A study by the BBC and obesity experts has revealed that a personalised approach to dieting could transform the way people lose weight. They say forget the latest weight-loss fad as science may already have worked out what diet is best for you.
We all know that January is the when many go on a post-Christmas purge and start dieting. It’s also the month when many fail and go back to their bad eating habits.
Scientists say this isn’t just down to a lack of willpower. It is due to a person’s individual make-up – their genes, hormones and psychology.
The latest weight-loss theory is that instead of reaching for a one-size-fits-all diet, people should follow one that is tailored to their individual needs.
And this is where hypnotherapy, too, can play a major role. The National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) has more than 1,800 qualified therapists on its directory who are trained to help in weight management.
Managing weight loss is one of the most effective results of hypnotherapy. Rather than just reducing calories, hypnosis gets you in touch with the reasons why you unconsciously eat.
A hypnotherapist can help you understand why and help you create new healthy self-management techniques.
In the BBC test, 75 dieters were put through a series of tests and monitored at home over three months. The study was overseen by scientists from Oxford and Cambridge and their research teams.
A hypnotherapist will not promise guaranteed weight loss after just one session. But the programme, however long it needs to take, will teach you to feel good about yourself, whatever size you are. It will focus on making healthy changes to your diet and lifestyle that will remain with you for the rest of your life.
The BBC study also put to the test popular beliefs about the effect of exercise and people’s metabolic rate when it comes to dieting, busting one dieting myth.
It found exercise can help people lose weight, but there is a catch. Often they are less active afterwards, negating much of the hard work they have done. The most effective way to lose weight is nearly always to change your diet, say the scientists.
Another of the great myths of dieting is the role of the metabolic rate, says the study. This is the speed you break down food and change it into energy. It can be affected by many factors, such as age, gender and size. Often overweight people think they can’t lose the pounds because they have a slow metabolism and slim people have a fast one.
As well as stopping compulsive eating, hypnosis can increase your motivation for exercise. It can also help you reduce portion sizes so you lose weight healthily, steadily and for the long term.
Hypnosis for weight loss is about changing lifelong negative habits around food and body image; the best results are often when committing to a programme of treatment.
If you are serious about losing weight, contact an NCH hypnotherapist near you by using the NCH directory (click here).