Food rewards? I don't think so!

skpresley20

So, I'm a big believer in when you reach a weight loss goal, you don't reward with food.
A lot of people I see say, "When I loose 15lbs I'm going to reward myself with something fattening, or some kind of food."
It honestly makes me cringe on the inside.
I just think it's better to not reward yourself with something that got you in the mess you're in in the first place but rather, reward yourself with something worth while; If you lose 10lbs reward yourself with some new earrings. Lose 25 lbs Reward yourself with a spa day, 50+ lbs reward yourself with a vacation (if you can't afford it something along those lines, new clothes/wardrobe) I think material rewards are much better than food rewards. Because, you really shouldn't restrict yourself from the foods you love, otherwise you'll fail. I feel like you should still occasionally have your favorite foods, just in moderation.
If you like cookies, cake, whatever, find a way to make them healthy and eat them once a week, or once a day even if it fits into your calorie allowance. I eat healthier, eating more veggies and fruit, but I'll still have an occasional bowl of pasta (I just subsitute with whole wheat now instead of white noodles), and if on the rare occasion I crave something sweet, I go and get one of those 140 cal Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches, and eat half. If my calories allow it, I'll eat a whole one. Studies show that people who cut whole foods out of your "diet" end up "relapsing" and failing on their weight loss.
BUT I also feel that if you let yourself eat something you love that may not be the healthiest, and it sets you back because you decide you cant just stop at one, and keep eating, and eventually go down the wrong path, then maybe what I said shouldn't apply to you. Keep doing what works for you.

MissFit0101

to each their own

missmarquez2u

To me, opting for food rewards is like an open invitation to get back on the rollercoaster. I'm not trying to go back and i refuse to look. Now if i am craving chocolate( my death trap) I go for skinny cow chocolate truffle bar 100 cal or a piece os sugar free dark chocolate. Nutela is also good and i sometimes use it as a dip for fruit .

MercenaryNoetic26

Some of us can CONTROL ourselves, which is why food is such a great reward. I reward myself with top of the line dinners at the BEST steak houses (well, most of the time my man pays, but still) AND SEXAY clothes or expensive make-up. Actually, I always just reward myself because I maintain.

mrsxbrightside

This is a good idea. I find that when I have restricted myself from bad foods (like sweets), then I find a reason to reward myself with a sweet treat. Just like you mentioned in your post - lose 10lbs., I'll get a Blizzard from DQ. What this really does to me is destroys my hard work, because when I have one sweet, I end up going overboard. Sweets are my downfall... & I'm guilty of doing this even now! I've hit a plateau this month, and it seems like I just wanna give up and indulge in things I shouldn't. =(

2Bgoddess

yeah, I see your point. but both times i got to a 20 pound milestone, we totally went out for dinner. see, it's a treat, not an every week thing. Doing it all the time is what got me into trouble. using it as a reward reinforces for me that I CAN have something not on my diet once in a long while, without sabotaging it.

I would feel awful if i didn't do this once in a while, doesn't everyone hate to be told that they can never ever do such-and-such again?

I have will power now.... feels good to be in control of myself.

2Bgoddess

Some of us can CONTROL ourselves, which is why food is such a great reward. I reward myself with top of the line dinners at the BEST steak houses (well, most of the time my man pays, but still) AND SEXAY clothes or expensive make-up. Actually, I always just reward myself because I maintain.

I love that, "SEXAY" !!

MrsCon40

Food rewards work well for me. I'm close to goal and it's working. I tried to reward myself with girlie things, but I do better "rewarding" myself for 6 days of being on target with a spike day. Not only do I get to eat what I want it keeps my metabolism from assuming we're going to be on a caloric deficit forever.

To each their own, as a wise previous poster said.

SergeantSunshine_reused

I still reward myself with food. I don't see the problem?

One food reward isn't going to set my back or suddenly take away all my progress.
Food is delicious, food gives me energy, food makes me happy. Treating myself to something I don't normally eat doesn't sound like a bad idea.

skpresley20

That's why I said if you CAN'T control yourself, and it makes you go back to your old lifestyle, then maybe you should stay away from food rewards or even allowing yourself to eat it once a week.

missmarquez2u

It's great if you can control yourself and reward with food. form me its the catalyst for me binging and IT"S NOT HAPPENING ! If i even allow myself 1 day i will work for 6 trying to make it up.


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SergeantSunshine_reused

One food reward and you go straight back to your old lifestyle? Sounds a little extreme to me xD

I am a pretty good example. I eat many "brotastic" meals for a few weeks, reach a mini goal, then go out to dinner with friends and have all sorts of stuff I don't allow myself normally. Then back on track the next day.
Not everyone will fail if you restrict foods you love

westcoastSW

I think that food as a reward goes back a lot further than most of our dieting/lifestyle-changing endeavors. I cringe when I see or hear about parents that reward their kids with food: "Finish your dinner and you can have dessert," "Get good grades and we'll take you out for ice cream," "If you stop whining, I'll buy you the candy bar." This sort of bargaining in place of discipline teaches kids that food is worth something valuable to them, rather than it just being a source of energy. I truly believe that the way we learn to view food at a young age influences how we view food later in life (and hence, why many of us are here to lose excess weight).

If you want to have a sweet treat every now and then, by all means do; as previous posters have said, trying to completely eliminate something you enjoy will not likely end well. And I view a dinner at a nice steak house as on the fence here -- it can also be a reasonably healthy dinner and a nice date night with ambiance, as long as you don't take it as an excuse to pig out. But personally, I would be hesitant to make food the goal. Telling yourself, "Once I lose 5 more pounds, I can have the ______ that I'm craving," only reinforces the fact that junky food is worth something good.

Just my two cents.

Iamfit4life

Well as you said. To each their own.

When I get down to my goal weight I'm going on a B-Dubs and Ben and Jerrys bender for a day.

But I'll spend 4 hours at the gym beforehand.

Sheriemae

Yes to each their own. I personally will treat myself. I am human. My husband likes to say: "You wouldn't give a crackhead crack for being clean for 30 days" lol. No. But I will have a little junk (he will too) if I want and feel that I've done well. It's just making sure that you don't go overboard with it~that's the hard part. But I'm learning. I did treat myself over Thanksgiving and I'm happy to say that I didn't gain and I didn't feel guilty for eating something yummy.

bry_all01

this is sad to me. I eat whatever I want, whenever I want. Its been pointed out to me, too. For me, its all about portion control. If it fits in my daily calories and I want it, I'm having it.