Q: What if I have my period on weigh in day and I KNOW I would’ve made weight if I didn’t? 

A: Women get a once a game period pass. Which means you don’t have to make weight the week you have your period – but you do have to make weight for both weeks the following week. And what I mean by that is, if you weigh 150 and your goal weight for the week is 148.5 and you have your period and don’t make your goal, you get a pass. BUT the next week, you must weigh in at 147 – which means you actually did lose the weight the week of your period even though the scale didn’t reflect it and you also lost your weight this week.  Otherwise, you don’t get your bonus points for the week of your period.   

Q: Yeah, but what if I have my period the last week of the Game?

Ideally, you shouldn’t time your game this way.  But if you must, then you can ask your team and opponents for a few extra days at the end before final scores are calculated.  If the game is tight, whether or not you make your bonus will make a difference, so in the interest of good sportsmanship (sportswomanship?) they should give you the extra time.

Q: I’m a guy – is there some equivalent of a “period pass” for me?

A:  Shut up and be grateful that you don’t hemorrhage from your penis once a month. Ass.

Q:  My husband is not playing the game and he keeps bringing home high calorie food like pizza and fast food. I've asked him not to, but he just says he can do whatever he wants. I think he's jealous of my new body. I don't want to cause a fight, but don't know how to handle this.

A:  Sadly, your husband is right. He isn’t supportive. He isn’t maybe the best husband in the world when it comes to your diet. But he’s right. He can do whatever he wants. And so can you.  You can’t control his choices – but you can control yours.  And you can choose compassion.  Maybe he’s feeling threatened by your new body, by your new lifestyle, by your new you.  Maybe he was comfortable and happy with the old you, even if you weren’t.  And Maybe he doesn’t know how to communicate any of this.  So I would suggest that even though your impulse is to smack him upside the head, maybe try the opposite and tell him you love him a lot. Tell him frequently and lovingly and passionately.  Instigate a tickle match.  Instigate sex. Also? Leave the house when the pizza arrives. And if you can’t leave the house, at least leave the room.  Go and do something healthier than sitting around smelling pizza and resenting him.  Don’t spend your precious energy trying to change him. Just love him, and keep changing you. Eventually, he may just decide to join you.

Q: I have a group of friends who are all overweight.  We used to do lots of eating outings together, but now that I'm playing the Game, things have changed.   They don’t want to play and they don’t even really want to hear about me playing.  It kinda sucks, I don't want to lose the friendships, what should I do?

A: Friendships change and fall away for a thousand reasons. You are prioritizing your health! If your friends can’t support that – you have to ask if these are really healthy friendships that you want to hold on to. If they are, then maybe you just need to reach out. Pick your favorite friend and say, “Sally! I miss you! And I’m playing this game so I can’t do our old restaurant thing.  Wanna just come over for a cup of tea and catch up?” Maybe she does. And if she doesn’t, you’ve learned something.  Most of my close friends have been my close friends for nearly twenty years. But a couple of friends have fallen away in recent years and when that happens it makes me really sad.  And that’s when my therapist has had to remind me that there is a difference between best friends and old friends.  If these are truly your best friends, they will support you in your journey to improve your health.