A rewarding experience

After rereading my post about why I joined Slimming world, I thought about the different motivations I have for losing weight and getting fit. I was surprised as to how important the weight loss award stickers, they stick on my book for each half stone loss, have become. I chatted to friends and they too are motivated by setting goals and targets. Some even suggested setting rewards for each target they reached.

Previously I have always celebrated with food. Drink has never really been my thing, although there are large gaps in the 1990s that can be attributed to vodka, sambuca and on one regrettable occasion tequila. Celebration and rewards for me have been eating out with friends, celebration cakes, the list goes on. So I thought I would set some targets and a few non food related rewards.

I tried to look into the science behind using rewards to encourage behaviour and found compelling research that indicates that it works, as well as persuasive research showing it doesn't. So that kind of cuts this post short really. From my own personal experience and the new obsession with my award stickers, I feel that positive reinforcement with rewards does work. The thought of how much weight I need to lose and the timescale involved seem insurmountable, but by dividing it into smaller way points the goals become more tangible. I know when I'm going full tilt on this plan I can lose 3-5 lbs a week, so setting goals every stone would diminish the sense of achievement. I have set a couple of goals on my weight loss chart as follows.

Reward 1: Lose 10% of my body weight. Most healthcare professionals agree that dropping just 10% of your body weight, when overweight has many positive benefits to your health. From lowering blood pressure and cholestrol to giving you more energy and a clearer mind. For this milestone I'll reward myself with a new book.

Reward 2: Lose 25% of the weight I need to loose. This is quite a big number and will take a couple of months, so I'm going to reward myself with a new video game. The one I want is due for release in November, so I also have a deadline to spur me on.

Reward 3: Halfway to my goal weight. This loss should plant me firmly in the feeling healthy, active and full of carrots department, so I'll reward myself with a PC upgrade.

Reward 4: Beat my previous best. I know I'll be feeling great by this point and will want to do something active. Not sure what kind of reward, but I'd love to do something like a balloon ride, kayaking, horse riding, flying lesson or other outdoor activity.

Reward 5: Goal weight... I suppose hitting target will be reward enough but a milestone like that requires some celebration. I don't have anything planned yet, but I am planning on putting one pound in a savings account for every pound I lose. Then when I hit target I will smash the piggy bank open and have a spending spree.