# So You're Offered Your Weight In Gold... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 8, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964 "2010-07-08T15:24:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964/21 "2010-07-08T17:28:59Z")
I’d take a couple of salt tablets in the 2-3 days leading up to it,. and drink lots of water, but otherwise, no, I wouldn’t gain weight for money. We’re essentially talking about $85,000 for every five pounds you gain. If I was a person who could lose weight easily I’d bulk up, but I know that whatever I pick up I’ll have to carry for life, or close to it. If someone offered me $85,000 to carry around a five pound satchel for the rest of my life, I’d say “Hell No!” ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964/22 "2010-07-08T17:55:45Z")
Today I can easily hit over 5Mil, History says I can hit 5.7 easily. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964/23 "2010-07-08T18:17:53Z")
I’ll take my ~$3M and stay healthy during the 12 months leading up to the weigh-in. Although I can see myself having a big dinner the night before and stepping on the scale before I run off to the bathroom. If somebody will pay me 40 grand or so to have pizza and beer for dinner one evening, I’m not going to say no. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964/24 "2010-07-08T18:21:42Z")
My goal weight is 200 pounds, so I’d still try to lose the 30, but care even less if I didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964/25 "2010-07-08T18:50:05Z")
Currently I’d be looking at getting almost 6 mil, if I stick with my weight loss plan in the next year I’ll be under 15% body fat and still getting almost 5 mil. I don’t see anyway that an extra million dollars would change my life that being between 10-15% body fat wouldn’t. I mean I can only have sex with so many women simultaneously and if movies have taught me anything its that $1 million = 2 chicks and I think I can do that without the cash once I’m built. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964/26 "2010-07-08T19:12:21Z")
I don’t think I would purposely try to gain weight, but I would definitely put off my goals for losing weight for another year. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964/27 "2010-07-08T19:18:54Z")
> [@Roland\_Orzabal](#): > > The most I might do differently is chug a half-gallon of supersaturated sugar water immediately prior to the weighing, assuming I could find a place to pee shortly afterward. (If not, I suppose I’d just pee wherever I happened to be, 'cause hey, I’d have four million dollars.) Huh? If you’re drinking right before the weighing, what use would the sugar be? All it’s going to do is add calories that will convert to fat over the long run; it won’t really help at all in terms of how much volume you can fit in your stomach. You’re better off just drinking as much water as you can. As for me, i dropped from 207 to 184 over the past year. If i stopped running and working out, and ramped up my intake of donuts and ice cream, i could probably get back up over 200 pounds quite easily without going beyond the point where i felt incredibly unhealthy. I could then devote the following year to taking those ~25 pounds off again. The extra $400,000 or so would buy a very nice gym membership. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964/28 "2010-07-08T19:19:26Z")
I’m currently at $5,472,000. I’ll continue snacking until I hear otherwise… ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964/29 "2010-07-08T19:51:47Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > I’m big enough that even if I do not gain an ounce over the next year, we’re still talking about “Kiss My Ass” money. So, I won’t be making any major changes to my current lifestyle. Pretty much this. > [@Rigamarole](#): > > I don’t think I would purposely try to gain weight, but I would definitely put off my goals for losing weight for another year. With a dash of that. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964/30 "2010-07-08T20:02:58Z")
Two words: reverse liposuction. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964/31 "2010-07-08T20:08:45Z")
Take a page from the [Foster Farms chickens](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T1GRbTXMKY). ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964/32 "2010-07-08T20:19:51Z")
I’m not greedy, I can maintain my obesity for another year and then join a gym to lose the weight and keep it off. I won’t try to gain weight but I would also put off dieting for a year. Sounds like a good deal. An extra $3.5 million would mean early retirement, maybe as early as 50. This sounds fine. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964/33 "2010-07-08T20:58:02Z")
I’m estimating my “plateau weight” would level off at about 250. I’ve never weighed that much, but that’s about what I’d weigh if I just ate whatever I felt like eating and never exercised. That would get me $4.8 million . . . enough to enable me to lead a very comfortable life. Of course, if I weighed that much it’s very possible that my diabetes would kill me. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964/34 "2010-07-08T21:15:22Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > I don’t think I would purposely try to gain weight, but I would definitely put off my goals for losing weight for another year. This, or at least the latter part. I’d also hit the weights hard and try to put on 10 pounds of muscle mass, while upping my calorie intake so as not to lose weight. Man, if only this was real! ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964/35 "2010-07-08T21:20:00Z")
Found this nifty online calculator: > **[Scrap Gold Calculator | Get the Accurate Melt Value](https://www.silverrecyclers.com/Calculators/gold_calculator.aspx)** > > Our scrap gold calculator provides the current scrap gold price per gram and determines the melt value of your gold jewelry or bullion. Currently I’d be bringing in $3,668,765.98 to $3,756,117.55 (depending on if I’ve eaten recently), which is plenty. I wouldn’t intentionally get obese, but I might get really serious about bodybuilding. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964/36 "2010-07-08T21:21:50Z")
I’d just hit the gym before the weigh in. I weigh 150 lbs now, so I figure I can put on a good 20 lbs of muscle in a year. That plus the water chugging can net me a cool 3 mil- plus I’ll be stacked! And have to pee… ---
**Author:** ![palacheck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a88e57/32.png) [@palacheck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palacheck)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964/37 "2010-07-08T21:53:40Z")
I guess if you’re under 40 it might be worth it to gain a bunch of weight. A couple years spent obese could net an extra million or even more. I’m no doctor but I just can’t see a couple years in the morbidly obese zone drastically reducing your longevity. Now I wouldn’t risk it because I’m old as dirt and I have a family history of all kinds of nasty heart ailments. Stuck with lots of water I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964/38 "2010-07-08T22:06:07Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Huh? > > If you’re drinking right before the weighing, what use would the sugar be? All it’s going to do is add calories that will convert to fat over the long run; it won’t really help at all in terms of how much volume you can fit in your stomach. You’re better off just drinking as much water as you can. My thinking was that supersaturated solution was denser than pure water, but remembering back to high school chemistry, you’re right. S’what I get for trying to be clever. That said, I’d do it anyway, and I’m changing my reasoning to “that’d be some damn tasty Kool-Aid”. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964/39 "2010-07-09T00:18:42Z")
I would kill the current diet, have a hell of a year (Why yes thank you I would love a piece of cheesecake) and worry about getting into shape after the weigh in. I wouldn’t. Force myself to eat though. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964/40 "2010-07-09T00:33:33Z")
I would start taking drugs that cause massive weight gain. Corticosteroids, antipsychotics, SSRIs, etc. Then eat like a motherfucker, and hopefully put on 100 pounds of fat in a year. Also probably do a few steroid cycles to gain an extra 20-50 pounds of muscle. Tons of weight lifting, but no cardio. Muscle counts as weight too. Not that I’ve planned this out. Better living through chemistry. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-youre-offered-your-weight-in-gold/545964.md?page=1)