Rewarding yourself for progress

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One of the coolest things about being a member of the Shaklee Blogger program is the support system they provide us. Besides the awesome Shaklee website, with recipe and workout ideas, we have a Facebook group where we can talk and support each other, to help ourselves stay accountable and motivated.

One important member of that group, even though she isn't *technically* a Shaklee Blogger, is Jacqui McCoy. If you don't know who she is, you totally should. She was featured on Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss edition and is an amazing inspiration to anyone on any sort of life change/weight loss journey. (That's her Before and After up there. Incredible, right?) Having her in our group, with all of her “Been There, Done That” and her amazing transformation story? That's a huge benefit in itself.

I told you last month that I'd been slacking off a little; wasn't sticking quite as close to the plan as I had in the  previous months… I said that I was recommitting, which I did. I set a goal to lose 36 lbs by my 36th birthday on July 4, and I'm on track to blow it out of the water! I've only got a pound a half to to to that next goal, and 18 days in which to do it. Looking past that one, I'm thinking about aiming for 40 lbs by Blogher, (I think I can, I think I can!).

We had a conference call for the group the other day, and it featured Jacqui talking to us about motivation. Getting, being and staying motivated. When she said this, it really stood out to me:

Try to not make food a part of your family rituals. You eat to celebrate a success. Holidays are all about food; the cookies, the pies, etc. Try to celebrate in other ways. Go out with girlfriends and don’t center it on drinks or coffee. When food is such a central part of everything in your life making healthier changes can be a struggle.

So I started thinking… we do seem to place a lot of reward focus on food.

“You did great at tee ball today! Let's go get ice cream!”
“Thank you for listening today. Let's go to Chili's for dinner?”
“Yay!  Promotion at work! Date night! Dinner and drinks! Woo hoo!”

Sound familiar?

I think it's a challenge, coming up with non-food rewards, both for ourselves and our kids. I mean, Max is certainly easier than me… I'm not quite as entertained by a new Hot Wheels as he is. But I want to raise him thinking outside of food as reward, to set him up with good habits for the rest of his life.

So I've compiled this list of non-food reward ideas, whether it's for hitting a weight loss goal, or just holding yourself to something that might be a challenge.

Under $10.00

• Fun new nail polish or lip gloss
• Some delicious smelling lotion
• Get your eyebrows done
• Some new songs to inspire your workout
• Cute new socks, or some of those really nice high tech workout ones
• New hair clip or headband

$10-25.00

• Manicure or Pedicure (or both!)
• A new t-shirt that fits better than your old ones
• Fab new piece of jewelry; something fun and on-trend
• Your favorite movie on DVD/digital copy
• A round of mini golf with the family
• New makeup

$25-50.00

• Some cute new flats or sandals
• Date night with the spouse!
• Send yourself flowers
• Massage
• Trip to the blow out bar
• New workout wear

$50.00 or more

• Haircut and color
• Fab new jeans
• Get fitted and buy new bras
• Spa day with massage AND facial
• Day at the amusement park
• A photoshoot
• New sunglasses
• A romantic weekend away

I'm also a fan of cumulative rewards; like adding $10 to my Amazon account every 3 lbs or something, so that it will build up over time… I have lots of things I want that are pretty expensive, what with the photography hobby and all. I keep an ongoing list on Amazon, so if I hit a goal, I can easily order something based on the price/reward level I'm looking at. (Like 40 lbs lost gets a bigger reward than “I worked out 4 times this week!” does) I add stuff as I think of it, or as I come across it, so I can jog my own memory. If you want to take a look, you can find my list right here. (It's a big list, yes. I like options!)

What are some of your favorite non-food rewards for progress? How do you stay inspired and motivated on your journey?

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post as part of the Shaklee Corporation blogger program. I have received free products, online support and incentives for participating in the Shaklee Corporation blogger program. People following the weight-loss portion of the Shaklee 180™ Program can expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week. All opinions are my own. I am also a Shaklee distributor. The link to Amazon is an affiliate link.