... and exactly why do you need a reward anyway?? and if you really feel you've done something amazing to have to have one, why does it have to be food?? - bad food??

Jo

A reward is the better choice for implementing new behavior. So what I do is eating quite clean, and accept the 'daily cheat' as a not necessarily LC motivator. Works quite good for me.

The reward has not especially to be bad food, but a Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte or apple pie with cream is for me a luxury reward which I like to take now and then.

My reward??? wearing a bikini, clothes shopping!! To name but two things!

Jo

...when I finally have the will power to give up smoking, will I be allowed to have a cigarette as a reward for giving up smoking?? LOL

Jo

I don't consider "cheating" to be a reward. I consider it to be an unavoidable consequence of not being a hermit in a culture that considers carbs and other junk food to be an acceptable diet. In other words, I "cheat" to be socially acceptable, (Bob would never speak to me again if I didn't eat some of his baked beans) or (much more rarely) because the only other alternative is going hungry, which also raises my insulin level.

Wyv

You see these days, I've become much more militant about my way of eating and I would turn that statement on its head "I would never speak to Bob again if he expected me to eat some of his beans"

When you look around and see all the wierd and wonderful ways other people eat nowadays (vegan, veggie, low fat, low cal, coeliacs... etc) Why should my WOE make me a social outcast? why should eating a cake or high carb dessert make me more socially acceptable - the truth is IT DOESNT

sorry - rant over

jo

ojoj, I hear you on that, and to a great extent I feel the same way. It's a question of picking battles. My point is that I don't "cheat" because I miss the carby stuff, because I don't.

Wyv

I cheat because i cannot live without Chinese smorg and potatoe chips

I dont see whats wrong with having an occasional high carb treat. i think if a person 100% denies themselves the food they love the most they will go nuts and pig out on that high carb food. to have a bowl of ice cream once a month does not mean to have a semi truck load of ice cream. we must maintain some control. i treat myself to a small dish of ice cream or another high carb treat about once a month just so i wont go nuts.
after all God did give us taste buds for a reason, we just have to use them correctly.

Bottom line is that if we condition ourselves to use High carbohydrate, high sugar, nutritionally-deficient food to be a "reward" we are, in essence, creating a disordered habit.

Which is why i'm fat in the first place. Too many accomplishments, too many rewards for them, and the result is a body more susceptible to illness.

We had smoked chicken at work today; there were incredible desserts. But there was a huge salad, smoked pork tenderloin, etc. I filled up great on the meat.

I resisted the ice cream pie. It was damn hard. I am guessing that it always will be with me and my evil friend sugar. I see no way for me to lose weight with a daily treat.

Once in a while, possibly. But routinely? No.

Agreed ! Its our society and it starts in infancy, something we parents should watch - "oh well done, have a chocolate/candy bar" or - "cheer up, have some ice cream" I'm sure we've all done it.

Fortunately, I seemed to have changed my own mental reward system and no longer see a big, sugary cake as anything more than something that will make me feel sick and put me back on the road to obesity, nor do I feel I need to be rewarded for anything - The reward should be achieving the goal.

Jo

Heyyyy! I just quit smoking crack! For a whole day!

Who wants to join me for a pipe of hot, fresh reward crack?

Get it?

Some people can give up refined carbs and eat unrefined ones and even cheat (reward) every now and again and lose a pile of weight, but not me. I can stick to plan and have one cinnamon scone (a big reward) or 2 tablespoons of brown or wild rice (a little reward) and gain 2 pounds and stall for at least a week even if I can control my cravings for carbs. However, once I reach my ideal weight I can be tempted by a very friendly paleo reward such as a fragrant pear (and it doesn't require baking). Even now if someone offered me a choice between any donut and a fragrant pear, it would be the pear hands down. If no fragrant pears are available I can reward myself with paleo friendly macaroons, made with raw honey, eggs and coconut.

This is hilarious and I completely agree!