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Hypnosis, because of the movies and TV shows, the very word conjures up the figure of a hawlk-eyed hypnotherapist swinging an old watch and chanting, "You are getting sleepy."

Use any search engine and you will find several million pages devoted to the topic. Unfortunately, many websites that sell self-hypnosis CDs make crazy, unsubstantiated claims. I've been in the industry since 1978. So I think that I'm more than qualified to set the record straight on weight loss hypnosis.

First of all, post-hypnotic suggestion is a tool, just like a scalpel is a tool. Just as all surgeons have different skill levels in the use of a scalpel, different hypnotherapists have varying skill levels in the use of post-hypnotic suggestion. And to complicate the matter, there are many different methods of post-hypnotic suggestion.

Here are just a few of the silly assertions about weight loss hypnosis that I've read about on websites on the Internet, along with the truth of the matter:

"Hypnosis will speed up your metabolism." If you want to know the facts, the fact of the matter is that post-hypnotic suggestion won't directly speed up your metabolism. But it can be very effective at helping to program your subconscious mind with increased motivation to exercise. And that exercise can increase your metabolic rate. Similarly, post-hypnotic suggestion to speed up the metabolism for quick weight loss can be effected by programming the subconscious mind to motivate the intake of increased amounts of protein, because that intake will step up the metabolic rate.

"Hypnosis will make you drop pounds." This is false. But post-hypnotic suggestion can be used to help cut out your appetite, so that you eat less. And eating less can help you to drop pounds. Your appetite and urges for food and compulsion to eat are triggered by two unconscious programs:

A. When you pair eating with any other behavior, the other behavior will trigger cravings for food and a desire to eat. This is called a conditioned response. For example, if you eat as you watch TV, you will get an urge to eat each time you sit down to watch TV.

B. When you feel tense, you feel compelled to put something into your mouth for relaxation and pleasure. This is because of programming that you received as an infant. When you got out of sorts, your nanny put a bottle in your mouth. You got distracted, relaxed, and probably fell asleep. Now when you get cranky (anxious or tense), you feel compelled to put something into your mouth for relaxation and pleasure.

C. There is a third unconscious program that is present for some people. It's called emotional eating. Emotional eating takes place when an individual is motivated to make him or herself fat, because by being fat they will protect themselves in some way. For example, if an individual gets their heart broken in a relationship, their subconscious mind can motivate them into a behavior that will prevent them from getting their heart broken again. Example: They are motivated to get fat to keep them out of another relationship, because that will eliminate the possibility of another broken heart.

So just how can self-hypnosis for losing weight get rid of the above mentioned problems? Click here to read the remainder of this weight loss hypnosis article.

I have written several articles on this complex topic that available on my website. These articles illustrate some powerful and effective methods of using hypnosis for compulsive eating.