A different approach to weight loss: emotional nourishment

Zara Baker witnesses hypnotherapy for weight loss in action with Jonathan Conway

The diet industry is big business (no pun intended), with fad diets the go to solution for yo-yo dieters and obesity an increasing problem here in the UK in recent years. The solution sounds simple enough: eat well, eat less, and move more. But actually doing so is another thing entirely, which takes us back to the diet industry making the big bucks. It’s a vicious cycle, but getting to the root of the problem through hypnotherapy can help.

When I first introduced Kate to Jonathan Conway of The Conway Practice, I myself had some doubts. Can hypnotherapy really help her to shed the unwanted pounds?

Kate, who is director of a Brighton business, a manager of 35 staff, a wife, and a mum of three, is by no means obese. However, she has fallen into a cycle of unhealthy eating, where she knows she doesn’t want it, but she eats it anyway. Sound familiar?

Delving deeper into the reasons behind Kate’s overeating, it’s a by-product of low self esteem (like many unhealthy psychological habits), being a perfectionist, and a fear of losing control. By choosing to eat recklessly, Kate is in control. But, as is always the way with bad habits, she feels worse afterwards. And so the cycle continues.

“On the surface Kate is like a duck, composed and gliding along. Beneath the water she is paddling like mad”

What may be surprising is that on the outside Kate doesn’t appear to lack confidence at all; she has no time to worry while she’s managing staff and meeting clients. It goes to show that problems can be underlying, and issues such as anxiety and stress can affect anyone, no matter how perfect things look from the outside. A lovely analogy Kate tells me is that she is like a duck: on the surface she is gliding along, composed and fine. Beneath the water she is paddling like mad.

Kate knows that her self esteem takes a knock when her clothes are tight in the morning, and that when she looks good, she feels good and has more energy. Hypnotherapy will be used to improve her outlook and help her regain control and eat healthily.

Through hypnotherapy, Kate can see food for what it is: nourishment. If she finds the time to look after herself, doing the things she loves and being kinder to herself, she has the emotional nourishment she needs and won’t turn to food and alcohol instead.

Hypnotherapy allows the conscious and unconscious mind to become open. Counting up from one to 20, Jonathan encourages Kate to enter a hypnotic state. It is now that she can address her feelings and adjust her thinking patterns. These include stopping to ask herself if it’s a physical or emotional hunger she feels before she reaches for food, and what other options does she have? Jonathan tells Kate to find resources within herself to become slimmer and take control. He tells her to picture her clothes fitting looser and feeling more confident, lighter and calmer.

Tapping into the unconscious mind can make changes easily, safely and effortlessly and this is what I witness firsthand. Kate lets go of her conscious desire to overeat and is naturally drawn to healthier foods. At the same time as addressing Kate’s eating patterns, Jonathan encourages her to be kinder to herself, taking time for herself and to allow healing.

As Kate is counted back to reality, she is calm but emotional. She feels peaceful and looked after. Jonathan has enabled her to use her unconscious mind to move forward past the unhealthy eating. Being in touch with this feeling of calm has encouraged Kate to be more at peace and letting this quality into her life. Through the hypnotherapy session, she feels the spirit and warmth from within herself and realises there’s a difference between being and doing.

Try it for yourself, whether your problem lies with overeating, alcohol abuse, smoking or low self esteem. Hypnotherapy is an emotional and individual experience and witnessing it firsthand is incredible. It’s a tried and tested effective tool for changing destructive thinking patterns and facilitating positive change. Remember we’re human beings, not human doers. By witnessing Kate’s hypnotherapy session, even I am allowed to step back and smell the roses for a while. It’s so easy to get caught up in the demands and stresses of modern life, but hypnotherapy lets you focus on you. It lets you just ‘be’.

Jonathan Conway, NLP Master Practitioner & Coach, practises in Hove. Contact 01273 540425/07956 855 027, www.theconwaypractice.co.uk