Lately I’ve been reading some people’s opinions about the Virtual Gastric Band approach to weight loss. And I’m happy to see that a lot of people are getting great results with hypnosis for weight loss, using the virtual gastric band app.
I did notice, though, that several reviewers of the virtual gastric band suggested that hypnosis and hypnotherapy are only useful as a supportive tool for other therapies.
These writers are under the impression that hypnosis and hypnotherapy don’t address the root cause of the problem of being overweight. This just isn’t the case. So I’d like to clarify a few points here.
If we define hypnosis as merely giving positive suggestions, during a hypnotic state, then it’s accurate to say that the benefits you would receive could be limited and temporary. It’s like pulling off the top leaves of a weed in your yard — as long as the root is still there, the weed’s going to grow right back.
How to Escape from the Vicious Cycle of Weight Gain
In our society, if you’re overweight, it’s easy to feel bad about yourself. Everywhere you look, advertisers are telling you you’re doing something wrong. This is particularly true for women: if you don’t fit into a size 4 dress, media images are designed to make you feel like a failure.
When you feel bad about yourself, it’s very common to eat more, so as to numb the emotional pain that comes with believing you’re ugly or unacceptable. This just makes the problem worse: you feel bad, you eat more to feel better, you gain weight, you feel worse.
How can you escape this vicious cycle of gaining weight when your goal is to lose it?
Using a tool such as the Virtual Gastric Band hypnosis for weight loss may help you somewhat. Even if all you do is receive hypnosis suggestions in order to eat less and exercise more, you may lose weight. But unless you’re able to get at the root cause of your weight problem, you may find yourself in a virtual vicious cycle — the weight will come back. This doesn’t mean that hypnosis doesn’t work, and it doesn’t mean that the Virtual Gastric Band approach to weight loss doesn’t work. It just means that the methods of hypnosis aren’t being used effectively.
The remedy? Combine hypnosis with therapeutic methods that get to the root cause of your weight problem. It is the goal of hypnotherapy to harness the power of your subconscious mind to make the beneficial changes you want — in a deep and lasting way.
In as little as one hypnotherapy session, it is possible to quickly and easily erase the beliefs and compulsions at the root of your weight gain.
I have seen this happen many times over the years. When the two must-haves” are present (see below) after a single hypnotherapy session you can begin to feel great about yourself as you create the light, strong, healthy body that you long for.
When you address your weight gain with the help of hypnotherapy, it’s like digging out the weed at its root. You will not only lose weight — you’ll be able to successfully maintain your new, healthy lifestyle, effortlessly and joyfully.
It’s important to understand that hypnotherapy is not a mechanical intervention. The results are not automatic. Lasting results mean that your body stays healthy and your weight loss isn’t just a passing phase.
How to get lasting results with hypnotherapy
1. You must be working with a hypnotherapist that you trust.
2. Your hypnotherapist must have the ability to use hypnotherapeutic methods effectively and responsibly.
In my 26 years working with clients on the issue of weight loss, I’ve often heard people say, “I tried hypnosis and it didn’t work!” But hypnosis is not an “IT” that may or may not work. If you have “tried hypnosis” and it didn’t work, it’s most likely because either (1) you didn’t trust that hypnotherapist, or (2) the hypnotherapist did not have the proper skills to help you.
When all is said and done, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. If you don’t accept hypnotic suggestions, nothing will happen!
No hypnotherapist has power over you.
The hypnotherapist’s job is simply to deliver “invitations” (hypnotic suggestions) that will be readily accepted, and acted upon, by your subconscious mind. But if you’re really going to experience significant weight loss land create the healthy body you want, you must feel safe enough to accept these invitations.
Even when the hypnotherapist has all of the necessary skills to help you lose weight, if she doesn’t gain your trust, you’re likely to reject the invitations, and nothing good will come from your hypnotherapy sessions.
In addition to this unfortunate outcome, you may also form a belief that “hypnosis doesn’t work for me.” You may never realize that it didn’t work because you didn’t allow it to work. And you probably didn’t allow it to work because you just didn’t feel safe enough with the hypnotherapist. Of course, if you’re trying out Virtual Gastric Band hypnosis or some other surface-level method, if may just not be going deep enough to give you lasting results.
So don’t give up on hypnotherapy! Find a competent hypnotherapist you feel safe and comfortable with, so that you can accomplish easeful weight loss with lasting results.
You’re warmly invited to take a look at our Spontaneous Solutions for Weight Loss, Health Gain! on CD or mp3, and supercharge your weight loss with our Mindfulness and Awareness program to change your limiting beliefs permanently, so that you can fully enjoy your new, healthy body.
You’re also welcome to contact me to schedule a private session for Lucid Heart Therapy and Life Coaching.
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