Reward Yourself for Weight Loss Successes
Whether you have a little or a lot of weight to lose, you will benefit
greatly by some simple behavior modification measures, such as
rewarding yourself every time you meet one of your smaller goals.
Losing weight is a big challenge for most of us. It requires a lot of
hard work to change what might be extremely longstanding habits that
we might have acquired. The exercise that is involved in losing a
great deal of weight is also very hard work. You need something to
keep you going for the long haul. For many people, rewarding
themselves at regular intervals throughout the process works very well.
Some diet plans incorporate a ‘reward meal’ once a week or once every
ten days. If you are following a restricted diet, this might be the
way to go. It’s hard to go without you favorite foods on a daily
basis. If you know that all restrictions will be lifted at regular
times, it might be easier to go without bread or chips or ice cream
the rest of the time. This practice is somewhat controversial,
however. It depends on some of the psychological reasons behind your
particular weight problem. For instance, if eating is like an
addiction for you, having an unrestricted meal might be an invitation
to binge. You could liken it to an alcoholic, who is unable to
have ‘just one’ beer without triggering the problematic behavior once
again. Of course, people with a food addiction have a harder road
ahead of them, because unlike alcohol, you can’t just ‘give up’ eating
altogether. If your diet plan includes a reward meal, try it once and
see how it works for you. Does it make it easier for you to stick to
the diet the rest of the time, or is it that much harder to get back
on track afterwards? If so, you might want to rethink you reward
system.
Most experts agree that non-food rewards are best for people trying to
lose weight. It should be something that is meaningful to you, and
that represents the ‘new you’ in some way. For many women, that might
involve buying clothes or a cosmetic or jewelry item that you would
not otherwise have bought. You can think of it this way: by losing
weight, even if there is an initial outlay of cash, you are also
saving yourself money in the long run. Buying and preparing healthy
food costs less than restaurant meals and junk food, so that’s one way
in which you will save. Then, by being healthier, you will be more
productive, and you will be productive later in life. Most
importantly, perhaps, you will also be healthier, and save on medical
costs throughout your life. In light of all this, you are justified
in spending a little more on a clothing or luxury item once in a
while, to reward yourself for working hard to lose weight.
On the other hand, not all of us – not even all women – are motivated
by clothing, cosmetics and jewelry. Your reward can be any non-food
item that you choose – a new novel, for example, or theater or concert
tickets. When you reach your weight loss goals, you might even want to
splurge on a holiday – but try to make it an active holiday, rather
than a cruise or resort stay where you have little to do but lie in
the sun and eat!
It’s a great idea to plan a big reward once you have met your weight
loss goals, but it may be even more important to plan smaller rewards
more frequently. Make your goals realistic and incremental, and reward
yourself whenever you meet one successfully. If you make it easier to
feel as though you are ‘winning’ in the weight loss game, you will
likely continue to be successful. This is a type of psychology that
seems to work well for everyone, adults and children alike. So, for
example, you might want to reward yourself for exercising three times
in a given week, or you might want to attach the reward to having lost
a certain amount of weight – but make it a small amount, like a pound
or two. Keep in mind that you can reach weight ‘plateaus’ even when
you are following the plan, so it may be better to attach rewards to
behavior. By doing so, you are effectively retraining your body and
mind so that you can enjoy better health and eating habits in the
future.
Want to lose weight healthily and get the body you desire? Discover
weight loss tips and download ebooks worth more than $150 for FREE at
http://www.weightlossartist.com
Whether you have a little or a lot of weight to lose, you will benefit
greatly by some simple behavior modification measures, such as
rewarding yourself every time you meet one of your smaller goals.
Losing weight is a big challenge for most of us. It requires a lot of
hard work to change what might be extremely longstanding habits that
we might have acquired. The exercise that is involved in losing a
great deal of weight is also very hard work. You need something to
keep you going for the long haul. For many people, rewarding
themselves at regular intervals throughout the process works very well.
Some diet plans incorporate a ‘reward meal’ once a week or once every
ten days. If you are following a restricted diet, this might be the
way to go. It’s hard to go without you favorite foods on a daily
basis. If you know that all restrictions will be lifted at regular
times, it might be easier to go without bread or chips or ice cream
the rest of the time. This practice is somewhat controversial,
however. It depends on some of the psychological reasons behind your
particular weight problem. For instance, if eating is like an
addiction for you, having an unrestricted meal might be an invitation
to binge. You could liken it to an alcoholic, who is unable to
have ‘just one’ beer without triggering the problematic behavior once
again. Of course, people with a food addiction have a harder road
ahead of them, because unlike alcohol, you can’t just ‘give up’ eating
altogether. If your diet plan includes a reward meal, try it once and
see how it works for you. Does it make it easier for you to stick to
the diet the rest of the time, or is it that much harder to get back
on track afterwards? If so, you might want to rethink you reward
system.
Most experts agree that non-food rewards are best for people trying to
lose weight. It should be something that is meaningful to you, and
that represents the ‘new you’ in some way. For many women, that might
involve buying clothes or a cosmetic or jewelry item that you would
not otherwise have bought. You can think of it this way: by losing
weight, even if there is an initial outlay of cash, you are also
saving yourself money in the long run. Buying and preparing healthy
food costs less than restaurant meals and junk food, so that’s one way
in which you will save. Then, by being healthier, you will be more
productive, and you will be productive later in life. Most
importantly, perhaps, you will also be healthier, and save on medical
costs throughout your life. In light of all this, you are justified
in spending a little more on a clothing or luxury item once in a
while, to reward yourself for working hard to lose weight.
On the other hand, not all of us – not even all women – are motivated
by clothing, cosmetics and jewelry. Your reward can be any non-food
item that you choose – a new novel, for example, or theater or concert
tickets. When you reach your weight loss goals, you might even want to
splurge on a holiday – but try to make it an active holiday, rather
than a cruise or resort stay where you have little to do but lie in
the sun and eat!
It’s a great idea to plan a big reward once you have met your weight
loss goals, but it may be even more important to plan smaller rewards
more frequently. Make your goals realistic and incremental, and reward
yourself whenever you meet one successfully. If you make it easier to
feel as though you are ‘winning’ in the weight loss game, you will
likely continue to be successful. This is a type of psychology that
seems to work well for everyone, adults and children alike. So, for
example, you might want to reward yourself for exercising three times
in a given week, or you might want to attach the reward to having lost
a certain amount of weight – but make it a small amount, like a pound
or two. Keep in mind that you can reach weight ‘plateaus’ even when
you are following the plan, so it may be better to attach rewards to
behavior. By doing so, you are effectively retraining your body and
mind so that you can enjoy better health and eating habits in the
future.
Want to lose weight healthily and get the body you desire? Discover
weight loss tips and download ebooks worth more than $150 for FREE at
http://www.weightlossartist.com
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