I love potato chips. And (even though they’re not good for me) Cheetos. And other snackery type things. Those snackery-type things are not great for me, for either my weight or my pocketbook.
I also love lists. And I love using lists to keep track of how I’m doing with some of my habits. For example, I have a list in my phone listing all of the days I’ve cross stitched since May, 2014. It helps me keep track and I also know how many days I’ve stitched in a row. I started a new list tracking the number of days I’ve crocheted. I keep track of my exercise routine and my meditation routine.
And I keep a list of the days I’ve gone without potato chips.
When I say going without potato chips, I mean going out of my way (or sending my hubby) to go to a store and buy those so-called individual serving bags (Big Grab bags) of chips. (Have you ever looked at the nutrition information on those? They’re meant to be 2 or 3 servings per bag. But who does that? Who only eats one serving out of one of those bags?!) On occasion, chips might come with a sandwich or meal. Sometimes I remember to ask for something else; sometimes I don’t.
Feeling virtuous wasn’t cutting it. On days when I was tired, or stressed, or feeling like I needed a treat, I’d cave to the temptation and get a bag – or sometimes two – of stuff I’d be much better off not eating.
Several weeks ago, I had the bright idea to toss the rough equivalent of the purchase price of one bag into a jar. I haven’t decided what I’ll do with the money or when, but so far, putting aside a couple bucks every day I don’t go buy chips has been a much stronger motivator than just feeling happy with not eating those snacks.
Incentives and motivation. It’s a moderately complicated balance, but so far I’m happy with the results. I’m also hopeful that the longer I go without those snacks, the less I’ll want them, and that’s going to be really good for my weight and my pocketbook!
What have you done to reward yourself for changing habits & behaviors? Have you found that incentives work for you?
Cheers! Here’s to your health!