Weight Loss with Hypnotherapy

17 November 2021

If you’ve ever considered your weight loss options, chances are that hypnotherapy wasn’t one of them. Why not? Is it because hypnosis has traditionally been viewed as a stage show where you laugh at people unwittingly doing ridiculous things in the name of entertainment? Indeed, this was the case for many years.

Now though, more and more people are turning to hypnotherapy as a means to manage issues like stress, anxiety, fear, and yes, weight loss.

What is Hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a trance-like state of consciousness during which you become increasingly focused and highly responsive to suggestion. It became a topic of some research in the late 18th century, but more so in the late 19th century when it was used to treat hysteria in women. More extensive research followed, and it now enjoys scientific credibility as a method of treatment for a variety of conditions.

Hypnotherapy, on the other hand, is the practice of hypnosis in psychotherapy to treat these behavioural or health conditions and disorders. It’s a complementary therapy which means that it should be used in conjunction with other treatments, the type of which depends on the condition being treated. When used for addressing weight loss, hypnotherapy works best alongside a healthy diet and exercise program.

Hypnotherapy for Weight Loss

Before we get to the crux of using hypnotherapy to treat weight loss, we need to examine the various reasons why you may gain weight in the first place. The obvious one is simply overeating, but there are a myriad of other contributing factors.

• Genetic disposition
• Hormonal imbalance
• Low metabolism
• Lack of exercise
• Unhealthy diet
• Water retention
• Insomnia
• Diabetes
• Certain medications, such as cortisone or steroids
• Thyroid problems
• Stress and anxiety
• Depression
• Eating for comfort

While hypnotherapy may not be able to treat weight gain stemming from medical conditions, it can most definitely address the psychological and behavioural reasons, such as stress and depression.

Through hypnosis, your therapist will guide you in adjusting the way that you view food and eating. Ultimately you can begin to regard food as a response to hunger rather than a way of staving off or controlling your emotions.

Using eating as a coping mechanism for emotions that you struggle to contain will invariably result in weight gain, particularly if your exercise regime is less than effective. In your hypnotherapy sessions, your therapist will peel back the layers of your psyche to get to the heart of the problem. Identifying the triggers that lead to your comfort eating will make a huge difference to your attitude to food.

The Benefits of Hypnotherapy for Weight Loss

It may seem obvious that the benefit of using hypnotherapy to assist with weight loss is just that: losing weight. But there are other peripheral benefits that are just as important and will have a long-lasting effect on your mental health.

It adjusts your mind set towards food

As we mentioned, during hypnosis your subconscious mind is more open to suggestion. The therapist uses this openness to plant suggestions about reducing portion size, eating in moderation and eating when hungry. Food becomes a solution to a basic need rather than a coping mechanism.

Healthy eating becomes more natural

You become more in tune with making better choices about the food you eat. You are less inclined to binge eat, try fashionable diets and eat fast food.

You feel more satisfied by eating less

By exercising portion-control and seeing food differently, you will soon see a difference in your weight. This alone will make you feel more positive about yourself. It will also reduce any weight-related stress and anxiety that you may have experienced.

Losing weight becomes easier

By reframing food in your subconscious, it becomes a basic need rather than a comforting habit. You no longer feel the constant desire to eat, and it naturally becomes easier to get rid of excess weight.

Smaller appetite means more satisfaction

Through hypnotherapy, you will find that you stop eating when you’re full rather than when your plate is empty. You will learn what your optimal portion sizes are for meals, and by eating accordingly you can easily reduce your weight.

It encourages exercise and healthier living

When your attitude to food changes during hypnotherapy, leading you to eat only when necessary and in the right portions, you will feel naturally more motivated to live a healthier life. Exercise will become less of an obstacle and works hand in hand with your new pattern of healthy eating to assist in weight loss.

The Disadvantages of Hypnotherapy

We’ve extolled the virtues of hypnotherapy as a way to encourage weight loss, but to give you a balanced overview, we need to mention the disadvantages as well. Although there aren’t many, it’s worth knowing if any risks are involved.

The main disadvantage of hypnotherapy is that not everyone can be hypnotised. You have to be willing to enter the trance-like state of deep relaxation for the process to work. If you are at all sceptical, no matter how hard your therapist tries, you are unlikely to go under.

Hypnotherapy happens over time, and is by no means a quick fix. Your therapist will need several sessions to get to the root of your problem and suggest solutions or behavioural changes to help you with weight loss. You can’t rush hypnotherapy; it takes as long as it takes.

Some people may experience some side-effects after hypnosis, although these are rare. Possible side effects after a session of hypnosis are:

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• False memories
• Distress, particularly if your issues are rooted in trauma

Final Thoughts

The results from hypnotherapy for weight loss should last a lifetime. Provided you are sufficiently open to suggestion in your hypnotised state, you will ultimately see behavioural changes and a shift in your attitude towards food and eating that lasts for the rest of your life.

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• Hypnotherapy for Weight Management