Updated:: Nov 16, 2018
Original:: Oct 26, 2011

Healthy Living for Mom: Rewards

I reward myself with food. I have also been known to quell my stress by eating donuts. Three or four at a time.

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When I was working on my post last week and gathering the images that inspire me on Pinterest, I came across a saying that annoyed me.

"You are not a dog. Don't reward yourself with food."

I’m all for being honest and getting down to the nitty gritty of this whole weight loss thing, but that rubbed me the wrong way. I found it incredibly belittling. It’s hard enough to find time to workout and/or resist the urge to cap off each evening with a sweet treat, without being compared to a dog.

But I couldn’t stop thinking about that pin.

Because I reward myself with food.

I have also been known to quell my stress by eating donuts. Three or four at a time.

So, the overall message revealed something to me, even if the actual phrase is one I can do without. It got me thinking about non-food items or activities that I could use to reward myself.

I need a weekly treat. Here are a few non-food treat ideas...

New nail polish.
A few new songs from iTunes. (Something with some pep, for the treadmill.)
A really good bag of coffee*. (I dream of splurging on a small bag of pricey beans.)
Drugstore lips. (I like tinted Burt’s Bees.)
A magazine and an uninterrupted hour to read.
Someone else puts the kids to bed and I get a bubble bath. (I don’t think I’ve had a bubble bath in almost four years!)

I like the idea of a “ten pound treat”—something that I get at each ten pound weight loss interval.

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A massage.
A new pair of shoes.
New make up. (I’ve got a long list of items I need from Sephora. I could get excited about spending an hour picking out new colors.)
A fun piece of jewelry.
New workout clothes.
Movie night. (More Thor!)

Don’t get me wrong, I still plan on enjoying sweet treats. But I think a small shift is in order. Because those donuts, on top of a nervous stomach, have never actually made me feel better.

But I bet a bubble bath would.

WEEKLY STATS