Paul McKenna "I can make you thin" support thread

[Breathmiller]

I found out about this book and audio this week from another thread and poster (thanks @ppeatfruit) and am finding it useful.
I found an old support thread from years ago but I dont think its still active.

Does anyone who is interested in this want to chat and support?
Or anyone who has used it in the past with good results want to give hints and tips?

I have tried every diet going and have had real issues with yoyo dieting but my big aim this year has been to make food not such a battle.

I feel this might just be the way forward for me. But I'm aware I'm in very early days.

[Sexnotgender]

I’ve done this before, it really is excellent. Can’t recommend it highly enough. I’m currently pregnant and struggling with eating generally so it’s a bit feast or famine right now.

[Breathmiller]

That's great to hear that it was successful sexnotgender .
What do you think made the difference?

And congratulations on your pregnancy.

[Sexnotgender]

Thank you.

My top tips:
Drink plenty of water.
Prise your fingers off your mobile phone and don’t surf mumsnet while eating 😂
Ask yourself, am I actually hungry? If not go do something else.

Those 3 make the biggest difference. It’s about breaking bad habits. So many of us mindlessly graze. I still do it but stop myself before I get out of hand.

[Breathmiller]

Yes, that makes sense.

I am finding the idea of stopping when I am full most useful but also something I need to work on.

I am hopeful that the sign that I am almost full clicks on earlier as I have spent many years ignoring that sign.

I agree with the phone thing. I had a rule for years of no phones at the table but due to me working later in the evening I often eat on my own and have gotten into the habit of being on my phone. I have been trying to really focus on my food instead. And on how full I am.

[Mrsmorton]

I've just ordered the book for kindle. Does it come with audio stuff?

[ButterMeUpScotty]

I did it years ago and actually came across it again the other day and thought I should do this again.I have gained two stone and need rid of it. I have gained it by mindlessly eating all in front of me. I thought the book was great before.

[Breathmiller]

MrsMorton yes it does come with the audio included

[Breathmiller]

Well I had my first weekend in a long time where I didn't mindlessly gorge on everything.

I have also stopped drinking and haven't had a drink for 4 months so it felt like the alternative waa that I could stuff myself with crap on a Friday night. I didn't do that this Friday. And it didn't feel a hardship. It didn't take willpower. I could have eaten if I had been hungry.

I also did the exercise that helps with cravings, not the tapping just to lessen a craving but the one where you stop altogether.
I am a crisp addict and haven't had crisps at all since i did it. In fact when i went down the crisp aisle at the supermarket i was quite repulsed by the thought if eating crisps. I find that remarkable.


In also going through a family crisis at the moment and would normally resort to comfort eating but I haven't.


And then, this morning, a Monday morning, when i would normally be loosening my belt after the excess of the weekend, i actually had to tighten it to the tightest hole. And it was loose.

But the biggest change of all, is that I'm not obsessing about food. Nothing is out of bounds, if I'm hungry I eat. When I'm full I stop. It seems so remarkably simple when it's put like that.

[Sexnotgender]

Yes it really is a simple system and it does work but you have to break some bad habits first.

It’s amazing how crappy junk food tastes when you have to chew slowly and savour the taste!

[Sexnotgender]

Sounds like you had a good start!

[Breathmiller]

Thanks sexnotgender

I'm not doing it perfectly all the time but definitely stopping and thinking about ...do I need that bite of food? I have a mince beside me. I ate half of it and realised I was full. So I stopped. If I feel hungry later on I can always eat the other half. Before doing this I definitely would have just wolfed the second half down regardless.

I went out for a pre arranged coffee earlier and realised that I wasn't hungry enough so didn't need a sandwich or a slice of cake with it. (It helped that there wasn't anything vegan or gf- but I didn't feel hard done by as I normally would) I had a spiced latte which i know will be calorific but I enjoyed some of it. Then stopped when I was full.

I seem to be responding better to my hunger cues already.

