Non-Food Rewards

sunflower8926

I pulled the comment below from a thread that I just bumped on "tips" to losing weight. She talks about using rewards other than food, and loving yourself. There was at least one other comment on the same thread about using non-food rewards.

I think this is something I need to look at. So, could those of you with long-term weight loss success please share with us some of the self-pampering ideas that you have used to reward yourself instead of having your favorite foods?
Thx.
SF




From "Tips" thread:
*I know this is going to sound cliche... but, love yourself. I didn't get the true meaning of this until only a few days ago. I always thought... well, duh, of course I love me. But, before I started my weightloss, I would eat lots of bad-for-me foods. I wasn't taking care of my body and that translated into not really having a true love for myself. Now, when I eat, I think... hey! This food is really fueling my body, it's making my skin and my hair look better, it's making me feel better and it's making all my insides work the way they're supposed to! Now that is loving and taking care of yourself.
*Do other self-care things: take a little extra time to slather on some moisturizer after a shower, use a moisturizer with SPF for your face, get a pedicure/manicure/both!, schedule a spa day as a treat after a certain amount of weightloss, get a new haircut/dye!
*Don't reward yourself with food.

sunflower8926

I pulled the comment below from a thread that I just bumped on "tips" to losing weight. She talks about using rewards other than food, and loving yourself. There was at least one other comment on the same thread about using non-food rewards.

I think this is something I need to look at. So, could those of you with long-term weight loss success please share with us some of the self-pampering ideas that you have used to reward yourself instead of having your favorite foods?
Thx.
SF




From "Tips" thread:
*I know this is going to sound cliche... but, love yourself. I didn't get the true meaning of this until only a few days ago. I always thought... well, duh, of course I love me. But, before I started my weightloss, I would eat lots of bad-for-me foods. I wasn't taking care of my body and that translated into not really having a true love for myself. Now, when I eat, I think... hey! This food is really fueling my body, it's making my skin and my hair look better, it's making me feel better and it's making all my insides work the way they're supposed to! Now that is loving and taking care of yourself.
*Do other self-care things: take a little extra time to slather on some moisturizer after a shower, use a moisturizer with SPF for your face, get a pedicure/manicure/both!, schedule a spa day as a treat after a certain amount of weightloss, get a new haircut/dye!
*Don't reward yourself with food.

iftcheiaf

Well, although I've been here since May, I only started really losing weight this past week. I changed my diet considerably and told myself that if I could make it one whole week without processed sugars, I would get a pedicure Monday or Tuesday. and I DID IT! What helped what I would put a note on my refrigerator and change it everyday as to what my weight is, what my goal is and how much I've lost. Made me feel good. I have a time limit of 56 days for my anniversary. For me, if i can do something that makes me feel pretty on the outside (like a pedicure) then my spirits are lifted on the inside.

artschoolgirl

Well for me, I think little non-food rewards are a good way to treat yourself through the milestones. As I'm approaching my goal weight, I'm rewarding myself every 5 lbs. I think they should be gifts/rewards that are for you & continue to help promote your healthy life style.

150-Polar F6 watch
145-Haven't decided...maybe a new swim suit!
140-Night in a hotel suite
135-140-haven't decided which weight will look best on me, but either way, it's tummy tuck time!! hehe

Best of luck!!

crosstitcher0563

Hi :flowerforyou:

Every 5 pounds, I get a eyebrow wax. Every 20 pounds, I get a massage. If I lose all the weight, I get 5 new dresses and a kennel cart. The kennel cart is for my dog showing/kennel business. I'm saving the dresses until the end even though I'm earning them for every 18 pounds.

I'm going to sew the 4 of the dresses as business suit dresses and buy one Christmas cocktail dress.

sunflower8926

Great ideas, thanks.

Hey, Crosssticher, what kind of dogs do you show? My mom and her parents used to show dogs. We had English Setters, Engilsh Cocker Spaniels, and Daschunds. I have two Chihuahua crosses, now.

chrissyh

When I signed up and paid for fitness center - that was a huge accomplishment for me so I got a polar f6 when I hit 50 pounds I spent 50 on an Ipod Shuffle to listen to while there.

haven't set any more goals with rewards yet...

sunflower8926

hmmm, I hadn't thought of giving myself exercise-related rewards... maybe a new workout outfit...

porka29

I also got an eyebrow wax when I got my atrocious roots done last week (bf is laid off so money has been tight since I'm swinging most of the bills) and when we got into the truck to leave the gym, I totally told him that guys were checking me out (must've been the eyebrows and hair) cause I really don't recall any "extra" attention............I was struttin:laugh: :laugh:

Moral of the story: Was probably my self esteem being higher as a result of treating myself, not that they were looking at me (if they were, I'll take it, I noticed that bf was extra attentive getting off the treadmill and heading to the pool:happy: :happy: maybe i'm onto something here )

Georg

I've been down this road before ...if you know what I mean, girls...:bigsmile:
& you'll be thinking about wanting sexy new underwear as you lose, too! Factor that into your expenses as you go!
:laugh:

porka29

Yep, I'm with georg, I have some of my viccy sec stuff around that I am lookin to get back into but more importantly still getting the Fredricks of Hollywood catalog...................lol am I the only one, I hope not cause I loved seductive (aka sluttly) stuff back then, still do, just not as open about it due to the age, I do turn 38 tomorrow after all!:noway: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :noway: :bigsmile: :sad: :bigsmile:

gemfrire

Celebrate! A Birthday...make it a sassy one!

porka29

Celebrate! A Birthday...make it a sassy one!

