We eat for many reasons rather than because we are hungry. One of them is to reward ourselves for a job well done.

Rewards for a job well done

Preplanned short term rewards that you decide in advance to help keep you on track with your goals.

EXAMPLES:

$10 on makeup
new pens or crayon
journal or sketch pad
magazine
Saturday afternoon reading fiction
sleeping in
$10 on a coffee card at Starbucks
a playdate with a friend
flowers for your desk

Preplanned long term rewards that you decide in advance to help keep you on track with your goals.

EXAMPLES:
If I am at my goal weight and have  a book written by September, I’ve got a wonderful week-long staycation planned for myself.

What longer term goals and rewards would you like to set in place?

Want to make yourself a visual reminder to hang on your refrigerator?
Here is a fun program  called Wordle to use to do it.

Spontaneous rewards

These too are for a job well done: you finished your work week; you weeded the garden; you wrote the report and suddenly you want a milkshake, or some munchies, or just to be taken out to eat.

Okay, great. The first thing is to tell yourself, “YES! I do deserve the reward.” Don’t try to argue yourself out of the pat on the back in order to convince yourself not to blow your diet. Give yourself the pat on the back. Big time. It is not easy to manage to get things done in the fast past speeded up world in which we live. We all need pats on the back all the time. Every day. We don’t however want to blow our calories out of the water while do it.

Sometimes this pat on the back that you give yourself will be enough. Other times, you might ask for a pat on the back from someone else. Kevin knows that I really love to be thanked and praised for what I do. So when I get done with something I tell him that I did it and he reciprocates. We used to have this misunderstanding were he would get defensive and think it was because I was trying to guilt him, or suggest it was something that he should have been doing. Not so. (Usually). I’ll also call or text my sister or my Mom for the same purpose. Even if they don’t gush all over me, it feels good to have expressed my own appreciation for my awesomeness.

Next step  is to remind yourself with the word “and” that you are also wanting to achieve certain goals. “Yes, I am awesome and do deserve a milkshake AND I am also trying to lose a pound this week so that I can stay on track for that weeks vacation. ” Then what will it be..

…a nap
…a walk
…a glass of iced iced tea with a magazine you’ve been waiting to read
…an evening with your girls
… a ride with the top down/onyour bike

If you are going to use food as a reward try the good/ better/ best strategy

So tell us….

What are some short term reward ideas?

What are some of your longer term goals and rewards?

What do you think of the ideas for spontaneously rewarding yourself? Would just patting yourself on the back work for you? When do you usually find yourself wanting reward? Could you plan for them?

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