Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Has anyone used hypnotherapy for weight loss?

32 replies

ImFree2doasiwant · 20/02/2022 22:23

And most importantly, had success with it?

Genuinely not asking for myself, but someone close to me who is really struggling with her weight. She's tried so many diets, methods etc over the past few years and is only gaining more weight after initial loss. Comfort eating and binge eating. 5ft 3 abd 16.5 st.

I had wondered if it might help, didn't like to suggest it but she brought it up herself recently.

OP posts:
starsinthegutter · 21/02/2022 09:39

I would also be interested to hear people's experiences.

Fatandnearly50 · 21/02/2022 12:41

I’d also be interested if anyone has any experience.

Original poster
ImFree2doasiwant · 22/02/2022 08:16

Just bumping in the hope of some answers.

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

General health Weight management
Eddmr · 22/02/2022 08:20

I did and it didn't work. There were a few things that she did/said that made me doubt it so I guess then it was never going to work.

iridescentpaint · 22/02/2022 08:21

Yes and it worked short term for me, maybe if I could have afforded to keep going it would have been more successful in the long term. My hypnotherapist used EFT which is emotional freedom technique, which I would definitely recommend to help with past issues causing overeating. Unfortunately for me I have had to accept I am stuck with being overweight and having a poor relationship with food. Hope this helps.

deyhuggy · 22/02/2022 08:38

A friend of mine tried it and it did not work. She ended up having gastric bypass surgery

mogschristmascalamity · 22/02/2022 08:50

Didnt work for me. Mind you was a Groupon deal so didnt lose much money.

He was wittering on and I was mentally doing a shopping list. Armchair was lumpy too.

heldinadream · 22/02/2022 08:55

Yes I did about 45 years ago - I'm 67. I remember he needed me to specify which foods I found difficult and I mentioned cream cheese so we focussed on cream cheese. I've never felt any attraction or craving for cream cheese since. If I look into the fridge and there's cream cheese it's the last thing I'll eat.

That's all I remember. Had no effect whatsoever on weight loss, food intake, or anything else, but totally weaned me off cream cheese.
Make of that what you will. Grin

UltimateIrritant · 22/02/2022 19:04

I used Paul McKenna 'I can make you slim' years ago. Not sure if it was this or just that the time was right, but I went on to lose 4 stone - it just wasn't as hard as previous attempts to lose the weight.

starsinthegutter · 22/02/2022 22:39

@UltimateIrritant

I used Paul McKenna 'I can make you slim' years ago. Not sure if it was this or just that the time was right, but I went on to lose 4 stone - it just wasn't as hard as previous attempts to lose the weight.
Did you manage to maintain the weight loss?
UltimateIrritant · 23/02/2022 09:15

I kept it off for a couple of years, but gradually put 3/4 back on. Pure laziness on my part, I didn't take the opportunity to change my long term eating habits essentially, and in my excitement of being able to fit into anything I took eye of the ball and it crept back on - I enjoy the 'bad stuff' too much. Also stopped using the cd! Will be trying it again shortly though.

starsinthegutter · 23/02/2022 10:37

I think whatever people do, it's extremely hard to sustain weight loss long term, past the 5 year mark. Some theories suggest the body has a set point. Very few things work long time.

LilyRose88 · 23/02/2022 11:02

I tried it a couple of times and it worked for me in the short term, but had no long term effects on my eating habits. I think I lost about 7lbs each time but put the weight back on after about 6 months.

womaninatightspot · 23/02/2022 11:23

I use Gastric band by Paul McKenna on audible. In all honesty I also do 16:8 fasting during the week (not at weekend or over christmas holsBlush). I think it's helped with training myself not to feel hungry when fasting and not to binge like crazy when I do eat. I started in October and have dropped 6Kg, a dress size and a couple of BMI points. I don't calorie count and it doesn't suck up my time like other diets. I eat the same as the family etc.

I just put it on at bedtime once a weekish. I did stop smoking after hypnotherapy years ago so I'm in the susceptible category.

I do think I could lose weight faster but this feels really sustainable to me. My BMI 29 now so I reckon by the end of the end of the year I'll be in normal weight range.

