I was just wondering what other people thought about treating your self after a certain period of time for your efforts in your diet or exercise plan.

Is it a good way to keep you going and prevent you from crashing.

What do you think?

I don't like to think of my treats as a reward for doing well, I like to think of them as delicious things I'm going to eat regardless of whether or not I did anything to deserve them.

What I mean by that is, I don't want to tell myself anything is off limits at any time because I don't want to drive myself crazy.

Having a treat now and again is OK in moderation, IMO. But When I started my weight loss journey I bought into the whole "cheat day" or "cheat meal" mindset and started thinking that just because I was good all week that I could eat anything I wanted on Friday Night, or on Sunday or whatever. I think a good tool for controlling your "treats" is to make sure you're still counting those calories, even if it does put you over your daily goal, just to keep it all in perspective, ya know?

I needed that advice, myself.

I always think that since I'm a healthy weight, and since I work out a lot, I can eat whatever the heck I want and it shouldn't effect me, somehow. How arrogant is that?? Like I'm above science or something?? lol

This board really forces me to confront some of my f*cked up brain processes that I live with every day and consider completely normal.

I go by how bad I really crave something. After a while I've learned to tell if I really really crave something, or if I'm just in a pissy mood and want junk. Usually on Friday I have my dinner be my cheat meal for the week, but I still fit it into my calories or just slightly above. And then all is well.

And BobCW...your icon makes me smile

I don't like to use treats as a reward for good behaviour or weight loss. Partly, it just seems wrong to me - "I've lost weight, now I can eat a piece of cake".
Partly, I don't like the idea of food as reward in general. I think it fosters and obsession with eating, which is already a big enough problem in Western society.
The way I do it is that I incorporate 'treats' into my diet. I make sure that I don't deny myself something tasty now an then, but I don't consider them treats per se - I make room for them in my daily/weekly plan, and that ensures that there is less urge to binge.

The term I really don't like is 'cheat' days or meals. You're not cheating - you are enjoying a meal that you will account for in your plan, ideally.
It is fine to eat somethign other than bark and berries once in a while - just don't let that one relaxed meal become a relaxed day, then two days, then a week, then you are sitting on the couch with a jumbo bucket of extra crispy...

I totally agree with Cord the Seeker. I think it's much healthier to just include, say a little bit of chocolate, into your diet when you feel like it. If you are aware of how many calories are in that piece of chocolate and you include that in your daily allowance then that's great. You're still losing weight, and you don't feel deprived!

Using food as a treat is so counterproductive. It puts that food on a pedestal, makes it exciting, dangerous. When we're trying to lose weight it is important to develop a healthy relationship with food - thinking chocolate is a god is not healthy! If your mind brings chocolate down off of that pedestal you are likely to crave it less and have more control.

I like to use other things as rewards for my weightloss. Like, when I fit into a size 16 (Australian) I will pamper myself with a full body massage. Or when I fit into a size 12 I will go on a shopping spree with my best friend!

I'm with the previous posters - it seems subtle, but there's a difference between having a mindset of "As long as I don't make it a frequent occurrence, I can have whatever food I like" and "I'm going to 'cheat' because I've been so good."

The first view lets you have whatever it is you love, but keeps you accountable for it. It's not that I can't have chips and salsa or cake or ice cream on my 'diet' - but I have to make sure I take it into account and fit it in with my plans.

The second tends to lead to "Well, I'm cheating anyway. I can eat all of the brownies, plus lets run by Baskin Robbins, and hey... The Cheese Fries at Outback may be the 'least healthy appetizer' around, but I've been really good lately!

So, don't deprive yourself - just take accountability. Own that treat Plan in "Okay, I can have an extra 100 calories once a week" or whatever ends up working for you.

My 2 cents anyway.