Milestone rewards
Replies
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Well I couldn’t afford a $500 reward every 10 lbs, as someone said upthread, or I’d be broke by now. When I reached my goal range I rewarded myself with a good pair of hiking boots. I’ve put them to good use in the year since.
Beyond that, doing more and looking and feeling better are their own rewards. That’s really what motivates me.2 -
For me it's usually work out clothes because the old ones are too loose. But reaching my final goal earned me a new pair of walking sticks so I won't fall on the downhills when I'm hiking.2
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I do simple, non-food rewards every 10 pounds (nails done, eyebrows waxed, go to a movie, etc.).0
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I get a massage every month. It's not so much a "reward," but it's more self care. Other things I'll do to treat myself is get new gym clothes or equipment. Or, I'll buy extra training sessions to get a jump start on the next goal.0
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Interesting. It does seem I am alone in initially depriving myself of snacks and treats, which I added back at the milestones. In hindsight, not allowing snacks at all to start with was a mistake because I ended up having too few calories most days (I didn't realize this until I started tracking, which I was not doing to start with). I think depriving myself of treats (non fruit snacks like cookies and candy) was not a mistake because I tried that and it led to mini binges and "I'll start over next week". I have to get "a lead to protect" before I reliably stick to a diet. So I cut treats so I would not repeat that cycle. Now I have lost so much that I am not succumbing to the temptation of gobbling up treats.0
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In previous attempts to lose weight, i did the 'treat' rewards with food. It was never a good idea for me and those attempts failed (not entirely because of the treats, but because my mindset was not where it needed to be). This time - which has been the longest running success I've had since I was a teen and super active with dance - my milestones are activity and material inspired.
food, the good and bad, is energy. that's it. I need it one way or the other, so rewarding myself with it doesn't make sense. It'd be like hey, I need to do XX to breathe! now, i just have to log all my foods. If I want rewards though, like new gear or race entries, i have to *earn* it with effort. It's not just tied to my weight either which was another mistake I was making previously. Now it's weight AND mini goals like being able to do x amount of regular pushups, or running a mile in x time, or prepping my food for a week straight -- I looked at all the things that I had bad habits for, or things I wanted to improve, and figured out what would justify a solid effort.
Rewards and mini goals are a really good way to start I think, but I really recommend non-linear goals. Look at the big picture, long term things, and adjust them as you go. You'll find that what you *want* changes as your physicality shifts. I have an xcel spreadsheet that I open every couple of weeks and look over to see what I've done and where I want to add things.
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enyagoboom wrote: »In previous attempts to lose weight, i did the 'treat' rewards with food. It was never a good idea for me and those attempts failed (not entirely because of the treats, but because my mindset was not where it needed to be). This time - which has been the longest running success I've had since I was a teen and super active with dance - my milestones are activity and material inspired.
food, the good and bad, is energy. that's it. I need it one way or the other, so rewarding myself with it doesn't make sense. It'd be like hey, I need to do XX to breathe! now, i just have to log all my foods. If I want rewards though, like new gear or race entries, i have to *earn* it with effort. It's not just tied to my weight either which was another mistake I was making previously. Now it's weight AND mini goals like being able to do x amount of regular pushups, or running a mile in x time, or prepping my food for a week straight -- I looked at all the things that I had bad habits for, or things I wanted to improve, and figured out what would justify a solid effort.
Rewards and mini goals are a really good way to start I think, but I really recommend non-linear goals. Look at the big picture, long term things, and adjust them as you go. You'll find that what you *want* changes as your physicality shifts. I have an xcel spreadsheet that I open every couple of weeks and look over to see what I've done and where I want to add things.
I have all too much experience with previous failures also. I have even lost down close to goal range about 4 years ago. that was a 62# loss starting at 230. This time I am shooting for 58#, starting at 223. I have lost 39 so far, so I denied treats for quite a while. But I had so many false starts that were derailed by treats ("I will eat another donut in the break room and just start again tomorrow - oh look, a long john is left!").
One thing I am doing different this time is making my goal be the upper limit and basing it on BMI, staying below 25. I don't care that BMI is not perfect; it's good enough and it makes my goal a hard number I can't change and the only way I can expand the range is to go lower. In the past, I caved in to thinking "it's too hard to stay at this weight, my body likes 175 better" and "I can yoyo on a short string, it's okay to have a range of +-15#". So the next thing you know, my weight is 190 going in to the holidays (a few years ago) and by January I am up another 15 and my target weight/range are irrelevant. This time goal is 165 and 166 is a problem that has to be rectified. So true goal is probably closer to 162 or so so I have a little range for small spikes.1 -
One of my rewards upon reaching a milestone or mini goal is coming back here to the mini goal thread and updating it. My current mini goal is Onederland, and I'm 3 lbs away. You bet when I hit 199, I'll be back to say woo hoo and to set a new goal. (I consider this a reward in that it is something that motivates new and I really look forward to it.)
