Archive for the ‘Hypnotherapy for Weight Loss’ Category
Weight Loss without Dieting – How Hypnotherapy Can Help
al problem with diets is that sooner or later you have to come off them.
By: Peter James Field
About the Author:
Sure, they work in the short term. As long as you stick to all of that counting, measuring and weighing. The green days, the red days, the cabbage soup, the separation of carbs from protein, the ‘meal replacement’ sachets and bars can all be effective.
All of these things can indeed help you to lose weight – in the short term.
But what happens when the diet is over or when you just cannot stand yet another day of discipline and denial?
Well, I’m sure you know the rest of the story. On go the pounds – and the fat – and you end up feeling even worse than before because now you can add guilt and failure to the mix.
But why is this and does it have to be this way?
Well, the reason why diets just don’t work for very long is because they’re based on the principle of denial. Yes, the logic appears to be sound – fewer calories equal fewer inches.
But the reasons you overeat have very little to do with logic.
They have everything to do with feelings and emotions. And feelings and emotions spring from the subconscious mind.
You see, you use the conscious mind to decide that you need to lose weight. So then you resolutely and courageously force yourself to eat less, to deny what you really feel like doing.
Yet it is the subconscious mind that produces the feelings which compel you to eat more.
And the truth is that permanent weight loss can only happen when the emotional cues and ties that compel you to overeat have been properly understood and processed.
Usually these triggers and cues emanate from that part of the mind we call the subconscious.
If it is to produce a real and lasting affect, any change process, including weight loss, must be undertaken with the inclusion and consent of this powerful part of the mind.
It’s the subconscious mind that governs feelings of satisfaction and contentment. It’s the subconscious that tells us when we’ve really had enough to eat – and this permits us to continue eating far beyond that.
And it’s here that hypnosis can be of such tremendous value.
If you’ve had enough of on-again-off-again dieting, why not take the time to learn self-hypnosis and apply its principles to your own weight management programme.
Or you could find a good hypnotherapist who will work with you and your subconscious mind.
Hypnosis and hypnotherapy can enable you to eat in a more natural, balanced and reasonable manner – without the feelings of deprivation and denial that diets bring.
By: Peter James Field
About the Author:
Peter Field is a leading British hypno-psychotherapist, with clinics in both Birmingham and London, England. He is a Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and Fellow of the Royal Society of Health. For more of his interesting articles, help with weight management and other valuable information please visit his website: Peter Field Hypnotherapy Hypnotherapists Birmingham & London UK
Sleep Hypnotherapy – Sleep Easily With Low Delta Frequencies
Everlasting Weight Loss Accomplishment Based On Lifestyle Changes
Do you need to drop those extra pounds of yours and perk up your health? Dieting combined with exercise may be the choice for you. But the stress in most of today’s diets is placed on reducing carbohydrates and fat intake, by suggesting sub-optimal sources of protein, which is an important nutrient.
The Greenwich Diet can be the perfect key. It is a nutrition program planned to modify your metabolism so you feel less hunger for all the foods that make you get fat. As your metabolism increases, your body will become more efficient at burning fat so you will begin to lose those unnecessary pounds more quickly.
You should increase your protein intake, which elevates the basic metabolism by virtually twenty-five percent. This can be achieved by ingesting fish, whey protein, egg whites or whole eggs, fat free milk, lean steak, and chicken ******. Stay away from foods that are high in carbohydrates like pasta and rice. Eat only fibrous complex carbohydrates: Cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, celery, spinach, cucumber, and onions. Plus, you should supplement your diet with two to three servings of whey protein, which is a by-product of cheese manufacturing. It functions as an energy source for someone who is exercising and dieting.
Even fruits are not suggested in excessive amounts on this diet. Because something is natural, it does not mean that it is acceptable for you. Fruits are high in sugar, which can cause diabetes and obesity. But vegetables high in fiber such as salad vegetables, carrots and spinach are good for you. The golden health rule – drinking water, can help you in your efforts to get rid of extra weight. People of all ages need to drink ample amounts of water since it is an essential nutrient. Most often, even health conscious people neglect the need to take adequate amounts of water.
As in any acceptable weight control program, working out is also linked with the Greenwich Diet. This program is actually more of a healthy way of living than it is a diet. When you follow this program you will know what to eat and what to avoid, thus augmenting your metabolism. The key for a successful weight loss plan is not just the diet itself, but actually FOLLOWING THE DIET! All diets can help you to lose weight, but very few people are able to stick to any diet, even just for a short period of time. That’s because the major problem faced by someone who needs to lose weight is that they can’t curb their compulsions and eating habits.
Appetite can be subdued by taking diet pills. But pills can be hazardous, and all of them have negative side effects. And also, once you stop taking the pills, you’ll accumulate the weight back on because you have not dealt with your compulsions at their source. So to take off the weight, you’ll have to discover a way to adhere to the diet. To achieve a everlasting weight loss, you need to know how to teach your mind to enjoy staying with to your plan.
In 1958, the AMA approved hypnosis as a useful method for dealing with stress related symptoms like overeating. You might believe that hypnosis is just a performance done in a stage show in which a hypnotist is demonstrating his or her powers before the spectators. But actually hypnosis can give the motivation to keep you moving in the direction of your weight loss goals. And it can enable you to break many of the barriers that get in the way of losing weight.
Hypnotherapy is the perfect means for re-educating your unconscious mind – the part that creates cravings and impulses. Hypnotherapy CDs can give you back the inner strength to accomplish the correct choices about what you eat.
Although self hypnosis is sometimes referred to as a method of treatment, it can be regarded as a facilitator of a number of different treatment methods for weight loss. The hypnotic state is defined by heightened concentration, suggestibility, and relaxation. Permanent weight loss occurs with a modification in lifestyle and not just a modification in diet. Hypnotherapy for weight loss can help you lose weight more quickly and easily than you ever imagined accomplishable. Hypnotherapy for weight loss is not just about solving problems and changing undesirable habits. You can also create new, more effective behaviors, such as increased concentration, greater self-confidence or stronger motivation.
One-way to obtain hypnosis weight loss help is to go to a professional hypnotherapist, which usually costs around 200 to 300 dollars for a single hour. A popular option is to order a self-hypnosis weight loss cd from a reputable, credentialed hypnotherapist. A good pre-recorded program will start with a session that explains the misconceptions about hypnosis for losing weight, and how self-hypnosis actually works. Since everyone is different, it will then provide several different hypnosis weight loss sessions, and each session will apply a variety of different hypnotic techniques. Hypnotherapy weight management programs are available for as little as 25 to 30 dollars. Since CDs are more reasonable, they can be a viable substitute to visiting a hypnotherapist.
Conclusion: All diets work, if you are able to stick to them. Some diets are better than others in providing the nutrients indispensable for an increased metabolism. The Greenwich Diet can be easier to stick with because it is more of a lifestyle than a diet. Hypnotism for weight loss can extinguish your cravings and compulsions, and give the motivation you need to keep moving in the direction of your weight loss goals. It can also help you attain your goals quickly and safely.
By: Alan Densky
About the Author:
The Greenwich Diet can be the perfect key. It is a nutrition program planned to modify your metabolism so you feel less hunger for all the foods that make you get fat. As your metabolism increases, your body will become more efficient at burning fat so you will begin to lose those unnecessary pounds more quickly.
You should increase your protein intake, which elevates the basic metabolism by virtually twenty-five percent. This can be achieved by ingesting fish, whey protein, egg whites or whole eggs, fat free milk, lean steak, and chicken ******. Stay away from foods that are high in carbohydrates like pasta and rice. Eat only fibrous complex carbohydrates: Cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, celery, spinach, cucumber, and onions. Plus, you should supplement your diet with two to three servings of whey protein, which is a by-product of cheese manufacturing. It functions as an energy source for someone who is exercising and dieting.
Even fruits are not suggested in excessive amounts on this diet. Because something is natural, it does not mean that it is acceptable for you. Fruits are high in sugar, which can cause diabetes and obesity. But vegetables high in fiber such as salad vegetables, carrots and spinach are good for you. The golden health rule – drinking water, can help you in your efforts to get rid of extra weight. People of all ages need to drink ample amounts of water since it is an essential nutrient. Most often, even health conscious people neglect the need to take adequate amounts of water.
As in any acceptable weight control program, working out is also linked with the Greenwich Diet. This program is actually more of a healthy way of living than it is a diet. When you follow this program you will know what to eat and what to avoid, thus augmenting your metabolism. The key for a successful weight loss plan is not just the diet itself, but actually FOLLOWING THE DIET! All diets can help you to lose weight, but very few people are able to stick to any diet, even just for a short period of time. That’s because the major problem faced by someone who needs to lose weight is that they can’t curb their compulsions and eating habits.
Appetite can be subdued by taking diet pills. But pills can be hazardous, and all of them have negative side effects. And also, once you stop taking the pills, you’ll accumulate the weight back on because you have not dealt with your compulsions at their source. So to take off the weight, you’ll have to discover a way to adhere to the diet. To achieve a everlasting weight loss, you need to know how to teach your mind to enjoy staying with to your plan.
In 1958, the AMA approved hypnosis as a useful method for dealing with stress related symptoms like overeating. You might believe that hypnosis is just a performance done in a stage show in which a hypnotist is demonstrating his or her powers before the spectators. But actually hypnosis can give the motivation to keep you moving in the direction of your weight loss goals. And it can enable you to break many of the barriers that get in the way of losing weight.
Hypnotherapy is the perfect means for re-educating your unconscious mind – the part that creates cravings and impulses. Hypnotherapy CDs can give you back the inner strength to accomplish the correct choices about what you eat.
Although self hypnosis is sometimes referred to as a method of treatment, it can be regarded as a facilitator of a number of different treatment methods for weight loss. The hypnotic state is defined by heightened concentration, suggestibility, and relaxation. Permanent weight loss occurs with a modification in lifestyle and not just a modification in diet. Hypnotherapy for weight loss can help you lose weight more quickly and easily than you ever imagined accomplishable. Hypnotherapy for weight loss is not just about solving problems and changing undesirable habits. You can also create new, more effective behaviors, such as increased concentration, greater self-confidence or stronger motivation.
One-way to obtain hypnosis weight loss help is to go to a professional hypnotherapist, which usually costs around 200 to 300 dollars for a single hour. A popular option is to order a self-hypnosis weight loss cd from a reputable, credentialed hypnotherapist. A good pre-recorded program will start with a session that explains the misconceptions about hypnosis for losing weight, and how self-hypnosis actually works. Since everyone is different, it will then provide several different hypnosis weight loss sessions, and each session will apply a variety of different hypnotic techniques. Hypnotherapy weight management programs are available for as little as 25 to 30 dollars. Since CDs are more reasonable, they can be a viable substitute to visiting a hypnotherapist.
Conclusion: All diets work, if you are able to stick to them. Some diets are better than others in providing the nutrients indispensable for an increased metabolism. The Greenwich Diet can be easier to stick with because it is more of a lifestyle than a diet. Hypnotism for weight loss can extinguish your cravings and compulsions, and give the motivation you need to keep moving in the direction of your weight loss goals. It can also help you attain your goals quickly and safely.
By: Alan Densky
About the Author:
Alan B. Densky, CH specializes in weight loss. His Neuro-VISION Video Weight Loss Hypnotism has been used in hundreds of professional offices. He also offers a spectrum of hypnosis for losing weight including Ericksonian weight loss hypnosis cds
Hypnotism and Weight Loss Program – A Natural Weight Loss Solution
Symptom Vs. Cause in Weight Loss
The other day one of my clients said to me: ‘I have a friend who tried hypnotherapy for weight loss, but it didn’t work for her.’ She was wondering why some people seemed to respond to weight loss hypnotherapy, while others did not. I explained to her that not all hypnotherapy is equal; that some therapists focus very strongly on eliminating the symptoms of being overweight, which are usually overeating, lack of motivation to exercise, sugar/fat addiction and alcohol addiction.
Many people believe that their eating patterns are simply habit, and that hypnotherapy can help them to break that habit. In some cases this is true. But in many cases, the overeating is serving a purpose. Sometimes it alleviates anxiety. Sometimes it provides comfort. It may even serve to numb emotional pain. Whatever the case, it is not the vice that is the problem, but the need for the vice.
This is not to say we should ignore the symptoms of being overweight. These are definitely part of the problem and they need to be addressed; but if you treat the symptom without addressing the cause, it’s like trying to heal an infected sore with a bandaid. It will not work; or at best, it will work only for a short while, and then the symptoms will return; usually even more rampant than before. This is essentially why dieting doesn’t work. When you go on a diet, you are looking for a short term fix (whether you know it or not), and you’re not addressing the real issue, which is your attitude towards food.
In fact, food restriction sometimes exacerbates the problem because when you decide to reduce your food intake, you may find yourself becoming fixated on food, preparation of food and what you are going to eat for your next meal. By trying to eat less food, you are focusing on food and therefore creating a paradox. It’s kind of like saying ‘Don’t think of an Elephant!’ So instead of trying ‘not’ to eat certain foods, try in stead to focus on changing your eating habits.
Some time ago, ‘Carolyn’ came to me for help with her addiction to jelly-lollies (or ‘candy’ if you’re not an Aussie). She explained that some months ago, she had seen another hypnotherapist for her addiction to chocolate. This had worked brilliantly, she told me. Almost instantaneously, ‘Carolyn’ lost her desire for chocolate. The only problem was, now she was addicted to the lollies. And this, she figured, was where I would come in to save the day.
Apparently I was to use my magic to remove ‘Carolyn’s addiction to jelly-lollies. At this stage, she had done no real self-exploration; she figured she had a bad habit and I was going to help her eliminate the habit. I suspected there may be an underlying cause of this problem which contributed to my client’s need to binge on one specific food type; and on further investigation, there was. Quite simply, ‘Carolyn’ was her own worst enemy.
A relentless exercise addict and perfectionist, she was unhappy with her body, her mind and her soul. I might add that the woman before me was a beautiful, slim, fit and intelligent lady; only she did not see what I could see. I knew it was useless trying to convince her that she was a beautiful, normal and healthy woman. In every light she perceived herself as unacceptable, and that was that.
Nonetheless, I told ‘Carolyn’ that I didn’t believe she had a weight problem; rather that she had a serious body image and self esteem problem. This was manifesting itself in extreme self-punishment and food restriction followed by bingeing on ‘forbidden’ foods. ‘Carolyn’ pleaded with me to try the therapy anyway. She explained that I was her last resort, and that she was at the end of her tether. She was absolutely convinced that if she could just stop eating the lollies, everything would fall into place.
Against my better judgment (this was in my earlier days of practise), I did the therapy with her….and guess what??? She stopped eating jelly-lollies! Soon afterwards she began bingeing on health bars. The moral of the story? Too much of anything is a bad thing. If you remove the vice without addressing the underlying issues that contribute to the need for the undesired behaviour, this will simply result in you taking up another vice. Work from the inside out and you will get a much better result.
By: Sonia Devine
About the Author:
Many people believe that their eating patterns are simply habit, and that hypnotherapy can help them to break that habit. In some cases this is true. But in many cases, the overeating is serving a purpose. Sometimes it alleviates anxiety. Sometimes it provides comfort. It may even serve to numb emotional pain. Whatever the case, it is not the vice that is the problem, but the need for the vice.
This is not to say we should ignore the symptoms of being overweight. These are definitely part of the problem and they need to be addressed; but if you treat the symptom without addressing the cause, it’s like trying to heal an infected sore with a bandaid. It will not work; or at best, it will work only for a short while, and then the symptoms will return; usually even more rampant than before. This is essentially why dieting doesn’t work. When you go on a diet, you are looking for a short term fix (whether you know it or not), and you’re not addressing the real issue, which is your attitude towards food.
In fact, food restriction sometimes exacerbates the problem because when you decide to reduce your food intake, you may find yourself becoming fixated on food, preparation of food and what you are going to eat for your next meal. By trying to eat less food, you are focusing on food and therefore creating a paradox. It’s kind of like saying ‘Don’t think of an Elephant!’ So instead of trying ‘not’ to eat certain foods, try in stead to focus on changing your eating habits.
Some time ago, ‘Carolyn’ came to me for help with her addiction to jelly-lollies (or ‘candy’ if you’re not an Aussie). She explained that some months ago, she had seen another hypnotherapist for her addiction to chocolate. This had worked brilliantly, she told me. Almost instantaneously, ‘Carolyn’ lost her desire for chocolate. The only problem was, now she was addicted to the lollies. And this, she figured, was where I would come in to save the day.
Apparently I was to use my magic to remove ‘Carolyn’s addiction to jelly-lollies. At this stage, she had done no real self-exploration; she figured she had a bad habit and I was going to help her eliminate the habit. I suspected there may be an underlying cause of this problem which contributed to my client’s need to binge on one specific food type; and on further investigation, there was. Quite simply, ‘Carolyn’ was her own worst enemy.
A relentless exercise addict and perfectionist, she was unhappy with her body, her mind and her soul. I might add that the woman before me was a beautiful, slim, fit and intelligent lady; only she did not see what I could see. I knew it was useless trying to convince her that she was a beautiful, normal and healthy woman. In every light she perceived herself as unacceptable, and that was that.
Nonetheless, I told ‘Carolyn’ that I didn’t believe she had a weight problem; rather that she had a serious body image and self esteem problem. This was manifesting itself in extreme self-punishment and food restriction followed by bingeing on ‘forbidden’ foods. ‘Carolyn’ pleaded with me to try the therapy anyway. She explained that I was her last resort, and that she was at the end of her tether. She was absolutely convinced that if she could just stop eating the lollies, everything would fall into place.
Against my better judgment (this was in my earlier days of practise), I did the therapy with her….and guess what??? She stopped eating jelly-lollies! Soon afterwards she began bingeing on health bars. The moral of the story? Too much of anything is a bad thing. If you remove the vice without addressing the underlying issues that contribute to the need for the undesired behaviour, this will simply result in you taking up another vice. Work from the inside out and you will get a much better result.
By: Sonia Devine
About the Author:
Sonia Devine is one of Australia’s leading experts in weight loss hypnotherapy. Want to learn more about how to treat the cause of weight gain? Claim your FREE Weight Loss E-book here => http://loveyourselfslim.com.au/free_stuff
Hypnotism and Weight Loss Program – A Natural Weight Loss Solution
Motivation is Yours With Weight Loss Hypnosis
With freezing, wintry days ahead for many of us, the thought of braving the elements to get to the gym or go for a run does not sound very engaging. Maintaining the motivation to adhere to your weight loss goals when the rest of the world wants to hibernate is simple with hypnosis for weight loss.
Many us who want to get back into shape agree that motivation is especially challenging when the weather changes, so what if you could stay dedicated to your diet and exercise plan just by viewing a hypnotherapy weight loss DVD or listening to a CD? Better yet, a hypnotherapy weight loss program can ease your compulsions too.
Self-hypnosis for weight loss works simply, but effectively, by leading you to a deeply relaxed state where your unconscious can more effortlessly accept post-hypnotic suggestions, like the ones that will keep you motivated to keep on your fitness track, even in the middle of winter.
It is a known fact that if a person exercises, it will speed up his/her metabolism and boost the rate that weight is dropped. Some of the most successful hypnosis exercise motivation techniques comes from Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP. With NLP, the unconscious is programmed to use the same thought processes that are initiating a problem, to get rid of it. Said another way, the same thought processes that the unconscious utilizes to create oral compulsions and cravings could help to completely stop them! And similarly, the same processes can be used to increase your motivation to exercise.
Anchoring is an NLP method that can be used to give you a “switch” for activating feelings and behaviors. Creating an appetite hypnosis anchor works simply and effectively like this: A qualified hypnotherapy weight loss practitioner will safely direct you into a tranquil hypnotic state. Then the hypnotherapist will ask you to identify a time when you were excited and happy about anything in your life.
The point of this exercise is to remember and re-experience as many sensations as possible from numerous times in your life when you felt motivated and eager to do anything at all. Then, the hypnotherapist will ask you to anchor those feelings by simply touching two fingers together.
Next, you will be asked to visualize yourself exercising and enjoying it. As you produce this mental picture, you’ll trigger your anchor by touching those two fingers together again. When you complete this action, your unconscious will connect the feeling of excitement and eagerness from the other memory to the thought of exercising.
From this point on, any time you need to feel motivated to exercise, you can simply trigger your anchor and re-experience those same affirmative feelings that will motivate you to workout. NLP and weight loss hypnosis can even be used to dissuade behaviors, so you can easily overcome cravings. That sounds much easier and encouraging than beating yourself up for missing a workout or giving into temptation, doesn’t it?
A successful weight loss hypnosis program will also address the root cause of weight gain for many people, namely a lack of self-esteem. In a relaxed state, you can be given post-hypnotic suggestions that will develop your self-esteem as you lose more weight. The lack of self-esteem is a big reason for being overweight.
A lot of people wonder if, after trying every new diet and purchasing every piece of exercise equipment on the market, something as straight forward as weight loss hypnosis can help them. The good news is that research shows that all normal people are hypnotizable to a greater or lesser extent. However, it should be noted that people who have less than a 70 I.Q. or those who are in an active state of psychosis or with senility generally are not hypnotizable.
But for the rest of us, hypnotherapy for weight loss can actually help us look forward to eating healthily and working out. That said, the key proponent for victory in any fitness routine, whether it incorporates weight loss hypnosis or not, is wanting to attain your weight loss goals.
On a related note, that is exactly why you can not force someone to undergo weight loss hypnotherapy just by giving them suggestions. If someone is against an idea, no amount of weight loss hypnosis they hear or see will take hold. Looking to the NLP explanation above, if someone does not posses a memory of feeling motivated or positive, they can still be successful with hypnotherapy and NLP because they can envision what it would feel like if they did feel that way, and anchor those imagined feelings.
So, if you are like many of us and find your drive dwindling as the temperatures drop and the days get darker, weight loss hypnosis can help regain (or maintain) your passion for carrying out and finally achieving your fitness goals.
By: Alan B. Densky, CH
About the Author:
Many us who want to get back into shape agree that motivation is especially challenging when the weather changes, so what if you could stay dedicated to your diet and exercise plan just by viewing a hypnotherapy weight loss DVD or listening to a CD? Better yet, a hypnotherapy weight loss program can ease your compulsions too.
Self-hypnosis for weight loss works simply, but effectively, by leading you to a deeply relaxed state where your unconscious can more effortlessly accept post-hypnotic suggestions, like the ones that will keep you motivated to keep on your fitness track, even in the middle of winter.
It is a known fact that if a person exercises, it will speed up his/her metabolism and boost the rate that weight is dropped. Some of the most successful hypnosis exercise motivation techniques comes from Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP. With NLP, the unconscious is programmed to use the same thought processes that are initiating a problem, to get rid of it. Said another way, the same thought processes that the unconscious utilizes to create oral compulsions and cravings could help to completely stop them! And similarly, the same processes can be used to increase your motivation to exercise.
Anchoring is an NLP method that can be used to give you a “switch” for activating feelings and behaviors. Creating an appetite hypnosis anchor works simply and effectively like this: A qualified hypnotherapy weight loss practitioner will safely direct you into a tranquil hypnotic state. Then the hypnotherapist will ask you to identify a time when you were excited and happy about anything in your life.
The point of this exercise is to remember and re-experience as many sensations as possible from numerous times in your life when you felt motivated and eager to do anything at all. Then, the hypnotherapist will ask you to anchor those feelings by simply touching two fingers together.
Next, you will be asked to visualize yourself exercising and enjoying it. As you produce this mental picture, you’ll trigger your anchor by touching those two fingers together again. When you complete this action, your unconscious will connect the feeling of excitement and eagerness from the other memory to the thought of exercising.
From this point on, any time you need to feel motivated to exercise, you can simply trigger your anchor and re-experience those same affirmative feelings that will motivate you to workout. NLP and weight loss hypnosis can even be used to dissuade behaviors, so you can easily overcome cravings. That sounds much easier and encouraging than beating yourself up for missing a workout or giving into temptation, doesn’t it?
A successful weight loss hypnosis program will also address the root cause of weight gain for many people, namely a lack of self-esteem. In a relaxed state, you can be given post-hypnotic suggestions that will develop your self-esteem as you lose more weight. The lack of self-esteem is a big reason for being overweight.
A lot of people wonder if, after trying every new diet and purchasing every piece of exercise equipment on the market, something as straight forward as weight loss hypnosis can help them. The good news is that research shows that all normal people are hypnotizable to a greater or lesser extent. However, it should be noted that people who have less than a 70 I.Q. or those who are in an active state of psychosis or with senility generally are not hypnotizable.
But for the rest of us, hypnotherapy for weight loss can actually help us look forward to eating healthily and working out. That said, the key proponent for victory in any fitness routine, whether it incorporates weight loss hypnosis or not, is wanting to attain your weight loss goals.
On a related note, that is exactly why you can not force someone to undergo weight loss hypnotherapy just by giving them suggestions. If someone is against an idea, no amount of weight loss hypnosis they hear or see will take hold. Looking to the NLP explanation above, if someone does not posses a memory of feeling motivated or positive, they can still be successful with hypnotherapy and NLP because they can envision what it would feel like if they did feel that way, and anchor those imagined feelings.
So, if you are like many of us and find your drive dwindling as the temperatures drop and the days get darker, weight loss hypnosis can help regain (or maintain) your passion for carrying out and finally achieving your fitness goals.
By: Alan B. Densky, CH
About the Author:
Alan B. Densky, CH is a pioneer in the use of Video weight loss hypnosis. His Neuro-VISION technology was awarded a US Patent because of its effectiveness. He offers several powerful appetite suppression hypnotherapy programs. Visit for free hypnotherapy resources & downloads.
Using Hypnosis for Weight Loss
Copyright (c) 2008 Mark Albertson
The escalation of obesity rates in this country has sparked a flurry of activity among both serious researchers and charlatans to discover the perfect weight loss method. A recent study of four diets revealed that the key to weight loss success isn’t the diet, but how closely you follow it. Investigators from Tufts-New England Medical Center (Journal of the American Medical Association, January 2005) have determined in a study of four popular diets that the key to successful weight loss is not the diet itself, but actually following the diet. In this one-year study of 160 overweight adults, the researchers split people into four diet groups:
· Weight Watchers (low calorie)
· The Zone Diet (low glycemic index)
· The Ornish Diet (low fat)
· The Atkins Diet (low carb)
The conclusion of the investigation was that all of these diets worked when the participants in the study followed them. The problem is that less than one in four were able to stay on their given diet for just this one year.
It should be noted that the hardest diet to follow was Atkins, followed by the Ornish Diet, but according to the authors of the study, “no single diet produced satisfactory adherence rates.” Hypnosis has been recognized as a both a method for helping people to adhere to their diets, and for re-training the mind to “think” like a lean person, in order to be able to give up dieting completely and to develop healthy eating habits that parallel the eating habits of lean people.
That being said, wild and exaggerated claims abound regarding hypnosis as it one of the more appealing methods dangled before the eyes of those who are hungry for a seemingly easy solution to a complex problem.
A careful review of the scientific literatures exposes many of the claims about weight loss through hypnosis on the internet as overly optimistic at best and openly fraudulent at worst.
Considerable controversy swirls around the mechanisms by which hypnosis actually contributes to weight loss. Leon (1976) suggested that hypnosis can help obese people team new healthier eating patterns and retain them. One author remarked that the hypnotic state is characterized by heightened concentration, suggestibility, and relaxation (Mott, 1982). Certain individuals are thought to be capable of achieving this state more readily than others. A so-called hypnotic “induction” whereby a hypnotist using certain procedures to bring an individual into the hypnotic state is not a prerequisite for achieving the state (Mott, 1982). Hypnosis, contrary to the claims of some intemet advertisers cannot magically reprogram people’s minds. In short, methods of hypnosis run the gamut from simple relaxation techniques to formal inductions administered by hypnotists, but should not be considered supernatural in its effects.
Studies showing weight loss as a result of hypnosis alone are few in number and suffer from methodological problems. Andersen (1985) reported that following 8 weekly treatment sessions and 12 weeks of practicing self-hypnosis subjects lost an average of 20.2 pounds. Cochrane and Friesen (1986) concluded that moderate weight loss was obtained by subjects using hypnosis. The experimental group, lost more weight than the controls and maintained the weight loss at a six month follow-up.
Mott (1982) stated that “although hypnosis is sometimes referred to as a method of treatment, it is more accurate to regard hypnosis as a facilitator of a number of different treatment methods.” The study concludes that the use of hypnosis for a moderate weight loss is effective using hypnotherapy. Hypnosis Plus Behavioral Weight Management A number of studies indicate that hypnosis combined with a behavioral weight management program contributes significantly to weight loss. Bolocofsky, Spinler, and Coulthard-Morris (1985) revealed that the addition of hypnosis to a behavioral program designed to alter eating patterns increased the amount of weight loss at 8-month and 2year follow-ups. Both the behavioral and hypnosis programs were tailored to each subject individually in the study. Bolocofsky et al. (1984) acknowledged that “the less a person weighed at the start of the program the more likely he was to lose weight and maintain the reduction”. Hypnosis combined with behavioral weight management seems to be more effective for small amounts of weight loss. Another study of 45 females found that supplementing a basic self-management program with hypnosis resulted in a slightly greater amount of weight loss at a 3-month follow-up (Barabasz and Spiegel, 1989). The group for which individualized hypnotic suggestions were developed lost more weight than those exposed only to a group procedure. Kirsch (1996) noted a weight loss of 6.00 pounds without hypnosis and 11.83 pounds with hypnosis based on a meta-analysis of six studies. Allison and Faith (1996), however, disagreed and maintained that hypnosis only enhances cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy slightly if at all. Long-term individualized hypnosis combined with a behavioral weight management program appears to contribute to modest weight loss and helps maintain it.
Hypnosis operates mainly as a way to increase participants’ attention to suggestions of behavioral programs as well as to reinforce their weight loss. Studies using behavioral treatments successfully “typically have developed incentive systems to bridge the gap between the short-term -reinforcers provided during treatment and long-term goal of weight reduction” (Bolocofsky et al., 1985). Hypnosis can fulfill this role by stepping in as a psychological reinforcer. Hypnosis may assist subjects in learning positive eating behaviors and creating healthy long-term patterns of food intake. Subjects are then more likely to incorporate the rules of a particular program into their behavioral regimes (Bolocofsky, 1985). Kroger (1970) points out the similarities between hypnosis and behavioral treatments which share an emphasis on visualization and imagination. The literature suggests that hypnosis is an ideal addition to behavioral weight management programs which tend to need supplementation to achieve long-term results.
The Hodgepodge Problem in Weight Loss Studies The use of subjects of varying ages and backgrounds represents one challenge that plagues studies of hypnosis as a useful treatment for weight loss. Andersen (1985) utilized subjects ranging in age from 21-56 years, a considerable spread. Subjects in another study ranged in age from 17 to 67 resulting in considerable potential differences between the control group and the hypnosis group (Bolocofsky et al., 1985). The fact that subjects were not matched with regard to age could exaggerate results of weight loss as a result of hypnosis that may more accurately be attributed to age differences. McCabe, Jupp, and Collins (I985) suggested a tendency for younger women to drop out of weight loss programs relative to older women leading to a possible masking of potential effects of age. Bolocofsky et al. (1984) indicated that successful hypnotic weight loss participants were higher in self-control, weighed less at the start of the study, married, and more expressive. A wide variety of factors influence whether a given subject will lose weight through a hypnotic weight loss program. Anderson (1985) cites the absence of matched subjects as a weakness in her experiment. More studies with subjects closely matched on various characteristics should be conducted to substantiate claims about the effectiveness of hypnosis for weight loss when combined with a behavioral program.
Most studies require weekly consultation with a hypnotist for 8 weeks or more in addition to self-hypnosis (Bolocofsky et al., 1984; Bolocofsky et al., 1985, Andersen, 1985; Cochrane & Friesen, 1986; McCabe et al., 1985). Internet advertisers who claim weight loss will occur following a single hypnotic session, especially a group hypnotic session, are frauds selling dreams to desperate customers. Allison and Faith (1996) underscore that “there is currently no panacea for the treatment of obesity and hypnosis is no exception”. Treatment using hypnosis then is not a quick and easy way out of weight troubles. In order to achieve any benefits from its use, hypnosis must be practiced on a regular basis for a significant period of time.
Conclusions and Limitations
Hypnosis has been shown to be an effective treatment for low to moderate amounts of weight loss. One qualification of this statement is that the hypnotic program should be tailored to each individual. Hypnosis is a process by which an individual enters a state of relaxation and heightened suggestibility, Transformation of the brain through some mysterious process defines only the hypnosis of pseudoscientists. Quick-fix hypnosis is probably much less effective than an 8 week program using both in-session hypnosis, at-home self-hypnosis, and behavioral weight management. The only people who claim hypnosis is easy, simple, and quick are those trying to sell people on their program. The largest obstacle in weight loss is its long-term retention, but follow-ups of hypnosis as a weight loss treatment have been conducted at the longest after two years. Weight loss tapes lack scientific evidence to support their success and should be purchased with this knowledge in mind. Weight loss through hypnosis has been largely ignored by scientists and more studies with control groups and large subject pools are required to understand its action and import.
By: Mark Albertson
About the Author:
The escalation of obesity rates in this country has sparked a flurry of activity among both serious researchers and charlatans to discover the perfect weight loss method. A recent study of four diets revealed that the key to weight loss success isn’t the diet, but how closely you follow it. Investigators from Tufts-New England Medical Center (Journal of the American Medical Association, January 2005) have determined in a study of four popular diets that the key to successful weight loss is not the diet itself, but actually following the diet. In this one-year study of 160 overweight adults, the researchers split people into four diet groups:
· Weight Watchers (low calorie)
· The Zone Diet (low glycemic index)
· The Ornish Diet (low fat)
· The Atkins Diet (low carb)
The conclusion of the investigation was that all of these diets worked when the participants in the study followed them. The problem is that less than one in four were able to stay on their given diet for just this one year.
It should be noted that the hardest diet to follow was Atkins, followed by the Ornish Diet, but according to the authors of the study, “no single diet produced satisfactory adherence rates.” Hypnosis has been recognized as a both a method for helping people to adhere to their diets, and for re-training the mind to “think” like a lean person, in order to be able to give up dieting completely and to develop healthy eating habits that parallel the eating habits of lean people.
That being said, wild and exaggerated claims abound regarding hypnosis as it one of the more appealing methods dangled before the eyes of those who are hungry for a seemingly easy solution to a complex problem.
A careful review of the scientific literatures exposes many of the claims about weight loss through hypnosis on the internet as overly optimistic at best and openly fraudulent at worst.
Considerable controversy swirls around the mechanisms by which hypnosis actually contributes to weight loss. Leon (1976) suggested that hypnosis can help obese people team new healthier eating patterns and retain them. One author remarked that the hypnotic state is characterized by heightened concentration, suggestibility, and relaxation (Mott, 1982). Certain individuals are thought to be capable of achieving this state more readily than others. A so-called hypnotic “induction” whereby a hypnotist using certain procedures to bring an individual into the hypnotic state is not a prerequisite for achieving the state (Mott, 1982). Hypnosis, contrary to the claims of some intemet advertisers cannot magically reprogram people’s minds. In short, methods of hypnosis run the gamut from simple relaxation techniques to formal inductions administered by hypnotists, but should not be considered supernatural in its effects.
Studies showing weight loss as a result of hypnosis alone are few in number and suffer from methodological problems. Andersen (1985) reported that following 8 weekly treatment sessions and 12 weeks of practicing self-hypnosis subjects lost an average of 20.2 pounds. Cochrane and Friesen (1986) concluded that moderate weight loss was obtained by subjects using hypnosis. The experimental group, lost more weight than the controls and maintained the weight loss at a six month follow-up.
Mott (1982) stated that “although hypnosis is sometimes referred to as a method of treatment, it is more accurate to regard hypnosis as a facilitator of a number of different treatment methods.” The study concludes that the use of hypnosis for a moderate weight loss is effective using hypnotherapy. Hypnosis Plus Behavioral Weight Management A number of studies indicate that hypnosis combined with a behavioral weight management program contributes significantly to weight loss. Bolocofsky, Spinler, and Coulthard-Morris (1985) revealed that the addition of hypnosis to a behavioral program designed to alter eating patterns increased the amount of weight loss at 8-month and 2year follow-ups. Both the behavioral and hypnosis programs were tailored to each subject individually in the study. Bolocofsky et al. (1984) acknowledged that “the less a person weighed at the start of the program the more likely he was to lose weight and maintain the reduction”. Hypnosis combined with behavioral weight management seems to be more effective for small amounts of weight loss. Another study of 45 females found that supplementing a basic self-management program with hypnosis resulted in a slightly greater amount of weight loss at a 3-month follow-up (Barabasz and Spiegel, 1989). The group for which individualized hypnotic suggestions were developed lost more weight than those exposed only to a group procedure. Kirsch (1996) noted a weight loss of 6.00 pounds without hypnosis and 11.83 pounds with hypnosis based on a meta-analysis of six studies. Allison and Faith (1996), however, disagreed and maintained that hypnosis only enhances cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy slightly if at all. Long-term individualized hypnosis combined with a behavioral weight management program appears to contribute to modest weight loss and helps maintain it.
Hypnosis operates mainly as a way to increase participants’ attention to suggestions of behavioral programs as well as to reinforce their weight loss. Studies using behavioral treatments successfully “typically have developed incentive systems to bridge the gap between the short-term -reinforcers provided during treatment and long-term goal of weight reduction” (Bolocofsky et al., 1985). Hypnosis can fulfill this role by stepping in as a psychological reinforcer. Hypnosis may assist subjects in learning positive eating behaviors and creating healthy long-term patterns of food intake. Subjects are then more likely to incorporate the rules of a particular program into their behavioral regimes (Bolocofsky, 1985). Kroger (1970) points out the similarities between hypnosis and behavioral treatments which share an emphasis on visualization and imagination. The literature suggests that hypnosis is an ideal addition to behavioral weight management programs which tend to need supplementation to achieve long-term results.
The Hodgepodge Problem in Weight Loss Studies The use of subjects of varying ages and backgrounds represents one challenge that plagues studies of hypnosis as a useful treatment for weight loss. Andersen (1985) utilized subjects ranging in age from 21-56 years, a considerable spread. Subjects in another study ranged in age from 17 to 67 resulting in considerable potential differences between the control group and the hypnosis group (Bolocofsky et al., 1985). The fact that subjects were not matched with regard to age could exaggerate results of weight loss as a result of hypnosis that may more accurately be attributed to age differences. McCabe, Jupp, and Collins (I985) suggested a tendency for younger women to drop out of weight loss programs relative to older women leading to a possible masking of potential effects of age. Bolocofsky et al. (1984) indicated that successful hypnotic weight loss participants were higher in self-control, weighed less at the start of the study, married, and more expressive. A wide variety of factors influence whether a given subject will lose weight through a hypnotic weight loss program. Anderson (1985) cites the absence of matched subjects as a weakness in her experiment. More studies with subjects closely matched on various characteristics should be conducted to substantiate claims about the effectiveness of hypnosis for weight loss when combined with a behavioral program.
Most studies require weekly consultation with a hypnotist for 8 weeks or more in addition to self-hypnosis (Bolocofsky et al., 1984; Bolocofsky et al., 1985, Andersen, 1985; Cochrane & Friesen, 1986; McCabe et al., 1985). Internet advertisers who claim weight loss will occur following a single hypnotic session, especially a group hypnotic session, are frauds selling dreams to desperate customers. Allison and Faith (1996) underscore that “there is currently no panacea for the treatment of obesity and hypnosis is no exception”. Treatment using hypnosis then is not a quick and easy way out of weight troubles. In order to achieve any benefits from its use, hypnosis must be practiced on a regular basis for a significant period of time.
Conclusions and Limitations
Hypnosis has been shown to be an effective treatment for low to moderate amounts of weight loss. One qualification of this statement is that the hypnotic program should be tailored to each individual. Hypnosis is a process by which an individual enters a state of relaxation and heightened suggestibility, Transformation of the brain through some mysterious process defines only the hypnosis of pseudoscientists. Quick-fix hypnosis is probably much less effective than an 8 week program using both in-session hypnosis, at-home self-hypnosis, and behavioral weight management. The only people who claim hypnosis is easy, simple, and quick are those trying to sell people on their program. The largest obstacle in weight loss is its long-term retention, but follow-ups of hypnosis as a weight loss treatment have been conducted at the longest after two years. Weight loss tapes lack scientific evidence to support their success and should be purchased with this knowledge in mind. Weight loss through hypnosis has been largely ignored by scientists and more studies with control groups and large subject pools are required to understand its action and import.
By: Mark Albertson
About the Author:
Mark Albertson is a Clinical Hypnotherapist in Washington State who now trains people interested in learning hypnosis. Mark also has a vibrant coaching business, helping people in clinical hypnotherapy to create profitable practices. You can visit his information website at http://themindcraft.com or his hypnotherapy training/coaching site at http://hypnoprofit.com .
Sleep Hypnotherapy – Sleep Easily With Low Delta Frequencies
