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MNHQ

Live Webchat with Paul McKenna

481 replies

RachelMumsnet · 10/01/2011 18:20

Paul McKenna is joining us for a live webchat on Wednesday evening between 7 and 8pm. Paul will be chatting about his latest book, I Can Make you Happy which claims it can make you feel happier than you had ever imagined.

Paul will also be happy to answer questions on his 'I can Make you Thin' programme which he says has helped 71% of people who have tried it successfully lose weight and keep it off. He will be taking over the Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday 19th February to host his first Live Weight Loss Seminar.

Paul is Britain's best selling non-fiction author and is published in 30 languages as well as hosting television shows and seminars in hypnosis, Neuro Linguistic Programming and motivation.

Join us on Wednesday evening to chat to Paul, or send in your questions in advance to this thread and he'll attempt to answer as many questions as possible over the hour.

OP posts:
shabbapinkfrog · 11/01/2011 13:31

I am not sure what your thoughts are on 'comfort eating' although I know many, many people don't think it exists.

Do you think that before an individual can loose weight they have to have their emotional problems 'fixed?'

I, personally think, that over eating is an addiction just the same as drugs, alcohol, nicotine etc. However individuals can get a great deal of support for these addictions and overweight people are mocked...thought of as stupid, smelly and lazy.

I would be very interested to know your opinions on comfort eating.

Thank you.

philmassive · 11/01/2011 13:37

Hi Paul. I can remember listening to you on capital radio when I was younger and was amazed when you reinvented yourself so successfully in such a seemingly different sphere. What happened to change you from dj to hypnotist? And do you consider yourself a different person altogether from the dj you once were?

Rindercella · 11/01/2011 17:08

Paul, I remember using your 'I can make you thin' several years ago and it really working.

Now I barely have time to sit and MN think, let alone listen to a CD. I understand that the extreme emotional stress I am experiencing at the moment is making me overeat but just don't have time to sit and listen to your CD (actually it's probably iPod now isn't it? Blush). So do you have any tips on how better to manage that stress and to make your advice part of someone's every day routine without having to repeatedly listen to the CD? Thank you Smile

ppeatfruit · 11/01/2011 17:24

Congrats on yr good way of eating; I follow it but also my blood type diet for my health, it works. Why do you say people should eat anything they want?

offmyrocker · 11/01/2011 18:07

I read 'How to change your life in 7 days'. And I have to say that the sheer quantity of mind and visualization exercises that one is expected to do daily would be near impossible to complete. So by the middle of the book I became pretty despondent and didn't finish the book.

Is there some way for a busy mum to be able to change her life in 7 days, but not have to complete all of the exercises expected, and if so which ones are the important ones to do?

feelingthefear · 11/01/2011 18:50

Hi Paul,

I applied GMTV to be on their programme tackling lack of confidence but wasn't one of the chosen ones. Sad

I have had terrible anxiety and have lost my confidence in many areas of my life even in simple things such as driving my car.

Is there anything I can do?

Many thanks.

Maelstrom · 11/01/2011 19:50

Why do I end with palpitations when I use the CD of the "I can change your life" book?

It doesn't happen with any of the other ones... Hmm

Maelstrom · 11/01/2011 19:53

Why do I end with palpitations when I use the CD of the "I can change your life" book?

It doesn't happen with any of the other ones... Hmm

MmeButterfly · 11/01/2011 21:11

Hi Paul, about five years ago i started using 'change your life in 7 days'. Back then i was commuting to a job i hated using two buses and a train - it was a nightmare. I was also overweight and a smoker. I'm now driving a prestige car, pursuing musical interests that i never previously had the confidence to try, i have many promising career options and ideas up my sleeves and have been off the fags for over four years and i also achieved my target weight. I truly learned to embrace life, identify what i really wanted and chase after it knowing i would get it. I just wanted to say thank you and one day i would love to meet you to say it in person.
Keep up the good work! xxx Grin

Richlinn · 11/01/2011 21:12

I have a shocking fear of flying. Do you have any tips on conquering this? I recently went to a hypnotist but did not feel that I had 'gone under' more that I was put into a relaxed state. Anyhow, the hypnosis didn't work. Any tips? Many thanks for your help as I'd love to travel the world.

camperli · 11/01/2011 22:15

I read " I can make you Thin" and I felt much better about my self and my life. I was just happier after reading it. However, I also put ON weight.
I think I'm a pretty bog standard person and have about 1 1/2 stone to lose after babies. I even managed to have both babies at home with drug free, very blissful labours having done only one session of a hypnobirthing course, reading the book and listening to the CD regularly.
So do not understand why your program doesn't work for me.
Any suggestions?

marmitetoastie · 11/01/2011 22:29

Dear Paul,

You say in your new book that happiness is about meaningful relationships and not about the stuff we acquire.