And apart from my half eaten mince pie and latte today, for the most part i am choosing healthier options - but it's okay. Because nothing is out of bounds. And that approach really works for me. I don't have to manically eat the whole packet of mince pies as i would have done before because it could be a looong time til i 'allow' myself a treat again. If I wanted more later on , and am hungry then I can eat it. Or I can have an apple if I prefer . It's so freeing!

And i don't feel bloated and overfull from binging.

[Onthebrink67]

Can I jump on. I tried it a few years ago and it did help so I have downloaded the app and started this morning.

[Breathmiller]

Great to have you on board onthebrink

I look forward to hearing how you get on with it a second time.

[Flowerpot1278]

I am on day 4, using the app. Tried it many years ago but didn’t fully commit, but first impressions this time are really good. Easily managing to go through to late morning without feeling any hunger, having small portions and one or two peppermint chocs here and there as a treat when I really fancy it. Worked my way through some old mn threads so great to find a current one.

[Onthebrink67]

Day one done. Was really tempted to snack mud afternoon as I was cold and stressed but held out. Is anyone using the havering technique for emotional eating and if so do they find it helpful?

[Breathmiller]

Well done on day 1 and 4.

My dh amd I were just talking about how he can see a difference in my body. I cam certainly feel it. Resisting the urge to weigh myself. I have another week until then.
I think I'm about a week in i wojld have to check.

I haven't denied myself anything. I have had some chritmas cake (i found some gf vegan Christmas cake bites which are hard to find) but I haven't gorged on anything.

I have added more fruit to my diet which for years of course I have thought that its the devs work as so full of sugar. Ridiculous really how disordered i have been with food.

This seems to have gone. If i fancy an apple dipped in houmous then I have it. Again, before I would have been worried about calories. So....healthy foods when hungry, treat foods when i fancy them. Stopping when I'm full and checking my hunger levels. Checking in its not emotional eating.

I find every day I listen to the audio that I get something different from it.
Last night i definitely got that feeling of I can look at ways of feeling good emotionally when in the past I would have emotionally eaten.

[Breathmiller]

onthebrink
The havering technique?

[Breathmiller]

Goodness, my apologies for all the typos above. I so need to proofread before I press post. I was distracted in real life.

[Breathmiller]

How is everyone doing?

I'm finding in general i am eating so much less. I just don't feel hunger as much as I thought I ever did.

And i was laughing at myself saying that I get different things from each time I listen to the audio - last night I was asleep in about 5 minutes. It is going in though i believe.

I think maybe I will weigh myself next week and see what has been happening.

[Flowerpot1278]

Glad it’s going well! I am on day 6, the last two days I’ve been hungrier earlier in the day but I’m still eating much less overall. Trying to get myself in the mindset that it’s ok to eat when hungry, rather than feeling like it’s a win to go for as long as possible (as the hunger pangs were much lower the first couple of days). But I’m feeling good and determined to keep going. Kind of grossed out by the portions I used to eat. I’m particularly finding it much easier to have half the sized dinner to normal and feel satisfied . It was totally not right to be eating the same sized dinners as my 6ft3 dinner husband!

[Flowerpot1278]

Runner not dinner husband!

[Breathmiller]

I hear you flowerpot
My portion sizes qare usually ridiculous.

So, i weighed myself today. I think its been about 2 weeks.
And i haven't lost anything! Not one thing! Which is so bizarre because I feel slimmer and lighter. And my clothes are all looser.
Maybe I'll go with how I feel rather than the scales. So odd though.

[Flowerpot1278]

Do keep going @Breathmiller! I’m sure the weight loss will catch up with you. That is weird, but so many things influence those scales on a daily basis, the main thing is you’re doing well and feeling better. The rest will follow. Am trying to stay away from the scales as I know a disappointment may throw me off, but it’s so hard..

[Breathmiller]

Yes, you're right. And I know that I feel better, my job entails me being very visible over zoom and I can see a massive difference.

And i have let go my battle with food. Which was my main thing.

[Onthebrink67]

How’s everyone getting on? I keep getting distracted and forgetting to do nightly meditation. Not sure whether I should wait now until after Christmas?