Having a low calorie treat as a reward at the end of the day or week for sticking to your fitness goals is not necessarily a bad thing but it doesn’t help in removing the dependence on food that may have led to the extra pounds to begin with. To completely break the cycle of emotional eating you will have to find other ways to soothe your emotions (good and bad) without food. While some of the best nonfood rewards cost more than a few pennies they are worth every red cent. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Massage

Pick up the cell and make an appointment that is 30 days from now. Establish your goal. If you fail to meet your goal within 48 hours of the appointment, then cancel it.

Workout Attire

Nothing inspires some people like the idea of new running shoes, a Garmin 305, shorts, tops, or other workout gadgets like the Polar heart rate monitor. Pick the one that gets you excited and reward yourself at the end of 60 days with your top pick.

Clothing

Go window shopping. Have the store hold that strapless number you’ve been eying for the past few months. Go get it at the end of the week if you achieve your fitness goal.

Pedicure

You’ve been pounding the pavement so your little toes are in desperate need of some TLC. If you want to save money on this one, you can do it yourself by buying a few items from your local drugstore. But, it is so worth having someone else give you a pedicure.

Maid Service

Housework is one of the top reasons woman skip their workouts. There’s always one more load of laundry to do, one more room to clean, one more, one more, one more.  Once you accept that it will never all just “get done” you may finally give in to the idea of a maid service if you don’t just stop cleaning altogether.  Trust me, I’ve been there.  You can opt for a one-time cleaning if you don’t want to be on the hook week after week. This one should be saved for meeting a six month goal.

I’m sure you could come up with a long list of things that truly inspire you that have nothing to do with food.  Add them to this list. At a minimum, pick one each month. If you actually implement your list and experience some of these great nonfood rewards, you are bound to reach new fitness heights because it all begins with the right motivation.