My question is;
Would james bond be happier as he is now - seducing beautiful women (even if they are a bunch of psychos), driving amazing sports cars, staying in fab hotels etc. Or would he be happier with deeper meaningful relationships in his life, such as a wife and say, a bunch of kids who leave sticky fingerprints all over his estate car?

Thanks

solo · 11/01/2011 23:46

Marking my place.

jonicomelately · 12/01/2011 10:11

NotOlive. What an awful experience Sad

I want to ask about motivational speaking. It seems like really big business but I wonder how effective it really is. I find the language really quite amusing and personally can't take it at all seriously. Why are they always fronted by white middle-class men with odd accents who list 'bungee jumping' as their favourite hobby? What qualifies them to talk to other people about success? Surely if they were that successful themselves they'd be making millions, not flogging motivational courses in provincial towns?

I suppose my real question is it really OK for publically funded companies to be spending thousands of pounds on these courses?

MirandaGoshawk · 12/01/2011 11:17

Dear Paul

I also lost weight with ICMYT - fantastic. My only problem is sticking to it. But, tomorrow is another day....

I also wanted to tell you about a small success you gave me. It was a 10-minute cartoon about a spider, shown late at night on channel 4 several years ago. You said "Make fun of your fears" and put little boots on it, etc. I watched this cartoon half asleep, then went to bed. Days later when I saw a huge black hairy sider in my back room I didn't hear the Jaws music, just felt the same as if it'd been a fly and calmly removed it, and have not felt fear since. So thanks!

Question: any chance of a claustropohobia CD? The Fear of Flying one helped with lifts but I can't go down into the Tube.
Many thanks.

GentleOtter · 12/01/2011 12:25

Dear Paul,

Do you offer private sessions for hypnosis etc?

Thank you.

blurdylurdy · 12/01/2011 12:54

This is serious although it might seem flippant - I need all of your books. I focus on the sleep one as it is quite remarkable (I can't even go into what it has done for me because it would sound like I had been planted here to get your sales up, not that you need it), but I would like to get the same benefit that they all offer - so how do I combine sleep, thin, happy, control stress etc? I do feel they would work - but I can't spend hours a day listening to them all and I'm too chicken to give up the sleep one as it has been an absolute life-saver.

zen1 · 12/01/2011 13:18

Are there some people who are just not, under any circumstances, suseptible to being hypnotised? Just interested!

zen1 · 12/01/2011 13:20

susceptible

mosschops30 · 12/01/2011 14:07

Dear Paul

I have tried to contact you via your website on a couple of occasions but get messages back saying you dont see private clients Sad
I was wondering if you could help me with my long standing fear of flying, Ive tried lots of things (courses, diazepam, rescue remedy, alcohol and CBT) but nothing seems to have cured me so far.
Even though we fly once a year as a family, I can only manage 2 hours, I would love to take the children further away and would also like to look forward to a holiday than dread it.

Please can you help me Smile

Thanks
mossy

whirlygig · 12/01/2011 14:25

Thank you for your books and cds. I've used both ICMYT and CYLI7D to great effect.

I was wondering, can i use your techniques with toddlers?

I've a tantrumming 2/3 year old, and wishing this phase away sure doesn't work. Is there a nlp salve for unreasonability?

Any chance of a parenting cd for parents & children?

Many thanks

ktwiltshire · 12/01/2011 14:29

dear paul

i have suffered with bulimia for all of my teenage years and (so far) all of my adult years. My Drs say they wont treat/help me until I am ready to make changes, but meanwhile im stuck in the middle. Would your techniques for weight loss apply in my situation i.e. to help stop comfort eating, trigger foods etc etc?

Many Thanks
Katie

CarmenSales · 12/01/2011 15:58

J

HowToLookGoodGlaikit · 12/01/2011 15:59

How often should I listen the CD that comes with ICMYT? Im guessing we dont have to listen to it every day for teh rest of our lives - but should it be every day to start with?And for how long - 2 weeks, 3 months, longer? Thanks x

nuttynatty16 · 12/01/2011 16:04

Hi

I really like the common sense behind your ICMYT book. However you are 100% correct when you say that people shovel food in their mouth to get the serotonin high. I don't do this with normal food but do with chocolate bars and find that when I am trying to do your program I don't enjoy chocolate as much if I have to eat it slowly. Every other aspect of the plan appeals to me as I can stick to it for life but I feel so strongly about missing this high/ enjoyment of chocolate it makes me stop following the plan. Does anyone else have this? I think my husband thought I was crazy when I explained this. I thought about trying to slowly stop e.g. when start still allow one treat a day eaten quickly but following the other rules and slowly wean myself off? Would love to know your thoughts and if anyone else feels like this or is it just me?........