The healthy change under stress

The healthy change under stress

gaby.planchart01@gmail.com

Twitter: @gabyplanchart01

            After the next day the Venezuelan Presidential elections occurred on April 14 2013, it was very difficult to write an article about positive change. My intention was to keep writing on the topic of healthy change, as I wanted to discuss about my new eating habits. However, my mind was in another place. I dealt with huge amounts of anxiety. I imagined many of my Venezuelan friends and acquaintances were feeling the same way.

            In these difficult moments where emotions dominate us we must learn to manage them. My way to control anxiety follows different paths. After biting my fingernails or their surrounding skin until it hurts, I gave permission for certain cravings like chocolate and ice cream but the ones with no sugar added and always observing small portions. Finally I focused on my work, exercised, cooked and cleaned the house.

            Right now, Venezuelans are going through all the spectrum of hard emotions such as anger, fear, anxiety and uncertainty. We have to control ourselves to not overflow into actions that we can then repent. For those Venezuelans like me that live in other countries, we have to deal with the urgent need of wanting to be in the center where the events were occurring in order to support whatever it takes to get our country back. My way to channel my frustration at the distance has been actively participating in social networks. As human beings with skills to rationalize, the best that we can do it is to identify these overflowing emotions and channel them to offset any excess that can hurt you.

            I spent all day thinking about how I felt and here are my thoughts:

"To my friend supporting the government: I know you love your country; therefore, we must seek a joint solution to solve the situation that Venezuela is living. Winning like that is not winning! To win properly is by not scaring voters, polling shooting, assisting or forcing to vote for your candidate, disappearing ballot boxes, applying unilateral standards and abusive behaviors. This is embarrassing. The world has noticed it. The situation is critical and affects us all equally. I believe anyone cannot agree with a government limiting your voting rights! "

"Partners and friends of the opposition: We have advanced profoundly if we abstract from all the abuse we live yesterday. We won everything, we have earned an ETHICAL Leader: Henrique Capriles. El Flaco gave and continue to give his whole body and soul to the cause of our country, he has united us, evoked many ruling and I am sure will be able to summon many more to build the project of the country we want and deserve. He is a man of principles and values. We have something to improve and that we should convene, include and discern because a country in two halves that are not in speaking terms is not part of the Venezuela that we deserve. We have the reason and we always seek peace. We need to keep fighting and working to make our dream come true. Our dream is a country of progress and full of opportunities for all Venezuelans to come true. I am sure that our dream will become reality sooner rather than later. "

            Let us follow closely all the developments.  Henrique Capriles’ leadership will take us closer every day to see our dream come true:

·                                A prosperous Venezuela,

·                               A Venezuela following a sustained path for progress and

·                              Venezuela for all Venezuelans.

The healthy change II

            In the previous article, I talked about the first step of how to deal with the healthy change. Within the first step of this transformation management, we need to identify what we must change throughout the logical and illogical motivations. Without thinking too much, my logical motivations are my family and a healthy life. My illogical motivation was the fear of having surgery to achieve a healthier life. All these reasons led me to my second step: The change action in September 2012.

            A good leader uses multiple tools to bring forward change projects. In order to achieve a desired or new state, companies address typically change management projects. A new system, the development of a new product, the reengineering of a process, and sales deepening the relationship with existing customers are examples of change management projects. In order to achieve successful results, leaders require tactics and team building.

            For a chubby person (to soften the term) like me, taking action to stop being obese is almost a lifestyle intervention. The action had to take place in three areas: food, exercise, and habits associated with both. Another important decision was that this change I could not carry it out by myself. I needed help or a consultant. Schein explains the role of this consultant (1995) as the person involved with my change from scratch and share a commitment to helping me to lead a different lifestyle and habits. After finishing my masters in management in August 2012, I decided to apply all the knowledge learned from change management to adapt a healthier lifestyle.

            In September 2012, I enrolled in the program of Dr. Cederquist's Wellness Center in Naples, Florida. After trying several other alternatives with no success, it was a logical reason to participate in this program. I needed to fight my own diet schemes.  I always started a diet every Monday of each week with enthusiasm and commitment but at the end of the week the spellbound was broken. The excuses were the forces of resistance to change; this resistance was so strong enough that it could smash down my personal commitment. I needed to unlearn in order to learn new habits to adapt a healthier lifestyle. I enrolled myself into my health master for the period 2012-2013.

            The Dr. Cederquist team offered me the tools to address this change; among these tools I can mention a day planner; a food diary; a record of my weekly measures such as weight, water, fat mass, among others; a list of personal motivators; and, what I like the most, a visit with my nutritionist to assess weekly progress. Additionally, every 6 weeks, I have a comprehensive medical check up which evaluates physical and laboratory tests showing the positive transformation of my body.

            For keeping me motivated, I need to have a constant monitoring of my positive changes. Definitely, the most important effect is to constantly follow-up.  The feedback arising allows me to make the necessary corrections in the three areas: food, exercise and habits in order to make further progress in reducing weight. Any resemblance to a work plan to increase product sales, traffic and average ticket sales, it is merely a coincidence.