If you haven't read Part One and/or Part Two of "Be Kind to yourself", please do that first. Then you can read Part Three below.


Third Suggestion:

Don’t be stingy with your rewards! When I was trying to decide on rewards for weight-loss, I debated on whether to count my highest weight of all time or my highest weight on SparkPeople. The first one would mean I had lost five pounds, but the second would only be three. I struggled with that for quite some time because I had already bought myself a prize. Finally, I decided, “Why not reward myself for every three pounds I lose?” After all, the SparkPeople mantra is, “Slow and steady wins the race,” and/or “One pound (or one inch) at a time.”

Therefore, my third suggestion is to reward yourself more often. This doesn't have to cost any money at all. You can give yourself a SparkGoodie for every daily goal you meet or at least for meeting three goals. Even if you walked 5 minutes instead of your intended 20, give yourself a star or a Goodie because you were active for at least those five minutes! If you make an honest attempt to complete at least half of your goals for a day, reward yourself with 15 minutes of “alone time”, play a game or color a picture with your child or grandchild, or find some other way to reward yourself.

For your weight, don't be afraid to do something special for every single pound if you want to. Even if your scale went the wrong way or stayed in the same spot, ask yourself, “Did I do my usual exercises?” Or, you can ask, “Did I record all of my food?” If you answer Yes to either question, give yourself a prize anyway!

Of course, you can spend money if you have it. How much you spend is up to you, but don't go overboard. Chris Downie has suggested saving a dollar for accomplishing your daily goals. For losing weight and/or inches, you might start out at $5 or $10 and increase the amount by $5 for each goal. Or, you may want to spend the same amount except for special goals. I decided that most of my rewards for weight-loss should be $10 - $20 except when I've lost a total of 15 pounds (3X5) and then I can choose either two prizes or a higher priced item. Now what happens if I don't have that amount of money? I'll think of something! I can always chose one of the many free suggestions elsewhere in this series. Never let the lack of money stand in the way of rewarding your self!