Hypnotherapy for losing weight

[chalk Farm]

Thanks.

There's no quick fix in losing weight.It's hard and I know it should be done gradually. I've managed to loose weight before but not overcome emotional triggers to stop me from piling on the pounds!! Exercise has always been the element I've left out before when losing weight so maybe I should have re think and give that a go.

[focusedhypno]

Hi Richard,

 

I am looking in to hypnotherapy for weight loss /hypno gastric band. However I am uncertain if this had real outcomes. The hypno gastric band seems to be extremely popular and is in the media but are these successes few and far between? Of course you will say 'No' but I would like to hear your feedback.I am researching a few hypnotherapists in the Sheffield area and have looked at yourself as well. Can I ask why the sudden change of heart offering the into the hypno banding as you weren't so keen a short while ago?, is this because the market demands it more? what is the success rate? I have found quite alot therapists doing this, what makes one better than the other? Is it Experience? Credentials?

 

Great questions! Ok, 1st things first, there will always be people who say "It did (or didn't) work for me". The individual experiences are usually interesting but mean nothing in isolation. The evidence base for hypnotic techniques having a good chance of helping with a wide variety of issues is there. These are scientific studies done on representative and controlled samples of people. These studies HAVE found that hypnosis is effective...for some issues.

Because gastric band hypnosis is so new there have not been any studies done into the effectiveness of the approach. Even if there were you would have to ensure that the hypnotherapist was doing the exact same process as the study to be able to compare like with like but the reasons people are overweight vary drastically between individuals so this approach could have the potential to benefit people in general but maybe not you as a specific individual.

The media does seem to be full of amazing stories about people losing weight through gastric band hypnosis but I am going to go against your expectations and say I have no idea if these successes are few and far between and anyone who does claim a certain percentage success rate is almost certainly lying and/or breaking the law by advertising a success rate they can't prove with validated scientific research.

I used to be dead against gastric band hypnosis as the main person I first became aware of doing it was rather overweight themselves (but supposedly happy about it!) and this made me see it as a money making scam. They offered one of the branded hypnosis gastric band programmes (which in itself is often an over inflated product that has little on content but high costs for the training and for the client.)

A second problem I had with hypnotic gastric bands is that the 'operation' is done to you and you are 'made' to imagine you have less capacity for food. My whole approach in hypnosis is to help people to be more how they want to be rather than making them be a certain way. The conflict between the two options was too great for me to see past.

 

As time has passed I have been able to speak to a few people who have experienced gastric band hypnosis and have also done a little digging into what the main branded techniques offer. I have also worked closely with a fellow hypnotherapist who has had over a decade of experience in using hypnosis to address issues such as weight. Between us and through our research it has become clear that the large percentage of the benefit from a hypnotic gastric band comes from, in my opinion, the 'standard' hypnosis for weight loss. This tends to focus on smaller portion sizes, stopping when you are full, eating slower, drinking more water, being more active and not snacking on rubbish.

This is advice we all know makes sense but some people have a lot of difficulty matching up what they know they should do or that they want to do and actually making it happen.

For many people they will gain a greater control over what they eat and how they feel about food as a result of this 'standard' technique.

Some people though they have got it into their head (mainly because of the media) that they NEED a hypnotic gastric band and that is the only thing that will help them. It is often useful to work with a client's expectations. If they believe that being helped to think a certain way to feel a certain way about something will help then help them to be that way and there is a great chance the issue will be resolved. By me refusing to entertain the idea of offering HGB I did feel that I was denying some people the solution that they had decided would help them. This then left me with a decision, if I was going to offer HGB how to do it. I looked at the branded option but these tend to be a one day training course, a manual, a sound effect audio file and not much else. Some focus purely on the 'operation' while others incorporate the operation with more standard hypnosis.

Through working with my colleague we have developed our own approach that we feel meets the criteria we would expect it to in order to help people in an effective way. Because we aren't buying into a HGB branded franchise we don't have to stick to their often simplistic and direct techniques and can instead use more advanced methods.

