How do you reward yourself?
nehaad88
Posts: 159 Member
Hi people,
Wanted to know how do you reward yourself on small successes?
I am planning to get a nice haircut once I lose 5 more kilos. I am looking for more ideas for other milestones.
TIA.
Wanted to know how do you reward yourself on small successes?
I am planning to get a nice haircut once I lose 5 more kilos. I am looking for more ideas for other milestones.
TIA.
3
Replies
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By doing the things I had trouble doing when I was heavier ... for example, when I had lost 50 lbs, I was finally able to cycle up to the top of Mt Wellington.
Of course it also required lots of cycling in preparation for that while I was losing the 50 lbs. 4 -
I would reward myself in pedicures and cute clothes if I had the money haha
at the moment seeing the scale and being happier with how I look is my reward. I also take a nice relaxing bath if i can2 -
I reward myself with things I normally wouldn't have before I lost weight. For example, a new two piece bathing suit, a new tank top, new pair of skinny jeans, shirts that fit a little more snug to my body, etc. Things that before I lost weight I would have been too uncomfortable to wear.3
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Living a healthy lifstyle makes me feel good every day, and weight management is just something that happens, easily, when I live a happy and healthy life - so I don't reward myself for weightloss/maintaining weight. I do praise myself whenever I've resisted a particularly tough temptation, though.4
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kommodevaran wrote: »Living a healthy lifstyle makes me feel good every day, and weight management is just something that happens, easily, when I live a happy and healthy life - so I don't reward myself for weightloss/maintaining weight. I do praise myself whenever I've resisted a particularly tough temptation, though.kommodevaran wrote: »Living a healthy lifstyle makes me feel good every day, and weight management is just something that happens, easily, when I live a happy and healthy life - so I don't reward myself for weightloss/maintaining weight. I do praise myself whenever I've resisted a particularly tough temptation, though.
This is good.. I do wish it worked like that for me. I like something to look forward to.2 -
It hasn't always been like this for me. I used to struggle a lot with my weight, and trying so hard to "be healthy". The problem was that what I perceived as "healthy", was in fact unnecessarily exhausting and restrictive, so in reality - it was unhealthy. Healthy eating and exercise habits aren't what it's hyped up to be, it's really very mundane - not very exciting, but easy to fit into our lives, and pleasant to stick to.kommodevaran wrote: »Living a healthy lifstyle makes me feel good every day, and weight management is just something that happens, easily, when I live a happy and healthy life - so I don't reward myself for weightloss/maintaining weight. I do praise myself whenever I've resisted a particularly tough temptation, though.
This is good.. I do wish it worked like that for me.
That's why I plan meals I want to eat every day.I like something to look forward to.2 -
kommodevaran wrote: »
It hasn't always been like this for me. I used to struggle a lot with my weight, and trying so hard to "be healthy". The problem was that what I perceived as "healthy", was in fact unnecessarily exhausting and restrictive, so in reality - it was unhealthy. Healthy eating and exercise habits aren't what it's hyped up to be, it's really very mundane - not very exciting, but easy to fit into our lives, and pleasant to stick to.kommodevaran wrote: »Living a healthy lifstyle makes me feel good every day, and weight management is just something that happens, easily, when I live a happy and healthy life - so I don't reward myself for weightloss/maintaining weight. I do praise myself whenever I've resisted a particularly tough temptation, though.
This is good.. I do wish it worked like that for me.
That's why I plan meals I want to eat every day.I like something to look forward to.
Yes, that ...
And also activities that I enjoy doing.
After I had lost 15 kg (33 lbs), I took a 3-week trip to Canada. I was going anyway, but it was more enjoyable at a lighter weight. For one thing, the 15+ hour flight was so much more comfortable, and for another thing, I was able to cycle a century (100 miles in one day) there and hike to the top of a mountain with my husband and cousin.
