The thread about what is close to goal got me thinking about how I'd like to celebrate/ treat myself when I finally get there. I need some ideas to kick start the motivation to make me really want to get there. I'm around 30 pounds away and I need to start thinking about what I'm going to do.

Have you thought about what you'd like when you get to goal? Will you have a party (healthy food, of course). Will you travel?

Any ideas for ways to celebrate making it to goal weight? Thanks!

Part of my motivation is the idea of being able to throw out literally every single item of clothing I currently own and starting over from scratch with an empty closet. I realize I'll have to buy some stuff along the way, but I plan to buy as little as I can get away with and then celebrate with a shopping spree once I get to goal.

Initially, I had been thinking I'd get one of those closet systems put in, but I think that if I have a limited wardrobe of clothing that I actually wear, instead of tons and tons and tons of clothes that I never wear and/or which don't all fit at any given time, I probably won't even need to re-do my closet!

I just copied and pasted my thoughts from a previous thread over in the Maintainer's Forum:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/livi...celebrate.html

My experience is very similar to Megs.

Oddly enough, after dreaming of hitting my goal for 2 plus decades, when I finally DID hit it, it was anti-climactic. I always had this notion in my head of bending down, kissing the scale and sobbing like a baby. But that didn't happen. It was no surprise to me when the scale read me that number. I'd been faithfully on plan and therefore I knew it was coming. My life had DRASTICALLY changed already prior to that one day. Just like Meg, I looked at the scale, noted the number in my journal and went about my business as usual. It was just another day "at the office". Prepping my meals for the day, eating this, not eating that, exercising, work, the same old, same old at that point. So yes, nothing changed. Nothing.

The truth is I had been celebrating for quite some time already! Walking around in a slim, trim body HAS been the reward. And it was/is more rewarding then I ever could have imagined. Every day is a blessing and a joy to not be morbidly obese. To do my day in and day out things feeling all confident, strong, healthy and marvelous. Just getting dressed in the morning brings me happiness. I get a huge kick out of my tiny underwear and then I get to visit all my wonderful clothes and pick out a beautiful outfit to wear. I feel like a movie star and I get to play dress up every single day. I feel as if I've won the biggest prize on earth. My own personal little (not so little) mega millions jackpot, only it's priceless. Priceless. It's something money can't buy and it didn't involve luck, it involved my hard work.

That being said, I have no problem treating myself to clothes, clothes and more clothes. Somebody's gotta stop me! Nah, not gonna happen any time soon. In fact today I have set aside to switch over my closets, drawers from summer to fall/winter. I am overflowing with clothes and can't keep more then one season "out" at a time.

I have taken a couple of little trips and long wonderful weekends since losing the weight, though nothing major yet. These things would never have occurred had I not lost the weight. I was not interested in taking any sorts of vacations in the past. What would have been the point? I was too sedentary and unable to enjoy most things that a vacation entails - except for the food. I don't hesitate to these long weekends whenever the opportunity arises. I do feel as if "I've got it coming to me".

I want to go on vacation somewhere and experience it "skinny" for the first time....I've been to Disney World countless times, but always as fat, squishing myself into all the rides, really exhausted from all the walking, etc. This time around I'd like to see a difference in all that! I'm close to goal now.....but I think I'd like to go this summer....I should start saving up!

I wound up buying a brand new elliptical to celebrate I haven't really bought any new clothes other than my red dress since I've been in the size I'm in for a little while!

A thousand times yes to Robin's post about it being a little anti-climatic.....when I saw my goal numbers on that scale my heart did skip a beat but so much was going on (I hit goal on Super Bowl Sunday & my team was in their very first! Plus this was the first Mardi Gras that I was really just enjoying) that the yelling from the rooftop thing just didn't happen.
Nothing has changed for me, I'm still doing the exercise/eating right combo that has become my way of life. Y'all saw how I acted in my goal thread lol I hated to be such a downer but it really wasn't what I expected lol It's been a wonderful ride though I am enjoying just finally being myself!

Hello

Congratulations on your weight-loss. You are doing an awesome job!!

Yes, I have thought about it, too much! When I reach goal, I am buying a new wardrobe, hair/makeup makeover, and going on a Caribbean cruise (Norweigan Cruise Line) with my husband. Actually, both of us are doing this journey together (he lost 38 lbs so far). Which will make it extra special!! Great thread by the way!

