An article in the New York Times got me thinking (yet again) about obesity and weight loss. Obesity Rates Keep Rising, Troubling Health Officials. Dr. Thomas Frieden, Director of the CDC said “Over the past several decades, obesity has increased faster than anyone could have imagined it would. Obesity rates have doubled in adults and tripled in children in recent decades.”
We are well aware of the need to balance caloric intake and exercise, but clearly, more changes are necessary.
Let me share some things I have learned about weight control.
1. In our culture the word “lose” has a negative connotation. We don’t really want to “lose” anything. A much better way to define our goal is to “attain our ideal weight” Words have power.
2. There is a powerful emotional component to overeating and being overweight. Many people eat in response to an uncomfortable emotion. In my hypnotherapy practice, I help people identify their emotions and satisfy them in an appropriate way. When they feel a need to eat, I ask them to stop to identify whether or not they are feeling true physical hunger. If they are, they choose a nutrition packed snack. If not, they determine what emotion they are feeling and choose a healthy coping mechanism. If they are bored, they find something to do; anxious, take some deep breaths or maybe exercise.
3. The second part of the emotional component is that the subconscious mind sometimes uses fat as a blanket of protection. I have observed in my own practice that many obese people have been physically or sexually abused as children. Some of my clients have done extremely well using hypnotherapy to allow them to feel safe without that insulation.
4. People need a good night’s sleep to be at their ideal weight. If we are tired, we have more cravings. Without adequate, deep sleep, the hormone Leptin which allows us to feel satisfied is not produced properly. Know what works for you to manage stress and sleep soundly most nights.
5. Overweight people can have an obstructed airway which can lead to sleep apnea. These people seldom get a good night’s sleep. If you snore, it’s really important to be screened for sleep apnea.
6. There is far less nutritional value in our food supply than in the past as a result of depleted soils and the over processing of foods. We eat a lot of food and lots of empty calories but receive inadequate nutritional value. We need to continue eating since our body truly does need nutrients. Do some research and make wise food choices based on what is available to you locally.
The work I do as a certified hypnotherapist can help with some of these challenges. n addition to private sessions, I have a wonderful, preloaded MP-3 player “Oasis of Comfort”which has hypnotherapy scripts for stress management, changing habits, sleeping well, along physical and emotional comfort. It is totally portable and provides positive thoughts to go. Available at Amazon.com or my website for just $29.95 plus shipping and handling.
I’d love to hear about your journey to a fit and trim, healthy body.
