Can You Think Yourself Thin?

Posted on Sep 30th 2010 3:00PM by Martha Edwards

Amazon.com

The title says it all: "I can Make You Thin." Paul McKenna's popular weight loss book leaves very little room for doubt as to just what he's promising you. McKenna, a hypnotist, self-help guru and minor celebrity in his home country of Britain, might be on to something -- he boasts plenty of success stories and even some of our readers have lost weight using his methods. But then again, maybe he's just another opportunist looking to cash in on the obesity epidemic. I'm a skeptic, so I decided to find out what it was all about for myself

I'll preface this by saying that I'm not someone who desperately needs to lose weight. I'm healthy and I'm in shape. But although I have a normal BMI, I would never complain if five or 10 pounds miraculously dropped off my frame. McKenna claims that his method works for those looking to lose five, 10, 20 or 50 pounds, so I suppose I fit the profile.

Following McKenna's program is surprisingly easy -- all you have to do is read a book and listen to a 30-minute CD once a day for two weeks. Altogether, the book took me a little over an hour to read. It outlines -- and repeats ad nauseum -- the golden rules of his weight loss approach: Don't diet or deny yourself anything, eat when you're hungry, eat slowly without any distractions and stop when you're full. Sounds simple enough, right?

Um, maybe not. Although his rules sound easy, I really struggled with them. As a 20-something overworked single gal, sitting down to eat slowly without any distractions is incredibly difficult. Aside from social dinners with family and friends, I can't remember the last time I just ate. I'm always reading, scanning headlines or catching up on that episode of "Mad Men" that I missed. You'd think I'd be grateful for the few moments to myself that this "slow eating" rule provided. Wrong again -- I found myself annoyed that I had to waste my time doing something silly like eating. Don't get me wrong, I love food. But it turns out I love multi-tasking more.

I think my difficulty with this part of the program highlights a fundamental problem that many of us have with food -- we just don't have time to listen to our bodies. We want a quick and tasty fix to our body's need for fuel, and too often we overdo it by rushing. McKenna's program did me a huge favor -- it made me realize that I need to work on this. Badly.

As for the CD portion? That didn't go as well as I expected either. McKenna's aim is to hypnotize you, tap into your subconscious and re-train your thoughts to enable you to have a more positive self image and live a more healthy life. For me, the CD taught me at least one thing I didn't know about myself: I seem to be un-hypnotizable. I fell asleep a few times, but mostly I just listened to the entire CD fully conscious with my eyes closed.

Martha Edwards

On the plus side? Being fully aware means I can consciously remember pretty much everything he said. And I must say, I like his methods. He talks quite a bit about listening to your body, visualizing your goals and learning to love yourself at any size, and he does it in this really soothing, low, sloooooooow way. It' only been a week and a half since I last listened to the CD, but I can still hear his voice telling me that I don't need that donut because I'm truly not hungry. Don't worry -- he doesn't say those exact words on the CD, but it's totally what I know he'd tell me if he was watching me hover over the snack table.

Now, onto the results. It's been three and a half weeks since I started the program, and I've lost ... drum roll please ... exactly zero pounds. Oh well. McKenna himself pointed out that this is no quick fix and won't help you shed 10 pounds in a week, so I didn't expect much.

But although I wouldn't say that I'm one of McKenna's success stories, I'm still glad I tried the program. I've found that slowing down my eating habits became easier over time, and more and more I find myself asking the question, "am I really that hungry?"

I've also found myself more at ease with my eating habits -- I'm someone who's constantly over-analyzing my food choices and for the first time in years, I feel relaxed around it. I no longer stress about what I'm eating -- rather, the focus has shifted to whether I'm actually hungry or not. If I am? It's fair game -- until I'm full, anyway.

But if there was one phrase I could use to sum up what the program did for me, it would be this: When it comes to food and my weight, I generally just feel happier in my own skin. I'm not saying Paul McKenna changed my life -- I still find myself wolfing down a taco at warp speed while analyzing a report over my lunch break from time to time -- but I'm working on it.

