Came across this article today which mirrors the work I undertake with my own clients…

http://wellbeing.uk.msn.com/diet/retrain-your-brain-for-weight-loss

Retrain your brain for weight loss

Could ‘negative programmes’ running in your subconscious be keeping you fat?

How many times have you berated yourself for having no willpower? If only you were strong-minded enough to resist that chocolate cake, you would be thin by now. Many of us believe that gritting our teeth and going without is the only way to lose weight, but could there be a better way?

“The subconscious mind governs all our habits and automatic responses and is more powerful than most people realise. Most of the decisions we make around food are actually influenced by the subconscious mind,” says weight-loss specialist and hypnotherapist Kay Howard.

Trying to assert ‘iron willpower’ over it won’t get you very far, according to Kay. “Far better is to learn the language of the subconscious mind and influence it, so that it works for you.”

How habits are formed

One thing the subconscious mind loves is repetition. Once a habit is formed – good or bad – it can be hard to break.

“Once we have established a habit – which occurs when we do something repetitively like overeating – it is triggered off each time we eat by the unconscious mind. This makes it very hard to override unless the subconscious mind is reprogrammed,” explains Kay.

“Some people starve all day at work and then binge when they get home. Once you’ve eaten in this pattern for several weeks, the subconscious sees it as the ‘norm’ and a habit forms.

“It is the same if you always have chocolate cake when you go to a coffee shop or always have pop-corn at the cinema.”

So how do you break the habit?

“In order to break association habits, it’s best to avoid the trigger,” says Kay.

“For example, you could go to a totally different kind of café – maybe one that sells organic and wholefood, and avoid walking past the ‘problem coffee shop’ as it will trigger off the craving. You only have to take evasive action five times to write over the old programme and break the habit.”

Emotional triggers for overeating

It’s not just trips to the coffee shop or cinema. Emotions can act as triggers too.

“If you were given chocolate whenever you experienced a setback as a child, don’t be surprised if you find yourself craving sugar when you feel stressed or down,” says Kay.

Unfortunately, the process works even if you’re not aware of your emotions.

“You might feel down but not be consciously aware that you are feeling lonely or unworthy. That doesn’t stop your subconscious mind triggering a desire for sugar though.”

The best way to tackle this kind of emotional eating is to pay attention to your feelings.

“Tune into your feelings each time you eat or have a craving for food. Make sure you are conscious and mindful when there is food around. If you feel down notice the feeling and be kind and gentle to yourself – imagine that the hurt part of you is your inner child and you are the adult offering comfort. If you do this it may stop the craving for comfort eating.”

The power of self-image

What do you tell yourself when you look in the mirror? Harsh criticism, “What disgusting thighs” or “I hate my horrible stomach”, does two things. It reinforces your self-image – you’re a person with disgusting thighs and a fat stomach – and it makes you feel bad.

“Some people who lose lots of weight, ie, several stone, put it back on because they have an image imprinted in their mind that they are still the original weight,” explains Kay. “Because this image is used by the subconscious mind, there is a self-fulfilling prophecy to regain the weight – what is the point of being slim on the outside if I still feel really big?”

Next time you look in the mirror, be kind to yourself. To get the body you want, you have to make friends with the one you have. You’ll still be looking forward to a flatter stomach, but it’s the same body you are already in that’s going to be slimmer – so why not make peace with it now?

Kay suggests closing your eyes and imagining seeing a much slimmer you in the mirror. Once you have a clear image of yourself, try mentally ‘stepping into’ the image.

“Notice what clothes you’re wearing and how they make you feel. Imagine how good it feels to be that slimmer person. Now open your eyes and send the person you actually see positive love and energy. Know that they are becoming the person you want to be.”

Reprogramme your winning strategy

Athletes are trained to use self-image to motivate themselves – and you can use a similar technique, says Kay.

“Athletes visualise themselves as fit and agile with limitless energy. They ‘run a film’ in their minds, seeing themselves effortlessly winning the race, meters ahead of everyone else. They imagine how good they feel when they run past the finish line, and how good they feel when they look back on the event one hour later.

“They play the movie before they go to bed and then again when they wake up the next morning. This process programmes them to win by feeling extremely confident, with no doubt they will win the race.”

A similar technique can be used to reprogramme the mind to lose weight.

“Imagine yourself slim, this may be hard – however, all you have to do is find a picture of a celebrity or friend who has similar type of body shape that you desire for yourself. Just make sure you like and admire this person.

“In the picture they need to be wearing the kind of clothes you would love to wear. You cut out the picture and replace their face with yours. Look at the picture for a while then close your eyes and see this image as you.

“Feel how good you feel and how your friends admire you. Remember something good that happened to you in the past (you got your degree, you had the baby you wanted for so long, you won a competition).

“Feel that great feeling of being successful – and importantly – smile! Smiling sets this process into action in the subconscious mind. Remember this image many times during the day and recall that same good feeling.”

Reinforce your desire with a positive mantra

Along with a picture, it can also help to repeat a positive mantra.

“We all have a negative voice in our mind, telling us off in the background. This voice can be our own or someone else’s, like our mother or father,” says Kay.

“Every time we fail, the voice says things like ‘I’m weak’ or ‘I’m useless.’ The subconscious mind stores the ‘fat’ image and that we are incapable of losing weight and keeping it off.”

Repeating a mantra is a good way of reprogramming the unconscious mind.

“Think of something that appeals to you,” suggests Kay. “Perhaps something like ‘Every day in every way I become healthy, fit and slim’.”

Find a technique that works for you and losing weight becomes easier than ever before.

“My experience as a hypnotherapist has convinced me that the subconscious mind has a powerful influence on what and how much we eat,” says Kay. “When you use the power of your imagination, rather than willpower alone, losing weight becomes almost effortless.”