A Ketogenic Lifestyle is one of the first steps in changing the way we treat ourselves and our bodies. It is a significant step, and will change the way we live our lives forever! Congratulations!
The old system of trying to find things to make yourself feel good while you’re starving and driving yourself into the ground trying to lose weight is long behind you now. Filling up on those good fats and kicking the sugar and other carbs to the curb is working some serious magic on your brain chemistry, let alone all the other chemistry in your body.
Now comes another fun part! Because our stomachs are full, we can do the work of changing any habits we might have picked up before Keto.
One of the best things about Keto is the successes are built into the package. We don’t have to reward ourselves with a new pair of jeans when we lose 5 kilograms (11 pounds), in fact, before we’ve even lost 5 kilograms we probably will be down two sizes!
Each of us has been born with a beautiful body, one that functions in amazing ways. Enjoying the Ketogenic Lifestyle gives our bodies the best shot at operating at peak performance no matter what we choose to ask it to do.
- Built In Rewards
- Rewards Along The Way
- Big Reward Goals
This is where photographs and other measurements come in. (4 tools to help you ditch that scale).It is valuable to have goals, measurable goals that don’t rely on the scale, that you can see, record and revisit as reminders along the way.
One of the best things about Keto, is you will discover a new thing every week. Whether it’s something new about your body; your endurance, your shrinking clothes size, changes in your skin. Or it might be your alertness, your ability to concentrate or the way you manage life events.
These automatic, built in rewards are awesome at keeping us going. They help to remind us how far we’ve come, they show other people the positive effects of a Ketogenic Lifestyle, they give us opportunities to go shopping in our own cupboards, in second hand shops, thrift stores, charity stores, and the opportunity to buy brand new clothes!
I don’t know about you, but I am a bit of a bower bird: I love shiny things, so a carefully chosen new pair of earrings or a new watch is a great reward. More than shiny things, I love books, saving for a new book is worth every cent!
What kinds of ‘along-the-way’ rewards would be a treat for you? Would you buy yourself a new frying pan or something fancy for the house? Maybe a new coffee cup, or that beautiful china tea-cup that you saw in the window of the store down the street? Drawing materials, new pencils, or a fancy pen would be great for those who are artistic. The list could go on and on!
Maybe your kind of treat isn’t for yourself at all. Maybe you like to give things to others, to your grandkids or your spouse, your kids or your friends? Maybe even random strangers!
These are all kinds of treats that we can train our brains into replacing for food.
Are there rewards that you’ve been promising yourself for years that you never thought would happen?
Maybe it’s a plane trip somewhere or a new bicycle? A family holiday or a really fancy manicure? How about a spa weekend? A hiking holiday? A weekend with your children and grandchildren? A Cruise!
I know that these kinds of long-term goals are big, some of them are financially a long stretch. Some of us might have a Big Reward Goal that has actually been taken care of by Keto, and now we have to think up another one! (Like losing 8 dress sizes!)
If you have something you have been dreaming about forever, now might be the time to start thinking about how to make that happen!
We have already made a significant change to our life with Keto. Treating ourselves and choosing rewards for getting to goals are all opportunities to reinforce that decision. It’s a practice in success.
Don’t just see these as ‘treats’ or ‘rewards’ however. You are here for a reason. What kind of life affirming opportunities do these rewards also represent? Reclaiming life that may have been on hold due to health reasons, reclaiming family time or time with friends?
These are also opportunities to stake your claim on life, on the planet.
GO YOU!