Find Your Currency: The New Clothes Bank Account

I went through a long stretch this summer where I was cheating a lot, not counting every calorie every day. Days, and one whole week I just stopped counting, like everything was free. Well guess what? My weight loss stopped. I gained a few pounds. The program wasn't working. I wasn't working the program 100%.

Just when I needed it, the topic at the monthly meeting was how to stay motivated. Reward yourself for meeting your exercise goals, for meeting your calorie goals. I was at a loss- what kind of rewards could I have except snickers? (Which would defeat the point.) I thought for a few days and then the light bulb went off. I love to bargain hunt. I love to shop. I love to shop for new clothes now that I can go into a store and buy things from the normal sizes and they fit! So I have been buying some new clothes and spending very little. I usually never spend more than $10 on anything, so we are not talking about a lot of money. I decided to pay myself $1 per day for every day that I meet my calorie goal. I can carry calories over so if I eat less one day I can eat more the next as long as my average is at or under 1500. I have to count every thing. If I meet the goal for the week there is a $3 bonus (=$10/ week) and if am at goal for the month a $10 bonus. ($50 per month). Every 10 pounds I get a 50 cent raise ( I am 3#s away from my first raise and I started this Sept 1) I have the opportunity to have $75 then $100 per month to spend on me! New clothes, movie rental (red box$1) etc. The catch is that I can't buy any clothes unless I have money in the account on my spread sheet.

I have $4 left after I bought a size 14 out fit today at Ross for $8. Red and black jacket like top (pictured above) and black pants. The pants fit great but the top is snug across the chest and it now hangs on my closet door so I can look at it. It is another goal piece. While shopping we got Queenie (boxer mix) a cute pink tank top that says "Princess" for 70 cents at Target and new collar and leash in pink to match also 70 cents each. Like I said I love a bargain. At target I also picked up 2 bags of fun sized snickers for $5.

I do have other ways to get money into my account and fines for not meeting my exercise goals. If I don't exercise 300 minutes a week I get a $5 fine. Not really an issue since I plan and schedule my exercise and haven't missed the weekly goal so far. For this weight loss study I get paid (!) to be a participant. For going to my 6month assessment I got $25 so I started the account with that. I have also taken some of the clothes to the consignment shop and if I get any money from that I will put it in my 'account' for new clothes. I haven't missed a day yet on the calorie goal since 9/1 and haven't gone into the red. So far this month I have gotten (before today):

$1 Black Tee W
$8 Capri jeans K
$6 -2 pr long shorts to work out in W
$14 a sweater and a double tank top K

Great deals except the sweater was $10.80 (originally $54/ 80% off) but I have been coveting it for 4 months and it was in Oprah's Mag. I had bought several similar for 90% off but I really wanted this color which was more for some reason.

My motivational program worked! I am sure this won't work for every one or maybe most. But I am sure that every one has one (at least) guilty pleasure that they can successfully use to manipulate themselves into doing what is in there own best interest. Find your currency.