TLC's I Can Make You Thin
Paul McKenna helps viewers get to the bottom of emotional eating.
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BACKGROUND
Half the battle of weight loss is mental. Some may argue that it's
even more than that. One such person may be self-help guru Paul
McKenna. His show on TLC, I Can Make You Thin, is all about conquering
your mental hurdles that keep making you stumble and lose sight of
your goals.
Following the immense success of The Biggest Loser series, you could
expect that there would be more health-related shows on the horizon.
Where that show is more about hardcore fitness, and strict adherence
to healthier eating, TLC's I Can Make You Thin is about transforming
your mind, and the weight loss will follow.
Host Paul McKenna is very charismatic, which is a prerequisite for any
successful self-help guru. He brings a zeal to his presentations that
definitely lights a spark in the audience. He's uplifting, and even
funny at times.
Here are the four golden rules for eating that McKenna brings to I Can
Make You Thin:
1. When You're Hungry, Eat!
2. Eat What You Want (Not What You Think You Should).
3. Eat Consciously.
4. When You Think You're Full, Stop.
It sounds painfully simple, and number two even seems a little
ridiculous. But in reality what he means is, eating shouldn't be about
punishment.
If you were to sum up the general philosophy of I Can Make You Thin,
it is that you need to face your inner demons head on, and take simple
steps to destroy them. McKenna uses eccentric techniques like
replacing that inner negative voice with a silly one, which will in
turn make you not take it seriously. He also has viewers think of
disgusting images when they think of their trigger foods. The
techniques are certainly different and they seem to work on the people
who volunteer in the show.
PRO
- I Can Make You Thin addresses the dangers of emotional eating.
- The goals are not superficial. Paul McKenna wants his followers to
be happy in their own skin.
CON
- While it's important to address the emotional side of eating, it may
be beneficial to have some emphasis on actual healthy foods.
FOOD and RECIPES
There is very little mentioned about food specifically.
EXERCISE
There is no exercise regimen given.
EXPENSE
You can get much of his advice free through the show I Can Make You
Thin. He also offers a 5-CD set of the I Can Make You Thin approach
for $94.97.
CONCLUSION
The results on the show best illustrate what Paul McKenna's approach
is all about: Losing weight is more of a byproduct of transforming
your self-worth than being the direct drive of what you are doing. I
Can Make You Thin participants lose weight, but it almost seems to be
an afterthought compared to the renewed confidence and self-esteem
they get. If for no other reason, you need to give kudos to Paul
McKenna for doing something nearly no diet can boast.
Common Misspellings
TLC Make You Thin, I Make You Thin, I'll Make You Thin
me: Following Paul McKenna's four golden rules have changed my life. This is the first time I get on the scale, weigh less than I did the week before and I'm not even HUNGRY. It's so true that by doing this, you are eating like a naturally thin person does. At first it's difficult to overcome emotional eating but now I've broken all my habits. The idea of eating food when I'm not hungry makes my stomach revolt. I weigh much less than I did two months ago, I'm happier and MUCH more confident.
