DAY ONE

I haven’t really got round to starting this book, unfortunately I brought back my Sex and the City box set from UK and have spent the past 3 days watching it – Morning and Night. So I think today is the day, after reading about the four rules on the internet and numerous reviews I’m interested to finally begin.
After spending the best part of 5 years obsessing about food, (yes just because I’m not bulimic or anorexic it doesn’t mean I don’t obsess about food) I was encouraged this would help me change for the better. Plus what Paul (I call him Paul because after all the research I’ve done I feel I know him) said seemed to make sense. But how was I going to change rituals and eating habits I’ve had my whole life. For starters I’m a fully bonifide member of the clean plate club and on most occasions refuse to leave the table (or chair) before all my food is gone for guilt over that immortal saying my parents and dinner ladies drilled into me when I was younger ‘’there’s starving children in Africa’’ like by me been a complete fat bastard is going to help them get food! I’m an emotional eater – sad, happy, tired, and bored - any emotion and I’m gobbling for the first timeout bar. I eat far too fast – finishing my plate and starting on my boyfriends before he’s cut through his first slice of meat. All the things thin people aren’t (apparently). Lastly I’m a serial dieter – I’ve tried everything Atkins, South Beach, Fat Flush, No Carbs after 5pm, 6 small meals a day, no carbs whatsoever, calorie counting, starvation, I once made two apples last a whole day - you get the picture. The only thing I haven’t tried is Weight Watchers and Slimming World – mainly because I think there robbing bastards and you can get all the points books and calculators from e-bay without paying through the nose for ‘weekly weigh-ins’. Another thing I despise – ‘weekly weigh-ins’. You see I weigh more than normal women, I have no idea why. I know I’m not overweight but really how embarrassing. I was once looking at the stats of football players and they weighed less than me. So weigh-ins are out too, I don’t need some Marjorie Dawes telling my I’ve put 3lbs on.

So back to the book, the four golden rules are –
Eat only when you are hungry,
Eat what you want not what you think you should (I was hooked from there on),
Eat consciously and with every mouthful,
When you are full stop.

Ok for me rule one: Well that’s fine, there are a few times a day when I’m not hungry…but even when I’m not hungry I still crave crisps and chocolate, how will this work.
Rule two – Nothing to say about this – we all want to eat what we what and stay thin.
Rule Three – Now this is where things get difficult. I don’t eat consciously and I don’t enjoy every mouthful. Well not entirely true, I do enjoy each mouthful I just tend to have more than one mouthful in at a time. Additionally I’m speed eater. Like a rabid dog protecting her only meal for the day, sounds a bit dramatic but it’s true. Ask anyone who’s seen me eat!
Rule Four – I never ever stop eating when I’m full because I eat so quickly my mind isn’t quick enough to give the right signals to my body. Plus I’m a member of the clean plate club.

Golden Rules noted I’m ready to start reading the book. Weirdly enough even after the first few pages I feel differently, like a new person. Is this Paul hypnotising me from the pages of his book, dare I keep reading in case I go into a trance like state for the rest of my slimming process. Again, I’m sounding dramatic but that’s me and you’ll get used to it. So I carry on reading, I’m only planning on finishing one chapter tonight which is great since I get a little tired. So I head off to bed – with Paul of course. I’ve downloading his CD onto my I-pod. The first night I’m going to listen to it. I’m scared, what if I turn into a zombie or even worse I can’t wake up. Although Paul does state you’re not about to be hypnotised its NLP which taps into your subconscious self and reprogram’s your brain, sounds like Hocus Pocus to me. Anyway I’m relaxed in bed Pauls soothing words roll into each ear – and WOW it is really relaxing – he asks to start counting back from 300, I get to 250 before I start living my life but with a slimmer me. Before I know it I’m asleep which is fine because Paul is still talking to my subconscious self. I wake up the next morning and can’t remember anything he said, let’s hope my subconscious can or this will be useless.