Does anyone else do this

[indiaksue]

Okay for years I have heard when you do well on your diet give yourself a gift for motivation. Such as after 10 lbs buy yourself a new outfit, or go to the opera etc. They say don't use food as a motivation. How many of you do just that. I love food! The excitement of trying new exotic dishes, the atmosphere of fine dining and dressing up. The tastes, the textures, the smells, the eye appeal, all are worth savoring. So what I am doing is using my cruise as the ultimate motivation. I have 35 more lbs to go to meet my first goal in January, right before my cruise. I plan to hit the cruise ship and live in pure gluttony for a week with whatever I want. I plan to walk and move and exercise as much as I can, and take the stairs (we are on riviera deck) all the time. I have an expectation of gaining a little but to start back on the diet when I get home. All the food decisions I make now are based on the knowledge that soon (January) I can have all I want. This actually is working for me. Sometimes on a diet I feel like I am never going to ever get a particular food ever again which makes me want it even more. Now I have something to look forward too! (I'll probably make myself sick that week since my body isn't used to too much fat, etc) But it sure will be fun!

 

So tell me what motivates you!

 

Angie

[cruisinqt]

This may sound weird, but I lie to myself. I hate the idea that I have a lot of weight to lose. If I think about all of those pounds, it seems like an insurmountable mountain. It makes me want to give up. So I lie to myself. Yes, that's right, I lie to myself. I just tell myself that I'm only going to lose 10 to 12 pounds, enough to go down one dress size. I tell myself that going down one dress size is all I need and I'm not going for perfection. So I only think about that 10 to 12 pounds and it doesn't seem so hard to do. Then, when I reach that 10 to 12 pound weight loss, I get out my wedding album. I look at our honeymoon pictures where I'm wearing that tiny bikini. That's when I start it all over again. I tell myself this is it. Just another 10 pounds and I quit. I tell myself that I'm not going to diet forever and I'm not striving to look perfect. So I lose another ten pounds. And I keep lying to myself so I don't think about the big picture. Losing a whole lot of weight is just too much for me to handle. So I break it down into small manageable doses. I know it sounds crazy. And my husband laughs about it (good naturedly.) But it really seems to work. When I set myself a small easily attained goal, I seem to do better. So I guess you couldn't really say that I have some reward in mind like you do. Because then I have to think about all of that weight I have to lose. Thinking about it makes me upset and I tend to eat. So instead of a reward I just lie to myself. Have you or anyone else done this or am I just weird? Oh well, weird or not, it works for me. Maybe someone else will find this helpful and try it out. Well, there's my story, I hope it helps someone.

[Cruise Cat]

I was just the opposite - I couldn't do it for just a few pounds and then go back to normal, then back to diet, etc., etc. Just over a year ago, I went on my lo-cal diet with an august target of a few days before the cruise. It was either that or spend hundreds of dollars on new suits and stuff for my cruise. After the cruise I did a modified lo-cal thing but stayed on it and lost more gradually. Have only gained a few back.

Back to the subject of rewards - I had a whole reward system planned out when I reached my goal just before the cruise. Thursday before the cruise the diet was over and the wife and I went to our favorite bar where I had chicken-fried-chicken smothered in gravy and two great big beers! Next day for lunch it was same place for a 'Bourbon Black Jack Burger' and another beer.

Now another reward system that I have heard that couples do , invloves S[-X. It involves a little 'abstainence encouragement' with the final reward, if any, at the end of the designated period depending on how much the dieter lost:D Not sure I could talk the wife into that one!

[jessizadorable]

My cruise is definitely a motivation for my weight loss. I am such a 'retail therapy' addict. I promise myself gifts at the end of every small goal and then large gifts at the end of my big goals. I am awarding myself my very first LV handbag when I get down to my goal weight. I figure I'll have saved enough money on food by that point that I can afford it. ;) I let myself have small rewards for every pound lost. I.E. for 5 pounds lost, I'll let myself spend $10 on something, for 10 pounds, i let myself spend $20 and so on. generally I'll save my money up and buy something fun, or go out to eat (ha ha ha, j/k.).

 

For right now however, my first cruise is definitely my biggest motivation and I think I'll just save my 'pound money' to spend on the seas.

 

Here's to losing and cruising!!!

[nyer]

I do reward myself with food. While dieting, I will tell myself that when I reach a certain personal goal, I will eat something that I have especially missed. I try not to pig out, but I will go to a favorite restaurant or eat a favorite dessert. It works for me, might not work for everyone.

[BuilderMan]

When I first started my diet in February, I started it because on Valentine's Day my DH wanted to take me out to dinner. Looking through my closet I pulled out a slinky dress, put it on and was completely motified at how I looked! :eek: But, since I had no other dress to wear that fit me I had to "suck it up" and wear it. I swore that day that I was going to lose weight.

 

We had a cruise planned for June so that was my first motivation. Then I found this board, and I got really motivated.

 

Cruise is now over :( so my next goal was to look good for my SIL's surprise birthday party on Saturday before the 4th of July. I knew that there were going to be a lot of people there that I hadn't seen for a while, including some family members from out of town that I hadn't seen since Christmas (pre-diet). I had an outfit all picked out that showed off my new figure (I had to show off a bit! :D ). Well, people that hadn't seen me (and my DH too since he lost 35 pounds) were amazed and I enjoyed the compliments!

 

My next goal is my DH's birthday in a couple of weeks. I've done this as much for him as for me. Kind of a birthday present of sorts.

 

So, I seem to take certain occassions and make them my goal in order to stay on track and not start gaining all that I have lost.

 

Also, I have a picture of myself taken just 2 years ago that makes me sick! I have that taped to the kitchen cabinet right next to the fridge to remind me "Never Again!"

 

Lynn

[indiaksue]

That's great Lynn, sounds like you are doing really well. I think putting up a picture would be really great motivation. Being fat, I have always hid from the camera. I might have to dig pretty deep to find something recent.

 

I feel for you being done with your cruise. I can't imagine what it will be like after our cruise in January. I have been spending so much time and energy getting ready and being really excited to go that I may be depressed about coming back before I even go. :rolleyes:

 

I think I will go right now and look for a picture.

 

Angie