Gastric band hypnosis is a non-invasive approach to sustained weight loss. Which has gained more in popularity over the last decade or so. If you are struggling to shed pounds? It can be a good option to consider alongside more traditional approaches such as diet and exercise.
No one doubts that weight is a big health issue in Western society today. The statistics are stark! Nearly half of us are either officially in the clinically obese range or carrying too much weight. From diets and pills to surgical interventions, there are a lot of potential solutions available but it can be difficult to find what works best for each individual.
Here we look at the common questions that clients often have about gastric band hypnosis, including how it works and whether it’s appropriate for the weight loss challenge.
What is Gastric Band Hypnosis?
A gastric band, also known as a laparoscopic adjustable gastric band, is a surgical procedure that involves placing an adjustable silicone band around the upper part of the stomach. It is often used for clinically obese patients to enable them to lose weight by reducing the amount of food they can take in before feeling ‘full’.
Gastric band hypnosis has been developed over the last decade and uses relaxation and hypnosis techniques to simulate this effect in the mind. It is non-invasive and involves working with a professional hypnotherapist over several sessions. Helping you change your relationship with food and promote long-term weight loss.
How Does Gastric Band Hypnosis Work?
The connection between mind and body is one of the most interesting areas of research in the world today. We’re still uncovering amazing things! Gastric band hypnosis works by using sophisticated techniques to create a suggestion in someone’s mind that they have undergone gastric band surgery.
During a series of sessions, the hypnotherapist will guide the client through relaxation and visualisation exercises. From exploring emotions and habits linked to food. Preparing for the ‘fitting’ of the Gastric Band. And ultimately the day of ‘surgery’. Strong visualisation techniques are used for the procedure, with the placement of a band around their stomach. This creates powerful suggestion in the subconscious mind that the stomach has been reduced in size.
This, in turn, can help reduce appetite and the amount of food eaten. Clients feel fuller and eat less. Therefore achieving weight loss over time. One of the big benefits, of course, is that there is no invasive surgery and the potential risks this involves.
Is Gastric Band Hypnosis Safe?
The short answer is yes. Gastric band hypnosis does not involve any drugs or surgery. No side effects or recovery time away from work! It is important, however, that you work with a qualified and experienced hypnotherapist if you want to get the best results.
Does Gastric Band Hypnosis Work?
Hypnosis has been around for more than two centuries and it’s been used to help with a variety of health and wellbeing challenges including anxiety and depression, stopping smoking or drinking and building confidence.
The profession is always advancing and our understanding of how it works is also growing by the day. In simplistic terms, hypnosis can influence areas of the brain associated with experiences and creates responses that are similar to having those experiences in reality.
For example, a qualified hypnotherapist can instil in a client the sensation that they have a gastric band fitted and that this is reducing the amount they can eat. In other circumstances, they can help reduce the feeling of anxiety produced by withdrawal after quitting smoking so that the client is more relaxed.
While there are certain challenges when carrying out research into the effects of hypnotherapy on people. There are some important studies that are worth noting. In a review in 2007, for example, researchers found that using hypnosis for pain relief could deliver significant improvements in patients across a wide variety of conditions such as lower back pain and fibromyalgia.
Who is it For?
Gastric band hypnosis is available to anyone who has a BMI of more than 25. If you are not fond of exercise or find it difficult to manage your eating through a diet. This can be a good option if you want to reduce what you eat and lose weight. It can be also helpful if you tend to suffer from emotional eating or find it difficult to control cravings.
Ideally, however, it should be used in conjunction with other weight loss solutions such as switching to a healthier diet and taking more exercise.
What Happens During a Hypnosis Session?
A qualified hypnotherapist will start by taking a full history from the client and talking through their expectations as well as explaining what they are going to do. A lot depends on the needs of the person being hypnotised and a variety of different approaches can be used.
In essence, the role of the hypnotherapist is to relax the client and focus on helping them to create new behaviours that naturally improve their health and well-being.
How Many Sessions Will I Need for Gastric Band Hypnosis?
Everyone is different but Gastric Band hypnosis is normally run as a 4 session package. The first 3 preparing for the Gastric Band ‘fitting’, whilst at the same time exploring your beliefs about food and the emotional triggers that drive your eating habits. The 4th session is the day of ‘surgery’, where the band is fitted as explained above.
Everyone is different and sometimes a follow up is required if the band needs adjusting, which can be either way (more tight or loose), depending on the rate of weight loss and desired goal.
Can You Get Hypnosis Online?
Yes! More and more people are accessing hypnosis online with a qualified therapist and there are some great benefits. First, there’s no struggle in finding the right therapist who can help – you are not confined to your local area. Secondly, people often relax better when they are in their own homes rather than at a therapist’s office. That can make the effect of hypnosis more powerful.
Want to Find Out More About Gastric Band Hypnosis?
I deliver hypnosis sessions via Zoom as well as offering in-person therapy for clients who live in the Horsham, West Sussex and surrounding areas. I’m a clinical hypnotherapist and have professional registration with the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council and the General Hypnotherapy Register. I’ve worked with many different clients over the years, both in-person and using video conferencing software.
Want to find out more about gastric band hypnosis? Why not contact me today, and we can arrange a no obligation chat, or check out more from my website.
