McKenna / 4 Golden Rules / Eat what you want, not what you think you should

Favourite meals

Kazza — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 22:34:43 GMT

Apologies if this subject has appeared somewhere else on the forum.

Like many people I've dieted many times over the years and have unsurprisingly been unsuccessful. Anyway, now that I'm trying to follow the 4grs, I find it really difficult to come up with different ideas for meals that I will really enjoy and savour every mouthful. I'm stuck in a bit of a rut at the moment. I think dieting has dulled my sense of adventure and enthusiasm for food

I wonder if any of you have recipes/meal suggestions to inspire me

Karen

Frosted Flakes

karybeth08 — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:53:03 GMT

Believe it or not, my body has been craving Frosted Flakes lately. For so long, I didn't eat that type of cereal as it was too fattening, but now I can eat it!!! I wonder when my craving will end!! I'm not worried about it as I just crave small amounts so it's not one of those craving foods I need to get rid of, but I never thought it would be what I wanted most of all.

Hungry but don't know what I want

stward101 — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 06:17:22 GMT

Once in a while when I'm truly hungry I have no appetite for any particular food. Nothing appeals to me at the moment. Anyone experienced this?

What happened?

stward101 — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 03:01:27 GMT

I switched from Splenda back to sugar in my coffee, and I only have coffee during meals. No cravings at all-everything's fine.

Today I was out running errands, took a break and had coffee with Splenda (no food). Late this afternoon I have cravings for sweets. Has anyone else experienced this? Anyone know the cause?

Shirley

what about medical restrictions

barbarac — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 22:05:44 GMT

from recent blood tests my dr said that i need to eat protein at every meal. i also know that i am sensitive to wheat and feel wiped out when i eat it. i am constantly looking for protein to eat when all i want are carbs and also feel bad every time i eat wheat.

pls help! i need this to work for me - i am desperate to change the way i relate to food, loose weight and just get healthy
barbara

Eating/food cycle?

stward101 — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:46:55 GMT

I'm finding that when I eat exactly what I want my daily intake of one or two food groups may be low, but over three days it balances out. Example: I wanted fruit today after having only one piece total the previous two days. Anyone else experienced this? Do humans have a food cycle? Can I stop feeling guilty for not eating several servings of veggies every day?

Eating what you want???

cma06 — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 11:23:18 GMT

Hi everyone,

I am trying to get back on the bandwagon and have found that I had trouble eating what I REALLY wanted. I feel like I have brainwashed myself to believe that I actually enjoy certain "diet foods". I am afraid that if I eat what I really want I will end up gaining weight rather than losing it and all I will eat is junk food. Can someone describe to me their eating habits at the beginning of the program, did there tastes change and how long did it take them to change. I feel like this is my biggest hurdle!!! The guilt I get usually ends up in a binge.

PLease help

Chocolate pudding truffle for dinner

berthjam — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 15:06:42 GMT

I've been fallowing Paul's system for about 6 & 1/2 months now. I pretty much have all 4 golden rules down and since I have been listening to my body I notice that my body doesn't respond well to sweets.

If there was a plate of cookies on the table when ever I would walk in the room just because they were there meant I had to eat them. Now I can see that plate of cookies and even if I was hungry I imagine it's taste and see how my body responds. Now normally with sweets I get a queezy feeling because there is just so much sugar and my body doesn't like too much of it.

There are times when I am hungry and would like to have a cookie or something but after like 2 bites I have to stop, I can't always finish a cookie, some times I can but how amazing the transformation. I no longer have that feeling because it is there I need to eat it. But if I want it who says I have to eat the entire thing?

Last night I didn't eat dinner with my family I wasn't hungry. A couple hours passed and then I became hungry what I found I needed sugar (pms). So I came up with I wanted ice cream. I went down to my moms store and they didn't have any containers of ice cream. I was looking to see what they had and I came across their chocolate pudding truffle. They fill a 20 oz. clear cup (like an ice coffee cup) layering chocolate pudding chocolate crumb cake w/ chocolate chips and layers of whipping cream. I haven't had one in a couple of years, oh man last time I had one of those I ate the entire thing!

With my new found way of living and being in control over myself I thought about it for a moment. I could feel the need for sugar and thoughts slipping in saying yes you can have it take it you know you only need a few bites. I did I took it.

