A slice of CHOCOLATE cake or day at the SPA
 

What is your reward?? If you set mini goals, is the accomplishment enough or do say "I am going to buy that dress" or "I can have 1 cookie from my favorite place"????

I spent some time thinking today about rewards! I hit 11 lbs lost today and I have not done rewards before. I want to treat myself but I am not sure what I am motivated by... Clothes, food, trips, spa time??

AJ

definately not food.

I do clothes usually. :)

If I had a choice between either a FREE trip to the Spa or a slice of chocolate cake... I'd go with the Spa any day... chocolate cake or a bar of chocolate, I can always budget that in advance in my daily menu ;)

If u r losing a good bit of weight clothes are not the best option as u will be falling out of them soon,hopefully;). So, I would prefer a mani, pedi, or perhaps a massage for your tired body. U can get students to do them for pretty cheap and it helps with their credit also!!!:)

Rewards
 

For me, it's clothes, makeup, perfume, and hair (like highlights, cut, or just a cool accessory). So I guess, basically, just stuff that makes me feel more like a 'girl'.

And that is what I said. I promised myself that I would not buy clothes until I get close to goal. But I don't really L O V E the spa and I don't crave cake or anything. I need to find a solution because I am earning good things =)

Yeah, I try to stay away from food rewards just because I have such an emotional relationship with food right now and I'm trying to fix that. What I've decided was mini goals I will do a pedicure, haircut, buy salon product for my hair, an ipod touch...anything that will make me feel good, and something that isn't food so I can start re wiring my head to make it enjoy non-food things, lol.

No food rewards here :)

My rewards were all clothing/shoes/massage/mani/pedi based...even if you are between sizes you still need clothes! Most of mine either came from ebay or a local consignment shop :)

Maybe a trip of some kind? If you could find a low fare on air travel and maybe Hotwire a hotel, you could do something spur-of-the moment. I would much rather take a really short trip to NY than buy a new outfit. :D

I like to reward myself with things like a new CD (yes, I still buy CD's! LOL) and stuff like that. For big goals, I like big rewards like a nice handbag. I'm just a few pounds away from a major goal--when I hit 45 pounds lost, I'll be buying a new Coach or D&B handbag. I don't get TOO spendy, but I likes me a nice purse!

Ohhh windchime I'm a major purse addict lol. I am definitely getting a new bag when I hit onederland.

I totally understand why we shouldn't reward with food (emotional eating, viewing food as a reward, not fuel) but I do occasionally reward with food, else I think I would feel deprived. All through the week, I keep to my plan pretty much to the letter, and keep treats at bay by saying 'I can have one if I do well at weigh-in'. So for example, just after the weigh-in last week, I lost 2lbs, and was desperate for KFC, had been for days, so I went to KFC and had a mini-fillet burger. It's only 4.5 points (and I had it w/o mayo so probably even less) but it's kept cravings away all this week.

Celebrating weight loss by eating is like a junkie celebrating being clean by shooting up... :dunno:

I'd use just about anything else as a reward, I think! New clothes, a new book or favorite tunes, an hour massage, a movie (bring your own snacks)...

Jay

My first rewards were a new pocket book, then a wallet, next was a pair of slippers......

And I am definitely, definitely in the same boat as those that say to never, ever use "food" as a reward. Because really the biggest reward of all is learning these new habits and staying away from those type foods. You want to add in an indulgence every now and then is one thing, but IMO to use it as a reward for losing weight, is just sending out the wrong message.

I reward myself with a trip to the thrift store. I seem to do that all the time now. But a slice of chocolate cake sounds really tempting right now :(

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!!!

Tomato, I agree completely. I don't think having a slice of cake is a disaster in any sense. Truthfully, I sometimes feel a little resentful when other posters suggest that eating something (*gasp*) other than broccoli or fish is proof that you're not as healthy or committed to your weight loss as they are. I like having my cake every now and then, and I think I'm as healthy and committed as anyone. And frankly I'm proud that I've managed to teach myself the skill of moderation ;)

That being said, if you want a slice of cake, have it. But for a real reward, nothing beats a day at the spa!

