What do you use to motivate yourself besides food?

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Amylynn
Amylynn Posts: 242 Member
in Motivation and Support
I remember that the only thing I used to reward myself with was food. If I passed a test, "Yay, let's go out to dinner". If I got some good news, "Yay, let's celebrate by going out for dinner & drinks".

Now that I am trying to lose weight, I have realized that I need to stop motivating myself with food. So here are the 2 things I'm gonna do for myself as a reward for weight loss. If I can get to:

230 lbs (a 30 lb loss) - I'm getting my hair done professionally
200 lbs (a 60 lb loss) - I'm gonna buy myself a new wardrobe

I'm not quit thinking pass that point yet, because I have a long way to go.

So what do you use as rewards & motivators?

Replies

  • courtney_love2001
    courtney_love2001 Posts: 1,468 Member
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    CLOTHES!! :love:

    So much of our culture involves eating, dinners with friends and family, eating a brownie for comfort, or ordering that cheeseburger because "you earned it." It has taken awhile to move away from that...I try to think of food as mostly a necessity and sometimes a reward. It gets easier with time!
  • MFPfriend
    MFPfriend Posts: 1,121 Member
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    I think it all depends on what kind of person you are. For some people, it's clothes. Some people say when they ultimately get to their goal weight, they will buy a house or a car or something big.
    I don't really reward myself. (My family always says you shouldn't reward yourself for doing something you should do). But if I were to reward myself, it would definitely be with books, because I'm an avid reader and I never have enough books (my groaning bookshelf currently disagrees, but hey, whatever :laugh: ).
  • Mom2Emery_Liam
    Mom2Emery_Liam Posts: 149
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    New workout clothes and hopefully tomorrow I'll buy some nice running shoes. Hmm now that I think about it, most of my material motivation is smaller clothes! I also hope my husband and I can save up some $ the next few yrs and visit hawaii again. I went last yr and was crazy self-conscious and wasn't able to enjoy myself as much b/c of it. I want to look HOT next time:-)
  • EKarma
    EKarma Posts: 594 Member
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    Three years ago I was told I have high triglycerides (fat in blood) which leads to high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Ya know all that other great stuff. I thought that that was the way my life was supposed to be.. I would have to start taking meds to regulate everything..

    I had a blood test done on 4/20/10 and everything has normalized.. Everything! I had a NORMAL turn out.. I can't tell you the last time things were normal.. I'm doing all of this so I can have the biggest reward of all... Good Health..

    I'll tell you what.. That normal test was the biggest reward I have ever given myself.. And it's just gonna keep gettin better. :drinker:
  • aesoprok
    aesoprok Posts: 70
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    When you're losing weight, i think the best rewards are things that celebrate you're body in some way. Clothes are great (bikinis!), getting your hair done is nice too. How about an hour long full-body professional massage? Or having some pro photos taken of you with your family?
  • Beach_Chica
    Beach_Chica Posts: 111
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    New clothes is always a nice treat. Pedicures are just about my favorite things. Since summer is coming up, I want to get a new swimsuit. I am wanting to get rid of the x's in my clothing size, so it will be a great reward!
  • kiffypooh
    kiffypooh Posts: 1,045 Member
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    A day off with my family. If something great happens I ask my hubby to take a vacation day and we go somewhere or do something.

    I still do dinners out as rewards too (not having to cook) but I make healthy choices.

    Rewards for weight loss are new gym stuff (clothing, weights, etc), new water bottle, my gym membership, new work out video, etc.

    Great post, can't wait to see what other people do.
  • Amylynn
    Amylynn Posts: 242 Member
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    I'll tell you what, their ain't no amount of weight loss that'll ever get me in a bikini again, LOL:laugh: But, maybe I can add a swimsuit to the list if I get below 190 lbs. I never thought of the workout stuff. I'm adding a new one, when I get to:

    215 lbs (45 lbs. lost) - 2 new exercise outfits
  • IanRS
    IanRS Posts: 68 Member
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    I think your big rewards are great - might be worth thinking about a series of smaller rewards to keep you motivated along the way - these need not be enormous or expensive. Examples - see a movie, walk through a national park with a friend, go bowling, go swimming, take a fragrance bath with a book, get a facial ...

