Hey Guys,

Three and a half years ago I weighed 198 pounds. I'm 5'6" and I was 27. I had a eureka moment, flipped out that I would die of a heart attack at 50, and started a long, slow weight loss journey. I got down to 147 pounds and settled in around 155 for awhile. I switched from grad school to law school, and the pounds crept back on, peaking at the end of this summer at 172. I'm having a harder time losing two pounds a week at 31 than I did at 27. But I'm working at it. I was wondering what you guys do for motivation. I designed the following list (and just hit the first reward...) What do you think?

172 (Starting Weight)
165 Buy a pull-up bar DONE
160 Treat myself to a massage (Working on this... 4.5 pounds to go!)
155 Buy some new Steve Madden shoes (My favoirte, but overpriced!)
150 Another massage
145 Trip to LA to visit good friend (and show off the new svelte bod)
140 Spend a pile of clothing gift cards I've stacked up to have a new wardrobe for the new bod
135 My goal weight! Trip to Spain, where I studied abroad years ago...

What do you think? What do you guys do to reward yourselves? I'm trying to get non-I-can-go-eat-at-a-steakhouse-now rewards.

--Brandon

Wow! I think that each treat sounds good, and it is great that they are not food rewards. Wat to go!

Rewards, just to get to the gym and keep up a routine, basically ... in the summer: end a workout with a swim, winter: sauna/steambath. Those are the daily rewards. Longer term, I'd like to be able to run a 5k. I like that, a reward that's tied into improved health.

Doing the pounds lost reward system sounds good, I'll have to think about that.

Getting a massage once a month is a fine thing and good for you too.

@Brandon:

I think that anything that rewards you for measurable progress and doesn't hurt you in some way (financially, emotionally, etc.) is worthwhile.

What "treats" just make you smile when you receive them?

I traded in lbs lost for dollars toward tattoos. I cheated a little and started the work a little before reaching the milestone, but it took months and I passed it while the tattoo was in progress. I have myself $5 for every lb lost, so celebrated losing 100 by spending $500 on a tribal tattoo on my left arm.

Sounds like a funny reward perhaps (in that it hurt! Advice to all, never spend more than 2 hours being tattooed. Not good for you).

But I thought it was perfect, because

a) it was money I was reluctant to spend under normal circumstances and had to treat myself on and

b) it was in a way tied up with my changing image of self as I get healthy.

The work I had done was a cover up over some unattractive tattoos from my youth. For years I disliked the old stuff, was embarrassed about it actually, but didn't really feel enough concern for myself to spend the money to take care of it. Many will think this weird, but to me getting that work done was part of a new attitude wherein I actually give a damn about my body and my life. I have to say there was a time when I didn't. I didn't realize it at the time, but now I know I was very detached and pessimistic about myself, and this was the perfect reward (for me) because it means I actually started to care a little.

So, I am down with the rewards thing. And all the better, when it can be something that (to you) goes hand in hand with starting to feel good about yourself.

Joe,

I like the idea of a dollar per pound to some goal. I'll have to see if I can make that work for me.

Me, I'm rewarding myself with gadgets, since I'm a gadget guy. At 10% weight loss, I'm planning on an iPod to replace my current clunky MP3 player. At 200 pounds, I'm planning on a new PDA. At my goal weight, I'm planning on a new motorcycle. We'll see if I ever get there.

Hiya,
I think rewards are definitely the way to go, maybe you could introduce a few more rewards. I used rewards in a slightly different way. I gave myself a small reward for every 0.5kg which would be for every 1 pound. Then when you reach the five pound mark you get your big reward. For example for each pound you could reward yourself with a magazine you wouldn't normally buy or some expensive exotic fruit or going to the movies with friends... then use the other rewards you have already listed...why not you deserve a reward just for the massive effort of making changes in your life even when it doesnt show on the scales. Long term weight loss is about conqueroring your desires, getting to know yourself, facing your fears etc, you need rewards for all that too.

Violet

I really like the idea of a reward for each pound down, since they seem to be so hard to hit right now... especially after GAINING a few pounds over Thanksgiving Break...

I have been rewarding myself with some gadgets that help me with my workouts. eg. video iPod, running shoes, etc.

This is a difficult thing... sometimes success is a trigger for failure.

'Hey I am doing well... I deserve to eat this...'

The key for me is to ensure that none of my rewards are food rewards.

You've finally articulated something I haven't understood, but have noticed in the weight loss process which has been very frustrating. Whenever I've reached a new low, I find that I kind of get off track for a day or two and gain weight. Very frustrating! I, too, though, have been careful to make sure that my rewards aren't based on food. But I do look forward to a "cheat" meal occaisionally and wonder if that is bad over the long-term...

I think of it as a relationship with food.

In the past my idea of a cheat meal was totally binging. I was completely cheating in this relationship...

Nowadays, a cheat meal would be going moderately off plan and compensating with a lot of physical activity. To stay with the metaphor... I am flirting but not cheating.

As humans, we make choices. Sometimes we do not totally delineate between 'tongue food - the bad stuff' and 'fuel food - stuff that nourishes our body'

It is my goal to always stay in control (or at least some sort of moderation) and hold myself accountable so that I do not spin out of control when/if I go off plan.