The obesity rate in the United States has reached epidemic proportions. According to the American Heart Association, seven in 10 adults are overweight, and the number is growing. If you have tried to lose weight with little success, you may benefit from hypnosis as a method of losing weight. The city of Dallas, Texas, has a number of hypnosis professionals who can assist in your weight loss endeavor.
Considerations
Talk to your physician about your weight to determine your best course of action. If you have problems sticking with a program and remaining consistent, you may benefit from hypnotherapy. Hypnosis does not put you under your therapist's control. Instead, it helps put you in control of your weight loss and life.
For hypnosis to be successful, keep in mind your eating habits: binge eating, cravings and emotional eating, and whether these are hindering your progress. Weight loss hypnosis is an ongoing process. Your hypnotherapist will evaluate your needs and determine how many sessions you may need to achieve the desired results.
How Hypnosis Works
According to Advance Associates in Dallas, four stages of consciousness exist: alpha, beta, theta and delta. The third stage, theta, is the hypnotic state and the most useful for learning new things. Theta is the state in which your mind takes in information without critical analysis, prejudice or judgment, making behavior modification therapy easier.
Dallas Weight Loss Center calls hypnosis "a heightened sensibility to suggestion, and . . . a higher level of focused concentration." When you go under hypnosis, your doctor will give you healthful suggestions for eating habits and will also provide visual or aural triggers to keep you focused. For example, your therapist may designate the color red as a trigger. Each time you see the color red, your mind focuses on healthy eating choices rather than poor ones.
Methods of Hypnosis
Several techniques exist in the field of hypnotherapy. Your therapist may use a number of techniques to reach into your third level of consciousness. Dr. Darren Hiller, of Darren Hiller Hypnosis in Dallas, uses three forms: the 5-Path technique, the Emotional Freedom Technique and Neuro-Linguistic Programming.
The 5-Path technique leads participants through five stages, starting with direct suggestion, age regression, forgiveness of others, forgiveness of self and parts mediation.
Emotional Freedom Technique seeks to free people from past emotional trauma toward a healthier self.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming uses words, phrases and music to anchor to specific thoughts and feelings. For example, a particular song may bring back a strong memory. This is the premise of NLP.
Other methods of hypnosis include Ericksonian Hypnosis, which uses stories and metaphors to suggest ideas to unconscious mind. Traditional hypnosis technique simply makes direct suggestions to the unconscious mind. This method may work for people who generally accept what they are told without question.
Nutritional Counseling
When you undergo hypnosis, your therapist will provide you with the tools you need to maintain a healthy diet. Dallas Weight Loss Hypnosis Center provides a form that potential clients complete, which details dietary and lifestyle habits. The therapist then uses the information about the types of food and drink you normally consume to determine how to approach your nutritional behavior modification.
If you consistently crave chocolate and sugary sweets, you'll undergo hypnosis therapy to redirect your cravings towards healthier options. Caffeine addicts may receive redirection towards organic juices and water.
At Advance Hypnosis, you may discuss your reasons for destructive eating habits prior to undergoing hypnosis. You will also be assigned "inner homework" regarding emotions you experience between the first and second sessions.
At Darren Hiller Hypnosis, you will learn the difference between real hunger and emotion, which allows you to eat more mindfully.
Success Rates
Hypnosis can be an effective means of losing weight, provided you use it in conjunction with other methods, such as healthy eating habits and an exercise program. The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis cites several studies that have been successful.
In a 1985 study, two groups underwent a nine-week weight loss study. One group underwent hypnosis; the other group did not. The group that experienced hypnosis continued to see results at a two-year followup, while the nonhypnosis group did not.
In 1996, the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology compared multiple studies to determine how effective hypnosis is for long-term weight loss success. The report concluded that hypnosis helped increase weight loss by an average of 97 percent during treatment. It also increased the effectiveness of weight loss by 146 percent post-treatment, meaning that people were more likely to keep the weight off after treatment ended.
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