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I am at my wits end. I cannot stop binging. I am going through so much stress righ tnow. I have lost all self control. Example, I ate a turkey sandwhich and FIVE ice cream sandwhiches after telling myself I wouldnt do. I am being totally honest here! I did this after having a great self-talk but still.....
Anyway, does hypnosis work for anyone. I just need to get some self control. If I do the hypnosis, will I always have to go back for a "tune up"?
Or maybe I should just buck up and get a back bone?
I have gained 25 pounds....got 15 off and now 10 more to go. Which that might have changed within the last couple of days. My ticker is off by at least 15 pounds I can't handle this anymore. I want to get to 199 by New Year but I dont know if I can do it.
Awww hang in there! Sorry you are having such a tough time right now
I haven't tried an actual professional hypnotist but I am pretty much convinced that, whatever I did to get myself to suddenly not be the least bit interested in all the stuff that used to be major triggers for me, was some form of self hypnosis. Makes me think it could work if you are open to their suggestions.
Wish I knew exactly how I did it to myself so I could share it with you and maybe save you a few $$ but I haven't quite figured out what flipped the switch. Sorry
If you decide to see a hypnotist, please take a little time and do some research so you get a good, reputable one. Lots of quacks out there just itching to take your money.
I've been hypnotized before. I can tell you that the thing about being made to do something you don't want to do is a complete myth. All hypnosis is, is a deep state of relaxation that makes your mind more open to holding on to input. If someone hypnotizes you, they cannot "implant" in there the command to not eat or not eat unheathily. All they can do is give you the subconscious suggestion that you eat healthy foods in healthy proportions.
If you are determined enough to eat unhealthy foods, then you can easily, consciously override those suggestions received in hypnosis.
I'm not saying it can't help some people. For some people the subconscious suggestion helps guide them to make better choices w/out really thinking about it.
But if you're determined, then hypnosis isn't going to help much.
I'm not a licensed hypnotherapist by any stretch of the imagination, but I have a bachelor's and master's degree in psych and studied hypnosis and learned to practice hypnosis and self-hypnosis, progressive relaxation, and guided imagery for phobias. They're all similar relaxation techniques and they can be helpful, but they're not an instant cure, especially a one session cure.
Most therapists using hypnosis will either have you come in for multiple (costly) sessions, or will do one session and then give you a tape of that session to play at least once daily (usually before going to bed).
One of the best ways to look at hypnosis is that of a pep talk or practicing in your imagination what you want to do in your daily life.
I found hypnosis tapes and self hypnosis just as successful than a hypnotherapist. With self hypnosis, with or without relaxing music, you just concentrate on relaxing your muscles until you feel like you're floating, or getting heavier (whichever you find more relaxing) and you rehearse messages about eating, or imagine yourself making good choices or turning down tempting foods...
The effects of hypnosis are far from dramatic for most people. There are some people who are very prone to suggestion, but most people aren't. Hypnosis will usually either help a tiny bit or not at all, so for most people having someone hypnotise you is not a very cost-effective solution (especially considering some hypnotists will charge $100 or more for one session). However if you can find a book, or better yet a video on self-hypnosis, it's inexpensive (free if you use the library) and worth trying.
For me, I found that carbohydrates, especially refined or concentrated carbs (very starchy or sugary with little or no fiber) trigger hunger and cravings so severe that hypnosis or a positive mental attitude just couldn't fight. Changing the proportion of carbs worked much better for me than hypnosis.
Ice cream and frozen desserts are a super big trigger food for me. Not too long ago, I bought some Weight Watcher's toffee ice cream bars (12 in a box, 120 calories each, I believe). I should have known better, and if I'd stopped to think about it, I wouldn't have bought them. But, a sale got the better of me, and I convinced myself that I would be able to control myself. And I did better than I would have in the past (would have sat and eaten the whole box in one day), I didn't always stick to one a day, just at bedtime. (Sometimes I can overcome carb-induced cravings, by eating the high-carb food right before bed.)
I'm really learning that there are some foods I really need to stay away from altogether because they trigger physical and psychological cravings that I find difficult to control. It's a physiological response (my husband's diabetic counselor even explained the science behind it), and it's hard to fight biologically driven behavior. Not impossible. Some people manage it, but I figure why make it harder on yourself than you have to.
I don't have any personal experience with this, but I recently saw a show on TLC about Paul McKenna, who is a hypnotist and has a whole program called "I Can Make You Thin". He's had big success in the UK but is not as well known in the US.
