Paul McKenna "I Can Make You Thin!"

Bayblue

Hi

I'm up really late.....probably because I have a day off Friday and I have been mooching around the net (well, the sites that haven't crashed form the Micheal Jackson news).

Anyway, I wanted to ask if anyone had read 'Beyond Chocolate' a book by Sophie and Audrey Boss (sisters)?

I'm reading it now and although it's slightly different, it does ties in very well with the PMK principles. I spotted it on Amazon, and although it looked interesting I hesitated because I didn't want anything that might jeopardise my success, but then I thought, if it's 'meant to be' it will be OK. I shouldn't have worried, because I am finding that it actually helps me rather than hinders.

I can't go into it too much here (largely because it is very critical of all of the major diets) but it's definitely worth a look especially if you like the ideas and principles of PMK but find the routines a bit awkward to fit into your life.It brings up so many home truths. I'd love to start a discussion about the issues around all of dieting and food on the health and beauty board but I fear that it would turn into a debate about which diet is best, so maybe not...;)

It may be a coincidence but today (yesterday) is the first day I missed listening to the CD. Oops! I'll make up for it tomorrow though. I am still having trouble finding a form of exercise that is affordable and doable (is that even a word?) and being brave enough to go running.

Onwards to Day 21..

Bitsy_Beans

Bayblue do you have any friends that would consider playing badminton? The hire of a court at leisure centre by me is £5.80 but if you split the cost with another person or took turns paying it's not too expensive. I play every Thursday and it's a good work out! We play with really cheap racket set (£6 if I recall for 2 rackets and shuttlecocks).
My more expensive exercise is Wii Active. Far better than Wii Fit and I can do it in the comfort of my own home. My H is also using it so it's getting it's money's worth.
Trying not to weigh myself. Think my upper midriff looks a tiny bit slimmer but not sure. Still finding it hard to eat slowly with the kids around but hey ho. Not having rapid results but then that's not necessarily a good thing. I am not drinking enough water either so I suppose in my heart of hearts I am not trying enough to stick to the principles.
Thanks for the recommendation for Beyond Chocolate. I've heard of the book but not looked into it. Might have a nose on Amazon/Play and see how cheap I can get it.
Don't put off going running. Just stick on your trainers and go for a gentle jog. Even power walking would be good.

rockie4

Babyblue, I'm in the middle of reading Beyond Chocolate. I agree with you that it's very critical of other diets but I think they make a lot of sense, I know that I have a really distorted relationship with food/body image etc :rolleyes: I've signed up for the emails - quite motivational but they do push the seminars a bit hard imo.

I've been struggling with my weight a lot this year, I still haven't lost my 'winter stone' and am worried that I'll put another one on top this winter :eek:
We're on holiday next week and I plan to leave all my dieting books, tapes, cd's etc at home (I could sell diet things to Amazon I have so many ) and climb back on the PMK/Chocolate wagon when I get back.

Bayblue

rockie4 wrote: »

Babyblue, I'm in the middle of reading Beyond Chocolate. I agree with you that it's very critical of other diets but I think they make a lot of sense, I know that I have a really distorted relationship with food/body image etc :rolleyes: I've signed up for the emails - quite motivational but they do push the seminars a bit hard imo.

I think that they make a lot of sense as well. It's probably the best book I've read about women and their dieting/weight/overeating issues. I find myself thinking 'I used to do that!' as I'm reading along. I don't think that they are necessarily being critical of all other diets as such just simply pointing out that for the vast majority of people they simply don't work long term.

Myself, I have done the low calorie diets, Weight Watchers, and most recently the low GI one. I even had a brief flirtation with no carbs 'Atkins' type but I found that expensive and really restrictive. I can't do any with shakes ans stuff like that because I hate milkshakes and I have to eat real food. So, yeah I've tried a few, and although I have reasonably good discipline and lost weight on almost every one (particularly the GI one) sure enough- like a bad penny sooner or later, it comes back.

This book is a different approach entirely and that's why I'm liking it and the PMK thing so much. I think I'll give the emails a miss though (thanks for the heads up). Can't blame them, I suppose like PMK, that they've got to make extra money out of their ideas somehow .

rockie4 wrote: »

We're on holiday next week and I plan to leave all my dieting books, tapes, cd's etc at home (I could sell diet things to Amazon I have so many ) and climb back on the PMK/Chocolate wagon when I get back.

Hope you have a fabulous holiday!

mintymoneysaver

I still haven't got totally back into this as I just don't seem to have had time to listen to the CD lately but I am still trying to only eat when I am hungry. I'm eating too fast again, I know that but if I can just manage the stop when full issue I'm hoping to get back into this slowly. As I keep saying to myself this is going to be the way I eat from now on, it's not a quick fix!

san-dee

i used to weigh 84kgs for 1m60, and in 1 year, i went down to 60kgs by eating healthy meals but also depriving myself with some bad foods, and being ultra strict with what i was eating. so strict that my slim boyfriend sometimes felt guilty to eat in front of me. i stopped my diet about a year ago and put on 4kgs. ok, it's just 4kgs, but it's going up! all that because now that i'm allowing myself to eat the bad food, i cannot stop!
I've always had a bad relationship with food, and never know when to stop. it's all or nothing with me.
so when i heard of paul mckenna's book, i thought that it might be the answer. it's all common sense, things that everybody knows, but it's hard to follow by yourself. and the idea of reprogramming my brain sounds exactly like what i need.
it's like a drug addict, they know that drug is bad, but yet cannot stop.
i have just started the plan, and i am full of expectations with it. i'll give it my best, and hope it will work.
i do not want to see food as an enemy no more, and i do not want to feel guilty everytime i eat. i do not want to hide to eat bad food anymore.
so wish me good luck!

