Paul McKenna - I can make you thin/freedom from emotional eating

[misskatamari]

Hi!

Just posting incase anyone else was using Paul McKenna methods, or was looking to start and have some support.

I was on a thread a few months back but have completely lost it now, so figured a fresh start might be a good plan.

I'm using the Paul McKenna app, and also have the freedom from emotional eating book, and I was feeling in a really good place and had started feeling so much more positive around food and about my body, but then old habits have crept in, so I need to restart, commit, and get myself back in the right headspace again. It would be great to have some others along for the ride.

The concept is very simple - eat when you're hungry, eat what you want, eat mindfully, stop when you're full.

I've slipped back into eating with distractions etc and stopped listening to my fullness cues as well as I had been, so I'm hoping I can get back on track with eating more mindfully!

Hi, I’m restarting this at the moment too. I first read his book years ago and found it revolutionary and it started me off reading more about Intuitive Eating. But recently I’ve veered back into ‘diet mode’ and have been trying to follow stricter rules around no sugar or processed food and have found that it’s actually made me gain a little bit of weight as I don’t do well with food rules/restriction and always end up rebelling and then overeating the things I’ve been denying myself. So yesterday I started reading The Fuck It Diet, which whilst it makes a lot of good points from an anti-diet perspective, it also encourages eating lots and says you will definitely gain weight at the start of the process! This freaked me out and I realised that whilst I am on board with intuitive eating theories, I’m not comfortable with the idea of putting on weight!

So to avoid ending up back on some restrictive regime, this morning I’d decided I’d go back to the PM principles as they’ve worked really well for me in the past and I maintained at my lightest weight without much effort for a long time. So I was really glad to see your brand new thread as there’s often not much around on it. I’m not sure where my copy of the book has gone (we’ve moved house recently) but I’ve read it a few times and think I pretty much know what to do, and I’ve still got the hypno to listen to.

Do you have a weight loss goal. I’d like to lose 3-7lbs, so not a huge amount but for me it’s more about maintaining at a weight I’m happy at without stressing about what I’m eating.

Oh brilliant @OhMyChrist2020! It's fab to have some company! I fell off the wagon for similar reasons last time - started doubting the process again after reading about how wheat is the devil and we should all cut it out, and it just flipped something in me to feel bad about food again (and this start eating crap again - cos there's logic in that 🙄🙈).

I can't find my copy of his "thin" book, but I've got the app, which has short videos of the exercises, and the hypnosis track, and I've got his emotional eating book somewhere, so I'm going to dig that out and read it again.

Weight loss wise, ideally a couple of stone would be ideal, but honestly if I could lose half/one stone I'm sure I would feel so much better. I mainly just want to feel okay with my body and weight, and confident I am eating well and enough, without guilt or binge/emotional eating.

I've been suffering with chronic pain for the last few years, and have been doing some great work on that these last few months, using the mind/body approach, so I'm hoping I'm able to get more confident being active again too :)

I definitely need to avoid "diet mode". It just doesn't work for me and ends up in over eating, emotional eating and a shame spiral

I read 'I can make you thin' about 18 years ago and lost so much weight. It's a great book.

Sorry to hear about your chronic pain issues, that must make exercising very difficult. I was back at the gym today for the first time in ages and really enjoyed it. I’ve got another class tomorrow too.

Have had a really good day food wise and am just about to listen to the hypno. Hope your day’s been successful too.

@Anonapapple that's brilliant, and very encouraging to hear. Thanks @OhMyChrist2020, yeah it's been pretty crap, but I'm improving a lot, and feeling more confident that I'll get back to some of my previous activity levels. I'm walking loads and hoping to rejoin the gym after the summer holidays, as I used to really love going.

Haven't listened to the hypno yet as I've managed to misplace both my air pods (pleeease don't be lost!!! 😭 and my normal headphone things 🙈), but I've started the emotional eating book again last night and had a mindful breakfast this morning. I find it so hard to fully focus on eating, even when I'm not doing anything I have to stop my brain thinking and running away with itself.

