I find small rewards very helpful while I'm working on losing weight. And I find that I basically reward myself for three things:
1. Staying under 1300 calories.
When I been conservative with calories and end the day with less than 1200, I will treat myself to a snack or dessert that I wouldn't normally get, like ice cream. I try to pick the treat that will take me to 12oo calories and send me over the least. My treat should never take me past 1300, but it still keeps me from feeling like I'm depriving myself, while keeping my calories low.
2. Drinking 2 liters of water.
One of the rules I have unofficially set for myself is "No soda until I've had 2 liters of water." I obviously cheat on this one more often than some of the other rules, but I am getting better, and it makes soda more of a treat when I have had water all day and have been looking forward to that cool carbonated beverage.
3. Exercising.
Usually I don't reward myself for exercising. It is often enough of a reward by itself. But when it has been especially difficult to motivate myself to do the exercise and I do it, then I like to reward myself with something little. Something I can use as motivation to start exercising or to keep exercising for the allotted time. Last night it was a hot bath. I told myself that if I stepped for 30 minutes I would soak in a nice hot bath and read. I also did Satin Hands for my hands and feet, and that is always a treat. I end the day feeling calm and relaxed.
So those are ways I reward myself for meeting daily goals. One is food related (which I know you aren't supposed to do while "dieting", but I really see these as lifelong changes, not a diet.) but motivates me to eat ENOUGH calories in a day, which I tend not to do if I am watching what I eat.
2 comments:
Rewards are a great idea! But be careful about rewarding yourself with food or calorie treats. I have heard at WW and in other places that often that feed into emotional eating. You see, for people like me it becomes food as a celebration. So my rewards are in the form of clothing - that fits a slimmer body - and you idea of the hot bath. Just not something that goes in my mouth. Make sense?
That's why I added the explanation at the end of the post. I treat myself in order to eat enough calories in a day. If I had to fill those calories with vegetables, I probably wouldn't, and would only eat 900 calories a day, which isn't healthy. I am also prone to emotional eating, so by making those treats something I get as a response to caloric intake instead of emotional state, I associate them less and less with comfort and more with energy and nutrition. Because I am already getting those things (occasional ice cream, for example) I don't turn to them for comfort when I am sad or frustrated like I used to.
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