What is hypnotherapy known for? Weight loss, quitting smoking and phobias

Although hypnotherapy can be helpful for a variety of problems, it is known for only a handful of topics. One of them is weight loss therapy. For years, many people lost weight with hypnotherapy. Now, there is also plenty of research supporting that hypnotherapy is a very effective way to lose weight and create healthy life habits.

Hypnotherapy is an effective method of weight loss because unlike following a strict diet, hypnotherapy focuses on healthy life-habits. A healthy lifestyle enables maintaining the ideal weight and enjoying life to the fullest. Here are 3 reasons why hypnotherapy is very different and more effective than other weight loss programs:

1-    Hypnotherapy will help you identify your subconscious reward systems

People who had a toxic relationship with food will know that the problem is more than the diet and eating. Most often, they will know exactly what they need to eat or avoid in order to be at their healthy weight. However, they won’t have enough motivation to follow through their own knowledge. 

The problem lies in the subconscious mind. Growing up, as a child, we mostly observe our parents and their relationships with food. We are also very vulnerable to their way of “rewarding”. For example, many people will remember receiving candy after doing something good as a kid. That is to say, unconsciously, parents may embed positive feelings about eating sweets or candy into the kids’ minds without realizing later life effects.

During hypnotherapy, these types of unconscious reward systems emerge to the surface level. The first step to change anything is to recognize the problem. This will allow the person to acknowledge where their emotions and tendencies are coming from rather than resisting them.

2-    Hypnotherapy will help you identify what’s stopping you from success

There is a saying that “We are our worst enemy” and it is very true, especially during a weight loss journey. Usually, people give hypnotherapy a chance after trying many other methods of weight loss such as diet, weight watchers program, exercising, or many others. However, they end up trying hypnotherapy because they recognize that something has been stopping them from achieving total success.

There may be various reasons for disruption. One, may be unconsciously self-sabotaging due to toxic subconscious beliefs about self. There also may be outside saboteurs affecting a person’s success. Imagine a wife who wants to lose weight and her weakness is eating junk food. Now, also imagine that wife’s husband loves chips and buys them for the home. This will create an inner conflict within the wife because it is hard for her to resist the chips. Therefore, she may find herself giving up on her goal when she is overwhelmed due to continuous inner conflict. 

There may be so many different scenarios for different people. However, it is really important to find these saboteurs or sabotages in order to create a life-long change for a healthy body.

Hypnotherapy will help with understanding the sabotaging factors as well as facing them. If the sabotage is coming from an outside source, during hypnosis, facing the source and overcoming it can be very helpful to achieve long-lasting success.

3-    Hypnotherapy will help you enhance your self-image

We usually have different identities in different parts of our lives. If you pay attention to the different phases of your life, you will realize that you had a different attitude and perception towards life and events in every different phase.

When someone feels overweight, their attitude, self-image, and choices are from that perspective as well. If you are really committed to your weight loss goal, it is important to adjust your self-image and start making choices as a healthy and fit person.

Hypnotherapy is a very effective tool to change the subconscious self-image. During hypnosis, imagination is heightened, and eventually, imagination and reality become enmeshed. By creating a positive self-image that is empowering and motivating for the person, it is possible to lay foundations for healthy decision making and self-prioritizing.

Hypnotherapy and weight loss

Weight loss journey with hypnotherapy is a fun process with lots of self explorations. According to a study that was done in 1985, which was published in “Journal of Clinical Psychology”, people who used hypnotherapy in addition to dieting and exercising were able to maintain their weight loss within the 8 months and 2 years follow-ups. Moreover, they were able to lose more weight even after the program. The results show that hypnotherapy is a very helpful tool in addition to establishing healthy eating and living habits. This process may be tough and challenging at times, but in the end, it will worth your efforts!