Like others, I also get new workout clothes or accessories, or clothes that fit me better. I do align these with each 5lb lost, but would probably get them regardless. It's kinda nice to look back and say those were the sneakers I got when I lost 20 lbs.2 -
I bought myself things I've always wanted as part of my milestones
Tried to train myself out of food as a reward 0 -
One of my rewards upon reaching a milestone or mini goal is coming back here to the mini goal thread and updating it. My current mini goal is Onederland, and I'm 3 lbs away. You bet when I hit 199, I'll be back to say woo hoo and to set a new goal. (I consider this a reward in that it is something that motivates new and I really look forward to it.)
Like others, I also get new workout clothes or accessories, or clothes that fit me better. I do align these with each 5lb lost, but would probably get them regardless. It's kinda nice to look back and say those were the sneakers I got when I lost 20 lbs.One of my rewards upon reaching a milestone or mini goal is coming back here to the mini goal thread and updating it. My current mini goal is Onederland, and I'm 3 lbs away. You bet when I hit 199, I'll be back to say woo hoo and to set a new goal. (I consider this a reward in that it is something that motivates new and I really look forward to it.)
Like others, I also get new workout clothes or accessories, or clothes that fit me better. I do align these with each 5lb lost, but would probably get them regardless. It's kinda nice to look back and say those were the sneakers I got when I lost 20 lbs.
Onderland was my previous milestone.
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CarvedTones wrote: »Interesting. It does seem I am alone in initially depriving myself of snacks and treats, which I added back at the milestones. In hindsight, not allowing snacks at all to start with was a mistake because I ended up having too few calories most days (I didn't realize this until I started tracking, which I was not doing to start with). I think depriving myself of treats (non fruit snacks like cookies and candy) was not a mistake because I tried that and it led to mini binges and "I'll start over next week". I have to get "a lead to protect" before I reliably stick to a diet. So I cut treats so I would not repeat that cycle. Now I have lost so much that I am not succumbing to the temptation of gobbling up treats.
When I first started losing weight, I limited myself to one "treat", which to me meant one serving of a baked good, ice cream, or something like that, per week. I had terrible impulse control with those types of things and putting that limit on them helped me immensely with that issue. Even now though I limit those a lot because having a bit every day just doesn't work for me. Everybody is different in that manner.2 -
CarvedTones wrote: »Interesting. It does seem I am alone in initially depriving myself of snacks and treats, which I added back at the milestones. In hindsight, not allowing snacks at all to start with was a mistake because I ended up having too few calories most days (I didn't realize this until I started tracking, which I was not doing to start with). I think depriving myself of treats (non fruit snacks like cookies and candy) was not a mistake because I tried that and it led to mini binges and "I'll start over next week". I have to get "a lead to protect" before I reliably stick to a diet. So I cut treats so I would not repeat that cycle. Now I have lost so much that I am not succumbing to the temptation of gobbling up treats.
Certainly two alternatives at least
1. At milestones, taper back in "treat/normal foods"
2. Don't restrict treat/normal foods
3. Lifetime restriction on "treat/normal foods"
3 is what leads to long term weight loss failures.0 -
stanmann571 wrote: »CarvedTones wrote: »Interesting. It does seem I am alone in initially depriving myself of snacks and treats, which I added back at the milestones. In hindsight, not allowing snacks at all to start with was a mistake because I ended up having too few calories most days (I didn't realize this until I started tracking, which I was not doing to start with). I think depriving myself of treats (non fruit snacks like cookies and candy) was not a mistake because I tried that and it led to mini binges and "I'll start over next week". I have to get "a lead to protect" before I reliably stick to a diet. So I cut treats so I would not repeat that cycle. Now I have lost so much that I am not succumbing to the temptation of gobbling up treats.
Certainly two alternatives at least
1. At milestones, taper back in "treat/normal foods"
2. Don't restrict treat/normal foods
3. Lifetime restriction on "treat/normal foods"
3 is what leads to long term weight loss failures.
I disagree with that.
My default desire/mode is to eat over my maintenance calories, whether that's with treats or normal food, though treats are more problematic for me. Maintaining my weight loss has required restricting the volume of food I eat compared to what I desire to eat. There are some people who find a balance and can maintain without making a conscious effort but for many of us it will always involve conscious effort in order to maintain weight loss success.0 -
stanmann571 wrote: »CarvedTones wrote: »Interesting. It does seem I am alone in initially depriving myself of snacks and treats, which I added back at the milestones. In hindsight, not allowing snacks at all to start with was a mistake because I ended up having too few calories most days (I didn't realize this until I started tracking, which I was not doing to start with). I think depriving myself of treats (non fruit snacks like cookies and candy) was not a mistake because I tried that and it led to mini binges and "I'll start over next week". I have to get "a lead to protect" before I reliably stick to a diet. So I cut treats so I would not repeat that cycle. Now I have lost so much that I am not succumbing to the temptation of gobbling up treats.
Certainly two alternatives at least
1. At milestones, taper back in "treat/normal foods"
2. Don't restrict treat/normal foods
3. Lifetime restriction on "treat/normal foods"
3 is what leads to long term weight loss failures.
