In recent times, more and more people are turning to alternative methods to lose weight. I have found more people have come to me to use hypnotherapy to help them lose weight, often after having tried most other conventional means.
The reasons people can put on weight or struggle to lose weight can vary from person to person and often people may have tried many different diets and not had success. What they do not realise is that crash diets in themselves can be unhelpful, and there may be deeper emotional issues driving the weight issue, such as using food as a coping device or to make them feel better.
In hypnosis, it may be apparent from an initial assessment and through building a good therapeutic relationship, that the person has over time developed certain habits that lead to them overeating. In cases like this, a hypnotherapist who has been trained in Hypno gastric band may choose to use this approach to help with the situation.
Hypno gastric band originated in 2010 and has been shown to be an effective adjunct with other interventions to lose weight. The process basically entails inducing trance and suggesting to the mind and body that it has shrunk and is full.
The link between lack of sleep and stress can also be a common factor in weight gain. Insomnia or broken light sleep can be an indicator of stress or high anxiety levels. There has been research into how individuals with poor sleep patterns often have poor diets, this is because lack of sleep is linked to a deficiency in the hormones leptin and ghrelin which are associated with hunger.
In this case, part of the treatment package offered if this applies to you, could be to promote a healthy sleep pattern and the use of a self-hypnosis recording to aid this. Information on what to avoid before going to bed such as tea, coffee and no electronic devices an hour prior to bed promotes healthy behaviours for clients to maintain. This may lead to better sleep and reduced appetite.
The other factor that often plays a part in people struggling to lose weight, is that they perceive they lack self-control. I often highlight to clients that they demonstrate self-control all the time and in a variety of ways, but it is so ingrained they just do not realise it. For example, you can still be attracted to other people if married or in a relationship but generally, you do not act on it, or you could be so angry you have the thought to thump someone, but again generally for most people, it does not get past the thought stage. If you emphasise the many ways clients display self-control, over time the perception of themselves changes.
In summary, there can be many different mitigating factors why an individual may struggle with their weight and this is why it is important to really get to know your therapist, and once establishing what you think is the barrier, tackling that.
