How do you reward yourself?

One of my friends teaches the "art of accomplishment" as a business & life coach. She insists on creating rewards, doing simple daily actions, and measuring only what you can control. For me, these three things have been my most successful guides.

I plan my rewards out for lots of mini-milestones, and I measure my progress based on my calorie counts and number of miles walked/workouts finished, that way, the scale doesn't get me down if it doesn't reflect my real progress.

I would like to know from others what you do to reward yourself for reaching a goal, whether that is your ultimate weight loss goal or your "I worked out five times this week!" accomplishment. Does it help to have a reward planned out?

I plan out rewards for limiting my eating out to a certain amount. It really helps. Now I don't even need the reward for that!

My reward was a small bar of Bournville that I would share with my colleagues once a month. I would only get one small piece but the fact that I earned it was great.

Now that I think about it... I should reward myself if I lose 1 kg this month. I would buy one or two books. One of I lose 1 kg. Two if I lose more than 1 Kg. *grins*

Oooh! And maybe I'll throw in a pedicure if I manage to sleep properly this week.

I usually buy skincare products or a new game, sometimes if I crave something sweet I'll buy berries or my favorite fruit

Right now my reward for hitting a goal is a really good cup of rich coffee with real cream and sugar. I am not drinking tea in the morning, but my love of coffee is still so strong. So to motivate me to get there, it is my reward.

I have a few rewards that help me. My favorite is a pedicure. If I do real well and stick to my calorie limit I will get the deluxe pedicure with the extra long massage and wax booties!! Whenever I look at my feet it reminds me that I feel skinny.

Another that I love is taking a long warm bubble bath. I turn the radio on, get either coffee or iced tea, and of course water and sit in the tub for as long as I want. I smooth lotion on while in the tub so it soaks into my skin. I feel so clean and pampered when I get out, then I put on perfumed lotion and the lingering scent reminds me of my long relaxing "me time".

Sorry, but I do not get the concept. I prefer to enjoy the process rather than the end result that i can enjoy for a moment only. If I need to reward myself for behavior, that means that what I do is extremely unpleasant, and is not a reward by itself. Why would I do it then? I am a grown up and I have a choice. I am trying to lose weight so that I feel better. That is a reward by itself. Now that I lost 20+ lb, I can breath easily, go fo longer walks, and my knees don't ache as much. I enjoy the food that I eat on daily basis, I am not hungry, and I am not deprived. If I want to eat anything else, I have a choice to do it. If I feel hungry, I eat more than my daily allotment is knowing that I would not lose as much weight this week. I exercise because I enjoy it. I like the feeling, I like the activities I choose. This applies to everything I do, not just weight loss. I like good food - I cook, I like having a nice home - I clean it, I enjoy learning - I got back to college and take more classes, I like my job - I go to my boss and ask for a more challenging project. I do not see the effort I need to apply to achieve something as a punishment, that has to be compensated by a reward.

I set up a whole spreadsheet on my rewards. I give myself x number of points based on my average caloric intake, whether or not I workout during the day, if I swim, bike, run how far I go, if I lose any weight - and then some additional bonus points for hitting my goals in time for my running and my weight. Then I have assigned certain rewards (iTunes gift cards for myself, new jeans, etc) for every so many points. Ultimately the more successful I am at everything, the sooner I get to reward myself.

My reward for maintaining a calorie deficit while I was losing weight was how amazing I felt in the morning knowing that I would weigh less. And now that I have reached my goal weight, my reward is constant: I love how I feel about my thinner self now, the compliments I receive, how I feel in my new clothes, the confidence I have, and most of all how my husband cant keep his hands off me!

@ sjcoray ~ I love your idea of a speadsheet and points! AWESOME idea ~ Thanks

You bet

I agree - I feel rewarded every day I wake up and my pants are looser or I can buckle my belt tighter, but sometimes, especially during the lulls or stalls, it's nice to have an added incentive. Plus, my main goal is actually fitness, not weight (though I know the latter is a big part of the former) - and getting a PR in a 5k every 6 months or so can sometimes take too long

My reward is this website. It's simple and easy to use, so every day I can see exactly how I'm tracking. At first I just put "real" exercise in, but now I list all the times I drive, shop, clean, even cook - anything that is not "resting". I don't enter small weight gains, because they are depressing and are often a result of Mothers Day, family celebrations etc. I refuse to be a boring "Sorry, I can't eat that", if dining with a friend, but just quietly choose how much to eat. The reward is to wait, and then be delighted when the down happens again. And my motivation is the picture of fruit on a scale showing just how much 1Kg (2.2 lbs) is.