The emotional eating book comes with a havening technique dvd you're supposed to do for five days in a row, so I need to do that today. You're basically stroking your arms, visualising and doing some eye movements for about 20 minutes. I always feel like a massive Wally doing it but I think it made a big difference last time I tried this, as I remember just not feeling the urge to binge eat or emotionally eat, which was amazing.

I hope you have a good day :)

Hope your havening went well 🤣

So it could partly be down to the heat, but I’ve had hardly any appetite today. Usually I probably would have just eaten things anyway, because it was lunchtime or just because I fancied it, but I waited until I was actually hungry and ended up not eating until around 2.30pm! I’m sure it’ll even out with me being more hungry on other days, but it’s amazing what a difference it makes when you just tune in and see if you actually need to eat or if it’s just habit, boredom etc.

It really is amazing isn't it!

I haven't managed to haven yet, need to dig out the dvd, and I might wait until it's not soooo hot and sticky (there's a shorter version on the app so I could do that first actually).

I listened to the hypnosis for the first time in months last night, and have definitely noticed I've eaten less today, and much more slowly. Without even thinking about it really, I ate dinner much slower than usual (husband and dd had finished and I still had most of my plate to go lol, thankfully DS is also a slow eater so we ate slowly together 😄).

I am craving some post dinner chocolate now, think this is my prime "ahhh the kids are in bed, I can relax with chocolate" time, so I'm going to have a shower and hopefully the craving will pass. If I do still want some later I'll eat and enjoy it, but will see if I'm actually hungry and if not, let the craving pass :)

Sounds like you’re doing well. I forgot to listen to it last night, well I remembered literally just as I was settling down to (try to! 🥵) sleep but as I haven’t got any earpods and didn’t want DH to listen to it aswell, I didn’t bother. Will definitely listen tonight as I think it really makes a difference.

Are you weighing yourself? I was planning on waiting for at least 2 weeks and maybe even longer but I might not last that long. I’m still battling with my ‘inner diet voice’ and need something to stop me restricting etc. I just need to trust the process but can’t help panicking that I’ll actually be putting weight on! 😱

"Inner diet voice" is so hard to ignore isn't it! Yes, I need to weight myself! I'm going to get a starting weight and then try and leave at least a couple of weeks (but I know I'll find that hard). Oooh must do body measurements too, that's always so helpful to see!

Doing okay today. Not super mindful at dinner as we ate watching the telly for a Friday treat, but not bad the rest of the day. Now to avoid the post kids bedtime "I need to inhale chocolate" 🤣🙈 I hope your days going well

I started this a couple of months ago and am now two stone lighter and at my ideal weight.

I didn't join any of the threads on here because it sometimes verged on competitive undereating, I ate when I was hungry and quite often that meant yes I did need both the fish and the chips.

It really does work though, and I feel so free from diet chat. Keep it up if you can!

That’s really encouraging @limesoda, well done. I’m mostly trying to stay off these boards at the moment and know what you mean about getting free from diet chat. Really glad I’ve returned to this approach. I’m not planning on weighing for a while if I can help it as I don’t want to risk being tempted back to ‘dieting’.

@limesoda that's awesome!! And so inspiring to hear! I was doing really well with it back at the start of the year, but reading about things like "should avoid eating x,y,z" definitely made me spiral back into self doubt and feeling negative around food again.

Hopefully we can keep this thread "diet talk" free, as for me it really is about changing my relationship with food. I don't want there to be "no I can't eat that, it's bad, I need to be good..." etc. It just causes negative feelings, and binge mentality in me.
It's okay to eat the cake!!! (And I know that this way of eating let's me really enjoy the cake, instead of mindlessly eating most of the cake and then feeling shit).

We've had a kids party this weekend and a couple of "infront of the telly meals" so not fully mindful for those, but I'm definitely eating more slowly and checking in with myself more. Steps in the right direction I think :)

I got the book years ago and never read it. I'm going to dig it out and give it a go. I'm definitely an emotional eater

I promise that eventually you actually end up a bit indifferent about food, while still really enjoying it when it is delicious. Nothing is good or bad, it's just dinner. That freedom is actually better than any weight loss!