TakeMeToKernow · 23/02/2022 11:27

Oh my goodness! What timing! I have an appointment for Monday. It’s just a 30 minute free session to meet me and “assess” (I’m feeling a bit desperate, so I would have dived straight in and paid for a course tbh)

I’ll report back how it goes!

Fatandnearly50 · 23/02/2022 14:54

@TakeMeToKernow good luck! Let us know what you think.

Original poster
ImFree2doasiwant · 23/02/2022 18:53

@TakeMeToKernow oh good luck,really keen to hear what you think.

OP posts:
TakeMeToKernow · 28/02/2022 13:40

Had the initial consultation!

Really liked the chap and I’ve booked my first session for next week, which I think he said was going to be “parts therapy”? Speaking quite generally, the reason I’m trying this is I know exactly what I need to do to lose weight… but I’m not doing it! And in fact doing the opposite!

We talked pretty generally about why I want to lose weight/what I’ve tried before/what I need help with. He was quite perceptive, but amusingly guessed (wrongly) that I was single Grin I don’t know what that says about me!! Did a personality quiz with him which he said would help him understand me and spot conflicts in my personality (Out of warrior, nomad and settler, I’m a settler apparently. No conflicts).

He explained that the hypnotherapy parts of the session are going be working on changing subconscious/conscious thoughts… flipping heck, I’ve forgotten the two-word phrase he used for what we’re going to try to change, but he compared hypnosis to watching a film. You know the film isn’t real, it’s just actors and props, but you still feel and react emotionally to it. He said the aim is to sort of de-hypnotise me. I know that the things I do (biscuit binging, drinking too much) aren’t good for me, but I still do them.

prampushingdownthehighst · 28/02/2022 13:45

I had several sessions over the course of a few months and even though I was absolutely determined it was going to work, it had no effect at all, it was a real waste of money and that makes me cross every time I think about it

rolypolydoly · 28/02/2022 13:49

I did. It basically involved me picturing myself dying in a hospital bed with my family around me, with the therapist asking me if that is what I want.

I cried while I was 'under'.

It isn't hypnotherapy as we know it. It's more deep relaxation.

It didn't work for me. Total waste of money.

Flexitarian · 28/02/2022 13:51

I tried it and it didn’t work. I’m not convinced by hypnosis for things like this - ultimately I have to take responsibility for my own food and drink choices, which is hard work. But no-one can do it for me.

Another type of therapy, eg CBT may be more effective

TakeMeToKernow · 28/02/2022 13:52

Im a pretty sceptical person, but I’m well up for giving it a go. He’s suggested that three sessions will probably be suitable and they’re going to be on finding the cause of stuff. He reassured me that he doesn’t like the technique of going over past traumas, so won’t be going that deep into stuff (not that I’ve ever had a particularly traumatic salad or anything!!). He said an alternative approach is to do sessions on focusing on goals and positive thinking and basically manifesting, but he doesn’t think that’s likely to fit me. I feel a bit odd that there’s nothing else alongside it - no food diary/calorie counting/food restricting/activity goals.

If people are interested in cost, it’s £70/session or I can pay for three sessions for £175. The sessions are an hour, but he says he doesn’t do back to back appointments and there’s no clock watching, they just take as long as they take.

No promises have been made about actually losing weight. He’s suggested that won’t really be something he’d expect to see particularly at the third session, but he’d expect that I’d be feeling more in control, be eating better (as in… only one biscuit at a time, not 4) and be able to go about losing weight through my preferred method.

I’ll try to report back in just over a week after the next session!

TakeMeToKernow · 28/02/2022 13:54

Omg @rolypolydoly !!! Bloody hell!! Erm. It didn’t seem like that is the sort of direction we would be taking!

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 28/02/2022 17:05

@rolypolydoly

I did. It basically involved me picturing myself dying in a hospital bed with my family around me, with the therapist asking me if that is what I want.

I cried while I was 'under'.

It isn't hypnotherapy as we know it. It's more deep relaxation.

It didn't work for me. Total waste of money.

Fucking hell, that sounds bloody awful Shock
CormoranStrike · 28/02/2022 19:27

I’ve lost a stone and a half but seem to have stalled - however, what I want to eat has changed entirely.

I know longer crave sweets and cakes, even alcohol. None have any appea to me at all.