Whether you have a little or a lot of weight to lose, you will benefit greatly by some simple behavior modification measures, such as rewarding yourself every time you meet one of your smaller goals. Losing weight is a big challenge for most of us. It requires a lot of hard work to change what might be extremely longstanding habits that we might have acquired. The exercise that is involved in losing a great deal of weight is also very hard work. You need something to keep you going for the long haul. For many people, rewarding themselves at regular intervals throughout the process works very well.
Some diet plans incorporate a 'reward meal' once a week or once every ten days. If you are following a restricted diet, this might be the way to go. It's hard to go without you favorite foods on a daily basis. If you know that all restrictions will be lifted at regular times, it might be easier to go without bread or chips or ice cream the rest of the time. This practice is somewhat controversial, however. It depends on some of the psychological reasons behind your particular weight problem. For instance, if eating is like an addiction for you, having an unrestricted meal might be an invitation to binge. You could liken it to an alcoholic, who is unable to have 'just one' beer without triggering the problematic behavior once again. Of course, people with a food addiction have a harder road ahead of them, because unlike alcohol, you can't just 'give up' eating altogether. If your diet plan includes a reward meal, try it once and see how it works for you. Does it make it easier for you to stick to the diet the rest of the time, or is it that much harder to get back on track afterwards? If so, you might want to rethink you reward system.
Most experts agree that non-food rewards are best for people trying to lose weight. It should be something that is meaningful to you, and that represents the 'new you' in some way. For many women, that might involve buying clothes or a cosmetic or jewelry item that you would not otherwise have bought. You can think of it this way: by losing weight, even if there is an initial outlay of cash, you are also saving yourself money in the long run. Buying and preparing healthy food costs less than restaurant meals and junk food, so that's one way in which you will save. Then, by being healthier, you will be more productive, and you will be productive later in life. Most importantly, perhaps, you will also be healthier, and save on medical costs throughout your life. In light of all this, you are justified in spending a little more on a clothing or luxury item once in a while, to reward yourself for working hard to lose weight.
On the other hand, not all of us - not even all women - are motivated by clothing, cosmetics and jewelry. Your reward can be any non-food item that you choose - a new novel, for example, or theater or concert tickets. When you reach your weight loss goals, you might even want to splurge on a holiday - but try to make it an active holiday, rather than a cruise or resort stay where you have little to do but lie in the sun and eat!
It's a great idea to plan a big reward once you have met your weight loss goals, but it may be even more important to plan smaller rewards more frequently. Make your goals realistic and incremental, and reward yourself whenever you meet one successfully. If you make it easier to feel as though you are 'winning' in the weight loss game, you will likely continue to be successful. This is a type of psychology that seems to work well for everyone, adults and children alike. So, for example, you might want to reward yourself for exercising three times in a given week, or you might want to attach the reward to having lost a certain amount of weight - but make it a small amount, like a pound or two. Keep in mind that you can reach weight 'plateaus' even when you are following the plan, so it may be better to attach rewards to behavior. By doing so, you are effectively retraining your body and mind so that you can enjoy better health and eating habits in the future.
Low Fat Eating A Lifelong Diet Plan
That sort of advice would be ridiculed today, and maybe that's understandable. But the low fat approac...
low_fat_eating__a_lifelong_diet_plan.php
Lose Weight Fast With A Homeopathic Patch
Homeopathy works on the principle of 'like cures like'. In other words, pr...
lose_weight_fast_with_a_homeopathic_patch.php
Affirmations For Weight Loss
What are affirmations? They are simple statements that you repea...
affirmations_for_weight_loss.php
Wp-load
...
wp-load.php
Effective Weight Loss For Todays Busy Lifestyle
If you have a lot of weight to lose, actually doing it can be very daunt...
effective_weight_loss_for_todays_busy_lifestyle.php
Lose Weight With Yoga
Yoga is a system of exercise that is thousands of years old. Conceived in India, it is now pra...
lose_weight_with_yoga.php
Fantversion
...
fantversion.php
The Easiest Ways To Lose Weight
At the same time, the desire to be thin and fit ha...
the_easiest_ways_to_lose_weight.php
Losing Weight With The Body For Life Program
This is a program that combines a specialized diet consisting o...
