Awakening Mind and Body
YOU CAN LOSE WEIGHT
No Diets, No Changing Foods, No Will Power
Let
me explain our weight-reduction program," the hypnotherapist
said to the inquiring prospective client. We don't, in most
cases use diet procedures. We find that a problem with diets
is that there is a major change of eating habit patterns and
that all the time the client is looking forward to
achievement of the weight goal, at which time the client can
resume eating "normal" food. Once the weight loss is
achieved, the client celebrates by enjoying a reward meal of
favorite tastes. Then there often begins an upward weight
trend which can recover all of the lost weight and even add
a few pounds more. Therefore our approach is that the
client, if this is a personal enjoyment, may eat steak and
potatoes, or perhaps spaghetti and meat balls-whatever is
most!~ desired. The only difference is that, through the
effects of hypnosis, a much smaller amount of food will be
desired and consumed. "The advantage is that since no
enjoyable foods are denied, nothing is given up; there is no
need or desire to return to foods that have been forbidden.
The client simply continues to eat what has been enjoyed all
along, except that quantities are vastly reduced and through
hypnosis the appetite is fully satisfied with modest
portions of food."
The above scenario and weight-reduction program is just one
of the many that utilize the powers and benefits of
hypnotherapy to enable a client to take off unwanted pounds
and keep them off. In this program, the client need not give
up enjoying cocktails or hors d'oeuvres at a party. The
client will enjoy one of whatever is served, but on
completion of this "taste" will be completely satisfied,
neither desiring nor accepting further offerings. The
hostess is satisfied that her efforts have been appreciated.
Everybody wins! The above procedure is particularly
effective with people whose excess weight is from
overeating, especially where the habit involves taking of
multiple helpings at meals. There are those whose excess
weight is due to physiological causes. Such cases may
require medical intervention.
However, where undesirable weight is due to overeating,
metabolism is likely much less involved than the mind.
Changing thoughts and attitudes of the mind can lead to
major changes in life. It can be very helpful, therefore, to
determine what may be the causes of a tendency to overeat.
Sometimes this information is evident or well known. Other
times it may be suppressed, buried in some incident or event
of the past for which overeating provides a sense of
compensation or relief from pressures or anxieties, lacks in
life, grief, anger or other emotions, sometimes dating back
to childhood. Regression under hypnosis is often effective
in ferreting out causes, and sometimes even the simple
understanding of causes can result in elimination of the
problem
PROGRAMMING FOR SUCCESS
A
hypnotherapy program for weight reduction will involve
several specific elements which are essential to the
achievement of established objectives: The client's
self-esteem and confidence will be evaluated and fortified
as necessary to achieve a positive outlook and the ability
to visualize mentally the perfect, desired body structure,
at the appropriate weight and with the physical
modifications important to the client.
The client's attitude toward food, overeating and related
satisfactions will be altered to reduce the conceived
importance of food as it relates to feelings of well-being.
The client's food interests and tastes will be modified to
increase the desire for healthy foods with appropriate
nutrition, and reduce the desire for foods high in fats and
other harmful elements. Emphasis will be placed on such
matters as quantity consumption, special tastes (sweet-tooth
enjoyment) and negative calorie foods (wherein digestion
requires more calorie burn-up than the total calories in the
food consumed). Finally, programming will deal with such
behavioral matters as establishing times, places and
patterns for future eating, elimination of harmful habits,
and positive reinforcement for relief of stress or anxiety
factors or other causal elements which may require hypnotic
desensitization. It must be kept in mind that very slow
reduction in weight is the safest procedure. Weight will and
should come off very slowly -perhaps two pounds per week on
average. Much reinforcement of the programming can be
accomplished by tapes specifically created to save time and
money for the client.
WHY PEOPLE OVEREAT
Overeating usually fills a need-or at least is viewed as
doing so. The possible needs, real or imaginary, are many.
Some people overeat to compensate for an unpleasant
experience. Others eat excessively to reward themselves, or
possibly for self-entertainment. Some want to be noticed,
and may use a large body to offset a small ego. Eating is
used to compensate for the lack of love, to offset fear, to
overcome frustration, to deal with boredom, or sometimes
even to avoid sex.
Helpful to the therapist are lists answering such questions
as WHEN overeating usually takes place-what psychological or
emotional activity is associated with excess eating, and at
what usual time of day or night. WHERE the overeating is
done is important-home, at parties, in restaurants, while
watching television, etc. And WHY (for what purpose or to
satisfy what need) is also a factor in understanding the
problem.
The consideration of the above-mentioned matters leads to
the establishment of three goals: To achieve the desired
weight loss; To maintain the desired weight once it is
achieved; To adopt permanently the new habit patterns that
make the first two goals possible.
