Sunday 2 February 2014

Freedom from Emotional Eating

Two weeks ago, I started reading Paul McKenna's Freedom From Emotional Eating. It has been an amazing, revealing, enlightening fortnight.

This book has changed my life. Honestly.


On day 2, I noticed that I felt calm and happier, in a non-specific sort of way.
On day 3, it all started to fall into place, and I realised for the first time that I ate because I felt entitled to food. Without conciously trying to eat less, I was eating less.
On day 4, I challenged myself to eat more slowly and conciously.
On day 5, I found myself at one of my usual feeding frenzy times, when I can't help myself snacking - at home, fed up, with squabbling children. I didn't eat. I didn't want to. It no longer seemed like a helpful thing to do.
On day 6, I got home late at night and had a cup of tea. No toast, no nuts, no yoghurt - just a cup of tea. Which is unheard of.
On day 7, I got up, put on my skinny jeans and felt fantastic. It was the first Sunday for years that I didn't lurch from one snack to the next.
On day 8, I realised for the first time why I was using eating to help me deal with my emotions.
On day 9, I cried, all day.
On day 10, I stopped crying, but I wanted to run away and hide, all day.
On day 11, a friend told me about the problems she's been having recently, and made me realise that it really has been a long, long time since I've been properly switched on emotionally, either to myself or other people.
On day 12, I realised I'd lost over 4lb in two weeks. In the past, it's taken me literally months of calorie counting and long walks to lose those 4lbs.
Today, I had the best Sunday I've had for several years, feeling relaxed, connected to my family and contented.

I am amazed by how effective this book is, and the CD and DVD that go with it. To not emotionally eat has not been difficult. I have not needed to use willpower or self-restraint. I've simply felt differently about food. I have found it amazingly easy to eat when I'm hungry, and stop eating when I'm not hungry. Nobody is more surprised about this than I am.

In the last few years, for various reasons, I haven't given myself space to acknowledge, accept and act on my emotions. I've been forcing my feelings down and trying to "get on with" as much as possible, focusing on productivity over emotions. I had forgotten how to feel. I hadn't cried for years. The last two weeks have found me starting to reconnect with myself. I feel happier and more relaxed in most parts of my life. And I haven't once found myself in the kitchen looking for comfort, in two weeks.

This post doesn't seem to do justice to the emotional journey I've been through in the last fortnight. When I read back what I've written, it sounds like an advert for the book! But I don't know what else I can add. I want to rush out and tell almost everybody to try it. I want to salute Paul McKenna, hug him, and thank him for this amazing book.