4.06 Reward Yourself
The HeartStrong.com healthy eating plan will include “rewards meals”, so you don’t have to give up all the foods you love, even if they are not very heart healthy. However, you need to be sure to reward yourself in other ways as well. Everyone likes a “pat on the back” and you need to get ready to do that for yourself!
Set yourself a specific reward that you will do or get for yourself at the end of each HeartStrong.com phase. Big accomplishments should be recognized and rewarded without a doubt with a big reward. Smaller accomplishments still indeed deserve awards, just simply smaller.
Since this is ultimately your own personal journey, you are the one doing the rewarding. Always remember to focus on the positives, like the 20 pounds you have lost and NOT the 40 more pounds that you still need to lose.
Set your benchmarks for your rewards, such as losing a certain amount of weight, completing your physical activity plan, healthy eating plan for the month or completing a phase of the HeartStrong.com program.
Here are some ideas for your rewards:
- Schedule yourself a “destination race” such as a 5K walk/run in a location you love
- Set aside one dollar for each mile you walk/run/cycle and then use it to buy whatever big item reward that you would like or use it toward a massage/spa treatment
- Schedule some time alone or a night out with your significant other
The ultimate reward could be using the knowledge that you gained through HeartStrong.com and the experience you will go through to benefit others. Find a friend who needs to get on a heart healthy path and mentor them. What better reward is there than helping someone else that you care about!