The holidays are past, winter will soon become spring, and for those who haven’t done so already, it’s time to completely flip out about taking most of your clothes off in public in a few months! The freedom of sweaters and sweatpants yields to the unnerving vulnerability of warm-weather attire, exposed limbs and midriffs, and the dreadful possibility that some maniac may ask you to swim.
And right on cue, here come the discounted gym membership commercials, the fad diets, and the quick-fix promises we see every January. While balancing on one leg with a lemon in each hand and facing west has led to no weight loss whatsoever, it has led to a series of deep conversations with my wife.
Turning Our Food Associations on Their Heads
There’s a reason that billions in profits are forecasted annually for the weight loss industry. Some of us are pinioned between our emotional associations surrounding food and our vanity. But why does this continue to happen to us every single year? We all recognize the pattern, right?
Wrong. The focus is always on diet and exercise. We begin by making a plan. No sugar, no simple carbs, nothing fried, juicing, fasting, walking, running, lifting…. Here’s the thing, though – it’s not the food. It’s never the food. It’s our associations with the foods we eat that drive our eating habits. So, how do we change these associations? It’s a complex issue, but at its core, it’s about changing neural pathways and developing new responses to the same triggers. Hypnotherapy is the best and safest tool on the market, bar none.
Hypnotherapy WORKS!
OK, I know – here we go again, right? Another hypnotherapist promising to effortlessly wash away years of indulgence with a few simple words. What’s better than that? I’ll sit in a comfortable recliner for a bit, have a few pearls of wisdom uploaded into the old noggin, and then I’ll emerge, craving celery juice and crunches! If only.
Yes, there are hypnotherapy-based seminars that promise quick results, saying that after just four hours, you’ll walk out hating pizza and French fries. These seminars can be effective for some, but most people who lose more than thirty pounds in this manner gain it all back – and more – within the next two years. After interviewing dozens of attendees and facilitators of seminars, the consensus is that clients need to drive the effort behind the transformation. This is the only way to ensure a lasting change.
First, we need to kick that deprivation mindset to the curb. Hypnotherapy makes it easier to feel the freedom of a lifestyle based on caring for ourselves in both body and mind. Yes, you may lose most of your jarred queso dip, but the increased energy, vitality, and confidence you’ll gain is incredibly empowering.
But H.O.W. Does It Work?
At Blackbird Hypnosis, we use a system that we’ve come to call H.O.W. (Hypnotherapy Over Weight). Eight weekly sessions cover causality, meals, and movement/exercise, all supported by a CMHt. There’s a monthly group available, whether you’re enrolled in H.O.W. or not. I ask for commitment, I expect my clients to do the homework, and I support all their efforts with tailored suggestions designed to instill joy and confidence.
The synergy of hypnotic suggestion and the personal empowerment of clients manifesting a healthy lifestyle creates a team. Witnessing this transformative process is humbling. Watching people take personal ownership of their well-being and thrive, seeing the physical metamorphosis, it’s simply awe-inspiring.
Yes, I’m biased, but I’ve also had the privilege of watching people stand up and change. Through hypnotherapy, I have the honor of helping them along the way. And yes, part of this is effortless – the support of your subconscious mind. Once hypnotherapy unlocks and harnesses this power, it’s automatic. Your tendencies change, your decisions change, and then, your life will change.
Marcel Touponse is a Hypnotherapist, Sound Healer, Life Coach, and Tarot Reader. He co-owns The Blackbird House in Old Wethersfield and operates Blackbird Hypnosis. Marcel’s goal is to assist you in “becoming aligned with your mind.” He offers regular workshops on Self-Hypnosis and is available for small and large group tarot readings.
Erin Touponse is a Mystic Healing Reiki, is a Reiki Master/Teacher, Hypnotherapist, Pranic Healer, Tarot Scholar, and student of Shamanic studies. She is co-owner of The Blackbird House in Old Wethersfield and author of Soul’s Journey—A Practical Guide to Reading the Tarot. Her goal is to help you “awaken your inner healer.” Erin offers classes including Reiki, Tarot, and Master Healer Workshops.