Physically Inactive Weight Loss

YassSpartan

I remember that years ago my dad tried hypnosis to quit smoking, and at that time it worked for him. I'm not sure where exactly I heard that hypnosis can also be used for weight loss, but working in the health field I started to reason about if this could be true or not. For anyone who is familiar with the the brain and how the mind works, please, feel free to add to what I'm about to say or correct me if I'm wrong.

Hypnosis basically works at the subconscious level, which is the part of the mind in charge, not only about emotions but also about body functions as breathing, digestion, etc. If through hypnosis, we are capable to affect the subconscious of a person up to a certain point, could it be possible that a hypnotist might influence the subconscious to help speed up the metabolism and also trick or make the body believe body fat is no longer needed as a source of stored energy and contribute to body fat loss?

I just find this possibility fascinating if is even possible. What are your thoughts about this?

Also, in my mind, is this wouldn't be a solution to obesity and weight loss, since it would be part of the whole program including healthy eating and regular exercising.

melrose09

Part of me wants to believe in it and part of me thinks its pretty out there. I'm going to try to keep up with this thread. Fascinating stuff. I hope you get a professional in a related field to reply.

YassSpartan

Well, I hope the same too. It all started because the brain is what controls everything in the body, so if a person can gain control, whether consciously or unconsciously of the metabolism and the "state" the body gets to keep fat as store energy, that would be a huge benefit to those in bigger need of help.

lucyford22

Haven't people had surgeries under hypnosis in lieu of anesthetics? I had an incredible anthropology professor who was a clinical hypnotherapist and it sounded very interesting to me. I'm not against the belief that your brain can be...for lack of a better word, manipulated, so that you have the mental edge to successfully complete healthy lifestyle changes.

ShadowSoldier23

But metabolism is controlled by your thyroid gland, I don't see how the brain would be able to speed up a thyroid in the case that it were slowed or defective or at all really. I understand what you mean about the brain, which I'm sure you could control your eating habits...but not your actual metabolism. Although I'm no expert, just my thoughts.

*I need to ask my psych/bio major buddy this question

ChubbiePT

It sounds like a Truly wonderful idea, and if it works would de go for it, but I don't thik it would work that way. while as you said the brain is the master controller of the body, our metabolism is mainly controlled by hormones and the like and whle the brain dose control some hormone production i don't think it extends that far. From what i've gathered about using hypnosis it would be more along the lines of having the pt/person under hypnosis become more aware of what and why they are eating and perhaps giving a subconsicious command to not eat chips and candy when bored or stressed, etc. I'm not really sure but either way it could be something to look into.

Alceriniel

I don't recall ever reading about someone using hypnosis to raise their resting metabolism, but I have read articles about it being used to help cease food-related habits, such as treating depression with food or eating out of habit rather than hunger.

The idea of raising a person's resting metabolism exists more at the meta-physical level than the subconscious one. It can certainly be argued that both our subconscious and our actively conscious minds are what control all of our autonomic body functions, the hypnotherapist involved in the therapy would have to know how to "speak" to the patients biological system, and basically explain to the person's subconscious how to increase a person's resting metabolism.

I've read lots of articles on hypnotherapy in dealing with addiction (and eating can be one for certain!) but of all the actual "medical" hypnotherapy cases where a therapist attempted to do things such as encourage cancer tumors to shrink all turned out to be busts (or where they were declared "successful" the patient was also undergoing chemotherapy at the time).

