My Reward System

I thought I would take a break from the usual blog entries and talk about a reward system I have developed for myself for sticking to my program.

I have always wanted a gold charm bracelet...I just think they are so cool - you know, having charms on a bracelet that represent my hobbies and interests. I'm not usually a big jewelry person - I like it, but I am not obsessed by any means. But this is just something I always wanted. I think it appeals to me because it's so personalized and I have plenty of interests to represent with charms. Travel, music, cooking, photography - the list goes on and on.

So I decided on the following reward system for my weight loss:

When I reach 30 pounds lost (which is just about to happen) I will buy myself a charm bracelet. I actually have picked one out already. Here's a picture. (Note - it even comes with one charm already on it!)

For every 5 pounds I lose above and beyond 30, I will buy myself a charm to add to the bracelet. Since I have about 50 more pounds to lose, this should amount to about 10 charms altogether by the time I reach my final goal.

I figure this will be fun reward and it will be a visual reminder that I can wear that may also inspire me to stay on track.

Another thing I wanted to write about today is a positive experience I had this morning. I had gotten dressed for work and got in front of the full-length mirror to do a quick once-over to make sure everything looked right and I had an immediate shock. I thought "I look thin!" Now, I realize that in reality, I am not thin. I am still 50 pounds from my ideal weight about 3 dress sizes away from goal. However, compared to what I was back when I started this program, and compared to how I have looked for the past several years, I look thin. I turned sideways and I even was pretty happy with the sideview. It also struck me that the exercise is really starting to pay off. I look more fit and I feel great. I feel "tight" - like everything is exactly where it should be.

When I first started this program, January 1st, I decided to take photos of myself every month, and take my measurements and keep track. My goal in doing this was to have another source of inspiration - I figured there would be nothing more inspiring then to actually SEE photos of my results and read the changes in my measurements. I did this for the first several months but then, I fell off the wagon a bit over the summer and didn't do it for a couple months. But anyway, I am here to announce that on October 1st, I will be getting back to my monthly photos and measurements and posting my results here. I may even post some photos if I can muster up the courage to do so (they're not the most flattering photos in the world!)