100 Ways to Reward Yourself without Derailing your Health Goals
Wrap yourself up something special; you earned it!
I am not above bribery. Without bribery I might never have been asked out by my husband (did he notice me or my peanut butter cups?) and my teenagers would probably still be in diapers. Sometime after about the billionth chore chart I made for my kids I realized…no one is bribing ME! ! I wish I got a gold star every time I made my bed or an allowance for cleaning up after myself! So I started writing goals and attaching shameless bribes to them. “When I workout ten days in a row, I get to watch Outlander for the hundreth time.” “When I go a month without sugar I get to buy a bra that doesn’t cut into my flesh.” “When I hit my goal weight I am buying the jeans that make my butt look ten years younger.” I don’t even know what that last one means. But you get the idea.
If Honey Mama ever sees this, I would get a tattoo of your logo for a steady supply of these. Who says you can’t buy happiness?
So do it. Bribe yourself. You know best what lights you up! I would crawl a mile on my knuckles or attend a junior high band concert for a Honey Mama’s peppermint cacao bar. So maybe I would stop eating a pound of cheese before bed to earn one? That’s a concept worth testing.
The trick is finding a goal that doesn’t sabotage your gains. Sorry, but a pizza binge sponsored by a roman ruler the first time you make it a week without a slice is probably counterproductive. Even Little Cesar says that’s crazy (bread). Celebrating sobriety with a drink just doesn’t make sense. We use junk food so often to reward ourselves and our kids it can be hard to stop the “hospitality cart” before it rolls over us. You don’t have to give up food bribes, just crappy food bribes. As your mindset shifts, you’ll come to see that the pint of Ben & Jerry’s in the shower (don’t judge until you try it) is really a punishment in the long run. (But Rebel ice cream in the shower? You are street legal in my book!)
To help you out, I brainstormed a list of 100 ways to reward yourself that aren’t junk food. Let me know what works for you! Pick something outside your comfort zone. Use this an excuse to have adventures and expand your horizons. You’re investing in yourself to get healthier and have more energy….see more/do more/learn more/experience more to go with it! And yay for me! I just finished a blog post…so there’s a sliver of truffle gouda waiting for me. mmmm.
(Not all of these are great ideas, not all of them will work for you. The point is to brainstorm. Think outside the vending-machine box!)
Free or low-cost
1. Call a friend and talk as long as you want to.
2. Binge-watch a new show or old favorite on Netflix
3. Read a book…all day.
4. Hot bath with a book/movie and salts/soaks and candles. Stay in so long someone files a missing person report.
5. Take a nap…a good one.
6. Run a 5K. Or walk one and say you ran.
7. Take a “sick” day from work (a mental health day?) I will be your alibi if you need.
8. Sign up for a free membership trial at a gym and try out all the features!
9. Make a new playlist and sing/dance your guts out.
10. Get a service high…volunteer somewhere
11. Swing in a hammock.
12. Build a blanket fort and chill in there. Won’t your kids be surprised when they get home from school? Make them clean it up.
13. Get a massage from your loved one.
14. Tour local gardens. Wear a huge straw hat and giant sunglasses. Be fabulous.
15. Spend the day at the library. Read any random thing you want.
16. Go birdwatching or stargazing. Point and say things that make you sound smart.
17. Buy a scandalous celebrity gossip magazine and have some laughs, try some styles, spread some rumors
18. Test drive your dream car.
19. Have your besties over for a chick flick night
20. Scary movie night with your kids. Jump scare them at least once.
21. Go pet every critter at the animal shelter. Walk a dog.
22. Plan a hike or nature walk. Maybe even get lost.
23. Color something…google adult coloring books and get one that cracks you up!
24. Go smell all the candles and buy your favorite. Do something crazy…like actually light it!
25. Plant something beautiful in your garden.
26. Explore a cave or a natural wonder nearby.
27. Be a tourist in your own town. See the sights! Take selfies!
28. Sing karaoke. Loud and Proud.
29. Write a letter on actual paper to someone. Mail it. Like with a stamp and everything.
30. Find the closest hot spring.
31. Do a face mask. Google homemade ones. Try them ALL.
32. Take a new fitness or yoga class. They often have the first one free!
33. Poker night with friends…play for money or for services (ever seen Benny & Joon?)
34. Do a photo scavenger hunt with a friend.
35. Watch youtube makeup tutorials and give one a try.
36. Visit the cemetery and talk to your loved one. Bring a snack and stay awhile.
37. Donate a pound of food for each pound you lost.
$$$ (listed least to most; budget more for bigger successes!)
