Last week I shared some tips regarding incorporating exercise, sweets, fruits, vegetables and water into my life without adding more any more crazy to it.  You can read that post here.  Now, I’d like to share a few tidbits I’ve learned along the way about personal growth, not eating after 9 p.m., why contact and hot topics are so important.

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Personal Growth

Personal growth is well, personal, for me but it is rarely focused in one area alone.  Sometimes I use this time for reflection.  Sometimes I choose to research an area of science that I’m interested in learning more about (often related to fitness and nutrition) or developing a skill (playing piano, singing, etc.)  Sometimes I use that time to write in my journal to purge my thoughts to paper.  Sometimes I read my scriptures or talks of spiritual leaders that may help me to be humble and so forth.  Whatever I choose to use this time for, I’ve found it to be beneficial because I didn’t use that time in a way someone ELSE wanted me to, but in a way that I needed to. 

If you missed Valerie’s post last week, you’ll want to read that here.  She shared her thoughts on why taking the time to focus on personal growth daily is so very important. 

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Not Eating Late

There are several reasons why not eating late is a good idea, but that’s not what I’m here to talk about today.  Let’s say you’ve already decided that you really want to try to follow that advice.  What now?  You’ve always munched at night while watching TV or hanging out with the family or working on the computer.  How do you stop now?

The truth is... it’s kinda tricky.  You might have to try several different things before you find what really works for YOU!  For me, it helps to eat a well-balanced dinner and maybe a small snack a few hours later since we eat extremely early at our house, and then just plain stay out of the kitchen and away from the pantry as much as possible throughout the evening.  I used to have my office on the main floor of our home, which was unfortunately directly across from our pantry in the hall.  I found myself dreaming of whatever could possibly call my name and tempt me.  This was very rarely in response to actual hunger, but more likely just needing a mind break.  My fix?  I moved my office downstairs next to the exercise equipment.  Now when I need a mind break I have a healthy alternative to crackers and fruit snacks and such.  I’ll have to make a VERY conscious choice to walk past a good solution to a poor one.

Other things that help me are chewing gum, or flossing my teeth (I have a pack of flossers on my desk), or starting a cleaning project (toilets and ice cream don’t mix well).  Also, going to bed early, meditating or focusing on my personal growth time are a few things that help me to avoid reaching for the snacks.  Whatever you do, keep trying until you find your “fix”.  It will be worth the effort.

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Contact & Hot Topics

I think this one becomes fairly easy once you have a clear understanding of the purpose behind it.  Taking on any task feels more doable when you feel like you’re not alone.  The change required to improve one’s health can feel very overwhelming if you’re doing it alone!  This is the reason behind the contact points, to help teams stay connected and give individuals an opportunity to reach out to others who understand the struggle.  There’s no reason to drudge through your journey alone.  Reaching out to others has shown to be an effective means to sticking to change long-term.

Hot Topics are not just a tedious hoop we want you to jump through.  Our focus in having you participate in a hot topic is to help you to think about the changes you are making, why you are making them and hopefully find helpful tips through the discussion that will make the journey to healthier living easier.   I’ve, personally, found it easiest to comment on the topic when I’m checking results Tuesday morning or right before submitting my points on Monday, that way I’m less likely to forget.

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