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.

Hi ppeat l. Lovely to have you on here. Thank you for the suggestion of this.

I hear you on the wheat thing. I had terrible IBS in my 20s and was really affected by wheat so i haven't eaten it for nearly 16 years. It didn't just affect my digestion but my skin, my energy levels, it made me feel sick and in pain.

I do have to work on my sugar levels as I move into menopause.

I fell into a vat of sugar this weekend and I feel terrible. I'm starting to shift my thought process into how food makes me feel rather than look though. Sugar gives me such a headache and my skin looks terrible. Just after a couple of days of eating badly. It's like a hangover but I don't drink.
I need to keep that in mind when I sabotage with food.

It is NOT a bloody treat to feel like this. Nothingto do with weight or the size of my jeans. It makes me FEEL shit.

If i can stop drinking then I can get a hold on this too.

I finished the 21 days again and a bit more ready to get back into it. Because it is working. When I actually do it of course.

So everyone had bacon buttues this morning and i would usually join them with my vegan gf version. But I am honestly still full from yesterday. It felt so simple. I don't need to eat just because someone else is cooking. Am i hungry? No. Well, no need to put food in my mouth.

Weekends can be tricky can't they. Also half term. I think it will be easier when they are back at school and not cooking seemingly all the time!

Great Breath hope you're feeling better now. I'm pleased you began this thread ! I know exactly what you mean about that hangover feeling without the booze! As I get older, I get that feeling with refined sugar, oh and also with a bad night!

Orange The P.M. way of eating is how we should ALL eat, including children, exactly as Breath says, it's how they do eat if we weren't so keen to watch the clock with them. I used to put down a pretty plate of fruit after or before school, for them, or get them to make it themselves depending on their ages of course. So when they're really hungry they don't eat rubbish.

It's interesting about children and what we can do to help our kids not have the same issues around food. I've often thought about this.

I have 4 children, 2 adults (30 and 27) , 1 late teen and one 9 year old.

The 2 older ones have a good idea of healthy nutrition and a relaxed opinion around food, we ate more traditionally with 3 meals and not a huge amount of money but did have treats. They love eating and cooking and have an interest in health. I have always worried that I had passed on my weight and body issues to them but so far they seem okay. We do talk about food a lot though and when we (could) meet up it often is focused around meals and food.

My teen has had a bit of freedom around food as he has always been home educated and we were more relaxed around mealtimes. He eats fairly well but will very actively stop or not eat when he's full. He doesn't really have an interest in food as a comfort. He will eat most things put in front of him if he's hungry though. Thin as a rake. Not active AT all. In fact quite sloth like. I feel he has the best attitude to food. He will eat more if he's hungry but in no way is he tempted even by the tastiest treat if he isn't. He simply isn't hungry and that's the stop point.

Then there is my 9 year old who has had the same freedoms around food. He is a gannet. He has absolutely no stop switch and will often eat until he is uncomfortable. He is most definitely a pleasure seeker in life and food is part of that. He would eat constant crap if he could. Although he will also enjoy good healthy meals when offered. And even though he never sits still and is ON constantly he is prone to putting on weight. He can't bear to have treats in the house as he can't think of anything else til they are gone. He would keep eating even way past the point of full. Especially if its junk food.

It's funny that they are all different with very similar approaches to being brought up.

A few of my friends in the home ed community did complete freedom around food for their kids and it has had varying degrees of outcomes.
From one who is really into cooking and health and some who are very overweight.

I think finding balance is key. Not being too strict on foods and access to food but also helping them to regulate or at least make healthier choices at times. All depending on their personalities and needs.

I do find it fascinating.

That is fascinating Breath you sound similar to me! I was bought up to be relaxed around food BUT dm was usually on an old fashioned diet, she also read a lot so was early with things like avocadoes, the Mediteranean Diet and the danger of hydrogenated fats. Sadly although still a veggie (she's 92!) she now eats purely for comfort which doesn't help her health.

My eldest dd is a demi\veggie her partner is an omni. 2nd dd goes off and on diets (strangely she introduced me to Paul Mc !!! ) eats for comfort like her dh. To the detriment of both her health and weight . I worry about her but have learned to shut up!!.

