I (M39) was asked to join New Year’s resolution weight loss challenge with 6 friends who are similar ages and shape as me. The challenge was to see who could lose the most pounds as a percentage of their starting weight by Easter.

I was a little hesitant about the money aspect, but I have steadily grown out of shape overs the years, and I thought this would be a fun incentive to get back to a healthier lifestyle. I know that weight loss isn’t the same thing as overall health, but my plan that didn’t include anything that I would consider unhealthy like excessive dieting or taking pills. Just positive changes to my food choices and more exercise.

We each agreed to give $75 to the winner. It was agreed to over a group chat, but no one made an official buy in at the beginning. We also all go to church together, and it seems like everyone was committed to this agreement. We did an official New Year’s Day weigh with photos of the scale as proof of starting weight.

The first month started strong with positive group messages of lifestyle changes. We did another weigh in February 1st and everyone saw progress. I saw a big improvement and was happy to have the support. I kept at it during February, but the texts started to die down. When it was time for the March weigh in, no one wanted to do it. They just sent messages about how things were not going well or that they had plateaued.

The same thing happened April 1st as well, and we are about two weeks away from the end. Most of my friends seem to have given up, including some that have had complicating live events (new baby, new job, death in the family). All the while, I’ve remained committed and had a really good outcome. I believe I am on track to easily win the challenge. I saw a drop of about 10% from my starting weight and no longer have an overweight body mass index. I also feel good about continuing this lifestyle after the challenge is over.

Now the dilemma. I get the sense that the others are ready to forget about their resolutions and not follow through on the agreement. I would love to get $450, but I also realize weight loss is tough for a lot of people and collecting it could hurt my friendships. It also feels weird to reap the benefits of this experience and have those that struggled pay me for it. But we all agreed to this challenge, and I would have paid if someone else won. I also found out some of them did this same challenge a few years ago. They all lost weight, paid the winner, and it was a positive experience for everyone.

AITAH for wanting to collect on the challenge? What should I do when the deadline comes? It will be Easter as well and it feels especially weird to bring up weight loss on the holiday. Appreciate any advice.