Ideas for non-food rewards for losing weight?

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Replies

  • olyabe
    olyabe Posts: 36
    I want to lose 45 lbs, and I know that small rewards will help me...I bumped them up for the more I lose, hoping to keep myself interested!!

    5 lbs - New earrings (jumpstart/tester)
    10 lbs - Bath and Bodyworks stuff
    20 lbs - Manicure
    30 lbs - Massage
    35 lbs - Tanning package
    40 lbs - Family photos (with pro photographer)
    45 lbs - 2 new pairs of jeans and 2 new tops (GOAL!)

    If I so happen to lose 50 lbs (do-able but not completely necessary), I'm planning a trip back to Jamaica :]

    How is it possible to get away with buying just 4 clothing items after losing 45 lb?? You will probably lose 3-4 dress sizes by then...
    (I guess if you have the whole closet of things that you can't fit in right now, that may be doable... but who keeps lots of clothes from 45 lb ago??)
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    a power rack (one that's got a pull-up bar and a dips bar on it), an olympic barbell and lots of plates

    that's my reward to myself for saving up enough money to buy them. it's also kind of my reward for losing a lot of fat and generally being healthy, but I can't actually buy them right now. I have use of a barbell, but it's borrowed and it's not heavy enough
  • Sincere24
    Sincere24 Posts: 126 Member
    I've decided to implement a reward system for myself for losing weight, I have a few ideas, but I'd like to see what you guys can think of! Does anyone else do a reward system? If so, has it worked?
    Some of my ideas:
    - curling iron
    - makeup
    - purse
    - teeth whitening
    - perfume
    - massage
    - clothes (the last one, of course)

    This is exactly my list!
  • tofailandsucceed
    tofailandsucceed Posts: 1
    Daily Rules:
    Complete Exercises
    No sugar except 4 pieces of dark chocolate on Saturday (Or skinny vanilla latte
    when w/ friends)
    8 cups of water
    No bread
    Calorie control

    3 days – Hand scrub
    5 days – Nail polish
    One Week - New Shirt or Dress
    10 days – Book Case!!
    Two weeks – New Shirt or Dress
    17 days – New Undies
    21 days – New Shirt or Dress
    25 days – Blue Berries!!!
    Month – Tattoo


    Pounds – Charm Bracelet 1 Charm for every 10lbs
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    This concept of buying something (or eating??) as a reward for losing weight is completely foreign to me.

    Looking in the mirror is both the objective and the reward for me.
  • SlenderClassyElegant
    SlenderClassyElegant Posts: 62 Member
    I copied and pasted this from my private blog. Sorry if the formatting is weird :wink:

    These are not goals or rewards, but rather immediate activities to keep my hands busy and out of the cookie jar.


    Do 25 Jumping Jacks, 25 Pushups, one glass of water.

    Ask my son to please put his pkg of cookies into his locking box. (Seriously.):tongue:

    Boil water for a cup of decaf green.

    Brush my teeth and reapply lipstick or gloss.

    Crunch other things: grape tomatoes, celery, popcorn, rice cake.

    Dish Gloves: Wash 20 dishes with gloves on. Three pieces silverware gets 1/2 pt.

    Drink cold water.

    Eat 1 tbsp bee pollen. Very slowly.

    Garden gloves: go trim one bush, hedge section, or sweep something up.

    Get my hands busy in a messy project. Plan a break from this work to eat my next Eat-Clean mini-meal

    Get my watering can and Miracle-Gro. Water one plant and one container of flowers.

    Give myself a dollar for resisting the food for 3 hours. I think I'll make a reward bank like y'all.

    Go check my Fitness Pal Track Food page; update if needed.

    Go do something unselfish. If I benefit from it in any way, it doesn't count.

    Indulge in one of the other senses. Smell some perfume, gaze on something beautiful, listen to one whole song without interruption, give someone a neck massage.

    Light a candle and take 10 minutes to enjoy the light and warmth, simultaneously close my eyes for @ least 3 minutes and envision the ocean, hands around the candle cannot move. I will do this after I shoo my students out of the classroom at break or lunch.

