incentives vs. rewards

My fitbit has been a decent motivator. But the fitbit challenges are a bunch better motivator because I can see someone else moving while I'm being a slug. So, I'm not sure?
I think I'm just not motivated enough at all!!!

 

My work has a "Fit for the Feast" challenge going. If you link your tracker to the challenge app and get an average of 10K steps per day for the 28 days leading up to Thanksgiving, you win a $50 gift card. That kind of reward has definitely worked for me! Getting that many steps has been harder than I thought, though! I find myself walking on the treadmill a lot just to log steps.

 

I've completely fallen off the wagon this last year. I am going to try a new approach for the new year. I've spent so much time over the last yrs with WW, low carb, low fat....whatever diet I could try to see what would work. I failed at all of them in the long run. So now I'm going to try something different. I'm not going to count calories. I am going to try to eat as clean as possible, lots of veggies but allow some treats, it'll be all about balance, and see how the first few months of the year go. If I manage to lose 10 of the 20 lbs I want to lose I am going to reward myself with a few new pairs of jeans, and for each five thereafter I will reward myself with more clothes. I have been holding off buying clothes b/c I keep hoping to get down to the smaller size again that I want to be. I feel like I've been in this limbo too long.

 

Could have written it word for word Let's say 2016 was a wipeout on many levels, food, diet & exercise included! Chronic stress, aches and pains and generally feeling blah have not helped my case. Hoping 2017 is better and I get into a routine, dare I say it a 40 hour work week (hopefully I get a job) will help more than just my bank balance!

 

I've never really written down any of my rewards or incentives. maybe that's why I haven't seen much progress? haha.
I'm still bummed about not being able to run (it's been months ), but I know my body needs the endorphins, so I'm trying to figure out what I will start doing instead.
Right now, my scale is hovering around a 10lbs mark less than it was in January. I am sooooo close to that mark. that's my biggest incentive right now to "stay on track" - I've cut my soda intake waaaaaayyyyy down, and less treats overall, but I am not as diligent about meals or healthier foods as I should be.

My work is also having a steps-tracking challenge right now. I am struggling since I can't run, so that's another reason I need to think up something else I can do.

 

I decided for 2017 to get back into the healthy and active lifestyle. But I'm choosing small steps. So I put my fitbit back on but this week is still my vacation week so my steps aren't nearly where they need to be. Starting tomorrow I will really push myself back to those 10k a day. Having that fitbit really does help me focus and motivate a bit more. I have also told myself to sleep better this year. I now have a average of 7 hours of sleep a night, but I noticed this week when I sleep 8 hours I wake up way more energized. That my fitbit registered my sleep is such an important stimulance!

I have never really though about rewards. It would be good, but what? I don't want to buy stuff just because I want to have it (I'm trying to declutter this year and live with less), obviously rewarding myself with treats isn't the right approach. Also, let's be honest, I'm gonna buy whatever I feel like anyway, I am a single independent woman! lol! But really, within my own financial situation, I can and will do whatever I want. So buying things is not really a reward... Now that will?

 

@berniek one of my rewards for weightloss goals is requesting a day off work specifically for scrapbooking! Not really something you can buy, but something that I am motivated to work towards, and probably wouldn't abuse.
I get a certain number of days off in a year, but rarely take sick days or too many vacations... by the end of the year, I have a lot to use or lose. So, hopefully... this will be a thing that helps me!... maybe you too?

 

Oh I really like that idea!
But working in education, that's not a thing I can do unfortunately.
You have given me an idea of kind of rewards that would work. Let me think on this...

 

The greatest successes that I've had, and my clients have had (I'm a group-ex instructor and a personal trainer), is where the incentives, goals, and rewards are related directly to the efforts. For example, one woman came to me because she had gotten stuck in a kayak on a family trip because she didn't have the arm strength to get out. They go on the same trip every year and she wanted the strength to get out of the boat the next year. It's been 2.5 years since then. The first year she returned to that trip, she got out of the boat. The next year, she was able to paddle her own boat for hours instead of being in a tandem boat. This year, she's planning to learn how to stand-up paddle. So her reward was being able to do something meaningful to her. Her incentives along the way were noticing herself getting stronger, and being able to do more and more physical things.