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.

Oops, half post!
Well you get the idea 😀
This thread is a great source of support and keeps me going when it all seems a bit of a tough slog.

mariahLucas that made me laugh, groundhog day blues travelling across the Atlantic. I'd quite happily stop it at the border this time

Love that there are signs of spring. When I was out walking the other day, the sky was bright blue and the birds were singing as if they could sense spring just around the corner. We have had snow or sideways sleet now for the second day so I'm sure it's partly that that has dampened the spring in my step.
Yesterday was the first day I didn't run/walk or dance. But, that's okay. Its okay to have quieter days. I also have a lecture to write and it's playing on my mind. Once I get started it will be fine though. Its sometimes that anticipation of a project thats daunting isn't it?

Just sitting, plodding through emails while home schooling with little pressure. It's not so bad.

Well that's me well and truly shamed.

Now I know once and for all why I'm so porky 😥

Logged all my food from yesterday. Adding in the 3 coffees with coffee mate and sugar (my only downfall in the sugar department). My total calories for the day were 912. And I was worried I was unintentionally starving myself because I had eaten so little 🙈

I reckon I must have been eating 3 times that before.

Oh well. Now I know. My body obviously does know best when I actually listen to it 🤣

Isn't that interesting! I just logged my food for the day after reading that to see what I have had.

The starting thought though is that without planning to do that, I am comfortably full and in no way feel like I have denied myself any food today.

And I come in at 1006 calories. That has been quite a revelation! I don't want to go back to logging food so this was a one off to see what happens when I trust myself to know what my body needs. Seems it does. Who knew?
I'm sure it's not that low every day and I'm not sure it's not that healthy for me to be so low but...I have eaten 3 healthy meals today and not felt hungry or denying myself anything. And that is even with my emotional blip this morning.

Yes, same for me. I hav'nt been counting or anything and won't be going forward. It was literally just an experiment to make sure I'm not dangerously undereating ( which I was seriously thinking I was).

Yes to some days will probably be more and some less, but I guess that's the whole point isn't it. Naturally thin people make those choices without thinking about it. And I've no doubt that if the body is telling you it is more hungry than normal on a certain day then there must be a reason, so you should go with it.

Of course after checking it isn't emotional hunger!

Would be interesting to see if anyone else gets the same result if they fancy trying it just as a one off.

How's everyone getting on?

I'm due on, so absolutely exhausted here, and haven't been eating quite as mindfully, but still no binges or eating of chocolate/biscuits etc (haven't fancied them), so that's still a plus. We've actually had some nice clear weather this week, so have been for walks and even got out into the garden to tidy it up a bit yesterday, which was so lovely. I hope everyone is having an okay week x

Hi misskatamari

Glad to hear you are getting some bright spells to get out in. It's been absolutely grim here for days. Either sideways sleet and snow or raining non stop and a gale blowing constantly. It's horrible. We have cabin fever especially because going out for a walk is our only option at the moment.

I haven't listened to the app yesterday and feel like i need a break a little from having to listen to it every day. I'm on round 2 of it so I'm not sure i need to be as 'on it' as before.

I had a good week and could really see a difference in how i moved and felt in my clothes this week. Usual caveat of Friday night being let go night which I've just accepted. But even so, i definitely make slightly better choices every Friday, eg...i was thirsty last night and had been drinking lemon iced tea but realised it was quite sugary so i chose to have a glass of water to quench my thirst as it was later in the evening. I wouldn't have willingly and happily made that choice before. I just feel relaxed about it all. I don't beat myself up about Friday night snacking like I used to. So I don't feel like I've sabotaged my whole being then keep sabotaging to 'punish' myself.

I put on a skirt yesterday that I had been avoiding as it was uncomfortably tight and it not only fitted but was actually a little loose.

So even though i am relaxing on the daily audio and will just do it every couple of days I am still using al I've learned.

Another first is that I am glad its the weekend so I have time to treat myself to some extra time on my yoga mat and a chance to get a run on my treadmill. Now, that is a turnaround in my way of thinking.

