I am having success helping overweight people in
becoming slimmer by dealing
with the BIG issues surrounding weight loss.
Not to make light of any overweight person's achievement, I find it is important
they understand that their current condition is something that they
have achieved. Overweight may not be a desired achievement, yet it is an
achievement! Another hidden achievement is their muscular body. Yes, muscular
body. They are the most enthusiastic exercise fanatics I've
seen, most body-builders leave their weights at the gym. carrying an extra 100 pounds
all day every day creates an amazing amount of muscle. They get to enjoy
their muscular body after they eat only enough for a person who is the target
size and use the energy in their fat to carry their fat.
Overweight? Wait over! I'm becoming slimmer now!
Slimmer, is more becoming.
The simple statement above is responsible for several clients becoming
slimmer easily and happily. The very language of "lose? wait!"
or is it "lose
= weight" can play to the self image of confident (I am not a loser) and
unconfident (I am a loser) people. The word 'overweight' also aptly describes
the behavioral condition, they have been waiting too long before taking
action. A delayed feedback loop (Hmm.. the irony!).
Speaking of feedback, most people need feedback to
feel successfully motivated to continue their slimming behavior. Using the
scale, or even the measuring tape, does not provide feedback often enough. A
persons body always lets them know when it is using up fat reserves, hunger.
Paying attention to this hunger signal provides immediate feedback that fat
is being used. Enjoy being mildly hungry. The body provides a different
signal when it runs low on energy, this signal definitely requires a
little feeding
I believe it is most important for you to find the beliefs and values that
are effecting the clients weight. I have had a few who believed that,
"Inevitably (presupposes the rest is true), everyone gets heavier as they get
older." Their experience proved this out. No mater how many diets and exercise
programs, they gained a few pounds each year. 3 pounds a year for 30 years is
90 pounds! Changing this belief with counterexamples etc results in a cascade
of eating behavior changes that cause the client to conform to the new belief
that they can now become slimmer.
Many of my clients were eating to maintain their poor self esteem. Eating
feels good (comfort) and supports the proof of self esteem (achievement). I
overcome this by teaching them how to feel wonderful anytime (link to stress
triggers) and giving them a sense of connection to community, world & universe
(comfort there).
During trance I have the client build a sensory rich, 3D image of them self
already slim and standing in front of them. Then I instruct the client to:
stand behind image and step into themselves, imagine running their hands all
over their muscular body while looking in a mirror.
Overweight people are usually experts on how to remove fat, what to eat,
when to eat, which exercises, that energy in minus energy out = storage, etc.
I confirm this in the pre-trance discussion. Then, after dealing with the
"larger" issues, I provide confirming suggestions and future pace their use of
this behavior.
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RE: NLP Webinar on
Becoming Slimmer
Here are the results of the webinar on becoming
slimmer.
People at the Webinar presented a range of experience:
always slim; became slim; wannabe slim; regular exercise; wannabe
exercising.
In addition to the reframes, use of language and
outcome setting methods outlined in the 'Over weight? wait over!' article,
the following strategies emerged.
Mental activities. What is acceptable or OK body
shape at various ages?
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Note how quickly the mind thinks as it generalizes
normal body shape at various ages.
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Pick a few examples of people who have the desired
body shape.
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Quickly generalize, as before, the desired body shape
as normal for self.
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Rapidly imagine consistently doing the following 2
activities. Repeat often.
Physical activities of becoming slimmer.
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Minimizing carbohydrates and sugars in diet.
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Maximizing physical activity. Guiding principal is to
keep it simple.
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