Mini incentives

cookandcleanse

I’m looking for ideas that you have used to meet mini goals. I’m working on a 2-week goal and then will need new ideas. How have you motivated yourself along the way without weight bring your only measure of success?

pony4us

I lost all my weight and have maintained using the mini goal idea. My mini goals have included exercise (started with 15min three days a week..easy to meet and go over), log as well as I can for one meal, tai chi (one routine) three days a week, stretch, weights, limit wine etc . Each week I evaluate and each month adjust to a new harder goal. See...I started very very easy and now it is easy to do more. My present routine is exercise 30min 5 days a week, some weights 3 days a week, plan and log a week in advance, expanded tai chi 5 days or more, yoga most days. I still evaluate every month to add a minor challenge but I have kept the weight off for about two years and at 75 am healthy and on no meds. I now look back and am amazed at how easy it was. Just make your goals reasonable. True confession, for me the hardest was to limit my evening wine, my first goals were "cut out wine except once a week" and when I didn't meet it all bets were off. Now I have the goal of wine when the dinner is wine worthy, so you may have to adjust goals along the way.
For me this was a great way to get healthy.

csplatt

The way that I feel when I'm consistently eating well and exercising is enough of a reward for me. I have more energy, I sleep more deeply, and I am just happier.

cxx12

So i did not have these for weight goals but I had a goal of not eating junk food. Every week I would grant myself a reward. New shoes, new jacket, new plants, tickets to a movie. It was hard to find things at first but it works better if you also set financial goals like not spending above x amount or not buying anything outside the needs sort of thing, the rewards really do feel like treats hope it helps

jeri30

Non-food items like reading a new book, listening to music, new shoes, a charm for my keychain, refrigerator magnet, new bookmark, going to crafting classes (my library has classes for free every so often like for acrylic painting), watching a movie/tv show, crocheting or cross-stitch (like getting a new pattern or yarn I'd been wanting to try), etc. Also, you don't have to spend money on music/books/watching tv/movies if you have a library card. I just use my local library for these items.

Also, if you're in the US, try googling your state + free library cards. For example, Houston Public Library in Texas will give a free online card that allows you access to their online materials if you live in Texas. You don't have to live in Houston to get a free card.

elisa123gal

I use clothes I can't fit into. I find the least most tight clothing item I want to wear again. I hang that on the wall or mirror .. and I try it on each week until it fits.. Then I hang the next least most tight nothing in its place. Eventually.. I get into the smallest most tight piece of clothing I want to wear again. This insanity works for me.

Hobartlemagne

I had to punch a new hole on both belts that i regularly wear. Right now I'm comfortably using the last hole on the belt. Im looking forward to punching another smaller size hole in the belts when I lose another inch of waistline.

MaggieGirl135

@elisa123gal I love your idea! My husband and I each had some ‘fantasy’ clothes…nothing naughty(!), just clothes that we could only fantasize fitting back into. I have long fit back into most of them, but there are still a few. I’ve folded them in order of snug to tight some time ago, but haven’t pulled them out in awhile. I’ll dig them out and try them on, leaving one out to look at each day. For the record, I would guess my husband has since got back into his.

LoganBennett715

Everything can be planned. It just depends on the commitment and dedication level of the person. You need to have a good and stagnant determination.

sksk1026

I’m restarting after regaining and need external accountability to meet my weight loss goals. So I’ve joined one of the monthly challenges where you report in weekly, to get started. When I hit that goal at the end of the month I’ll buy myself a book - I’ve wish-listed a bunch. I’m hoping to just keep repeating that process for a few months until I go away on vacation. I then hope to be wearing my smaller, newer jeans!

lemonita12

That is a great idea, i think the long term goals are sometimes a bit disheartening. I ll try to implement mini goals too!