The coolest part to me was that he teaches people to associate their cravings with something gross. Like this lady on the show was absolutely addicted to chocolate and was eating pounds of it every day. Just using her imagination he had her picture the chocolate covered in worms, hair from a barber shop floor, and anchovies (her least favorite food) while having her press her fingers together. So in the future when she had the craving she could press those fingers together and it would help her remember that feeling of being grossed out by chocolate.
There's lots of info about this guy on the web, if you do a Google search for Paul McKenna you can find out more. (Sorry I can't post a link, I don't have enough posts yet. )
I bought his book that comes with a cd hypnosis session.
The first time I listened to it, it "clicked" and I was able to bypass things like cookies, cake, goodies. I have not listened to it in a long time, and I have started eating these things again
He does also teach things in the book like ChelseaW said that can help you avoid overeating your binge/trigger foods.
There's a forum at his website also.
This thread is what made me join the site. I have tried a hypontherapy program called " the zen of thin" by Wendi Freisen. Her website is wendi.com. It cost about 150 dollars about 5 years ago. It has an instructional dvd, cd's, a journal. Very nice program. The only problem is you have to use it. I should have bought her procrastination set. I used it for about 1 month then started backsliding. When I was using it everything worked great. I was working out, craving healthy foods, losing 2-3 lbs a week. I hate to exercise and I found myself looking forward to the gym. It works like magic. Then I catch myself not listening to the program, not as interested in the gym verses the TV, ect. So I would say it definitely works, but make it a priority just like you would exercise or the effects fade. Of course I have the whole program and can stop and start anytime for no more cost to me. I have used it 7-8 times in the last 5 years and everytime it works just like it did the first time. I have let school, jobs, boyfriend, travel, excuses, and excuses let me stop the program. I will start it again as it does work. She has a free download or CD on her website that talks about what hypontherapy is and is not, how it works, ect. Hope this answers your questions.
I was actually thinkin about hypnosis myself and got a name and a number to a lady in the town next to me and decided not to do it when I saw the price tag. For 6 sessions it would of been 300+ dollars, and I just can't afford something like that, that might not even work for me. I have heard pros and cons about hypnosis, but don't know if it works or not, or even has any kind of change in a person. If I found a better place at a better price, I might consider it.
I think that it could work ... i heard that it helps to give up smoking, drinking or drugs why not eating!
But it is crazy expensive - on the other hand how much did i spend already on eating or on diets and fintess - maybe it is worth it!
I've done the hypnosis and it was expensive, but worth it. I also stress eat and the thing was, by going to the sessions I had the chance to destress. The hypnotherapist was so nice and taylored each session to whatever my "issues" were that week. I only went 3 times ($$$), and I think that you would have to go pretty consistantly to have permanent results, but the CDs still help me to relax and avoid stress eating.
You could probably get the same results with a hyp Cd and a quiet time appointment with yourself a few times a week. That is probably what I should do more often, but now that I don't go to the appointments life seems to get in the way of that more than it should.
Several years ago I signed up for Positive Changes hypnosis. It was very expensive--I think about $700, but it did help. I got 3 individual sessions with a hypnotherapist where he recorded the session that was tailored to my particular issues & then I went to "group" sessions where I would sit in a theater looking room with headphones & sunglasses that flash lights. The group sessions covered lots of different topics like holiday eating, nutrition & healthy eating. I am a sugar fiend & at the time I was working in an office where my boss had a huge canister of candy on top of her cubicle so I was literally staring at it for 9-10 hours a day. It was a huge temptation for me. With the hypnosis I was not interested. They have closed their shop in town which is bad for me because I had lifetime group sessions so I recently bought one of their light & sound machines & a weight loss hypnosis cd off of ebay & will be starting it up again. I think that even if you don't think it will help as hypnosis, it's just soooo relaxing that it is beneficial just to de-stress.
I did hypnosis to stop smoking years ago. As I recal...I quit for a day at a time after a session...but it never lasted.
My friend at work was seeing a hypnotist and lost about 70 lbs. He thought it was great! I noticed recently that he is rapidly gaining weight. Looks like he has almost gained it all back. I know he is under alot of stress. I haven't asked if he was still seeing the hypnotist.
Hypnosis??
I can't handle this anymore. I want to get to 199 by New Year but I dont know if I can do it.
hang in there! Sorry you are having such a tough time right now 
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