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WEEKLY COACHING TIP #132 A CASE OF WEIGHT REDUCTION I think it would be fair to say that most people at some time in their lives have tried to lose weight, wouldnt you? Long ago I realised that for most people, dieting does not work. It creates a loop of deprivation and failure which then leads to over-eating. This has led me, over the years, to devise a programme consisting of Coaching, Hypnosis and Education (e.g. on what fats really are and what they do to the body). This, as well as some other strategies, too numerous to mention here, help change peoples lifestyle and relationship to food. Being healthy and slimmer starts in the mind and with the emotions, not in a packet of slimming product or a set of scales. Re-programming in a subtle but profound way has lasting benefits. Today I thought Id share with you a case study of a client I worked with, maybe you can pick out some tips that may be beneficial to you or someone you know. A CASE STUDY Note: The name of the real person has been changed Jane had dieted most of her life and at the age of 52 decided enough was enough. She came to me because she was beginning to feel difficulty in walking and was worried generally about her health. What attracted her to me was losing weight without dieting or drugs. She weighed at that time over 17 stone. DOWN THE BEVERLY HILLS The 1st session was a full case history as well as setting her goal. (Please note: this is an extremely condensed version I am relating here.) The first thing I did with Jane was to get her to become aware of her language i.e. I want to lose weight. This language implies she may find it again. It may sound trivial but what we tell ourselves matters. Janes relationship with her parents and family in general was not the easiest and she felt she never really had a childhood. She had slowly put on weight as she got older and at the age of 29 she weighed 2 stone over her ideal weight. So she decided to try the Beverly Hills which was the current popular diet at that time. She managed to reduce her weight down to 8 stone but slowly put even more back on and ended up at 17 stone! Jane used food as a comfort. Working in a business that was quite demanding and in a responsible position meant she often ate when she could and would snack on muffins and sweet stuff in general. In the evening she would cook freshly prepared food, however it was often the likes of pasta and quite large portions. She would also eat late in the evening. Her goal, when she came to me, was to reduce weight to 10 stone and be able to walk easier and feel lighter in body and mind. We also obtained a vision of her dressed in the clothes that she really wanted to be able to fit into again. Our first task together was to negotiate foods that she felt she would really like to cut down on, if not give up. Its quite important that I make sure the client knows s/he is not dieting but changing lifestyle habits slowly and getting these into the nervous system so they become a way of life. I also explain about the fats that heal and fats that kill (there is a fantastic book by Udo Eramus with this title) as most people are totally unaware of the kind of fats that are useful and healthy to the body. We are a culture of low fat and nothing but low fat, but not good fat! So there is usually some education involved. Next we looked at triggers that made her over-eat, e.g. anxiety, anger and frustration. The type of areas that come up here are critically important as they underlie the psychological reasons people over-eat. There are also often negative patterns from the past which need to be surfaced and changed to something more empowering. We then decided on the types of foods she would like to eat at each meal. We discussed portions and how to know what was enough and satisfying. Its quite important to feel satisfied otherwise bingeing and feelings of deprivation can occur. I obtained Janes agreement that she was happy for the first week just to cut down a little on portion size and the time of her last meal of the day. This should be at least 3 hours before bedtime. This first session contained coaching and hypnosis on general ego boosting and eating healthier. GUILT The 2nd session (1 week later), Jane reported that she already felt better even though she had not lost weight. The best thing, she informed me, was not feeling bloated before she went to bed. I was surprised she hadnt lost any weight but not unduly concerned. We then looked at eating really slowly and drinking more water (water was something she had an aversion too) and beginning to take some exercise during the week. At this point she thought walking was the best thing and she was committed to making time in her busy schedule for herself. Some coaching needed here on her underlying guilt about not working as long as she used to. She recognised it was her health at stake and agreed to take time out. After coaching on these points we did hypnosis to install healthy choices of food, smaller portions and eating very slowly as well as the walking. 3rd session Jane reported to me that she had indeed lost 5lbs and was feeling much better. She had started the walking and bike riding too. The thing that made the biggest difference to her was eating slowly. She could not believe how full she felt when she did this. She also reported that after each session of hypnosis she only ever ate half her supper that evening. She had also begun drinking more water and that helped her feel full as well as flush out toxins. She said she never missed the muffins or the Danish pastries and generally felt more confident and in control. She also began wearing make up after an absence of many years and began buying clothes in shops where she previously had problems in finding anything to fit her. THYROID ISSUE? Although Jane was starting to lose inches (which is usually better than weight) I was still concerned that she was not losing as much weight as she really should have been on average. When I was assured by her that she really wasnt eating anything extra, I became concerned that she could have an under active thyroid. I asked her if she would go and see her GP. 4th session Jane saw her GP and reported back at the next session that she did indeed have an under active thyroid. What was really amazing was that she continued to make these very small lifestyle changes along with mental and emotional changes, and even with the thyroid problem, still continued to lose weight. The last session was about re-inforcing the goal and visualising it as well as hypnotic suggestions about continuing the healthy eating and feeling higher self esteem and so becoming even more confident about herself and her future. I also introduced her to the concept of intuitive eating. Jane continues to reduce her weight and using the strategies I gave her. She really was a star client, especially given her thyroid problem and because she was very motivated to a) never diet again and b) have a lifestyle where eating healthily and enjoying food is normal, the behaviour changes will be deeply embedded and are already becoming second nature. She deserves full respect and admiration for her healthy, confident and fun future she has set up for herself. More on Weight Management Until next week Onwards and Upwards! 2004 INSPIRIT & Denise Bosque All Rights Reserved |
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