More Hypnosis for Weight Loss:
K.C. Swapped Cookies for Yoga and Said Goodbye to 140 Pounds
Fit or Fiction: Can Hypnosis Help Me Lose Weight?
Hyp-Yoga: Lose Weight and Gain Peace

48 Comment

Tags: diet, hypnosis, I can make you thin, paul mckenna, weight loss

Around the Web

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

br3283 10-03-2010 @ 6:20AM

Martha my dear........ you are scorching hot.

Caesarjudy 10-03-2010 @ 6:23AM

I am a healthy 77 year old man and I have thought myself through life. One prerequisite however, you must have a mind and be able to concentrate. You know, like FOCUS. Your body will do what you ask it to do.

justin sayin 10-03-2010 @ 11:31AM

Your comment is spot on. With the hundreds of diet fads and concoctions out there to strip you of your money it all boils down to the fact that the individual alone is the sole proprietor and manager of his/her body. You simply should not be fooled into thinking that any outside source has the knowledge to tell you how to shed pounds. I lost 15lbs.in 21 days drinking fruit/vegatable juice and copious amounts of tap water. So take charge of your own destiny folks and leave those charletons/hypnotists behind.

Nelson 10-03-2010 @ 7:00AM

Based on her photo, she should get a book and CD on fashion.

sharon 10-06-2010 @ 4:40AM

I'll bet you (the author) were in a hypnotic trance and didn't know it. A trance is a state of focused attention. You're conscious, aware of what's going on around you, and can stop it yourself at any time because all hypnosis is really self-hypnosis. 3 1/2 weeks later you still remember everything on the CDs, you feel better about yourself, and it's affecting your food choices. Sounds like it worked to me.

XT 10-03-2010 @ 7:43AM

Why is someone who isn't overweight reviewing diet books?

It's like someone who has never drank going to an AA meeting - how would you know if the program would work to solve a problem you don't have??

This really stikes me as an odd article and even thought it is a positive review, her opinion means little because she is underqualified to judge the subject matter.

Abraxus 10-03-2010 @ 8:50AM

Here is a review from someone who did try this book - ME - and I am overweight, but I have lost 15 pounds since I started using this! The CD is great, he says it doesn't matter if you do relax so much you fall asleep, he also says you MAY not remember all of the CD after doing it, but you may also be fully aware of all he says. I sometimes fall asleep, but other times I am awake through the whole thing listening to his words and telling myself to use the ideas. Eating slower and more consciously is the best one I think because now I do say to myself, you know I don't really need to eat right now and I don't!

Cindy 10-03-2010 @ 12:04PM

I agree with you XT, I thought the same thing when I read this. Really, what would she know about this. The effects of the book and the philosophy behind it should be tested out on 1) Someone who really cares, she acts acts like "whatever, I really don't need to lose weight" and 2) She really doesn't need to lose weight so she isn't really invested in really understanding the program.

I found her approach, flippant and a bit arrogant... probably not the best choice to write this article...

mezl 10-03-2010 @ 1:25PM

may be she just tried it so she could inform others of this method. and also, plenty of women who are not grossly over weight some times have a few extra pounds they might like to get rid of - like around the holidays, or after the holidays, when they have a party to go to and want to look good in the new dress they bought to wear to it or may be they want to look nice for a wedding. other women might just like to look a little better, even though they're just a few pounds over weight. nothin' wrong with that.

Beverly 10-03-2010 @ 8:10AM

Like most anything else - When we are in the right mindset we can accomplish all kinds of things. Its not thinking yourself thin its more like coming to terms you are ready to take this on. Mind over matter.

Debbie 10-03-2010 @ 8:13AM

Someone else trying to sell and make money. Why listen for 30 mins when you can walk for free for 30mins.

usmcms 10-03-2010 @ 9:09AM

If you're not using this book & CD can you send it to me...someone who actually needs to lose weight. Then you can write about my results or lack of.

Bob 10-03-2010 @ 9:36AM

I bought McKenna's book. Read it and wasn't impressed with what it said. I listened to the CD and thought it was very effective. The speaker states quite clearly that the CD is NOT designed to hypnotize you so why the writer expected to be hypnotized is beyond me.