4 -
kommodevaran wrote: »
It hasn't always been like this for me. I used to struggle a lot with my weight, and trying so hard to "be healthy". The problem was that what I perceived as "healthy", was in fact unnecessarily exhausting and restrictive, so in reality - it was unhealthy. Healthy eating and exercise habits aren't what it's hyped up to be, it's really very mundane - not very exciting, but easy to fit into our lives, and pleasant to stick to.kommodevaran wrote: »Living a healthy lifstyle makes me feel good every day, and weight management is just something that happens, easily, when I live a happy and healthy life - so I don't reward myself for weightloss/maintaining weight. I do praise myself whenever I've resisted a particularly tough temptation, though.
This is good.. I do wish it worked like that for me.
That's why I plan meals I want to eat every day.I like something to look forward to.
Yes, that ...
And also activities that I enjoy doing.
After I had lost 15 kg (33 lbs), I took a 3-week trip to Canada. I was going anyway, but it was more enjoyable at a lighter weight. For one thing, the 15+ hour flight was so much more comfortable, and for another thing, I was able to cycle a century (100 miles in one day) there and hike to the top of a mountain with my husband and cousin.
Ok I am deviating from my own post, but.. I would really like some tips on cycling from you. I have been looking at your cycling posts and I have started cycling myself (I am very very bad at it though).
Look, I am having a little fangirl moment..4 -
Clothes.
More specifically clothes that fit right. I had to have someone teach me how to dress. But it was a game changer.
One time- a new food scale.
Once a day off from work and a trip to a museum. Spending the day walking was big NSV at the time.
Never food.3 -
kommodevaran wrote: »
It hasn't always been like this for me. I used to struggle a lot with my weight, and trying so hard to "be healthy". The problem was that what I perceived as "healthy", was in fact unnecessarily exhausting and restrictive, so in reality - it was unhealthy. Healthy eating and exercise habits aren't what it's hyped up to be, it's really very mundane - not very exciting, but easy to fit into our lives, and pleasant to stick to.kommodevaran wrote: »Living a healthy lifstyle makes me feel good every day, and weight management is just something that happens, easily, when I live a happy and healthy life - so I don't reward myself for weightloss/maintaining weight. I do praise myself whenever I've resisted a particularly tough temptation, though.
This is good.. I do wish it worked like that for me.
That's why I plan meals I want to eat every day.I like something to look forward to.
Yes, that ...
And also activities that I enjoy doing.
After I had lost 15 kg (33 lbs), I took a 3-week trip to Canada. I was going anyway, but it was more enjoyable at a lighter weight. For one thing, the 15+ hour flight was so much more comfortable, and for another thing, I was able to cycle a century (100 miles in one day) there and hike to the top of a mountain with my husband and cousin.
Ok I am deviating from my own post, but.. I would really like some tips on cycling from you. I have been looking at your cycling posts and I have started cycling myself (I am very very bad at it though).
Look, I am having a little fangirl moment..
What would you like to know?
I've been cycling since I was 6 (grew up in a cycling family), and have been cycling "seriously" for 27 years now, since my early 20s.
Tip 1 would be to make sure your bicycle fits you properly ... makes cycling so much more comfortable!
Tip 2 would be to change your saddle if it is making you uncomfortable.
Cheers!
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Clothing. I need new pants with each 10-15lb loss. So I get a few pairs of jeans to tide me through. I love thrifts so I can do it on the cheap.1
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Probably my biggest "reward" was several years ago, for hitting 199 lb I bought myself all new makeup and an organizer to put it in on my counter. When I was first using MFP, I would buy myself fitness-related items for every 10 lb lost but that kind of lost steam for me because most of my outdoor/exercise activities don't require a lot of gear.2
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I used to reward myself with food - always. Now, I choose non-food, inexpensive items I have wanted but don't need.
1. new bottle of nail polish
2. new casual hat (baseball)
3. Candle from favourite bookstore
4. Two hours watching a mini series or Netflix
5. Browse at Used Book store and buy a book
6. Gel pens in eight colours
7. New set of tweezers (the Tweezerman brand)
It doesn't need to be expensive.
I keep a list on my phone of 'Wants' and then I choose off the list when I hit a goal.
6 -
I reward myself by picking up the next Db along the rack or sliding another plate on the bar! That's a good enough reward for me! Its another step toward my goal!3
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Defiantly material items (shopping). I have the money to get the items now, but I set it off until I reach a milestone!
