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Hypnosis, because of spooky movies, the very word conjures up the of a evil-eyed hypnotherapist swinging a gold watch repeating the words, "You are getting sleepy."

Do aYahoo search and you will find several million pages devoted to the topic. Unfortunately, many websites that sell self-hypnosis CDs make wild and crazy, unsubstantiated claims. I've been in the business since 1978. So I think that I'm more than able to set the record straight on weight loss hypnosis.

First of all, hypnotic suggestion is a tool, just like a scalpel is a tool. Just as all surgeons have different levels of skill in the use of a scalpel, different hypnotherapists have varying levels of skill in the use of hypnotic suggestion. And to complicate the matter, there are many different forms and types of hypnotic suggestion.

Here are just a couple of the silly assertions about weight loss hypnosis that I've read on the Internet, along with the the real story:

"Hypnotic suggestion will speed up your metabolism." If you want to know the truth, the fact is that hypnotic suggestion will never directly speed up your metabolism. But it can be very practical at helping to program your subconscious with increased motivation to exercise. And exercise can increase your metabolism. Similarly, hypnotic suggestion to speed up the metabolism for quick weight loss can be effected by programming the subconscious to motivate the intake of increased amounts of protein, because that intake will step up your metabolism.

"Hypnotic suggestion will make you lose weight." This is false. But hypnotic suggestion can be used to help annihilate your appetite, so that you eat less. And eating less can help you to lose weight. The average person's appetite and cravings for food and compulsion to eat are caused by two unconscious programs:

A. When you combine eating with any other behavior, the other behavior will trigger cravings for food and an overwhelming urge to eat. This is called a conditioned response. For example, if you eat as you drive your car, you will experience an urge to eat each time you drive your car.

B. When you feel tense, you feel a strong compulsion to put something into your mouth for relaxation and pleasure. This is because of training that you received as a baby. When you got grouchy, your mom or dad put a bottle in your mouth. You got distracted, relaxed, and probably fell asleep. Now when you get cranky (anxious or tense), you feel compelled to put something into your mouth for relaxation and pleasure.

C. There is a third unconscious program that is present for some people. It's called emotional eating. Emotional eating takes place when an individual is motivated to make him or herself fat, because by being fat they will protect themselves in some way. For example, if an individual gets their heart broken in a relationship, their subconscious will very often motivate them into a behavior that will prevent them from getting their heart broken again. Example: They are motivated to get fat to keep them out of another relationship, because that will eliminate the possibility of another broken heart.

So just how can weight loss self-hypnosis fix the problems discussed above? Click here to read the remainder of this weight loss hypnosis article.

I have written several articles on this complex topic that available on my website. These articles illustrate some effective ways to use hypnotherapy for emotional compulsive eating.