Are you sick of yo-yo dieting? If you've been struggling with your weight, you may want to try this unconventional approach.
Adrienne Loder tried hypnotherapy, and after five sessions, she's lost 20 pounds. Now, with the holidays approaching she's getting what she calls a "booster session". The hypnotherapist sends Adrienne's subconscious suggestions on mindful eating...eat the right food, slowly, savoring the flavor, remembering to put down the fork, and take a break while socializing.
"I can never make her do anything she doesn't want. It's only what she has a desire for," said hypnotherapist Marla Brucker. Brucker has a doctorate in clinical hypnotherapy. She says she doesn't tell clients, "Don't eat junk food", for example. Rather, she tells them what they want to achieve.
"If I said to you, 'Don't think of your last name,' it pops up, because the subconscious mind deletes the word, 'don't' and what you heard was think about your last name," Loder said. "I've eliminated the word 'lose' from my weight control vocabulary simply because when we lose things we try to find it again."
So instead of losing pounds, pounds are shed. Instead of weight loss, it's weight control. "These are useful tools and we know that with statistics if you add hypnosis to traditional weight loss programs it more than doubles the success," said psychologist Dr. George Pratt.
Dr. Pratt uses hypnosis to supplement therapy. He says studies on hypnosis show an average weight loss of six pounds with the general range of 12 to 17 pounds and weight loss that can be maintained.
It's moderate, not magical. "Have realistic expectations," he said . "Just remember it's going to take active participation on your part. You're just not going to do it automatically."
Brucker says hypnosis doesn't work for everybody because some people give up, but for those who trust and those who desire, change can happen.
"You have to want it, you have to want to be healthy," Loder said. "It isn't free, the pounds don't melt away, but you are more naturally mindful of what you're putting in your mouth."
Studies show weight loss as a result of hypnosis are few in number and have problems with methodology.
Have you ever tried using hypnotherapy to lose weight? Would you? Why or why not? What successful weight loss tactics have you used? Leave your thoughts below.
This is today's Facebook Story of the Day. To help pick the story, click here.
