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.

Aww I'm so glad you've found it useful. I got it on a random 99p kindle deal and was like "this is amazing, I need to recommend it to everyone!". Thank you for the yoga pose ideas, I'll will check them out and a post it up near the kettle to remind myself. I definitely need to open up and release round the shoulders. I love to crochet, but it really aggravates my left shoulder nowadays, so I have to be mindful of how much I'm doing, any anything which helps me not feel as tight there is great.

Pandiculation is actually something I have heard of! I signed up to a clinical somatics online course last year, after stumbling upon it, which is based around those ideas. I've found it really helpful, and try to incorporate the exercises into my day (some days more successfully than others).

I'm glad you had a lovely walk in nature. We're more town based but thankfully have some decent green spaces and a river walk close by, but I miss being properly out in nature. Thankfully we do have a good sized garden with lots of trees at the end, so I can go out and feel a bit connected to nature. I like to have my morning coffee out there when the weather is a bit nicer, always feels nice to get some fresh air abs watch the birds. We've had a good walk and scoot this morning, and I made a new roasted carrot soup for lunch which was very tasty and now I think a lazy afternoon is in order. We will disco later tho and DH has been informed he will be getting involved in the family dance off 😄

Hi everyone.
I haven't posted for a while. It's great to hear how everyone is getting on. @misskatamari I do somatics as well. I love it.
I echo portion size - it made such a difference to me. One small habit change I made years ago was to have one slice of toast instead of two. I also eat more protein - it fills me up so much better. I love a poached egg on toast or some avocado and marmite on toast.
I also discovered that there are foods that I used to eat that I don't even like that much. I now ask myself "is it worth the calories?!" And if it is, I enjoy every mouthful. If it's not, I don't eat it.
I've done a programme called "walk at home" since the pandemic started and it helps me get my steps in. The dance burst sounds like a great idea.
Keep up the great work everyone.

Morning, have come back to say I still haven't started the book, but have been following the thread and thinking a lot about mindful eating.

Yesterday we had takeaway fish and chips for lunch, which were lovely, but I couldn't finish them. And I was still too full to have anything to eat later in the evening.

So something is sticking, I normally stuff myself every meal time.

I will try and start the book this week, though .

Hi duckdown and aHotel

Great to hear your thoughts.

Also a fan of somatics here.

I have to admit to having a bleurgh day today. Nothing major, period overdue so extra premenstrual, didn't sleep well due to various reasons and to be honest got a touch of the groundhog day blues. Weekends would be the time I would drive to see my adult daughters and I miss them so much.

But my lovely dh is making a fab healthy brunch with loads of veggies, I've done the app and the audio and I will just plod on regardless.

Hope you all have a good Sunday folks.

Loving this thread for support.

Hi all, happy Sunday!
I’m starting to feel a difference in my clothes, or it might be my imagination, whatever, it feels positive! Feels good to wake up a Sunday morning and not think I’ve ruined my diet after eating too much on a Saturday. Am trying yoga when making tea too.

That's great mariahlucas

I was listening to a podcast today by the doctor who did the book above about emotions and changing habits. And that things have to get a feeling of joy to keep going. So it's not the repetition of good habits that make them stick but a feeling of achievement. As soon as we get an emotional positive from doing a little bit then we are much more likely to keep going. I liked that.

Anyway, after my misery guts start to the day i just kept on doing what I've been doing. Keep on going. Which is a win, because i didn't eat my emotions.

I rested, I did an online jigsaw, listened to the audio, did some yoga, had a walk , ate healthily (and slowly) and danced myself silly with my son who was also feeling the lockdown blues.

And i wore my 'not feeling too fat' top. You know the one? That fits but you only wear it when you're not feeling huge. And even though I'm so premenstrual I was still on my tightest buckle belt.

Just had a Sunday roast and had and enjoyed a plate with mostly veg.

Feeling like today was a win.

Oooh @Duckdown, I've never tried marmite and avocado! I bet that's gorgeous. Definitely trying that this week. @AHotel, that sounds like great progress! I hope you enjoy the book. I wish I could find my "thin" copy, but the app and the emotional eating one seen to have most of the info, so I'm working with that :)

@Breathmiller brunch sounds lovely! I'm sorry you're having a blah day, I hope it picked up a bit in the end. It's so hard missing family at the moment isn't it. Sending love ❤️

@MariahLucas yaaaay to the progress! I can't wait to try on clothes and feel that they're a bit looser! 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

Bit of a meh weekend here in the end, as I've got my period and just been an in pain zombie for most of it. Dh has been brilliant tho and has entertained the kids while I've been a lazing lump, and he made gorgeous koftas for dinner, which I thoroughly enjoyed!

@Breathmiller, crossposted, I'm so glad your day was positive in the end ❤️ I keep meaning to listen to the Drs podcasts, must look them up tomorrow. That's very interesting about habits, I've never thought of it that way before, but it makes so much sense!

@Breathmiller pleased to hear that your day improved and you got out for a walk. I have a number of those tops too!
@misskatamari koftas sound good, we weren’t very hungry last night and had some leftovers from our home made takeaway for dinner, instead of just eating them because they are there.
Back to my desk already today but stopped for a cup of tea. Will try to go for a walk about lunch time, actually, I won’t try, I will.

