Why Are You Talking Like That? The Shift’s Terminology

The best version of you, living a life fully aligned with your values and personal objectives. It's achieved through consistent effort and personal growth. Your 10/10 Life is about the experience, not just your appearance or weight.

The part of your brain that makes conscious decisions, plans, and controls complex thoughts about food choices and taking action.

Being aware of and in tune with your body's physical, mental, and emotional signals for hunger, fullness, wanting, and satisfaction.

Surgical procedures that help individuals with severe obesity lose weight by modifying the digestive system. Common types include gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and adjustable gastric banding. Bariatric surgery can lead to significant weight loss and improvements in obesity-related health conditions.

Eating more than planned, whether it's emotional eating, overeating, or night eating. In The Shift, we sometimes refer to Big Eating as "eating past fullness, into wanting" or "eating into the deep". In extreme cases, it can be binge eating, which is different from Binge Eating Disorder.

A calm, relaxed state of mind, like being near water, that activates the "rest and digest" part of your nervous system.

A combination weight loss medication that contains bupropion (an antidepressant) and naltrexone (an opioid antagonist). This medication works by regulating brain pathways involved in appetite and reward, helping individuals reduce food cravings and eat less.

A journal to reflect on your thoughts, emotions, and experiences during your journey. It helps you gain perspective and recognize your efforts towards becoming your 10/10 Self.

One of the three main macronutrients (along with protein and fat). Carbohydrates are the body's primary energy source and include sugars, starches, and fiber. Complex carbohydrates (whole grains, vegetables) are generally healthier than simple carbohydrates (refined sugars, processed foods).

The supportive, encouraging voice in your Above Water Mind. Your inner Coach offers hope, optimism, and kind, curious feedback. The Coach helps you stay focused on your values, objectives, and the bigger picture. In The Shift, you'll learn to amplify your Coach's influence and adopt a coaching mindset to navigate your weight loss journey with self-compassion and resilience.

A stress hormone released by the adrenal glands. Chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels can contribute to overeating, weight gain, and difficulty losing weight. Cortisol can also impact fat storage, leading to increased abdominal fat accumulation.

A societal focus on weight and body shape over health, encouraging restrictive eating and stigmatizing certain body types.

A chemical in the mind that makes you feel pleasure and motivates you, playing a big role in why you enjoy eating.

A term used to describe pulling eating below water, which is when you over fuel and under nourish. You will learn more about this in Phase 3 and 4.

Setting up your surroundings to make Eating Above Water easy and natural.

Highly tasty, often processed foods that trigger the motivation and reward centers in your brain.

A macronutrient that provides energy, supports cell structure, and aids in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Healthy fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) are important for overall health, while excessive saturated and trans fats can contribute to weight gain and cardiovascular disease.

The sensation of having eaten enough, often linked to the stomach stretching and signals telling the mind you're satisfied.

A unit of hereditary information, made up of DNA, that encodes a specific trait or function. Genes play a role in determining an individual's predisposition to certain health conditions, including obesity, but environmental factors also significantly influence weight.

A hormone produced mainly in the stomach that stimulates appetite. Ghrelin levels typically increase before meals and decrease after eating. Imbalances in ghrelin production can contribute to overeating and weight gain.

A class of medications that mimic the effects of the hormone GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), which regulates appetite and insulin secretion. GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as liraglutide and semaglutide, can help individuals lose weight by reducing hunger and increasing feelings of fullness.

A simple sugar that serves as the body's primary energy source. Glucose comes from the breakdown of carbohydrates in food and is regulated by insulin. Maintaining stable blood glucose levels is essential for overall health and weight management.

A SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) target that helps you reach an objective. In The Shift, each tactic has a goal to help you meet your personal objectives.

A challenge or obstacle that makes your weight loss journey more difficult, like a wind blowing against the direction you're trying to sail. Headwinds can include biological factors (hormones, genetics), environmental influences (stress, lack of sleep), or psychological barriers (emotional eating, self-sabotage). In The Shift, you'll learn strategies to navigate these headwinds and stay on course.

A weight-neutral approach to health that emphasizes body acceptance, intuitive eating, and enjoyable physical activity, rather than focusing solely on weight loss. HAES recognizes that health can be achieved at a variety of body sizes and aims to reduce weight stigma.

The physical feeling, driven by hormones and bodily needs, that tells you it's time to eat.

A present-tense, positive statement that reinforces your commitment to change and aligns with your values and aspirations.

A hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels. Insulin helps cells absorb glucose from the bloodstream and signals the body to store excess energy as fat. Insulin resistance, often associated with obesity, can lead to high blood sugar levels and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

The small front sail maneuvered often to stay on course and handle wind. In the Shift, these are our tactics.

A hormone produced by fat cells that signals to the brain when the body has enough stored energy (fat). Leptin helps regulate appetite and metabolism, but leptin resistance can occur in individuals with obesity, making it harder for the brain to receive the "I'm full" signal.

The weight range that allows you to live your life without spending all of your time thinking about food and weight, meet your objectives, and align with your values. It's about overall well-being, not just a number on the scale. Maintaining your Life Weight takes some effort but doesn't feel uncomfortable.

The large back sail providing speed and stability. This is our consistency and thrust when life gets rocky. They are our objectives and are the tactics deployed with consistency and intentionality over time.

A gene that plays a crucial role in regulating appetite and energy balance. Mutations in the MC4R gene are the most common genetic cause of early-onset severe obesity. Individuals with MC4R mutations may experience intense hunger and difficulty feeling full, leading to weight gain.

The study of how genes interact with nutrients and how genetic variations affect an individual's response to diet. Nutritional genomics aims to personalize nutrition recommendations based on an individual's genetic profile to optimize health outcomes.

A clear, big-picture aim that aligns with your values and fits into your 10/10 Self vision. You'll create three main personal objectives in The Shift.

A mindset that believes losing more weight is always better and that weight loss is the only goal, even if it's unsafe. Pirates focus on the treasure, while Sailors focus on the journey. Pirates are never satisfied and always want more, but Sailors find reward in the process and know that more isn't always better. Pirates are thieves, Sailors are masters. Pirates die, Sailors retire.

A three-step process to bring eating into your conscious mind, helping you regulate your appetite better.

A macronutrient essential for building and repairing tissues, producing hormones and enzymes, and supporting immune function. Adequate protein intake is crucial for maintaining muscle mass during weight loss and promoting satiety.

Making it easier and more convenient to Eat Above Water and choose minimally processed foods rich in protein and fiber.

The ability to adapt, recover, and grow in the face of stress, challenges, or adversity. In the context of weight loss, resilience helps you stay committed to your goals, navigate setbacks, and maintain a positive mindset throughout your journey.

The sail itself is what we can control. Everything else is what it is.

The sailor’s knot is the commitment. Together, they are our commitment to the deeply personal work of being well, moving towards our values to reach our goals. In the practice itself we are transformed.

The feeling of being full and no longer wanting to eat, controlled by hormones and signals from the stomach to the mind.

Nutritious, minimally processed foods that make you feel full and content, supporting long-term appetite control, digestion, and overall health.

The inner critic that lives in your Under Water Mind. The Sea Witch can sabotage your weight loss efforts with negative self-talk and unhelpful thoughts. The Sea Witch trades in perfectionist, black-and-white thinking. The Sea Witch wants you to think you’re fragile so you don’t notice that it’s they who lack integrity and fortitude, not you. In The Shift, you'll learn strategies to manage the Sea Witch's influence and navigate the emotional and cognitive challenges that arise during your journey.

Getting yourself and your surroundings ready for Eating Above Water.

A daily record of what you eat, using an app called RxFood, to spot patterns, celebrate wins, and navigate challenges.

Refers to dysfunctional fat tissue, often associated with obesity, that contributes to chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, and an increased risk of metabolic diseases. Healthy fat tissue, in contrast, helps regulate metabolism and hormone production.

Checking in with your current hunger and wanting levels to make informed choices about food.

Ending your eating experience with a planned signal.

A specific, doable action that will be repeated in a specific time frame in a specific way to form a goal.

A factor that supports your weight loss efforts, like a wind blowing in the direction you're sailing. Tailwinds can include positive habits (regular exercise, rest), appetite medications and bariatric surgery. Supportive resources (a strong social network, access to healthy foods), or psychological assets (resilience, growth mindset) can also be tailwinds. In The Shift, you'll learn to identify and harness your tailwinds to accelerate your progress and make your journey more enjoyable.

The subconscious part of your brain that controls automatic processes related to hunger, fullness, and emotional responses to food.

A core belief or principle that guides your decisions and motivates you to change.

The anticipation of and desire for food, often triggered by external cues and not necessarily tied to physical hunger.