I suppose my short answer would be that if you are asking: "Can hypnosis help with diet and/or eating disorders?" my answer would be "Yes absolutely!" but if you are asking "Can hypnosis be used to change the way my body normally acts/works and allow me to lose weight without any self intervention?" then my answer would be "No lazy-pants! GETBACKONTHETREADMILL! *whipcrack*"

ivanaaaaaaaaa

this is such a great question. i recently got a ton of hypnosis and self-hypnosis audio books and videos, i just haven't tried them yet. i would love to hear from someone who has tried it. or maybe this is my cue to give it a try myself.. from what i've heard/read, it doesn't work for everyone. with that said, just one person doing it wouldn't be a true test of it actually working or not - it may be that the hypnosis is bs or it may be that it just doesn't work for that person. :ohwell:

YassSpartan

To have an idea about what metabolism is, it is basically all the chemical processes that occur in the body. I'm going to use the wording of my book to express myself better. Metabolism is composed of two phases which are catabolism, the breakdown of complex chemicals substances into simpler components and anabolism, which is the building up of complex chemicals substances from smaller, simpler components. In other words, metabolism is an energy balancing between catabolic and anabolic reactions. The molecule that participates most often in energy exchanges in living cells is ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which couples energy-releasing catabolic reactions to energy-requiring anabolic reactions.

About 40% of the energy released in catabolism is used for cellular functions (including physical activities like working out); the rest is converted to heat, some of which helps maintain normal body temperatures. Excess heat is lost to the environment. Compared with machines, which typically convert only to only 10-20% of energy into work, the 40% efficiency of the body's metabolism is impressive. Still, the body has a continuous need to take in and process external sources of energy so that the cells can synthesize enough ATP to sustain life.

Since the brain is behind all of these, whether directly or indirectly by the use of endocrine system, that's where my curiosity comes into play about whether or not hypnosis could have an effect on speeding up the metabolism rate. Along with this thought, also comes the fact that when a person thinks is moving an extremity, the part of the brain that is related to that specific physical activity lights up in scans just as it does when the person is actually moving the extremity, and because we don't control the subconscious but we can influence it in different ways, hypnosis being one of them, it brought me to the main idea of this thread.

I think it is fascinating the possibility that this could be done.

By the way ShadowSoldier, although the thyroid is involved in certain metabolic process, it is not controlled by it.

YassSpartan

I don't recall ever reading about someone using hypnosis to raise their resting metabolism, but I have read articles about it being used to help cease food-related habits, such as treating depression with food or eating out of habit rather than hunger.

The idea of raising a person's resting metabolism exists more at the meta-physical level than the subconscious one. It can certainly be argued that both our subconscious and our actively conscious minds are what control all of our autonomic body functions, the hypnotherapist involved in the therapy would have to know how to "speak" to the patients biological system, and basically explain to the person's subconscious how to increase a person's resting metabolism.

I've read lots of articles on hypnotherapy in dealing with addiction (and eating can be one for certain!) but of all the actual "medical" hypnotherapy cases where a therapist attempted to do things such as encourage cancer tumors to shrink all turned out to be busts (or where they were declared "successful" the patient was also undergoing chemotherapy at the time).

I suppose my short answer would be that if you are asking: "Can hypnosis help with diet and/or eating disorders?" my answer would be "Yes absolutely!" but if you are asking "Can hypnosis be used to change the way my body normally acts/works and allow me to lose weight without any self intervention?" then my answer would be "No lazy-pants! GETBACKONTHETREADMILL! *whipcrack*"

Interesting answer. And thank you for the input.
Now, the reason why I ask this, is mainly because some people are so obese that getting on a treadmill is completely out of the question. I hope, that people wouldn't use tools like this (if only they were possible) to avoid going to the gym.

And yes, I totally agree with you about working with diet and/or eating disorders.

YassSpartan

LOL sorry I keep coming with more ideas. I was just thinking about the placebo effect where certain individuals (patients in this case) have experience recovery and even healed from certain diseases because how the brain basically tricks the body to do so unconsciously due to the believe they are given real medicine. This is also part of what the brain can do when being tricked.

funkycamper

Nothing to add but I'd like to see how this discussion goes. Bumping.

smantha32

I was hypnotized for weight loss, and it worked for me for awhile. I dropped 30 pounds in one year.
But then it eventually sort of wore off and my weight crept back up. All the subsequent times I've gone in it seemed to work for less and less a duration of time. 3 months.. 1 month... 2 weeks...nothing.
Finally I just stopped spending money on it.
Everyone is different though, so I do recommend it. It might be the exact solution for someone out there!

