You Deserve It:

Reward Yourself, You Deserve It

Looking better and feeling great about your body may be their own rewards when you lose weight, but it never hurts to reward yourself for reaching goals and sticking to your diet plan. Building incentives is a time-honored way of helping keep yourself on-track. Did you pass on that slice of cheesecake at lunch? Reward yourself with a pot of fresh herbs. Did you go out and exercise for your daily half-hour? Take a nice bath with scented oils. Went the whole week without slipping on your new routine? That calls for a big one. Treat yourself to an evening out, or buy that book you've been wanting to read.

Need some excuses for rewarding yourself? Try setting one of these goals below to give yourself something to shoot for:

Weight loss goals

Pretty traditional here -- treat yourself to something special whenever you can mark off ten pounds toward your ideal weight. Get a manicure or go see a movie to make you feel extra special.

1. Look, Ma, I dropped a whole size.

Well, that definitely calls for buying yourself something in that new size, even if it's just a pair of new exercise sneakers.

2. Wow, I made it all the way through the half-hour workout without stopping ONCE.

Now that's impressive. Call your best friend or your mom and share your accomplisment. Don't brag but just share with them how happy you are.

3. That chocolate chip cookie dough sundae was calling my name, but I turned my back and walked away.

In that case, don't you think you deserve something nice on your desk, like flowers or a betta fish?

4. I finally fit into THAT dress.

I'd say that calls for wearing it somewhere special. Take yourself out dancing to show off.

5. I've lost weight for the third week in a row.

Now an ongoing reward -- for every pound you lose, drop a dollar or two into a jar, and watch the money build up. Entertain yourself with ideas on how you'll spend it when you reach your goal weight.

6. I got stuck for three weeks, but I finally descended that plateau.

I'll tell you what -- sticking to a diet when you're not seeing results is one of the toughest things that you'll ever do. Get yourself something that will make it easier to reward yourself while staying on the diet. For example, buy a blender for making frozen fruit smoothies.

7. I'm halfway there.

You deserve a Halfway Party -- not at a Halfway House, though. Pull out all your old fat clothes and try them on so you can feel great about how far you've come.

8. I've been dieting forever, and I'm starting to get discouraged...

Okay, so it's not a reward situation, per se -- but you know what, it actually is. You deserve a reward for sticking to the program this long. Want a quick pick-me-up? Pick up the phone and get together with someone you haven't seen in months. It will be nice seeing this person and you can tell them about your diet.

9. I did it. I made it. I reached my goal weight!

Well, that calls for pulling out all the stops. Remember that money you've been paying yourself for losing weight? Time to cash it in for something great.

Eating healthy and losing weight are gifts that you give yourself, although they may not feel like it at first. By rewarding yourself along the way, you’ll not only increase the chances of success, but you’ll enjoy the process a whole lot more.

Editor's Note: Is your diet just not working for you? Is it too complicated and doesn't fit your lifestyle? If so, we recommend a best-selling and hugely popular diet among our newsletter readers called the Idiot Proof Diet. -Editors