My aunt was at the register and I told her it was my dinner. She bought Pauls book too, but is having trouble and she looked at me funny when I said it was dinner. I said I am hungry and this is what I want. I have control and I know there is no way I could eat this whole thing. I said it's great to have such confidence knowing I can cover it back up and save it for another time and if I don't want it again later of coarse my kids wouldn't mind having some.

I just thought I would share my little proud moment. It can be tough to lift out all those worries and fears that you can't eat something afraid you will balloon into that person you used to be. But those thoughts have almost vanished.

Ok I am done, thanks for listening. Have a great day enjoying what you really want!

Jamie:)

Put McDonalds to the test!

TonTon — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:32:49 GMT

I really wanted a big mac yesterday. So, I drove over got a bigmac meal and did not even eat half! I went through the drive through ordered the #1 with medium fries and medium Dr.Pepper, came home and put the food on a plate, made it looked pretty. Poured the soda into a glass and ate slowly consciously and was full in no time. I took the rest of the plate and dumped into the to go bag and took it the trash. I was surprised to see that I really don't like the fries that much or even the burger. I even left half the drink. I didn't regret or feel guilty for having it because it was what I wanted. I think is really going to work for me.

Am I "slipping" by wanting to eat "diet food" now?

LindseeBe — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:39:03 GMT

I was just wondering if this is happening to anyone else, as I am finding myself disgusted with all the junk food I've been eating lately. Yesterday, as I was eating a piece of cake, I felt so disgusted by it that I trashed what was left of it.

Later in the day, I ended up having to go grocery shopping with my boyfriend as there was no decent food in the house. On the way, I told him that I wanted to make sure we buy some fruits, vegetables and lean proteins as I was sick of eating junky, fatty foods.

It wasn't like I was avoiding fruits and vegetables, as I was eating them. I just felt I wasn't eating enough natural unprocessed foods and instead substituted too many "heavy" foods like butter, full fat cheese and pizza along with the sugary junk food.

I'm not planning on going back to counting calories or following any diet, but eating all this fatty, sugary food makes my body feel awful now and I just don't want it anymore. :P

-Lindsay

Weigh in

andrea stevens — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:30:29 GMT

Weighing in.

Going Out to Eat

jenis001 — Sun, 25 May 2008 15:25:45 GMT

Yesterday we went out to Applebees for lunch. I actually had fun. I wasn't worried that I would be "cheating". More importantly I knew I would be able to eat only til I was full. It was a great experience to read through the entire menu and pick something I really wanted. I ordered the Fiesta Chicken and had about 9 bites of the rice and 1/2 the chicken breast. It was so liberating to be able to enjoy eating out again.

Eat what you want

Moooo — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 19:41:36 GMT

Hi all!

Im from the UK and have trouble eating what I want when im hungry! Does anyone else experience this? I suppose im still stuck in diet mode? and think of what I should be eating instead! Any tips from anyone in getting through this would be helpful!

Are you friends still skeptic?

ready2lose — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:14:46 GMT

My best friend knows that I have been applying Pauls techniques for the past few weeks and have achieved great success. She dropped by a mutal friends house and two other ladies were talking about this "strange British guy who does this whacked out tapping to relieve cravings" and how weird he was. Then the conversation led to what particular diets they all were on at the time and how they were not working. So they all decided to go for a "last blow-out" dinner and start a new diet tomorrow. When my friend told me this I just thought how bizzare that was. Because I used to think the same way. This has been so liberating for me and though my friend is happy (I have lost 6 pounds in 3 weeks) for me they still don't trust it. I feel bad for them but I am glad to be off the rollar coaster ride. :P

Is anyone else facing this with their friends?

Diet Myths

ScrappingGirl — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:23:36 GMT

I was looking up some stuff on intuitive eating and came across the following link about diet myths ... http://christiannewswire.com/news/413027006.html. While I found it all repetitive of what we know, those of us who frequent this board, I was intrigued by something near the bottom of the article and here is the quote .....

>>"Because there are so many diet myths out there, the best resource for truth is a registered dietitian or medical doctor," adds Zuercher.<<

What got my attention is that they are advocating us going to the professionals who perpetuate so many of the myths. Nutritionists/dietitians advocate eating according to the food pyramid, whichever version is current at the moment ... and they do change it up from time to time. Doctors get very little nutritional training in med school, if they get any at all. They just want to prescribe pills, injections, and such to "cure" us. Like from the 50's, "take an aspirin and call me in the morning" mentality.

