Beat the Frenzy: Can Hypnotherapy Heal My Emotional Eating?

Let's be honest, most of us have used the food to feel better. Whether it is to dive deep into Ben & Jerry after discovering his secret sisures, or to go home with a double crust after a bad day at the office, we happen to eat emotionally .

However, for some, it is a daily and constant struggle that prevents them from achieving a healthy weight or losing weight that they manage to lose.

A diet triggered by emotions means that we use food to regulate our emotions – and trying to stop it may seem impossible.

I remember a famous nutritionist who told me, "If someone wants to get involved in my program, I can help anyone lose weight and get the body of their dreams – that is, to say unless she eats with emotion. It's almost impossible.

As a person who used food to handle stress for most of my life, it was, of course, discouraging.

I realize that losing weight is feasible after trying all kinds of diets from Keto to Paleo to Weight Watchers and Juice Cleanse. But when things go wrong, I invariably act as if I will find the answers to my problems at the bottom of a bag of Cool Doritos Ranch.

I remember that my sister sent me a text message once after a particularly messy break up saying to me: "Remember, Señor Dominos is not your friend."

Discover that the British hypnotist Malminder Gill, who has treated some of the most famous faces in the world, has a specialty: helping fight emotional emotions was an intriguing subject.

I went in doubt. I had already been hypnotized – once to treat cravings and once for fertility – and the effects lasted about five minutes.

This time it was different.

Upon entering his clinic Harley Street, Gill immediately puts me at ease. With a smile that illuminates her face, she breathes warmth.

She begins by asking me a lot of questions – about my childhood, my relationships, what is stressing me right now and what makes me happy.

His behavior is comforting – I feel like talking to a friend. Then she starts asking questions about my eating habits. It's as if a doctor was slowly poking a sensitive area – trying to figure out what was hurting.

She says: Look, eating emotionally is something that many of my clients struggle with. We tend to think that emotional eating occurs only when we are sad or stressed, but I have clients who eat with emotion when they are really happy or even angry. "

She asks me in particular about my morning routine and tells me that this is the most important time to make changes, because it prepares you for the day.

When she finds out I'm putting artificial sweeteners in my coffee – and by the way, I'm addicted to coca light – it's like a penny drop. "Ah …" she said. "You have to stop the artificial." Did you know that they give artificial sweeteners to pigs to encourage them to eat more before they slaughter? This really drives them (and you) to eat more. just about the worst thing to do. "

Even though we had just had a conversation – I was not yet hypnotized – she mentions the pig thing a few times. In the coming days, I think of "big pigs" every time I see my beloved Pepsi Max on the shelves of supermarkets. Needless to say, I do not buy it.

My duty this week is to sit down and observe when I feel a compelling need for food. To feel it begin, and take a step back to tell me: "Oh yes, it's a state of need right now," to time it, feel it become stronger and feel it. And over the next few weeks, she manages to do something no one has done in 15 years: Tell me to stop drinking Coca-Cola every day and stop sweetening my coffee.

Our next session begins with hypnosis where she begins to address the emotions.

Before starting, she reminds me that there are no good or bad foods. "I work on increasing your intention when you eat. Eating is not a reaction nor a tool to appease you, but a conscious choice. I do not believe in diets because they are temporary solutions. We need to determine your relationship with the food, which encourages you to use it for your comfort and to find other ways to do it. That's all. & # 39;

She calls her technique 'Mindful Eating & # 39; because she says that it's not about following a program to the letter – there's no forbidden food here – it's about reprogram your mind for you to eat from a place of intention, not in reaction to anything else.

Gill said, "Of course, I understand why people want to lose weight fast and take drastic action – remove entire food groups, avoid carbohydrates, or practice intensive fasting. But I say, stop dieting all together. Learn to stop eating because of emotions and find the signs of hunger and fullness. "

As I put my eyes closed on a table in her dimly lit office, she begins in a calm and soothing voice – she talks about my habits, my emotions and my intention.

I feel very calm and relaxed during the session. Gill has created a 'storyboard' that belongs to me and takes up a lot of the things I told him. I am aware of her voice when she talks about giving up the things that hold me back from the healthy lifestyle I want to live – I do not sleep exactly, but I am very, very relaxed. It's like I've just taken a good dose of codamol.

As I walk out of the session and head for Tube, I'm really aware of my goals and objectives – a place of well-being and healthy choices.

My duty is to eat with intention. Gill says, "We have forgotten how to be present when we eat. We combine eating with something else, be it television, scrolling phones or work.

"Although we can focus on the first bite, we rarely pursue these thoughts as we progress. Instead of doing two things at once, pay close attention to the experience and what is going on inside and outside your body.

'Write down the sensations you feel, such as the color, smell, taste, texture, temperature and sound of the food. Observe the reaction of your body when you feel hungry or full and your degree of satisfaction. & # 39;

And finally, Malminder adds that I do not need to change everything instantly. Instead, I should try to take a conscious approach to a meal a day. "Eat in a quiet place without distractions and start tasting your food and making it a pleasant experience. Soon you will enjoy the sensation and pleasure of eating healthy and will want to do it more often to give you the maximum benefits, reach your weight and reach your health goals. "

From that moment on and in the weeks that follow, I start losing weight. It does not happen all at once, but it's progressive and real.

There is no huge moment "aha!" For me, it's more like I get up on a Wednesday and realize that I have not had a Diet Coke for two weeks.

I stop missing a sweetener in my coffee. And when I'm on the couch eating popcorn and I start to feel full, I notice that I'm full – and decide not to eat anymore.

I'm more aware of what I'm doing – as if the static noise in my brain had been reduced and I could hear what was happening.

