Getting healthy: bye bye Coke, hello gym!

Moving to the other end of the earth is a great opportunity to change your habits, get rid of what you don't like or is not good for you and do more of what you want to start. Right after we moved, there was always a good excuse to eat outside, not to get information about the local gym or make any of the changes we wanted to make. 

A month and a half after, I felt comfortable enough in my new life to get out of my comfort zone again and push the door of the gym. After visiting and talking membership, we subscribed for a two year period with the warranty to be able to stop it if we were to move back to France.

The first session with a trainer was a big eye opener. I knew I was not in good shape, but I thought I'd be healthier than I really was. I also thought I was bad at math and sports alike and that I disliked both. I discovered during Black Belt that my maths skills are actually decent, and I discovered during the past two weeks that if I put my mind to it and follow good guidance, working out is actually something I can enjoy (and eventually become decent at). We now have a session a week to learn new exercises focused on our needs.

When our trainer gave us our meal plan, I immediately rejected it in my head, thinking it'd be too hard, that I'd starve, that I'd been there before and that it wouldn't work for me. I actually had a hard time falling asleep that night, going over and over the rejection of that new diet. But then I tried it with a few extras for a week and quickly adopted it. I can live eating chicken everyday and the choice in veggies that I have is actually decent. The only thing I miss is fruits (except for apples that I can eat now).

While I was drinking at the very least a liter of Coke Zero everyday, I started drinking a gallon of water instead. The change happened overnight and without much frustration as water is preventing me to want to drink Coke. 

After two weeks of working out four days a week, I start to see changes on and in my body. I used to loose a lot of hair, I don't anymore. My nails are healthier and my skin looks better, even though I've got a skin allergy that I don't know the cause of. I have a lot more energy to accomplish chores and all that I didn't had the time to before. 

This new life style forces us to cook a lot more, and I enjoy spending time in the kitchen with my husband. Granted we can't cook like we were used to, we can at least use onions and spices to make our food taste delicious. Ironically, grocery shopping is a lot faster (if not cheaper) as we only visit half the supermarket. We also started to plan our meals for the week using our cook books and modifying the recipes (or changing the sides for instance). Cooking more also means cleaning more and keeping the house in better shape, which is a lot nicer to live in.

I had to change my hectic bedtime routine to make it more structured so it fits my gym oriented needs: thoroughly clean my face, hydrate my all body, drink more water, stretch and the most important: get a good night sleep. 

It's only been two weeks but I love it so far. I always look forward my next work out and improving my performances. Unlike the last time I visited a gym frequently, I understand that it is not an mean to an end but a way of life. I'll need to work out and drink lots of water all my life, especially if I want more flexibility with the food I eat. I now understand that healthy people exercise too, that you don't need to spend 15 min doing push ups but you should alternate several repetitions of each exercise, that you may not want to do a full body work out at once.

I'm no expert and it's going to be a while before I feel comfortable sharing tips that work for me, but I'd recommend getting the help of a trainer / someone who exercises regularly if like me you decide to take the path to health. It can be pricey, but a quick calculation tells me that what we pay today for the gym and trainer doesn't exceed what we use to spend in take-away (that we banned as much as possible).

The introvert trainer

As a Lean Six Sigma BlackBelt, one of my roles is to train my neophyte colleagues to the methodology. The group I work for has developed an initiation training that every employee has to go through. This is how I ended having 15 sessions of training planned in six weeks.

For three hours, I speak to 10 people about wastes, bottlenecks and root cause analysis. I know my material thoroughly as I translated it into French and that I have a deep understanding of the topics I speak about. During each session, we use a simulation to teach the concepts, as we often do in the group for Lean Six Sigma training.

Surprisingly enough, I love to train people. I love to pass on my knowledge, and even though speaking to a fairly large group of colleagues is something I’m not entirely comfortable with, the sessions have been going pretty well so far.

Being so caught up into training makes introspection easier. I've been asking for feedback and looking back on how have done during my first few sessions. Here are some of the tips that work for me:

Before the training:

• Get to know your material thoroughly: the more you know your material, the easier it will be to deliver it. Rehearse the training in your head a few days before and try to figure out the best way to deliver the message according to your audience and the message you want to deliver. 

• Prepare a few examples to illustrate your words: examples are always hard to find on the spot. If you have enough ready, you can use them first and then either come with new ones linked to your audience or ask trainees for some of their own.

• Make sure the logistics are flawless: if the room, time, breaks, food… need action from you when starting the training, you can’t relax and focus on the matter at hand. Make sure everyone, starting by you, is comfortable with the logistics. 

• Choose your outfit wisely: your outfit, but most likely how comfortable you are in it will determine trainees’ first impression. Your outfit should reflect the topics you are teaching but also the kind of audience you have. 

During the training:

• Use your stress to be energetic and don’t forget to smile: your stress can make your trainees uncomfortable but your smile will most likely make them smile back at you. Standing may help you focus on your speech and look more energetic.

• Don't forget introductions: introduce yourself first to set the expectations and give participants a minute or two to prepare their introductions. If the training is long enough, you may want to use an icebreaker game.

• State your agenda: give your participants an idea of what to expect during the training. Reassure them about their breaks and the time allowed to check on emails or make a call.

• Listen to your audience (or watch their reactions): tell your trainees when they should ask questions and how much you want them to participate. Pay attention to their body language to see how they are doing and look at their faces to make sure they understand what you are saying. 

• Try to include every participant, but never force someone to speak up: if you can, talk about projects related to your trainees, say their names when you talk to / about them. Make sure everyone has the opportunity to speak their minds, but don't insist if a participant doesn't want to speak.

• Use examples related to your job but also to your personal experience / life: if your trainees come from different department / product lines of the company, make sure to use examples that all can understand. Use other companies to demonstrate your point. If you teach Lean Six Sigma, talk about your personal experience or life: many concepts can be used at home too.

• Be patient with questions and praise the trainees who speak up: some participants will need more time to understand the concepts you are teaching. Remember that asking for an explanation can be a huge effort for them. When a trainee gives an example, try to say something positive and build on their example.

After the training:

• Get feedback from trainees you trust to be honest or managers: if you have a clear understanding of what was well perceived and what can be improved, you can only get better. Also, seeking feedback should earn you respect from your peers.

• Send an email to trainees to thank them for participating: follow up is key to leave a good impression. Besides, you may have documents, complementary information or pictures to send to the participants.

•  Make sure participants will keep something from your training: it can be material, pictures, a small (corporate) gift, but also knowledge to apply at work and in their personal life.

Don't forget to have a good time! If the training is painful for you, it will be even worse for the participants... Good luck !

B