Does this person, Zuercher -- a dietician, really think dieticians & md's hold all the truth? I guess what goes around and around in my mind is this ... if you keep doing the same thing over and over and expect different results ... that is the definition of insanity. The dieticians & doctors keep prescribing the same behaviors & meds over & over expecting different results. Won't they ever consider it's their methods (food restriction, pills, shots, etc.) that are flawed?

What is happening?

nomatterwhat — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:27:45 GMT

So many weird things - WONDERFUL THINGS - have been happening to me in the last 2 weeks. I am just stunned at this simple solution to my HUGE weight loss battle.

Just a few miracles to relate:

1. I go to Maggie Moo's for my favorite ice cream - and the small size lasts for 3 days.

2. I have multiple opportunities to eat burgers and fries (since I'm no longer on a diet), but salad sounds better, so I eat that (happily!) instead.

3. Since wearing my pedometer, I look for ways to add steps to my day (not excuses to avoid it).

4. I have half-eaten snacks all over the place. For example, a bag of FF kettle-corn popcorn (because I LIKE it) was popped several days ago, and I am still eating out of that one bag for snacks.

5. My husband and I bought 4 home-made chocolate-chip cookies from an Amish bakery a week ago - and they stayed on the counter until today, my hubby finally ate the last one (I ate 2/3 of one when we first bought them - the rest were on the counter for days and I would see them and not want them.).

6. I buy the small Subway turkey and ham sandwich - and it lasts 2 meals.

7. I look forward to eating, not because I'm "craving" or "starving" but because I get to think about what I really want to eat and then actually EAT IT.

8. I am losing weight like crazy - 7 pounds in 2 weeks. SEVEN POUNDS. IN TWO WEEKS. :w00t: :w00t:

Will this continue? Can this possibly work? I am afraid to hope, but I am SOOO GLAD TO NOT BE DIETING. THANK YOU PAUL!!!

Cindy

food poll

tcatsbay — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:14:40 GMT

ok i found myself buying rice cakes which i can't stand them because an old diet thought snuck into my brain when i was wandering the store yesterday. and i realized that i still haven't truly moved into to being 100% comfortable with eating what i want, not what i think.... and this is coming from someone who at least twice a week has ice cream for breakfast....so have fun with the poll, it is not for research, just for fun
thanks
trish
:D

2 issues

Dominiekske — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:21:14 GMT

I'm sorry if I'm starting to annoy you with all my problems but remember I'm new to this and I need a little help at this stage! I decided to post these two problems in one topic. I know it's a bit long, but please give it a go!

1. I've been on the plan for about 10 days now and I only craved vegetables once, and that was only a few slices of tomato and cucumber on a hummus sandwich. Unlike most people here, I expect, I always ate plenty of vegetables before I started this programme, and I can tell my body doesn't like the lack of vegetables one bit. I don't want to get too personal here, but recently it's been hurting when I, er, go to the toilet, which I am sure the lack of veggies has something to do with. It means I'm not eating healthily enough, anyway, which I already knew, but I simply never crave healthy foods! I ask myself every time when I'm hungry: what do I want? Bread? Granola? Beans? Fruit? Vegetables? Biscuits, crisps? It's NEVER vegetables even though I make myself consider it every time I'm hungry. How long did it take for you guys to start craving veggies when you started the programme? I'm starting to think maybe the "eating what you want" part of the programme may be liberating and very good because it causes us not to miss foods and binge on them, but still doesn't cause people to eat healthily. Maybe science has simply gone past our body's instincts, and it's better to eat all the recommended daily amounts, 200g of veg, 2 pieces of fruit, etc, than to eat what you want. Vegetarians live longer than meat-eaters but I doubt most meat eaters' bodies would start telling them to eat beans and nuts instead of meat, for example. I wish I could talk to Paul McKenna about this! What do you guys think? Maybe it's just my body that's weird?

