Weight Loss Support - Need help thinking of non-food rewards :)

Hey all,

So, I'm big on rewards. I find it's the best way to motivate myself. However, up until quite recently, rewards have always been food. Chocolate for running more than 5 miles, Chipoltle for finishing a big work project, etc..

What are some non food rewards? The ones I've typically seen are things I'm not interested in like messages, manicures, clothes etc. (well, I am interested in clothes but there's no way I'm going to invest money in being this size!). I guess I don't go for the "girlie" stuffs.

So, I'm curious, how do y'all like to reward yourself for a job well done?

Fitness equipment
Cooking equipment
Gourmet/fancy ingredients that are also low-cal (spices, vanilla beans, etc)

All of those things both reward me for staying on track (woohoo! New gadget!) but also motivate me to STAY on track.

Fun time - doing something I really want to.
- Spend time with a friend
- Video game time
- Read a good book
- Needlework
- Go for a fun drive or bike ride
- Movie
- etc.

My suggestion: make a list of things you love to do with your free time, and promise yourself that you will set aside some time for those things when you reach your goals - then reward yourself! :)

I often reward fitness with more fitness. If I meet a fitness goal (ie like your more than 5 miles goal), I pack some healthy snacks, drive to a popular mountain hike, and do one there. It's a great feeling at the end.

Here's what we do:
-Go out for coffee (I drink it with just low fat milk so there's barely any calories there)
-Workout clothes/equipment (I plan to get a new outfit once I get into onderland!!)
-Fun activities (we go to museums or might try and see a movie)
-I do make some desserts at time for big occasions (I made a cheesecake from agave nectar for DH's birthday) but we eat it MUCH slower than before
-Have friends over

time alone -- no spouse, kids, nothing!
library trip for books / movies
Sleep in
attend local events -- special screenings, renn faire, ghost tour etc.

A.

A haircut is always a great one for me when I hit a milestone of some sort.

Or getting yourself that something you have been putting off for a while buying :)

I don't LOVE to cook. But I like it, and I do love it when I create something new and nutritious. So I'll spend time looking for a new recipe and buy very high end ingredients and invite a friend, or my boyfriend over for a gourmet healthy meal.

small appliances. I have this weird obsession with panini makers, blenders, toaster ovens, juicers, bread machines, etc.

Fitness equipment
Cooking equipment
Gourmet/fancy ingredients that are also low-cal (spices, vanilla beans, etc)

All of those things both reward me for staying on track (woohoo! New gadget!) but also motivate me to STAY on track.

This is me in a nutshell!! I stopped rewarding/punishing myself with food when I started this journey, but rewards are just so lovely! So I work out my rewards with things I need or will enjoy but are still useful. For example, I had really worn out my last pair of slip-on shoes, so I used that as a reward. My next scheduled reward (one per every 10lbs lost!) is a nice haircut, which I haven't had in ages. Once I'm down about 80lbs I plan to get some nicer workout shoes, or maybe a few new pairs of workout pants. My big reward for crossing the line into onederland will be an IPod nano, and my reward for hitting goal...sexy undies!!

I totally hear what you're saying about the clothing, but I still do some thrifting at Goodwill, etc, for spare clothing while I'm in the 'in-between' phases. It's cheap, and it works until I'm at goal. I encourage you to pick things that you can treasure even after the fact because you worked really hard to get to those rewards. Some food will only last as long as it sits on that plate, and there will always be more.

#2 ^^ I do reward myself with clothes, but from a thrift store. I will buy a new wardrobe when back at maintenance.

I had seen an expensive little tea set at an Asian grocery close to where I live, and I just couldn't justify spending the money on it. I decided it would be my first major-goal reward. It was a fun day a couple months later going and buying that tea set when I got under 300lbs. I EARNED that!!! And now each time I have tea, I think of the amazing accomplishment I made and it just keeps me going strong!

C'mon, isn't there a little something you've seen somewhere that you sorta wanted but didn't want to just blow the money on for no reason? That's what I'd think of! I'm still figuring out what I'll get for my next major goal. ;)

Rewards Are Great.. I Lost 100 Lbs About Two Years Ago And As A Reward , For Every 10 Lbs Lost I Would Treat Myself To A New Item Of Clothing.. And In Return I Would Donate One Of My Larger Itemsto A Charity. By The End Of My Jouney I Had A New Wardrobe.. And No " Big Clothes Left In My Closet To Grow Back Into.. This Keeps Me On Track Still. Good Luck .

