Do you have a reward system?

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2

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  • missquela
    missquela Posts: 60 Member
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    bump! These are great ideas! I just bought a new pair of heels to celebrate my first 20, but I'm looking for a more Pavlovian system to stay consistent...
  • jdploki70
    jdploki70 Posts: 343
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    Every time I exercise really hard and go way under on my calories I make up for it with alcohol...

    Not sure if it's the healthiest method, but after a while who cares?

    When I finally hit my goal, I will be purchasing Diablo 3, if I have any money left over with all the clothes I have to buy...
  • rmartin72
    rmartin72 Posts: 1,094 Member
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    Never thought of a reward system, I want to change my life style and keep it going in the right way. I do not do Diets.
  • KaidaKantri
    KaidaKantri Posts: 401
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    I don't have a reward system, I have a punishment one.

    Every 100 calories a day I go over my limit, I add 5-10 mins of cardio (which I ABSOLUTELY HATE), or 2 extra weight lifting exercises (which I don't really mind).

    If your going to do the punishment one, then I would think doing what you hate would work better than the one you don't mind. Maybe incorporate rewards for every week you don't go over?
  • Raw07
    Raw07 Posts: 206
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    awesome ideas!
  • Brenny_73
    Brenny_73 Posts: 5
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    :smile: Mine is simple. Because most of the time, I'm watching what I eat, so of course restricting myself on some of my favorite treats. I have a once a month break your diet weekend. :devil: That way, I don't over do it with my food cravings. I find that it helps me staying on track, because I know at the end of the month, I'll be making my menue for the weekend. Not going overboard on filling up with chocolate cake and milk shakes and such. I simply decide a couple of weeks in advance, what I'll be having for breakfast, lunch, supper and even for snaks all in a balanced portion. That way I have a taste of what I've been missing. This so far, has helped me go from 268lbs to 217lbs. :wink:
  • jerbear1962
    jerbear1962 Posts: 1,157 Member
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    After each 5 pounds I have to put 5 bucks in a jar...after every inch off my waist I add another 1.00 per pound. I plan on using this money to buy clothes as I lose...I will wear baggy clothes around the house but I want at least a pair of jeans and shirt to go out in. If I miss a workout I have to pay 2 bucks. I have goals set as well... for each goal I plan on paying another 5 bucks.
  • dvisser1
    dvisser1 Posts: 788 Member
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    I don't use a reward system, more a goal oriented achievement person. My reward is being healthy, fit and kicking *kitten* again.

    at first I set a goal to survive a hard 30 minutes on the elliptical, and I worked up to that. Then started adding more exercises into my gym workout. After a couple months I discovered i could run again without my bad knee exploding. That was 3 months ago and I set a goal to run a 5k race in July. Signed up for the race when it was all I could do to slowly jog 1/4 mile non-stop. Signed up and paid my registration for the race, committing myself and driving my efforts. I got to the 5k mark in my training much faster than expected, so I ran one in late June and the original one in July this past Saturday. 26:11 for Saturday's 5k time. Now I'm looking for 10k runs to do and waiting impatiently for an Xterra 10k trail run registration to open (the race is in October).

    I like pushing myself, not as a form of punishment but as a way to achieve tomorrow what feels near impossible today.
  • jiggalude
    jiggalude Posts: 53
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    I set weight goals for myself. I said I'd buy a new pair of Nikes (I'd had my eye on a pair for a while) when the scale started with a 1 again. It does! And I love my new shoes! I plan on getting another pair when I hit 160. I also tell everyone and anyone about it, so I feel like I work harder to get there!
  • Muscles_Curves
    Muscles_Curves Posts: 385 Member
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    I have monthly weight and workout rewards. My July workout reward for burning a certain amount of calories is an iShuffle....which I need desperately and my weight loss reward is a new dress.