Just got new dumbbells.
3 -
I have a problem with rewards. It doesn't really feel that motivating when I'm the one who decides whether I've earned the reward or not - it just feels pointless and arbitrary; oh, I'll go to the observatory when I've gotten below a certain milestone? What's stopping me from doing it before then? Nothing.
In order to get around this, I have three strategies: I either make the process its own reward, I get myself something I couldn't use before I hit the goal (usually clothes that wouldn't have fit me before), or I recruit help.
An example of #1 is, I've recently signed up for a local climbing gym - it's one of the more fun kinds of workouts I've started on. I've also signed up for a couple of obstacle course races, because I've always wanted to do those, ever since I was a little kid watching other kids run kid-sized versions of them on game shows. (This also keeps me motivated to continue my regular, "less exciting" workouts, because how will I be able to clear the obstacles if I let myself get out of shape between races?) For food, the way I do this is I have a folder of healthy recipes to try making that (supposedly) taste better than some of their higher-calorie, more poorly-balanced counterparts - and a lot of successes to show for it.
An example of #2 is the old "get something a size smaller than you currently wear to keep you motivated" trick, only more often than not, I don't even buy the thing until I know it will fit (exceptions being if I found it secondhand). This is especially motivating for me because I'm on the larger end for the kind of styles I like - a lot of things I want cut off just before they reach my current size. The closer I get to goal, the more options I have that I didn't have before.
#3 is one I still have trouble with, but I'm trying out the Achievement app. So far I've earned close to the equivalent of $1, which is pretty damned good when my alternative was nothing. I'm also trying to get friends and family on board to celebrate certain milestones with me - because, if there's nothing to celebrate, we're not gonna have any reason to follow through on this plan, now are we?4 -
kommodevaran wrote: »
It hasn't always been like this for me. I used to struggle a lot with my weight, and trying so hard to "be healthy". The problem was that what I perceived as "healthy", was in fact unnecessarily exhausting and restrictive, so in reality - it was unhealthy. Healthy eating and exercise habits aren't what it's hyped up to be, it's really very mundane - not very exciting, but easy to fit into our lives, and pleasant to stick to.kommodevaran wrote: »Living a healthy lifstyle makes me feel good every day, and weight management is just something that happens, easily, when I live a happy and healthy life - so I don't reward myself for weightloss/maintaining weight. I do praise myself whenever I've resisted a particularly tough temptation, though.
This is good.. I do wish it worked like that for me.
That's why I plan meals I want to eat every day.I like something to look forward to.
Yes, that ...
And also activities that I enjoy doing.
After I had lost 15 kg (33 lbs), I took a 3-week trip to Canada. I was going anyway, but it was more enjoyable at a lighter weight. For one thing, the 15+ hour flight was so much more comfortable, and for another thing, I was able to cycle a century (100 miles in one day) there and hike to the top of a mountain with my husband and cousin.
Ok I am deviating from my own post, but.. I would really like some tips on cycling from you. I have been looking at your cycling posts and I have started cycling myself (I am very very bad at it though).
Look, I am having a little fangirl moment..
What would you like to know?
I've been cycling since I was 6 (grew up in a cycling family), and have been cycling "seriously" for 27 years now, since my early 20s.
Tip 1 would be to make sure your bicycle fits you properly ... makes cycling so much more comfortable!
Tip 2 would be to change your saddle if it is making you uncomfortable.
Cheers!
ok as for tip 1- i got a cycle frame that fits me (according to my height) and the guy who fit it adjusted the seat height. The saddle is good.
I think my problem is with my energy level. should I start eating a little more on cycling days?0 -
seltzermint555 wrote: »Probably my biggest "reward" was several years ago, for hitting 199 lb I bought myself all new makeup and an organizer to put it in on my counter. When I was first using MFP, I would buy myself fitness-related items for every 10 lb lost but that kind of lost steam for me because most of my outdoor/exercise activities don't require a lot of gear.
ohh.. this sounds cool.. I am not big on makeup but love some lipsticks and nail polish. I will include this for my rewards1 -
explodingmango wrote: »I have a problem with rewards. It doesn't really feel that motivating when I'm the one who decides whether I've earned the reward or not - it just feels pointless and arbitrary; oh, I'll go to the observatory when I've gotten below a certain milestone? What's stopping me from doing it before then? Nothing.