Arrrgh. Just wrote a really long post and lost it.

Day 13 and I weighed this morning.

Bear in mind please that 1. I have eaten exactly what I wanted to including fish n chip takeaway on Friday.

1. I have done hardly any exercise
2. I have a lot of weight to loose
3. I havnt changed anything food wise really from my normal diet as I eat quite healthily anyway (just way to much of it)

And I have lost......................11 lbs 😀

Now, I know it's not all fat and the first couple of weeks of weight loss are always the big ones, but I honestly believe this time it won't be going back on.

No depriving, no weighing, or counting, or logging, no adding in or cutting out food groups. In fact so little effort that I don't feel like I've been "dieting" so therefore I don't see how it would end up failing spectacularly like a "diet".

I am going to make a pledge to keep coming back here for a year for better or worse so that hopefully it helps somebody else. Most of the old threads end up dieing a death and you never really know if anyone has been successful long term.

canyoureallymakemethin

That's an amazing amount to lose. And for it to have felt so effortless is great.

I agree that I would like to keep the thread going regardless of how it works out for me long term.

I kind of hope that, like the alcohol free thread, I don't need to be on here every day as it hopefully just becomes a way of life. But, I want to keep popping in to read the advice of others and keep checking in to keep me on track.

I am a little unmotivated today, not down or anything just lacking in energy. Think it's the weather and lockdown and a busy week.

My trick is to do other gentle calming things to comfort without resorting to over eating. It's nice to think I have lots of tools now to help that feeling of tiredness.

@Canyoureallymakemethin that’s great news. Hope everyone is having a relaxing weekend and that the weather is not too bad where you are.
I’m going to the dump today, what excitement!

The dump?! How exciting!
That's practically a day out!

For anyone reading who is thinking about this way of eating, I thought I would share a real change in my thinking around food that came about today.

So today...I am tired. Not particularly motivated to do anything. Not down or sad or anything just a bit bored though with no work to do or anywhere to be. Which would, in times gone by have meant dh and I watching a movie or crap telly or the rugby together and spending the afternoon drinking and eating.

But today - I have had a really lazy day and it's been great but I haven't eaten (or drank alcohol) out of boredom.

I had a coffee and a lovely flapjack in bed for breakfast. Then stayed in bed reading mumsnet and mucking about on the internet.

Then I was genuinely hungry an hour or so ago so I got up and had a small sandwich with a couple of olives and a drink of iced tea.

I had a NOMO bar (vg chocolate bar) that i didn't eat last night (that's unheard of in it's own right) and I had a couple of squares of that. Not the whole thing as I was full and noticed I wasn't feeling the need for another bit. So I put the rest in the fridge. (Again unheard of).

I then did some tidying up and found the box with the rest of the flapjacks in beside my bed. And my initial thought was "oh they were tasty, I could have one now" but I checked in with my hunger levels - nope not hungry. I'd just had a sandwich and put the chocolate bar back 10 minutes ago. So, I put the flapjacks in the cupboard to really enjoy another time.

Then, still a bit bored and still tired, I ran a bath. That's comforting on a drab day today.

So....such a turnaround for me. Not seeing a lazy day off as an excuse to eat all day. Okay, I've not done much in terms of achieving anything or exercise but that's okay. It's a bit of a duvet day after a period of being really busy and motivated. And that's okay now and again.

In previous times, I would have had at least half the box of flapjacks for breakfast, two sandwiches much earlier, eaten the whole bar of chocolate and in truth if there was another one tucked into that too. Then, when the rugby is on this afternoon, used that as a chance to have opened the wine early or had a few beers with snacks.

So, just by being more aware of my hunger cues and checking in with my energy levels, my emotional needs and my boredom levels and really noticing the difference between them I can attend to these different needs in different ways.

Hunger...eat!
Tired...rest!
Boredom....do something (even if that is mumsnetting and an online jigsaw while listening to a podcast if it's mixed with tiredness- running or doing something more active to relieve the boredom can be another day when my energy is higher)
Emotional....comforting baths, company with my family or a myriad of other things.

