Smaller goals, Big Rewards

I know some people (I won’t name any names), who would leave Weight Watchers meetings and head straight for the nearest burger joint.    Yay!  I lost five pounds, so I deserve that cheeseburger, fries and milkshake!   Kind of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?   Yet for a lot of us, rewarding ourselves with food has become a habit that is hard to break.

Rewards are very important, especially when it comes to losing weight.  There is no such thing as instant gratification when it comes to weight loss, and that can be discouraging.  Some weeks you may lose a pound but still feel disappointed because there so much left to lose.   If you go too long without seeing progress, you might want to throw in the towel all together.

There might not be much of a physical change after losing one or two pounds, but progress is being made.   Reaching goal weight takes a long time, so it is really, really important to set smaller goals and reward yourself for the progress that no one else can notice . . . yet.  Just don’t reward yourself with food!

I suggest doing something special for every five pounds you lose.   It doesn’t have to be anything big, just something to acknowledge the hard work you put in.    After losing five pounds I would go get a hot coffee and wander around the discount book store.    Just having time to peruse the books without interruption was a huge treat for this mommy!    

For every ten pounds, do something a little bigger.   I found that for about every ten pounds I lost, I went down a size in clothes.  I don’t particularly like shopping, but it was fun to try on smaller sizes and have them fit!    As I got closer to goal, it was truly a reward to go and pick out a new bra or new pair of jeans that didn’t hang on me, and actually fitting into smaller sizes was a tangible reflection of progress that I didn’t always notice in the mirror.   

There are endless possibilities when it comes to non-food rewards.   A new workout video, a new candle,  a manicure,  spending time with a friend . . .  think of what would be a treat for you.    Make a list of possible rewards, and make a plan of when you will get the reward.   That way, you will have something to look forward to!