‘Hypnosis helped me lose weight’

Karolina Delig, 30, a conference desk organiser, has lost 3st. 

‘I started putting on weight when I moved to the UK from Poland six years ago. I missed home and was unhappy about being single, so I started comfort eating. I soon became addicted to junk food, sweets and fizzy drinks and would think about food all the time. My clothes crept up from a size 12 to an 18, and I was 14st 7lbs.

‘My low point was about a year ago when on the way home after work, I’d buy six packets of crisps, a big bar of chocolate, a doughnut and a pizza. I didn’t stop until I’d finished everything. I did this nearly every day for six months. Even though I met someone at this time – when I was at my biggest – it didn’t work out because I didn’t feel good about myself and I didn’t believe it when he said nice things about me.

‘I had to do something because my self-esteem had hit rock bottom and couldn’t get much lower. Then I saw a TV programme about a journalist who had lost weight through hypnosis and wondered if it could work for me, too.

‘I did some research and found my therapist Aaron at City Hypnosis. In our first session, we spoke about the things I wanted to change. He then used lots of positive suggestions and images to put me into a trance. I felt very relaxed but was still aware of what was going on. While under hypnosis, he told me every sip of soft drink would taste like poison, I would no longer like junk food and instead would choose salad and fruit, and that I would start to exercise and move more.

‘Afterwards, I felt good. I didn’t want to go near any fast food chains because I was scared that the hypnosis hadn’t worked. I went home and slept for three hours and when I woke up I didn’t feel hungry, which was unusual for me.

‘In the week that followed I found I wasn’t craving junk food and began to find it easier to eat more healthily and even cooked my own meals. I had a second hypnotherapy session two weeks later and I haven’t had any junk food or fizzy drinks since – that was five months ago.

‘By breaking the cycle and making these foods so unappealing to me, it helped me stop habitually eating them. Now I try to stick to four healthy meals a day without snacking in between. If I get hungry, I might have a slice of cornflour and oatbran bread, which I make myself. And if I fancy something sweet, I’ll bake a healthy cake with sweeteners.

‘The hypnotherapy must have worked because having not exercised since I came to the UK, I started being more active, such as walking instead of getting the bus, and I even began playing squash twice a week.

‘The weight fell off immediately – friends and colleagues kept telling me how great I looked and at last I started to believe them. Before long, my confidence improved and I’m now in a relationship which I feel will work out as I am in a much happier place.

‘In five months I lost 3st and I’m happier with my body than ever before. I will always have a bigger bottom-half than top-half, but I’ve accepted my shape and make the best of what I’ve got – I love my size 10-12 figure! I still use Aaron’s hypnosis CD to keep up my resolve and I might go for a top-up hypnosis session in the future as it’s changed my life.’

Karolina’s tips:

• Visualise what you want to look like and believe that you will change the way you live and eat. That way, you’ll get there eventually.
• For the occasional treat, cook healthy alternatives to the foods you love – using sweeteners and less fat.

For more information on City Hypnosis, log on to www.cityhypnosis.com.

By Karen Williamson

Photograph: Liz McAulay