by Charlotte Jane Grimaldi Phillips Dip.Hyp NLP Pract. HPD
Looking at people’s stress levels and their sleep routine also has an impact on their weight. Having a disturbed sleep of less than 7 hours a night has a negative impact on the brain. People require 7-9 hours of good undisturbed sleep a night to balance their cortisol levels. Having a balance of dark and light in your day and a good night’s sleep activates melatonin which helps with weight loss.
Research shows melatonin helps to synchronise circadian rhythms in different parts of your body. Circadian rhythms are physical, mental and behavioural changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. Your sleep-wake cycle is a natural process that responds primarily to light and dark where your pineal gland secretes the highest levels of melatonin during the night and minimal amounts during the day. Low melatonin levels have been linked to obesity, decreased memory and the aging process.
Melatonin fights fat in two major ways: it has the ability to assist in turning fat into energy rather than storing it and it improves thermogenic capacity of the mitochondria. The mitochondria put the calorie burning mechanism into action. Having a bad night’s sleep can make the waist line grow and decrease your memory. A good night’s sleep activates melatonin which helps the waist line shrink and maintains your memory. Without the melatonin people on a diet lose the muscle and hold on to the fat and that’s way dieters plateau after a while when they’re trying to lose weight.
Respected neuroscientist, executive coach and author Dr. Tara Swart emphasises the crucial role of the brain in weight management and explains that our eating behaviours are deeply influenced by neural pathways formed over time. Hypnotherapy and NLP work by rewiring these pathways, creating new, healthier associations with food and eating.
Dr. Tara Swart’s insights on the brain’s role in weight management highlight several key points:
- Neural pathways and eating behaviours: Our eating habits are not just conscious choices but are deeply ingrained in our neural pathways. These pathways are formed over time through repeated behaviours and associations.
- Neuroplasticity: The brain has the ability to rewire itself, known as neuroplasticity. This is the foundation for how hypnotherapy and NLP can create lasting changes in eating behaviours.
- Stress and weight gain: Dr. Swart emphasises the connection between stress and weight gain. Chronic stress leads to elevated cortisol levels, which can promote fat storage, especially around the abdomen.
- Visualisation and physical changes: Dr. Swart references a fascinating study on weightlifters who visualised their workouts. Even without physical exercise, they experienced a 13% increase in muscle mass through visualization alone, demonstrating the power of the mind-body connection.
- Subconscious reprogramming: Hypnotherapy and NLP work by accessing the subconscious mind, where many of our ingrained habits and beliefs about food reside. By altering these deep-seated patterns, these techniques can create more sustainable changes than willpower alone.
- Reframing and positive associations: NLP techniques, in particular, focus on reframing our relationship with food and creating positive associations with healthy eating habits.
- Holistic approach: Dr. Swart advocates for a holistic approach to weight management that considers not just diet and exercise, but also stress management, sleep, and overall brain health.
- Gut-brain connection: She also highlights the importance of the gut-brain connection in weight management, emphasising how our diet affects not just our physical health but also our mental well-being and decision-making processes.
By understanding these neurological aspects of eating behaviours, hypnotherapy and NLP can target the root causes of unhealthy eating patterns, potentially leading to more effective and sustainable weight management strategies.
Hypnotherapy taps into the subconscious mind, where many of our ingrained habits and beliefs reside. By accessing this deeper level of consciousness, hypnotherapists can help individuals reshape their attitudes towards food, eating, and body image.
Neuroplasticity and Weight Loss
Research has shown that hypnosis can alter brain activity in areas associated with impulse control and body awareness. A study published in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis found that hypnosis significantly enhanced weight loss outcomes compared to standard dietary advice alone.
Stress Reduction and Emotional Eating Hypnotherapy is particularly effective in addressing emotional eating, a common barrier to weight loss. By inducing a state of deep relaxation, it helps reduce stress and anxiety, which are often triggers for overeating.
NLP: Reprogramming Eating Behaviours
Neuro-Linguistic Programming, as championed by practitioners like Adam Eason, focuses on the language patterns and mental strategies that influence our behaviours. For weight loss, NLP techniques can be particularly powerful in changing how we think about food and our bodies.
Reframing Techniques
NLP uses reframing to help individuals view food and eating in a new light. For example, instead of seeing a diet as restrictive, it can be reframed as a journey of nourishing the body and enhancing overall well-being4.
Anchoring Positive States
Hypnotherapists working with clients to help them manage their weight, often use NLP anchoring techniques. This involves associating feelings of confidence and control with specific triggers, helping individuals maintain their motivation and resist unhealthy food cravings5.
Combining Hypnotherapy and NLP: A Synergistic Approach
The integration of hypnotherapy and NLP, as practiced by experts like Milton Erickson, creates a powerful synergy for weight loss. This combined approach addresses both the unconscious patterns driving overeating and the conscious decision-making processes involved in food choices.
The Milton Model in Weight Loss
Erickson’s approach uses indirect suggestions and metaphors to bypass conscious resistance. For weight loss, this might involve creating vivid mental imagery of a healthier, more energetic self, motivating the subconscious mind to align with these positive outcomes.