It's quite a revelation. And such a drop in how much food I'm eating. I don't feel I'm denying myself anything. It seems to all come from postive choices.

I've realised a lot of time that I eat when I'm lazing around because I feel guilty at not being busy. But, what I need to do is listen to my body and know I don't need to be going at a million miles an hour at all times, running my business, doing the house, home schooling, exercising, attending to everyone's needs. I can step back and rest when I need to. And I don't need an excess of food to do that. The rest is what I need. Not 2 chocolate bars.

That is really useful info and kind of sums up the plan in a real world situation.

I'll share this about yesterday.

I wasn't really hungry for most of the day.

I had a yogurt at around 11 am, then got slightly peckish at about 3 pm.

I didn't want to eat too much as Friday is our takeaway night, so I had 1 cream cracker with cheese and a slice of tomato. That wouldn't have even touched the sides pre ICMYT but after eating it slowly and waiting 10 minutes I decided it was plenty to tide me over till dinner.

7.30 I had fish n chips. I have to confess dh and sat in front of the tv which meant I ate way more than I have eaten at any one sitting since starting the plan. However, I had made a concious decision beforehand that I was ok with the possibility of that happening, so I wasn't upset, or cross, or guilty or any other negative emotion.

They were very nice but actually not as nice as normal, and I left half the chips and picked lots of batter off the fish as I just couldn't finish it. And I felt stuffed to the rafters after which was actually quite unpleasant.

Today, straight back into the plan without thinking twice .

It's just so lovely to not have all those negative emotions, or to be fighting the urge today to think fuck it, I've ruined the whole diet so might as well pig out all weekend and start again on Monday, thus undoing the weeks weight loss which is what happens for me "on a diet".

I'm at peace with the fact that sometimes I will eat more, sometimes less, but I trust that the graphline will trend downwards overall because my body knows what it needs. I just need to keep listening.

It is amazing isn't it! @Canyoureallymakemethin, that's a fantastic loss, and definitely motivation to keep trusting in it.

I definitely find it so so freeing. Just knowing it's okay to eat things that previously, I did eat, but felt guilt about, really does mean that often I'm just not that fussed about them. If I want something I can eat it and properly enjoy it, and if I don't I just don't have it 😱 how is something that sounds like simple common sense so mind blowing!

I'm definitely more focused on "self care" and doing things that make me feel better in general. I think so much time at home this last year, has helped me to slow down a bit and accept it's okay to have a lazy day sometimes. Yesterday was rainy and crap here again (sorry for everyone who's having this endlessly, it's so rubbish isn't it!), and we played with the kids in the morning, doing their new craft boxes, and after lunch they we're playing some computer games, so I thought, Dya know what, I'm gonna sew some more of my dungarees! It was lovely! I've finished my practice pair (hello bright pink dungarees yaaaay - they're a little snug on the bum so I'm hoping this McKenna does work so that decreases in size just a touch lol), and listened to my audiobook while sewing, and it was just really nice to sit, and be creative.

Life is so stressful at the moment and so many of our normal coping mechanisms just haven't been available for the last year pretty much, I think it's so natural that many of us have been reaching for food even more for comfort. I think we should all be really proud of ourselves for doing this, and finding ways to look after ourselves and deal with stress and negative emotions, that don't involve inhaling biscuits. If we can make that change during a lockdown then I think a pat on the back is definitely in order!

I'll definitely keep checking in here. I've been doing this just over a month I think, but I don't want to feel too over confident as I feel like this is the stage where I probably start listening a bit less and could easily revert back to old habits if I'm not mindful to keep checking in with myself.

Have a lovely Sunday everyone :) fingers crossed for some blue skies, where ever you are x

Morning
Yes, you're right misskatamari I need to stay on it because after my feeling okay about it all the last few days, I am soooo over it all today.

The snow or sleet is sideways at the moment. We all have absolute cabin fever. I am moving into premenstrual phase (but as I'm peri then that could be any time these days) and I am sooooo bored. I have no motivation and could quite happily fall into old habits.