ivanaaaaaaaaa

I was hypnotized for weight loss, and it worked for me for awhile. I dropped 30 pounds in one year.
But then it eventually sort of wore off and my weight crept back up. All the subsequent times I've gone in it seemed to work for less and less a duration of time. 3 months.. 1 month... 2 weeks...nothing.
Finally I just stopped spending money on it.
Everyone is different though, so I do recommend it. It might be the exact solution for someone out there!

what exactly did it do for you?

zlem

interesting.. I don't know anyone who has tried hypnosis for weight loss but know a couple who tried it to quit smoking - it didn't work.

Someone I know told me he used to have a chronic stutter, all throughout his childhood and teens, then some random stranger approached him at a restaurant one day when he was 19 and offered to cure him.. took him some place and did some hypnosis thing and he was "cured". This guy is in his 60s now and you'd never guess he had a speech impediment.

would love to know more about how these things work, I have downloaded a couple of audiobook things before, for smoking and weightloss.. they didn't work! lol

Murlin54

You can download hypnosis weight loss recordings to your IPod or Mp3 player. I bought one from ITunes for $9.99 and one from Amazon for $.99. Both had testimonials where people swore it worked for them. I personally am not sure if I can be hypnotized. I used to listen to them at night before falling asleep. I followed the directions. I used to fall asleep listening to them and then wake up, probably when the hypnotist told me to wake up. There was a bit at the end of the recording though, that said something to the effect that if you wanted to continue sleeping, you would stay in a deep restful sleep until morning and wake up refreshed. I would always still wake up. I don't think it worked for me. One of them talks a lot about the things that make you gain weight, stress, feelings of inadequacy etc. That kind of thing. I wondered if it didn't work for me because I didn't fit the hypnotist's assumption of why I had gained weight. One of them was Steve G. Jones, weight loss hypnosis and the other (ITunes, I think) was Dr. Rick Collingwood. Dr. Collingwood has an accent that made me feel like I was listening to Michael Caine in Dressed To Kill. If you read the reviews though, apparently it worked for some people.

YassSpartan

Well, in a certain way there are a few factors that are intriguing. One of them is what I mentioned before about the placebo effect. Would those who say hypnosis worked for them to lose weight loss it because of the hypnosis or because of the placebo.

Also, hypnosis can be easy for some but extremely hard for others to achieve. Personally I tried it a couple of times with an audio CD for a regression from Brian L. Weiss, MD and as good as I know the guy is, all the successful experiences people have with him and his CDs, I was unable to get hypnotized. He actually explains that it might take several tries until it can happen for certain individuals.

The thing with hypnosis is, because it affects the subconscious, which is not the reasoning mind, we don't really have to think about something or even notice what's going on when the subconscious is working. An example is, when someone is learning how to drive, the person is paying 100% attention to the gas and brake pedals, the steering wheel, the mirrors, other cars, the speed, etc. While this is going on, this person will avoid and stop if possible any outside distraction like someone talking to them, cellphones, etc. Once that knowledge passes on to the subconscious, the person will be able to talk to someone and even use a cell phone (remember this can cause accidents lol) without affecting for the most part the driving because the subconscious is controlling all the factors about driving. Some people experience getting to a destination and trying to remember the last few minutes of the drive because their conscious mind was thinking about other stuff, yet they drove the car correctly. So if hypnosis affects the subconscious mind, you as an individual won't really be aware of the effect the therapy has on you, or so I believe.

How far can hypnosis go in regards of affecting internal functions of the body for this purpose, I have no idea, but like I said and it was mentioned by another user before, it can have an effect on those with eating disorders and diet/exercising will, encouraging them to make a change.