Case Study: Emma’s Journey to Sustainable Weight Loss
Emma, a 38-year-old marketing executive, had struggled with yo-yo dieting for over a decade. Despite initial successes, she always regained the weight, leaving her frustrated and demotivated.
After a series of combined hypnotherapy and NLP sessions:
- Emma learned to use self-hypnosis to manage stress-induced cravings.
- Through NLP reframing, she began to view healthy eating as an act of self-care rather than deprivation.
- Anchoring techniques helped her associate feelings of pride and accomplishment with making nutritious food choices.
- Within four months, Emma had lost 20 pounds and, more importantly, she maintained her weight loss. She reported felt more in control of her eating habits and experienced a significant boost in her self-esteem and confidence.
Practical Techniques for Weight Loss Success
- Dickens Pattern: If you do nothing what does your life look like in the future a month away, in a year, etc. If you take action what does your life look in the future a month away, in a year, etc.
- Excuses Blown: looking at the stories you tell yourself to enable your craving and eating habits. Do they serve you? Do you want to carry on using these excuses?
- Mindful Eating Visualisation: After looking at values and beliefs, eating habits and triggers, this hypnotherapy technique involves vividly imagining the process of mindful eating, engaging all senses to create a more satisfying and in control eating experience.
- Future Self Projection: a visual body sculpture of yourself as your ideal body size, weight and image. Individuals visualise their future selves at their ideal weight, creating a powerful motivational tool and a clear goal to work towards.
- Craving Control Anchoring: NLP technique establishing a physical anchor (for example, pressing thumb and forefinger together) associated with feelings of control, which can be activated when facing food temptations.
- Portion Control Hypnosis: Hypnotic suggestions are used to reinforce the idea of satisfaction with smaller portions, helping to naturally reduce calorie intake.
The Future of Weight Management
As our understanding of the brain’s role in eating behaviours grows, so does the potential for hypnotherapy and NLP in weight management. Dr. Tara Swart’s work on neuroplasticity suggests that these techniques can create lasting changes in neural pathways related to eating habits and body image.
Hypnotherapy and NLP offer a unique and scientifically-supported approach to weight loss that goes beyond simple calorie counting. By addressing the psychological aspects of eating and weight management, these techniques provide tools for lasting change. As with any weight loss approach, it’s essential to combine these methods with a balanced diet and regular physical activity for optimal results.
Remember, the journey to sustainable weight loss is personal and multifaceted. With patience, practice, and the right techniques, it’s possible to transform your relationship with food and achieve your weight loss goals in a healthy, sustainable manner.
The Hypnotherapy Process
When you choose to work with Charlotte Phillips at What Is Your Story Hypnotherapy, you can expect a personalised, supportive experience:
- Initial Consultation: Charlotte will assess your specific procrastination challenges and the goals you’re struggling to achieve.
- Customised Hypnotherapy Plan: Based on your needs, Charlotte will develop a tailored hypnotherapy programme, incorporating appropriate storytelling and imagery techniques.
- Guided Hypnosis Sessions: During each session, you’ll be gently guided into a state of deep relaxation, where Charlotte will use vivid imagery and suggestions to help you overcome procrastination and boost motivation.
- Self-Hypnosis Training: You’ll learn techniques to practice self-hypnosis, empowering you to maintain momentum and tackle procrastination independently.
- Follow-up and Adjustment: Charlotte will monitor your progress and adjust the hypnotherapy approach as needed to ensure optimal results.
If you’re ready to stop putting things off and start taking action, contact What Is Your Story Hypnotherapy today. Together with Charlotte Phillips, you can begin to rewrite your procrastination story and discover the satisfaction of consistent progress and accomplishment in all areas of your life.
If you want to improve your performance, consider consulting a qualified hypnotherapist who also uses NLP techniques. These approaches can help you unlock your full potential and achieve your goals.
At What Is Your Story Hypnotherapy, Charlotte Phillips is committed to helping you write a new chapter on managing your weight.
Research
[1] Yapko, M. D. (2010). Hypnosis in the treatment of depression: Strategies for change. Routledge.
[2] Barrios, A. A. (1988). Hypnosis as a possible method to reduce test anxiety and improve academic performance. Australian Journal of Clinical Hypnotherapy and Hypnosis, 9(2), 55-66.
[3] Milling, L. S., Gover, M. C., & Moriarty, C. L. (2018). The effectiveness of hypnosis as an intervention for obesity: A meta-analytic review. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice, 5(1), 29-45.
[4] Kirsch, I. (1996). Hypnotic enhancement of cognitive-behavioural weight loss treatments—Another meta-reanalysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(3), 517-519.
[5] Yapko, M. D. (2012). Trancework: An introduction to the practice of clinical hypnosis. Routledge.
[6] Rossi, E. L., & Rossi, K. L. (2007). The neuroscience of observing consciousness & mirror neurons in therapeutic hypnosis. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 50(1), 1-26.
[7] Gruzelier, J. H. (2014). EEG-neurofeedback for optimising performance. I: A review of cognitive and affective outcome in healthy participants. Neuroscience & Biobehavioural Reviews, 44, 124-141.