Motivation for weight loss - small rewards?

[Anonymous]

Hi, OP here. I just wanted to tell everyone - I lost my first 5 pounds! I am so psyched. Whoever said that the actual weight loss, and the feeling of your clothes being too big as being the best motivator was right. The pants I bought when I first went back to work, which were tight at that time, are now loose and I have to cinch my belt in to keep them up. I'm not trying to brag, just want to give anyone else who is also struggling some ideas. Here's what I ended up doing:

Nutridiary http://www.nutridiary.com
- To track what I'm eating every day, and to record weight once per week. I think this is a really helpful tool. When I had to log a bunch of peanuts I ate one day, I was surprised to see how fattening the amount I considered a snack was. Also, decided to cheat one day and have a burger and fries. That was almost the total calories I was supposed to eat that day! I didn't realize it was THAT bad. One week I did not do the logging, and I gained a pound back that week.

Pandora bracelet to reward self with new bead at each 5 pound loss. I think this is going to be more helpful later, as a reminder not to gain it back.

Surfing online clothes catalogs to get inspired by new outfits to purchase in the Spring.

Allow myself a cup of hot chocolate (Swiss Miss no sugar) every day to satisfy my chocolate craving. Only 60 calories, and I can make it last for 1/2 hour. If I ate a small piece of chocolate, it would only last about 30 seconds.