SilverSapphire

Good luck san-dee and everyone else on this thread.
I got PMK's book from the library and have been following it for the past week.
I bought the book & CD in Asda this week for £3.86 so I have my own copy now.
I did weigh myself yesterday and I have lost 2lb so far but best of all I feel far less bloated and already I can feel my clothes are more comfortable.
The slow eating bit really makes sense to me and seems to be making a real difference as I had been having a bit of stomach trouble but I have been fine this week.
I have been listening to the CD although I must admit I usually fall asleep but I always wake up when he tells me to! I am sure it is helping and I definitely feel better in myself mentally as well as physically - calmer and more positive.
I am drinking more fluids - I am not sure if it matters what and definitely making healthier choices. Just hope I can stick with it.
I am about 3 stone over my ideal weight: size 16 now and I used to be size 10 but I would be happy just to lose a couple of stone and get down to size 14 (12 would be even better!).
The "eat when you are hungry" is a difficult one for me as I work full time and my OH likes his regular meal times but so far just trying to do the other rules seems to be making a difference.
Sorry for the long post but also wanted to say that I have enjoyed reading through all the posts on this thread - it is great to read the positive ones but even when people are struggling it is comforting to know we are all in the same boat and hopefully we will all end up where we want to be - lighter, healthier and happier!

Bitsy_Beans

Have bought an immaculate second hand copy of Beyond Chocolate. Finding it a good read so am hoping all this will sink in!!!
Haven't weighed myself for two days (which in itself is a miracle) so no idea if it's working or not.
Still can't eat slowly enough though think this is going to be a major issue for me.

Bayblue

Hello silver and san dee

I can relate to so much in your stories of how you got here. The good news is that there are no 'bad' or indeed good foods, it's all just food. It's kind of hard to make the changes in your thinking though after so many years of seeing food as the enemy or your best friend/comforter. Today I ate 2 of those sugar doughnuts, the kind that you get from vans, and I did feel a little guilty before I told myself not to. I ate them for lunch, didn't want anything else after that so even with conventional diet thinking it wasn't too bad a 'sin'.

Apart from that the plan is going well. I think my weight loss has slowed down (well I know it has), but I'm not too worried because that's probably better in the long run. I think you need time to get used to a different way of..... living really. I do keep naughtily jumping on the scales though, and that has got to stop. Anyway the scales are going to be put at the top of the wardrobe tomorrow. That way, they won't be where I can see them and I can get them down if I need them, but as it takes a bit of effort to do so I won't be constantly tempted.

Still half way through Beyond Chocolate, but that's more to do with time than anything, I am really enjoying it and it's helping me.

Best of luck everyone.

Bayblue

Bitsy_Beans wrote: »

Bayblue do you have any friends that would consider playing badminton? The hire of a court at leisure centre by me is £5.80 but if you split the cost with another person or took turns paying it's not too expensive. I play every Thursday and it's a good work out! We play with really cheap racket set (£6 if I recall for 2 rackets and shuttlecocks).
My more expensive exercise is Wii Active. Far better than Wii Fit and I can do it in the comfort of my own home. My H is also using it so it's getting it's money's worth.
Trying not to weigh myself. Think my upper midriff looks a tiny bit slimmer but not sure. Still finding it hard to eat slowly with the kids around but hey ho. Not having rapid results but then that's not necessarily a good thing. I am not drinking enough water either so I suppose in my heart of hearts I am not trying enough to stick to the principles.

Sorry Bitsy

I just noticed that I hadn't replied to your suggestions about exercise. The badminton idea sounds good, I'm not aware of anyone who plays but no harm in asking. I've always been wary of competitive sports, for fear of not being able to keep up I suppose, memories of school sports still haunting me. But that attitude has got to change. The wii is a nice idea too, but a bit out of my price range at the moment TBH. Especially as I probably wouldn't use it for anything else, I haven't played a video game since Sonic the Hedgehog in the late 80s! So, one day maybe.

I have emailed the local council gym in the hope that their prices are reasonable, I can't seem to find the costs detailed anywhere online, so that's another option. I pick up my pedometer today so that should help a bit. Hey, it's a start!;)

I read the chapter about how we feel about our bodies in Beyond Chocolate last night and to my surprise it actually made me cry! Only a little, but I never cry at anything much. I think it just hit home how badly I have treated my body over the years. Stuffing it with food, then depriving it all the while sort of berating it because it doesn't look the way I think it should, and probably never will. Beyond back pain and the odd migraine, it's never really let me down either, so I think that it deserves me being a bit kinder to it from now on.


Off to work soon, have nice day everyone .