: I plan to use your sticker idea. It's
: a cheap, non-sugar way to give
: myself a treat and acknowledge the
: good work I'm doing

this is great, well done you Sherri. Acknowledging things - the tiniest of successes even - is a really big and useful thing I think !
I am sure it forges new brain pathways

. I wonder what
: little things other people do to
: give themselves a pat on the back.

I have got to know a voice - I have had to nurture it - and it works a bit like the *joy dots we have, I feel , for me,.... ( you've seen them on some posts? ) and this positive voice of mine says, oh, I am doing so well ! and things like...… Im a brilliant cook...….. im so capable...…so well planned…..what an achievement to get that corner tidied!... so proud. oh, well done me! . that kind of thing.

Interestingly enough its not oh I resisted that thing, because I spent a lifetime with my willpower on at 100% which was really hard work but now don't have to do that because as long as my food is right that's melted away. Which makes life so much more peaceful

as for food rewards, my whole day is a food reward Because I had so many years … decades! of eating things I didn't like because others said they were good for me, or I ought to, I ditched "ought to" altogether and go for what *I* want. So , I like, or I get to.....

so I walk a distance to the right shop to get the freshest of fresh ginger and garlic, I buy the more expensive decaf ground coffee because its just for me, I buy fage /total greek yogurt because it is the nicest. I make the effort to cook the vegetables I like specially ( currently my craze is what I call teppanyaki...….. its not authentic, in a wok cubed zucchini, peppers, onions huge amounts of garlic and ginger, GF soy sauce for me) I am fussy about the olive oil, doesn't have to be expensive but does have to be nice. I adore olives and buy several sorts of jars. Parmesan cheese, blue cheese.

well I could go on but you get the idea You may note I have a savoury tooth rather than a sweet one I also have special cups plates and spoons for various items, which I suspect may be a sugar sensitive trait, but is such a pleasure handling that wooden spoon or having that microplane grater..... and using my crockery and cutlery - some inherited from loved ones so extra special