Reward motivation?

MADDIESMOMMY6611
MADDIESMOMMY6611 Posts: 140 Member
in Motivation and Support
Has anyone tried rewarding themselves in order to get motivated? For instance, I was thinking of "unlocking" prizes per so many pounds lost. Obviously losing weight is a reward in itself but normally you don't actually see the results right away and it's easy to lose focus.

Like after my first 5 lbs, upgrade my phone (it's due for one)
10 lbs, hair cut and color
15 lbs, 3 new outfits
20 lbs (halfway), a tablet
30 lbs, 5 new outfits
40 lbs (goal), trip to Hawaii (we've been planning to go)

Sounds expensive but I never buy myself clothes and never get my hair done. So I feel like a little pampering could be a good motivation to get the weight off. I'll give myself 6 months to a year to lose it, which also gives me time to save up for everything. Anyway, has anyone tried this method?

Last time I lost 30 lbs I took a trip to The Virgin Islands and it was great. Planning the trip helped keep me motivated because I knew I'd want to get new clothes, swimwear and look/feel great on our trip. It kept me focused!

Replies

  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    I am an instant gratification person - so this never worked for me. My motivation has solely come from the results. There is no motivation greater than losing inches. I would suggest possibly making the reward system not so focused on weight loss. Try other goals too like running so far, doing a certain amount of workouts a week, logging so many days, lifting a certain amount.

    Sometimes the scale is big dirty liar and can make people discouraged. Most importantly, do what will work for you.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    All seems a bit childish to me but each to their own
  • greenhudler
    greenhudler Posts: 150
    tattoos.....
    Yes.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    i sign up for races. completing them is the reward.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    Has anyone tried rewarding themselves in order to get motivated?

    Reward is fairly typical of all approaches to motivating people, some respond to material reward, others to some form of psychological reward or recognition. Even those that say they don't need to self reward will respond to something, but are less inclined to value their own aciton in doing so.

    fwiw I wouldn't peg success to something as simplistic as pounds lost, but that's largely because my objectives are more performance related.

    When I completed 5Km in sub 30 minutes I upgraded my running tights
    when I broke the 10Km in 40 minutes barrier on the rowing machine I got new rowing gloves
    I'm currently working towards a continuous 60 minutes of running objective. I haven't identified a reward per se, it's just a point that I'll do something.

    For me it's avoiding the reward being something that I'd have to buy anyway. there is no point in identifying new running shoes as I have to get those anyway when a pair wearing life out.
  • ekz13
    ekz13 Posts: 725 Member
    whatever gets you motivated and keeps you doing it long term is a win for you... just don't stop doing it after you hit your "top reward tier"
  • willrun4kona
    willrun4kona Posts: 2
    I'm thinking about going on a cruise when I reach my goal weight. The last time I went on one a couple years ago, I was uncomfortable a lot of the time because my clothes didn't fit well and I wasn't comfortable in a bathing suit. I'd like to replace those memories with a better experience as a thinner me.
  • tegalicious
    tegalicious Posts: 629
    I did something similar but it wasn't based on weightloss. I based it on whether I stuck to my diet and exercise plan. Weekly I got a small non food based reward for sticking to my plan and on the fourth week (one month) of sticking to my plan I got a bigger non food based reward. I had always rewarded myself with food and thus negated all my hard work so it for me was more about changing my relationship with food.
  • Jestinia
    Jestinia Posts: 1,153 Member
    Doing this helped me a lot when I was losing.

    Now I need to re-lose a few pounds, and my reward will be going out on New Year's Eve in my skinny jeans without suffocating. 11 more days.

    I might even go to one of those expensive movies I hear about that start after the sun goes down!
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
    I schedule weekly rewards but they are $30 or less. Sometimes I get groupons and such so I can get cheap massages, manis, pedis, and hair (cut, color and such).
    I also like clothing, shoes, makeup, a car wash, tickets to a concert as other non-food rewards!
    My rewards are for sticking with a plan, like working out or staying under cals.
    I think it's important to reward yourself, but I can see that you have to be intrinsically motivated, too.
  • Just_Scott
    Just_Scott Posts: 1,766 Member
    the adrenalin rush, the endorphin kicking in, feeling accomplished, feeling stronger, looking better, having a better perspective on the world around me......oh and I sleep better :)
  • LVCeltGirl
    LVCeltGirl Posts: 473
    I believe it works. My rewards (especially since I have no time limit on how long it takes and a lot to lose) are things like Paintball game (we have a course or two here in Vegas area) with a friend, my boyfriend or my son @ 20% of beginning body weight lost, Horseback riding weekend with my son @ 30% of beginning body weight lost, things that will make memories that I could not do well (or perhaps easily) prior to losing the weight. Especially the horseback riding because most places do have a weight limit for their horses so that the horses will want to go out and do the trails and such (plus most of the horses aren't the larger warhorse breeds that used to hold a knight and all his armor). Right now the compliments that I've gotten and the hand-me-down clothes that fit better than my old ones did @ the 10% mark has kept me going. :wink:

    I do like the idea of a tablet at the 50% mark, that is something more tangible to hold onto and remember why you got it. I'm also thinking of creating a rewards for each year I maintain at my ideal weight (within a few pounds, no more than 5 pounds above or below what seems to be ideal for me) with big ticket items for the 5 year marks just so I can keep it off.

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