The Food Confessional

 Posted by Simon

Generally over the weekend I’ve been doing a bit of ‘new thinking’ eating, and some not so new…

I’m finding I’m not constantly thinking about food, and often eating only when I’m hungry, but, I’m still eating more than I should some of the time, and not always stopping when I’ve had enough.

I sometimes find that if I stop and leave some, I’ll often eat it up a little while later, the tactic of stopping and then clearing the plate away is necessary I think!

The CD is weird, I hardly listen to it, but I’m sure it’s going in, I look at myself and see a thin fit person rather than a fat person who needs to lose some weight.

And focus is everything, you get what you focus on…

 Posted by Simon

So McKenna says I can eat whatever I want.  I think I’ve taken it a little too literally:

Breakfast: 3 bags of crisps
Lunch: almond crossaint & box of (8) choccy biscuits 
Dinner: chicken curry
+ Some other stuff…

I did stop on the curry though, left some when I was full, took it and stuck it in the ‘for the freezer pot’ that I’d already served the 2nd portion into.  And stuck it in the freezer.  Job done.

(I now note I have 5 unlabled ‘for the freezer’ pots in my freezer…)

 Posted by Simon

I slept well, and have felt awake and alert, just like Paul said I would.

Breakfast was spinach and egg on toast, and spaghetti on toast.  I ate it slowly (indeed, it got cold), but I had to try very very hard to leave the last mouthful on the plate…

Mid-afternoon I was hungry, so had some biscuits, then some more biscuits, and made myself throw half a biscuit away, it was a struggle.  But 10 minutes later I didn’t want any more biscuits.  If I hadn’t stopped myself I could have easily polished off all of them.

Early evening finished the biscuits, bar the last bite…

Mid evening now, hungry for real food, not inclined to cook though…  cooked some salmon.  Ate some with sweetcorn, left some.  Ate some more (and the bit left over) a little later, left a little.  Finished it.

The a little later wanted chocolate, so ate some, knowing I wasn’t hungry, had some, still felt full, kept on eating it…

 Posted by Simon

I didn’t post yesterday, just didn’t keep track.

Today, I was in a shop that sells books (one could even go so far as to call it a bookshop), and I came across Paul McKenna claiming that “I Can Make You Thin”.

I bought it (and another book, it was BOGOHP).

I went home, sat down, ironically with three (not one, not two, but all three) chocolate desserts (they were light ones!) and read it.

So Paul’s method is basically this:

1. Eat when you are hungry, and only then
2. Eat whatever you like
3. Eat slowly, conciously and savour every bite
4. Stop eating when you’re full (step 3 needing to be slow enough to allow this to work…)

The rest of the book was about why.  Why the brain is conditioned to desire things you’re not allowing yourself to eat.  Why willpower isn’t working.  Why thin people think thin.  etc.  It echoed the Horizon programme. About why diets and ‘the food police’ (or indeed, this confessional!), doesn’t work long term, because you still have the same thinking.

The book also contained some hints, such as train your brain to not clear the plate.  ALWAYS leave something, see point 4.  

Also, some methods to change thought behaviour, and also, the obligatory CD for him to reprogramme you as you fall asleep.

He points out you don’t have to believe it will work, you just have to do it, and if you do any one thing from the whole programme, it’s point 3: eat slowly.  

He recommends always eating with no other distractions, no telly, nothing to read, nothing to listen to.  Focus entirely on what you are doing, put the cutlery (or the food) down between each mouthful,  only pick it up again when your mouth is empty and you’re still hungry.

I’ve got to go now, Paul is waiting in bed for me.

 Posted by Simon

Cereal, banana, with slimfast shake…  500?
Massive baguette w/ chicken, bacon, avocado 800?
Flapjack 400?
Pasta 700?
Dessert 200? 

Total 2500?

I had to try very hard not to order a chinese takeaway tonight.  I got as far as getting the menu out and picking what I wanted.  I had pasta instead, but it wasn’t really that much less calories.  

I’m still generally keeping under my 2500 limit, roughly, on average, but I’m not feeling it’s having any effect, or it’s so slow it’s unnoticeable.

 Posted by Simon

Pasta Bol 500?
Finn Thins 400
Fish & Chips & Mushy Peas 1000+
Chocolate 400

Total 2300

 Posted by Simon

Cereal 300
Greggs Steak Bake 480
Sarnie 420 
Brownie 300
Pasta Bol  500?

Total 2000

The steak bake was a ‘ooh a fancy a savoury pastry’ moment, but it didn’t ruin the day.  I served up the Pasta Bol into two bowls for me and guest, plus two more bowls one for Friday and one for the freezer.  I didn’t go back for 2nds, as much as I wanted to, I wasn’t hungry after half an hour anyway, so didn’t need any more really.