We’ve seen that 88% of MyFitnessPal users who log their food for more than 7 days in a row ultimately lose weight.
But if you need an extra incentive to nudge you along, our new partner Pact has a great new idea to encourage food logging: cash rewards!
With the Pact app, you’ll choose which days in a week you’ll log your food in MyFitnessPal, and earn money for sticking to the dates. Then, back up your commitment by choosing how much money you’ll pay if you don’t reach your goal.
If you do meet your goal at the end of the week you’ll earn a cash reward. If you don’t make your goal, you’ll lose the $ and it will be dispersed among others who did meet their goals.
The Pact app previously has worked with workouts and exercise, and went under the name Gym Pact. But the makers thought it would be great to expand the concept to other health arenas, and changed the name accordingly.
Pact says that their average workout user is rewarded 30-50 cents for each activity completed, so now you have a hard cash incentive to log your food. Since regular food logging in MyFitnessPal is one of the best ways to lose weight, this just reinforces a great habit.
In order for it to work, a single day of food logging must contain at least 1,200 calories eaten across three meals. There will also be an option for daily fruit and veggie commitments, and you’ll be able to submit mobile photos.
So far, Pact has been 92% effective at getting its users to hit their commitments! No matter how you slice it, that’s delicious.
MyFitnessPal is working with the Pact app only in regards to food logging, not exercise tracking. If you want to make exercise pacts with other Pact users and track those using the Pact app, then go for it! Tracking the exercises in MyFitnessPal won’t have any financial rewards, but you’ll get the same great information as always – and most importantly, more daily calories to burn. 😉
Pact is available for both iOS and Android. Check it out in our app gallery or see Pact on the web.
71 Responses
How does it work for users not in the US? we will get the 30-50 cents converted into our country’s currency?
excellent question! I’d like to know, too
Yes! Rewards are distributed in USD. Once you hit $10 in rewards you can withdraw via PayPal and convert it your currency. 🙂
Thank you so much for your reply an information! I think I will give it a go. Rounding up my people as I type. All things work better in a group setting. 🙂
But it’s distributed in defunct Russian rubles.
As a Canadian does this work for me as well?
Yes! Pact is launched in 75+ countries – including Canada. 🙂
I am guessing this is only for American members, I am also from Canada
Any word on a windows phone app?
I still don’t understand the logic behind having iOS first. Android has the greater market share and isn’t half as painful to deal with when submitting an app for approval. Baffling.
It’s easier to develop for iOS devices. When it’s android, there are so many different devices and etc, they need to make sure it works across the spectrum. It sucks they can’t release for both…hopefully in the near future there will be apps pushed to both iOS and & android at the same time. I know they do now but not everyone follows that practice.
I was going to say the same thing. I used to work for an app developer and android was a pain! But I use an android now, so I guess I’m a glutton for punishment.
The all 3 types of pacts are currently available on both iOS and Android.
What about Low Carb High Fat users who do very few carbs (therefore limited fruit and veggies?) I love My Fitness Pal and have used it for over a year….yes, almost daily unless I had a connection break!
I looked into Gym Pact a while back, but the fact that workouts HAD to be 30 min (I usually do several 20min ones throughout the day) and the risk/reviews turned me off it. Now that they have connected with Fitbit though … 10,000 steps a day? Easy peasy … and I haven’t missed a day logging here since I started back in May2013, although I do skip a meal here and there (or eat something I log in my “completely empty calories” section instead of “lunch”) … but I might look into this.
Sadly this won’t work for me. a) I’m in the UK and b) I am on a strict medically-controlled-sub1000-calorie diet. So I’d be penalised for not logging 1200 and would have to lie to qualify.
it kind of sucks that not being able to afford a cell phone bill keeps people from being able to take part in things like this.
If you have an ipod touch and wireless it would work without a monthly plan. I just barely upgraded to an iphone, but could still do most things by connecting to wifi.
my recommended daily is 1,200, and i hit under about half the time. guess this isn’t for me…
I wish someone had pointed this out earlier. This requirement of theirs is silly, and the aforementioned issues with things not tracking and poor customer service leads me to say no, thanks. Immediately deleted my account, fortunately prior to putting in any “payment information.”
1200 is the limit. It is even suggested by MyFitnessPal to not go under 1200 because otherwise you are starving your body of proper nutrition.
What about if you submit your day after midnight? This happens fairly frequently for me on Friday/Saturday.
From what I read on Pact’s site, the food diary has to be complete by midnight of the same day to count.
