On Friday, Oct. 14, Julie Roberts decided it was time to lose a little weight.

“I knew my weight would just keep on going up over the winter and I didn't want that to happen. But I had zero motivation.” She came up with a winning plan that would require a little help from her friends.

Roberts, who owns Coastal Maine Popcorn Co. in Boothbay Harbor, said she posted a message on her Facebook page and asked what people thought about her idea. They liked it. Five or six responded immediately. It quickly went up to 20.

By three days later, on Monday, Oct. 17, 57 people, mostly in the Boothbay area, had signed up for a competition to lose as much weight as they could in less than three months.

And the person in the now closed group who loses the highest percentage of her or his weight by Jan. 9 will be rewarded with a bundle of money — $5,700.

Each member was asked to throw in $100, and they all did it willingly.

There are no rules in this particular weight loss challenge. Members are encouraged to do whatever works for them personally. Roberts has set up a special Facebook page that is only open to members. People who would never have shared their weights took pictures of themselves and disclosed their weight. “It's been liberating for people,” she said.

The total weight of the group of 57, including 12 men, was 12,371.6 pounds — averaging out to 217.73 a person.

Lisa Orne Hallinan began her quest to lose weight before she heard about the new group. She had already lost 15 pounds before she weighed in last week, and during her first week in the challenge she lost four more pounds. Hallinan’s strategy is to keep moving. She goes hiking every weekend — rain or shine — with her granddaughter, Lilly, swims at the YMCA, and walks every day on her lunch hour. “And I really watch what I eat — lots of fresh veggies, fruit and protein,” she said.

Another member, Angie McLellan, has been walking twice a day, in the morning and after work. She's not cutting anything entirely out of her diet, because she believes that deprivation isn't good for anyone, but she is cutting back on refined sugar and carbs, and is eating less processed, and more whole foods. “And staying one step ahead of Julie (Roberts),” she said.

The group of determined men and women is serious about losing weight over the next couple months. They’re being supportive, encouraging each other to walk, eat a container of Greek yogurt at bedtime, and drink plenty of water, but each is also determined to win the $5,700. They’re not above pulling practical jokes on one another. One day last week, Roberts opened a drawer at her popcorn shop and found it full to the brim with candy, thanks to her employees, all of whom are members in the contest.

A few local businesses, whose owners are members of the challenge, are offering specials for other members during the challenge. Win Mitchell, of Watershed Tavern, is offering a weekly low-carb, low-calorie meal; Pinkham’s Seafood is offering a $1 off haddock special; Jaime Campbell, of Cutting Edge, and Ginny French of Oasis are both offering $10 off pedicures.

Roberts is already planning to start another challenge in February, after the holidays, when even more people will be on a quest to lose weight. “And a lot of people who are doing this one will want to have a reason to keep going, and I want them to have a resource for that,” she said.

Roberts said she won't deprive herself. “I'm a believer in everything in moderation. I'll walk every day, eat smaller portions, and one day, if I want an Oreo, I'll eat it. And if I want one drink I'll have one. We have to live. We have to be happy. Nobody wants to be a crabby dieter.”

But she said she wants to win, too. “We've been encouraging each other to eat chocolate popcorn. In fact we've offered each member a free large bag of chocolate popcorn. They have to eat it here.”