Turn it to a game!

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Ahanaz
Ahanaz Posts: 353 Member
edited July 2019 in Motivation and Support
As someone who has fallen off and gotten back time and time again, I’d like to give you all this tip. For the first time I feel like I’m in control and have something that is motivating enough to not give in to cravings.

I created this Pacman weight loss tracker. Every pound is a dot, and every 5 lbs is a ghost, on which I treat myself with a 1x1 cm piece of chocolate. Every 17lbs (25% of total weight to lose) is a cherry, on which I’ll treat myself with ONE meal where I won’t care about keto. May it be burger with bread and fries or a pasta dish.

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You setup your own treats. These rewards are just what I decided. I might change cherries rewards to something else if there’s something I want/need by the time I get it.The thing is, I’ve tried Keto before, and IF (not together) and main reasons I fell off was I never saw the end of the tunnel. I got discouraged and whenever I hit a stall or something got me discouraged, I fell off due to feeling deprived of what I love doing.

So I chose these rewards to remind myself that it’s temporary, and to teach myself that I can have it in moderation. I chose them to prove to myself that with Keto and IF, I have the tools to offset a pasta meal for example, and that I must not be lazy to use them. To get into habit of maybe doing a 24h fast after a carb meal to offset it, and maintain or keep losing when life might throw me curveballs.
This is a lifestyle change. But I want to be able to have normal mashed potatoes with my chicken Madeira for example once I’ve reached my goal. So I figured I’d throw in some exercises for dealing with those times in this new lifestyle, and giving myself proper habits to not let those times become an everyday thing like what got me here.

The most IMPORTANT part is, to only get those rewards when you first fill in the ghosts or cherries. If you gain back up and lose again, it doesn’t count.

With these milestones and the visual, whenever I get cravings or am tempted to just screw it, I’m like “Noooo.... I need to get that next ghost!”

This has helped me to stay motivated and on track. I have the tracker next to my scale, so it’s one of the first things I get to see in the mornings. 😉

I hope this can get you some ideas and inspiration :)

Replies

  • Terytha
    Terytha Posts: 2,097 Member
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    It's a neat idea, but having chocolate as a reward always makes me uncomfortable. I eat chocolate nearly every day, as a reminder to myself that I can lose weight as long as I moderate and don't slam back an entire box of fancy chocolates in one sitting.

    Not sure what I'd use as a reward. Maybe a book from the dollar section.
  • Idratherberunning2017
    Idratherberunning2017 Posts: 20 Member
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    I like to get things that I want while they are on sale. I set their value like the price is right. If I lose x many lbs, I can open/use that item. If I don’t, it sits as the future reward.

    So far I have a bottle of perfume waiting to be used. Going out of Biz sale saved me $$$ and I knew I wanted it. Problem is I haven’t hit the value of the item in loss (yet).

    The retail price is 15 lbs.
  • eb8566
    eb8566 Posts: 249 Member
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    Very creative idea!
  • Red5092
    Red5092 Posts: 115 Member
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    That's creative!! I love your idea, and rewards are tailored to own motivations. Good luck with your progress, and I wish you much success reaching your cherries!
  • Ahanaz
    Ahanaz Posts: 353 Member
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    Terytha wrote: »
    It's a neat idea, but having chocolate as a reward always makes me uncomfortable. I eat chocolate nearly every day, as a reminder to myself that I can lose weight as long as I moderate and don't slam back an entire box of fancy chocolates in one sitting.

    Not sure what I'd use as a reward. Maybe a book from the dollar section.

    I used to have chocolate every day, which is one of the main reasons (together with cheese platters) as to why I'm overweight in the first place. That's why I'm using it as reward. Toteach myself that moderation, to prove to myself I can go a week, or two, or maybe even a months (if that's how long it takes) without it.

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