In order to get around this, I have three strategies: I either make the process its own reward, I get myself something I couldn't use before I hit the goal (usually clothes that wouldn't have fit me before), or I recruit help.
An example of #1 is, I've recently signed up for a local climbing gym - it's one of the more fun kinds of workouts I've started on. I've also signed up for a couple of obstacle course races, because I've always wanted to do those, ever since I was a little kid watching other kids run kid-sized versions of them on game shows. (This also keeps me motivated to continue my regular, "less exciting" workouts, because how will I be able to clear the obstacles if I let myself get out of shape between races?) For food, the way I do this is I have a folder of healthy recipes to try making that (supposedly) taste better than some of their higher-calorie, more poorly-balanced counterparts - and a lot of successes to show for it.
An example of #2 is the old "get something a size smaller than you currently wear to keep you motivated" trick, only more often than not, I don't even buy the thing until I know it will fit (exceptions being if I found it secondhand). This is especially motivating for me because I'm on the larger end for the kind of styles I like - a lot of things I want cut off just before they reach my current size. The closer I get to goal, the more options I have that I didn't have before.
#3 is one I still have trouble with, but I'm trying out the Achievement app. So far I've earned close to the equivalent of $1, which is pretty damned good when my alternative was nothing. I'm also trying to get friends and family on board to celebrate certain milestones with me - because, if there's nothing to celebrate, we're not gonna have any reason to follow through on this plan, now are we?
I have included my husband in the process. He keeps a check on my achievement. I have included a reward involving him as well. I currently weight 3 kgs more than he does. So once I weigh less than he does, I get to brag about it and motivate him (may be by teasing him) to get fit. He is not overweight but he is extremely sedentary. To see him be active and get healthy will be my reward. for that, I have to reach a certain goal. It will be sort of an ongoing process.0 -
I don't. It creates an unhealthy thought pattern for me. It shifts the focus from the process itself to numbers. I don't like that, the process is too important to fade out of focus. I need to build habits not achieve a number by any means necessary. I want to normalize eating to be just a part of how I conduct my life normally. I don't reward myself for brushing my teeth, and I hope with time I will achieve a similar habit-driven nature for eating.
Rewards also create a contrast for me, where for every period of time where "I've been good and deserve a reward" there is a contrasting period of time where I will be tempted to label myself as "bad and deserve a punishment", along with the useless guilt that comes with it instead of seeking answers why I'm having a hard time. I've had some haywire last few months, and I'm glad I caught these destructive reward-punishment patterns early on because instead of looking for the source of the problem and tackling it I would be sitting in a corner feeling sorry for myself. I wasn't being "bad", I just faced a new situation that I hadn't yet encountered and learned to handle. It's a good thing because now I know what happened and how it would possibly happen in the future and I'm ready with strategies, weight gain notwithstanding. Every "good" dieting situation is a step in the right direction, and every "bad" dieting situation is an opportunity to learn how to counter a similar situation in the future, and is a step in the right direction no matter what my weight is doing.
These are my own hangups, of course. Others may do better with a reward system. And with that said, I do reward myself with nice stuff every now and then for no reason at all because they make me happy and I deserve to be happy.6 -
Promised myself a treat at every 10lb lost. First 10 I got a fitness tracker which I LOVE, second 10 it was a whole new workout outfit (bought my first early as I was having to pull my leggings up during my workouts which was distracting...and my feet were "sloshing") . I'm 3lbs into the next 10 & already have my eye on yet more gear haha!