Hi everyone
How are we all doing?

I feel like I'm getting somewhere with this whole approach.

I'm certainty not losing weight as quickly as I would on a strict diet but its going in the right direction and I feel so much more relaxed around food

@Breathmiller - that's great that you are getting somewhere. It's not a quick fix but it could be a permanent one! @misskatamari yes avocado and marmite is lush!

Duckdown I'm not a marmite fan but I'm going to try vegemite and avocado. Sounds delicious.
I've no avocado in today but i might have toast vegemite and cucumber which I always like.
And yes to just one piece of toast. It's often enough. And if its not and I'm still hungry then I can always put on another one. But if I do two to begin with then I'm much more likely to eat the second one if its there in front of me regardless if I'm actually hungry for it or not. It's little changes like that that are helping

@Duckdown I’ve moved to one piece of toast too, that’s good advice.
Not sure about avocado and marmite but might give it a shot as it’s feeling like Groundhog Day here.....

I've had the avocado and marmite the last two days now and omg it is gorgeous!! Thanks for recommending, I would never have thought of it! Also did one slice of toast this morning, which was enough. It's a revelation just knowing you can eat more food if you're hungry and I don't have to eat everything right now (like I won't have access to food later and will starve lol). Lacking motivation the last few days as my period has been hellish! But I've stuck to decent eating so that's good. Hoping it will be done soon and i can get back to some exercising and dance breaks :) It's DDs birthday tomorrow so cake baking this afternoon, she's requested lemon cake, and I'm looking forward to eating it and enjoying every mouthful!

That's great! Glad people like it or variations of it.
Here's a few more things that work well for me. Approx 30g oatbran made with skimmed milk with frozen mango mixed in. Or you can mix in apple /pear puree if no frozen mango.
I've discovered I don't actually love biscuits or cake that much. But I do love chocolate. So I have a small portion of nice chocolate pretty much every day (I like lidl dark chocolate with raspberry or lindt dark chocolate with orange). I never feel "deprived" and I'm less likely to binge.
I first did Paul Mckenna around 10 years ago and lost three stone. I maintained for a long while and then did put it back on after developing a chronic condition that caused me fatigue.
2 years ago, I started again in earnest. I lost 2 stone and plateaued for around 6 months. When lockdown started, I was able to increase my activity, I started using my fitbit to track input and output and I've lost another stone and a half. For the first time in many years, I'm well in the "healthy" weight range for my height. Paul Mckenna's principles keep me on track.
But I do self sabotage - I think most people do sometimes. So, it really is about developing healthy habits to replace unhealthy ones. And that takes time. Well, it took me time!
But this time, I actually believe that this is it. I believe I'll be a healthy weight for the rest of my life. I'm almost at the point where I'll be maintaining instead of losing. Once I get to grips with that, I'll be happy.
I can honestly say I'm never hungry. In the evenings I sometimes want to snack but that's not hunger - it's usually boredom. I have a supply of 10 calorie jelly in the fridge and I'll try one of them. Nine times out of ten, I don't eat anything else. If I do want something after the jelly, that usually means I am hungry, so I eat what I fancy and don't worry about it.
I've learned to trust my body more. But I do need to be held accountable and that's why I track with the fitbit.
Anyway, that's my story for what it's worth!

@Duckdown thanks for sharing. I’m finding that I feel more committed to doing this as it’s not a diet per se and the support on this board is keeping me motivated.
Can I ask where you get your jellies, I need something on the fridge to keep me away from the cheese.

@MariahLucas I get Hartleys. They come in a pack of 6. They're usually in Tesco but I've also found them in the middle aisle of Aldi.

duckdown
Thanks for sharing. It's so good to hear it working that well for you. Really inspirational. Thanks for all the tips.

I've been finding myself eating 4 meals a day the last few days. Definitely hungry for something at supper time. But because each meal (late breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper) is all much smaller I feel sustained through the day. I'm never hungry and I'm never denying myself food.

I had one slice of toast today at 11am with vegemite, houmous and cucumber and a small coffee. Then at 1.30 I was hungry before a short walk so had a small bowl of pea and mint soup and a couple of oatcakes with tahini. Got vegan cheesy pasta for tea with spinach and probably some other veg. I'm trying to add in as much veg with every meal as I can. But I'm also really enjoying it. I do seem much more naturally drawn to heathy foods and smaller portions. And definitely inspired to add in little bits of exercise during the day.

Yoga, walking and dancing in between working and homeschooling. So good for the soul.

And when I need a comfort (and who doesn't these days) I have a bath. Or chat with someone. Or go for a walk. Or just rest and read mumsnet. It doesn't have to be food.

On the stopping drinking thread we came up with a toolbox to help in times when you would normally reach for a glass of wine.

I see so many parallels so wondered if everyone wanted to say what it is in their toolbox when you would normally emotionally binge?

In mine are....

Having a bath
Finding someone to chat to. At home or on the phone.

Walking in nature
Yoga and meditation
Dance burst song! (My new favourite)
Having a hug with someone.
Watching a movie with family.

