Dieting, by definition, is a temporary food plan. It is implemented to help you lose the extra pounds you wish to lose. But long-term diets don’t work, and evidence shows that people often regain the weight they lost within the first year. Another reason diets don’t work is that they don’t work with the underlying emotional reason for your eating patterns. There is a correlation between early adverse childhood experiences and obesity. Using hypnotherapy and a trauma-informed perspective, I help you understand the underlying reasons for your eating patterns and find new ways of long-term healthy eating. How does Virtual Gastric Band Hypnotherapy help you lose weight? Virtual gastric band hypnotherapy is a 4–6-week programme that helps you reprogramme old, outdated subconscious beliefs and food habits. The virtual gastric band is not about restricting foods. It's about changing your mindset around food. Becoming aware of your body's natural hunger cues. Being aware of the type of food you are eating and supporting your body to be healthy and work for you.
The aim is for you to feel satisfied with three small meals a day and to have a long-term mindset change around food and exercise.
Why is it so difficult to eat healthily?
When we are born, we instinctively know how much food we need. We listen intuitively to our bodies and take in the right amount of milk until we are satisfied. Unfortunately, some of us lose this ability to eat intuitively through the messages we receive growing up.
When we stop listening to our body's requirements and messages of hunger and satisfaction and learn that other people know what is best for our body, we switch off this natural ability to listen to our body's messages.
How do unhealthy eating habits develop?
There are so many different ways this happens because different people have different experiences. Here are the most common reasons why someone might develop an unhealthy relationship with food:
- Being told to eat it up because there are starving children worldwide and that wasting food is not good. When we are told by others to eat up, even if our body is saying it is satisfied, over time, we learn not to listen to our own instincts and feelings of satisfaction.
- Perhaps you grew up in a house where food was in short supply, which meant you felt hungry. This can develop into a subconscious belief that you have to eat food whenever available because you might not get fed again for a while.
- Maybe in the past, food was your comfort. If food became a way for you to avoid feeling the feelings that made you upset and uncomfortable, whenever you are upset, angry, let down or hurt, you now turn to food as your comfort.
- For some people, weight can be a protective mechanism. For example, People who have been emotionally, physically, or sexually abused in the past may use their weight to hide for fear of being noticed. This is very often a subconscious measure that people aren't aware of.
- For other people, it may simply be they are eating more food than their body needs. Eating food that isn't healthy or a combination of both. Reducing portion sizes and focusing on nutritious food will help them to be the size and shape they want.
What happens in the hypnotherapy sessions?
As I mentioned before, working with your subconscious mind, we can work with those deep-rooted beliefs surrounding food and, at the same time, train your subconscious mind to imagine there is a band around the top part of your stomach. Creating a small pouch. This means you feel satisfied quicker and on smaller amounts of food. Clever right?
Gastric band hypnotherapy aims to "reprogram" your mind with fresh, new beliefs that give you more control over your mindset around food. The fantastic thing is this isn't a diet. So, there are no feelings of deprivation, cheat days, or sins. You get to eat healthy, nutritious foods that your body can thrive on while enjoying your favourite foods in smaller portions.
During the first session, you will be given an MP3 to listen to for 28 days. The audio is personalised to you and backs up the work we do in the face-to-face sessions.
Each session is tailored to your personal eating style and the foods you find unhelpful in helping you lose weight.
Is the virtual gastric band safe?
Unlike gastric band surgery, the virtual gastric band is 100% safe. There's no recovery period, and it won't harm your mind or body. In fact, you will find you have more confidence and control in your decision-making once you have the sessions. The fantastic thing about hypnotherapy is that it can positively affect other areas of your life. Many clients report having improved motivation, sleep, and confidence.
It is also a fraction of the price, with gastric band surgery costing upwards of £3200. My 4–6-week programme costs £260- £390, with most people spending on average £260.
Why is the programme 4-6 weeks?
The standard programme is a 4-week programme with a set protocol that we work through. However, for some people, diet, weight, and food mindset can be deep-rooted, especially if they are linked to trauma from childhood.
For this reason, the programme may become a 6-week programme. If we need to work on a specific belief for a bit longer, I will do this sensitively. However, I do my best to keep it in the 4 weeks whilst also taking care of your emotional wellbeing.
How do I get started?
If you want to know more about how I can help you lose weight and feel confident and healthy, being the size and shape that's right for you, please contact me here for your free 45-minute consultation.