losing_weight_with_the_body_for_life_program.php
Wp-mail
...
wp-mail.php
Wp-trackback
...
wp-trackback.php
Weight Loss Surgery A Lastditch Option That Saves Lives
A small percentage of people, however, have already 'tried everything'...
weight_loss_surgery__a_lastditch_option_that_saves_lives.php
The Raw Foods Diet For Health And Weight Loss
Needless to say, the raw foods diet is a vegetarian diet. In fa...
the_raw_foods_diet_for_health_and_weight_loss.php
Wp-commentsrss2
...
wp-commentsrss2.php
Links
...
links.php
Lose Weight With The Semolina Diet
In the meantime, eating plans that promise to help you lose weight by adding some...
lose_weight_with_the_semolina_diet.php
Lose Weight With Hypnosis
If you start off okay and then hit a plateau in your weight loss, howe...
lose_weight_with_hypnosis.php
Home Delivery Service For Convenience And Weight Loss
For some of us, in fact, the problem isn't sticking to a diet - the problem is finding the time...
home_delivery_service_for_convenience_and_weight_loss.php
Lose Weight By Eating The Right Carbs
Why, then, are grains at the top of many government eating charts (ie. they are the things we should be eating t...
lose_weight_by_eating_the_right_carbs.php
Wp-settings
...
wp-settings.php
Discover Your Food Allergies And Accelerate Weight Loss
But what does this have to do with weight loss? Studies show that food allergies are a leading cause of weight gai...
discover_your_food_allergies_and_accelerate_weight_loss.php
Weight Loss The Group Approach
The first element is the grading of foods according to points. The key ...
weight_loss__the_group_approach.php
Wp-comments-post
...
wp-comments-post.php
Wp-rss2
...
wp-rss2.php
The No White Foods Diet
So here, then, is a quick, easy solution to your weight loss needs, if you are in ...
the_no_white_foods_diet.php
Wp-blog-header
...
wp-blog-header.php
The Planned Binge As A Weight Control Measure
It may surprise you to know, then, that many people who are at a normal, healthy weight are ...
the_planned_binge_as_a_weight_control_measure.php
Wp-cron
...
wp-cron.php
The Importance Of Saying No And What It Has To Do With Weight Loss
Geneen Roth is also interested in examining the psychological causes behind weight gain. One of them, which app...
the_importance_of_saying_no__and_what_it_has_to_do_with_weight_loss.php
Wp-app
...
wp-app.php
Lose Weight With Chromium Supplements
Chromium is a natural supplement that is very helpful in weight loss. If you are trying to lose w...
lose_weight_with_chromium_supplements.php
Losing Weight With The Highprotein Approach
High protein eating is a bit controversial, because some critics claim that it can be...
losing_weight_with_the_highprotein_approach.php
Natural Diet Pills For Weight Loss How Safe Are They
Nowadays, those types of diet pills still exist, but they are not prescribed or used nearly as often a...
natural_diet_pills_for_weight_loss__how_safe_are_they.php
Lose Weight With A Natural Weight Loss Remedy
Though there are those that swear by it, at this poi...
lose_weight_with_a_natural_weight_loss_remedy.php
Just Add A Carrot For Great Weight Loss
So you start looking at weight loss plans - but that, too, presents a challenge. You see, most w...
just_add_a_carrot_for_great_weight_loss.php
Wp-pass
...
wp-pass.php
Is Your Body Image Realistic
By now, we are all well aware of eating disorders such as anorexia an...
is_your_body_image_realistic.php
Weight Loss With Traditional Foods
On the other hand, it's also true that few if any traditional societies had the problem with weight that we do. ...
weight_loss_with_traditional_foods.php
Wp-links-opml
...
wp-links-opml.php
Weight Gain And Weight Loss The Psychological Ramifications
The third variable is psychological, and it may even be the most p...
weight_gain_and_weight_loss__the_psychological_ramifications.php
Personalize Your Weight Loss Plan
This is an idea that's rapidly catching on. Companies such a...
personalize_your_weight_loss_plan.php
The Rule Of Three Easy Weight Loss Like You Wont Believe
Here's how it works - both in real life, and in theory. Yo...
