Hypnosis to lose weight: how does it work?

[Article updated on 19/09/2023]

People who are overweight or obese know how difficult it is to lose weight through diet alone. This is especially true since weight loss requires a varied and balanced diet, but also the practice of a sporting activity. However, there are various strategies or techniques that can significantly help you achieve your weight loss goals with great success. Solutions such as a cure PhenQ, a dietary supplement, can help you. Hypnosis is another avenue. It is, of course, not the miracle solution, nor a magic pill, but could help you strengthen the will and motivation, the determination, the mastery, the patience and the dose of perseverance which may prove necessary to achieve weight loss goals. Would hypnosis then be effective for losing weight? Does this technique of practicing hypnosis to lose weight really work? If yes, how do we proceed? Let us therefore analyze the different facets of hypnosis in relation to weight loss before expressing our opinion.

What is hypnosis ?

The word “hypnosis” comes from the Greek term “hupnos” which means sleep. It is used to designate a modified state of consciousness which is very different from sleep, in particular, and which is neither a loss of consciousness. It is a state which lies between sleep and wakefulness and during which the subject does not lose contact with reality, nor the ability to reason. He is aware of everything that is happening around him. He is, of course, mentally calm, relaxed in a state of muscular relaxation, but maintains exclusive attention. It is a state of attention associated with a state of concentration of the mind which is not hampered by aspects of external reality, but is preoccupied with ideas, emotions and is receptive to suggestions.

This particular state of consciousness is very different from the hypnosis which is presented during the shows. This is a hypnotic state or a hypnotic trance which is carried out by a hypnotherapist. Hypnosis can be induced by a hypnotherapist or by oneself (self-hypnosis).

Hypnosis also refers to all the processes used to achieve this altered state of consciousness. It is, then, a technique which induces a state of concentration which aims to introduce a change in the life of the subject.

Hypnosis, as an altered state of consciousness, is carried out for therapeutic purposes. We speak of clinical hypnosis to differentiate it from that which is carried out to entertain spectators (spectacle hypnosis). Induced through suggestion from the hypnotherapist or oneself (self-hypnosis), it aims to better control certain symptoms, to modify behaviors that the subject wishes to change, to treat problems of various origins (somatic, psychosomatic, psychiatric). Pain, addictions, anxiety, asthma, anxiety, disorders (sexuality, sleep, nutrition), food compulsions, eating behavior problems (bulimia, diet, anorexia, loss of weight) are, among other things, therapeutic applications of hypnosis.

What is hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy is therapy under hypnosis or the application of hypnosis for therapeutic purposes. Hypnosis is therefore used as part of therapy to treat disorders or all kinds of situations that affect a subject. Hypnotherapy aims to develop this altered state of consciousness with a view to:

• to reach the unconscious,
• mobilize buried memories and deep resources of the unconscious,
• and communicate more effectively with the unconscious.

Anyone who practices hypnosis is a hynotherapist. It offers suggestions for inducing an altered state of consciousness which is used to modify certain behaviors, to heal, relieve the subject or to help them find a solution that facilitates the elimination of a disorder. To connect the subject to his unconscious, the hypnotherapist will offer mental images to create relaxation and relaxation on a physical and mental level. When you are a client, the hynotherapist draws you, through his know-how, into a state of deep relaxation. Once you are in this state, but still conscious, it uses visualization, hypnotic suggestion or many other techniques to offer tools to structure modifications and / or changes of a behavioral, emotional, motor nature. , etc. Hypnotherapy thus makes it possible to generate change by allowing access to the unconscious to improve self-understanding.

What is the hypnosis method for losing weight?

Hypnosis to lose weight translates the use of an altered state of consciousness in order to help a subject lose weight in a gentle and healthy way. This involves inducing the subject into a state of hypnotic trance in order to generate motivation and other resources (self-esteem, self-confidence) which will enable them to lose weight. Hypnosis for weight loss is associated with the implementation of a plan to reprogram the body and mind for weight loss by having access to the unconscious. With the hypnosis method for losing weight, there is learning at the body level in order to bring it to live according to a pattern which fits within the framework of weight loss objectives.

In fact, the unconscious is reprogrammed in order to direct your body towards thinness or to bring it to integrate physiological and psychological changes which will promote weight loss.

This hypnotherapeutic approach aims to induce:

• harmony between the body, the unconscious and the relationship with food;
• a change in behavior regarding food.

In the hypnosis method for losing weight, it is not a question of setting up or imposing a diet, but of reprogramming the unconscious with a view to resolving the problems linked to overeating, at the level of the unconscious or of tackle the root causes of excess weight that are buried in the unconscious.

Hypnosis is thus used to detect the causes of obesity, to act on them, to free you from any weight gain problem or any emotional problem that prevents you from losing weight, while using the unconscious as an ally to lose weight gradually and gently.

Does the hypnosis method for losing weight really work?

