A Different Approach to Lasting Weight Control

“Whatever you do, please don’t be on a diet when you come to see me.”

That’s usually the very first thing I tell people who contact me about weight control.

The reaction is almost always the same.

They look at me with complete surprise.

Then they smile.

Then they ask, “Really?”

They’re relieved because they were expecting me to recommend another diet, another list of restrictions, and then hypnotize them to make sure it worked.

That’s not how I work.

By the time most people come to see me, they already have a Ph.D. in dieting. They’ve counted calories, joined programs, tried every new eating plan, started over countless times, and usually blamed themselves when the weight came back.

This isn’t really about food.

It’s about understanding why you’re eating in the first place.

I don’t want your subconscious mind thinking, “Oh no…here we go again. Another diet. We’ll lose the weight, gain it back, and probably add a few extra pounds along the way.”

That cycle has to end.

There is no deprivation.

There are no restrictions.

There is no guilt.

We’re done with that cycle.

One of the most important things I teach my clients is that the subconscious mind responds best to clear, consistent messages.

If you give your subconscious mind fuzzy messages, you’ll get fuzzy results.

I remember working with a newly graduated hypnotherapist who wanted to experience my weight control program herself. She arrived excited and announced that she had already joined a popular weight loss program, purchased all the special foods, and was ready for hypnosis to help make her diet work even better.

My heart sank.

I explained that she had already placed her subconscious mind into “diet mode,” while I was about to teach it something completely different.

She expected hypnosis to help her stay on a diet.

I was teaching her how to stop dieting altogether and create a healthy lifestyle.

Those were two completely different messages.

I told her, “Your subconscious mind doesn’t know which direction you want to go. One part of you is saying there are no restrictions, while another part is counting every point, every calorie, and following another diet plan.”

Several sessions later, despite faithfully following her diet program and listening to her hypnosis recordings, she had not released a single pound.

Finally she looked at me and smiled.

“You were right.”

She stopped the diet program.

We continued the hypnosis.

Before long, she began releasing weight naturally.

The hypnosis hadn’t suddenly started working.

Her subconscious mind was finally receiving one clear message instead of two conflicting ones.

That’s why I tell people not to come to see me while they’re on a diet.

We’re creating a completely different relationship with food.

We don’t focus on deprivation.

We don’t focus on rules.

We don’t focus on guilt.

We focus on learning to trust your body again.

To eat when you’re truly hungry.

To stop when you’re comfortably satisfied.

To recognize emotional eating before it takes over.

To make healthy choices because they feel natural—not because someone handed you another list of rules.

One of my favorite times to begin working with someone is before the holidays.

People often assume they’ll wait until January 1st because “that’s when I’ll get serious.”

I tell them, “Why wait?”

Instead of spending the holidays worrying about every meal, every dessert, and every family gathering, imagine entering the season already equipped with tools that help you stay calm, make healthier choices, and actually enjoy yourself.

Many of my clients tell me that previous holidays meant gaining ten pounds or more, followed by another New Year’s resolution to start yet another diet.

This time was different.

They enjoyed the holidays.

They made healthier choices naturally.

They didn’t feel deprived.

Most importantly…

They didn’t spend January trying to undo December. They simply kept moving forward.

The goal isn’t to survive the holidays.

The goal is to enjoy them without losing yourself in the process.

One of the biggest traps we fall into is believing that tomorrow is when everything is finally going to change.

“I’ll start Monday.”

“I’ll start after vacation.”

“I’ll start after the holidays.”

“I’ll start January 1st.”

“I’ll start tomorrow.”

I’ve often thought…

Tomorrow is the busiest day of the year.

That’s when we’re going to exercise.

That’s when we’re going to eat healthier.

That’s when we’re going to stop smoking.

That’s when we’re going to meditate.

That’s when we’re finally going to organize the garage.

Apparently tomorrow has a very full schedule.

The problem is…

Tomorrow keeps getting rescheduled.

Real change doesn’t begin tomorrow.

It begins the moment you decide to stop waiting for tomorrow.

That’s when your subconscious mind begins creating a healthier, happier, and more peaceful way of living.

Change Your Life by Changing Your Mind™