38. Buy yourself flowers
39. Attend a local festival/carnival/gallery/crafts show
40. Grab lunch out with your ladies
41. Fan Girl! Order a souvenir from your favorite show/guilty pleasure.
42. Get a sassy new water bottle
43. Buy some socks on Amazon…browse all the funny sayings and get some that make you laugh
44. Host a tea party
45. Buy something off your Pinterest board
46. Download that album you love
47. Order a fancy new coffee or tea to try
48. Hit the batting cages
49. Shoot pool. Who cares if you can play?
50. Attend a sporting event.
51. Hit the newest release in theaters
52. Bowling
53. New workout clothes
54. Buy a nice new pillow
55. Check Groupon for a random fun activity: escape rooms, ax throwing, etc.
56. Buy a new bra….a NICE one! Even get a fitting!
57. Get your car detailed inside and out.
58. New jeans! Try every pair in the store and buy the ones that feel awesome!
59. New running shoes…or maybe some hot heels
60. Hire a maid! Get a deep clean or schedule weekly maintenance
61. Get a fitness tracker
62. Buy new sheets.
63. Get your hair done…try out that brave new color or style you’ve been eyeing
64. Take a class: painting, martial arts, French cooking…see what you can find!
65. Hit the comedy club for some laughs
66. Get a facial.
67. Get waxed. Brazil? (you’d be braver than me!)
68. Book a massage
69. Round of golf with your girls! Don’t play? Try it anyway. Or mini golf.
70. Hire a personal trainer
71. Book a photo shoot. Work it. Own it.
72. Get a mani/pedi
73. Spa day!
74. Tickets to the big concert in town
75. Remodel your bedroom…get the paint color that makes you happy even if your mom said it was a bad idea.
76. Ski or snowboard. Or get dressed up and go watch the ski and snowboarders.
77. Buy that fancy blender. Make a mocktail.
78. Laser hair removal
79. Permanent makeup or permanent jewelry
80. Plan a getaway. Near or far.
81. Book a cruise. Take me with you.
Food that Fits: (it’s okay to eat your success if it doesn’t undermine your progress!)
82. Try the latest limited edition from Crio Bru (You can order online or we sell it at the farmstore.)
83. Get that expensive artisan dark chocolate bar that’s been calling your name
84. Find a local restaurant that fits your plan (SLC locals, I adore Omar’s Rawtopia!!)
85. Go ahead, get the tenderloin. It’s the best and priciest steak in our store but one bite and you see why. Today, it’s got your name on it!
86. Get a subscription box that fits your diet and enjoy all the curated treats that show up on your porch!
87. Buy a passion fruit. Who doesn’t need more passion?
88. Host a cheese/wine/chocolate tasting
89. Get the espresso machine or the fancy juicer
90. Do a farm to table challenge with friends where you cook and entire meal with local ingredients
91. Roll sushi at home: make modifications to fit your diet and rock out!
92. Buy a new cookbook and cook your way through it a’la Julie and Julia. (oh, watch that movie while you’re at it!)
93. Take a cooking class that fits your lifestyle. Can’t find one? Ask a chef
94. Do a food tour: you tour the world without leaving your home; tasting foods from everywhere. Map it!
95. Buy a new spice blend to try.
96. Go apple/berry/whatever picking at a local farm
97. Buy the expensive olive oil and actually use it.
98. Plan a picnic.
99. Make a gourmet dessert. Try something involving fire.
100. Eat that thing you’ve been missing. Savor it! Every crumb. This works if your’e able to love it and let it go (assuming it’s something you gave up for your health plan.) Sometimes a controlled splurge is good medicine.
Let me know!
Holla in the comments below or on my Facebook page and let me know what successes you’re celebrating and what you’re rewarding yourself with!
Holler if you need help reaching your goals!
Oh yeah, certified nutrition therapist and food enthusiast excited to help you feel better and score more of these rewards! Let me know if I can help you out!