I also started putting a pound coin in a jar for every 1lb lost. If I succeed, I should have about £110 at goal to do something super nice. Not quite sure what it will be yet, but it's fun watching them stack up all the same!1 -
Seeing that scale drop numbers, being able to set new weight loss goals, fitting into old outfits and having old ones grow loose, truly and honesty excites me! Building the strength to finally look at myself in the mirror face to the reality of what my body looks like after yrs of avoiding my reflection and the hard truth is my reward!2
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A new trench coat, spiked collar, slave bracelet, and art supplies. Wait.. I get that anyways..2
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amusedmonkey wrote: »I don't. It creates an unhealthy thought pattern for me. It shifts the focus from the process itself to numbers. I don't like that, the process is too important to fade out of focus. I need to build habits not achieve a number by any means necessary. I want to normalize eating to be just a part of how I conduct my life normally. I don't reward myself for brushing my teeth, and I hope with time I will achieve a similar habit-driven nature for eating.
Rewards also create a contrast for me, where for every period of time where "I've been good and deserve a reward" there is a contrasting period of time where I will be tempted to label myself as "bad and deserve a punishment", along with the useless guilt that comes with it instead of seeking answers why I'm having a hard time. I've had some haywire last few months, and I'm glad I caught these destructive reward-punishment patterns early on because instead of looking for the source of the problem and tackling it I would be sitting in a corner feeling sorry for myself. I wasn't being "bad", I just faced a new situation that I hadn't yet encountered and learned to handle. It's a good thing because now I know what happened and how it would possibly happen in the future and I'm ready with strategies, weight gain notwithstanding. Every "good" dieting situation is a step in the right direction, and every "bad" dieting situation is an opportunity to learn how to counter a similar situation in the future, and is a step in the right direction no matter what my weight is doing.
These are my own hangups, of course. Others may do better with a reward system. And with that said, I do reward myself with nice stuff every now and then for no reason at all because they make me happy and I deserve to be happy.
I totally get this and relate very much to it as well. Great insightful post!
I did mention a few times during my weight loss when I "rewarded" myself (like at 199 lb with a bunch of new makeup) but for me I think it was more like celebrating a milestone I reached, than "reward for good behavior". I didn't view it quite the same way.
Like you, I also feel I need to be kind to myself give myself things for no reason because I deserve happiness. Even if I binged and gained 20 lb and whatever else. I would deserve happiness.
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kommodevaran wrote: »
It hasn't always been like this for me. I used to struggle a lot with my weight, and trying so hard to "be healthy". The problem was that what I perceived as "healthy", was in fact unnecessarily exhausting and restrictive, so in reality - it was unhealthy. Healthy eating and exercise habits aren't what it's hyped up to be, it's really very mundane - not very exciting, but easy to fit into our lives, and pleasant to stick to.kommodevaran wrote: »Living a healthy lifstyle makes me feel good every day, and weight management is just something that happens, easily, when I live a happy and healthy life - so I don't reward myself for weightloss/maintaining weight. I do praise myself whenever I've resisted a particularly tough temptation, though.
This is good.. I do wish it worked like that for me.
That's why I plan meals I want to eat every day.I like something to look forward to.
Yes, that ...
And also activities that I enjoy doing.
After I had lost 15 kg (33 lbs), I took a 3-week trip to Canada. I was going anyway, but it was more enjoyable at a lighter weight. For one thing, the 15+ hour flight was so much more comfortable, and for another thing, I was able to cycle a century (100 miles in one day) there and hike to the top of a mountain with my husband and cousin.
Ok I am deviating from my own post, but.. I would really like some tips on cycling from you. I have been looking at your cycling posts and I have started cycling myself (I am very very bad at it though).
Look, I am having a little fangirl moment..
What would you like to know?
I've been cycling since I was 6 (grew up in a cycling family), and have been cycling "seriously" for 27 years now, since my early 20s.
Tip 1 would be to make sure your bicycle fits you properly ... makes cycling so much more comfortable!
Tip 2 would be to change your saddle if it is making you uncomfortable.
Cheers!
ok as for tip 1- i got a cycle frame that fits me (according to my height) and the guy who fit it adjusted the seat height. The saddle is good.
I think my problem is with my energy level. should I start eating a little more on cycling days?
As a general guideline ...
If you're cycling less than 2 hours, you don't need any extra food. Bring a granola bar, just in case. And definitely bring bottles of water.
If you're cycling between about 2 and 4 hours, you might aim to eat about 100 calories per hour while riding. Bring an extra granola bar, just in case. And definitely water.
Over 4 hours, aim to eat about 200 calories per hour.