I also found a massive shift in self confidence, which helped loads. I know the hypnosis isn't for everyone, but it worked so brilliantly well for me.

@limesoda that's so reassuring to hear and gives me so much hope ❤️

I just know I can't "diet" - it always just results in me "falling off the wagon" and resorting to overeating. I just want to be able to eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full, without guilt or fear. I definitely find the hypnosis a big help in this, as it helps the habits feel a bit more automatic, instead of really consciously having to think about them

I feel the same @misskatamari, I cannot start another diet or any other form of restricted eating. I’ve started reading Intuitive Eating and am nodding along with everything they say, it’s really inspiring.

Today I decided to give this another go, and came looking for a thread. I've not dieted for months, but recently I've become a bit strict about not eating refined sugar because it's so bad for you and thus eating tonnes of the stuff.

I have dug out the Thin workbook and found some of the old CD tracks on iTunes and managed to get them on to my phone as none of my laptops have CD drives nowadays. I've typed up the workbook in to Word so that I don't have to write in the book. I'm not sure which are the right tracks, but it'll be good enough.

I am four stone heavier than I was before perimenopause, and it piled on so quickly that it's still a shock to catch myself on camera when in my head I'm a size 8. I'm going to weigh myself tomorrow and then hit the 90 day programme. What does McKenna say about weighing? Am guessing he says don't weigh for 90 days.

I started this a couple of months ago and am now two stone lighter and at my ideal weight.
And thank you for taking the time to post this @limesoda Do you mind me asking how old you are?

Welcome @Monestera! It's great to have someone else onboard. I think he says weigh, and then leave it a month, although I could be wrong. I think ideally it's definitely best to leave it a while between weighing, just so we don't get dragged into the "yaaaay it's working/waaah it's not working I feel shit" trap :)

I'm definitely noticing subtle changes, not really snacked the last few days, and I left half a sandwich at lunch as I was full, and had it later when I was hungry again. Small steps (but generally unheard of lol).

Thank you @misskatamari

Well, I've managed to stick to the rules all day. I had a salad for dinner, but couldn't manage it all, so for tea I cooked half what I would normally cook and used a side plate instead of a dinner plate. Had churros afterwards. I've got a track where McKenna is repeatedly telling you to put your knife and fork down and chew 20 times I remember now that the hypnosis track gets boring eventually.

@Monestera sorry for the delay, I'm 37

Congratulations @limesoda! I'm guessing you're probably pre-menopausal?

Day 2 for me. I find I'm eating a lot less. Had half of the breakfast I normally would, and still couldn't finish it. Ate out for dinner (scampi, peas, salad and chips with mayo) and left some of that. All eaten very consciously, chewing 20 times, putting knife and fork down etc. Enjoyed every mouthful. Got a bit cocky and picked up a pastry from the bakers. I rushed that a bit.

I've listened to the track; I deliberately went for a walk after a sedentary morning; I've drunk plenty of water. Going to commit to ensuring any further food I eat today is eaten to all of the rules.

I had a bit of a wobble earlier and found myself totting up my daily calories!! Not exactly sure why but am just generally feeling bigger than I’m happy at and so I guess just impatient to see some improvement. I absolutely know that calorie counting won’t help me though and have come to my senses! It’s just easier to automatically return to previous methods I suppose, but I know in the long term this is a better option.

Day 3. I didn’t do the mirror exercise, but otherwise did ok. Went to the gym and felt a bit sickly, presumably because I have not been eating enough.

I think it's definitely hard not to fall back into old habits @OhMyChrist2020, but I guess every time we stop ourselves and come back to this way of eating, helps to reinforce new ones :)

@Monestera, that's definitely something I notice when doing this, because I am eating less at meals I get hungrier between them, which I'm not really used to. I need to plan snacks a bit better I think, as that's my danger zone, as I'll realise I'm guessing hungry and grab something that isn't all that healthy and doesn't fuel me well.

I'm generally doing okay with this though, not perfect but feeling freer around food and less emotional eating which is great!