    Put away or throw away 20 pieces of mail or paper.

    Suck on 2 peppermints. Make them last at least 4 minutes.

    Take 15 minutes to just color in my art book. Keep pencils in both hands.

    Throw away sweets. Period. Even if I just bought them. Into the black can outside. Now. Envision the dollars I just spent being torn in half and thrown into the can. (Brutal, but effective.)

    Write a thank-you note.
  • Duchy82
    Duchy82 Posts: 560 Member
    the best reward i found was finding after losing 12kg before i joined myfitnesspal and about 1.5kg after is having to buy new clothes as I've dropped 2 dress sizes already. when i reach my goal which is another 10kg-15kg i have promised myself some nice lingerie as I love underwear but what i want is quite expensive so not before I'm at my goal weight and maintaining it!
  • impudentputz
    impudentputz Posts: 479 Member
    I really wish I had money to do some of the things people are rewarding themselves with. I am about to hit my 100th lb lost and have no idea what I want to do to reward myself. I haven't rewarded myself yet... but I think losing 100lbs is worth celebrating over. Now... what to do for myself?
  • composite
    composite Posts: 138 Member
    Bought myself a Carbon mountain bike frame to build a new race bike. Not point losing 7-8lbs off the bike weight if I wasn't going to lose at least 20lbs off my body weight. :glasses:
  • KxCoyote
    KxCoyote Posts: 122 Member
    Since I'm poor, and can't really afford decent rewards, I 'take things away' from myself as motivation. For instance, if I gain weight, I make myself use my bad headphones that are static-y instead of my nice ones that have bass and sound cancellation.
    Or put something I use regularly out of use, such as maybe a game system, favorite clothes or something until I get back on track.
  • Lobster1987
    Lobster1987 Posts: 492 Member
    I didn't read through all of the replies but a neat clothing website that I've come across and I am using as a motivator is www.pinupgirlclothing.com.

    This is the dress I want when I get to my goal =

    http://www.pinupgirlclothing.com/doris-skirt-red-floral.html

    Good luck with your weight loss! And great idea to list non-food rewards!
  • Erithil
    Erithil Posts: 52
    Bump
  • sokkache
    sokkache Posts: 220 Member
    A date. Hopefully..........

    that's kinda sad.
  • FrankiesSaysRelax
    FrankiesSaysRelax Posts: 403 Member
    - keurig, new ipad, nice iphone speakers, gym equipment (squat rack, new barbells, etc.), workout clothes, new gym shoes, massage/facial, heart rate monitor, spray tan, perfume, jewelry...
  • PunkyRachel
    PunkyRachel Posts: 1,959 Member
    So far it's been mainly stuff like new clothes, a haircut/dye job, new shoes. Stuff along that line.

    My big reward is a new tattoo, when I get down to 125 (44 lbs to go) I plan on getting a band tattoo around my left upper arm. I have PCOS, and it has caused me 7 miscarries and lots of health issues. So my band is gonna have 7 little angels, and a teal ribbon (teal is for PCOS) in there somewhere. Still working out the details. This will represent me finally kicking PCOS's *kitten* and to commemorate my miscarries all in one design.
  • Erithil
    Erithil Posts: 52
    A date. Hopefully..........

    that's kinda sad.


    lol me too, or at least an offer haha
  • Jonathanbc
    Jonathanbc Posts: 3 Member
    A fitness gadget (Jawbone Up, Nike Fuelband, Fitbit, etc.)
  • atragicfate
    atragicfate Posts: 57
    For every week that I work out consecutively I will buy myself a book.
    My ultimate goal is a tattoo on my ribs.
  • Pearsquared
    Pearsquared Posts: 1,656 Member
    I've bought candles, posters, decorations, a lamp for my office, and I got my hair highlighted. (: I've set an extra restriction for myself as well - it can't be something that I need to be sedentary to enjoy, which mainly meant no video games, lol.
  • Erithil
    Erithil Posts: 52
    The non-sedentary point is a great one, except that the book reward sounds really tempting as well. Hmm maybe an audiobook to listen to while I work out? (: Yeah I'm adding that to my list.
  • VNJohnson
    VNJohnson Posts: 26 Member
    race entry fees
    new running shoes
    new workout clothes
  • NaeNaeJanae
    NaeNaeJanae Posts: 261 Member
    New workout clothes, or latest workout gadget.
  • Erithil
    Erithil Posts: 52
    Bump!