Ds has a weird attitude to food (neither of us are like him!!) He is quite religious, he's individualistic , he sometimes fasts for a week, eats healthily most of the time but thinks that if you eat ANYTHING in the correctly positive way it won't harm you!!!! The milk he'll have in his ceremonies gives him quite unpleasant allergies. he knows it but ignores it!! His wife tells him! Oh dear!!

*Breathmiller My teen has had a bit of freedom around food as he has always been home educated and we were more relaxed around mealtimes. He eats fairly well but will very actively stop or not eat when he's full. He doesn't really have an interest in food as a comfort. He will eat most things put in front of him if he's hungry though. Thin as a rake. Not active AT all. In fact quite sloth like. I feel he has the best attitude to food. He will eat more if he's hungry but in no way is he tempted even by the tastiest treat if he isn't. He simply isn't hungry and that's the stop point.

Then there is my 9 year old who has had the same freedoms around food. He is a gannet. He has absolutely no stop switch and will often eat until he is uncomfortable. He is most definitely a pleasure seeker in life and food is part of that. He would eat constant crap if he could. Although he will also enjoy good healthy meals when offered. And even though he never sits still and is ON constantly he is prone to putting on weight. He can't bear to have treats in the house as he can't think of anything else til they are gone. He would keep eating even way past the point of full. Especially if its junk food.*

That's interesting as my two are similar ages and sound very similar. Quite different but food approached the same way from a young age.

My youngest is more similar physically to me (and with food) and the eldest to my husband. In various ways, including food.

Hi everyone! I've not been on for a few days, but doing okay here. I've been having a bit of a pain flare up, so been feeling a bit down, but thankfully I haven't resorted to emotional eating, which is great! I definitely get what you mean about a sugar hangover @Breathmiller. I've definitely noticed it in the past when I've had a big binge/blow out on sugary crap. I don't want to ban any foods as I don't want to get into "diet mentality" but I definitely find I am craving junk food much much less. I still want to be able to enjoy some cake, the occasional biscuit etc, and I feel like this way of eating definitely allows me to do that in a way that won't make things become "off limits" so they cause cravings.

Wheat isn't something I have noticed causing issues, but I'm going to try and pay more attention to see if i do notice any correlation between that and the pelvic/abdo symptoms I have. It seems such a daunting thing to even think about reducing or cutting out that I haven't really thought about it before now.

Definitely trying to raise the kids with healthy attitudes to food. I really don't want them to end up with emotional eating issues. We try and have balance here. lol I read something a few years ago, on Halloween, about letting kids learn self regulation with their Halloween sweets, so thought I'd let them try 🤣🤣🤣 yeah, that didn't go to plan 🤢 bless them. I remember telling dh about it and being like "I'm gonna have to step in and stop them! They just keep eating!" lol Overall I'm very lucky tho that so far (they're only 5 and 7), they are happy to eat a good balanced diet. They love sugary crap, don't get me wrong, but they're actually pretty good at stopping when full etc, and we've never been a "clear your plate" house. Hopefully we're setting them up to be okay around food :)

I hope everyone's having a good week! I can't believe we've only for a week left of home schooling! It will be good having a bit more routine again, and I'm hoping I can fit in some more cardio etc when they're back. I'll definitely be walking lots more when we have the school run to do :)

I've come to the conclusion that a lot of our personalities (including our attitude to food) is also down to our DNA not only the way our parents ate or eat.
I have always checked my reaction to foods, e.g if I get sore throats\allergic reactions like Hay fever from having dairy I'll stop eating it. If the symptoms stop then I know it's no good for me. veganism suits me.

But I get eczema from tomatoes and oranges so I don't eat those either. (I increase my consumption of other citrus fruits for the vitamin C of course) As I get older I have to be more strict with myself.

MissKatamuri If you have bad pain I recommend looking at the Blood Type way of eating it's by Dr. Peter D'Adamo and it really does work.

E.G. DH is a B type and gets pains (and weight gain) from sunflower oil . when he stops the plant milk that has it in he gets better. (Though he's sceptical) I'm not. I go purely by my experiences!

Oh you're so right not to be strict with children about eating, there's a happy medium IME and O !!

Hi everyone, I have had problems with eating g ans Sri kings to excess over past few years and am bow fat and feel really unhealthy.

