have been a big turn off. I suspect i would have read the part about the poses and stuff and thought "meh, this does not sound like my kind of contest" and that would have been it. Now, i am not worried about disenfranchising my past self in this current contest. Rather, i KNOW there are others on arfcom, and others on the current list of participants, who are in the situation i was in not that long ago. The best thing this contest can accomplish is getting a few fence sitters motivated to change (and maybe save) their life.

I'm in, I love new years for this exact reason.

Can I get in on this?

Meh, I'm a fat fuck and my ultimate goal is to get down to 180 since I am way out of shape and want to join the military the day I meet the physical fitness standards.

Never been athletic, but I went from being a small skinny bastard to a fat ass quickly after moving to the city from nowhere Alaska.

I'm not in this to win, just want to feel as much pressure as possible to lose the weight.

Since this is a competition...

I would love to give this a try. Can ya sign me up?

The bandwidth and ease of display issue has been mentioned. People want to still have their free pose which I totally agree with.

I guess I might as well jump in.  Need to do better than last year.  



Less pics is good from the standpoint of running the contest.  I think the three pics will show enough for judging.

I'm going to do this!

sounds great!  

Aside from the obvious health benefits, do we actually have prizes, or is it just a title of ARFCOM's biggest loser.

Also is there an entrance fee?

i would like to be in

I would like to take part in this as well, I took part last year and lost about 10 pounds, kept it off for most of the summer, but these last 4 months have been pretty bad and I have put all the weight right back on

count me in please

I'm in.

I'm in for a cash pool or prize donation as well.

Count me in as well. The past year has been a terrible one and I have really let myself go. I managed to gain about 30 lbs. and it seems it is all in my mid-section.


Taking pictures is going to be hard though. I don't like having my picture taken while fully clothed.

No entrance fee. So far I have a pretty sweet stick from my back yard as a prize. I plan on hitting up all the site sponsors for prizes once I get a final number of people officially in with pics received. I figure in three months we should be able to drum up something better than a stick.

 

well put me down as in

How many folks are entering? If we had enough. $5 each could get the winner a pretty good prize.





 

We should consider the possibility that a cash prize would incentivize dishonesty. I would hope not, but stranger things have happened. I think bragging rights is the best prize for this sort of thing.

True, there is the possibility. How would folks cheat? Photoshop their results?

 

I cannot speak for anyone else, but I am not looking at doing this for a prize.  The prize would be me getting in better shape.  If there was something neat at the end for the winner(s), that would be OK.



On that point, I have some shooting-related items I am not going to use that I could donate to the prize package if the group decides to go that route instead of sponsor prizes (or if we cannot get a sponsor).





 

I am in. I will get pics up before the weekend is over.

I will donate one new GymBoss Interval Timer to the winner.

Good luck!

http://www.gymboss.com/

AR154ALL: IN!!

That should go to the loser. You know, a little help for the next round.

I need to lose fat AND gain mucle, where do I fit in?

Oh, and IN.

as this is a contest what does the winner get other than better health?

looks like you're with me

Count me in!  After the last ladies transformation that I participated in, the wheels fell off, so I'm in need of the motivation!  Nothing like pics of yourself in a bikini online for motivation!!  

I'm in

In.

amen, sister...  nothing says, "when did THAT happen???" like a partially clothed pic...  we look infinitely better in clothes than out of them...  in fact, it was a bikini pic (on the beach, summer 2009) that shook my core and got me up off my behind...  

I've put on a little over the past 4-5 months (thank you, marching band and football stadium food ), but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we can do what it takes to look way better in the bikinis THIS summer.  

(you back on spark?  I'm still there, but not nearly as active as I was...  part of my strategy is to fix that.)

I'm in.

I'm in.....

 

but aren't the codes to provide for anonymity?  if you use the first ones someone posts, then everyone will know who you are...  and if we open it to voting, then you wouldn't be judging your own progress...  I, for one, and perfectly fine with you assiging you and your gf codes, just as you assign ours.  

my $0.02.

yours = "imgay"

hers = "heis"



(sorry; long day at work and i needed a chuckle)

EDIT: I must remember to be sober prior to posting...

oh snap

Im in!

The codes allow for anonymity.  :)

Yeah thanks. I realized that a few minutes ago and was just coming back to edit my post. Guess I should lay off the liquor for awhile...new years is over

OP. Log out then back in again.

I'm in!

It seems I've put on a few pounds.

I'm in!

I'm interested.  God knows I need to get my ass back in shape.

Sign me up!

I sent out the codes just now. It took a while, but they are done and out. Get those photos in by the deadline and you should be all set. If you have any questions please post up or IM me.

Got mine - thanks for the effort you're putting into this!