The objective of using hypnosis in a therapeutic setting aims to modify the state of consciousness with objectives which are at the heart of the suggestions emanating from the hypnotherapist. These suggestions relate to behavior; they aim to promote in the subject a penchant for healthy foods and to strengthen the ability to resist when the feeling of hunger prevails. These suggestions also aim to reduce anxiety and strengthen self-confidence. They will integrate your unconscious, promote a structural modification of certain eating habits or generate new automatisms which will allow you not to give in to certain desires, as was the case in the past.

Hypnosis works, therefore, by acting at the unconscious level through suggestions, with a view to modifying the subject’s behavior in the face of real-life situations. Beliefs, ideas buried in the unconscious and which dictate behavior, are replaced by fairer and healthier ideas through suggestions to promote healthier behaviors in relation to food.

Hypnosis will allow the subject to find within themselves resources that will allow them to fight or resist behaviors that promote weight gain. Thus, it will help you resolve certain psychological problems that push you to constantly snack on food or certain emotional problems that are the cause of overeating.

But, for hypnosis to work and contribute to weight loss, the subject must be receptive to hypnosis. If you are one of the people who cannot be hypnotized, hypnosis is not an appropriate approach for you.

Also, the success of this therapy requires great motivation on the part of the subject, but also conditions conducive to relaxation, including a calm environment in which silence prevails. The interaction between the hypnotherapist and the subject who is under hypnosis must not be disturbed by external noises or stimuli.

How can you lose weight with hypnosis?

It is possible to lose weight thanks to hypnosis which is based on suggestion and works at the unconscious level to modify certain eating behaviors or thought patterns with regard to food. Hypnosis acts at the deeper level to break unconscious automatisms, to introduce emotional changes which affect eating behavior or allow certain eating habits to be modified. Thus, it allows you to lose weight sustainably by acting in various quite effective ways.

• By learning to be relaxed

Hypnosis induces a state of deep relaxation which allows you to be relaxed with a beneficial effect for people who are tense or stressed. Indeed, stress can be the main source of overeating and weight gain. Significant stress can generate emotional hunger, a desire to eat which encourages snacking, thus causing poor eating habits.

Hypnosis will target the source of these bad eating habits by allowing you to treat stress and teach you how to manage it differently. It allows you to manage various negative emotions, including fears and tensions, which disrupt emotional balance. By helping to better manage stress, addressing the underlying cause of stress and restoring emotional balance, hypnosis facilitates weight loss.

• By fighting food urges

Hypnotherapy is an effective technique that allows you to avoid or free yourself from food urges which are often the causes of overeating. These uncontrollable, even unreasonable, urges to eat can result in overweight or obesity. Hypnosis makes it possible to act on these impulses which push the subject to eat more to fill an emotional void, to fight against discomfort or negative emotions. This therapeutic tool makes it possible to identify the causes of eating disorders, but also to overcome them.

Thus, by establishing a modified state of consciousness, the hypnotic work will promote, at the unconscious level, the installation of new automatisms which will help you to overcome food urges and improve your eating habits to get rid of food cravings. uncontrolled. It will free you from impulses linked to emotions.

Hypnosis allows you to eliminate uncontrolled behaviors with regard to food and replace them with healthier behaviors that will help you lose weight.

• By helping to work on feelings of hunger and satiety

Weight gain may be linked to eating too much. When you are unable to adjust your diet to your needs or when you eat excessively or out of greed without taking into account the signals sent by the body, you cannot reduce your weight. Certain emotions can push you to eat without real hunger.

Hypnosis allows you to work on the sensation of hunger and satiety to allow you to adopt eating behaviors adapted to your needs. It will allow you to improve the identification of the feeling of hunger, to better differentiate physiological hunger from emotional hunger and to stop eating when you reach satiety.

Hypnotic work will thus make it possible to act at the unconscious level to induce new habits and new eating behaviors by effectively regulating appetite and the feeling of hunger and thus losing weight. In doing so, hypnosis will allow you to:

• regain the eating sensations of natural hunger and satiety,
• eat naturally while respecting your appetites.

Self-hypnosis to lose weight

Hypnosis initiated in the hypnotherapist’s office is followed, in many cases, by a self-hypnosis session. It is the subject himself who practices this self-hypnosis after having learned certain techniques which induce hypnosis, from the hypnotherapist. Self-hypnosis is, therefore, a state of hypnosis which is achieved by the subject himself, sometimes, after a few sessions with a hypnotherapist or through training. The subject guides himself to access a modified state of consciousness by his own means, either by proceeding by visualization or by formulating suggestions. He immerses himself in a state of hypnotic trance to connect with his subconscious. These self-hypnosis sessions aim to continue the therapy initiated in the office or to prolong the effects of the hypnosis that has been started.

Thus, you can self-hypnotize yourself with a view to losing weight by calling on your subconscious to modify negative programming or eliminate harmful beliefs or habits that prevent you from losing weight. This self-hypnosis is a strategy for reprogramming your unconscious with the aim of getting it to make the necessary changes in your beliefs and habits to lose weight naturally. Thus, self-hypnosis is also a particularly effective way to lose weight, by better managing peaks of desire, and better prepare for the meal” (1).

