Can you think yourself thin? One stay-at-home mom says she did by using a provocative new approach weight loss surgery hypnosis.
Julie Evans, 34, used hypnosis to convince herself she has a gastric lap band restricting how much she can eat, even though she hasn't had the procedure.
At her heaviest, Evans said that she weighed 280 pounds. Now, Julie is 150 pounds lighter!
When Julie first met hypnotherapist Rena Greenberg, she signed up for a regular weight loss session. And it worked; she loses 100 pounds.
"I was still struggling with my sugar addiction, kind of going back and forth and still struggling with my weight a little bit," Evans said.
So Julie decided to try Rena's new approach: weight loss surgery hypnosis.
"The point of gastric bypass hypnosis is to actually replicate the surgery in the hypnotic state...so the person feels as if they've had surgery even though of course they didn't," Greenberg said.
The theory behind hypnosis is that you convince the subconscious mind to change a behavior.
"The reason it can be so successful is that the subconscious part of the mind doesn't know the difference between what's real and what we vividly imagine," said Greenberge.
But can you make someone believe they've had weight loss surgery?
"Yeah I instantly felt a tightness in my stomach and my next meal- I could hardly eat more than five bites...it was amazing," said Evans.
Julie says she gets the support she needs by listening to reinforcement CDs and looking in the mirror everyday.
"You hear her voice and picture what she says in your mind. It all seems very real when you're listening to her, and on a day to day basis- it's not a struggle anymore," Evans said.
It worked for Julie, but what about others? There is scientific evidence that hypnosis works for weight loss, but what hasn't been studied is weight loss surgery hypnosis.
Monday, June 17 2013 10:08 AM EDT2013-06-17 14:08:03 GMT
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