Of course, I always make the occasional choice that is not great – but I feel like I will finally have the tools to handle my reactions – and choose to eat this piece of pizza in a place of control and not of constraint.

The best tips to defeat emotions

To overcome emotional emotions, you must readjust your body to begin learning from your own signals. It's a change of mindset, not a diet or a miracle solution. However, once you develop a practice, it can provide long-term results and benefits above any diet.

According to Gill, you need to work on four key areas: emotional awareness, overcoming cravings, controlling portion control, and making healthy choices.

Emotional awareness

Be aware of any emotional issues that affect your relationship with food and eating – when you eat for a reason other than true physical hunger.

If you find that your desire to eat is motivated by emotional factors, such as comfort, stress, loneliness, etc., you want to build a new relationship with food, based on a conscious decision to eat. only when you are hungry, which will allow you to choose healthy and intentional foods.

Advice:

Be aware when you eat emotionally. Will you feel worse about giving in when you are trying to be healthy? Most of the time, you will feel worse if you let your emotions "win" and if you refuse, your health goals and emotions will also benefit.

When you have the sudden impulse to reach the bag of the gigantic size of Malteasers, stop and recognize the emotion you feel when you go for it. With this level of awareness, you can immediately ask yourself, "Why am I doing this now? And is this a reason that I want to continue to feed? '

Remember: the more you stop and recognize the emotion that drives you and identify what it is, the less likely you are to give in and eat.

Keep an emotional food diary. This will help you see the links to what and why you eat.

Eating emotionally is often a way to experience pleasure. Ask yourself if you are really going to enjoy eating and if you have some, enjoy it and let it take full advantage and stop when you stop the fun.

Some people find that they eat on autopilot or can not stop eating before feeling uncomfortably full or sick. Once they start eating the 7 packets of Skittles in the drawer or a family chocolate bar, they feel like they can not stop until it's gone.

One thing Gill asks customers to do when it's okay to eat it, but only if you can eat it very, very slowly – in other words, go ahead and eat the 7 packets of Skittles but you have to chew at less every bite. 30 times before swallowing.

Again, it's about raising awareness and increasing attention by eating.

Beat the cravings

You can begin to understand why you have specific desires, triggers that provoke them and alternatives that can satisfy you. By enjoying the taste of all your foods, you may notice that cravings are decreasing. Unlike a diet, a conscious diet does not limit you, you can act on your desires if you wish, but you will begin to understand why you have desires.

Asking you to stop and ask yourself, "Why am I eating this? Is it because I'm hungry? Every time you eat, it will educate the public, which will help to shed light on the real motivation and the reasons why you are eating too much. By flexing this mental muscle again and again over time, it will give you the control you need to manage your craving without giving up.

Advice:

Gill says, "If you have a compelling need, wait 15 minutes before you succumb. When my customers put this into practice, they give up 30% less time to their desires. & # 39;

Imagine the food you dream of. By focusing on the image, you get sensory boredom, which means that you no longer need to taste it.

Give in and enjoy your urge, but while you're eating, know why you're craving it (are you tired, do you crave sugar, are you bored, etc.) and if that sounds good to you?

Before opening the refrigerator or cabinet, take a deep breath and ask yourself, "Am I really hungry?" Do something else, like reading or taking a walk. Or, and this is important, do something about the feeling you are experiencing. So, if you're stressed, bored or lonely, do something – create a list, tackle the problem head-on, call a friend, start a new book, and so on.

Portion control

Gill said, "One day, I asked a client to blind themselves during dinner to focus solely on their food. Yes, it was weird, but they were surprised at how big their eyes were, because they only finished about half of what was on their plate. It's amazing how your brain thinks what you need or what you want can be disconnected from what is best for your body.

She advises him not to eat until you are full and full, instead of eating until the end of your plate. Instead of focusing on the consumption of lots, you can start focusing on the taste of food to give you satisfaction. Even in social situations, you can make sure you only eat what your body needs.

Advice:

Eat protein first to fill you up and note the feeling of being satiated.

Avoid soft drinks, which can increase your level of hunger. Try to stick to the water.

Break the salt and sugar cycle by minimizing both to stop the triggers for each.

Set your kitchen timer to 20 minutes and take this time to eat a normal size meal.

Try to eat with your non-dominant hand. If you are a right-handed person, hold your fork in your left hand when you are eating food in your mouth.

Use chopsticks if you do not use them normally.

For five minutes, eat in silence thinking about what was needed to prepare this meal: sun rays to the farmer, through the grocer and the cook.

Take small bites and chew well.

Healthy choices

By learning to understand your body and the sensations of food, you will be able to learn which food is best for you for exercise, pleasure and work. You can also start to enjoy the taste of healthy foods instead of simply eating them "so that they are good". Start to realize that the unhealthy foods you love do not make you feel very good and that healthy foods are more beneficial to your body, your energy level, your mood and your condition.

Hypnosis is an excellent one because we can induce the subconscious to look for healthier foods, for example, enjoy the taste of vegetables and not like the taste of chips.

However, even without hypnosis, here's what you can do:

Advice:

Making healthy choices can be enjoyable when you start to enjoy the taste of healthy foods rather than feeling deprived of your favorite unhealthy foods. Write down the three foods you do not want to consume with a healthy diet. Instead, find healthy alternatives

Enjoy the evolution of your taste buds to taste healthy food choices

Do not shop when you are hungry. If you are easily tempted, buy online, which will save you from adding treats to your basket.

The hypnosis of emotional eating with Malminder Gill starts at £ 500. For more information, visit hypnosis-in-london.com