Hypnosis may help you shed a few extra pounds when it's used along with other weight-loss methods, such as diet and exercise. But there isn't enough solid scientific evidence about weight-loss hypnosis to recommend for or against it.I had spent almost $1200 on hypnosis, which included the purchase of audio tapes and this strange pair of glasses that emitted flashing lights while I listened to the audios. I had lost about ten pounds, but it didn't stay off. Without digging deeper to find out what the underlying programming was behind my overeating, hypnosis turned out to be just another "diet" program destined for failure.
Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness, usually achieved with the help of a hypnotherapist using verbal repetition and mental images. When you're under hypnosis, your attention is highly focused and you're more responsive to suggestions, including behavior changes that can help you lose weight. After proper instruction, you can also try self-hypnosis for weight loss. Weight-loss hypnosis is often combined with cognitive behavioral therapy.
Through the years, numerous studies have evaluated the use of weight-loss hypnosis. Most found positive but modest weight-loss results, with an average weight loss of about 6 pounds (2.72 kilograms). But the quality of some of these studies has been questioned, making it hard to determine the effectiveness of weight-loss hypnosis.
If you've tried diet and exercise but are still struggling to meet your weight-loss goal, you may want to try weight-loss hypnosis. Just remember that there are no guaranteed results.
What caused me to eat too much? Several factors surfaced, actually. Number one, I had a husband who would put more food on my plate, after I served the amount I wanted - it was almost as if he wanted me to gain weight! In reality, though, he was controlling and needed to be "in charge." (His mother was the same way.) I would have preferred that he be in charge of doing some work around the house, rather than just watch football while I did everything, or maybe take charge of paying the bills, but he seem to take pleasure in simply putting more food on my plate, despite my initially weak protests. I did eventually assert myself and told him in no uncertain terms, "Do NOT put food on my plate, ever." Well, he didn't, but I don't have a husband anymore, either.
Another factor which had lead to overeating was a very long and stressful commute to work - fifty miles each way. As for the commute, I began listening to books on tape and soon found myself looking forward to the drive each day. Arriving home relaxed took a lot of pressure off, and my habit of grabbing a bag of chips as soon as got home began to wane, and it helped not having someone ask as soon as I walked in the door, "What's for dinner?" I discovered that another of my hidden programs was that when someone else was hungry, I ate too, even when I was not.
The number of strategies available for "re-wiring" sabotaging eating habits are as plentiful and varied as Texas wildflowers after a wet winter. Once I learned to re-habit myself, my weight returned to normal, and for the most part, stayed there.
