Shapeshifting 2020

At least part of your motivation for doing this programme is to get external results: to change your body shape.

The counterintuitive truth is that constantly monitoring your progress externally via weigh ins or measuring yourself will sabotage the goal.

I want you to shift your focus from

how many pounds or cm less am I today/this week?

to

Is my behaviour around food and activity changing??

Only you can decide if you should weigh or measure yourself during the 90 days. I suggest not at all, but that is your decision.

If you wish to weigh or measure yourself on days 1 and 90, why not?

I encourage you to take a full length photo of yourself on day 1.

However there is a hard and fast rule within The Shapeshifting group. No discussion of weight or measuring at all during the 90 days.

Here are some reasons that I believe you will shapeshift faster and more sustainably if you avoid weigh ins or measuring yourself during the 90 days:

#1 The increase in activity may well mean fat starts turning to muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat but takes up less room. So weigh ins might show you what can call a false truth.

#2 The emotional power of a weigh in or measure in to knock you off course is far too powerful. You are a human being, not a robot - so stop expecting your progress to be smooth, consistent and linear.

#3 Weigh and measure ins send a message to Cavebrain that the tribe will only accept you based on the number shown. On the other hand, diet culture has set the world up so everyone around you is never happy with their bodies. It’s catch 22 - the lack of self acceptance club. You tell me one time any of your friends has ever said “I look great, don’t I?”

#4 Month one is going to be a bedding in process of finding meals that you like, learning to eat slower, and changing your activity levels. Some resistance may crop up. I have tools to help you with this. You have no idea of the transformations you will be setting in motion. You also have no idea if you will find the exercise you love immediately or if it takes a bit of trial and error. Ditto slow eating and dietary change.

Imagine disrupting that important process with a bloody weigh in! Or measuring tape for that matter. Oh look, it’s not working immediately. Time to throw the towel in. Be thankful the teacher who taught you to read and write was not so blinkered. Or your driving instructor. Or...you get the picture.

#5 Say you have just had a great week, where you upped your activity levels, did a full menu and really made progress with slow eating. Then you have the Monday from hell. All systems go. The car breaks down. You miss lunch because of X Y and then Z, all of which are 999 life situations. You get home from work and argue with your partner or a friend. That night all your good intentions and great work from last week with food and exercise fall off a cliff.

You wake up on Tuesday. Now if that was your weigh in day, this might signal time to throw the towel in. But wait a minute! A great week vs a crappy day. That is 7 vs 1.

It is much easier to course correct if you focus on behaviour change, not external results. You can make Tuesday morning an opportunity to recommit and reflect on how you can avoid taking your stress out on your stomach next time.

#6 Even if you are still not convinced, why not see this an experiment? Test out my assertions for yourself. Your own experience is the best guru available to you. Please feel free to revert to weigh or measure ins after day 90.

Give Your Scales Away

If you are used to weighing yourself regularly, I strongly suggest you give them away, at least until the 90 days is over. How exciting!