Milestone rewards
Replies
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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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Good to hear you're now eating everything in moderation. Best plan for sustainable weight loss and maintenance out there.
I got to my goal in 12 months, and have kept my weight off for 19 months by allowing myself moderate treats including chocolate and alcohol pretty much every day. I also eat a lot of seafood, veg and carbs.
I asked around in a few places what to do about rewarding myself, but nothing material ever came close to my feeling of personal achievement.1
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