Category: Gifts for Him

Disclaimer – We received this service for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Losing Weight is a multi-billion dollar business throughout the world. Many of us have tried, and like me, you might be constantly aiming to lose weight but without long term success. Have you tried everything though? What about hypnosis? 

I recently met up with Lizzie Smith (https://www.lizziesmithhypnotherapy.co.uk) to talk about how hypnotherapy can help you lose weight, and more importantly, to change the habits which are causing you to self-sabotage your attempts at weight loss.

Who is Lizzie?

Lizzie has been a hypnotherapist for over 6 years, having worked around the non-medical therapy industry for a lot longer.  Her non-judgemental but thorough conversation set me at ease as I found out more about hypnotherapy as well as how it could help me.  Yes, you are instantly at ease talking to her, which is part of the hypnosis process! Based in the UK, Lizzie now conducts all her hypnosis sessions via Zoom since the pandemic. If you’re wondering whether hypnosis still works over the internet then the answer is yes, and Lizzie has proven that over the past 2 years of the pandemic.

Lizzie explained, “Weight loss through hypnosis is not about a diet, it’s about changing your mindset towards eating and breaking bad habits and learned behaviours. Obviously, you’re not going to lose 4 stone in 4 weeks, but over time, hypnosis help you to make better food and lifestyle choices. It’s a mindful approach and not about denying yourself – a little of what you fancy is fine!” 

It’s all about getting the subconscious on board

Hypnosis, unlike other weight loss treatments, has no side effects. The initial consultation with Lizzie is firstly to find out what your goals are (mine was to reduce or eliminate my nemesis – sugar) but also for Lizzie to hear about how your internal dialogue works and how she needs to target the language in her sessions.  Lizzie’s questions aren’t uncomfortable but they are personal, and one question in particular threw me. I wasn’t prepared for the question on OCD, which was not a connection I had previously made regarding will power.

Intrigued? 

What happens in a session?

The Mindful Eating course is 4 sessions and starts with a 90 minute initial consultation, via Zoom which is a quick chat, followed by a longer questionnaire where Lizzie gets more in-depth. The first session finishes with some hypnosis which also serves as a brilliant relaxation session.

After the first session, Lizzie sent me a recording of a 10 minute relaxation audio file which can be downloaded to your phone or iPod to listen to over time.  Each session includes a catch-up and a bespoke hypnosis session plus further recordings which you can listen to at your own pace. Lizzie suggests listening to her recordings every night to really cement the message and get to your subconscious, giving yourself the best chance of success and making mindful eating  a way of life rather than a diet or relying solely on will power.

There is also some paperwork to complete regarding where your mind is, how you are being more mindful about eating and any barriers or changes in behaviour that come up.

Throughout the course, Lizzie offers support in the form of tips to eating less, and practical advice that other clients have benefited from. Some people like to come back for extra maintenance sessions every few weeks, or for top-ups in the future, which Lizzie is happy to arrange. She also has other techniques such as Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and BWRT (BrainWorking Recursive Therapy™) both of which will support you, and Lizzie often brings them into the sessions, depending on what you have targeted to work on with her.

What else can hypnosis with Lizzie help with?

Hypnosis isn’t just for weight loss. The traditional stage hypnosis you see on TV is nothing like the clinical use of hypnotherapy which can help with everything from smoking cessation to fears of flying and other phobias. Lizzie’s biggest clientele in more recent years has been younger people in their 20s suffering from anxiety, especially students. There isn’t a limit to what hypnosis can help with – Lizzie is very willing to discuss in a free 15 minute call. Since working exclusively on Zoom, Lizzie also has clients from all over the world so distance is no barrier!

How much does the course cost?

 Lizzie’s website (https://www.lizziesmithhypnotherapy.co.uk) is a wealth of information and gives you more background on all of her courses. An initial consultation costs £90 with each subsequent session costing £75 for 60 minutes.  The 4-week Weight Loss course costs an up-front fee of £299 but Lizzie is running a promotion this month with the code LSH2022 

 when you book online. Compared to the commercial calorie counting courses, that’s less than a years’ membership and provides a more tailored, long-term behaviour changing method.

Does it work?

I’ve only had the first session of the 4-part course which concentrated on the consultation and my goals. The rest of the course works on the subconscious and has some paperwork to do to support Lizzie in tailoring your sessions.  Part of that paperwork is assessing what your weight/size/measurements are right now so that it’s easier to assess how well you progress as well as tracking your emotional relationship with food.

I shall update you in the coming weeks as the sessions progress!