I disagree with that.
My default desire/mode is to eat over my maintenance calories, whether that's with treats or normal food, though treats are more problematic for me. Maintaining my weight loss has required restricting the volume of food I eat compared to what I desire to eat. There are some people who find a balance and can maintain without making a conscious effort but for many of us it will always involve conscious effort in order to maintain weight loss success.
It seems you misunderstood.
3 is not referring to lifelong monitoring. But rather to the idea that the dieter can never have a cookie/Twinkie/bread etc.
Lifelong diligence is essential. Lifelong privation is unsustainable1 -
stanmann571 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »CarvedTones wrote: »Interesting. It does seem I am alone in initially depriving myself of snacks and treats, which I added back at the milestones. In hindsight, not allowing snacks at all to start with was a mistake because I ended up having too few calories most days (I didn't realize this until I started tracking, which I was not doing to start with). I think depriving myself of treats (non fruit snacks like cookies and candy) was not a mistake because I tried that and it led to mini binges and "I'll start over next week". I have to get "a lead to protect" before I reliably stick to a diet. So I cut treats so I would not repeat that cycle. Now I have lost so much that I am not succumbing to the temptation of gobbling up treats.
Certainly two alternatives at least
1. At milestones, taper back in "treat/normal foods"
2. Don't restrict treat/normal foods
3. Lifetime restriction on "treat/normal foods"
3 is what leads to long term weight loss failures.
I disagree with that.
My default desire/mode is to eat over my maintenance calories, whether that's with treats or normal food, though treats are more problematic for me. Maintaining my weight loss has required restricting the volume of food I eat compared to what I desire to eat. There are some people who find a balance and can maintain without making a conscious effort but for many of us it will always involve conscious effort in order to maintain weight loss success.
It seems you misunderstood.
3 is not referring to lifelong monitoring. But rather to the idea that the dieter can never have a cookie/Twinkie/bread etc.
Lifelong diligence is essential. Lifelong privation is unsustainable
I see what you are saying--deprivation rather than restriction.1 -
stanmann571 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »CarvedTones wrote: »Interesting. It does seem I am alone in initially depriving myself of snacks and treats, which I added back at the milestones. In hindsight, not allowing snacks at all to start with was a mistake because I ended up having too few calories most days (I didn't realize this until I started tracking, which I was not doing to start with). I think depriving myself of treats (non fruit snacks like cookies and candy) was not a mistake because I tried that and it led to mini binges and "I'll start over next week". I have to get "a lead to protect" before I reliably stick to a diet. So I cut treats so I would not repeat that cycle. Now I have lost so much that I am not succumbing to the temptation of gobbling up treats.
Certainly two alternatives at least
1. At milestones, taper back in "treat/normal foods"
2. Don't restrict treat/normal foods
3. Lifetime restriction on "treat/normal foods"
3 is what leads to long term weight loss failures.
I disagree with that.
My default desire/mode is to eat over my maintenance calories, whether that's with treats or normal food, though treats are more problematic for me. Maintaining my weight loss has required restricting the volume of food I eat compared to what I desire to eat. There are some people who find a balance and can maintain without making a conscious effort but for many of us it will always involve conscious effort in order to maintain weight loss success.
It seems you misunderstood.
3 is not referring to lifelong monitoring. But rather to the idea that the dieter can never have a cookie/Twinkie/bread etc.
Lifelong diligence is essential. Lifelong privation is unsustainable
I see what you are saying--deprivation rather than restriction.
And my apologies for being ambiguous.1 -
I think you've done great. What you did may not have been strictly by the book, but everyone has to start somewhere. You didn't know where to start, but you started. In that sense, you did exactly what every successful person does. You are now trying to learn a healthy long term relationship with food. How could you do it more perfectly?2
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i never did milestone rewards no, But i did use rewards as a way to kick my lazy *kitten* into action. I like to walk long walks daily, not because i like to EVERY day but because i like to eat food. I used to walk 45 minutes each way to the store to buy a carton of cherry tomatoes or a chocolate bar or something i craved that was low calories preferably. Or a dollar store for fun stuff. Like nail polish i never use and chips off often but kept me from eating for a bit and gave me something to do at night, Or like new spice dispensers i got stupidly excited for last week lol. To this day i still set stupid pointless errands as a way to get myself moving. Got a bti expensive so iv taken to shuffling things like groceries around, purposely forgetting to pick something up so i have to later for example. Whatever gets me moving and feels like a reward, even if its not
And new clothes are always fun but i never got them as a reward more a necessity lol0 -
JaydedMiss wrote: »
And new clothes are always fun but i never got them as a reward more a necessity lol
The reward is you have to get new clothes. And they're smaller, and cuter, and you look hotter in them!0 -
I'm trying to break the habit of food as a reward. I feel like it fosters an unhealthy approach to food, for me. I rewarded myself after my first milestone with some new gym clothes. Just a little something that I probably would have done anyways, but told myself was a reward haha!2
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