My blood sugar readings have dropped from 190-210 to a low of 123 and falling. I have lost weight, but in line with the CD I don't feel a need to weigh myself. The doctor can do that on Tuesday.

The system worked for me. Sounded like the writer didn't have the time or inclination to put this system to work for her, but it worked/is working for me.

Sheila 10-03-2010 @ 1:33PM

It's working for me, too. I also have problems getting to sleep, and I hardly ever make it to the end of the CD anymore, so it's helping me with that as well.

Melanie Baker 10-04-2010 @ 9:55AM

As a professional hypnotist for the last 9 years, I can say that the writer has a lack of understanding of two critical factors about hypnosis. I have not read McKenna's book; however, these two things are very significant and one of them I use on the phone to rule out bad candidates.

The writer starts with, "I'll preface this by saying that I'm not someone who desperately needs to lose weight." In most cases, in order for hypnosis to be effective, the client needs to be highly motivated to make a change. I don't bring anyone in my office who is not really, really ready. I like hearing things such as, "I am sick and tired of being sick and tired!" Enough said.

Secondly, the writer is saying she has not achieved hypnosis. She states, "I seem to be un-hypnotizable. I fell asleep a few times, but mostly I just listened to the entire CD fully conscious with my eyes closed." As a writer, unless she is seriously mentally ill (which doesn't appear to be the case) she is a great candidate for hypnosis as most of us are. Again, I don't know if McKenna failed to explain what the expectations are of if they were not understood.

After my sessions, I ask my clients how long they think the session was. Just about everyone says about five to 10 minutes, when in reality I the sessions last from 35-45 minutes. They are shocked when they see the time. Hypnosis causes time distortion. In short, the writer could have been in a beautiful hypnotic state and not even been aware. Again, enough said.

Hypnosis is an incredibly powerful tool to help people make all kinds of changes. The title of McKenna's book is quite misleading as I tell all of my clients that I cannot make them do anything. I help make it very easy for them to make the change if they are highly motivated.

Melanie Baker
Hypnotics Center
(954) 75-RELAX

cc 10-03-2010 @ 9:51AM

wow this is a great idea

sandstorm1409 10-03-2010 @ 10:14AM

I have used a hypnotist before to lose weight, and they all say the same thing this book is talking about. They will give you new eating habits you should use, like eating slowly, and a CD to listen to in order to re-train your subconscious mind or thought pattern to positive self esteem and good eating habits. So far its worked for me. The KEY is not to think about your weight. Think of yourself as skinny or in shape and your SUBCONSCIOUS will organize your brain and body to do whatever you want. If you think about weight all day or that your fat, your subconscious mind will train your body to make you gain weight. So think of yourself as skinny. SIMPLE AS THAT!

nancy 10-03-2010 @ 9:58AM

I AM a success story and I'm sorry that you weren't the right person to be writing this article. If you were, you could have touched many people, the way I was.
I have been listening to the CD for 7 months and have lost 22 lbs....effortlessly!! I put it on every night before bed and fall asleep to it. All it takes is me pressing my finger to a turn on button!!!!
I no longer obsess over what I'm going to eat...I eat like a thin person (what...me???) My life has changed...I'm healthier, happier and thinner! Oh, and I'm 65 and have a new boyfriend!!!! Thank you Paul MCKenna!

Bob Parker 11-04-2010 @ 10:05AM

Martha, do you wear contacts? If you wear contact lenses the small amount of pressure they exert on your eyes keeps you from going into a deep trance. This happens because of the direct link from the eyes to the brain and interferes with the relaxed state you must be in to be in a full trance.

sandstorm1409 10-03-2010 @ 10:18AM

Thats a big misconception about hypnotism. You DONT need to go into a trance in order to be hypnotised. All you need to do is relax and try your best to focus on what is being said. When I was hypnotized I thought I had to be in trance state. That didn't happen, I was fully aware of everything that was going on. It seem liked nothing happened but the hypnotism worked because I lost 50 lbs.

| 1 | 2 | 3 | Most Recent | Next 20 Comments