Hypnotic Gastric Band: Does it work?

Is it really possible to lose weight through an imaginary operation? Short answer – yes, absolutely!

Long answer – yes, but it can take more than just the 'operation' to make a lasting change to your weight.

Gastric Band Hypnosis (or lap band hypnosis) has become extremely popular wherever it is made available. Rather than going through the expense and physical trauma of surgery, you are guided through the operation in your mind, as if it really were happening.

The intent is to enjoy all of the benefits of gastric band surgery (limiting the amount of food your stomach can hold) without the risk of potentially nasty side effects. But does it work? Absolutely!  It has been successful all around the world since it was first conceived.

There are many studies proving the effectiveness of hypnosis for weight loss and it’s certainly more relaxing and pleasant than just white knuckling through food cravings. However, gastric band hypnosis, by itself, is rarely enough to help someone to lose and keep off a substantial amount of weight. Why? For the same reasons that patients who have the physical surgery often regain the weight.

One German study showed 30 percent of surgical patients (not hypnosis patients) had regained their weight within three years of their operation, possibly because while their stomachs had shrunk, their addiction to food hadn’t been treated.

I have been very satisfied with 3 meals a day, I am not picking in between meals at all and my portion sizes are much more under control, best of all I am not ever feeling deprived or that I am on a "diet" I have lost 7 kilos (now 10), my clothes  are loose, I have gone down to a size 14 but best of all is not puffing and my hip and knee much improved walking the golf courseSmiling face with smiling eyes
Sue, Launceston, 2015

Weight is a complicated matter. There are lots of reasons you may be overweight. Do you overeat because you are stressed or tired? Is eating junk food the highlight of an otherwise bleak day?  Is there a subconscious reason you want to hold on to your excess weight (such as fear of intimacy, or wanting an excuse to stay home and not socialise)?

Or perhaps your mother/brother/sister/best friend or partner are overweight too and there is oh-so-subtle pressure not to improve yourself. Is it more of a logistical problem, such as not knowing how to cook, not having time to grocery shop, or not knowing which foods are healthy?

Is your problem undereating rather than overeating? Does your weight problem stem from a stressful time in your life? Or was food used as a reward or comfort during childhood? We often aren’t even aware that these issues are influencing our eating behaviours.

Gastric band hypnosis can be very powerful, IF it is done as part of a series of sessions that explore and resolve the reasons why the weight was gained and held onto in the first place.

It's not suitable for everyone. You should avoid it if:

  • Your lifestyle or exercise program requires you to consume large amounts of calories
  • You are pregnant or breastfeeding
  • You are underweight
  • You don't like the idea of having a medical (virtual) procedure
  • You don't like (or don't believe in) the idea of having a very small stomach and only being able to eat very small amounts.

If you want to find out if hypnosis (including gastric band hypnosis) is right for you, then email me today at louise@awakenhypnosis.com and I can answer any questions you might have.

 

Thanks

Louise