Weight Loss

Weight Loss (Slimming)

Warning

What you are about to read is something you probably don't really want to read. If you are serious about change, read on.

Diets

Diets don't work. If you are reading this you probably already have tried a plethora of different diets and know that diets just don't work: they don't produce sustainable change. Let me define what I mean by the word "diet": A temporary alteration in eating patterns with the intention of changing (hopefully reducing) your weight or body shape.

The body's systems are homeostatic. That is, whatever change we try to make the body ultimately returns to the original set point. So after the diet is done, the body returns to where is was, roughly speaking.

Worse still, by repeatedly eating less food in a contrived, unnatural or forced way, your mind and body believe you are short of food, in famine, and slow down your metabolism. Fat is then more easily stored.

Diets encourage "short term-ism" - "when I reach my goal weight I can get myself down to the chip shop again". Or even - "I've been good this week I'll have a chocolate bar as a reward".

Long Term Solution?

Simply, in order to maintain your desired, realistic weight, your metabolic rate must be such that is converts what you eat into useable energy that you actually burn. In other words, what goes in, must come out.

To lose weight, there must be a temporary imbalance in this equation - more energy must come out than goes in, in the short term, and the difference must be small, slow and gentle, in order to avoid starvation or famine response.

The long term solution must permanently balance the equation. This means - a reduction in intake of food or an increase in physical work expenditure, or both, and a metabolism that supports the newer "set point" of body mass.

Usually ...

... if you are eating too much as a habit, the situation can be altered relatively swiftly and hypnotherapy can be a real aid to modifying your behaviour with food. More commonly, the "too much" food or "wrong type" food programs are underpinned by an emotional need. This is usually in the form of using food for self medication, or a simpler emotional "hit" and we just get to like it - always a powerful emotional driver!

In these emotionally linked situations, it is important to realise that a simple "hypnosis only" approach is likely to be insufficient to produce lasting, effective and comfortable change. If these emotional issues are present, please be prepared to discuss them early on in therapy.

People with eating problems have, at some time in the past, discovered that eating changes the way you feel. In truth, the availability of food as anchored to satisfaction or relief is a deep, deep process; hard wired in the psyche. Without it, we would forget to eat and die!

But, if you feel unhappy or angry or fearful or guilty, these feelings may trigger the need to eat in an attempt to mitigate the negative emotion - your mind and boy's way of feeling better when you are upset. There are much better ways to feel good about yourself and further, reduce the impact of negative circumstances on the way you feel. You will discover these for yourself in therapy. Only in this way can the emotional triggers be removed.

Can long term change be achieved?

Firstly, it is important to appreciate that you are going to change the way you perceive food. You are going to make changes that must be acceptable to you for the rest of your life, or for as long as you wish to remain at your desired, realistic weight. There is no short term answer or quick fix.

Hypnotherapy is really good at helping us to change the way we feel, think and behave, providing these changes are acceptable to our subconscious AND conscious minds. Assuming no deeper cause for eating too much exists, the following modifications to behaviour are relatively easily achieved; some of them in only two or three sessions!

  1. Automatically eating slower - this makes it possible to actually notice when we are full.

  2. Listening to the full signal produced by our stomach and STOPPING eating when we are full. Only possible through modification 1.

  3. Enjoying each and every mouthful fully and completely. (Good!)

  4. Eat when you are hungry - no putting off until the next meal time (sounds good ?)

  5. No processed sugars. This is the ONLY no go area. All other foods are allowed with no other exceptions.

  6. You will naturally eat less at meals times but still feel satisfied.

  7. You will think far less about food generally.

  8. When you snack (IF!) you will enjoy foods that are better for you.

  9. You will find better ways to actually solve your problems instead of feeding them!!!

What About Cravings?

A craving is a powerful, often uncontrollable desire for something, in this case a specific food substance or sub-class of food. This is accompanied by a powerful notion that the satisfaction of the craving will feel powerfully good and that the satisfaction will change the way you feel. There is anticipation and expectation. These uncontrollable impulses can be modified by certain techniques that you will be taught very early on in therapy, thus releasing you from the slavery of cravings and enabling you to control food, rather than the other way around.

Conclusion

I hope this provides enough detail to show the approach I take with clients who become successful "slimmers". If you would like more information or just wish to get on with this process, call me now on 07595 880250.