Using GL to sort the good, the bad and the suicidal 139 MR of your favorite milkshake. Yes, there are some calories there, but they are good calories. Perhaps the biggest danger time of all is the‘ it’ s been a long day, I’ m exhausted, the kids behavior is making me consider retrospective abortion and I can’ t be bothered preparing a meal and fried chicken will do’ kind of day. A pumpkin soup MR is a simple, convenient, healthy alternative. Even if you get fried chicken for the kids, eat the MR beforehand and you will find it much easier to skip the chicken – or eat, and fully savor, just one piece. There is no easier way to resist food than with a full stomach. Trying to resist food with an empty stomach is like trying to stop the sun from coming up tomorrow. You can’ t fix a leak if you can’ t find it You cannot repair a leaky boat if you cannot find the leak. If you are not losing weight it means you are eating too much of something – no ifs, no buts. You need to find out exactly what it is and when you are in danger of eating it. Then we need to manage it. Maybe you will decide you would rather eat it than lose weight. But to have‘ fully informed consent’ to bring on your early death by choice you need to know exactly what the benefit is versus this cost. Therefore, if you are serious about losing weight you must start by doing your own Eating Awareness Diary( EAD). And you need to repeat doing your EAD until you know exactly where the leak is. There is a sample page at the back of this book. Photocopy this and enlarge it by doubling it to A4 size. If you are handy on a computer then many of my clients find it just as quick to set up a table and type in the headings. In filling it out you must put in every single item of food or drink that goes in your mouth over a five day period including a weekend. Do not try to change your behavior for your first EAD, just eat as you would normally. Over the same period measure your energy expenditure with a pedometer as discussed in the chapter on exercise. Now you understand mindfulness, note how much you savored your meal.( Again, this will increase as you observe it, by definition.)