Hypnotherapy/Paul McKenna - Er. Come and talk to me?!

[NotAroundTheEyes]

Anyone had hypnotherapy for weight loss and want to chat about it?

I've had my first session and am weirded the hell out I am not at all convinced it's going to work and have serious FORM for trying weight loss methods and not sticking with them but it'd be nice to see if anyone else has been through this and discovered they literally cannot pick the fork up again when they've only eaten half their very small dinner I might have cried a bit

BTW I know there's a Paul McKenna thread but it's tres long and I'll feel a right idiot rocking up asking what it's like without having read a bajillion posts first!

Another newbie here.

I had my Paul McKenna gastric band fitted about 10 days ago now & it seems to be working. I have to confess I am not at the point of only eating two mouthfulls, BUT - I'm eating smaller portions, not snacking between meals & am kind of starting to recognise the full feeling. I am also eating more "mindfully", so I am really concentrating on the food that I eat, I have slowed down with my chewing and am not wolfing on the hoof.

I'm also thinking about food less too, which is great.

I listen to Paul's dulcet tones every morning - partly because I'm terrified that if I don't, it won't work & partly because I feel really wide awake when he finishes.

Did you go to a hypnotist notaroundtheeyes?

Hey Post

Aye, I saw a hypnotist. I still can't believe I actually went through with it. Did you see one in person too or are you just doing Paul McK?

The first meal at home after seeing her ended in tears when I bawled for my husband to come upstairs and see I could only eat about 2/3 of a very small meal (2 slices of bruschetta, no cheese or anything). I swear to God, twice I picked up my knife and fork to take more food and kept putting them down again.

At the end of the day I calculated how many calories I'd eaten - bear in mind this is on the basis of eating what I wanted when I wanted - and it was just over 900

My hypnotherapist trained with him and recommended I get his book/CD and listen to it every day for 10 days (I'm having 3 sessions with her).

I'm utterly weirded out

Maybe the oddest thing actually is this: she kept using this mantra about the past being over, and now when I look at my horrid fat flatulent carcase (it's not that bad, but you know what I mean!) instead of getting upset I just think, very calmly and peacefully: But that's OK. It's the past, and it's over.

It's as if in my head I am already slim and I'm just putting up with a slight delay until I 'catch up with myself' IYSWIM.

Disclaimer: I am still not AT ALL convinced this is going to work.

Erm we really don't mind if you 'drop in' and don't read all the bleedin' boring posts honest it's only the books, (the ICMYT and or the VGB ones) DVDs and CDs that'd be most helpful to you, we're nice on that thread !!!!
In fact I'm going on it now!

BTW it will work !!!!!!

Are you sure? I didn't want to be sent away with a flea in my ear

I just want to say to people OH MY GOD THIS IS SO WEIRD. If you see what I mean...

I saw a hypnotist some years back, but she wouldn't do what I wanted, which was hypnotise me to eat less - she kept delving around in my past to find the triggers for over eating & yes, we discovered alot of inner misery & I spent alot of time howling on her sofa - but she never got around to persuading me not to eat!!!!!

However, your hypnotist sounds alot better.

I found Paul's Hypno gastric band book very good. It is really easy to read & is quite directive - so you kind of believe that you really should follow it. I just loooooooooooooooooove the trance band fitting CD though. I really believe it - I don't care if it is mumbo jumbo - I believe! It's like a flipping religious conversion.

And, after 10 days I actually believe it will work too. I AM going to eat like a slim person from now on - it will just take a while for my body to catch up with my new slim person eating status.

See this is the thing Post - I don't care if it's all total bollocks and works purely on the power of suggestion/the placebo effect. If it can stop 20 years of compulsive and disordered eating, then I'm game.

And yes I'm not really interested in why I over-eat. Boo hoo, odd childhood, nobody loved me, I'll always be ugly so what's the point in being thin, food is my only companion etc. etc. Whatever, we're all screwed up. Just sort out my bloody appetite!