I've been doing the app alongside his gastric band book and they are both really helping me with cravings and managing that urge but I have not lost weight!

How are you all doing

@ppeatfruit thanks, I've ordered the wheat book from the library to have a read. I don't really want to go down the road of exclusion diets etc and a big focus on not eating certain foods, if I can avoid it, as I think that is likely to flip me into unhealthy habits again, especially mentally. I'm eating well and focusing on trying to make sure I eat foods that make me feel good and am feeling less like eating those that don't. I've discovered the curable app, which seems very promising in helping to deal with chronic pain, as it focuses on the brain/body connection, and I've just started some cbd paste. I'm hoping these, along with the exercises I do already, will help make a difference :)

Beautiful spring day here! Hoping to get our sweet peas finally planted today, once home schooling is done! I hope everyone's having a good day

@Laaaaa I'm glad you're finding it helpful. I don't think I've lost much weight yet either, but I'm hoping that will fall into place, as my relationship with food continues to improve. I'm definitely feeling so so much better in terms of bingeing and emotional eating, and for me that is a fantastic first step

If it's a plan like the Blood Type Miss then IMO and E it's so effective it can make you healthy not the opposite! I'm 70 and am the healthiest person I know, it's not a coincidence!

Even dh has had so much pain with eating pork and some other foods that he takes note of his Blood Type (he'd be in a wheelchair if he didn't). Yes it does make you fussy to begin with but when you know what makes you ill, it makes so much sense.

Like I used to eat bananas but they always made me ill. They are an Avoid for type As like me, I don't miss them I eat lots of fruit; pineappple, pears, apples etc. It's up to you of course.

Thanks @ppeatfruit, it's definitely something I'll bear in mind. Lol I can't actually remember my blood type! I remember asking when I was pregnant but... 🤷🏻‍♀️🙈 long since forgotten. I think I might be an A... 😄

I'm definitely noticing how I feel after foods more. Ds has been doing a story about pancakes for literacy this week abs today's literacy task was "make pancakes". Thanks reception! He was so excited so I let him make them for lunch. I had some too as cba making something else. I didn't eat many, and had them with fruit, but god I am exhausted now!! Like I could seriously close my eyes and have a nap! I was feeling really energetic this morning before that, and actually got up early today and was really productive. No more sugary lunches for me! We need to go up to school to pick up a book for ds soon, so hopefully that will wake me up!

I hope everyone else is having a good day x

The 2 things that make me exhausted were in your wheat pancakes with fruit!!! Those will affect the digestive tract negatively creating the tiredness and other (ahem) more intimate problems! I don 't know if you use essential oils but I find that mint is incredibly good and calming for my stomach if I've been out and had foods I don't usually eat, oh and a supplement called Betaine with Gentiane is fabulous too.

You cam buy rice also spelt and corn pasta also the flour , they will be much lighter to digest!

Hi everyone

Just wanted to say I'm still plodding along and have lost a stone in 5 weeks yay!! First 2 weeks I lost most of it (11lb) but it's still coming off bit by bit.

I don't do the app any more as most of the techniques don't really help me, however I do listen to the night time hypnosis every night.

I find for the first time in years I sleep like a log and am eating what I would have thought were tiny child sized portions ( which I am horrified to realize are probably not far off normal sized).

For example last night we had chicken pie. Normal portion for me would have been half a pie, minimum of a fist size portion of mash, loads of veg and thick gravy.

Last night I had quarter of a pie, veg, no mash or gravy. It was plenty.

I don't always do the whole sit in another room and eat mindfully thing, but I am serving small portions so I can't really overdo it much anyway.

The difference I feel with ICMYT is hard to describe. I am eating tiny portions, have cut out an awful lot of carbs ( things like bread, rice, potato and pasta) just because I don't really fancy them and because I don't want to fill up on those and not be able to eat the yummy stuff. I also very rarely snack and a couple of days ago I also realized I am treating my high calories coffees as if they were food. What I mean there is that if I have a coffee for breakfast it fills me up and I don't have food. Or if I'm quite hungry and have 3/4 of a piece of toast I don't have coffee with it, I have tea instead (No sugar, teeny tiny splash of milk). So what is different to any other diet I hear you ask? Well mentally I don't believe I am "on a diet". I can't "fall off the wagon " because I'm not on it to start with. I can't "ruin" the diet so that I might as well give up because you can't "ruin" normal life.