 

My advice would be to look for a hypnotherapist who offers 'standard' hypnosis for weight loss AND hypnotic gastric band so that you have a choice. Talk through the options with the hypnotherapist and see which you think would suit you better. The hypnotherapists who only offer HGB and no 'standard' option are not offering what is best to the client, they are offering what is most profitable to their business.

 

There really isn't much to differentiate many of the branded HGB approaches. When looking for a hypnotherapist for any issue really look for someone who has a decent website (a hypnotherapist who invests in their website is more likely to invest in you as a client in my opinion). Look for reviews that aren't just typed straight onto the site. Anyone can write anything on their own site, look for honest and believable feedback from other people who have seen that therapist. Call the therapist up and have a chat. Ask questions about their experience using certain techniques and why they favour one approach over another. See a therapist who is registered with a professional body or two. You are still not guaranteed to get a great therapist this way but the chances are increased. If you feel happy and confident in what you find out and others have also had a great outcome with that same person there is a good chance that you could benefit too.

 

Unfortunately hypnosis is not guaranteed but then again your car is not guaranteed to start in the morning but you don't say all cars are a load of rubbish.

[chalk Farm]

Thank you Richard for your reply.The information you gave was fantastic. You're very passionate about your work and it really shows which is very inspiring. I found your answers very helpful and it's given me a clearer insight in to your practice. Many thanks and maybe I should give you a call.

[Riche]

People who are fat eat on average enough food for 2 people, some enough to feed more. Excess, greed,comfort whatever, I am a stone and half over weight, I look life a spud, feel slugish and slow. Get over yourselves fat overweight people and take a look in the mirror and your shopping basket. Eat less, exercise more and think of others less fortunate, your diet could feed a family of 5 for a week in Africa.

[chalk Farm]

hahaha very helpful.

[irenewilde]

People who are fat eat on average enough food for 2 people, some enough to feed more. Excess, greed,comfort whatever, I am a stone and half over weight, I look life a spud, feel slugish and slow. Get over yourselves fat overweight people and take a look in the mirror and your shopping basket. Eat less, exercise more and think of others less fortunate, your diet could feed a family of 5 for a week in Africa.

 

I hope you feel better for that, you sad, "slugish" excuse for a human being. You should have been watching 'Keeping Britain Alive: NHS In A Day' tonight - a senior surgeon had a lot to say about people like you making ignorant assumptions about overweight people.

[chalk Farm]

Riche has no idea who I am....what my life is, how fat I am ( LOL) and yet he feels so strongly to reply to this thread in order to belittle, insult me and to quote 'get over myself'......move on

[focusedhypno]

People who are fat eat on average enough food for 2 people, some enough to feed more. Excess, greed,comfort whatever, I am a stone and half over weight, I look life a spud, feel slugish and slow. Get over yourselves fat overweight people and take a look in the mirror and your shopping basket. Eat less, exercise more and think of others less fortunate, your diet could feed a family of 5 for a week in Africa.

 

When people reel out the 'why don't you people eat less and exercise more?' it just shows a profound lack of understanding of the psychology of people who are overweight.

 

The eat less, move more mantra is that simple...on one level. Believing that you are capable of applying this simple logic is something else. For those who CAN say to themselves "I am a stone and a half overweight and I should get off my arse and exercise" it is easy. For those who have spent years telling themselves (and had others tell them) that they are incapable of making physical and psychological changes the idea of eating less and moving more seems like trying to be the first obese person in space!

Edited March 5, 2014 by focusedhypno

[Victoria1867]

Hi

 

Can anyone personally recommend anyone for this preferably north/central sheffield? I mean actually recommend having been through it themselves and able to share results...not just a mate :)

[Sooperdooper]

Hi

 

Can anyone personally recommend anyone for this preferably north/central sheffield? I mean actually recommend having been through it themselves and able to share results...not just a mate :)

 

Let me know if you find anyone Vic x