Goals and Rewards

Oobviously there's a goal weight I'm trying to reach here. But looking at that goal is reeeeeeally daunting sometimes. Because I'm talking about losing a total of 90 pounds. (One hundred and fifteen if you count from my heaviest weight!) And even with the 21 pounds I've lost since September, that leaves 68.6 pounds to go.

Almost 70 pounds?! That's going to take FOREVER!!!!!!!! Waaaaaaaaah!!!!!!

So instead of looking at the big picture, I'm trying to break things up. Ten pounds at a time. I can do ten pounds. It take a few weeks to a month, depending on how hard I work. But it's doable.

Now, what's the point of a goal if it doesn't come with a reward when reached?! That's the best part!! So I'm finding rewards for every 10 pounds lost. Little goals, little rewards.

For my first 10 pounds, I rewarded myself with a shopping spree. Well, sort of. I went to Target and stocked up on a bunch of workout gear! New pants, tees, undies, sports bras! It was actually sort of expensive. I should try to keep my rewards cheap. But it really was also a necessity. And it made me want to start working out again. I wake up in the morning and change into those clothes first thing. If I'm in them I'm much less likely to skip my workout!

I just reached my second goal this week. I haven't rewarded myself quite yet, but I'm hoping to get it in tomorrow when the two older kids are both in school. A pedicure!! I don't get them regularly, so for me it's a real treat! And pedicures are usually a summer thing. But having my toes done underneath my fall/winter boots makes me feel a little summery. :)

Next up? Thirty pounds gone. And since that's 1/3 of the way to my ultimate goal, I think I need a gooood reward! The plan? A massage of the professional variety. Well, sort of. There's a massage college not to far from here when I can get a pretty dang good massage for super cheap. You can bet I'll be working HARD for those next ten pounds knowing there's a massage coming!!

After 30 pounds, I'm not quite sure. I figure I can choose rewards as I go. Maybe it will be a good pair of running shoes, a fun new bag, or a girls night out with a friend. We'll see. And after a certain point, I'm going to need some "in between" clothes to wear until I reach my goal. Maybe that will be my half way reward. But choosing rewards to keep me motivated is important for me. Sure seeing the numbers decrease is a bit of a reward in and of itself, but I'm greedy. I need MORE!!

And simple "ten pounds at a time" goals aren't enough. You know "they" say you need to have measurable goals. Things like, "I will eat 3-5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day" or "I will exercise for 30 minutes at least 3 times per week". I have some of those too. And I mix it up with long and short term goals.

There are the simple ten pound goals, and there's the ultimate goal. And the ultimate goal needs the ultimate reward! I have to main ending goals. One is just to reach my goal weight. And when that happens the obvious reward is a shopping spree!! Right now I hate shopping. I hate trying on fat clothes that don't fit right. But that shopping spree should be a blast! Finally being able to shop for clothes in the "normal" range of sizes?! I can't wait!!

And my second big goal is to complete the P90X Challenge. When I'm in better shape and getting close to my goal I'm sure I'll need something tough like this to get me there. The hubby wants to do it, too. And by then I'll no longer be breastfeeding, so we are planning to dump the kids on Grandma and Grandpa and take a cruise together! We never really got to go on a honeymoon, so we're super looking forward to the idea of getting away like this. Hopefully next summer!!!

Focusing on the little goals and rewards and reminding myself of the BIG rewards coming down the road help me to stay focused when the will power is running low. And since next summer seems so far away, it's really nice to be able to tell myself I just have 9 measly pounds to go before I get that massage!!!