This is my first review of any amazon product, despite being an avid buyer, but I wanted to say something about this book/cd combo since I've genuinely had such a great experience with it.
Since my teens I've always been a little bit overweight. Although not madly upset by it I have tried all the usual diets, but I've never been able to stick to them for more than a few days at a time and always ended up binging to make up for my loss and putting on more weight! Still, I wasn't huge (average size 14) so it wasn't too much cause for concern past the usual New Year's resolution (we've all been there!).
But anyway, over the past year due to personal and professional stresses and a rather unhealthy lifestyle enforced by late nights at the office, I slowly put on about two and a half stone - naturally a big shock and blow when it finally hit me in May of this year.
I tried the usual things, but as usual they didn't work and made matters worse. Then I found Paul McKenna's book. I came on amazon, dubious, but after reading the reviews (the majority of which are very positive, and in my opinion rightly so) I thought I could at least give it a go.
And I'm really glad I did.
Four months later I've nearly lost all the extra weight I put on over the past year, and what's more I'm not hungry, grouchy, unhappy or exhausted from crazy exercise routines and eating plans!
His method is really simple, and the book and CD really helpful and motivating, especially in the early days when I needed the boost.
Eat what you want, when you want, but only if hungry and until satisfied.
If you're not hungry, ask yourself what you really want - I was shocked to discover how often I ate when actually not hungry; just bored or wanting a distraction or something to do! Or often - extraordinarily thirsty!!!
Simple.
Although in the first two months I slipped twice, I was able to slip right back into the method.
But here's the big thing: it works. While I've been doing it, I have lost weight and continued to lose weight - the times I slipped (mainly due to my being exhausted from work and not listening to what my body was telling me!) I didn't barate myself, I just reread his passage on "You Will At Some Point Slip" and felt tonnes better and just got on with it.
Now, I do all the points without thinking. I'm still losing weight, slowly but surely, and it's working. I'm happy, my clothes fit tonnes better and in fact in a recent shopping trip (my first since I started) I was able to fit comfortably into a size 10 button-up skirt - a first for me, ever! And my old 'usual' size 14s were a bit big, and I found I fit better generally in size 12s!
I don't listen to the CD so much anymore, but that's because I find I don't need to. The method is fabulous and really works - I eat what I want, when I want [the real shock was that I genuinely wasn't hungry a lot of the time when I was eating in the early days] and life is good.
My advice to anyone is go for it. If it worked for me, someone who has never managed to stick to a diet for more than a few days at a time and someone who has never managed to lose weight - then there's a chance it'll work for you :D