I had a funny idea which probably seems obvious, but I never thought of it before.

Certain kinds of food which I love but which are not good for weight loss at all ... well, I thought, instead of saying "I can never eat that till I loose 15 pounds!" (which I feel could take 20 years), I say "when I lose one kilo, I reward myself by eating a Mexican Buffet!"

And then I thought, hey, why not say, every kilo I lose, I get a reward like an icecream or whatever. Actually I don't like icecream but you get the point.

Then next time I have a craving I just say, "okay, get lots of excercise this week and stick to your carrots and then you can have that."

For some people it could be "every 5 pounds" or "every 10 pounds" or whatever. But that is my idea - to use cravings as a motivation and not just a problem!

Cravings can be a HUGE motivational tool. Whenever I want something, whether it be cake, icecream, etc., I just think about how good that will taste when I get to where I want to be.

If I stuck to my plan during the week, I reward myself with something small. The main thing I have to focus on when I get it is the portion size. Often I find myself reaching for a 2nd serving, which is no good.

Overall, it can be used very effectively. Nice thinking!

Wait.....you don't like ice cream?????????


*just playing*

What a great idea! But don't you get worried that by endulging when you reach your goal, that you run the risk of setting yourself back too? I dunno, whenever I use this idea, I immediately feel guilty afterwards :S

I really do think it set's you back, the idea is to change your way of eating, not just postpone your way of eating for a given period of time. This, i believe, is the reason so many people put there weight back on after they have lost it. Rewarding yourself i agree with 100% but i really feel it should be with something that isn't food. Just my 2cents in anycase

A small reward for good behavior is not (imho) a stepback....or a setback.

I give myself food rewards all the time, it keeps me sane and it helps me to get used to eating 'normal' food in the correct way. Just today I was dying for some chocolate chip cookies---a year ago, I would've gone to the grocery store, bought a big bag of cookies and ate them all, today I went to the store and bought a single serving bag and was completely satisfied with it---and it didn't ruin my day of good eating.

That is exactly why the majority of the country is overweight, and loses/gains weight repeatedly.

A very common wt loss "tip" is to learn not to reward yourself with food, rather a pedicure, a book you've been wanting, a new workout outfit, etc etc.

We all know that to lose wt permanently, we must change the way we THINK about food. If we think of cake as a reward to be earned, then it is still holding power in our minds as something we want to attain. If we treat it as something we will allow ourselves to have on occasion, and in moderation, then it begins to lose its "power" in our minds. Cheating occasionally is also known to be a good method, so as not to drive yourself nuts sitting there thinking about how much you want that food. However, that isn't the same as using food as a reward to be earned.

Rewarding wt loss with food is no different than rewarding quitting smoking with a cigarette.

It's ok to cheat a bit in a controlled manner, but to say, "If I go 10 days without a cig, then I'll reward myself with one" is still keeping that cigarette as something your mind desires and works toward getting, and sets you up for a lifetime of smoking.

I have a goal that when I hit 100kg, I can buy a huge sampler pack from Krispy Kreme donuts and eat as many as I want.

It's somewhat likely that I won't want them at that point, but it's a way to deal with wanting them now. `I can have them, just in a while'.

I treat myself with non-food things, such as new clothes, make-up, or yummy body washes and spending an hour in the bath, beautifying myself.

Not only am I losing weight, but I feel and smell good too. :P

Treating yourself to food after losing, say 5lbs, is extremely stupid in my own opinion.
It's up to you if you want to ruin what you've just lost, and make it harder on yourself by giving in to the cravings and binging on crap.

Why not just allow treats into your eating pattern and see it as part of a healthy balanced diet? Making sure you're getting all of the grains and fruits and vegetables you need, and have enough calories left for a treat. Also making sure you eat it during the day so you can easily burn it off.

It's mind boggling that people who want to lose weight and change their lifestyle, are setting themselves up for disappointment.

Here are some ideas for non-food related "treats:"

Manicures/Pedicures
Highlights/Hair Dye
New jewelry
New book
Body wash/bubble bath
New clothes or shoes
A new purse
Makeover in a dept. store
New sunglasses

I don't see a problem with this at all as you're obviously not eating the foods all the time. For example, for weeks now I've been craving a hamburger. I've been really good with my food and exercise and on Tuesday I'm going to have one - not a McDonalds type effort - a real, flame grilled yummy type one. I'll enjoy every bite, won't feel at all guilty and I'll kick that particular craving into touch. If you're changing your eating habits for life you've gotta make room for icecream or you're never going to stick to it long term IMHO.

Well I think that thisidea is not that great finally...i'll rather recommend you to focus on the weight you have to lose,I know that it's hard not to eat an ice-cream or a Mc Do but I think that you are on the right path and it's good that you focus on that and do not get tempted wiz these stuffs!!!Good Luck!!!
P.S: I think that you should follow the advise of CaseyAtMartin....