Dont Forget About You

We praise our children, our spouses, our co-workers -- we even reward a waitress for extra-special service in a restaurant. But we often forget to reward ourselves when we accomplish something special. As anyone who has trained a puppy knows, even small rewards go a long way in modifying behavior. You'll be much more likely to succeed at weight loss if you make rewards an integral part of your program.

Give yourself non-food presents when you meet short- and long-term goals. A new Walkman cassette for your weekly goal, a fleece pullover for your monthly goal, a walking vacation for a yearly goal. If your budget is tight, choose rewards that cost nothing -- a do-it-yourself manicure, a quiet hour with a great paperback, or a long nap on a rainy afternoon.