Tomato, for me there's a big difference between having food at a celebration and using food as a reward. I have no problem at all with celebrations that involve food. A reward, though, is something earned, something deserved, and it's dangerous for me to think of food that way. I say it's dangerous for me because I have a history of emotional eating, and saying "I can eat cake because I lost five pounds," is not all that different from saying, "I can eat cake because I'm having a bad day." It's not the cake eating that's the problem, it's the thought process behind it.

I'm not sure I'll ever completely conquer emotional eating. I've almost completely overcome the behaviors, but the thought processes are still there, so I'm extra careful not to trigger them. And I probably will have to live like that for the rest of my life, but I'm okay with that. It's why I tend to say I'm recovering, not recovered, and it's why JayEll's comparison to the junkie rang so true to me.

Lisa

Look @ you LISA!! 105 lbs. Congrats lady <3

I'm quoting myself here. But just to repeat it, I said that I think adding in an indulgence once in a while is one thing, but to use food as a reward for losing weight- A REWARD FOR LOSING WEIGHT - is a completely different thing. 2 totally and separate issues. Celebration, splurge - one thing - reward for losing weight another. But that's just me.

Was I really THAT unclear about how I felt? Sheesh, it's hard to get ones thoughts out here on the internet sometimes. :dizzy:

Exactly this.

Lisa, I'm so glad you're back here at 3FC. You get your point across very well. And to boot, it's usually the same point as mine. Makes my life lots easier........

Never food. It's been different things, clothes, pedicure, jewelry, such as that. I know that my absolute final reward to myself will be a spa day and an awesome pair of expensive but worth every penny jeans. Had to come back because I totally forgot to add the biggie. I've been wanting to take the kids to D.C. forever so I'm planning a spring trip there. I know I'll be at goal by then and not having any issues with walking all over with my new light fit self :)

When I lost 10 lbs, my reward was new underwear. When I lost 20 lbs, it was getting a ring resized. I haven't come up with something for losing 30 lbs.

Lisa,
I fully understand this because I have to be very careful myself not to give in to emotional eating. It is easier once one learns to identify it and realize that's what it is, but it can be still difficult at times. Just like you, it is something I will have to live with for the rest of my life as well.

Robin,
I have a feeling (from this and also from some previous posts) that you may feel like I am picking you out and attacking your beliefs. I don't, it's just that you represent one approach and I represent another one, and so I don't entirely agree with what you (or somebody else) may be saying. But please believe me that it is not personal.

I understand what you are saying about a reward being one thing and a splurge or celebration being another one, although it strikes me (and that's not to disagree, it's just a comment) that at the end, the result is actually the same - i.e. the slice of cake or whatever ending up in your/mine stomach. I do realize that the mental rationalization behind the act itself is very important but it just make me smile that we may argue about how we "classify" it while the eating of the cake (on its owned, stripped of the mental process) will be the same in either case. :dizzy:

For me, rewards don't work. If I want new clothes, I'll go get it. Similarly, if I need hair or nails done I'll go get it done. I have a terrible sweet tooth and cake is one of my major weaknesses. I don't reward myself with food as that's a dangerous path to follow. Having said that, I do have my weaknesses for certain foods :( and I try my best to incorporate them in my calorie limits.

I do eat cake or any dessert but I try to plan for it. As long as I account for what I eat and am within my calorie limit I am ok with it. And I don't eat it every day. Especially, when we go out to eat, there are times when I've checked their dessert menu with the entree menu to see if there's any dessert I'd like to try. Then I order my entree accordingly to save room for dessert (dessert junkie here :lol:). Of course, there have been times when the best plans have gone hay wire so I make sure that I make up for it next day or two by eating lower calories and workout harder. Live and learn is the motto.

I don't know, but I'm leaning towards a day at the spa. Never been to a spa before :o