MEOW, I plan to! I bought bf a new "body groomer" gonna take some time off it myself and is that too muff, oh, I meant much info - :laugh: :laugh: for reals though, thanks I am gonna love my b-day and the coach shoes he got me to boot! whoo hoo:drinker: a ; little of that too!

crosstitcher0563

Great ideas, thanks.

Hey, Crosssticher, what kind of dogs do you show? My mom and her parents used to show dogs. We had English Setters, Engilsh Cocker Spaniels, and Daschunds. I have two Chihuahua crosses, now.

Hi
I started showing Schipperke dogs. I have only one so far.

Fitness_Chick

Yep, I'm with georg, I have some of my viccy sec stuff around that I am lookin to get back into but more importantly still getting the Fredricks of Hollywood catalog...................lol am I the only one, I hope not cause I loved seductive (aka sluttly) stuff back then, still do, just not as open about it due to the age, I do turn 38 tomorrow after all!:noway: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :noway: :bigsmile: :sad: :bigsmile:

ah I love it too! Got some very cute VS sleepy stuff...pampering when single again or with a mate as anytime is a perfect time to spoil ourselves.

How did I miss this awesome inspiring thread my Sweetie SF Started? You guys rock coming up with so many great goals... I have never set any goals for weighloss along the way:blushing: Guess I wasn't being very kind to myself. I seriously need to be thinking of ways to reward this long journey I've been on..... hm,... it is a bitter harder with tight funds I hear ya Porka! But bubble baths and mani/pedi can be done to spoil ourselves...

Gonna get on that.. ok, not tonight as I need to go to sleep sometime and haven't been able to yet. Probably because I need an eyebrow wax:blushing: and some low lights/high lights on my hair again. Doesn't mix to well with chlorine but I don't care...I wanna look purty and I tend to feel more so that way if my hair is an awesome color!

FC

adopt4

My first big goal - 191 pounds - I'm going skydiving. I've always wanted to and always been too heavy.

For a smaller goal, as my workout pants get baggy I hit Ross and get new ones. That motivates me (I LOVE to shop for clothes!) My friend and I have decided once we hit 20 pounds loss we'll go get a massage.

I literally go shopping every few days just to try on clothes at different stores (regular stores! not fat lady stores any more!) just to see what I can fit into. I don't buy (yet) but it makes me feel so good to shop at those stores.

Soon I will have to buy stuff as all my undies and bras fit weird. I haven't lost that much weight, but I've lost inches in odd places, and my clothes were stretched out in those places and are now bagging (particularly around my butt, which is a WONDERFUL thing). Hubby is so happy for me that he's given me the ok to go major clothes shopping on the 15th of next month. By then I'll probably need to as I will totally be in a lower size, right now I'm in between sizes.

Fitness_Chick

My first big goal - 191 pounds - I'm going skydiving. I've always wanted to and always been too heavy.

For a smaller goal, as my workout pants get baggy I hit Ross and get new ones. That motivates me (I LOVE to shop for clothes!) My friend and I have decided once we hit 20 pounds loss we'll go get a massage.

I literally go shopping every few days just to try on clothes at different stores (regular stores! not fat lady stores any more!) just to see what I can fit into. I don't buy (yet) but it makes me feel so good to shop at those stores.

Soon I will have to buy stuff as all my undies and bras fit weird. I haven't lost that much weight, but I've lost inches in odd places, and my clothes were stretched out in those places and are now bagging (particularly around my butt, which is a WONDERFUL thing). Hubby is so happy for me that he's given me the ok to go major clothes shopping on the 15th of next month. By then I'll probably need to as I will totally be in a lower size, right now I'm in between sizes.

Smart girl, taking good care of yourself!!:flowerforyou: ...maybe that's my body image problem? I know the scale says I weight a couple hundred lbs. less but ....I don't see it, how weird hm? Definitely body dysmorphia (sp) at it's finest...and that my friends is why I no longer have my pics up...they all look the same to me:blushing: :sad:

I have only purchased one new shirt in the last couple years (and that was for a license pic so I wasn't wearing a tshirt..lol). :blushing: I wear sweats and tshirts most all the time because currently I'm either on my way to the gym or on the way back 90% of my time so I figured where would I wear new clothes and why would I buy them when my weight is constanly changing.:noway: :ohwell:

I also don't wear my jewelry anymore:sad: for a couple reasons (and ohhh I do miss looking purty like a girlie, I'm such a girlie girl but I doubt most would know it right now in sweats, tshirts and workout shoes..lol), have to keep my jewelry out of the chlorine in the pool and the rings and such have flown off my fingers so many times now and gotten lost at the gym (but did get them all back from the lost and found:blushing: ) but I'm now afraid to wear any as I absolutely do not want to lose them.

