I was talking to my boyfriend the other night about people rewarding their efforts with food. It's funny cause I used to do it ALL the time. "I lost 10 pounds, so I'm going to eat an entire pizza".Talk about counterproductive.

So I thought about what I should do to give myself a "pat on the back" when I reach my ultimate goal. Of course it is a long way from now (at least 1 year) so I have a lot of time to set some money aside for the big day.

I started my sleeve (tattoo) awhile ago and have been so antsy to finish it. Although I HATE my arms more than anything. So he brought up finishing my sleeve once I've met my goal weight. Genius!

Not only will I have my beloved arm finished, but I'll actually have a reason to show them off!

Soo does anyone else have some type of reward for themselves when they meet their goals?
If so, speak up! I've found that talking about something I really want (but won't allow myself to get until I'm healthier) helps keep me motivated.

That's an excellent question.

My traditional and unthinking response was yeah, I'm going to go to a Chinese smorg or something, but when you say it out loud it sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? "I'm going to reward myself for losing weight by pigging out on unhealthy food." It just doesn't sound right to me.

I had thought about getting a tattoo once I had a good body to hang it on, but I'm over 40 and it would seem too mid-life crisis-y.

What I do think I will do is reward myself by going on a long bike trip or kayaking trip or something. Reward my work by putting my new improved body through its paces, to show what it can do.
Becasue it is something I would never have been able to do before.

a couple things:

1) A new wardrobe. I always hated, hated, hated clothes becuase I hated the selection at the big and tall store. Nothing that looks good and was so pricey. Once I lost the weight and could shop in a regular store and buy off the rack i became addicted to clothes shopping.

2) I got my ass to the top of a mountain. I always liked the mountains but could never hike because of my weight. I finally climbed a mountain last year and it felt sooooo good.

I have thought about a new tatoo but cant decide on one yet. (love yours by the way, they look great)


Matt

a couple things:

1) A new wardrobe. I always hated, hated, hated clothes because I hated the selection at the big and tall store. Nothing that looks good and was so pricey. Once I lost the weight and could shop in a regular store and buy off the rack i became addicted to clothes shopping.

2) I got my ass to the top of a mountain. I always liked the mountains but could never hike because of my weight. I finally climbed a mountain last year and it felt sooooo good.

I have thought about a new tatoo but cant decide on one yet. (love yours by the way, they look great)


Matt

Oh coolness about the sleeve. I got my first tat the year I turned 40, right after I lost the first 50 lbs I wanted to lose. It's a small blue dragonfly behind my right ear.

I haven't thought much about a reward when I hit my goal, but definitely buying new clothes is one of them - it's a way I reward myself as I go along, as well. I mentioned in another thread that I have 2 size 8 summer dresses in my closet that are a bit tight right now and so they're both my goal and my reward for the next 10-15 lbs.

One thing that I am planning - I guess as kind of a reward - is plastic surgery for myself. I have some loose skin around my middle that I would really like to get rid of. I plan to wait 6 ish months after I meet my goal and then talk to a plastic surgeon about what's possible.

Awesome responses! I never even considered doing something physical that I could never do before. Climbing a mountain sounds like a death sentence for me right now haha I'm sure smoking a pack a day isn't helping.
I think with the weight loss, quitting will be much easier. Shit, if I can lose 100 pounds than I BETTER be able to say no to a cigarette!
I would LOVE to go to Alaska at some point after the weight loss as well. That's where I can be skinny, smoke-free and climb mountains!

And to the above response, you're NEVER too old for a tattoo! I'm taking my 63 year old grandma for her first/last tattoo soon (obviously it will be something small & hidden).
Might sound crazy but ya only live once and I think everyone should try to experience as much as possible

I have been pushing off getting married until I reach my goal weight. So as a reward for meeting those goals, I will purchase a beautiful wedding gown.

I can't decide which one of the two.

#2. Take advice from a photographer - you do NOT want a strapless dress. I know they've been all the rage for a while, but it takes a specific body type to look good in strapless and even the skinniest of girls wind up with "back fat" issues that require extensive retouching ... as a photographer I hate strapless with a passion.

When I get two thirds of the way to my goal, I'm going to dye my hair. But I'm having a hard time finding an ultimate reward, other then lots and lots of bragging rights. I mean, I'll surely go shopping to get myself a new wardrobe, which I'm terribly excited for, but other than that... I don't quite have rewards for myself D:

If I'm at like, 110lbs or something (even 120lbs) by Christmas, I'm going to ask for my first motorcycle from my daddy (which will give him lots of time to get it--provided that's not too rich of a gift for his blood). Learning to ride a motorcycle next summer will be a reward.

Oh yeah! And I'll be trying to visit some friends who live half the country away, if and only if I reach my goal.

I'm gonna do something, but I have no idea what it's going to be I mean, I'll definitely be getting a new wardrobe, I'll probably definitely go out to a restaurant, but I'd like to do something I've never done before. I haven't been to the snow, so if I haven't done that by then, then I might just go snowboarding.

I probably won't do anything. Nobody to celebrate with.

You're doing this for yourself, aren't you? Celebrate for yourself! Shout it from the mountaintops! You deserve it.

Yeah what Cord said. Find something that makes you happy and celebrate for you!

You've never been in snow?!
Going somewhere with lots of snow would definitely be an awesome experience to reward yourself with!
I know a lot of people here in Pennsylvania bitch about the winter weather (& I'm sure just about anyone that gets snow does) but I can't imagine a winter and Christmas without it. It's cold but beautiful!

That's just it...there's not much that makes me happy aside from what I do every day, i.e. sit at home alone and read books. What would be really nice is an entire week off work where my phone doesn't ring ONCE...and when I got back, there wouldn't be a friggin' mountain of work for me to do. That'd be nice.

Or simply to be recognized by anyone in my life for the way I bust my ass in everything I do.