Reward Yourself!!

I'm with M2M, I don't use it as a reward, but if I do want something (like my pepsi, or that yummy chocolate chip cookie I had last night:D ), I make sure that I'm still within my range of points/calories for the day; if I go a little over, I make sure I do some sort of activity to make up for it.
 
I'm all with Maleficent on 'structured cheating'. I plan cheat meals, and when I'm at them, I enjoy every bit of it, and I make sure I don't constantly analyze the calories/fat content/protein! I haven't been at this all that long, but I think that changes the psychology of the whole process so much - it's not like I'm torturing myself with no end in sight (I think 'rewarding' might make the 'work' part seem more unpleasant than it really ought to be), nor is is it 'okay, torture yourself for a few more days, and if you're really good, we'll get ice cream on friday'. Instead it just feels like 'okay, this is what we're eating today; on friday we're going out for Indian' - it's a plan, not an if-then.

Oh my and it makes it so much easier to deal with life - I go on a date, no problem, that's my 'cheat meal'. No awkwardness, no diet discussion, nothing.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm bad at trying to manipulate reward systems. If I 'rewarded' I'd probably self sabotage somehow, maybe by becoming overly restrictive to gain a bigger 'reward', both of which would be detrimental. But that's just my own personal psychosis. :)
 
The trouble with this thinking is that you'll always be eating foods you don't love, and even if you have a "cheat" day, you'll probably go back to your old way of eating once the weight is off.

I try to make sure everything I eat is something great that I might "cheat" on, but just take smaller portions and stop when I'm comfortable. It shocks me just how little it takes to make me comfortably full these days.
 
Reward system: new pet guinea pig! lol

My reward system has reached its highest lmao

I just turned thirty yesterday and four of the finest rewards I have ever recieved or bought are:

My sniffles I bought last year
guinea pig

My Chewie Chewiska
My female Maine Coon Cat

and my new reward
My tiny baby "Gray"
So baby Gray is less than a month old ..and he is the newest edition to the family. I don't know exactly what happened. BUT I walked into the pet store, not sure of why I was going in ..except to look at animals..per usual.. knowing I couldn't get one ...and I see Gray, Baby Gray, sitting and peeking his nose out of the cage and I put my nose up to the cage and he put his nose up and we were nosing each other and than I said to the cashier .. "I want him!" anyway ..he is grayish beige..with a little white in the back ... which is why I coined him Gray, because he wasn't responding to my bf name he wanted to give him "dookie" almost reminds me of a name off Builder the Bob... anyway thats what I pictured ..but you know how animals will go for different inflections in your voice ..well he took to "Gray"

So anyway
thirty
two guinea pigs, one one year old, the other a baby.
A beautiful ten year old cat that is as feisty as a kitten!
and me, myself and I ... twenty five pounds less! always a treat


Why I say this is because I am not rewarding myself with food! lol
I have an exercise ball my sister got for me for my birthday ..found my step for my step aerobics .. Which I will be pulling up ..

well ttylater folks
off I go ..to write in more diaries ..and stair step ..seeing as I just found it in the basement ...

laterz
love yas
always
natalie jo :jump:
 
Congrats on your new baby!!!

I have a tendency to get new animals all the time ><.....I got my ducks because I saw a guy selling them on the side of the road lol

Oi when I used to take pictures of the animals at the pound for petfinder I would adopt pets or go home crying because I couldn't save them all.

My cockatiel was another random gift to myself and my female turtle was a gift to my male turtle lol
 
How do you reward yourself?

What do you do to reward yourself when you reach certain milestones? Do you buy yourself something nice? Get a pedicure? New clothes? Tickets to a show or game? Do you have certain rituals you do? What kind of thing motivates you to get to your goals? How often do you reward yourself? (every 5 pounds? 10? 25?)