As for water, aim to drink one 750 ml bottle of water every 1 to 1.5 hours.
These are just guidelines and can depend on things like weather, terrain, exertion, etc.
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amusedmonkey wrote: »I don't. It creates an unhealthy thought pattern for me. It shifts the focus from the process itself to numbers. I don't like that, the process is too important to fade out of focus. I need to build habits not achieve a number by any means necessary. I want to normalize eating to be just a part of how I conduct my life normally. I don't reward myself for brushing my teeth, and I hope with time I will achieve a similar habit-driven nature for eating.
Rewards also create a contrast for me, where for every period of time where "I've been good and deserve a reward" there is a contrasting period of time where I will be tempted to label myself as "bad and deserve a punishment", along with the useless guilt that comes with it instead of seeking answers why I'm having a hard time. I've had some haywire last few months, and I'm glad I caught these destructive reward-punishment patterns early on because instead of looking for the source of the problem and tackling it I would be sitting in a corner feeling sorry for myself. I wasn't being "bad", I just faced a new situation that I hadn't yet encountered and learned to handle. It's a good thing because now I know what happened and how it would possibly happen in the future and I'm ready with strategies, weight gain notwithstanding. Every "good" dieting situation is a step in the right direction, and every "bad" dieting situation is an opportunity to learn how to counter a similar situation in the future, and is a step in the right direction no matter what my weight is doing.
These are my own hangups, of course. Others may do better with a reward system. And with that said, I do reward myself with nice stuff every now and then for no reason at all because they make me happy and I deserve to be happy.
I view rewards a periodic appraisal. I get to review the process, understand what needs to be corrected and identify what worked. There is no scope for punishment. That is too negative a thought. When I reach a goal, I have reached somewhere. I am not in the same place I was yesterday. I made progress. I persisted, through rough patches, through downers and dampners. Do I have punishments? Not really. I dont believe in disincentives.
I will give you an example. Yesterday, my husband asked me if I wanted to go for dinner at my favorite place. I said no. Instead, I have designated going to the said place as a reward once I reach my next mini-goal. Is it going to affect the overall process of reaching the goal. Not really. It might keep me a little more focused. But, it will definitely make reaching my goal a little more enjoyable.
I dont know if any of this is making any sense or its just sounding like gibberish.
I hope you get my point.0 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »I don't. It creates an unhealthy thought pattern for me. It shifts the focus from the process itself to numbers. I don't like that, the process is too important to fade out of focus. I need to build habits not achieve a number by any means necessary. I want to normalize eating to be just a part of how I conduct my life normally. I don't reward myself for brushing my teeth, and I hope with time I will achieve a similar habit-driven nature for eating.
Rewards also create a contrast for me, where for every period of time where "I've been good and deserve a reward" there is a contrasting period of time where I will be tempted to label myself as "bad and deserve a punishment", along with the useless guilt that comes with it instead of seeking answers why I'm having a hard time. I've had some haywire last few months, and I'm glad I caught these destructive reward-punishment patterns early on because instead of looking for the source of the problem and tackling it I would be sitting in a corner feeling sorry for myself. I wasn't being "bad", I just faced a new situation that I hadn't yet encountered and learned to handle. It's a good thing because now I know what happened and how it would possibly happen in the future and I'm ready with strategies, weight gain notwithstanding. Every "good" dieting situation is a step in the right direction, and every "bad" dieting situation is an opportunity to learn how to counter a similar situation in the future, and is a step in the right direction no matter what my weight is doing.
These are my own hangups, of course. Others may do better with a reward system. And with that said, I do reward myself with nice stuff every now and then for no reason at all because they make me happy and I deserve to be happy.
I view rewards a periodic appraisal. I get to review the process, understand what needs to be corrected and identify what worked. There is no scope for punishment. That is too negative a thought. When I reach a goal, I have reached somewhere. I am not in the same place I was yesterday. I made progress. I persisted, through rough patches, through downers and dampners. Do I have punishments? Not really. I dont believe in disincentives.
