Rewards

cecsav1 · January 2016

I need some ideas for relatively cheap, appropriate rewards. Also, is it better to reward success milestones (lost five pounds, lost ten pounds, etc) or consistent behavior (went to the gym five times this week, accumulated 100,000 steps, logged accurately and within goal for a month, etc)?

sunnybeaches105 · January 2016

Do what works for you and keeps you working towards the next goal. These things can be pretty personal, but donuts and whiskey work well for me. Over time you may find that simply feeling better is a pretty nice reward in and of itself.

barrski145 · January 2016

Be careful with your rewards. Most of the time they are filled with high calories and fat which is what got you/us in trouble in the first place. Personally I don't reward myself unless I've been way under calorie goal for several days. Then when I eat what ever it is I usually feel guilty anyway lol.

karlis87 · January 2016

Going to see a movie you want to see.
Something for your house ( decor etc)
Workout clothes
New regular clothes
A night out with friends
A date with your SO

cecsav1 · January 2016

karlis87 wrote: »

Going to see a movie you want to see.
Something for your house ( decor etc)
Workout clothes
New regular clothes
A night out with friends
A date with your SO

Along the lines of what I was thinking. No calories and such. But.... don't watch movies, buying something for my house is a chore, bot a reward, and I hate shopping. I suppose I could sub friends or SO with my kids, but then that involves calories

This is why I need help.

My list so far is like: new workout clothes, a book........ lol

Therealobi1 · January 2016

Jewellery?
In another similar thread the op is going to reward herself with a charm bracelet then after each milestone add more charms

Osiris275 · January 2016

I weigh on Mondays. If I've lost, I'll allow myself a chocolate bar (a standard size 40-50g one). That's my reward. Just had to make sure it's only 1

ydyms · January 2016

I celebrate small victories with a small kitchen gadget that I order on Amazon.

ivvassileva · January 2016

I've found out that rewarding good eating habbits with bad food doesn't work for me, so I am trying a different approach:
When I decided to make a change I got an awesome juicer
After exercising at home for two weeks strait I got a bike resistance trainer
When I (finally) got gym membership I also got a supper pretty sports bag

If I manage to go to the gym for at least three times a week during the next month I am buying new sports clothes and if I am still exerising regularly in March (when, I hope, it will be warmer outside) I am getting a pair of good running shoes.

That way I am both getting motivation and

hope516 · January 2016

Therealobi1 wrote: »

Jewellery?
In another similar thread the op is going to reward herself with a charm bracelet then after each milestone add more charms

thats me!!

lol.

OP I think it is very important to "reward" yourself along the way, especially if you have a lot of weight to lose. I have made a goal to lose 100 pounds this year (I have a lot more to lose, but this is my goal for this year) It is extremely daunting to think "I have 100 pounds to lose." However, I have decided to break it up in 10 pound increments. This goal is more short term and seems much more attainable. So what I decided to do is buy myself a charm bracelet (just the bracelet part) which will signify the 75+ pounds I have already lost and managed to keep off, and I will buy myself a charm for every 10 pounds I lose along the way. The bracelet will be on me everyday and will be my sort of push to want to keep adding charms and remember how far I have come.

A lot of people will tell you that losing the weight is its very own reward. Although I believe this is true I think sometimes we forget how far we have come and when we have a bad day the last 5 pounds we may have lost don't seem like such a big deal. I feel like my idea is a constant reminder that I can't just brush off.

Also for some it does work to reward themselves with food, but if you are anything like me and are an emotional eater or addicted to food, this is not a good idea at all. It seems contradictory to me. Personally (everyone is different) I am trying to train myself that food is sustenance. I need it to stay alive, not to be happy. It is not medicine, it is not my friend, and it does not make me happy.

But in the end it is not important what works for others, it is necessary to find what works for you. I would read everyone's ideas but only you know yourself and keep yourself in mind when you decide your game plan. It is my belief that anyone can lose weight if they find what works for them and quit trying to follow someone else plan.

As for an idea for your reward system I would try to think of your hobbies, or some purchase you feel is frivolous and would normally not buy yourself and save towards it as you lose weight.

good luck finding something.

mylukeyboy · January 2016

I decided to take a break from buying clothes avd products, like face dreams and makeup, for myself. After a couple weeks, I realized I REALLY liked shopping for that stuff. Haha. So I decided to use it as a rewards system for achieving personal mini goals that are related to healthy habits. Every mini goal achieved = a certain amount of cash I can use toward this stuff.

For example, logging all my food in mfp for 7 days straight is achieving one mini goal. Drinking a big glass of water before each meal and snack is another one. Excercising X amount of cumulative time over 7 days, etc. it's been fun and uplifting for me to challenge myself in these little ways. I mark up my achievement on a calendar on the fridge.

All my mini goals are non scale related. But my big goal, is, which is to get back to my pre baby weight. Once I get there, I'm allowed to get new clothes. For me this has been great motivation.

So I think a combo of small, very discrete goals you can achieve in the short run and one or two big ones for the long run work well. As far as rewards, whatever you really enjoy. Maybe whatever you spent the most discretionary time/money on is a good indicator. Good luck!

Rewards

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