2011 Paul McKenna P3 - the march towards skinny jeans continues

[whomovedmychocolate]

Well the old thread was getting mordibly obese wasn't it?

Welcome new people and people who've been here for a while, this is the definitive Paul McKenna support thread.

Whether you are dribbling over his Paulness or wibbling over pudding, we're here to listen, slightly mock you and tell you to step away from the scales.

The Paul Mckenna plan is not a diet but a way of teaching yourself to eat slowly and consciously and achieve the body you've always dreamed of.

There will be no diet foods on this thread, no starvation and no beating ourselves up because ^lifes' too bloody short to weigh a carrot and we'd far rather be doing something incredible instead!

DingDong - I know exactly how you feel, exactly. I was just looking at another thread as well, and you can see that a couple of months of effort and these people are going to be where they want to be - job done - whereas I'm going to be battling this for aaaggges.
I'm 14st 2lbs (there I said it - gulp) and I need to lose 4 stone from here, having already lost over 20lbs to get to this point.

It is a long road, but this is for the rest of my life, so.

I listen to the CD just before bed. We have a 5 week old who is EBF, which makes it a bit tricky, but I go upstairs before DH and he keeps the baby with him while I listen to the CD and then he comes up and we get settled for bed. Now I need to find some time to fit in some exercise!

I can do this, because I have to.

Hi DingDongMerrilyOutOfSeason

Sorry you're feeling a bit down about all of this.

I don't know how much I weighed at my heaviest but I think possibly over 13 stone. I now have no idea how much I weigh but I had lost about three stone before I stopped keeping track. I lost that weight through eating less, not eating when I wasn't hungry etc. (basically following most of Paul's rules but this was before I had heard from Paul). It took a while but the weight did come off. Then I had the last however much left to lose (less than a stone I reckon) and it took longer, as it always does, which is when I started looking at faddy diets and faffing around with those, ruined my relationship with food and ended up doing the Paul method.

I know I didn't have quite as much to lose but it definitely felt impossible and it did take quite a while, but I managed it!

It sounds like you're doing really well so please don't give up! :) I'm still getting to grips with the whole thing myself so I've decided to persevere because as long as I'm not gaining weight, and I'm developing a more positive attitude towards my body and food then that can only be a good thing really. The thing is that once you've started eating this way then there's no reason you ever need to stop and so even if it takes longer to lose the weight you are less likely to end up gaining weight again once you've reached your goal.

Can you listen to the CD at bedtime? With earphones if necessary. That's what I do, I usually fall asleep but apparently that's not a problem.

Hopefully someone else will be along soon with more practical advice :)

Hi Dingdong - I find those types of threads a bit soul destroying too. If I weighed 10 -11st I wouldn't be bothering to lose weight (I am probably taller than you though so don't be put off by that remark)!! I too have a lot to lose. I had 7 stone to lose but lost 2 last year and came to a grinding halt last summer. I still have 5st to lose and keep losing and regaining the same 1/2 stone. I have only just joined this thread too. You are not alone!

When I was losing the 2 stone last year, I set small targets. The first was to lose 1/2stone because that felt like proper weight loss, and not day to day fluctuations you can get in your weight. I started at 17st 12lbs () so after losing 7lbs my next target was get get under 17st. After that it wasn't much of an effort to go for the whole stone and become 16st 12lbs. Then it was the next half stone and so on. Basically it was baby steps all the way. 7st is a whole person so it was much too daunting to even contemplate aiming for that plus it felt like it would take forever (which it has but that is about to change ). The two stone were lost by cutting back and being sensible but I think I have hit the wall because I need to start doing more than that and readjusting my whole diet and being more active. Hopefully Mr McKenna will be my salvation (I can't call him Paul because that is DH and too confusing)!! I know we CAN do it. It is just getting started that is the hard bit and you have managed that and I am about to start properly tomorrow. I have been away for the weekend and a lot of eating out so I am looking forward to getting back to normal.

Hopefully somebody will advise on the specifics of the method.

Good luck!