Thank you to everyone who has participated in this thread. Hopefully more people will join in and someone who either works in the field or close enough has any information about this.

funkycamper

I've heard that yogis can effect there internal processes through meditation. Things like slowing down their heart rate and such. I don't recall what else off-hand. Also, that kind of self-hypnosis is what allows people to walk on those burning coals, or sit or lay on a bed of nails, without injury. I don't really know much about it so I'm not presenting that as fact and there could be some trick to it all, I suppose.

And I believe the effects of laughter, mood and attitude have been documented in the recovery from illnesses and injuries as well.

Anyway, if true, maybe you're onto something.

shakybabe

But metabolism is controlled by your thyroid gland, I don't see how the brain would be able to speed up a thyroid in the case that it were slowed or defective or at all really. I understand what you mean about the brain, which I'm sure you could control your eating habits...but not your actual metabolism. Although I'm no expert, just my thoughts.

*I need to ask my psych/bio major buddy this question

The brain can't speed up your thyroid if it doesn't work, I was born with my thyroid not working and have been on medication since I was a baby, If it was possible for the brain to learn to speed it up itself at any point I wouldn't still have underactive thyroid 42yrs later! Things like this are part of the autonomic system that your body does autmatically without you having to think about it like your heart beating and organs working etc

I think hypnosis is meant to tap into your conscious thought processes such as your likes and dislikes to just try and get you to change them for example they might suggest you would feel sick if you smoked, if you were trying to stop smoking. This is a different part of the brain to the part which regulates hormones and is sometimes more open to external suggestion. some people 'go under' easier than others so hypnotists pick people who go under easiest for funniest results like when they get people to pretend they're a dog or that they've lost something or something daft.

YassSpartan

I've heard that yogis can effect there internal processes through meditation. Things like slowing down their heart rate and such. I don't recall what else off-hand. Also, that kind of self-hypnosis is what allows people to walk on those burning coals, or sit or lay on a bed of nails, without injury. I don't really know much about it so I'm not presenting that as fact and there could be some trick to it all, I suppose.

And I believe the effects of laughter, mood and attitude have been documented in the recovery from illnesses and injuries as well.

Anyway, if true, maybe you're onto something.

Actually, I didn't go into this topic because skepticism plays a major role in what people can achieve and I don't want to make some people believe we're talking about voodoo or some hocus pocus thing lol. I truly believe in the power of the mind and how Yogis can control internal process, they can even stop bleeding, slow down hear rates, etc just as you mentioned. But to make it fair to those who don't believe in that, I decided to approach it in a more scientific way like hypnosis :bigsmile:

YassSpartan

The brain can't speed up your thyroid if it doesn't work, I was born with my thyroid not working and have been on medication since I was a baby, If it was possible for the brain to learn to speed it up itself at any point I wouldn't still have underactive thyroid 42yrs later! Things like this are part of the autonomic system that your body does autmatically without you having to think about it like your heart beating and organs working etc

I think hypnosis is meant to tap into your conscious thought processes such as your likes and dislikes to just try and get you to change them for example they might suggest you would feel sick if you smoked, if you were trying to stop smoking. This is a different part of the brain to the part which regulates hormones and is sometimes more open to external suggestion. some people 'go under' easier than others so hypnotists pick people who go under easiest for funniest results like when they get people to pretend they're a dog or that they've lost something or something daft.

Actually, the automatic actions and processes the body does is part of the subconscious part of the mind. Things like breathing, heart beat, etc. Everything in the body is controlled by the brain whether directly or indirectly. The thyroid glad is controlled by the pituitary gland located in the head, and the pituitary gland is controlled by the hypothalamus which is part of the brain.

Hypnosis taps into the subconscious not the conscious mind, but it does affect the conscious in some degree, meaning, the subconscious is also related to emotions, so if you feel anger, it is not your subconscious the one controlling your impulses and actions when throwing an object to the wall or hitting a table, that would be your conscious mind doing it as a way of expressing your emotion and releasing that anger.