    You get the idea - the more active the better though!!! :-)
  • lulabellewoowoo
    lulabellewoowoo Posts: 3,125 Member
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    For me, I haven't been able to lose weight due to some health complications. Once I realized that, I started binge eating. So I needed an incentive to at least stay on the right track, whether I was losing or not right now. I need to do "clean eating", but in the past it has only lasted maybe 3 days at the most. So after seeing my doctors, I decided to make this work for the summer before surgery in September.

    I bought a charm bracelet for myself with no charms. Everytime I want to eat something unhealthy, I look at it and remind myself of my motivation (my family). June 1 my husband is going to buy me a charm to go one it. July 1 my daughter is going to buy another one, August 1 my sister-in-law and niece are adding to it. That will get me through the summer of bbq and cookouts. I'll have to figure out what to do come September.

    I love getting workout outfits and that is what I am using for my kids to promote 30 minutes of exercise everyday. After 7 days, they get an exercise clothing or equipment. So needless to say I am getting them a hula hoop this weekend. :)
  • kwardklinck
    kwardklinck Posts: 1,601
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    New clothes :)
  • kalebsmama07
    kalebsmama07 Posts: 503
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    weighing myself everyday...sounds weird but true...just seeing a few oz''s make me move harder even if its not true due to sodium...ect... also how my clothes fit n when i measure myself....so for me its the physical aspect like being able to see the diffrence somewhere.... but thats what keeps me going oh and clothes! n getting my hair done n nails! that makes me feel complete after losing so much weight!
  • mlejoy3
    mlejoy3 Posts: 9
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    When I chose to loose weight, I started looking at rewards for myself totally differently because like you, I rewarded myself with food. I also used food as a coping mechanism too. I stepped back and looked at every situation. If I went out ot eat with girlfriends instead of thinking as the food as the reward, I thought of spending some fun time with my girlfriends as the reward. It's all about your perspective. When I used to go out on a date with my husband, food was the main focus and picking a really good place to eat, but now we have fun together by going bowling or just watching a movie. I am close to reaching 199 lbs and for that I am going to get a massage and pamper myself.
  • tipusnr
    tipusnr Posts: 572
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    I don't respond well to the reward system. Generally the things I want turn out to be "big ticket" items that have to be purchaesed when we can afford them.

    Instead I use a challenge system where I set mini-goals to meet. The goals are fitness related and not weight related and my weight is a by-product of my general fitness level. I then keep little momentos of accomplishing those goals. Running a 5K, riding the"B" group ride with the cycling club, walking a 10K in under ** minutes, etc. The momentos are usually the running bibs with my stats on them or the maps similarly annotated.

    My latest goal is to ride TOSRV (The Tour of the Scioto River Valley) but I'm concerned about this one. While it has kept me from overeating and motivated me to exercise when I didn't want to - I haven't gotten to many of the milestones that the training program recommends. I laugh and say the I will "gut it out" like I've always done but this one has me scared!

    My point: Whatever the reward program - remember to be considered in your reward. Don't reward so often that it loses meaning but reward often enough to keep motivated. The same with challenges - they need to remain challenges (not repeats of past accomplishments) but not so much of an increase that you set yourself up for failure.

    Good luck in achieving your goal.
  • Amylynn
    Amylynn Posts: 242 Member
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    I think as someone else suggested, I am going to get a new pedicure as a mini-reward when I hit 240 lbs. That will be 21 lbs. lost so far. I want to reward myself for every 10 lbs. I lose because that is hard work.
  • Beach_Chica
    Beach_Chica Posts: 111
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    I think as someone else suggested, I am going to get a new pedicure as a mini-reward when I hit 240 lbs. That will be 21 lbs. lost so far. I want to reward myself for every 10 lbs. I lose because that is hard work.

    It is hard work. The more you lose, the harder it gets.
  • selbyhutch
    selbyhutch Posts: 531 Member
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    Charm bracelet... a new charm for every goal. I have 2 charms from last year... I should take them off - LOL. Ah well, at least I'm starting over.
  • Amylynn
    Amylynn Posts: 242 Member
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    Charm bracelet... a new charm for every goal. I have 2 charms from last year... I should take them off - LOL. Ah well, at least I'm starting over.

    You know what, I quit & restarted many times myself. But, the fact that we are still trying is what matters.

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