"I was just looking at another thread as well, and you can see that a couple of months of effort and these people are going to be where they want to be - job done - whereas I'm going to be battling this for aaaggges"

Alibaba- they won't. They will nearly get there or get there and go backwards but it won't be permanently sorted in any way. Ask anyone who has done WW/SW if they have lost the weight and kept it off. They won't have done for any period of time even if they are one of the (very) few who has made it to target. What we are doing here is sorting ourselves out permanently actually starting to like ourselves and have respect for our bodies.

And Dingdong - please stop telling yourself that you are in some way bad or wrong. You are just a person that got a bit lost along the way - your relationship with food is a bit skewiff but can be sorted. This is the first step to repairing it.

thank you ppeatfruit and well done to positive attitude!
the emails thinwithin send are quite helpful and I have just ordered the latest paul book to top up my thinking
I found that Marna clip on youtube posted earlier about how to know when to stop eating really helpful

I'm going to let DS watch cartoons quietly on my laptop in his room so that I can listen to my CD now. :) I'm exhausted so I know I'll fall asleep...

I ordered the 90 day journal and put express shipping on it so it should be here soon! :)

Good for you Positive ! I like seeing you on both threads, by the way. :) Both of them represent major life changes for me; you too?

I don't have as much as you to lose DingDong but am very impatient about losing it. I am sure that you will do it - just stay strong and remember how fantastic you will feel when you are slim!

Hi CheerfulYank, not really a major life change for me on the other thread as I am an original on that one from August 09. It does really work though and I now feel a bit of a fraud on there because it has all become so much habit that I forget i am doing it. This is my life change thread!!

Thanks for all the encouragement. I went for a lovely long walk this afternoon when I found I had a few hours on my own, which was a little more exercise than I anticipated when I managed to find myself in a field of sheep when they all decided to start coming towards me - I have not vaulted a gate so quickly in the past 30 years!!!

Almost time for a new thread! I think next time, we should put links to the amazon book, the tapping technique & other useful things in the first post so that it is easy for us all, plus new people, to find. What do you think?

Thanks all, those words kept me on the straight and narrow this afternoon while the DC finished off yet MORE easter eggs! Back to work tomorrow and actually looking forward to not being near the fridge all day long so tempted to graze.

In my job I have set times for lunch and breaks and cannot eat in between so I guess I just have something small at each opportunity to keep me ticking over? Like a piece of fruit or something then eat lunch according to how hungry I am at the time? If it weren't for life getting in the way, I'm sure I could be thin and beautiful...

Great to hear your success stories bit by bit. CheerfulYank I have been filling in the journal and find it great to keep me motivated. When I can answer 'yes' to all the questions I know I am winning my battle with food. I find the evening the hardest time, I am so used to sitting in front of the computer or tv mindlessly shovelling food into my mouth so will instead come on here and whinge chat. Have also joined a gym so am going to try and go twice a week to start with. I think I will try one day on the way home from work and ask CM to stay on a bit later and onw day go when all are in bed.

PositiveAttitude If you carry on vaulting fences you will be tiny in no time. Get thee back to that field!

Hi all and a big welcome to all the new Paulers.

Sorry to have been awol yet again. Things have been a little busier than normal but hopefully everything will calm down once the kids are back at school and everyone is back into the usual routine. I have to admit to major debunking with the PM tecnique and haven't been listening to the CD's so I'll need to sort this out asap. I have spent all weekend eating crap and not when I'm hungry either and I have been over eating...big style! But, as of tomorrow I'll be getting back on the wagon and starting over again.

Cheerful Sorry you are having a hard time at the moment. I hope everything works itself out and I just wanted to let you know that I am thinking about you.

PA I know it's a little late...but well done on the wight loss. yaaaay!

Glaikit I think that's a great idea about the links

Thanks so much Celestial . I think things are going to be okay. I'm actually really glad that this happened; DH and I are really talking and sorting things out now instead of just ignoring/smoothing them over. :)

I have done all right with eating today but did have too many pancakes at supper. I knew I wasn't hungry but it seemed like a waste...however I did throw my last one to the dog to keep from eating it! He was thrilled. :o

I'm really excited for my journal to come! Also, I'm going to start doing the Shred again tomorrow. I loathe it, but it is really helpful.

Positive glad to hear the other thread has helped! I really hope it does the same for me.

Dingdong you can do it! You can! :) I have about 4 stone to lose, at least I think so. When I think of it like that it seems so daunting, but if I just think of it a bit at a time it's not so bad.

