Rewarding Yourself

jondspen

Im trying to lose about another 10-15 lbs....down 25+ already, plus I have problems with certain FODMAPs. At first I tried to be a diet nazi, but soon realized I was grumpy, depressed, and miserable. Then it hit me, why am I doing this to myself? I'm pretty disciplined (6yrs in the Marine Corps), so finally figured out for me, if I don't feel like working out heavy today, I don't. If I don't feel like working out AT ALL today, I don't. If I have a food craving, I can usually put if off for a day or two or three, but eventually it builds...and when that happens, I go and enjoy myself. Now I don't get a triple cheeseburger like I use to, but a single every once in a while isn't the end of the world, and keeps me from saying to hell with this diet crap. Now I am always able to get back on track the rest of the week without hating life. IMHO, good mental health is imperative to obtaining good physical health.
So while I don't go overboard day after day after day, I do allow myself to enjoy the things I like, not beat myself up over them, and learn to appreciate the hard work and goals I have achieved, as well as appreciate the the cheats I indulge on occasion, be that food, buying a new guitar, or just taking a day and not doing a damn thing for a change. Life is too short, and often way to *kitten* as it is, without me making myself even more miserable.

FL_Hiker

FireOpalCO wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Food can be a treat, but food shouldn't be a reward for humans. Food is a reward for lab rats.

Disagree with you. Nothing wrong with food being a reward. My son did a great job behaving himself in daycare while I was taking a yoga class? "Good job playing nicely with younger kids and listening to the grownup! want to stop next door at Panera and get a cookie before we run errands?" He gets verbal reinforcement, a treat, and a chance to take a break/adjust to the fact that now we are going to the store.

I would say food shouldn't turn into a bribe (IF you behave, I will buy you a cookie) and shouldn't derail your efforts if attempting to lose weight, control cholesterol, etc. by going overboard or happening too frequently. There are some restaurants that I like we rarely visit. Either too far away, parking is difficult, expensive. Going there for a reward would be a great treat.

And that's not setting your child up for a bad relationship with food in his future as an adult?

FireOpalCO

FL_Hiker wrote: »

FireOpalCO wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Food can be a treat, but food shouldn't be a reward for humans. Food is a reward for lab rats.

Disagree with you. Nothing wrong with food being a reward. My son did a great job behaving himself in daycare while I was taking a yoga class? "Good job playing nicely with younger kids and listening to the grownup! want to stop next door at Panera and get a cookie before we run errands?" He gets verbal reinforcement, a treat, and a chance to take a break/adjust to the fact that now we are going to the store.

I would say food shouldn't turn into a bribe (IF you behave, I will buy you a cookie) and shouldn't derail your efforts if attempting to lose weight, control cholesterol, etc. by going overboard or happening too frequently. There are some restaurants that I like we rarely visit. Either too far away, parking is difficult, expensive. Going there for a reward would be a great treat.

And that's not setting your child up for a bad relationship with food in his future as an adult?

I'm pretty sure if I was, the team of therapists he has in his life would be stepping in. He has autism & ADHD and is very underweight, is never hungry, and refuses to try new foods (which is one of the things his therapists are working on). If I was trying to short cut his feelings with "don't cry, here's food" or bribing him with food whenever I needed him to do something, that would be an issue. Instead we rely on a lot of liquid calories like Pediasure Grow & Gain to keep this kid alive and he gets extra scheduled snack times at school where he is required to at least try to eat.

lynn_glenmont

FireOpalCO wrote: »

FL_Hiker wrote: »

FireOpalCO wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Food can be a treat, but food shouldn't be a reward for humans. Food is a reward for lab rats.

Disagree with you. Nothing wrong with food being a reward. My son did a great job behaving himself in daycare while I was taking a yoga class? "Good job playing nicely with younger kids and listening to the grownup! want to stop next door at Panera and get a cookie before we run errands?" He gets verbal reinforcement, a treat, and a chance to take a break/adjust to the fact that now we are going to the store.

I would say food shouldn't turn into a bribe (IF you behave, I will buy you a cookie) and shouldn't derail your efforts if attempting to lose weight, control cholesterol, etc. by going overboard or happening too frequently. There are some restaurants that I like we rarely visit. Either too far away, parking is difficult, expensive. Going there for a reward would be a great treat.

And that's not setting your child up for a bad relationship with food in his future as an adult?

I'm pretty sure if I was, the team of therapists he has in his life would be stepping in. He has autism & ADHD and is very underweight, is never hungry, and refuses to try new foods (which is one of the things his therapists are working on). If I was trying to short cut his feelings with "don't cry, here's food" or bribing him with food whenever I needed him to do something, that would be an issue. Instead we rely on a lot of liquid calories like Pediasure Grow & Gain to keep this kid alive and he gets extra scheduled snack times at school where he is required to at least try to eat.

So, really not so much a reward for behaving as taking advantage of an opportunity to get calories into an underweight child who resists eating. And this is such a major fact to your story that omitting it in an argument that there's nothing wrong with food being a reward is like someone omitting the fact that they have a severe allergy to strawberries in an argument that people shouldn't eat strawberries.

ballerbryan

Two weeks seems to be the goldilocks state for me. 1 week use to be great but I felt like I would get better results if I didn't have a huge calorie and junk day every two weeks

I tried going 3 and even 4 weeks but to be honest that was simply just miserable. I was losing my sanity waiting to finally satisfy my cravings