Fitness — Page 2

Hypnosis, thanks to the movies, the very word conjures up the picture of a beady-eyed hypnotist swinging a watch on a chain and chanting, “You are getting sleepy.”

Use any Internet search engine and you will find several million pages devoted to the topic. Unfortunately, many websites that sell hypnosis programs make wild and crazy, unsubstantiated claims. I’ve been in the industry since 1978. So I think that I’m more than expert enough to set the record straight on weight loss hypnosis.

First of all, hypnotism is a tool, just like a scalpel is a tool. Just as different surgeons have diversified levels of skill in the use of a scalpel, different hypno-technicians have varying levels of skill in the use of hypnotism. And to complicate the matter, there are different types of hypnotism.

Here are just a few of the wild claims about weight loss hypnosis that I’ve read about on websites on the Internet, along with the the real story:

”Hypnotherapy will speed up your metabolism.” The truth is that hypnotism can’t directly speed up your metabolism. But it can be very effective at helping to program your unconscious with increased motivation to exercise. And exercise will increase your metabolic rate. Similarly, hypnotism to speed up the metabolism for quick weight loss can be effected by programming the unconscious to motivate the intake of increased amounts of protein, because that intake will step up your metabolic rate.

”Hypnotherapy will make you become thinner.” This is false. But hypnotism can be used to help clean out your appetite, so that you eat less. And eating less can help you to become thinner. The average person’s appetite and cravings for food and compulsion to eat are caused by two subconscious programs:

A. When you pair eating with any other behavior, the other behavior will trigger cravings for food and an overwhelming desire to eat. This is called a conditioned response. For example, if you eat as you talk on the phone, you will get an urge to eat each time you get on the telephone.

B. When you feel tense, you feel an urge to put something into your mouth for relaxation and pleasure. This is because of programming that you received as a baby. When you got difficult, your mom put a bottle in your mouth. You got distracted, relaxed, and probably fell asleep. Now when you get cranky (anxious or tense), you feel compelled to put something into your mouth for relaxation and pleasure.

C. There is a third unconscious program that is present for some people. It’s called emotional eating. Emotional eating takes place when an individual is motivated to make him or herself fat, because by being fat they will protect themselves in some way. For example, if an individual gets their heart broken in a relationship, their unconscious can motivate them into a behavior that would prevent them from getting their heart broken again. Example: They are motivated to gain weight to keep them out of another relationship, because that will eliminate the possibility of another broken heart.

So just how can self-hypnosis for losing weight overcome the above problems? Click here to read the remainder of this weight loss hypnosis article.

I’ve written several articles on this complex topic that available on my website. These articles illustrate some effective techniques for using hypnotherapy for emotional eating.

Alan B. Densky, CH is the developer of the Neuro-VISION Video Weight Loss Hypnosis CDs, which was granted a US Patent. He also offers Ericksonian Hypnosis & NLP CDs for appetite suppression. Visit the Neuro-VISION Weight Loss Hypnosis website and download a FREE Hypnotic Power Relaxation Program, or subscribe to one or more of the world-class hypnosis newsletters.

– Alan Densky

The Best Life Diet is a popular lifestyle program for losing weight. It is famously known as one of the ways to lose weight supported by Oprah Winfrey. Determined users of this diet program may expect gradual weight loss and improved health over time. It is fairly easy to follow, with only three phases, very few limitations, and steady lifestyle changes that enhance weight loss.

The initial part of the diet is known as Phase One, and lasts up to a month. During this time, dieters slowly begin to get physically active and change their diet habits. Dieters are encouraged to eat one snack and three meals every day, avoid eating within two hours before bed, and take vitamins daily. Unlike some other diet plans, the first phase of the Best Life diet program is more followable and gives dieters a better chance at succeeding with this plan.

Phase Two of the diet program lasts at least four weeks or longer, depending on your progress. During this stage, dieters continue a healthy approach to dieting and increased physical activity. Dieters also face some of the underlying problems that prevent weight loss, such as emotional eating and appetite control issues. Dieters track their progress with weekly weigh-ins and develop healthy diet and exercise habits that allow them to reach their goal weight.

Phase Three is the lifetime maintenance phase, a stage found in many lifestyle diet plans. During phase three, dieters try to cut more unhealthy foods from their diets and consume more nutritious, unprocessed foods. Dieters can still have a wide variety of foods, even the foods that are not considered “healthy,” in moderation. This balanced approach to eating allows dieters to have the foods they want without feeling guilty or deprived. Dieters also maintain an exercise regimen in order to stay at their ideal weight.

One of the best parts about the Best Life diet program is the variety of foods that you are allowed to eat. During Phases One and Two, very few foods are actually banned, but there are six categories of foods that you must avoid. These foods are white bread, fried foods, soft drinks, foods containing trans-fats, regular pasta made with white flour (whole grain pasta is allowed), and high-fat dairy products. Dieters can resume eating these foods during Phase Three, but for at least eight weeks during the first two phases, these foods are all restricted.

The Best Life diet program offers a sensible and reasonable plan for losing weight, but even the best diet plans won’t work if dieters are unable to stick to them. The hardest aspect of this and other diet plans is staying focused and being able to successfully overcome the mental obstacles that prevent weight loss. This is the reason why weight loss hypnosis is a perfect complement to any diet. Hypnotherapy is extremely effective as a weight loss tool because it resolves the underlying issues that keep dieters from losing weight.

One issue hypnotherapy successfully treats is emotional eating. People inadvertently develop the habit emotional eating when they eat in response to their feelings, such as when they feel bored or worried. This results in a “conditioned” mechanism so people tend to overeat when they experience certain feelings, even when they are not really hungry. A hypnotherapy technique works by helping the unconscious break the association between food and our emotions. When we no longer feel an unnecessary urge to eat, we feel automatic appetite suppression and can lose weight effectively.

Motivation is another area in which hypnosis can help a struggling dieter. Hypnotherapy prevents dieters from abandoning their desire to take weight off and keeps them dedicated. Some of the questions men and women on the Best Life diet program are instructed to think about are how they became overweight, why do they want to lose weight, and what has kept them from losing weight in the past. A high quality hypnotherapy program will also tackle these issues to make people unconsciously and consciously feel a duty to lose weight. Hypnotic therapy helps people build a positive attitude and stay on track with weight loss goals.

According to the Best Life diet program, the means to success for taking off weight are in portion control, selecting healthy and satisfying foods, and getting regular physical activity. These things help men and women naturally reduce their weight. You can get this natural weight loss through hypnotherapy by teaching yourself techniques from a high quality diet hypnotherapy CD program. Used with the Best Life diet program, hypnotherapy is an effective tool for weight loss that can help many men and women become fit and slim for life.

Alan B. Densky, CH is an NGH Certified Hypnotherapist. Visit his self-hypnosis website for Free NLP videos, newsletters, and downloads. He offers several ways to lose weight, including video hypnotism for weight loss DVDs and lose weight self-hypnosis CDs.

– Alan Densky

Self-Hypnosis – Can It Really Help You Lose Weight?

Ways To Take Off Weight With The Best Life Lifestyle Plan