Hypnotherapy for Weight Loss

Hypnosis has long been used as a form of alternative medicine to deal with cancer, many types of weight surgeries, pain, stress, even depression. The National Institute of Health (NIH) often sponsors studies into the use of hypnosis as a medical treatment.

Hypnosis can help you lose weight by programming your mind to:

• Stop Eating "Trigger" Foods
• Improve Diet Motivation
• Enjoy Healthy Food
• Enjoy Exercise
• Stop Hunger Pains
• Improve Commitment

Before You Begin
Before you begin hypnotherapy, you need to work with a certified hypnotherapist, preferably someone with a degree in psychology from a recognized university. Together with your therapist, you will explore the reasons why you overeat and want to lose weight. Once that is understood, the therapist will begin the hypnotherapy.

How It Works
The process works because hypnosis places an individual in a state of relaxation and heightened suggestibility. Using hypnosis, the therapist will help you replace your desire to overeat with the motivation to eat healthier and to lose weight. Combining long term hypnosis with a behavioral program designed to alter eating habits usually increases the amount of weight loss.

Hypnosis also involves the use of post-hypnotic suggestions. The hypnotherapist plants an idea in your mind that helps you not want to overeat, for example. Often this involves specific images that tend to repulse you and this is what prevents you from eating that second helping of cake or ice cream.

The Bottom Line
Understand that you may need to go up to eight or more times before the hypnotherapy works. Nothing happens overnight, but there are many cases where hypnosis has helped people lose weight by targeting the actually root of their problem.