By: Lindsay Dunlap

Mar 23, 2009

How would you feel if your friend called you “Bulk” or “Belly”? What if that friend was part of your support group that was supposed to help you to work out and eat healthier?

I would be annoyed, but such trash talk motivates the self-proclaimed “Fat Bastards.”

This group of four men all wanted to lose weight but considered diets a waste of time (no kidding!). So they created what they call “The Game.” Here’s how it works:

Each member has a nickname—Belly Boy, Load, Bulk, and FaBa (short for “fat bastard”)-- that may sound degrading, but for them, the names acknowledge their weight issues and keep them on track.

Each member determines a monthly weight-loss goal as well as a target weight for the end of the 3-month game. Then, twice a week, the guys have a conference call to discuss progress. Each day, everyone must keep an online journal.

If anyone slacks, the others might grill him, and possibly even insult him, which they all claim is motivating. They also have fines for missing conference calls ($50 per call) and/or target weights ($250 per goal).

Most women I know would be appalled by this strategy. But maybe the traditional support team—with unconditional encouragement and incessant cheerleading—doesn’t work for you.

Try rounding up some like-minded friends and start your own game. It works for the Fat Bastards, who have lost a combined 150 pounds in the past two years.

Another strategy is to join a boot camp where the instructor has a no-mercy approach. Google “boot camp” and your city, and, assuming your city’s population is more than 10,000, I can almost guarantee you will have several options. One good one: The Sergeant’s Program in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.

Supplement your zero-sympathy workouts with similar reads. Sign up for our Tough Love Coach Amy Bento’s tips, and start reading Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. An international bestseller, the book doesn’t sugar coat a single word.