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Rewards as Sabotages
It's important to have little rewards planned as you work your way through your weight loss goals. They help you to “check in” on your progress, keep you motivated to keep going, and boost your esteem as you see how often you are moving past milestones. Unfortunately, many of us choose rewards that sabotage our efforts. It would be great if rewards and “cheat days” were consquence-free, but when it comes to weight loss, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Choosing a candy treat as a reward for putting in your miles on the treadmill negates part of the calories you burned while running. Splurging on a donut because you've been good all week just means you've got more workouts to get to the point you were already at. A cheat day has the potential to wipe out a week's worth of effort.
Does this mean you have to give these things up entirely? Of course not. But, if you're wanting to indulge, plan your food that day to allow for it. Plan also what you're going to do to burn it off. Sometimes, this is enough to make the treat less appealing, but that's not what you're going for. The idea is to be more mindful of your decisions. Also, pick non-food rewards that support your motivation without destroying your progress.