Paul McKenna and stuff

I've decided to try the Paul McKenna "I CAN MAKE YOU THIN" plan...it's incredibly simple really - you follow 4 rules....

1. Eat whenever you're hungry

2. Eat what you want, not what you think you should

3. Eat conciously and enjoy every mouthful

4. Stop when you think you're full

Kind of obvious really. But he goes into a lot of detail in the book along with exercises and visualisations to reprogramme your thinking about food and get back in touch with your body. He's very good really - I used to think he was a smarmy git when he did those hypnosis programmes....but I actually like his tone in the book - he makes a lot of sense.

one of the things written really hit home - overweight people tend to think about food all the time - except when they're eating it. And I do - I'm always thinking about what I'd like to eat, or if I'm going somewhere if they have a certain shop that sells certain food or a takeout or something. And yet when I have food I eat it really quickly- shovel it in - often because I feel guilty for eating it or am watching TV instead.

And I've heard those 4 things before but never really consciously made the decision to follow them so I am now.

Last night, partly cos I was so tired and partly cos I have Oscar's cold, I wasn't hungry. So even though it was "dinnertime" and I "should have" eaten - I didn't. And I felt fine! In fact I didn't eat till this morning - had a croissant with my Mum at 11am and enjoyed every crumbly mouthful. I had a snack sushi later that afternoon and a bowl of tomato soup at 4pm. I didn't eat all the soup because I felt full before I got to the bottom of the bowl. If I'm hungry later I'll eat - if not, I won't.

I immediately feel more in control. And I'm not obsessing on food.

There's a CD which came with the book and I'm going to listen to it later. I'll keep you posted - though I won't be weighing myself every day - he recommends once every 2 weeks if you absolutely have to - but you can tell in yourself if you've lost weight - it's all about getting in touch with your body.....(one of the exercises is to stand naked in front of a mirror and appreciate yourself.....not sure about that one yet!)

He has a 70% success rate. And should be paying me commission for flogging him on my blog!

I think to lose weight you have to find the way that works for you. Weightwatchers worked for me before I got pregnant - lost 5 stone on it, without much difficulty. But since having Oz, I haven't time to count points and I cook differently now I'm cooking for him too - I want to make meals that we all can eat and I know I can do that healthily without weighing and counting and obsessing on high point food vs low point food. And I can't make any meetings as they are either when he's awake and grumpy over lunch or before Rob gets home from work.

In other news - Oz has had a nasty cold and now I'm getting it - though I went to bed at 8.30 last night and feel much better for a long sleep again. Went to Greenwich today to meet Rob for lunch (though Oz was the only one who ate) and bought myself some books - Just starting "We Need to Talk About Kevin" by Lionel Shriver which won the Orange Prize.

Really looking forward to this weekend - my late NCT group christmas party - 5 families -we all met at antenatal classes and have all kept in touch - 1 family coming down from Yorkshire, one up from Tunbridge - all the babes together and a good fun afternoon at our house. Then the mums go out in the evening and catch up. Fab.

Tomorrow is Monkey Music with Oscar where I get to watch Rebecca and then in the afternoon Julie and I have a one to one meeting with a small business advisor at Lewisham Business Centre. Very exciting.

Ok - have been waffling too long now. Going to put the washing on.