2. I ate 8 biscuits just now because it's what I wanted and I wasn't full until after I had eaten 8 of them. I have the (very bad, I know!) habit of still checking the Weight Watchers points of the foods I eat every now and then, and out of interest I looked it up... It was 15 points! I'm only supposed to have 20 points per day, so I've gone way, way over... I was tempted to "give up on the day" and "get the biscuits out of the way so I won't be tempted tomorrow" (you know, all those bad arguments you use when you're about to binge) but I managed not to, but I'm seriously worried about these biscuits now and I'll be really reluctant to eat them again, because I know that on a day that I do, I'll gain weight, Paul McKenna plan or not! I looked at the ingredients of the biscuits and oil was very high up there which explains it (if all our food was injected with a tablespoon of oil, obviously the Paul McKenna plan wouldn't work), so I'm thinking maybe I should buy other biscuits instead of these in the future so that if I want them when I'm hungry, I'll still be able to satisfy the craving. However, then there's a forbidden food... I can't justify eating less of them because you're supposed to eat until you're full, but to know I'll gain weight on every single day that I eat them??

SO WHAT ARE YOU HUNGRY FOR TODAY?

galadriel — Mon, 19 May 2008 23:11:30 GMT

I woke up yesterday morning and I was very hungry. I ate exactly what I was hungry for for breakfast.(LOL) Are your ready for this? I was had the most delightful baked potato with sour cream and butter. It was so satisfying that I was not even hungry til late afternoon! So what are you hungry or today? :P

Binging on sweets, but okay with other food

acjbecker — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:15:13 GMT

I've been following the program for several weeks and I am able to follow the four rules when eating non sweets. When I choose "what I want" sweets i.e. chocolate, cookies, cakes I end up binging. Any advice on whether I should use the craving buster to eliminate my craving for these types of foods? I have always struggled when I have these in the house.

reformed carb addict

smittenmoose — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:54:49 GMT

In my teens and 20's my favorite food was pasta with butter. I could eat it morning, noon and night, and did, a lot. I could wolf down pasta like you wouldn't belive. Totally getting my seritonin high. Then kids came along. I had to have balanced meals in the house, still pasta would be the main course or side 4 nights a weeks with some other starchy item the rest of the week.

I learned about Atkins and lost weight. At first it would be easy because without any pasta in the house I couldn't eat it. But once I even had one bite, i'd crave it like crazy. Soon if I started over again the cravings would be there from the start. So I tried other diets, many, many diets.

Since following the golden rules, especially eating slowly. I cannot get that happy feeling I used to from the pasta. I tire of pasta pretty quickly actually. There really isn't that much flavor in it. I tend to push my plate away and look for something else to eat instead. I am much happier now. I have hobbies and sports and I do more around the house and yard. :cool:

Avoid Sugar? I'm Confused!

LindseeBe — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:09:20 GMT

A friend of mine lent me her CD "Easy Weight Loss" by Paul McKenna which I'm guessing is an older version of "I can make you thin". I anxiously wanted to listen to this while I was waiting for my order for "I can make you thin" to show up. On this CD, the 4 Golden Rules are mentioned, but Paul also talks about avoiding sugar to calm cravings and mentions it again as part of a review of the "rules".

Am I supposed to start avoiding sugar at some point or is that part no longer necessary? And does anyone know why it's not mentioned in the newer 4 Golden Rules?

Thanks in advance!

Confused about imagining food with "hair on it".

LindseeBe — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 03:48:16 GMT

In one of the Paul McKenna episodes (both the British one and the American one) that I saw on Utube, an exercise was done to imagine food having "Barber Shop floor hair covered all over it" or something close to that. In the British one, Paul also told a woman to imagine that on a big bar of chocolate that he then tried to get her to eat it and she refused (I think she was just hypnotized). Before that he showed a video of a piece of Chocolate cake and then said something to the audience like: "Imagine maggots on it".

I guess I'm confused because I thought we should eat what we want. At what point are we supposed to be disgusted by our favorite foods or am I getting this confused with something else entirely?

If anyone can clue me in on this I'd really appreciate it. :)

Intuitive Eating...

thinme2 — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:10:39 GMT

Hi everyone,

I'm so excited!!! I have definately figured this one out!!!

Okay, first of all, I was talking to some family members about this rule while eating out. I told them I could eat whatever I want. They being skeptical, didn't understand how I could be losing weight by eating whatever I want.

I explained it like this: What is your favorite food? Now eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the next few days. Would you still want it? This is how a diet works. You have such a limited choice of foods, you get sick of them. You also are not giving your body the food that it wants.

I have learned my body loves a variety of foods. Sometimes I will get a plate of different foods and find that one of them stands out to my taste buds.

For example: I had steak and spanish omlette for breakfast because that sounded really good. As I ate, I found the omlette so yummy I bypassed the steak and left it for a later meal.