Coach!
I've "earned" Sunglasses and 2 Purses so far.
I'm getting a new pair of Uggs when I get this 16
lbs back off.

Wow! Great stuffs, guys, thanks!! :D

Ok, I'm thinking I'll treat myself with DVDs (LOVE watching movies at home) and I love the haircut idea. First reward will be for when I break into the next decade. I can't wait :) :)

I have bought some specialty coffee and new mug, a new purse, running shoes & new workout outfit. Also maybe redecorate/paint a room in your place or maybe treat yourself to a new picture to hang.
Post a new picture of yourself on your fridge for motivation to keep going.

A haircut is always a great one for me when I hit a milestone of some sort.

Or getting yourself that something you have been putting off for a while buying :)

Totally agree beerab.....This is what I was going to write. When I hit my mini-goal I'm getting a hair cut n highlights :) Feels so good when you can sit in a chair and let them do all the work. or....

How bout a massage. every hard work'n lady needs an hour of total relaxation

Oooh massage is a good one!
I forgot I did a spa day with my BFF when I had lost 40 lbs.
That was such a nice day!

When I reach my final goal, I'm gonna go and treat myself to a haircut/dye and a manipedi. I've also always wanted a pair of Applebottom jeans, but they're so expensive, so I'm waiting until I reach my goal to get myself a pair. For minigoals, I usually just buy a book or DVD that I've been wanting.

For me it's a new lipstick, fancy lotion, extra pretty note paper, fun socks or a magazine

I'm terrible rewarding myself too. I've always never had to "treat" myself.

So, the boyfriend came up with a reward system:

180 - hit the amusement park
160 - cross country trip to a city I've never been to
140 - DREAM GOAL (this is where I buy my new wardrobe)

I thought of one last night while I was waiting for the patrolman to give me back my drivers license.

Get your weight changed on your DL!

haha, that's a really good one, shcirerf! However, it won't work for me considering the weight on my drivers license is my goal weight :p

Maybe you could upgrade your entertainment area, you know once you hit goal you could buy a blu-ray player or something. As a cheaper alternative I got myself Netflix at my mini-goal, so I could watch all the DVDs I would like to see any time I want.

Aside from the girly stuff(nailpolish, makeup, and so on), I liked to reward myself with things like... exercise related stuff, books, movies, fabric(for sewing), other craft projects(like paint-by-numbers, artist quality colored pencils and paper, etc.), and an assortment of novelty items(things that I don't necessarily need but would use and enjoy, like a folding fan, tea for one set, lace or paper parasols, jewelry, stickers, a fancy wooden comb for my hair, silk flowers and other pretty things to put in my hair, poster for my walls, art prints for my walls, a stuffed animal or cute little figurine, and so on)

Okay, well I suppose most of the stuff I posted IS girly. Whoops. :D

Let me think of other stuff...
A nice potted plant, or, ooh.. a 'charity' award. Sort of like "Once I've lost x amount of pounds or run x amount of miles I'll donate $10 to plant 10 trees for the Plant A Billion Trees project", or some other amount for your charity of choice. That's a feel-good one that is helpful in more than one way. Or, heck, the award can be planting your own tree!

For me, rewards are now linked to being active in some way:

- A trip to the zoo or the aquarium
- A window-shopping trip to consider what I'll buy when I fit into more stuff
- A major re-do of my computer room (paint, re-arranging, etc.)

I've only (re)committed to weight loss for a week and a half so far, but have been active for each day--a big change from previous attempts--and already have some of the above rewards planned. For littler rewards, just about anything not food-related works well: a new book always feels like a nice gift to myself, for example.

I enjoyed reading the other suggestions, too; makes me think ahead to some of what's in store for me as I get healthier and lose. :)

I'm big on rewards when I exercising and watching what I eat and it pays off. For me, my rewards are clothes and shoes, so I always look good no matter what weight loss stage I'm in.