Phase 3: Making Your Shift
What is the issue?
You've made it to Phase 3. This is where the rubber meets the road — or rather, where your boat finally leaves the harbour. All the preparation work we've done until now has been setting the stage for this moment: actually making The Shift.
The funny thing about sailing is that preparing the boat often takes longer than the actual departure. Trust me, this is a good thing. It’s just very different than what you’ve come to expect from weight loss programs and diets.
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
Abraham Lincoln
You plan, you provision, you check your equipment, you study the weather and tides — and then suddenly, you're off. The same applies here. We've spent significant time understanding your values, mapping your appetite, learning about headwinds and tailwinds. Now it's time to actually set sail.
I'm reminded of tennis legend Roger Federer's insight: "Effortless is a myth." People would watch him play and marvel at how easy he made it look. But as he revealed, "The truth is, I had to work very hard... to make it look easy." He spent years building the skills that eventually appeared automatic and graceful.
This is exactly what The Shift offers: a structured approach that, with practice, will help you move from reactive, Below Water eating to conscious, Above Water eating. When it becomes second nature, others might think it looks effortless. You'll know the truth — that you've built this skill through practice, awareness, and committed action.
What do you think?
Take a moment to consider your last few eating experiences. Did you eat on autopilot, barely noticing your food as you scrolled on your phone or watched TV? Did you eat until your plate was clean, regardless of your hunger level? Did you stop because you were satisfied, or because the food was gone?
Be honest with yourself — there's no judgment here. Most of us eat Below Water most of the time. It's simply how we've been conditioned in our modern food environment.
The next activity is one you can do whenever you need it. I recommend giving it a try now with a recent eating experience. You can use the Captain’s Log or the activity itself.
This activity will help bring a past eating experience above water. The Shift Summary is to help you keep eating experiences Above Water in real time.
The most important thing? Forward motion. Give yourself space, try it out, then move on.
You may stop reading the lesson and do the activity now or wait until the end of the lesson to do the activity in sequence.
Once you complete the lessons, the activities appear on their own pages so you can find them and repeat them anytime.
Activity 1:
The Shift Appetite Literacy Capture
Bringing an eating experience Above Water means mapping your coordinates before, during and after meals. Here is a very handy tool to do just that:
What else would be good to know?
The Shift System isn't complicated, but it is profound. At its core are three simple steps that transform eating from an unconscious activity to a deliberate practice: Set Up, Size Up, and Step Out.
Set Up: POP (Pause, Observe, Proceed)
The Set Up is about creating the conditions for Above Water eating. Think of it as checking your navigation instruments before changing course. Here's how it works:
P - Pause: Take a deep breath in. This activates your parasympathetic nervous system, moving you from Red Mind (stressed, reactive) to Blue Mind (calm, responsive).
O - Observe: While holding that breath, turn your attention inward. This creates a moment of stillness where you can actually sense what's happening in your body.
P - Proceed: Exhale fully and make your choice about eating from this more centred state.
This might sound trivial — just breathing? — but don't underestimate its power. In my clinical practice, I've seen this simple technique completely transform eating experiences for people who've struggled with their appetite for decades.
“Breath is not only an invitation into the body but the essence of the way we already know how to live in that body. Easy, relaxed, breathing always leads to surprise: at how centred we already are, how unhurried we are underneath it all, how patient we never knew we could be…Breath is practical and helpful in understanding how we should be in life: the unquenchable source of both visible and invisible help in our days, giving when we do not ask, teaching us, with each in-breath, how to receive when we feel we do not deserve to receive.”
David Whyte, Consolations II
Size Up: Reading Your Appetite Maps
After setting up, you'll take stock of your current state:
Rate your hunger/fullness on a scale of 0-10 (0 = starving, 10 = uncomfortably full)
Rate your wanting/satisfaction on a scale of 0-10 (0 = intense craving, 10 = completely satisfied)
Notice any cultural influences at play (social pressure, time of day, special occasion, etc.)
Remember your Appetite Inventory from Phase 2? This is where it becomes practical. You're checking your actual coordinates on the map we've been building.
Click the link here if you would like a refresher of the Appetite Activity in Phase 2.
Step Out: Ending with Intention
The final piece is creating a clear end to your eating experience. Most people don't decide when to stop eating — they just keep going until the food is gone, they're interrupted, or they feel uncomfortably full.
With Step Out, you create a simple ritual that marks the completion of the meal. This might be:
Placing your napkin on your plate
Taking a final sip of water
Pushing your chair back slightly
Simply saying to yourself, "I'm done now"
What matters isn't the specific action but the conscious decision to end the eating experience on your terms.
