Do you reward yourself?

If I weigh less than 208 I get to ride my bicycle to a pancake house for breakfast.

I lost weight in order to be able to do my long distance cycling again ... so I rewarded myself by taking on long distance cycling events and other cycling challenges.

This probably sounds terrible but I reward myself with a drink (alcoholic) but still within my cals

I wasn't going to do rewards but a few weeks ago, my motivation was lacking and I was on the verge of giving up so I set up a few rewards. It has actually helped me stay on track when I seriously wanted to give up (I really, really want a Fitbit). I set up 4 rewards based on every 18.4 lbs lost. I got this number by taking the amount I need to lose to get to goal and dividing it by 4. My rewards are expensive but I figure it's worth it to keep me motivated. They are:

205.2 lbs - Home Spa Day - I work from home so when I reach this weight, I will take an entire day off work and light some candles, put on some relaxing music, take a bath, use a face mask, paint my nails, watch a fun movie and allow myself an alcoholic drink and popcorn with butter. I actually hit this goal number today but I'm waiting for Monday's weigh-in to make it official. I'll probably do my spa day in a few weeks - I have to schedule it around my roommates work schedules as one roommate is on a rotating shift - I want the house to be completely empty so I can really relax.

186.8 lbs - Fitbit Charge 2 - I currently have a cheap Striiv fitness band that my parents gave me for Christmas last year, which works fine, but I've always wanted a Fitbit. I bought a Charge 2 when it was on sale last week but I'm not allowing myself to use it until I get to this weight.

168.4 lbs - Samsung Galaxy S8 - My current phone is 4 years old so I think it's time for a new one. The S8 looks awesome. Not sure if I'll be able to afford it but I figure that if I save a little each week, I should have enough money by the time I reach 168.4 lbs to buy it. Maybe I can get a discount on Black Friday - assuming I get close to this weight by then.

150.0 lbs - New Clothes - This is my ultimate goal weight. I plan on buying an entire new wardrobe of stylish clothes. I'm going on vacation to New Orleans in February so I'm hoping I reach goal right before then so I can buy some cute vacation clothes.

I would also like to get a tattoo when I get to goal. If I get to goal before I go on vacation in February, maybe I can get a tattoo while in New Orleans. That would be a cool souvenir.

I don't do that. It goes against my style of dieting and can work against me. If I start rewarding myself for weight loss, that shines a spotlight on my diet as something out of the ordinary. I don't want that. I want to feel like having a balanced diet is just another normal thing I do most days with as little brain processing power and searching for a "push" as possible. If I don't see it that way I would be too dependent on motivation, which is not a reliable resource. I "reward" myself with random things at random times because I like myself. Nice stuff make me feel good, and I deserve to feel good, regardless of what my wait did or didn't do.

I weigh every couple of weeks and when I see the number has gone down, that is all the reward I need. I am so happy that it s going down, no matter how far down it went.

I go to thrift stores and find great looking clothes that will fit eventually. It's a constant effort to get down to the next size with a built in reward. As I get smaller, the items that are too big go into the "return to thrift store" bag. It feels great to drop off a bag of clothes that are too big, wearing clothes I couldn't wear the month before.

AllyG47 wrote: »

gebeziseva wrote: »

I've heard it helps some people but I can't understand it at all.
For me the reaward is the weight loss. Why isn't it for you?

Because I have lost 20 lbs so far and honestly don't feel or look any different. My clothes fit exactly the same and I look the same when I look in the mirror (although my face is a little less puffy). It doesn't feel like a reward, especially when I don't allow myself to eat my favorite high calorie treats (I allow myself treats but they are often low-fat/low-calorie versions of my favorites which aren't the same) and I force myself to exercise when I really don't want to. I'm sure weight loss will feel like a reward eventually but, right now, it doesn't so I need other ways to keep up the motivation.

OK I see. I think I can understand that.
I only had 40lbs to lose total so maybe progress was more easilly visible for me. Also I take progress pics and looking at the change gives me enough dopamine.

Yes, absolutely. I have been dieting for nine months to lose baby weight. I was at a "normal" BMI after the first 8 pounds, but I still had 27 pounds to go to my goal weight (125). I'm now at 133. So progress has been really slow - less than a pound a week. And without much weight to lose I feel like I have to be pretty strict to get that half pound a week. celebrating interim milestones helps me stay motivated. So far my "treats" have been workout clothes, a fitbit, a meditation pillow, a date night with my husband. I'm probably not going to reach my original goal, but when I decide I'm "done" I will buy some new jeans. Having rewards has absolutely helped me keep from giving up.

My bigger goal is to lose baby weight before my next pregnancy, so I don't have even more to lose next time. But honestly that is depressing to think about - I'll have to do this all over again