I will give you an example. Yesterday, my husband asked me if I wanted to go for dinner at my favorite place. I said no. Instead, I have designated going to the said place as a reward once I reach my next mini-goal. Is it going to affect the overall process of reaching the goal. Not really. It might keep me a little more focused. But, it will definitely make reaching my goal a little more enjoyable.
I dont know if any of this is making any sense or its just sounding like gibberish.
I hope you get my point.
Oh I completely understand how it works for some people. It's just a pattern of thought that gets triggered for me, that's all. I get the "looking forward to something" kind of motivation, I just don't do well with it personally. I do feel happy when I fit into something smaller, but I don't look at it as a reward, more like a pleasant expected result. To add, going out as a reward is particularly dangerous for me. If I'm going to normalize my eating habits they should include the ability to go out by default and not being able to enjoy a night out whenever I want feels like a punishment to me.
Again, these are my own issues. People respond differently to different things, just like some people feel rewarding themselves with food is counterproductive and I don't. I feel food is a perfectly good thing to want to enjoy and include in celebrations, rituals, or even simply "I deserve this" days as long as I know what I'm doing with my calories. I also like seltzermint555's way of looking it at, as celebrating a milestone. I do celebrate various things in my life, and it feels different than a reward, it feels like an organic expression of being happy for something nice that happened, not something I plan and can only have if I reach a certain weight and I can't have it otherwise.2 -
1st milestone hit (dropping below 200lbs) bought a couple new t shirts . Hitting 190 lbs I treated myself to a $15 iTunes gc and downloaded some new workout tunes for my ipod!0
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amusedmonkey wrote: »I don't. It creates an unhealthy thought pattern for me. It shifts the focus from the process itself to numbers. I don't like that, the process is too important to fade out of focus. I need to build habits not achieve a number by any means necessary. I want to normalize eating to be just a part of how I conduct my life normally. I don't reward myself for brushing my teeth, and I hope with time I will achieve a similar habit-driven nature for eating.
Rewards also create a contrast for me, where for every period of time where "I've been good and deserve a reward" there is a contrasting period of time where I will be tempted to label myself as "bad and deserve a punishment", along with the useless guilt that comes with it instead of seeking answers why I'm having a hard time. I've had some haywire last few months, and I'm glad I caught these destructive reward-punishment patterns early on because instead of looking for the source of the problem and tackling it I would be sitting in a corner feeling sorry for myself. I wasn't being "bad", I just faced a new situation that I hadn't yet encountered and learned to handle. It's a good thing because now I know what happened and how it would possibly happen in the future and I'm ready with strategies, weight gain notwithstanding. Every "good" dieting situation is a step in the right direction, and every "bad" dieting situation is an opportunity to learn how to counter a similar situation in the future, and is a step in the right direction no matter what my weight is doing.
These are my own hangups, of course. Others may do better with a reward system. And with that said, I do reward myself with nice stuff every now and then for no reason at all because they make me happy and I deserve to be happy.
I feel this. I have a lot of issues with rewards, not just the ones I mentioned above, and the black/white, good/bad, reward/punishment thing can be a big one (especially with my eating disorder).
I've been working with my boyfriend to remind me that punishment should not be part of the equation. Ever. Basically, the way I'm trying to learn to think of it is, in the unlikely event that I do something bad enough that it actually warrants punishment, my body will do that itself. Which isn't a perfect solution, but it's better than giving in to the impulse to not eat for 24 hours as a penalty for gaining half a pound of water weight.
But then the other side of it is...I have a long history of dealing with situations where "later" means "never" and as a result, slow progress might as well be no progress to the part of my brain that recognizes that pattern. So I have to come up with some kind of positive feedback to keep myself on track. That's where making the process its own reward and creating mini-goals and milestones worth celebrating with other people comes in.1 -
At the end of the year I will have been doing this for a year. So my hubby will let me loose with the credit card! I've always wanted a shopping spree like that but never would. Now I can't wait to get to 1st January and be able to shop to my hearts content.
I also want get an eternity ring with all the birthstones of my family in it when I get to goal. That one is a bit harder though cause I don't have a final goal weight, just a look or a feel. Basic I'm going to keep going until I feel happy. Should be somewhere around 55-60kg I think (I'm 5'3'')1
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