I really suck at coming up with rewards. I don't wanna spend the money on something like a spa when I'd rather save the mullha towards our trip to Ireland in the spring. I am NOT doing any food rewards.... I dunno.

Maybe I'll hold off on seeing some exhibits or movies until I hit some mini goals.

LOL! I love it!

Lisa

i bought myself an empty charm bracelet, and pick out a new charm from eBay to celebrate every 5 lbs. every time i wear it i'm reminded of how far i've come (and why i should WALK AWAY from the chocolate cake! :))

I personally don't use rewards. I know lots do and I know that I can list off TONS of potential, low-cost rewards. But I personally don't use them. For ME, it sets up a good/bad value judgement system with respect to weight loss -- if I'm "good" and reach a goal, I get a reward. If I'm "bad" and don't reach it, I "don't deserve" the treat. I personally find this thinking non-productive, because I want to change my LIFE not feel "unworthy" if I don't reach a goal.

You see, I want to LIVE this lifestyle, and if I do it long enough, it will hopefully feel NATURAL to me. And I don't want to reward myself for doing what should be unremarkable. I buy clothes when I need them or when something supercute is in the window. I have regular pedis, and the odd massage when I want to treat myself. But I don't reward myself.

But that's just me.

Rewards work for lots of people, and I'd choose the massage over the cake, because with food, you MIGHT feel like you are getting away with something but your bottom WILL account for the calories, and you'll have to work extra hard to compensate, which doesn't sound like much of a reward to me!!!

Kira

good ideas here. I love the charm bracelet concept. Buying new clothes really feels like a reward to me, though I don't especially say after X lbs, I get a new X.

I am going to start rewarding myself for every 5 lbs lost so and started listing rewards. It was actually quite difficult for me to come up with rewards because I self reward a lot already.

Anyway, I started listing various things I'd like and things I'd like to do. One thing I listed was 'diet soda' because I don't drink it regularly but sometimes I like to.

This sums it up for me exactly! I get massages every other week but would have no problem throwing an extra one in there from time to time ;).

Sorry... I dodn't mean to torture you! Just wanted to see every ones ideas.

Oooooo! Thats a good one for me too! Love that idea. I love soda so much but I don't allow myself to drink anything but water so that would be a fantastic reward. =)

Another very cool idea. I never would have thought of that and my grandma gave me one before she died and I have NO charms =) I love this.

No contest, I'd pick a day at the spa over a slice of chocolate cake, even before I ever considered dieting. Come on, the spa day lasts all day! Massage is involved! I think a more fair comparison would maybe be a slice of chocolate cake at every meal for a week :devil:

Of course, as a real reward, the spa is ever so much more money than chocolate cake.

In theory, I think rewards are great. They just don't work out so well for me because if I think I need it / can afford it, I'm going to buy it now, not wait.

I also try really hard to not (not now like previously) reward myself with food. But I do treat myself to new songs for my itouch, jewelry, shoes, clothes, makeup, anything girlie!

Clothes - I stard to need them anyway :-)

Ok, I do realize that I am probably in minority, but this is how you plan to live for the rest of your lives? I don't think a slice of cake, as a reward or as a celebration, is not such a disaster. Yes, this is a lifestyle but really, we are also alive and should live our lives to the fullest. I am currently on a very carb-restricted eating plan (I do not want to use the word diet) as I am doing P90X and I am trying to be as close to what they recommend .... but I am also turning 50 on Sunday and I will go out of dinner and I think that maybe I will order pasta with meatballs or something equally "decadent". Maybe I will even share with somebody a slice of cake (because the slice tend to be humaguous these days).
Otherwise, my attitude is close to Kira's - I don't reward myself. I buy new clothes because I need them (I had to throw out everything in my closet) and I eat what I see fit. Even if I decide to treat myself to a mani or pedi, I don't see it as a reward. But this is not related to any weight loss, this has been my attitude my entire life.

Happy Birthday. 50 is a milestone <3 I completely hear what you are saying and I agree. I just celebrated my birthday Sat and I stayed on plan but had a quarter of my husbands piece of cake. AND... proportions are gigantic now! My bowls hold 4-5 servings. lol.

Again, Happy Birthday!!!