Even Adults Need a Reward Once in a While!

This is day three of my participation in Slim by the Summer with some Lovely Ladies... you can join us too!

After reading Misty's blog that was full of such honesty and inspiration, I was reminded that in this journey we have to figure out a way to keep us going.

What better than a reward system, right? I mean the biggest reward will be when I go and buy that bathing suit and enjoy trying on suits...when's the last time I looked forward to trying on swimsuits? Uh...probably 2010, or was it 2009? I don't remember. What I do remember is that rewards work wonders when trying to inspire our kiddo to do his chores and remember things to help himself. So...here are my ideas:

• Once I hit my 1/4 mark, meaning I've lost a 1/4 of my goal weight...I'm going to let myself, once a week- so something for me. 30 Minutes of reading, or lunch with a friend, or something I've been wanting to do.
• When I hit my 1/2 way mark, it'll be a date with the Hubs! I'm hoping to be at the 1/2 way by April, and that will be just in time for his Birthday! I've got it planned, a picnic at the river, just us and our doggie. Sounds fun, right?
• 3/4 mark-will probably be the beginning of the plateau-so this reward will be something to get me going-spur me on to going that last bit of the way and finishing my goal- so that reward will be a new workout outfit. Shoes and all. (I'm sure I will need shoes my then, with all this jogging/walking I'm doing!)
• And when I hit my goal...we are going to take a trip! It will be just in time for our Anniversary and we've been wanting/needing to get away. Want to know how I plan on making that happen? Well, I'm going to tell you:

The Goal Fund:

In order to hold myself more accountable for my bad habits, and hopefully break them, as well as get my husband in on helping me reach my goal-I've put together a plan of action. 

If you and your significant other are anything like us...we get lazy and take the easy way out. We try to teach our lil guy that the easy way only makes more work in the end....oh listen to that! I need to follow my own advice! And this jar is going to help me! 

• Every time one of us says-let's just go get....dinner out, or an unhealthy meal...and the other one sticks to the healthy plan of eating, we get to put a dollar in the jar! 
• Each time I choose a healthy snack instead of those cookies or whatever else I made for the kiddos: I put in a quarter. 
• Every week when I make a healthy meal plan, and stick to it...I put in another 2 dollars. 
• If I eat breakfast or my smoothie within 2 hours of getting up, fifty cents. 
• If I reach my exercise goal for the day: fifty cents. 

I figure, with all the money we will be saving not eating out, we will be able to keep this reward system going! We usually cave in at least two times a week and eat out when we could have just as easily made a healthy meal at home. So there's two dollars a week. Every day there is temptation for an unhealthy snack-so that would be at least two more dollars a week. Plus another two dollars each week I meal plan, and 3.50 a week from good breakfasts, as well as 3.50 for working out...equaling 13 a week! Times 23 weeks of the challenge: a whopping $299! Sounds like a good va-cay to me! 

That's gonna be my jar by summer! 

What are you doing to help nudge yourself into making healthier habits? 
Happy Wednesday!
~Cassie <3 <3 <3