I had told Heather last week that I was ridding my room of all my hidden treats and it has given me time to reflect why it has been something I have always done. Why is it I see a need to reward myself in secret when I feel I have done a good job? Why is it that a piece of candy brings me some kind of satisfaction that I will probably regret later? What other non weight increasing incentives do I offer myself? I've spent some time thinking about other options this week and have come up with a few things that I do enjoy that feel like rewards without the added calories.
- 30 minutes of reading my favorite book,
- emailing or calling a friend I haven't caught up with in months,
- watching an episode of a favorite show,
- working on a project that I have been hoping to start/finish.
My list looks very similar to yours. I would also include working on a puzzle, playing the piano, or listening to a favorite CD. Harvey and I saw Straight No Chaser in concert last month (a 10-man a capella group). I love putting in their CD and turning it up to full volume.
ReplyDeleteI've learned that my problem isn't so much coming up with alternative rewards. It's turning to them instead of the food when the temptation is so strong it seems to be yelling my name. Sometimes it's hard to stay focused on what I really want.
Maybe because eating sweets is tied to your emotions as well. I would hide my sweets because if they were found out, they would be gone, eaten by the family! So wanting to save them, I would hide the sweets. Sometimes I would forget that I had them and when I would come across them, would feel like it was a special gift!
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