I have thought about what I will do when I get to goal.
When I first started this journey I really didn't believe that I would ever get to goal, I just wanted to lose SOME weight and take it from there.
Recently however I've realised that I can get to goal and that's got me thinking more about rewards etc.
I haven't given myself any rewards along the way so far, apart from buying a couple of key items as I've gone down in the sizes because I look like a clown otherwise. But feeling 10 years younger than my age like I have suddenly in the last few weeks has been more reward than I could ever hope for, after feeling about 20 years older than my age for about 10 years.
I have thought about having a tattoo or belly button piercing when I hit goal, but not sure if that's going to happen. I'm also thinking of a spa weekend, have always wanted to go on one but didn't want anyone else to see the body I hated so much.
But something I know I definitely will be doing is filling my wardrobe with clothes that fit and flatter and make me feel fabulous, and getting rid of every other item in there.
I'm interested to see what other ideas people come up with.

At one time I would have told you that I am going to buy an emerald ring. However, as I have lost weight, that ring has become less and less important. I have been realizing as I lose weight that losing the fat, and all that goes with it, really is my reward.

I am still going to buy the ring though! Actually, my plan was to buy the ring as a reward for getting under 200 but under 200 just does not seem good enough now. I think that when I was bumping up against 300 pounds, getting under 200 pounds seemed like heaven on earth. That was as far as my imagination could stretch. I still can't picture myself at a "normal" 136 but now I can see 180.

Cheryl - that is how I am feeling right this moment, I want to get to under 200 lbs - that is REALLY about all I can wrap my head around.

My Mini Goal seems taxing at the moment and that's ONLY loosing 5 lbs.

I think I will buy lots of new clothes.

It's hard for me to think that far ahead.

When I reach my next mini goal. I will get myself a new lipstick! I have been rewarding myself with a little something (not food) for each five pounds I lose.

How cheesy is this??? I keep getting the reward. Everytime DH and I load our bikes up and go find a trail. Everytime I go shopping. Everytime we plan a trip. Everytime we go to a theater production. Even everytime we go out to eat. It's all more fun, more enjoyable, more stuff we never did because we were too heavy.

Our youngest graduates this May and then we'll be empty nesters. Although I will miss her lots (just like I miss her sister), they will be less than two hours away sharing an apartment and DH and I will be having a great time. We love to be busy together - biking, gardening, camping, etc. - and that is the biggest reward I could have hoped for.

Is there some big prize coming? Wel... we've been married 22 years - 23 in June - and never gone on a honeymoon. I'm thinking Jamaica in January could be a good plan!

Summerblue, you can get under 200. Never doubt it but don't dwell on it it either. I think you are wise to focus on that 5 pound goal. I am looking at this one day, one pound, and even one choice at a time. If I continue to make good choices, the pounds will come off!

You can do this!

I don't know that I will reward myself. Right now it seems like I'd be jumping up and down for joy, and if I miraculously lost it all tomorrow morning, then yes, I'd celebrate. But by the time I get there I'll probably have sat within a 1/2 pound of goal for a week or two and that makes reaching it rather anti-climatic, as mentioned above.

Not to down play rewards. It's whatever works, right?! But for me...well, I'm just not there yet, I guess.

I think others will relate to this.

I'm 48 years old, and quite pleased with most aspects of my life-- nice DH and kids, good career, I feel like I've accomplished a lot in my life.

But for at least 30 of the past 48 years I had this one big thing that was dragging me down. My weight-- yes-- but more than that, it was seeming inability to get a handle on this one aspect of my life. I could succeed at everything else, but around food, I made the wrong choices day after day.

The excess weight was a side effect of that, and by the end, a pretty serious and debilitating side effect, but the real victim was my self esteem.

Because of that, it's really not about a number for me anymore. Every day that I get up and stay on plan is its own reward.

I'm looking forward to being even fitter and healthier than I am now, but I think SUCCEEDING and developing the mindset that I will continue to succeed is cause for celebration every single day.

When I get to goal I want to go on vacation to somewhere warm! So I can wear smaller clothes and feel comfortable.