Although I am a grown adult, I'm going to talk about potty training. I assure you all that I am fully house broken, but have just started working on my toddler. This all ties together, I swear. He was practically potty trained before but we had a little mishap with the house. It's actually a very interesting story, if you believe in ghosts and all that is. Anyway, to make a long story short he decided he was terrified of the upstairs and therefore the bathroom. We had a potty downstairs as well but he wasn't having any of it. Anyway, he's just over three now, so I decided it was time again. Also, buying a box of diapers every single week has gotten incredibly old.
Wow. Potty training is great exercise! We are fine and dandy, playing with fire trucks. I inquire "do you have to potty?" and get the answer no. Only minutes later though Wyatt runs to me frantically screaming "I have go potty I have go potty!" This is a very exciting thing (despite the fact that it's the 18th time today) so of course I drop whatever I'm doing, jump to my feet and scream "You have to go potty?" Originally he was climbing the stairs himself, but after two accidents yesterday I have somehow gotten into the habit of grabbing him and running up the stairs screaming "You have to go potty!" while he screams "I have go potty!" It's all very exciting. He's 26 pounds, and running up the stairs with him isn't a huge feat. Jumping over the gate (because climbing is just not exciting enough) and running up the stairs repeatedly is actually a decent work out though. And I mean, he's just a little kid, he's got a small bladder. We run up and down the stairs a lot. My favorite was when we ran upstairs and went pee, promptly came back down the stairs and he announced we had to poop. I'm getting to the part where this plays into my healthy living.
It's not like I can get frustrated about it either. I told him to tell me when he has to potty, I told him to pee and poop in the big boy potty. I can't get frustrated, show negativity, and have him not go on the potty anymore! Anyway, we only had one accident today and he's been dry all night the last two nights too. Pretty good since this is only day three. Yesterday was two accidents, Saturday there were a few. I went out and spent $38 on big boy underwear today. He's been wearing them since Saturday but I only had a few pairs. I don't have a dryer(well, a working one that is) so I usually do laundry at my moms house, which I only go to on Sunday. So he needs enough underwear for the whole week. I figured in factoring in accidents, the fact that he'll put on different underwear after bath time, I might as well just stock up. Besides, I'll save this much on diapers every month anyway. So I went today before work and picked up some underwear. Cars, spiderman, and mickey mouse. Of course he loves batman too but they were too big. Anyway, I gave them to my mom to give to Wyatt (we work together and I go in at three and she gets off at five and then goes to my house after) and they called me to talk about his underwear. He's recently gotten really into talking on the phone, it is seriously heart melting. Anyway, he made my mom get every single pair out so he could check them out (they came in packs of seven) and he wanted to let me know the mater pair was his favorite. So frigging cute! But I'm also wildly disappointed that I wasn't there to give him the underwear. How ridiculous is that? IT'S UNDERWEAR FOR GODSAKE!
Well, back to the diet thing. I swear this all ties together.
Rewards.
There's no rule in the big bad book of adulthood that says grown ups can't have sticker charts. I don't personally have a sticker chart, but there's lots of way you can reward yourself too. I'd urge you not to choose rewards that are unhealthy. You don't want to celebrate your loss of three pounds by going out to eat and drinks after gaining two of them back.
You could maybe decide after your first five pounds you're going to get your nails. When you lose ten pounds you'll buy yourself a new shirt or something, 20 and you get a hair cut. Maybe every five pounds you buy yourself a new shirt in the size of your goal. This is great because if you're losing a great deal of weight and you've always had weight issues you probably don't have a whole lot of smaller clothes meaning you'll have to buy all new things anyway! This way instead of going out one day and spending a fortune you get just a little at a time! And the second plus to this is motivation. If you go out, spend all this money on nice new clothes to wear someday, you have something to look forward to. You don't want to spend money on something you'll never use? Hand the clothes somewhere highly visible to motivate yourself every single day into fitting them. Just seriously, be reasonable. I wouldn't go out and buy a size zero skirt. I have wide hips so the smallest I would ever buy or have ever fit was a size 5. Small and medium shirts, don't go xxs. The goal is to motivate yourself, not blow money and set unrealistic standards for your body.
You could give yourself rewards that have nothing to do with pounds. If your goal isn't simply to lose weight, but to get fit, or be healthier, than the number on a scale may be simply that. A number. Maybe you have a horrible sweet tooth, if you make it two whole weeks without chocolate or cookies you take yourself out to the movies to celebrate, and don't get the gobstoppers as part of the reward! Maybe you set a work out goal, like say, you want to be able to jog three miles, obviously you have to work up to that. Whenever you finally work your way up to 3 miles you get your hair done or treat yourself to a little shopping spree. Maybe those cute boots you've been eyeing online?
Have commitment issues? Never manage to keep your diet going more than a few weeks? Whenever you make it a month you reward yourself. I'm feeling maybe a night out with friends. If you're a mom like me you'll realize that's a huge reward!
Those are just a few ideas. You know what you like best. For me, treating myself to a new book is a big reward for me, maybe for you you'd like to buy a few more songs off iTunes. I'd save the bigger rewards obviously for bigger achievements. Hell if you want a damn sticker chart get a damn sticker chart. Every time you make a healthy decision give yourself a sticker. Sticker for working out, sticker for eating carrots instead of carrot cake, etc. Once you get so many get a prize! For an even more interesting reward go back to the surprise workout routine we discussed with popsicle sticks. Make a list of things you want but haven't been able to convince yourself to spend money on, or maybe something you spend money on all the time that you want to use as motivation, write each one on a piece of paper or a popsicle stick. Hell, put a piece of paper in a balloon and pop one to find the reward I don't care! Once you reach your goal, whatever it me be, pounds lost, healthy decisions made, weeks lasted, draw a surprise reward.
Oh goodie, we're making this fun! Right? Right.
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