How do I give myself treats and rewards as I lose weight? How do I do it without feeling like I'm hanging on by my finger-nails?

Many people’s ‘reward’ themselves at the end of a hard day by self harming.  A cigarette, too much alcohol, a chocolate binge or a combination of all three.  This may emotionally feel rewarding momentarily but it is not rewarding your body - it is abusing yourself.  Like all addictive behavior’s the after effects mentally and emotionally are probably more destructive than the actual 'acting out'.

(5 ideas for healthy rewards at the bottom of the page)

[[posterous-content:pid___0]](Above - lunch in Cornucopia today - my treat for updating The Energy Coach Website and hitting my target weight before Ironman in 2.5 weeks)

 

Learning to treat yourself with dignity and respect takes time.  In my opinion regaining ones self-respect is the most fulfilling, dignifying and rewarding part of the weight loss process.  For both men and women, feeling like you are worth it and treating yourself accordingly, feeling worthy of respect and treating yourself according is an infinitely more enjoyable outcome than just being three stone lighter.

 

When people are trapped in addiction they feel like there is nowhere to go.  That they are ‘damned if they quit and damned if they don’t.’  One of our objectives in my Mentoring Groups is to  to establish a new way of thinking which is polar opposite to ‘damned if you quit and damned if you don’t.’  Our objective is that you feel that this process, the results, the speed of results, the steps themselves all feel; ‘too good to be true.’

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(Above: Today's lunch which was a green juice, raw cold soup which sounds awful but tastes fantastic, salad, fruit salad, veggie pate with crackers. Total €11.95)

 

The key to sustainability is in finding ways to enjoy the new journey so that you wouldn’t dream of going back to your old behaviors.  We do this by ensuring the new way of living is fun.  What you initially anticipate as a painful activity (like exercise) may end up becoming the highlight of your day.  Beginners who start running but don’t know what they are doing can suffer initially (especially if they don’t have a mentor) but they cross the ‘pain barrier’ eventually.  One day they go out for their monotonous run and they get a ‘runner’s high’ and their mindset shifts forever - they love running!

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If I’m totally honest I’m still learning healthy ways to reward myself. Let me know if you have some great ideas yourself!

5 things I use as a healthy reward are: 

• Time to chill out in the sauna and do some stretchs
• Expensive organic delicious herbal teas. We go to Les Palais Des Thes on Wicklow St and it is fantastic.
• A gorgeous meal in Cornucopia vegetarian restarurant which is also on Wicklow St
• Massage
• Damage control: If I'm desperately craving chocolate then I buy high quality dark chocolate like Butlers (Guess where there is a store?  -Wicklow St conveniently enough!). I find that I don't want to eat as much dark chocolate and it is a lot lower in sugar and dairy than milk chocolate.

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Posted via email from The Energy Coach Blog

10 Reasons to give the Dublin Marathon a bash this year (October 29th 2012)

• You’ve got plenty of time to do, and to do it right! With twenty something weeks to go you could do a marathon in late October even if you are a complete beginner to running or ‘couch potato’ now! (Run the idea past your GP first before going running, of course!)

• You’re more likely to regret the things that you don’t do in life rather than the ones that you do! Wouldn’t it be better to be able to be in better shape and say ‘Well I gave it a shot this year and didn’t quite make it’ than to say ‘I didn’t get around to it, again, this year!’

• For most of us, that first marathon seems impossible. Can you imagine how empowered you will feel after you’ve just done what previously seemed impossible? 

• We’ve got long evenings and the sun is up very early at this time of year. You might just be able to squeeze in a walk, jog or run before or after work.

• Mental health: Committing to a marathon is like committing to giving yourself a mental health boost a few times a week for the next few months.  The training will get you outdoors, meeting new people and maybe out of that rut!

• An enormous percentage of Irish people are enormous! I was one of them! Slow, low intensity exercise over a long period of time is the optimal way to burn off stored fat. I know because my gentle marathon training (combined with some intelligent eating) helped me to shed three stone in three months!

• 
  The social element of running a marathon can be wonderful. When you share a long run with a friend then talking helps to pass the time and to distract focus from the miles to go. Running is a very ‘real’ activity and the challenge of it helps to bypass superficial conversation, you get to know people quickly.

• Running relationships are a great way to multitask and hang out with those friends that are just too important to let go of but that you are too busy to see regularly. Some days you’ll be the encourager and other days you’ll need all the encouragement but either way the shared journey will be a bonding experience.

• The day itself is one of the most emotional, inspiring and encouraging experiences that I have ever had.  I loved the first marathon so much that I’ve done another four since then and I’ve another two booked this year. I’m not saying it will be pain-free but the pain fades away and is soon forgotten while the experience of comraderie and interaction with the spectators will lift your spirits every time you think back on the day.

• The finishers t-shirt, the medal and the bragging rights after the marathon! The medal is physical anchor which reminds you of this momentous achievement and a tangible reference for success and progress as you look back over your achievements in 2012. 
  
  

 

Posted via email from michaelrossney's posterous

10 Reasons to give the Dublin Marathon a bash this year (October 29th 2012)

• You’ve got plenty of time to do, and to do it right! With twenty something weeks to go you could do a marathon in late October even if you are a complete beginner to running or ‘couch potato’ now! (Run the idea past your GP first before going running, of course!)

• You’re more likely to regret the things that you don’t do in life rather than the ones that you do! Wouldn’t it be better to be able to be in better shape and say ‘Well I gave it a shot this year and didn’t quite make it’ than to say ‘I didn’t get around to it, again, this year!’

• For most of us, that first marathon seems impossible. Can you imagine how empowered you will feel after you’ve just done what previously seemed impossible? 

• We’ve got long evenings and the sun is up very early at this time of year. You might just be able to squeeze in a walk, jog or run before or after work.

• Mental health: Committing to a marathon is like committing to giving yourself a mental health boost a few times a week for the next few months.  The training will get you outdoors, meeting new people and maybe out of that rut!

• An enormous percentage of Irish people are enormous! I was one of them! Slow, low intensity exercise over a long period of time is the optimal way to burn off stored fat. I know because my gentle marathon training (combined with some intelligent eating) helped me to shed three stone in three months!

• 
  The social element of running a marathon can be wonderful. When you share a long run with a friend then talking helps to pass the time and to distract focus from the miles to go. Running is a very ‘real’ activity and the challenge of it helps to bypass superficial conversation, you get to know people quickly.

• Running relationships are a great way to multitask and hang out with those friends that are just too important to let go of but that you are too busy to see regularly. Some days you’ll be the encourager and other days you’ll need all the encouragement but either way the shared journey will be a bonding experience.

• The day itself is one of the most emotional, inspiring and encouraging experiences that I have ever had.  I loved the first marathon so much that I’ve done another four since then and I’ve another two booked this year. I’m not saying it will be pain-free but the pain fades away and is soon forgotten while the experience of comraderie and interaction with the spectators will lift your spirits every time you think back on the day.

• The finishers t-shirt, the medal and the bragging rights after the marathon! The medal is physical anchor which reminds you of this momentous achievement and a tangible reference for success and progress as you look back over your achievements in 2012. 
  
  

 

Posted via email from michaelrossney's posterous