Hypnotic weight control injections

There is so much more to weight control than simply calorie intake and calories burnt, as I found out over the last two years of personal research. Weight control is an area we would all like a magic fix for, but the reality is that that doesn’t really exist over the longer term of our lives.

Weight control injections, are they the answer?

Two years ago I started to look into the latest weight loss injections Saxenda and Ozempic. These were on sale via pharmacies and online pharmacies in the UK and were promising some impressive results based on studies carried out for use off-licence as a weight loss medication.

Originally developed and licensed for type 2 diabetes control, it was noticed that the active ingredients liraglutide (Saxenda) and semaglutide (Ozempic) had the side effect of promoting weight reduction.

Studies were carried out with obese non-diabetic volunteers and concluded that the daily or weekly injections did result in some weight loss in most of the study group. Participants lost an average of 10% of their starting body weight after four years. Yes, you read that right, 10% average of their body weight after four years! Not the quick-fix rapid weight loss we are hearing about in the media.

They are not designed to facilitate rapid vast weight reduction and that really does need to be noted. In addition to the benefits, there is a long list of side effects from using the medication, including some very serious ones. For example, pancreatitis and bowel blockage that could result in death. 

What about long-term weight control?

The longer term needs to be addressed for weight control and this proves to be a difficult area even for bariatric surgeons when treating patients with severe obesity issues. It has been found that a number of patients are unable to maintain their initial impressive post-surgery weight loss over a number of years.

Cleveland Clinic states that people can typically start gaining weight in as little as 12 to 18 months after bariatric surgery. It is believed that around 50% regain weight in the years following their operation. This weight regain isn’t limited to bariatric surgery patients. Those who have reached their target weight on dieting programmes run by Slimming World, Weight Watchers and other such successful schemes also have a tendency to regain weight over a longer term period (two to 10 years after the initial weight loss). 
 
Furthermore, Professor Robert Kushner, US obesity specialist, also shared on a Zoe podcast that he has had patients who have had success with semaglutide weight loss injections, have stopped using them and worked on maintaining the weight loss, but were unable to. As soon as the injections stopped the weight slowly began to creep up again and he had to prescribe the medication again to be used continuously.

He tells podcast listeners that the medication is to be used for life in order to be effective in the longer term, but they do not yet know if the injections will be effective for life. There is no longer-term lifetime study carried out on these medications as of yet because they have only been used off-licence for weight control fairly recently.

Two years ago I began the process of creating a hypnotic weight control injection programme and it did begin to get results. Participants felt fuller for longer after smaller amounts of food, resulting in slow steady weight release. 
 
This research into maintaining weight loss made me rethink my programme as I already knew the hypnotic weight control injections, delivered virtually by hypnosis, were proving to result in excess weight release in susceptible clients, but would the weight reduction be maintained long term? 

Primitive autonomic function controls our weight

My research led me to discover that there is a primitive autonomic function controlled by our subconscious mind that seeks to maintain our weight at a constant level to protect against periods of famine or illness. The protective function, that we are not conscious of at all, goes on high alert when times of prolonged famine or illness are perceived. This means that any diet or weight reduction programme followed is perceived by the subconscious mind as a potential time of famine, although we are intentionally reducing calories in order to shift the excess fat we no longer wish to carry around with us.

Autonomic functions are important for our survival and allow our hearts to beat automatically, as well as the ability to breathe and move any part of our body when we want to without having to consciously think about it. 
 
Professor Kushner explains that the autonomic function, which dates back to primitive times, is unable to distinguish between healthy beneficial weight loss and unhealthy weight loss that could endanger us. It seeks to regain the weight lost and tries to protect us from further weight loss at the time of the perceived famine.

Dr Andrew Jenkinson, UK bariatric surgeon, goes on to explain how the subconscious mind lowers the metabolic rate in order to preserve body weight and slowly increases appetite in an attempt to regain weight lost. Not only does the function attempt to regain weight lost, it also seeks to regain more weight in order to have excess fat stored ready for the next perceived famine. You can see how yo-yo dieting is born.

We are not consciously aware of any of this and all too often obese patients tell their consultant that they are genuinely eating less but are unable to shed a single pound this time. They are telling the truth because when there is a battle between the conscious and subconscious mind the subconscious mind always wins. 

How hypnotherapy can help

During hypnosis, the subconscious mind is addressed directly. As hypnotherapists, we can use this to encourage the subconscious mind to recognise that it does not always need to attempt to regain weight as sometimes it is far more healthy and beneficial to the individual to shift this excess load they carried around which puts a strain on their body.  

If you are interested in hypnotherapy for weight control please reach out to a professional to learn more.