This is intuitive eating. Listening to your body's nutritional needs. I still need a small bite of chocolate everyday, but it usually is a couple of chocolate covered raisins and I'm good. It's what my body wants, so I give it.

I hope intuitive eating has become easy for you in life. Remember, eat what you want!!

LOVE AND SUCCESS TO ALL!!!

JOANNA

What Are Your Top 5 Foods You Love?

monty — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:43:22 GMT

(Currently) I love:

1)pizza

2)macaroni and cheese

3)sushi

4)bagel with cream cheese

5)sandwiches

-----

I crave other foods of course:

-pasta/Italian food

-banana nut/double chocolate chip muffins

-chocolate

-baked potatoes with sour cream

-chips with pico de gallo or jalapeno cheddar dip

Getting over the guilt

zmoney — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:52:46 GMT

I'm only on day 2 of following the rules so I know I've got lots to learn. I've eaten what I should for so long I feel guilty when I choose what I want. Does the feeling fade over time? Any suggestions on how to deal with it? It does minimize the enjoyment I feel when I'm eating mindfully.

Thanks!

what a wonderful feeling

tcatsbay — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 07:39:00 GMT

I love work. it's an amazing place and I love being able to eat what I want when I want.
Its also amazing that I am respecting myself enough that when people who are "dieting" complain about what I am eating and how I couldn't possibly loose weight, I don't send myself off on an emotional binge. I do get a bit sad that I stressed out the three people who are doing the lemon juice fasting diet ... Of course when they gain their weight back plus some more in a month I won't feel sad. I've already told them the dangers of low calorie intact before I even started this program. I am so glad that the craziness of the lemon juice fasting diet, the cabbage soup diet, etc etc etc, is all gone. and when the weight is off and they ask me what diet plan i used i will be able to look them in the eye and say i wasn't on a diet and i didn't have any surgery. (lol) just had to share, good luck and take care everyone :P
Trish

Certain medical conditions and eat what you want

nadinbrzezinski — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 03:10:59 GMT
Yes folks talking to you guys and gals with diabetes, renal disease, high blood pressure, you know who I am talking about.

Ok, ok, as one person with diabetes I eat what I want... but I still pay attention to how many grams of carbs I eat every meal, all the time. No choice really. If I overdo the carbs, my blood sugars will go up and I will feel like... well you know.

If I don't eat enough carbs, my sugars may crash.

Neither is safe.

So even though I eat what I want, I still follow a schedule, for medical reasons, and I still count my carbs, and always make sure I eat some protein with it

Nevertheless, it was been liberating in other ways... since I know my diabetes is a lifestyle and so is the system.

I just wanted to make sure that people understood this. Just because you can eat what you want, does not mean that in our case we can seat down and wolf down four slices of bread. On the bright side.... some of you may have my gift, to fill sick when I overdo carbs (which doesn't happen too often because I feel so sick that I may even fall asleep... due to it and they don't even need to go up that much!) and unfortunately to know when they drop too.

And if they drop... to dangerous levels... you know the drill, it is not what you want, but what will bring your sugars back to safe levels, and do enjoy enjoy some protein after that. Talk to your health care provider and have a plan... these days I carry a glucometer and pills to deal with it.

And if you have kidney problems there are other issues to go with it, and HBP has its own issues as well. So, even though you do have permission, remember YOUR guidelines given to you by your medical provider. By the way, your medical provider will be tickled pink that you are exercising and loosing weight, it is a win-win... but he\she does not want to treat other complications because you were in the mood for half a pint of ice cream.... now a little ice cream now and again, you know your body... listen to it. For example I know that even if I were in the mood for it right now, I can't... but perhaps tomorrow I could... yep, sugars.

So there are some other caveats that you need to follow.

For example, test after exercise, and make sure your sugars don't crash

Make sure you are hydrated

Make sure you have a meal that does not overdo carbs

But... you can do it... and do not use your disease as an excuse either.

Oh and if it takes you longer to loose... so be it. Your neighbors may be dropping weight like crazy and for you it is a struggle to loose two pounds or a kilo (for you in metric living countries)... while everybody else goes down six pounds (three kilos)... each pound you loose is a gift to your health. Each pound off you maintain, is another gift

And yes I have reached a plateau for a while now (can you say months), and I don't care. When I loose, I loose...

Just make sure to watch what you eat, and to slowly get moving in a safe manner.

Some of you may see other benefits, like a reduction in your meds... or just diet control... that is a gift.