You don’t actually have to “complete” your day. Once you hit 1200 calories in three different meals it counts as that days pact completed. I get a text from pact almost instantly after hitting 1200 or more. I don’t think you even need to complete your day.
I downloaded the ap to my phone. Just wanted to see what it was all about… obviously you have to register to get into the program. I did and within 2 mins it’s saying I have an “active” pact at like 10.00 a day if I don’t log in my food. Now I’ve never missed a day in the past 148 since I joined, but I just wanted to see what the deal was with this… I tried to delete and got a message saying I’m “scheduled” for deletion NEXT week and will be responsible for “The PACT Amount” …. WHAT??? I don’t even fully understand the program. I didn’t sync it up to myfitnesspal….. So WHO do I contact…. silliness……
Same here… this is BS. I didn’t WANT to sign up for an active Pact yet!!
Exactly! People like to research first! Now they are saying 10.00 A DAY!!! as in 70.00 a WEEK because I put I log food 7 days a week on MFP??? WHAT???? ummmm NOOOOO!!!!!!
You can bump it down to 5 dollars per day. But it will only charge you if you miss a day. Also, it asks you if you want to try it without the incentive before your pact is active.
MFP is making a huge mistake pairing with this!!
Exactly why I didn’t join them WHEN THEY WERE OPERATING under a different name. People need not get sucked into this seemingly stress-inducing app! Don’t give your money away folks – please!
Any chance for a Windows Phone app?
Does anyone know how to delete a group I created. I set it up at the same time my daughter did. We need to communicate better. lol
I really love this concept but after reading the dismal reviews in the app store I’m going to pass. Too many people are having problems getting the app to work properly and not getting their problems resolved with Customer Service. A big red flag to me.
Okay NOT liking the fact that it just automatically signed me up for the 10/day gym pact since I wanted the food one. I’ve messaged customer service, hopefully they can get it taken care of for me.
It automatically signed me up for logging food 7 day at 10.00 a day… I was just trying to figure out what the program was all about… How did you message customer service????? I need to do that too… I tried to delete it off my phone and now it says deletion SCHeDULED for next week – and I’m responsible for an ACTIVE PACT…. WHAT????
I sent them a tweet and they told me to contact customer service (or in their words, CX) but no other details. I did try it through the app on the phone (under the tools function in the upper right corner) so I’m HOPING it works and is deleted soon. There’s no way I’m paying 10 bucks for not getting to the gym when I’m sick!
do you have to hit ‘complete’ every day before midnight for pact to acknowledge the entry, or is it enough to just log the food on MFP?
No. If you hit complete, you can go to the Pact app and refresh and within a few minutes it’ll update.
PACT accepts my food log for the day before I even finish it. Once I hit 3 time periods of logging and 1200 calories, within an hour or two it records it as complete. So if I log breakfast, lunch and a snack, I’m done even if I don’t finish the dinner entry or hit Complete.
I had a HORRIBLE time with this company back when they went under the name Gym Pact. I’d warn any and everyone against using their products. They changed rules without notifying users and charged me incorrectly for over $20 before I was able to close my account. Customer service made no effort to right their wrong. Google Gym Pact before you join and read about the horror stories.
Cool, it is O’ So Tempting.. I especially like that those of us outside the US are not left out for once 🙂
Ooh, I like this!
But, then I read the reviews. :
Looks like it could be good, but heard a lot of problems, and when I tried, I couldn’t log in to link my accounts – don’t want to be penalised for not tracking my calories when it’s just because the website doesnt work!
Disappointing to see PACT doesn’t really work for me on a FAST Diet (5:2). Even though I would be recording every thing, down to ketchup, I don’t record 1,200 calories every day. On two days I record less than 600.
You can set your food logging pact for 5 days (or fewer) instead of 7. If you make the 5 days, you get 5 days worth of profit share.
I am not sure why MFP is promoting this App or partering with them as tbe reviews and ratings are on the downside. I have been with mfp for months and I will not be trying this app! I do not think paying cash for a bad day is desirable! I truly think our MFPals are the best way to stay acoountable!
How do you sign up with mfp pals for accountability? I also can’t find the app anywhere in my App Store (iOS)
I would have loved to try this, but as a bariatric patient I cant eat 1200 calories a day. Bummer!!!
Always smart phone apps, ever anything for those of us who don’t want or can’t afford smart phones 🙁
I would love to join but it appears you must log a minimum of 1200 calories a day. My MFP goal is set at 1000. Sometimes I eat more; sometimes even less. I like the concept. It would be nice to get paid for something I have done for 500+ days but the 1200 calorie minimum won’t work for me.
