Hypnotist Shares 5-Step Program to Help You Banish the ‘Covid Stone’ and Maintain Your Weight for Good

As the lockdown continues to unwind, our days spent indoors in front of a laptop wearing oversized hoodies and comfy sweatpants are coming to an end and a return to the office looms – and with it. awareness for many that our work clothes no longer fit.

It is not surprising that the pandemic has led the expression “stone Covid” to become part of our lexicon. A recent investigation by Kings College and Ipsos MORI provided a surprising snapshot of the impact of the coronavirus on the country’s lifestyles and emotions.

Of the 2,254 people polled, 48% said they had gained weight during the lockdown, with the same percentage reporting feeling depressed or anxious, while 29% said they drank more alcohol.

But is a drastic calorie-controlled diet or a grueling fitness regimen really the answer to weight loss? According to hypnotherapist Aaron Surtees, who runs London-based City Hypnosis Clinic, the answer to weight loss lies in harnessing the power of our mind.

The celebrity expert, who has treated a range of stars including Ant McPartlin, Montana Brown and Charlie Brooker, said, “Hypnosis is about changing the fundamental mindsets that change your relationship with food.

“This will lead to new healthy eating habits that will take hold naturally and unconsciously in the long term.

“Weight loss depends on the power of the mind, not fad diets. The techniques described below will help you become happier and more confident, and eventually you will be able to eat what you want without feeling ashamed or guilty.

“Being thin is a state of mind. It’s the way you think and behave with food that makes a big difference. ‘

Here, Aaron shares with FEMAIL why the Covid pandemic has had such an impact on our diets and eating habits, and his five-step hypnosis program which he says will help you lose weight and stay slim.

AARON’S FIVE-STEP HYPNOSIS TECHNIQUE

1. Visualize the new you

The first step is to visualize the new you at your ideal weight and height several months from now.

This simple yet powerful exercise, which you should do every morning, will train your subconscious to help you lose weight permanently.

To help set the scene, you should sit or lie down in a comfortable place where you will not be distracted. It is important to make sure you turn off your devices.

To help you visualize, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Feel the weight of your body and imagine your reflection in a mirror in three months.

Notice the clothes you wear in your visualization and how good they fit and feel on your slimmer body. It makes you feel good. See the confident smile of the new you.

2. Imagine an appetite dial

Using an appetite control mechanism in hypnosis is essential in helping you reduce cravings. It involves asking customers to imagine an appetite dial.

A good tip to help you visualize this is to close your eyes. Then take a deep breath and relax in a comfortable chair or lie down on a comfortable bed.

Imagine a rule where 10 is ravaging hunger and zero is no appetite at all. Morning, noon and night before eating, close your eyes as detailed above and see where your appetite is.

If it’s high and close to 10, try to lower it and note if it will go down. Try to bring it down to 3-4 on a consistent basis.

This will reduce your appetite to give your body only what it needs physiologically. Customers naturally consume less food to satisfy their hunger using this numbering system, as the appetite dials can be reduced using the above technique, so that the customer only eats when ‘he is physiologically hungry and stops as soon as this hunger is satisfied.

It works on a mental and emotional level rather than a physical level to manage appetite and not overeat.

3. Think of food as fuel

Hypnosis will help you see food as fuel. Clients learn the difference between real physical hunger and comfort eating, which is eating for the sake of eating and is driven by our emotions.

Physical hunger sets in gradually over several hours, while emotional hunger is often sudden and linked to feelings of boredom, stress or annoyance that will prompt a visit to the fridge.

Aaron Surtees has treated many celebs, including Ant McPartlin, Montana Brown and Charlie Brooker, and is considered the most recommended hypnotherapist in the UK.

Hypnosis will encourage clients to listen to their bodies so that they are able to recognize the signs of genuine hunger.

To do this, follow the technique of closing the eyes and the comfort position, allowing this habit to become part of your day and your regular routine. If you can’t work out every morning because of work, just switch to the evening instead.

Remember that food is also for fun by repeating, “I keep in mind that I view food as fuel, I can enjoy food as much as before because I am eating just enough to fuel my body.” I like to never feel full or guilty.

Learn these important anchor phrases by heart!

4. Eat mindfully

Mindfulness about food, being aware of what you are eating and why you are snacking on it is crucial in changing your attitude and helping you lose weight.

Hypnosis will teach you to focus on your food and nothing else when you eat. Customers are encouraged to slow down the rate at which they eat and to chew each bite well.

It changes the experience of eating; you no longer swallow the food, but take the time to savor it, to live it and, most importantly, to hear a signal from your brain telling you when you are full.

5. Create an aversion to sugary foods

An aversion to overly sweet foods and drinks becomes the new normal when hypnotized. Hypnotic suggestions create a feeling of nausea when consumed to excess, creating contentment to avoid addictions and banishing.

To achieve this through hypnosis, use the technique of deep seated breathing with eyes closed. Then imagine eating a piece of chocolate or a cookie, or some other sweet treat.

Then imagine it tastes 10 times sweeter and sicker than ever before; imagine the sugar sticking to you inside and the sickly sweetness that turns your head, like a particularly nasty hangover.

You will soon want to banish sugary things and will be hard pressed to imagine how you ate so much before. Instead, you’ll prefer to get natural sugar from fruit.