So yes, we all can do it...

And for all who say but you are on a diet! My view of it, we all are... it is what we eat every day.... When I got my diagnosis that is the way I dealt with it...

And yes, it is a medically necessary diet...

(And a funny thing happened on the way to the forum, the exchange system that Weight Watchers used for years is so damn familiar to any diabetic... guess what it was modeled on?)

Yep, try to find humorous things... best way to deal with life, even when it is a bit more challenging! And yes I had fun messing up with the mind of a person I know who is a WW addict, but gave me grief about the diabetes and NOT eating more than half a slice of bread, or equivalent, during a meal because I was having sugar control issues... when I broke the news she just looked at me like... WHAT? It was fun.
:D

Apparently Bacon Bits Do Not Taste Good

jenis001 — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:18:20 GMT
So I have always loved the topping for salad. Bacon bits were no exception so I added them to salad I had yesterday. After truly chewing and tasting them I realized...they don't taste good. Amazing.
Jeni

Since we're eating our favorite foods

rasapa — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:05:59 GMT
As I read these post, when people say what they're going to be having as their favorite foods, I think, hummm, I'd like the recipe for that.
So, here's one of mine:
Stuffed Shrimp
1/4 butter, 2 tsp garlic, salt & pepper, tobasco 2 drops, 1/4 chicken or crab broth (I use the liquid from the crab when thawed) 2T sherry, 1 tsp lemon juice, 3 gr onions, 1 cup chopped cooked crab meat. Melt butter with garlic, then add rest of ingredients. Once simmered for about 2 mins, add dry ingredients: box of ritz crackers (finely crushed), 2 T parsley, 1/4 cup heaping of parm cheese, and dash of paprika. Mix all together and top on shrimp. I lay shrimp on cookie sheet and add the stuffing. Cook in oven at 375 for 15 mins. Shrimp doesn't take that long to cook, so check before.
yum!!

Counting calories in spite of myself

leighann7 — Sat, 24 May 2008 03:26:50 GMT
I've been following the program for two weeks, and am doing well. I love it! But I do have a bad habit I am finding it hard to break: I count calories in my head! I've been on diets for so long I know the calorie count for almost everything, believe me. And I find myself counting throughout the day to see if I've had "enough" and should stop eating. I try not to do it but still catch myself. Perhaps this will be a self limiting problem as I get more used to the program and more confident in it. Other than that I am doing well. Has anyone else had this problem?
Thanks,
Leigh Ann

Trick to stave off a binge

smittenmoose — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:22:05 GMT
My kids, like all kids, want to have cookies and brownies and the like for everymeal. As a responsible parent, I make sure it is in moderation. Problem has always been that I had a hard time moderating myself when the treats were sitting there in plain sight. when I get that desire and they are right there, I just grab and eat before I can think of weather or not I am hungry. I don't want to make anything a forbidden food either so this is what I do.

I make the goodies, package them up in individual snack size, and freeze them. If we were going to have dessert, I take the amount needed from the freezer. If I have a sudden craving, I have to wait 20 minutes before it is edible and by then the craving is gone and the ONE package I have taken out goes back in the freezer. In those 20 minutes I have time to slow down and to think if I am really hungry. Have some water.

~Patty

use the techniques not tricks to gain control back

tcatsbay — Fri, 23 May 2008 16:26:55 GMT
this is a real simple post. its a challenge to all of you who claim to be following and using the techniques that Paul taught us, but are still experiencing cravings and binges if you are still craving food have you used the craving buster technique, because it works. if you are binging? have you identified whether you are bored, stressed, or emotional? are you using the tapping techniques? because those work too. i don't need to freeze cookies or brownies. i don't need any of the old tricks i heard about in every diet program i ever used because Paul gave me and you , all of us, the tools we need to gain back control. even if it turns out that i am in the 21% group rather than the 79% group i will still sing the praises of these techniques because i can walk by chocolate now. that alone to me is worth the price of the dvd's i brought.
in addition some of the over eating health issues i had before i started this, like acid reflux and indegistion are gone. if anyone wants me to post pauls' technique on stopping self sabotage i will.. otherwise good luck, practice those techniques the do work if you use them
trish.

All I want is ICE CREAM!!