I can, and do, eat whatever I want, whenever I want. I just don't actually want it very often. I just thought I wanted it all because I believed I shouldn't have it. (It being anything at all. Cake, sweets, crisps, whatever you normally see "all the bad things")

The only negative emotion I have is a sadness for what could have been. If I had learned this 30 years ago it would have saved me a lifetime of pain (literally, excess weight makes my arthritis worse)
And stress and been healthier than the constant roller coaster of loose 2 stone , put 2.5 back on etc. For..........30...........years......😥.

CanYouReally HURRAY!!!!!! brilliant news I know what you mean about having a milky drink filling you up, I find it the case too.

Try not to relive the past, you're doing so well now and that's what matters!

And as you say we all pick the aspects of a way of eating that suits us best!

@Canyoureallymakemethin that's fantastic! I'm so pleased for you, you're doing brilliantly. I've not been doing so great this week. Reverted to some bad habits of emotional eating/sort of binge eating when tired in the afternoons. I think I've been edging to a mindset of foods being "good/bad" again, and probably some underlying anxiety about schools going back etc, which has prompted reverting to old patterns. It's very frustrating as I felt like I was making great progress but this week I have felt quite out of control around food at times again.

But - I've started the app properly again. I've done the havening technique and the craving buster grossout thing, for chocolate and biscuits, so I'm feeling more positive today. I think I definitely need to remember that I can eat whatever I like in this process, but to actually be hungry and to do it mindfully. When I start mentally labelling things as bad or feel I "shouldn't" eat them, it definitely seems to set off this horrible spiral. I'm being mindful of making sure I eat well etc and fuel my body, but i. definitely think, for me, at the moment, I really want to get out of the food/guilt habit. It was definitely working when I first started this and I felt so much better about myself and about food. Onwards and upwards!

Hello all, can I join you? I've almost finished the book and am on day 3 of the app. So far so good but I'm so tempted to weigh myself to check if its having an effect!

I'm one of those people who have done all the diets and after a while lose my willpower and give up. I cook from scratch all the time and love vegetables, I just eat too much and am a terrible binge eater. I did his gastric band app a few years ago and it worked OK, I can't remember why I stopped. I'm hoping this suits me better as I put on too much weight over lockdown and it feels a bit overwhelming.

@canyoureallymakemethin that's amazing, very inspiring!

One of the best things about the PM ICMYT is the ease with which we can go on and off it! I've done it for 10 years or so and have maintained my initial 3 stone loss. there's no guilt . eg. over festivals I don't do it much but then go back on it when everything calms down!

Oh and I LOVE his idea to not weigh every day. (it does seem to encourage my obsessiveness) I haven't weighed for years, I go by my jeans and the mirror!

Wineand Cheese it's not my thread but we're friendly and I'm sure Breath won't mind btw how are things going Breath?

Are you feeling better?

Welcome @Winecheesesleep! I know I've just had a moan about falling off track a bit with this, but overall I'm definitely finding it a massive help with overeating and emotional eating. I hope it helps you too. I had a much better day yesterday, I think I need to keep the "craving buster" topped up for the time being, as it really helped me at the start, to not even want to eat some foods that I would often reach for, mid afternoon, thanks to tiredness etc.

@ppeatfruit that's great to read that it has worked for you and been something that has had a lasting effect. That's what I'm hoping for, and I need to always keep reminding myself that progress isn't a straight line, and a bump in the road doesn't negate all the gains I have made :)

It's normal to sometimes slip into old habits, they're habits for a reason aren't they. I just need to notice it, and get back on track, and I really do believe that eventually, like @Canyoureallymakemethin says, there won't be any "on or off track" as it will just become my new way of eating, full stop :)

Ahhh last weekend before back to school! I hope everyone else who's in the same boat is having a good one, and that kids aren't feeling too anxious. Mine (5and 7) are feeling quite mixed I think. I need to root out their school shoes and make sure they're clean, and make sure we have enough socks and pants put away etc 😄

Happy Saturday everyone x

Thanks misskat It must be a bit of a shock to be finally getting ready to go back to school Good luck to everyone!

I remember those days with having 3 dcs and being a teacher too!