    (Can you tell I like this topic?) (;
  • BIW2012
    BIW2012 Posts: 97 Member
    I'm hopeless at rewarding myself.

    I meant to do a 20 kilo reward, then I meant to do a 25 kilo goal but when I get there, I just think "nope, not thin enough yet, just keep going". Now I'm approaching my 30 kilo goal (66 pounds) and I have a sneaking suspicion I won't reward myself then either. But if I do, I want to get skin treatment on my upper arms. I'm not happy with them - they are dimply (cellulite looking). I think I'd like to do the 100 push up challenge before I do though so maximise the natural results I can achieve before I head to the salon.

    xx
  • Erithil
    Erithil Posts: 52
    Maybe you should just do little rewards then, like buying a new color of nail polish or a day at the ice-skating rink, just little things you like... or even little rewards that help you on your way to your ultimate goal, like a jumprope or a pair of rollerblades.

    . The first few rewards on my list include "some body-measuring tape" and "a few pairs of new black sports/workout shorts." Also for me eventually a new pair of walking/running shoes because I'm hoping to wear holes in my current bedraggled pair soon. (:

    But congratulations on losing so much weight already! Maybe that is your favorite reward, and that's why you haven't done anything else. :) That's awesome. I haven't even lost one pound yet, so I don't know how I'll feel, but for now the rewards are in place for me to make this endeavor more fun, like a game with achievements and prizes. :D
  • poohpoohpeapod
    poohpoohpeapod Posts: 776 Member
    polar heart monitor, new workouty clothes, things that encourage me.
  • Joreanasaurous
    Joreanasaurous Posts: 1,384 Member
    I have fitness goals instead of weight loss goals and for rewards I do adventures/activities. Kayaking, pole dancing class, flying trapeze school, the Color Run, mud runs. I keep an eye out on Groupon and try and find them when I can do them heavily discounted.
  • scrapjen
    scrapjen Posts: 387 Member
    I'm not really sure if these motivate me ... but I've found a few websites that reward me for fitness. They hook up to apps and devices (like my Fitbit) so I just connect and then do my workouts and earn rewards! True, many of the "rewards" are actually just discounts in disguise, but I have gotten some good ones, like a $5 Amazon gift card or Redbox rentals. There are charity options as well if I don't want any of the rewards for myself. I'm pretty sure I'd just be exercising regardless, but it has been fun to watch my progress on these sites and get the occasional kickback too!

    I did a post about them on my blog if anyone was interested .... they work with several apps, not just Fitbit. MFP is even one Everymove uses (Everymove is limited to those in the United States, I know there are a lot of non-US people here, Earndit is worldwide I believe ... ). http://jenbsjourney.blogspot.com/2013/08/get-rewarded-for-getting-fit.html
  • sarasmiles124
    sarasmiles124 Posts: 138 Member
    My treat to myself is normally a massage - but this year its to save up for a trip to Australia. I am giving myself monthly goals and track how I do at keeping up with them. This month, its quitting soda/pop. For everyday I don't drink one, I will put a dollar away into my savings account to save up for next June.
  • BearEssentials
    BearEssentials Posts: 27 Member
    When my friend lost weight she spent the excess money she used to waste on rubbish food / going out to eat every week on food packages instead which were then distributed at the weekend by a local charity. Ultimately she met her boyfriend (now husband) at that charity so I think she'd say that was a good reward all round!

    I am less altruistic and whilst Etsy exists I will always have a long shopping list of things to treat myself with once a month. For me the main rewards are holidays. I have already saved for a fortnight in the US split between friends in DC and a trip to New York when I get under 20st. I am currently saving for skiing (winter 2014) by which time I hope to be able to ski again with no problems.
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