To do this, you must:

• Set a goal in relation to your weight loss goal that you plan to achieve in a given time.
• Take a comfortable position (sitting in a chair or lying on your back on a bed) to begin the self-hypnosis session.
• Practice abdominal breathing for mental calm.
• Adopt the muscle relaxation technique to promote a state of rest and relaxation in order to facilitate access to your subconscious.
• Use autosuggestion to program your unconscious with positive phrases or hypnotic suggestions that you repeat so that they become integrated into it. The suggestion is therefore the sentence that you repeat to your unconscious which will find solutions to help you achieve your weight loss goals or find new behaviors. It’s your unconscious that does the therapeutic work. The unconscious is an excellent therapeutic ally. The search for a solution therefore takes place within yourself.
• Come out of the hypnotic trance state by waking up and opening your eyes.

There are also sessions recorded on audio files to facilitate self-hypnosis.

Hypnosis to lose weight: what are the opinions and testimonials on various forums?

There are several reviews and testimonials and opinions on various forums regarding hypnosis in relation to weight loss. Many of those who have experienced hypnosis have been satisfactory and do not hesitate to testify on various forums.

This is the case of Epiard who expresses himself in these terms: “I used hypnosis for weight loss following a pregnancy. (…) The hypnosis session allowed me… to lose weight. The effects were very rapid and above all unconscious. The scale indicates that I am losing weight and my confidence has returned: a great success to continue” (2).

Some Internet users specify the weight they have lost over time thanks to hypnosis on other forums:

”Once the first hypnosis session was over, I let 15 days pass. So it’s mid-September. I lost 8 kilos. The second session lasted approximately 1h30. 2 weeks later, I lost 6 kilos” (3). So some people feel the effects of hypnotherapy after the first sessions. ‘’… and the result was immediately noticed. It’s been a month since the session and I’ve lost 11cm (I mean eleven!) around my waist and 3 or 4 less on my hips. As you can imagine, I am delighted!’’ (4).

Thus, after having used hypnosis to lose weight, opinions and testimonials from various forums highlight the success of hypnosis sessions, including significant weight loss.

Is hypnosis an effective therapeutic technique for weight loss?

Hypnosis is therapeutic in itself. It leads to positive changes or makes it possible to lastingly modify the behaviors which are the cause of weight gain in many patients. Thus, it allows you to improve certain eating habits or adopt behaviors that will allow you to lose weight, for example, stopping snacking. In doing so, “hypnosis does not make you lose weight in a miraculous way,” explains Jean-Jacques Garet. But it creates a desire for change by modifying values ​​such as conviviality, love and self-esteem or respect for one’s body (..)” (5).

Hypnotherapy can, therefore, improve weight loss as highlighted by several studies which reveal the potential effects of hypnosis in relation to weight loss.

Thus, “A few studies have evaluated the use of weight loss hypnosis. Most studies have shown slight weight loss, with an average loss of about 6 pounds (2.7 kilograms) over 18 months (6).

Many other studies reveal that hypnosis is an effective treatment for weight loss, as is the case with this study in which “109 people followed behavioral treatment for weight loss, with or without hypnosis. After 2 years, the hypnotherapy group continued to lose weight under hypnosis, while the control group showed fewer weight changes” (7). People treated with hypnosis therefore showed weight loss.

My opinion

Hypnotherapy is an excellent therapy that has positive effects, allowing you to develop behaviors likely to promote weight loss. It should be noted that hypnosis is not a miracle pill that will melt fat in the body overnight. However, it influences certain eating behaviors or modifies them with a view to weight loss. In many cases, it improves dietary control, thus making it possible to achieve weight loss goals. It induces satisfactory results when weight gain is linked to behavioral or psychological problems. It can help a subject lose weight.

But the effectiveness of hypnosis in relation to weight loss is sometimes limited, or even insufficient. Indeed, not everyone is receptive to hypnosis. Thus, in certain subjects who cannot be hypnotized, hypnosis will not have significant effects and will not contribute to weight loss. It does not always offer guarantees of success, especially when weight gain is linked to pathologies, physiological factors or serious eating disorders.

Hypnosis to lose weight is not a magic wand and the results are not always convincing. Despite this limited effectiveness, in many cases, hypnosis can be a good complementary tool capable of improving the effectiveness of certain slimming programs or certain therapies aimed at reducing body mass. Therefore, results may be better if hypnosis is combined with other weight management methods or treatments.

Sources:

(1) Vincent Roucayrol: Weight loss in ATMA hypnosis

(2) Anne-Solène DELORD: Change through hypnosis in hypnonantes.fr

(3) Jean Chrysostome: My Opinion on Hypnosis and Self-Hypnosis for Weight Loss, in Cofacerating.fr, October 2017

(4) hypnoprocess: Testimonials and opinions on therapeutic hypnosis, hypnoprocess.fr

(5) CAROLE GARNIER: Losing weight thanks to hypnosis is possible, Top Santé, October 2016

(6) Katherine Zeratsky: Is weight loss hypnosis effective?, Mayo Clinic, October 2015

(7) Nutrition Guide: Hypnosis to lose weight: weight loss under hypnosis, nutrition.guide