What in the world am I going to replace my food rewards with? Guys, I got myself into a rut. Physically I don’t feel 100%. I feel like crud because I am exhausted and stressed out. Then, after I work my butt off cleaning, working online and parenting, I reward myself with unhealthy foods. I sit down with a cookie, I drive through a coffee shop and get the most calorie-dense latte.
Here I am today. I’m in a very dangerous place weight-wise. I am small enough to get apathetic and ignore the formation of bad habits. And I am just overweight enough to be unhealthy. If I do not make some changes soon, my health and body shape will continue to get worse. These small rolls will pudgify more and my activity level will decrease as my energy becomes lethargic. I will not let this happen!
The first step is to stop rewarding myself with food! I need to change the way I view food. I deserve to be taken care of and rewarding myself with unhealthy foods is treating my body with total lack of care and love.
So if I stop using food as a reward, how do I reward myself? How do I take care of myself so that I feel rewarded for working harder than a workhorse? I asked a few of my friends and they offered some fabulous ideas.
- “Getting your hair or nails done!” ~ Elizabeth Norton The Party Planning Professor
- “I like to reward myself with Kindle time. I LOVE StumbleUpon. Could spend hours there. And not notice my hunger!” ~ Molly Campbell
- “Shopping!” ~ Emily Vanek Colorado Moms
- ” Video game time, especially since you need to reward yourself often.” ~ Connie Roberts Brain Foggles
- “Reading fiction – urban fantasy… Great escapist reading. – and Pinterest!” ~ Kelby Carr Type A Parent
- “Sleep. I reward myself with sleep. God do I love to sleep! I need more sleep.” ~ Theresa Seid Rock on Mommies
- “Shoes, and manicures!” ~ Jo-Lynne Shane All Things Chic
- “Books!” ~ Andrea Katz Great Thoughts
- “A spa trip, trip to the mall by yourself, bubble bath with a good book and of course a nice glass of wine at the end of the night.” ~ Shana Dieli Shanamama
- “Money towards a big gift, like a reward jar.” ~ Jennifer Bullock Mommy B Knows Best
I love those suggestions! I will have to find small and healthy ways throughout the day to take care of myself physically and mentally. Maybe a bit of kindle time or even purchasing a 99 cent song on iTunes to get that instant gratification that food used to give. Then, I can also save up for new shoes or a manicure. Those sound dreamy!
I also think rewarding myself with time at the gym will be in order. I can work out my stress and have time without whining to hear myself think! I’ll have to rework my schedule though, since the closest gym is a bit of a drive.
Is there something you reward yourself with that is not on the list?
Pinterest is great too! Don’t reward with food. 😉 Good post, girl.
Time with friends! I don’t get to see my friends very often cause of our work schedules and it is a special treat to hang out with them.
I’m really bad at rewarding myself with junk food too. I may have to start a sticker chart for myself so I can earn a “big “prize.
I have the same problem. After the kids go to bed I want to reward myself with something sweet. It is not good. I like these ideas!
I know you posted this like forever ago, but I just stumbled upon it and it is something I really needed. I always reward myself with food and need to change the habit. Thank you for the good suggestions!
Thank you Megan! I still struggle with this. I started to reward myself with exercise. I am really enjoying the endorphins I feel after I get my heart pumping. But today? I ate a burger and fries and Pepsi. I thought “this is a treat.” But what kind of treat is grease and starch? I wish I had a Jamba Juice in my town! Now that would be a reward!
Annie — saw this link at the bottom of my “losing weight” post — that is one of my big problem areas! When I get stressed I use food to “take the edge off.” Did you find anything that was a good “quick fix” like food can be? Some of the suggestions were less instant gratification and more saving up to really treat yourself. I need that instant “feel good” that is a healthy choice — food or not.
Well….since this post was written I’ve gained about 12 pounds back….so it has been a battle for sure. When the weather is nice outside, I treat myself with a walk to the mailbox. Just the feel of the sun and the breeze, it is liberating. But every winter I get moody, agitated, and snack. I cut my gym membership to save money…..I need to force myself to block out times of day to do mini workouts in my living room.
I will also say this – it is easier now that all my kids are weaned and potty trained for me to get a “work out” in at home. When people suggested to me when my kids were under 2, I laughed! Trying to work out with them that age consisted of squats with them as the weights strapped to my back LOL
And as silly as it sounds – I actually like sticker charts for myself. Keeping track of temptations resisted, and seeing how each one is one step closer to my goal is motivating. Good Luck!