ColetteArnold — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:19:15 GMT
So, I've been doing the program for about a week now and as you probably guessed from the post, I really like ice cream. During the week, I go to work and eat what I want for breakfast and lunch, consciously, etc. But, at night for dinner and on the weekends (breakfast, lunch and dinner), all I want is ice cream. When I am hungry, I think to myself, what do I want to eat.... and it's ICE CREAM EVERY TIME!! Obviously, at some point, this is a bad idea. It's not particularly healthy. Although I feel satisfied that I am eating it, facts are facts and it is certainly not the most wise choice I could be making. At what point (if at all) do I start treating this as a craving, even if I'm only eating it when I'm hungry? Any suggestions/insights/similar experiences?

buffet at work!!

lauraG83 — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:29:22 GMT
I've been making way better choices about what I'm eating lately. Today is teacher appreciation day and I just saw what they have down in the lounge for lunch. Sub sandwiches, pasta salads, chips, drinks and TONS of desserts. I know I'm not hungry right now, but seeing all that food makes me wanna eat it all now!! My lunch isn't for another hour or so, but I'm hoping the good stuff won't be gone by then. How do I make good choices about portion and feeling full when there's so much yumminess in front of me?? :unsure:

Tip on how to decide what you want

Dominiekske — Tue, 20 May 2008 20:57:22 GMT
As some of you probably gathered: I'm having some issues with the "eat what you want" part of the plan, but today I came up with what I think may be a really good solution to my problem. Paul McKenna wrote in his book that the imagination is a very important part of the human brain, and in restaurants we use our imagination to decide what sounds good to us. So when I wanted a snack today and couldn't decide what, I made a menu of all possible snacks that were available to me. Here it is:

Delicious, crunchy carrots dipped in a mild, creamy houmous
A colourful bowl of fresh, crunchy cucumbers and tasty tomatoes
Bowl of delicious soya yoghurt topped with a choice (or combination) of sliced bananas, sweet mandarin, fresh nectarine and crunchy organic wholegrain granola with nuts, seeds and dried fruits
A toasted sandwich with a combination of houmous, fresh vegetables (green leaf spinach, cucumber and/or cherry tomatoes) and nutritious wholegrain bread
A compact sweet granola bar packed with dried fruits and nutrients
A slice of crispy, toasted wholewheat bread with a choice of organic honey, crunchy peanut butter or nutritional yeast extract
A bowl of fresh fruit salad, containing any combination of banana, apple, mandarin and nectarines
A bar of quality organic Green & Blacks darker shade of milk chocolate

I thought I'd share this with you so maybe when you're undecided you can try this to help you pick what you really want :)

Exceptions

Dominiekske — Wed, 14 May 2008 03:24:54 GMT
I've followed the plan all day and it's quite late, but I haven't eaten any vegetables! I'm quite health-conscious and I want to make sure I get all my nutrients, so I'm tempted to have a few carrots despite not being hungry. They barely contain any calories, so... Bad idea??

Do you always know what you want?

Dominiekske — Thu, 15 May 2008 02:37:11 GMT
I don't! Usually when I'm hungry there's a wide range of foods I would like to eat, but not one particular food, so I just choose whatever's available. I've only been on the programme for a short while, so maybe it'll change? My cravings are usually very specific though; like today I got a Green & Blacks milk chocolate craving. A different brand of milk chocolate wouldn't have done it for me!

What's not to love?

panda08 — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:36:17 GMT
My husband used to try really hard to be supportive when I was fixing diet foods, but after a few weeks, he'd stop off for a hot dog on his way home, just to have something he recognized. Sweet, huh?

I love that he doesn't feel like he's on a diet. He doesn't have to suffer so I can lose weight. And I am losing. What a load off!

How Odd!

Starling — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:16:44 GMT
I had a medical test this morning which meant I had to fast. When it was over I was starving so I went out for breakfast.
I had 2 scrambled eggs, 2 pieces of sausage, and two slices of French toast. The eggs were OK, but not worth eating, so I only ate a little of them. The sausage was OK, and actually pretty tasty, so I ate both of them.
The French toast was AMAZING.
We went out to a Japanese Restaurant earlier in the week and got a Lunch Box with Tempura. I hit the full stage with some of the food still left on the plate. I left rice, salad, 2 slices of sushi roll and a piece of the Tempura veggie. It was all pretty good, but next time I'm not eating any of the rice except the rice on the sushi rolls. The Tempura veggies were AMAZING. I can still taste the best of them.
Even if I never lose another pound, I'm going to do the eating consciously part of all of this. I am not giving up AMAZING.