In regards of your thyroid gland, which by the way I'm sorry to hear that, the brain speeding up internal processes like the metabolism wouldn't really be related to make the thyroid work or not. Now, that some people believe the brain/body has a way to heal itself through holistic practices, that would be a total different topic which is pretty delicate in my opinion and it is a matter of what people which to believe.

YassSpartan

More to this topic
The human brain in conjunction with the body is capable of doing things beyond our imagination, and as many scientist would say, we're still learning about the possibilities.

The "HUMAN BODY: ULTIMATE MACHINE" series from the discovery channel is very interesting and informative since it covers many of the things humans have been able to do when facing situations that you wouldn't experience on a typical day. One of the examples used was how the brain can slow down metabolism in situations like being trapped in a place without water and food, to prevent the body to run out of nutrients, extending the possibility of surviving. It gets to the point where it will shut down certain body functions that are not vital, direct the blood to where it is needed, and in some cases even self-cannibalize the body using muscle fibers as a source of nutrients for the body.

All of these happens without we thinking about it, the subconscious takes part of this. So you see why I wonder if it could be possible to speed up metabolism? Ahhhh :grumble: if only I knew more about this stuff.

smantha32

I was hypnotized for weight loss, and it worked for me for awhile. I dropped 30 pounds in one year.
But then it eventually sort of wore off and my weight crept back up. All the subsequent times I've gone in it seemed to work for less and less a duration of time. 3 months.. 1 month... 2 weeks...nothing.
Finally I just stopped spending money on it.
Everyone is different though, so I do recommend it. It might be the exact solution for someone out there!

what exactly did it do for you?

I had them hypnotize me to not drink sodas or eat sugar. It worked. I had no craving for anything sugary for a year. Just that, made me drop 30 pounds. But it didn't last! waah

smantha32

You can download hypnosis weight loss recordings to your IPod or Mp3 player. I bought one from ITunes for $9.99 and one from Amazon for $.99. Both had testimonials where people swore it worked for them. I personally am not sure if I can be hypnotized. I used to listen to them at night before falling asleep. I followed the directions. I used to fall asleep listening to them and then wake up, probably when the hypnotist told me to wake up. There was a bit at the end of the recording though, that said something to the effect that if you wanted to continue sleeping, you would stay in a deep restful sleep until morning and wake up refreshed. I would always still wake up. I don't think it worked for me. One of them talks a lot about the things that make you gain weight, stress, feelings of inadequacy etc. That kind of thing. I wondered if it didn't work for me because I didn't fit the hypnotist's assumption of why I had gained weight. One of them was Steve G. Jones, weight loss hypnosis and the other (ITunes, I think) was Dr. Rick Collingwood. Dr. Collingwood has an accent that made me feel like I was listening to Michael Caine in Dressed To Kill. If you read the reviews though, apparently it worked for some people.

I'm not sure I believe the reviews of apps they sell on itunes. The people selling the apps can put up their own reviews.

MaximalLife

I've heard that yogis can effect there internal processes through meditation. Things like slowing down their heart rate and such. I don't recall what else off-hand. Also, that kind of self-hypnosis is what allows people to walk on those burning coals, or sit or lay on a bed of nails, without injury. I don't really know much about it so I'm not presenting that as fact and there could be some trick to it all, I suppose.

And I believe the effects of laughter, mood and attitude have been documented in the recovery from illnesses and injuries as well.

Anyway, if true, maybe you're onto something.

Actually, I didn't go into this topic because skepticism plays a major role in what people can achieve and I don't want to make some people believe we're talking about voodoo or some hocus pocus thing lol. I truly believe in the power of the mind and how Yogis can control internal process, they can even stop bleeding, slow down hear rates, etc just as you mentioned. But to make it fair to those who don't believe in that, I decided to approach it in a more scientific way like hypnosis :bigsmile:

There is so much we just don't know.

YassSpartan

There is so much we just don't know.

Tell me about it :frown:

YassSpartan

It seems no one really knows much or anything about this :laugh: If I find out this theory is true, you'll see hundred of users asking where to find the information :bigsmile: