Golden Globes, SAGs, Oscars… While I generally watch the E! pre-show with popcorn and vino, the beautiful people of Hollywood get all gussied up and receive awards for the great work they’ve done this past year. This time of year, I like to give myself some recognition for some of the great little things that I do. (Emphasis on ‘little’ and de-emphasize ‘great’)
Personally, I like to reward myself with little gifties along my weight-loss journey to reward positive behavior and give myself gifts or reminders to continue those same positive behaviors. Clearly, I’m aware that these are carrots leading me toward my main goal. I think that only tangibly rewarding yourself when you hit the final goal weight can be very discouraging. To me, it says that this final goal is the only thing that deserves to be rewarded, when really, the journey itself is just as much as a deserving accomplishment. And let’s face it, when I’m at my goal, that in itself is the reward. These other things not only tie me over, but may help me to get there a little faster.
That said, my rewards are typically things that I would probably buy for myself at some point anyhow. Putting them toward a goal, though, makes them seem like a real treat. Something I deserve. An accomplishment. These rewards, as you can see on my actual list below, are mostly products that I think will further encourage my healthy lifestyle. My biggest gift (the Vita-mix blender I’ve been lusting after forevvvvvvver) is not the final gift. I’ve strategically placed it close to the end… when the going usually gets tough, and the tough can plateau. In addition, I have not decided on a specific number; quite frankly, I don’t know how I’ll look or feel at 128 vs 124 and I’m not sure it matters that much. For now, I’ll try to get to 129 then reassess the situation.
I’ve already gotten my first rewards! I just ordered them the other day and they got here tonight. Even though I’m only down my first few pounds, I think that’s a big deal; I’m finally moving in the right direction. To reward this, I got myself a Vapur water bottle and some Amazing Grass. The water bottle is pretty awesome – I saw it on Lilveggiepatch and thought it would be perfect for me. While I’m at work all day, I don’t have access to good, clean drinking water (news flash: NYC inner-city schools have awful drinking water, if you can call it that). I have a huge Nalgene, but need more and don’t want to haul a huge container. The Vapur, which is in a BPA-free bag (it stands up, though!), can flatten and roll up when I’m done with it. Pretty great, eh?
To read more about the pros and cons of rewarding weight loss, check these articles out:
- Some suggestions on how to reward yourself
- NYTimes Well Blog discusses article about setting short-term goals to make resolutions last
- Cash as an incentive for weight-loss? NYT Well blog
- Should we reward ourselves for weight loss? FitSugar
————————————————————————————————
In other news:
- I’ve got some races lined up – I’ll be adding them to my list soon!
- As we speak, my husby is taking over the kitchen! He’s now in charge of making dinner on Tuesday nights. We’ve decided to make them Seafood Tuesdays, it smells pretty great – I’ll let you know how it goes.
- I’m almost finished with my Spark! Wellness Cleanse, and I do think I have a food allergy. More deets to follow in an upcoming post.
Related posts:
- Keepin the Pace when the Pace Pick Up (Part V) Rewarding Yourself A job well done, in any facet of...
- New November Wow! I can’t believe it’s November already! That means it’s...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.