My inlaws have left. They are not terrible people but having extra people in the house is stressful. My mother in law is a television fanatic and it drones on constantly throughout the day. Because she's in the living room(although I set up a television in the room they stayed in) the kids are upstairs. That means I have to follow or they will destroy the upper floor of the house. They cannot be alone up there, they are too young and unpredictable. This makes my life very difficult during their visit. But yesterday they left. And I spent last night tidying and cleaning up my very destroyed house, and tomorrow, as is my regular Sunday morning routine, I enjoyed my morning Coronation Street reruns and good coffee and things feel normal and good.

Hypnosis is an interesting phenomenon. As I mentioned before I've started listening to a hypnosis MP3 download. The instructions look for signs that the suggestions are working and so far I can see that there are two. I'm making the assumption that they are the result of the suggestions in the recording because I actually fall asleep(I think) at pretty much the same point in the recording every time. I listen in bed with the intention of not falling asleep. I wonder if I actually fall asleep because I do wake up long enough to take my iPod earplugs out of my ears and put it on the nightstand. If nothing else I am getting great sleep and that can't hurt my success for sure.

Back to signs. Well I'm thirsty all the time, and I know that the suggestion in is in there to drink water. When I say I'm thirsty all the time, I mean my mouth is physically dry and water is the only thing that relieves that. I usually drink the occasional Dasani vitamin water drink but they taste suddenly over-sweet and it's at the point that I have to take water to bed to drink because I wake sometimes at night thirsty. I also think about water frequently during the day. You know those cravings you get, that overwhelming urge to empty the cookie jar because it's there? Well transfer that compulsion to water and you have what this feels like. I'm going with it and celebrating it! This is very positive and the multiple trips to the bathroom is becoming a part of my daily physical activity.

The second, obvious sign is a desire to do something physically active every day. This suggestion must be in there(but I can't say for sure because I don't remember) but I know I have been busy, driving kids, in laws visiting, cooking etc. and I've become very agitated by the fact that I am not getting out to walk every day and I'm particularly missing my yoga which was cancelled for Easter. Today the sun is shining and I'm taking the kids on a hike. Again, this isn't regular desire, but a craving that is unfamiliar to me. I love to walk but this overwhelming desire to do it is new.

I wonder if these suggestions have taken because I'm inclined to do these things anyway. I do like to walk and I like water, I just lose momentum, don't make them a priority, fall out of the habit. I'm hoping that the habits will be more steadfast now.

No matter what though, both these cravings are positive and I'm just going with them.

I am still eating a little more often than I would like and I'm wondering if a custom recording that addresses my specific eating issues would be more beneficial. I seem to be highly suggestible, maybe because I'm highly open to the process, so I think, long-term, this will be a valuable tool for me.

And I must mention as well, my pants are looser and my rings are rolling around on my fingers. I'm not hungry unless I'm physically hungry, there has been no binging, the cookie jar is full, the bread drawer hasn't been raided and today I'm making healthy food that involves spinach and pasta. I also wonder if not having a house full of people will be of help, hypnotherapy aside. I cook differently for company and that carries over.

Affirmation: I am confident that all of the tools I've chosen to use on this journey will bring positive and lasting results as I work towards wellness and well being.