In tennis, Federer noted that "When you're playing a point, it is the most important thing in the world. But when it's behind you, it's behind you." This mindset allowed him to fully commit to each moment, then move cleanly to the next. The Step Out serves a similar purpose—it completes one eating experience cleanly so you can move on with your day without lingering thoughts about food.
How do I apply this right now? How do I explore this more?
The Shift in Action
Let's practice each component of The Shift. You can follow along with this diagram:
1. Set Up with POP
Right now, wherever you are, try this:
Sit up straight with both feet on the floor
Take a deep breath in through your nose, filling your lungs
Hold that breath for a second or two
Exhale completely through your mouth
Notice how even this brief practice creates a moment of calm attention. This is the foundation of Above Water eating.
2. Size Up Your Appetite
This doesn't require actual food—you can practice awareness anytime:
Where are you on the hunger/fullness scale right now (0-10)?
Where are you on the wanting/satisfaction scale (0-10)?
What cultural influences might be affecting your appetite at this moment?
For example, maybe you're at a hunger level of 3 (definitely hungry but not urgent), a wanting level of 2 (strong desire for something sweet), and you're aware it's mid-afternoon when you often crave a snack.
Just this awareness—without judgment—is powerful.
3. Step Out with Intention
Create a simple gesture that will signal the end of your eating experiences:
Choose something easy to remember and natural to perform
Practice it now to make it feel familiar
Commit to using it at your next meal
Before your next meal, set an intention to use the full Shift System — Set Up, Size Up, and Step Out. Notice how this changes your eating experience.
Activity 2:
My Shift Summary
Create your personalized quick-reference guide for The Shift:
How do I bring it all together?
The beauty of The Shift is its simplicity. You don't need special equipment, expensive food, or hours of preparation. You just need awareness and practice.
Think about how Federer described his journey: "I didn't get where I got on pure talent alone. I got there by trying to outwork my opponents." The same applies here. The Shift isn't about having perfect self-control or never experiencing cravings. It's about consistent practice — showing up for yourself meal after meal, building the neural pathways that support intentional eating.
At first, you'll likely forget to use The Shift. You'll find yourself halfway through a meal before remembering. That's completely normal and expected. When this happens, don't abandon the practice — simply implement what you can from that point. Maybe you just do the Step Out portion. That still counts as practice.
Like a novice sailor gradually mastering the skills of navigation, you'll become more proficient with each attempt. The occasional storm or setback doesn't mean you've failed — it means you're actually out on the water, learning in real conditions.
Your Ship's Manifest (food tracking) and Captain's Log (reflections) become invaluable tools during this phase. They help you spot patterns, celebrate progress, and refine your approach. They transform single data points into meaningful trends.
How will I know if this is making a difference? How do I start noticing the changes?
As you practice The Shift, watch for these signals of progress:
Increased appetite awareness: You notice hunger before it becomes urgent and satisfaction before you're uncomfortably full
Less autopilot eating: You catch yourself before mindlessly snacking or overeating
More enjoyment of food: When you're present during eating, flavors and textures become more vivid
Natural meal endings: You find yourself stopping when satisfied, regardless of how much food remains
Reduced guilt or anxiety: Eating becomes a neutral or positive experience rather than an emotional battleground
More consistent energy levels: Better-regulated eating often leads to more stable energy throughout the day
Remember what Federer said about tennis: "Even top-ranked tennis players win barely more than half of the points they play." In the early stages of practicing The Shift, you might only eat Above Water 20% of the time. That's still progress! Each Above Water eating experience builds your skills for the next one.
Record your observations in your Captain's Log. These notes become evidence of your growing mastery and a resource for navigating future challenges.
What is next?
In our next lesson, we'll dive deeper into making Above Water eating easier. We'll explore how to engineer your food environment to reduce friction and support your objectives.
Just as a skilled sailor learns to work with the conditions rather than against them, you'll learn to create conditions that support your intended direction. This doesn't mean eliminating all challenges — that would be like sailing only on perfectly calm days. Rather, it means developing the skills to navigate various conditions with increasing confidence.
Remember Federer's wisdom: "It's only a point." In the context of The Shift, it's only a meal. No single eating experience defines your journey. What matters is the accumulation of practice, awareness, and skill-building over time.
Each time you use The Shift — even imperfectly — you're strengthening the neural pathways that support Above Water eating. You're training your brain to approach food with awareness rather than reactivity. And with each practice, you're sailing a little further from shore, building confidence in your ability to navigate the open water.