Rewards...

I love this...ah Pinterest, how I love thee. Anyway this small clip spoke quite loudly to me when I saw it. I have always set rewards for myself when I needed to loose a few pounds here and there. They were mostly...food related. Sure I threw in a new workout outfit here and there but typically it was lose 5 lbs go eat mexican. See why this saying is so perfect for me. 

I am not saying don't reward yourself, by all means do. I am only saying to look at your rewards or your dangling carrot. Maybe that is why at times we do use food as a reward...the literal carrot. After all we spend so much time thinking about all of the food we can't have why not go crazy and celebrate. Here is why...

In most cases when you need to lose weight it is because you have thus far lacked the control or willpower to not eat the wrong foods or too much food. So when you resolve to lose weight you have to change your lifestyle. It is a bit like rehab. You have to change your way of thinking, your way of being. You have to change you. It takes time...but relapse is inevitable. So here you work so hard, eat healthy, exercise and BAM 5 pounds are gone. So you go out to have say...Mexican. You eat some ooey gooey enchiladas and chips and salsa (chips and salsa...mmmm) then hey it is a celebration, bring on the margaritas. You leave full, bloated and with your will power inhibited by the Margarita. So what is a bite of ice cream when you get home or some of the kids cookies. You finally crawl into bed. The next morning those 5 lbs are waiting for you on your scale. What happens then? Well some people will chalk it up to water retention or that full gullet and go back to working hard but some will throw in the towel. Me, I was that towel girl. 

Think about this method...for a 5 lbs reward you add 5 super fab songs to your workout playlist. They get your toe tapping and make you want to work out. So then...you hit another 5 lbs because your work out play list is so awesome your met your exercise goal for the week. Wow 10 lbs down you need a new workout outfit because those yoga pants are actually too big. This outfit rocks so hard you want people to see you sweating in it often, so you wash it every night and run down the street feeling amazing while running to your new play list. BAM wow sister you have lost another 5 lbs before you know it, 15 down, so you go grab some new jeans or dress and you and your man (or bff) get all gussied up and go out to a party or movie (healthy snacks covertly in your bag). While you are out you run into a friend you haven't seen in a while and she is like "Hello hot momma!" so you spend the week working even harder and bam 5 more down...see where I am going with this? Rewards can actually reward us. 

Since rewards can either reward us or inhibit us, be smart with your rewards. Also keep them frequent. I like to do mine in 5 lb increments, that way I have the small goals and achieve them quickly.  My rewards can be found on my boards on my Pinterest (you can follow the link to get to it). I also don't just do rewards for weight loss. I also set rewards for other achievements. For example when I finish my couch 25k, I am going to buy myself a cute running skirt to wear when I run the 5k. After completing 30 day shred I am going to buy myself insanity or join a cross fit gym. These are fun things that will keep me on track. My ultimate goal is to buy a new bathing suit when I hit 46 lbs lost. We are planning a beach trip this year and last beach trip I could have been mistaken for a whale. This year I don't want to have to by an outfit for the water and a cover-up. I want to confidently gallivant on the beach with my kids and hubby in a super cute tankini from Athleta!

I suggest you sit down and think about some things your new healthy skinny self would want. Take my running skirt, I LOVE running skirts like in an "oh mickey your so fine, your so fine you blow my mind, Hey Mickey" kind of way. It is really the only way I can wear cute little skirts I am way too old for but I still love haha. There is no way that I would wear one over these thighs right now. The chafing alone during a run is reason enough not to. But after a 5k training plan and sans say probably 20 lbs absolutely. So this reward motivates me in two ways, to complete the plan and to eat well to lose the weight. I want to rock this skirt.

Sit down with your goals, think about creative positive ways to reward yourself as you reach them. I think of new ideas daily and sometimes change mine. When I see something I want on Pinterest or out at the store instead of just going out and getting it I mark for a rewards. Gives me something to keep me good and motivated.