Reward ideas that aren't food or money based?

Reward for what?

It's telling that there aren't many replies isn't it! . I sat here and had a good think. Hmm..not food, booze or money-based. Damn.

The only thing I can think of might involve family and friends. Have them all offer you the gift of TIME. e.g. your kids or S.O. might offer to do a chore that you usually get lumbered with. A friend might cut your lawn or walk the dog. A work colleague might take one of your routine tasks one time.

When you feel you've earnt a reward, call it in. You then get to kick back and relax for a bit.

This probably won't work if you're only losing a few pounds. But if you're on a big journey, others might be more willing to help out.

I dunno...just an idea. Thinking out loud.

Else, I always like a bubble bath watching a film (TABLET ON CLOSED TOILET AWAY FROM THE WATER...NOT IN THE BATH - SAFETY FIRST).

I'm easily pleased!

hypodonthaveme wrote: »

Go for a romantic walk. Invite a friend over for tea. Read a good book with your feet soaking in some Epsom salts. Have a board game night with friends or family.

I like these ideas. You could do an at home spa day, give yourself a foot soak, bubble bath, pedi/mani. But, these things do cost money... money for bubble bath soap, money for nail polish. I mean, you should probably give yourself some sort of budget.

It's very difficult to reward yourself if you're not going to send a single penny on it! Things cost money! All I've got is walks on the beach, bubble baths and reading books/watching DVDs you already own!!!

I do seriously think that if you're looking at rewards for your weight loss (and not everyone does them), that you should budget for them - a spa session/day, hair cut or massage can be really cheap if you've got a Groupon voucher or similar. My rewards involve theatre trips - because that's what I love to do. They're not cheap, but I reserve them for big milestones, so I feel justified, when I have reached these goals, to spending a little money on myself.

What do you love - live music, spa treats, nights out? None of these have to involve food - at least not the kind of food that will knock you off course - I'm wondering if that's your concern here? I take little bags of grapes to the theatre - easy to eat, not messy and few cals - and I have bottles of water.

I have a bunch of clothes that I fattened out of and am looking forward to wearing again; I have listed these items against different weight loss milestones. I have also hung them right in the middle of my wardrobe where I see them every day. Wearing these things again will definitely be rewarding.

I agree about rewards sort of have to cost money, otherwise you'd do them without having reached a goal, and time with loved ones is a right and deserved, not something to strive for. I dyed my hair when I lost 30 pounds. Bleached it and dyed it blue. It cost $12 for the kit. Made me happy, and it's something I wouldn't have done otherwise because as a fat person I tried to minimize my appearance and any attention drawn to my appearance. And I was reminded of my amazeness every time I looked in the mirror or someone said "nice hair!". It lasted for months (I did the underside so regrowth wasn't an issue) I get it that money's tight. My next goal was 50 pounds, and the reward was piercing my nose. That was at Christmas, and because money is tight, I still have zero nose piercings. But a piercing is $60-$100, whereas there's tons of other things we all want that are much less. It was silly for me to not save as I lost weight. My bad. I was just given money from my husband, especially for my nose piercing because he knows I won't take grocery or bill money to do it. But I feel compelled to do it because I said I would, lol.

So suggestions on low cost rewards, that keep you reminded and mentally aware of the journey you're on would be
New funky water bottle
New weights or yoga mat (my tiny 3 pounders I use while sitting on the couch, cost $3. The 5 pounders cost the same. Walmart for the win)
A new mirror to keep yourself reminded of how you've busted your *kitten*! Again, Walmart has $9 full length ones. I have one in my hallway, resting in the floor so all I see is my armpits down, and I walk towards it a hundred times a day, and every time I think dang, I'm looking good!
Blue hair (seriously consider this, it's so fun. Or purple or aqua! I used Splat)

Some of these have already been mentioned and some may involve a bit of money, depending on what you have and where you're located:

Bubble bath (maybe reading a good book or listening to soothing music)
Burning a candle or possibly incense (although I worry about the health risk) and just sitting, being still. Or you could meditate, read, listen to relaxing music.
A new, free app.
A meditation app.
Create a new station on Pandora (free) or similar.
Go to the library (this is always a treat for me). Try a different type of book or magazine or select a book about something you've always wanted to learn or a new interest. Or stick with what you enjoy.
Go to a park and walk or just sit and enjoy being outside.
Discover a new park or nature trail.
Not sure where you are, but I get lots of digital magazines (current and back issues) free through my library system and Zinio.
Go for a walk with a friend.
Have a friend over for coffee or tea, or just make it a "ritual" for yourself. Use a really nice cup or mug, take the time to enjoy the smell, savor the taste, perhaps sit outside to enjoy it or find a cozy space indoors.
Be creative or practice a hobby. Draw, paint, knit, make things with stuff you have around the house, make greeting cards, play an instrument, enjoy a garden, color.
Organize something "fun" (e.g., makeup or photos).
Play a game (I love online word games), do a crossword or sudoku or jigsaw puzzle.
Rearrange the furniture and your home decor, if you can.
Do something you enjoyed as a child (e.g., play jacks).
Cook, if you enjoy it. Try a new recipe or see what you can throw together and create with ingredients you already have.
Do something physical. Play hopscotch, hit a tennis ball against a wall, bike ride. Whatever is feasible and enjoyable.
Rearrange, rediscover, recategorize a collection, if you have one.
Pamper or play with a pet, if you have one.
Discover what's free in your town. (In my area there are free, weekly outdoor concerts in the summer as well as free movies in the park.)
Look in the free local newspaper and see what's being offered.
Have a picnic or just enjoy a meal or beverage in your own yard. (I like to sit outside with a glass of wine or iced tea.)
Look at the moon and stars. Enjoy the fireflies.

Sex.

Something to consider: What is the purpose of the reward? Typically, a reward is like the carrot hanging from the stick - something you can look forward to after doing something you're not looking forward to, as a way to motivate yourself (or someone else!) to do the Thing.

However, given that we're on this board and not on, say, a boy-band discussion board, we're most likely thinking about either exercise or healthy eating (or both) as the Thing. In both cases, those are Things that are most effective as ongoing goals, rather than something you achieve and are done with. Research on subscription-based (ongoing) games shows that it is most effective to have the reward for an achievement be something that is an INVESTMENT in continuing that action/activity. It also needs to be something relatively small, so that you can reward yourself fairly often and hopefully develop the action/activity into a habit.

For fitness, I would suggest things like comfy socks with fun colors or designs, a soap or shower gel you really like for your after-workout shower, or a new track added to your exercise playlist. If you're crafty, you might embroider a star on the sleeve of your favorite T-shirt for each week you meet your fitness goals. For nutrition, I tend to reward myself with fresh fruit. It's sweet, and it feels indulgent because a pint of strawberries (even on sale) costs significantly more than a bag of chips. Other possibilities might be going to the library to check out cookbooks with healthy recipes that look interesting and not too challenging, or finding a grocery store that has a wide variety of fresh produce, and choosing a few items that intrigue you. Maybe you'll think they're delicious. Maybe you'll think they're disgusting. Either way, it's an adventure

Coupongrl79 wrote: »

SunnyDayzMomma wrote: »

Blue hair (seriously consider this, it's so fun. Or purple or aqua! I used Splat)

Agreed! Do it before you are too old to rock it!

Lol! And pray tell- how old is too old??

My vote is for something stupid like reading a book, a pat on the back, a happy dance, or a knot in a string bracelet.

jhmomofmany wrote: »

Coupongrl79 wrote: »

SunnyDayzMomma wrote: »

Blue hair (seriously consider this, it's so fun. Or purple or aqua! I used Splat)

Agreed! Do it before you are too old to rock it!

Lol! And pray tell- how old is too old??

To go full on blue, gotta do it before your hair starts thinning Otherwise, gotta stick to streaks! Although, I have seen some oldies, maybe in their 70's and 80's, rocking some silvery blues. Don' t think it was intentional though