Morning everybody!

Can I ask a question of the experts please? You know the perceived wisdom is that you should eat breakfast to set you up for the day, cut down on snacking and all that? And then on the other hand you aren't supposed to eat until you are hungry - what is the PM way of doing breakfast if you don't get hungry for a couple of hours after you have woken up? Are you supposed to eat anyway, despite it breaking one of the rules or do you you ignore the more general 'Always eat breakfast' rule? I am torn and don't want to cock up the whole day by getting the first challenge of the day wrong!!

*Niecie", I'm no McKenna expert but I always eat breakfast even if I'm not hungry as my days are so busy that it helps if I don't have to stop to eat mid-morning. By eating breakfast around 8am, I don't feel hungry until 1pm or even 2pm when I sit down to have lunch. Then I'm generally not hungry again until dinner. It means I can get on with things between meals and not think about food (eg snacks) all the time.

I find having breakfast sets me up to have a (reasonably) successful McKenna day, IYSWIM.

Niecle you will find yr body changing anyway but why not take some dried fruit and nuts and water with you when you go out so can eat when you DO feel hungry?

One of the most effective ways to get into P.M. is the chew 20 times thing; even fruit will fill you up if you eat it so slowly!!Also niecle however much weight you have to loose it WORKS!!

How much is his snake oil nowadays?

Hi all - OK if I join in? Probably more on the new thread than this one! I got and read the book ages ago - it made sense and helped a bit but I'm still a good 4 - 5 stone overweight...

I didn't find the CD helped so gave up on it pretty quickly, but am wondering whether to give it another go?

Hi Dotty :) Why do you think the CD didnt help? I listen to mine a lot, I find if I dont then I slip up a lot more. Everyone has to find their own way of doing it though, and find what works best. :)

I think I just felt silly listening to it Will dig it out and give it another go. The principles of the book make so much sense to me - it's the whole Actually Doing It I find difficult...

Hi all

Been away for 5 days and fallen off the Paul wagon massively. Reasons:

1. Was either staying at friends' house or in hotels so had to eat at set times whether hungry or not or I'd miss a meal.

1. Drank way too much wine.

1. Friends bought lovely treats including amazing patisserie. Felt it was rude to say no.

1. Didn't really have much time on my own to listen on ipod.

Getting back on track today hopefully.

Hello to all the newbies btw.

JuicyOlive, when I "fall off the wagon" I find that it helps to think, "What would my DH do?" You see, he eats the PMcK way without thinking about it and always has. We've both had a busy long weekend, surrounded by food (at home and eating out) and yet today he's simply been eating less because he's not as hungry. He took in a small chicken sandwich to work and he's just phoned me saying he only fancies a salad tonight and wondered if I'd be okay with that. So that's what I'm doing: I know I've over-indulged this long break but I'm going to take a leaf out of my DH's book and eat very simply today. No wonder DH has never been overweight!

BsshBosh - my dp is exactly the same. Eats when she's hungry and eats just enough to feel full, then stops. Never eats chocs or whatever in the evening 'cos she's just had tea so why would she..?!

Ds1 (her biological child) is exactly the same - eats to live not lives to eat.

Ds2's (my bio child) more like me unfortunately - eats for pleasure... Thankfully he's a fit, active, healthy boy but I worry when he's older he'll put weight on - I can kind of see he might if you know what I mean?

Sigh. Anyway, will give PM a go - currently saying the four principles inside my head as a mantra!

BsshBossh,

I agree - my DH is very much the same. Interestingly, he had a throat problem as a child which meant that he had to chew his food a lot otherwise he couldn't swallow it, so he really is a natural at it!

I also think this rather answers the question about breakfast too. If I've over-eaten the day before (or just had something rich for supper), I'm not hungry at breakfast time. Which is just my body adjusting naturally. So I think you do need to listen to your body, even at breakfast for it to work properly. And what I've also found is that for the first few weeks I didn't want breakfast quite often. But then, as my portion sizes have shrunk, I do now tend to want breakfast most days.

JuicyOlive - I also suffer from the 'rude to say no' thing, although I am getting better. We went out to a fete yesterday and there were the best cream teas - but I just had a nibble of DH's rather than one of my own.