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This is a continuation of the series of posts on Bill Phillips’ book Transformation, a component of his Transformation fitness program, which I started back in July before I started the program in earnest in August. So far I’ve lost 10 lbs and 4% body fat on the program, so I know it works, and wanted to encourage those readers who want to lose weight and keep it off to give the program a try.

 The fourth chapter deals with the concept of using a support system to help you succeed in the Transformation program. The support system has been set up by Bill Phillips in the form of the online community at Transformation.com.

 1. Introduction

 Bill Phillips discovered the importance of having a support system when reading a study comparing four diet programs to see which was the most effective. They divided a group of 800 overweight men and women into four groups, which followed a plan which called for reduced calorie intake with an emphasis on the following:

1. Low-fat, high protein
   
2. Low-fat, average protein
   
3. High-fat, high protein
   
4. High-fat, average protein
   

 The conclusion was that all the plans worked about the same.  However, Bill noticed that in a footnote to the study that those who participated in support group meetings lost an average of 20 lbs, whereas those who didn’t attend the meetings lost an average of only 9 lbs. Participation in support groups lost 225% more weight!

So finding the right diet isn’t important as finding the right support.

2. Support group—accentuating the positive

Support groups help people increase their own mental capacity to overcome barriers. Many psychologists such as Abraham Maslow have stressed the necessity of social interaction, and this theory has been given updated evidence by neurologists that social interaction increases the production of serotonin, the chemical in the brain that produces a feeling of well-being and security.

3. Support group—reducing the negative

For many people, attitudes towards food can resemble those of addiction to alcohol or drugs. People don’t necessarily recognize these attitudes as such, because you can live without drugs, sex, or gambling, but you can’t live without food. Nevertheless, these negative attitudes can be short-circuited by participation in support groups, in the same way that alcoholics are more likely to remain sober if they join support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous.

4. Support group—what’s the best type?

The best support group is one that meets in person, but the second best support group for the purpose of the Transformation program is that found on the Transformation.com website.

You can join the Transformation.com online community for free, which gains you access to other members’ blogs and forum posts that discuss the various issues dealing with the program. If you want to discuss low-fat recipes, new exercise routines, or anything else that affects your performance in the program, then there is a forum post or blog that will deal with that issue.

5. Support group—give and take

When you first join the Transformation community, the best thing to do is sit back and read other people’s posts on forums and blog posts. However, at some point, a comment on some issue will draw you in and have you interact with others.

For me, what keeps me going back is not the help that I’ve received, but the satisfaction I get from having been a help to others. In that way, it’s just like the “pay it forward” attitude that good networkers have.

If you see someone whose attitudes mirror your own, and they are further along in the program, then the ultimate form of participation in the community is to have an accountability partner who will encourage you but also make it more difficult for you to cheat yourself out of the opportunities that the program offers you.

In the end, being accountable to yourself is the final goal, but helping someone to be accountable to their own goals is a good way to get there, especially if that person reciprocates and helps you push yourself towards your goal.

These first four chapters, covering goal-setting, right exercise, right nutrition, and the community connection, which means reaching out to help others and in turn be helped by them, are the core principles behind the Transformation program. Even if you just read the first four chapters and followed these principles consistently, you would most likely succeed in the Transformation program.

But I recommend going through all 18 chapters to suck all the marrow out of the bone of the Transformation program. In this way, you will have a PERMANENT transformation in your life which CANNOT be reversed.

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