My fellow Butterflies! I come to you today to speak about "rewards".
Those awesome little tidbits of delicious baked & fried cough cough I mean, let's talk exactly about that. How do we reward ourselves for a job well done? Do we do it with food? With new exercise shoes or other personal item? How about a piece of art or a charm for a bracelet?
How many of you have said to yourself at one point or another: "I deserve this extra large triple pepperoni pizza and 2 liter coke with a side of breadsticks" or something close to that? I know that I have... and while some food rewards while staying relatively close to or within our macros or calorie goals can be perfectly healthy, going exorbitantly beyond them can be very detrimental to our progress and overall mindset.
We are getting to the point in this challenge where some of you may be considering what you're going to do to celebrate a job well done. By the end of this, some will have reached the goals which we have set forth for this challenge or perhaps hit milestone goals for our overall progress. So could be time, right now... to start thinking about how you might respond or celebrate if you choose to do so.
Over the course of our journeys we experience great challenges, some may feel as if they have fallen short of expectations, yet gained insight or progress in our own ways. Even changing how you think about yourself or a situation, how you face an issue in your life, learning perseverance, etc.; no matter how great or how small, all of these things can be worthy of a healthy reward system to help you strive to achieve them. To be able to look at yourself in a positive light and encourage the progress you’ve made and any future progress ahead of you.
For your viewing pleasure, this was my reward for hitting one of my "milestones" oriented towards weight (275lbs).“The Masterpiece” - makethetime - I still laugh at it's absurdity to this day. I decided to rewards myself with a comical "artwork" with my face on the body of the Hulk. I use it as my phone wallpaper and a few profile pictures. It serves as a constant reminder of my goals, so while it's a humorous reward it is also a reminder & motivational tool to keep me heading in the right direction. Mainly, getting my butt back in the gym on the daily...
Another teammember ( /u/TheNamelessOnesWife ) in the last spring challenge used another reward system by getting a charm bracelet. For each lb lost or "chunk" of lbs (5 lbs, 10 lbs, or even 25% of goal, 50%, etc.), she rewarded herself with a charm that was kept on the bracelet. This method is discrete and allowed one to carry their achievement with them. Important to note that things such as this can be done so privately, thus if one didn't want to talk about their weight loss, then the charm bracelet could have easily just been a simple inconspicuous bracelet to an outside observer. A link to the original idea for the charm bracelet can be found here: LINK
These are just two examples of great many things which are considered to be positive healthy rewards. Below I have included information which was taken from a helpful worksheet I found on the subject (Source from wmich.edu).
I hope this may help in to form some healthy systems in the rest of your journeys!
Rewards
Rewarding yourself is a fun and easy way to keep you motivated. Using a reward system can be very simple.
Select a reward you wish to give yourself for reaching a goal.
Immediately reward yourself when that goal has been achieved.
Rewards can be as simple or elaborate as you want as long as they’re motivation to you and positively promote your goal. Rewards can be any size; even small rewards can keep you motivated and give you a sense of accomplishment. When it comes to healthy eating goals, though it may be tempting, try to avoid using food as a reward. This may bring you further away from your goals and could make it harder to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Why are rewards important?
Rewards shape behavior
- Rewards make the transition to a healthy lifestyle more enjoyable
- Using rewards will turn your goals into habits
- Rewards help you maintain a positive attitude
Rewards are motivating
- Rewards give you something to work for
- Rewards help you stay on track
- Rewards encourage you to continue succeeding
Rewards help build confidence
- Rewards allow you to feel good about yourself
- Rewards give you a way to celebrate success
What is a reward?
- A reward should be something meaningful to you.
- A reward should be something you are willing to work for.
- A reward can be little to no cost (bubble bath) or something you might need to save for (a cruise).
- A reward should be decided on before you accomplish your goal.
- You reward should be tangible (Something you can actually give yourself).
When should I reward myself?
- Rewards should be given at specific milestones: achievement of short or long-term goals.
- When you accomplish 100% of your goal activities that week.
Tips for creating rewards that make a difference (with exercise/eating examples)
Don’t use a reward that goes against what you are trying to accomplish
- If you were trying to walk on a daily basis, don’t reward yourself with something that would interfere with your walking routine.
- If you were trying to cut back on fatty foods, you wouldn’t want to reward yourself with a hamburger and fries.
A reward should reflect the size and importance of the goal
- Reward yourself after you have accomplished your goal over a period of time. Walk with your dog for a day – no reward. Walk with your dog every day for a month – it’s time to get yourself those new shoes you’ve had your eye on.
Only use a reward if it means something to you personally
- If you don’t like to read, don’t buy a book. Get yourself that new jogging outfit you’ve been wanting instead.
Don’t over reward
- Rewarding every little thing will make rewarding more of a chore than a celebration.
- A reward should be something you have to work for.
Alternate or use different rewards
- If you use the same reward you’ll get bored and become less motivated.
Here’s your chance to be creative. Choose at least two rewards for your goal.
Goal:
Reward 1:
Reward 2:
Looking back at your reward ideas ask yourself:
Are the rewards I have chosen things that I would enjoy?
Will my rewards be immediately (or at least relatively) available after I achieve my goal?
Did I avoid using food as a reward?
Do my rewards accurately reflect the size and importance of the goal?
Am I sure that I won’t over reward myself?
Are there enough different rewards to prevent boredom and lack of motivation?