I did not actually say this in the session

well good luck! How much are you hoping to lose?

Although I have been told not to think of it in those terms but simply wait for my other self to appear. I am banned from the scales!

I don't weigh myself NotAroundTheEyes but I want to be two dress sizes smaller. My two biggest problems are portion control & snacking & so far it is working on both of those.

In the book, Paul does recommend the Havening technique to address the emotional side of eating & you get a CD for that too. It involves stroking your arms in a kind of self hug thing, which actually made me feel really sad - as in a bit weepy. As far as I can tell that is the reverse of what should happen, so I'm leaving that bit well alone for now.

We don't send people away do we PostBellum ??

Notaround If you think about it we're all into changing our consciousnesses aren't we? If it's only having a cup of coffee or allowing TV adverts to persuade us to buy stuff we may or may not need I can tell by your name that Little Britain has got to you. I love that piss take by Matt Lucas but hypnosis a la Paul mckenna is fantastic i've lost nearly 3 stone with it and will continue to eat like it forever!!!

In fact when combined with rushing about I'm trying to stop losing weight now!!!!!

How long have you been doing it ppea?

I honestly can't imagine trying not to lose weight - but who knows, one day maybe?!

I spose about 2 years altogether Post but at the start I was more on and off (well I still am sometimes it's one of the best parts of this; the ease which you can go on and off it )

That's great ppea, that you have been doing it for so long. Gives me a huge amount of encouragement.

How are you getting on NotAroundTheEyes?

The thing is Post IMO it's the RIGHT way to eat (how we all should eat from babyhood) being in touch with our bodies .

Hi Post!

Yeah, doing ok thanks. It's weird: with every meal I feel a bit stressed out because I so want it to work and am SO convinced it won't...

This morning I finished my breakfast, but I had served myself about half what I would normally eat, so that makes sense.

Then at lunchtime I made 2 small slices of crusty brown bread with a mashed avocado on (I don't eat meat or dairy - and it's amazing to look at an avocado and see beautiful healthy food and not something your slimming world consultant would thrash you for eating ) and about 1/8 of a melon for afters.

I ate all the avocado toast and was thinking glumly "got yer appetite back then fatso?!", but then ate one mouthful of melon and just couldn't face the rest of it

I don't get it. This is just so new and strange it's doing my nut in

I've been entering my food on myfitnesspal just for interest's sake, and without making any effort actually to consciously restrict myself I seem to be eating between 950 and 1200 cals a day...

And Ppeat you so right. I feel like I am in dialogue with my body. "Are you hungry? No? OK. are you hungry now? Fine, what would you like to eat? Have you had enough? Right then, stop. There you go."

It is a dialogue for sure - that is such a good way of putting it.

I get a bit stressy too sometimes about the actual eating and find myself hesitating before I start a meal, doing last minute displacement activities to put off the moment - which is very weird. But I think it could well be a fear of failure. Fear that I'm going to stuff the lot, have seconds, a huge pudding and then a snack afterwards. I'm sure as I get more confident about my ability to relax and go with it, then I'll stress less about that aspect.

Sitting here really stuffed again after my lunch time salad.

Good - isn't it nice when a salad is a huge meal!!

Fear of failure is spot on. The whole thing seems so revolutionary (er...you're not seriously suggesting I can reach a healthy weight by THINKING about it?!) but at the same time it is literally the only thing that makes an ounce of sense (your weight is not about what you put in your mouth).

Hmph. Thanks for talking to me about it by the way!

i am really interested in trying this - briefly flicked through 'i can make you thin' years ago, but never committed to it.
but im BFing DS2 (alot!) and if I ate the amounts some people are talking about im sure it would have an effect on my milk supply. or am i missing the point, as perhaps my body would 'know' i need more food, so it would take me more to feel satisfied than it would someone whos not BFing?

howiwonder Yes you're exactly right ! Or you might find that you're feeling hungry sooner than non BFeeders!

Thanks ppeatfruit, sounds good to me - off to lurk on the big thread now!!

See you there howi