Can Weight Loss Be Achieved Through Hypnotherapy? Many of us struggle to lose weight through traditional dieting, but could hypnotherapy for weight loss provide the solution we’re looking for?
We all know that being overweight can be bad for your health, increasing the risk of serious conditions such as Type 2 Diabetes, cancer, stroke and cardiovascular disease, but, as the statistics show, losing weight isn’t always as easy as it sounds. So, what are our options when traditional dieting lets us down?
For a growing number of people, the answer lies in a slightly unconventional but increasingly popular dieting method – hypnotherapy for weight loss. But what exactly is hypnotherapy for weight loss, and does it actually work?
Mind over matter
The human brain is a powerful tool, and weight loss hypnotherapy aims to harness this power to help clients to think themselves thin and achieve meaningful and long-lasting weight loss.
The treatment centers around visualization – a process that is proven to have a noticeable physical impact on the body. For example, when we think about 
something upsetting or stressful, our bodies release adrenaline and tense up, whereas, if we visualize a pleasant and relaxing scenario, we find that our muscles relax automatically.
With hypnotherapy for weight loss, clients are walked through a number of visualization techniques, which can help to re-calibrate the signals that control digestion and feelings of fullness.
The treatment culminates with clients being taken through the visualization process of getting a gastric band fitted – offering them the benefits of surgery without going under the knife.
Tackling the root causes
However, hypnotherapy for weight loss involves a lot more than just visualization techniques. There can be many complex issues underlying a person’s weight gain, and it is these issues that weight loss hypnosis aims to identify and resolve.
By combining traditional hypnotherapy with Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Neurolinguistic Programming, and other recognized counselling techniques, therapists are able to tackle the root cause of the problem, supporting clients to retrain their cognitive thinking and develop a healthier relationship with food and eating.
Long-term lifestyle change
What makes weight loss hypnotherapy so effective is that it takes a holistic approach, targeting a long-term lifestyle change rather than a short-term weight loss that is impossible to maintain for any significant length of time.
Weight problems are treated as a psychological rather than solely physical issue and, when combined with follow-up diet and nutrition advice, this empowers clients to make permanent, healthy changes to their lifestyle and achieve their weight-loss goals.
A safe solution
As with any diet, the amount of weight lost will vary from person to person, but research has shown that weight loss hypnotherapy can be a hugely effective treatment, with some clients reporting losses of 100 pounds, while others have lost over half of their body weight!
If you’re struggling to lose weight and are looking for a safe and effective alternative to gastric band surgery, hypnotherapy for weight loss could be the solution you’re looking for.
By: Women Fitness Magazine
Hypnosis Subjects Lost More Weight Than 90% of Others and Kept it Off Reviewed 18 studies comparing a cognitive behavioral therapy such as relaxation training, guided imagery, self monitoring, or goal setting with the same therapy supplemented by hypnosis. Those who received the hypnosis lost more weight than 90 percent of those not receiving hypnosis and maintained the weight loss two years after treatment ended. J Consult Clin. Psychol. 1996;64(3):513-516.
Hypnosis Over 30 Times as Effective for Weight Loss Treatment included group hypnosis with metaphors for ego-strengthening, decision making and motivation, ideomotor exploration in individual hypnosis, and group hypnosis with maintenance suggestions. Hypnosis was more effective than a control group: an average of 17 lbs lost by the hypnosis group vs. an average of .5 lbs lost by the control group Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 489-492.
Two Years Later: Hypnosis Subjects Continued To Lose Significant Weight 109 people had treatment for weight with or without hypnosis. After 9-weeks both groups lost significant weight. At 8-month and 2-year follow-ups, the hypnosis subjects were found to have continued to lose significant weight, while those in other group showed little further change. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (1985)
Hypnosis can more than double the effects of traditional weight loss approaches Review of 5 weight loss studies showed that hypnosis can more than double the effects of traditional weight loss approaches. U. Conn, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology in 1996 (Vol. 64, No. 3, pgs 517-519)
Hypnotic enhancement for weight loss treatments Hypnosis versus no hypnosis the average short-term weight loss was 6 lbs for those not using hypnosis and 11.83 lbs with hypnosis. Over long term the average loss without hypnosis remained at 6 lbs, with hypnosis jumped to 14.88 lbs. What is impressive about these results is that doing hypnosis under controlled conditions is extremely difficult, and to have the research indicate that people are losing anywhere from about 2 to on average 16 1/2 times more weight under hypnosis than when they do not use it, clearly indicates that hypnosis should be used by anyone who is serious about weight loss and that benefits of hypnosis increased substantially over time. Kirsch, Irving (1996) Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64 (3), 517-519
Hypnotherapy in weight loss treatment 60 females at least 20% overweight and not involved in other treatment. Participants interviewed about family background, educational, and their belief as to their hypnotizability. The group was split into hypnosis and non-hypnosis groups with both groups being given weight-loss behavioral treatments and counseling. Results: hypnosis group lost an average of 17 lbs at the 6-month follow up. Non hypnosis group only lost 1/2 pound. They also found that “hypnotizability” and social and educational backgrounds had nothing to do with the results. Cochrane, Gordon (1986) Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 489-492
Effectiveness of hypnosis for weight management 109 people in 2 groups for a 9-week study. 1st group treated diet and exercise habits with no hypnosis. The 2nd group had same diet and exercise and received hypnosis. After 9 weeks, not surprisingly, both groups lost weight. After 8-month and 2-years: 1st most gained most of their weight back. The 2nd group continued to lose weight during both intervals, and the studies showed that far more people in the hypnosis group met their long-term weight-loss goals. The hypnosis group continued the eating and exercise habits while the non-hypnosis group did not. There is no magic pill for weight loss. It is clear that hypnosis supports diet and exercise adherence. Bolocofsky, David N. (1985) Journal of Clinical Psychology, 41 (1), 35-41
