Never Reward (or Treat) with Food!

Many of your food behaviors stem back to childhood.  Though mama taught us to eat breakfast, she also gave us a plate of cookies with a glass of milk when you didn’t feel well.  When you made a good grade, you would take a trip to McDonald’s.  When you won a ballgame, you got ice-cream.  There always seems to be a time to celebrate or medicate with food.  This is destructive behavior.

Science also supports the notion that we create neuro-associations to food for reward, even when you’re not hungry.  This makes this behavior one of the most difficult to break, as we can find a means to reward ourselves for accomplishments of which you normally would not reward.

For example, after a hard day of work, patting fires, and dealing with traffic, you finally make you’re way back home to end the day.  In the back of your mind you’re thinking, “I could really go for a frozen yogurt.”  Once again, this is similar to how a drug user may justify using drugs.  “I deserve it!”  However, you know as well as I do, there are going to be many more hard days ahead of you.  Its just life!

In order to break this negative behavior, you have to change your perspective.  In other words, you have to understand that every time you reward or treat yourself with food, you are actually punishing yourself.  There are long-term consequences!

Here are some better ways to reward and de-stress yourself:

• Get a massage
• Watch a movie
• Play golf, go bowling, or play mini-golf
• Go for a run
• Organize something, like your closet
• Listen to music
• Walk the dog
• Do some gardening

Understandably, you may not look at some of these things as rewards.  However, you have to change your attitude.  What you see in everyone of these tips is that there are no long term consequences.  If anything, you achieve a true reward.  One of the other benefits of these rewards is that it keeps your mind off of food (with exception of gardening, which is good food)!  

written by

Kelly Huggins, A-CPT

Exercise Science, B.S.

NPTI Instructor

Fitness/Nutrition Coach