    I try to choose rewards that will keep me encouraged.
  • judybaseel
    judybaseel Posts: 6
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    Nice idea....that will keep you on track.
  • Andromeda173
    Andromeda173 Posts: 33
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    I buy myself a new nail polish for every 5 pounds lost. They're cheap and I love them, but I only let myself buy one if I've lost the weight. This also gives me an excuse to get the nice, sparkly stuff instead of the 99c bottles. :)
  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
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    I don't have a punishment system, haven't needed one yet but I suppose if I have a month with a gain or unsatisfactory loss I will have to consider that.

    I have a reward system. 50 lbs lost was a fitbit, 100 lbs lost was an iPad, I am still deciding on what 150 lbs lost will be as can't afford to top the iPad. I like the bigger goals so it gives me something to work really hard for and also costs a bit more. I tried smaller goals and rewards with CD's or games but I buy those every single week for shopping therapy so don't think I could hold out for a goal to get.

    I did like the one post about punishment with more gym time. Think that I might have to use that when the time comes.
  • izzy56
    izzy56 Posts: 4
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    For me just seeing the scale go down or feeling my heart pound after a work out is enough for me but a treat never hurt anyone. I'm not talking about food because a treat should make you feel good not just make you feel like you got away with something (that is how it is for me anyway idk about you) so get your nails done, see a movie, something that makes you feel better for doing it :)
  • ChaseAlder
    ChaseAlder Posts: 804 Member
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    My reward is being so SEXY!
  • laceybrobie
    laceybrobie Posts: 495 Member
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    In my profile I have weight loss goals, every 5 pounds i get to check it off, then after a certain amount, i go shopping, or to the spa. . right now, if i get to 200.. its a spa day from 228lbs.

    i just did diamond rocks in the vases decorated it all cute..

    i also set some other mini goals that i have to work for.... it keeps me motivated.
  • Robin_Bin
    Robin_Bin Posts: 1,046 Member
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    Hmmm... how about money goes in the jar when you make mistakes (weight gain, don't meet your exercise target, etc.), and you don't get to use it, until you meet a goal?
    Or two jars, one where you save money when you do good, and get to spend it whenever you want to treat yourself to a new shirt, pedicure, etc. But when you do something you shouldn't it goes to charity instead... still a good think, but not a reward for you. ?
  • ksun10
    ksun10 Posts: 76
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    While its not necessarily true, I tell myself that the high from working out or the satisfaction with staying in my calorie limit are my rewards. Im hoping that if I tell myself this long enough it will become true lol.
  • droogievesch
    droogievesch Posts: 202
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    I don't have goals/punishments like a normal person would. I made a deal with my fiance though that has kept me pretty honest. I HATE him playing video games. We're not talking like he plays for an hour, I'm talking he'll play 16 hours straight. It drives me right up the wall, so if I work out and stay within my calories (within reason, if I'm like 20 calories over I'm fine...if I'm 500 calories over it's a different story) then he's all mine at night and doesn't play his game. We are getting FitBits pretty soon and the new thing will be that if I do more walking than him on Monday then he can't play at all on Tuesday, if I do more on Tuesday he can't play on Wednesday, etc. If my total Monday-Friday beat his totals then he has to stay off his games all weekend. On the flip side, if he beats me then he gets to do whatever he wants without me nagging.

    I wish I could do money in the jar, but we're dead broke and every dollar counts at the end of the week. If I put money in a jar for every work out I completed I'd purposely not work out. It'd be better for me to put money in the jar if I DON'T work out (and then have to fork it over to him to upgrade his online games o.O Oh God, I hope he doesn't see me throw that out there, I think he would really like that idea...)
  • cordianet
    cordianet Posts: 534 Member
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    Little goals just don't motivate me, so I have bigger quarterly goals setup. If I hit a particular goal, I reward myself with something fitness related. e.g. a new bike, elliptical machine, a kayak, etc. Problem is, I've done this type of plan before and it was not sufficient motivation. It might be the old 1 bird (donut?), in the hand is worth 2 (kayaks), a year from now.

    To address this, I now also have "penalties" if I don't make specific goals by a certain time. For example, if I fail to get under 215 by May of next year (~30 lbs above where I actually hope to be then), I'm going to sell my motorcycle. Since I REALLY don't want to do that, I'm pretty motivated to not let that happen!

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