Hey, I'm new to this website, but I love it so far! I'm on the Michael Thurmond diet, and so far I've been successful. After a very tempting day but still sticking to my diet, I really wanted to reward myself for doing so well. I think rewarding myself with food would defeat the purpose...I'm at a lost for what kinds of rewards I can give or motivate myself to keep doing well. Any advice and suggestions would be well appreciated.

There are several threads about this - do a search on "reward" and you'll come up with a lot of really great ideas.

Some of my favorites are things like massages, mani-pedis, a new hairstyle, a new hair or makeup product.

Clothes are always a good reward for me, but difficult to do if you're at the beginning of your weightloss journey and know that you have a lot more to lose. But purses and shoes are always a good option.

Also any splurge you wouldn't normally do - a movie, a new book, something nice for your house. I bought organizing bins for under my bathroom sink as one of my "rewards".

I always looked for fitness rewards or healthy-cooking rewards...things that would help me move toward my goals, while still being cool.

Food scales
Regular Scales
New Fitness Equipment (Weights, resistance bands, yoga mats) or even fitness DVDs
Gym Clothes
Magazine Subscriptions (to read on the elliptical!)
An expensive low or no-cal ingredient you'd never splurge on otherwise (fresh vanilla beans, saffron, really fabulous mineral salts)

I also believe in "little" rewards...one of my favorites was to exchange gym days for iTunes money. That meant that going to the gym earned me more songs for my mp3 player, which made me want to go to the gym more! So maybe a week of my exercise goal, and I'd get $5 on iTunes. A month? All new gym clothes! Adjust the rewards to match the difficulty of the task.

I like shoes. and occasionally clothes that are on super clearance because I don't intend to be this size for long. But I figure shoes will still fit after the weight loss, and also I like getting things that make my goal easier. I recently got a mini blender, for making my healthy smoothies and the cup you can drink out of. So less dishes. works out well. You just need to find something that you will work towards.

I hope this doesn't come across as really annoying, but it helps me to think of being on plan and making good choices as its own reward.

Then again, if I had spare money lying around, maybe I'd go in for all that other stuff too!

I've thought that occasionally too Maria.. but I justify spoiling myself.

I looked over bank records for last year and was absolutely appalled at how much money I spent on crap food. No, really, it was horrifying. I now spend about half that on monthly rewards, a personal trainer and my gym memberships without a single trace of guilt and sock the other half into savings.

Amanda, I really like the expensive ingredient idea. I've sort of done that, with expensive coffee beans or mustards, but you've reminded me of my need for saffron and vanilla beans. Thanks!

I set mini-goal rewards. For 20 pounds, I got an iPod Shuffle {to groove out to while working out} and for 30 pounds I get a nice little necklace.

I agree that clothes are the best reward, and they're also the best judge of progress. I got a "mini shopping trip" for getting to a size 18, and a big one for size 16, small for 14, large for 12, etc etc.

As far as food not being a good reward...it CAN be, just depends on what type of food it is. If you've had an awesome week, why not go to a more-expensive-than-usual restaurant and order amazingly tasty healthy food? Hubby likes to reward me when I've had a good week by taking me to a seafood place where I can have REALLY good crab legs and shrimp. But definitely avoid the "I've been good, so I'll have a snickers bar!" train of thought.

I KNOW! I always thought we just ate out from "time to time"...but after examining the statement from the month before I really started "being healthy"...we were eating out 6 or 7 meals per week! Now we eat out two or three times per week - I'll take my kids to a cheapie diner for lunch once a week, hubby and I go to dinner once per week, and sometimes we go out as a family. We used to spend close to $200/week on eating out/junk food/convenience food, and now we only spend about $75 to $100. And even with the increase in cost of "healthy" food, our grocery bill is still only $50-$75 per week.

And then people say they can't afford a gym membership!

Jay

I do reward my self with food, well kind of. I love starbucks but I can only go once I hit my minnie goal. Which is every 10 pounds I am aloud to go to starbucks that is my reward, it has also helped save money too.