I, for one, will be halfway to my goal in 3 pounds and I'm pretty excited. My next goal will be 170 pounds, then 160, then my final goal of 150. I think I'm going to go the "buy myself pretty things" route and get things that make me feel good like new lingerie, a killer pair of heels, or new jeans. I'm really curious to see what you're all looking forward to, though!
 
Clothes :) but not too many as I still have a ways to go to get to my goal. Just a nice fitting shirt or something works for me.
 
Personally, the self gratification of losing the weight is my reward. I'm a dork I know, but losing the weight and seeing the difference from say 3 months ago is my reward, and one I plan on keeping. I love the surprise gifts, like putting on pants that were getting snug and now are loose. Or looking at my shirt and thinking to myself, was this shirt always this baggy? Or putting on a belt I haven't used in a while and using a hole I've never used before, bad part is the belt now has a visble worn mark as a constant reminder of what my waist was, lol. Oh my all time favorite, I am starting to look better with my shirt tucked in verses leaving it out so my stomach doesn't stick out as much. Those simple gifts, are truly the gifts that mean the most to me.
 
When I hit my goal weight.. this is kinda silly I guess... but I want one pair of expensive jeans! Just one and that will look great on me!
 
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I would have to say I buy clothes. I get just a couple on clearance or the good will. I used to eat when I celebrated, not anymore.
 
Actually I think I am gonna go out and get a gel seat for my recumbant bike, I am tired of my soar arsh. Yep, that is gonna be my reward, a sore free arsh. Nothing too fancy, I am a simpleton.
 
I like clothes, shoes or books. When I reach my goal weight (a long time from now) I get a trip to Cancun or the Bahamas courtesy of my wonderful husband....oh and a bunch of bikinis.
 
usually just noticing my progress is rewarding enough for me. Other stuff like smaller clothing size and such is like a gift for job well done.
 
At 200 lbs I am getting myself Crossfit certified. I dont wanat the closthes as I am on the march downward! I am hoping that the certification will help me continue on my path of a healthy lifestyle. So far I have been down six lbs and at 10 I get new workout shoes (they should fit till they are worn out)!
 
Hi :)

Im pretty good to myself when i hit my mini targets! I love to see the weight coming off, but i also love the confidence that it gives me, so i do things that make me feel and look better! (i am very vain i fear!)

So here are my reward plans for when i reach

234 lbs (16 st 10lbs) - sky high stilletos that i have wanted for ages :)

224 lbs (16 st) - Some new summer clothes

210 lbs (15st) - Some gorgeous new underwear

199 lbs (14st 3lbs) - Tattoo on my lower back (always wanted one!)
INTO THE 100s!!!!!!

189 lbs (13st 7lbs) - Some lovely 'proper' gym clothes - the tighter vests and
trousers, and some shiny new trainers :) This will encourage
me to keep exercising!

182 lbs (13st) Hair cut and coloured, manicure, pedicure :D


175 (12st 7lbs) Have wedding dress corset dyed and skirt made from the
skirt fabrid - i will finally be able to fit back into it! This is
goal that i am looking forward to most as this would be the
exact weight i was on my wedding day!


168 (12st) Belly button pierced! Book holiday to Asia for 5th wedding
anniversary :D:D



Maybe after that i will try to lose a few more pounds but i will be ecstatic when i reach 168 :):):)

Sorry for the very long post but was a great thread and really made me think about my goals and (most importantly!) the rewards that they will bring!!!
 
My first goal of 58kg I got NEW SHOES
My second goal of 56kg I got a pedicure
My final goal of 54kg I went shopping on a holiday for new clothes!

But then I put on 3kg grrrrr... well another shopping trip when I reach goal!
 
I'm not going to treat myself so much for a weight goal as a running goal. When I can run 5 miles, I'm going to get a new ipod (either a micro or a shuffle.) When I can run 10 miles I'm going to get one of those gps watches. Right now I'm up to 3.7 miles and trying to up it a half mile a week. That puts me with the ipod some time next month and the gps some time in the middle of summer, if I can keep up the increases.
 
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