It feels a bit, pride before a fall type feeling. It pays not to be too cocky. I need to stay vigilant.

Hope the bad weather is not long lasting wherever you all are.

@Breathmiller oh no, I'm sorry you're having a rubbish day. I hear you on the premenstrual tho, I've felt appalling all this last week (nausea, fatigue, anxiety etc), period arrived yesterday and ugh, I've just taken cocodamol so will probably just fall asleep on the sofa soon 🙈 I am not looking forward to peri at all! You have my sympathies. The weather sounds miserable too. It's so hard when the only thing we can do at the moment is basically "have a walk", when you can't even do that it's so depressing.

I think I'm definitely in the "danger zone" of habit changing. I'm hoping this time it is a proper change, and I do feel a lot more confident than ever before, that something has really changed in my relationship to food, but I'm aware that I don't want to jinx it, get complacent and fall back into old habits. I've not been great at doing the app this week. I've done the hypnosis every other day at night, but have been skipping the tasks, so I think I need to have a few days where I do them consistently again, just to properly remind myself to keep on track and mindful :)

I hope the weather eases off a bit and you feel better x

Thanks misskatamari
Feeling a bit better today so back in the zone.

It's such a rollercoaster this lockdown malarkey. Got to just keep going on going on.

Hi all, not posted for a while but plodding on and have been reading the posts. Found the whole lockdown, homeschooling quite difficult mentally. Weighed in today though and am 10 pounds down since Christmas so really pleased with my progress considering!

boatgirl thats amazing that you've lost so much. That's on it's way to a stone!
I hear you on the home schooling. It's exhausting
We're having another refusal day today with my 9 year old. It gets him so stressed.

@Breathmiller I feel that, after sailing through the first 10 days I felt knackered last week and fell off the wagon. I noticed it almost immediately, and last night I ate and ate - partly because of the tiredness, mostly just gluttony because I liked the taste of the things I was eating. I certainly didn't need any of it, as I wasn't hungry.

I have definitely started to change shape, but haven't lost weight so far as I'm aware. I've also been doing a lot of walking, so am hoping the combination of both that and ICMYT will help lose inches. I'm in no rush; as others have said, this is a lifetime change for me so it can take as long as it takes.

Solidarity, everyone, and wonderful to hear so many success stories. :-)

Morning all. Going to start on a positive today, it’s all snowy!!! Lovely, my fat will keep me warm.
I’m continuing to read with interest, it’s a great reminder that this is a lifestyle change and not a quick fix. I think I might try alcohol free too as I notice that even with one glass of wine I can’t sleep as well - think it is age related 😕. I’ve said it now so need to make that change too.
Wishing you all well with the home schooling, wfh, caring, whatever you need to do today.

mariahLucas I like your positivity.

Snow is over the top here today but in between the whiteout blizzards there are bright blue skies. It's very beautiful.

Do join the stopping drinking thread. It is so supportive. I reached 6 months sober yesterday and there are only positives to it. It also makes me realise that if I can do that from being a '5 o'clock is wine o'clock gal' in my distant past then I can get a hold of this food issue too. It's like he says in the audio- give yourself a sense of achievement now. I am much more likely to achieve more in life when i feel positive about myself. And all these little achievements along the way strengthen my resolve that I can do this!

@Breathmiller that is such a positive post. All these small gains add up. Ooh the snowplough just went past (what excitement). I digress. I can recognise more clearly the triggers that make me go to the fridge and have brought a bag of fruit into my room instead, so if the water doesn’t work at least my snack is healthy.
Ps snowplough just came back the other way so can sort of see the road now. Think it is going to snow as the sky has that orangey grey colour again.

A snowplough passing twice?! Such excitement round your way.

I like your idea od bringing fruit to your workspace. That's the thing isnt it? That makes it so different to other 'diets'. It's about getting you to look at your triggers and make changes however little they are, they are in the right direction and that is going to hopefullybe more sustainable than just following someone else's plan.