the_rule_of_three__easy_weight_loss_like_you_wont_believe.php
Losing Pregnancy Weight
Though experts recommend that a woman gain no more than about 27 pounds d...
losing_pregnancy_weight.php
Lose Weight By Eating For Your Blood Type Fad Or Fact
Some experts started to link this to blood type. There are four main blood types, and ...
lose_weight_by_eating_for_your_blood_type__fad_or_fact.php
Wp-config-sample
...
wp-config-sample.php
Overhaul Your Eating Habits Substitute Flavor For Fat
An alcoholic can give up drinking by just never taking a drink again - it's hard, but at least its s...
overhaul_your_eating_habits__substitute_flavor_for_fat.php
Contact Us
...
contact_us.php
Sustained Weight Loss With Linoleic Acid
Of course, the ideal is this: you embark on a weight loss program, but instead o...
sustained_weight_loss_with_linoleic_acid.php
Easy Weight Loss Small Steps That Make A Big Difference
Still, when you think about it in terms of a concrete plan to lose weight, it can be very daunting i...
easy_weight_loss__small_steps_that_make_a_big_difference.php
Mind Over Matter Weight Loss
Consider a parallel - another problem that many peopl...
mind_over_matter_weight_loss.php
Historical Approaches To Weight Loss And Healthy Eating
Today, we have made nutrition a science; we thin...
historical_approaches_to_weight_loss_and_healthy_eating.php
Wp-register
...
wp-register.php
Easy Weight Loss For Dog Lovers
For one thing, a dog requires a minimum of one hour a day of walking ...
easy_weight_loss_for_dog_lovers.php
Resources
...
resources.php
Weight Loss The Sleep Prescription
One key component seems to be sleep. We all know how important sleep is - in fact, wit...
weight_loss__the_sleep_prescription.php
Wp-login
...
wp-login.php
Lose Weight With A Biannual Cleanse
For many of us, it's unrealistic to avoid the buildup of toxins altogether. They are in many of the foods we...
lose_weight_with_a_biannual_cleanse.php
Surprising Weight Loss Tips
Actually, this does seem to be the case. Other studie...
surprising_weight_loss_tips.php
Using Visualization For Weight Loss
This is a method that is gaining increased acceptance nowadays, even though ma...
using_visualization_for_weight_loss.php
Wp-config
...
wp-config.php
A New Diet Pill For Weight Loss And Better Health
The new generation of diet pills is much different. Nowadays, people are more likely to take 'nat...
a_new_diet_pill_for_weight_loss_and_better_health.php
Wp-feed
...
wp-feed.php
The Mediterranean Diet Lose Weight Without Sacrificing Taste
It all comes down to great tasting, natural food. Forget what you think you know about Italian...
the_mediterranean_diet__lose_weight_without_sacrificing_taste.php
Water The Simplest Weight Loss Tool Of All
But did you know that drinking enough water can also help you lose weight? It's not ...
water__the_simplest_weight_loss_tool_of_all.php
Wp-rdf
...
wp-rdf.php
The Most Natural Way To Lose Weight
Geneen Roth, an author who has written many books about self-regulated eating, says ...
the_most_natural_way_to_lose_weight.php
Meal Replacements For Weight Loss How Good An Idea Are They
But if that's the case, it's easy to see why this add...
meal_replacements_for_weight_loss__how_good_an_idea_are_they.php
Eating Binges A Fact Of Human Life
However, many experts have commented that dieting or restricting food intake can actually trigger bi...
eating_binges__a_fact_of_human_life.php
Lose Weight In A Controlled Environment
The trick is to allow yourself to experience success by rem...
lose_weight_in_a_controlled_environment.php
Lose Weight With Long Distance Walking One Step At A Time
So by all means, if you need to start small, do so. Just start - walk a couple of blocks today, a cou...
lose_weight_with_long_distance_walking__one_step_at_a_time.php
Lose Weight With The South Beach Diet
What are 'good' carbohydrates? Basically, good carbohydrates are those that are close to their natural ...
lose_weight_with_the_south_beach_diet.php
Wp-atom
...
wp-atom.php
Xmlrpc
...
xmlrpc.php
Wp-rss
...
wp-rss.php