I do have a really large stack of jeans in all sizes that I try on from time to time and try and keep on top of that so I don't miss the chance to wear some along the way down. lol

Ok, enough of a book here,:flowerforyou:
FC

Fitness_Chick

Lovely BR SF:drinker:

sunflower8926

Yep, I'm with georg, I have some of my viccy sec stuff around that I am lookin to get back into but more importantly still getting the Fredricks of Hollywood catalog...................lol am I the only one, I hope not cause I loved seductive (aka sluttly) stuff back then, still do, just not as open about it due to the age, I do turn 38 tomorrow after all!:noway: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :noway: :bigsmile: :sad: :bigsmile:

sunflower8926

My first big goal - 191 pounds - I'm going skydiving. I've always wanted to and always been too heavy.

For a smaller goal, as my workout pants get baggy I hit Ross and get new ones. That motivates me (I LOVE to shop for clothes!) My friend and I have decided once we hit 20 pounds loss we'll go get a massage.

I literally go shopping every few days just to try on clothes at different stores (regular stores! not fat lady stores any more!) just to see what I can fit into. I don't buy (yet) but it makes me feel so good to shop at those stores.

Soon I will have to buy stuff as all my undies and bras fit weird. I haven't lost that much weight, but I've lost inches in odd places, and my clothes were stretched out in those places and are now bagging (particularly around my butt, which is a WONDERFUL thing). Hubby is so happy for me that he's given me the ok to go major clothes shopping on the 15th of next month. By then I'll probably need to as I will totally be in a lower size, right now I'm in between sizes.

Skydiving! Wow. Good for you. I used to talk about doing that, but I have gotten to be more of a fraidy cat as I get older. My adult son went a couple of years ago, bless his heart
I like to shop for clothes, but only if I can buy them. And I'm kinda with FC on this - why buy clothes when you know your size is going to be changing again? (Although it is fun to shop if you have the $)

sunflower8926

Smart girl, taking good care of yourself!!:flowerforyou: ...maybe that's my body image problem? I know the scale says I weight a couple hundred lbs. less but ....I don't see it, how weird hm? Definitely body dysmorphia (sp) at it's finest...and that my friends is why I no longer have my pics up...they all look the same to me:blushing: :sad:

I have only purchased one new shirt in the last couple years (and that was for a license pic so I wasn't wearing a tshirt..lol). :blushing: I wear sweats and tshirts most all the time because currently I'm either on my way to the gym or on the way back 90% of my time so I figured where would I wear new clothes and why would I buy them when my weight is constanly changing.:noway: :ohwell:

I also don't wear my jewelry anymore:sad: for a couple reasons (and ohhh I do miss looking purty like a girlie, I'm such a girlie girl but I doubt most would know it right now in sweats, tshirts and workout shoes..lol), have to keep my jewelry out of the chlorine in the pool and the rings and such have flown off my fingers so many times now and gotten lost at the gym (but did get them all back from the lost and found:blushing: ) but I'm now afraid to wear any as I absolutely do not want to lose them.

I do have a really large stack of jeans in all sizes that I try on from time to time and try and keep on top of that so I don't miss the chance to wear some along the way down. lol

Ok, enough of a book here,:flowerforyou:
FC

FC, I am so sad to hear that you can't see the difference in yourself after losing all that weight. Sure, it may not be yet where you want it to be, but you must be feeling so much lighter. And things must be so much easier for you now? If you are hung up on being the perfect 10, well, you may as well give it up now. Even those who are perfect 10's are going to get old and wrinkly. Beauty is not a worldly treasure. It is a heavenly treasure.

We glimpse beauty here as an echo, a signpost, to a greater beauty to come. It is only a fleeting delight. There is a reason for beauty - the perfect sunset, the endless canyon, the coral reefs and tropical islands, and even beautiful young ladies, but they are not an end unto themselves.
Be beautiful, yes, be wonderfully pretty and smell good, and tint your hair to feel your best. But don't put *all* your stock in fleeting beauty, or you will miss out in the end

Many of us here know your inner beauty. We see it in post after post of love and encouragement to others. First, you are strong enough and determined enough to accomplish your goals. Then you are big-hearted enough to want to bring us all along with you. You are already beautiful in so many ways, and I am sure that with all the weight you have lost, you are getting more beautiful on the outside, too! So please pat yourself on the back and celebrate your beautiful self:flowerforyou: