Yes! Hypnotherapy is effective for weight loss (when combined with healthy eating and regular movement), because it helps to shift the underlying emotional patterns that cause you to overeat.
Food and exercise are obviously important. However if you are considering whether hypnotherapy can help you, I am assuming you have probably already tried many diets, weight loss programs, supplements, gyms and fitness gurus in the past. There are certainly many to choose from!
At some point though, it will have become obvious to you that you are eating for the wrong reasons. There are many reasons people eat, other than because they are hungry:
You are eating to avoid emotional pain.
You are eating out of boredom.
You are eating for self protection.
You are eating to hide your true feelings.
You are eating for comfort.
You are eating out of habit.
You eat because you just can’t seem to stop.
There is an addicitive and compulsive element to your food habits, that you don’t fully understand. Or at least have not been able to crack.
If these underlying issues are not addressed, it can be very difficult to change the way you eat in the long term. Using will power to change is hard work, and because will power is a finite resource, it tends to run out after a week or two – or sometimes it runs out in a matter of hours! This is a very frustrating experience and can leave you feeling like a failure and doubting if you will ever have the healthy body you would like.
Using the assistance of hypnotherpy, we can help you to release emotional pain from the past, and you can learn new ways to handle emotions and stressful situations. You won’t need to use food as a crutch when you have other ways of relaxing, managing your emotions and feeling good.
Emotional eating for most people started some time in childhood. As children we have few resources to cope when feeling overwhelmed, and you might have discovered that food was an easy way to squash those anxious or confusing feelings from a young age.
Some of us grew up in families where food was used as a way to show love. Other people grew up in households where food was restricted, and their appearance and size was scrutinised and criticised. All of these experiences create beliefs and patterns of behaviour, which if not challenged can form long term habits and adaptations.
Hypnotherapy can help shift the beliefs and thoughts you hold about yourself, your body, exercise and food. We are working with the unconscious mind, which is the seat of your memories, emotions, beliefs and thought patterns.
We need to let your unconscious mind know that it is safe for you to lose weight and be healthy. We need to let your unconscious mind know that you have a choice in the way you behave.
We need to let your unconscious mind know that it is ok to sit with discomfort when it arises.
We need to let your unconscious mind know that just because you want something doesn’t mean you need to have it.
We need to let your unconscious mind know that you are truly capable of achieving your goals.
If you have struggled with maintaining a healthy weight in the past, you are likely have a rich history with food, exercise and body image. It’s never too late to make changes and learn new ways of living.
The best part of doing this work isn’t even the weight loss. It’s the newfound appreciation you have of your amazing body, and the love you begin to cultivate inside of yourself. You can let go of any shame, humiliation and embarrassment around weight and body image, and swap it out for self acceptance, forgiveness, compassion and self love.
It’s a journey worth taking!
Please feel free to reach out if you are still asking: Is hypnotherapy effective for weight loss?