But the problem, is the money you will be earning when you log, is money that is coming from others who have been fined. It’s really not a fair deal. Who can afford this?
If you can’t afford it, then don’t sign up. I have pactapp and have had no problems with the gym part. As long as you do what you say you are going to do then you don’t pay. So far I have never paid a dime. I think I am going to start food logging to earn more cash.
Yes, some people have/had problems with Pact. I am one who has not. Been using it for a couple months on the the gym pacts with no problems, now added food logging and no problems there too. So yeah there are bugs but the app works for a lot of people too.
At least 1200 cals a day? Please tell me you’re kidding.
Why ? It’s perfectly understandable that they do not want to encourage unhealthy undereating and the associated risk of eating-disorders.
There’s nobody who needs to eat less than 1200/day to reach any healthy weight.
Not true: my BMR is only 1400-1600/day. I wear an activvity tracker so I am aware of my cal burn. I am 64, very sedentary, with quite a bit to lose. I want to get to a healthy weight in this lifetime. My daily goal is 1000 cals and I eat a balanced diet. There is nothing unhealthy about 1000 cals a day.
Yes. But even with a BMR around 1500, eating 1200/day on average would put you at a deficit of 300 kcal/day – which correspond to a weight-loss-ratio around 30 lbs/year.
I suppose you’re right. They could instead set the lower limit based on height age and gender.
For example, minimum daily calories = 75% of the BMR for a person of your height, gender and age with a BMI of 20.
A woman who is 64 and 5’3″ would weigh 115 lbs at bmi 20 – and her BMR would be around 1050 — so 75% of that would be 800 kcal/day.
So wrong about that! I eat approx. 1200 cals a day, 50 yo female, 4’11”. Us shorties really do have low calorie goals! My TDEE on non exercise days is around 1400 cals. NOTICE I said TDEE, not BMR
I hadn’t spotted that the income for success is paid for by others being fined. Hmm.
If the reviews on the android app are any indication, it doesn’t seem to be worth even downloading, let alone launching and trying to use.
So, you get paid about 50 cents every day you log, but get charged $10 for any day you forget? That means that if you forget to log one day then it will take you 20 days to recover your loss. No thanks. 🙁 I will just stick with only MFP
You determine how much you’re charged for the missed days. The minimum, however, is $5.
Also, you can choose how many days you want to log your food for. You don’t have to do all 7 days of the week.
American as usual. You forgetting to serve the English?
I was so interested until I read that you have to log at least 1200 calories for it to count 🙁 I have logged every bite of food I’ve eaten every single day for 4 months straight, but I aim for UNDER 1200 calories a day : guess I won’t be taking part…
I’ve really been enjoying this app so far. I’ve been emailing customer service a couple of times since I wanted things clarified. Like, I wasn’t sure how a pact worked if you started it part way through the week (you have ’til the end of the week) and about the promo code given on this page (they still honoured it after I emailed them) & they replied really quickly.
I haven’t had any problems at all with the app. Mind you, I log in my food consistently & have been determined to do so before midnight in order to get my money for that day 🙂
I like how you can actually change the # of days in your pact (anywhere from 1 to 5) and you can bump down the amount you pay for a day missed (doesn’t go lower than $5, though). I do find that good motivation to keep on top of logging!
Still waiting for help with MFP and Pact counting my food logs. Going on 2nd day and no assistance with ticket. May be deleting account soon.
“The $5 challenge code is no longer available.”
Wow. I missed this last year. Good times.
(And I have logged my food on MFP every day for over three years…but no way would I sign up with this company based on what I’ve read about them both previously as Gym Pact and then as Pact. Super-sketchy.)
I LOVE using Pact to motivate me to walk 10,000 steps a day. So far, I’ve earned over $20, and haven’t missed a scheduled walk for several months. I was losing weight too– until I thought Pact would be great for my diet too, working with MyFitnessPal. Unfortunately, I’ve GAINED ten pounds in the past month because the app wants you to eat AT LEAST 1200 calories. Of course it’s easy for me to eat more than 1200– and I’m rewarded by being paid for eating more– but I’m punished if I eat less than 1200????? $5 is charged to my credit card each day I follow my diet? But I’m rewarded with money if I have a big ol’ cinnamon roll, or half of a chocolate cake at the end of each day? How is that supposed to encourage me to eat more healthy? I’m so disappointed with the MyFitnessPal & Pact combination. But the Fitbit & Pact combination has changed my life! I recommend that to everyone! Love it, love it love it….