Online jigsaws.
Writing a to do list and ticking things off even if very slowly.
Reading a book.

All these things work at different times to help me.

So mine are..
Have a bath
Find a box set that the family can agree on, only if there is no homework/ societies/stuff.
Read mumsnet
Put kettle on for anyone who would like a cup of tea
Go far a walk (would be good if it would get slightly warmer soon)
Listen to bbc sounds/podcast.

Oh yes. I'm late to the podcast party but I bought a subscription to Spotify and I am really enjoying podcasts. My favourite is Desert Island Discs.

@Duckdown, it's so great to hear how well this has worked for you, really gives me hope that I could hopefully be on the right track finally. I've definitely over eaten a bit this evening - it's dds birthday and she wanted "party tea". It's not stuff we eat often, but was a sea of beige, with some fruit and veggies. I definitely ate more than I was hungry for, but I was aware and sort of made the decision to be okay with it for once, and that's done, onwards and upwards (not the scales one can hope 😂). I did have some birthday cake for pudding too, but didn't finish it. I definitely feel more in control and I'm like "so what, it's a birthday, so you ate a bit more than usual, no big deal" instead of having guilt about it. I did try and make sure to really stick to the principles the rest of the day as well, as I knew this would be the kind of meal I'd eat too much on, which isn't something I usually think about.

I love the tool kit idea. I don't know if these are necessarily things I'd use to help with binging, but for helping me destress and cope with things my list would be:
Crochet
Sew
Read a book
Have a bath (with a book)
Dance break
Listen to music and sing along loudly!
Play some board games all together
Watch something that fully grabs my attention
Pilates or my somatics stretches
Self hypnosis tracks (I really like Glenn Harold for these, there are loads free on Amazon music, if you have prime).

I also listen to a lot of audiobooks, really enjoy them, and am starting to get in to podcasts. Love gardening when the weather is nicer too, it's so lovely planting seeds and watching them grow.

I hope everyone else is having a good day

I think that's a healthy way to be isn't it? Most people would have a bit more treat stuff at a birthday. And not beat themselves up about it.

I've had an emotional day today. Homeschooling blues all round. . Trying hard not to eat my emotions.

That's my thinking @Breathmiller. And that's what I want to get to, just eating like someone who doesn't worry about their weight or have binge eating issues with food.

I'm sorry you're having a down day. It's so so hard breaking the emotional eating cycle isn't it. Did you get the McKenna emotional eating book in the end? I need to finish it, but it does seem to have some good ideas in it. I'm up to the self sabotage bit at the moment, and it's making a lot of sense. Have you seen the tapping exercise he does too? I don't know if it's in the thin book, as I can't find mine, but I've seen him show it on tv, and it seems like an effective trick for helping deal with a craving.

I hope you can have a chilled evening and tomorrow is a bit brighter x

@misskatamari I’ve found the tapping exercise -it’s in ‘I can make you thin’. I’m going to have a look at that later when I reread some chapters as I’m in need of reinforcement myself just now. I’ve been doing ok but the thought of additional restrictions, including the closure of my local coffee shop, just got to me last night. I always drop in when I’m out on my daily walk but they will be closed from Saturday unless they keep their doors open but blocked with a table so they have a hatch (I’m in Scotland). Feel very sorry for them as they have put in screens, followed all advice, moved to takeout and now they will more than likely shut. I’ll go for a walk later and see how they are.

Thanks misskatamari for the reminder of the tapping. I actually have an EFT (tapping) therapist. It is such a great tool for life. I have dealt with so many issues with her. She's moved but I might video call her as I know she is working in that way now.

I did return to bad habits last night. DH was panicking about the snow we were due here so went to the shop yesterday for a shop and bought Friday night treats so we didn't have to go out on our usual shopping on Friday afternoon. BIG mistake to have crisps in the house after a crap day.
Hey ho. Back on track today.

I think what it made me realise though is how much better I have been doing. I had been gradually getting better at this so hadn't noticed the changes. But emotionally eating a whole bag of Bugles and 3 flapjacks last night in front of the telly reminded me how i used to eat. I didn't even enjoy the flapjacks. They were shop bought ones, gluten free and vegan and apart from being tiny they were also dry and tasteless. Better with delicious home made ones.

But it made me realise how I used to eat for emotions rather than hunger. And the huge difference between the two. It wasn't enjoyable. It was destructive and I was pissed off at the world. And they didn't even taste good!! I much prefer eating and enjoying every mouthful. So much more enjoyable way to approach food.

I'm not beating myself up though. Lesson learned. As I'm sure I'll have to relearn again. The message is getting in there. As Dh said, it wasn't a bottle of wine and 3 bags of crisps etc.

Things are pretty stressful here at home for one reason and another and not a lot of sleep happening due to a very stressed 9 year old. But it won't all be helped by overeating. It won't change anything, not for the better anyway.

So today, in between work, i will rest, tap, and listen to the audio again.

It's a whiteout here (also in Scotland - waves to MariahLucas) so dh has announced a Snow Day for stressed home schoolers. Perfect! I hope you get your coffee.