Reward Yourself - You Deserve it!
Article written by Jessica Barker.
Rewards play an important part in our lives. They keep us motivated and often are the light at the end of the tunnel, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow so to speak. When we know we will be rewarded or better yet we know the reward and it means something to us, we are much more motivated to achieve the goal so we can claim our ‘prize’. A great example is a wedding. It seems most brides would like to lose a little or sometimes a lot of weight before they walk down the aisle. The goal is to lose weight and the reward is feeling the very best you can. I use this example because I myself am about to walk down the aisle and that was great motivation and the reward of feeling beautiful in my dress will be priceless.
What should I reward myself with?
It is important to reward ourselves for a job well done. However a lot of us tend to reward ourselves using food. For instance we win the finals so we go out for pizza, or we finally hand in that assignment so we reward ourselves with cake. No matter what the task, it seems the reward is always the same…FOOD! And usually not just any food - food which is not so good for us. I mean would you really feel rewarded with a pile of celery sticks? I know I wouldn’t.
Not to say having these foods is bad and that you should never have them. We just need to break the cycle of using food as a reward or our weight will suffer, and not in a good way.
It is important that while you are losing weight you do reward yourself. Losing weight is hard work and without a decent reward the task ahead may hardly seem worth it! A great way is to reward yourself after ever 5 kilograms lost. However a Big Mac is not the solution. You can spend as little money or as much money on your reward as you like. Robyn who lost 84 kilograms on our Program rewarded herself for every 10 kilograms she lost. Her first reward was a gold ring she had her eye on. Setting goals and rewarding herself really helped Robyn achieve her goal, and what an achievement that was.
What are some good non food rewards?
Now that you have read all about the importance of rewarding yourself with something other than food, you are probably looking for some ideas. Below are some examples of non food related rewards that you can use while you are on your weight loss journey.
- Buy yourself new jewellery.
- Buy a DVD (movie or even a series you enjoy)
- Buy yourself a new game - X-box, Play station or even Monopoly or Uno!
- Get a manicure or pedicure.
- Get a massage.
- Have a makeover done or get some new make up.
- Go shopping for new clothes or accessories.
- Purchase a magazine or new book you like.
- Go see a movie or live show.
- Go on a harbour or boat cruise.
- Catch up with the girls or boys.
- Have a holiday or weekend away.
- Buy some new furniture or make over a room in your house.
- Play a round of golf or social tennis.
- Upgrade to a newer mobile, computer or television.
- Do up your car or better yet get a new one!
The options are endless, the most important thing to do is ensure the reward is something you would like, you will enjoy and is worthy of the effort. Remember it’s not the destination that counts it’s the journey! So go on and reward yourself - you deserve it!
Last updated 05 November 2009
