Hi,

I am a Hypnotherapist who took an NLP Practitioner course some time ago. For some unexplainable reason I have not used the NLP much so am a little rusty to say the least. I have a client who does not want to be hypnotized who also wants to lose weight. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has some great ideas about working with this one.

The client believes that he has no self control and that he has to womp down as much fat and sugar as possible. He is 5 stone overweight and climbing ! What do you reckon ?

Hi Lynne,

Just to get a footing on this client - can I ask what he has stated that he wants? If you could give me the exact words or statements that he used to describe his issue this would help in giving you a fuller answer.

Nina

virtualAngel wrote:

Hi Lynne,

Just to get a footing on this client - can I ask what he has stated that he wants? If you could give me the exact words or statements that he used to describe his issue this would help in giving you a fuller answer.

Nina

Thanks for responding. He wants to lose his 'big belly', be fit and active and to not be self-conscious in the swimming pool. He hates his body the way it is.

Thanks.

Hey Lynne,

If your client is happy running with content start off using the meta model to get some specifics. For example: Are there times when he doesn't feel "...that he has to womp down as much fat and sugar as possible." or has there ever been a time when he wasn't like this?

Here is a reminder of the meta model

This will give you some useful information. Then you can decide which intervention to proceed with.

Dave

Hi Lynne,

It's worth being familiar with Paul McKenna's model for building and maintaining 'thin' eating behaviours. Obviously, we know nothing of the client and what therapeutic issues there might (or might not) be that need dealing with first. But at some point of another, that model may come in useful.

Cheers

David Hamilton wrote:

Hey Lynne,

If your client is happy running with content start off using the meta model to get some specifics. For example: Are there times when he doesn't feel \"...that he has to womp down as much fat and sugar as possible.\" or has there ever been a time when he wasn't like this?

Here is a reminder of the meta model

This will give you some useful information. Then you can decide which intervention to proceed with.

Dave

Thanks Dave for your input.

Daisy wrote:

Thanks for responding. He wants to lose his 'big belly', be fit and active and to not be self-conscious in the swimming pool. He hates his body the way it is.

Thanks.

Hi Lynne,

Ok great - can you now look at his environment and see what he has set up in the way of supporting his outcomes? Let me know what you observe about it that does and/or does not support it. Who does the shopping, cooking, dishing up etc. What community resources are there that will help him get fit? If he is self -conscious would he prefer to work out at home? What are his natural food preferences? If good healthy food is available does he choose that over less healthy option? If he is choosing sugar and fat as you say - this is usually related to 'comfort' eating related to love and acceptance issues and or stress.

Next - how is he stating his outcomes? As you have written they are stated as things he does NOT want so perhaps help him to construct his outcome statements in ways that are directed towards his goals as things he wants. Help him to elicit a vision of what his new life will look like when he gets there - (create expectation of success in your language too). This is important to integrate his new slimmer body into a new life vision so that he has the program to support it in the 'long-run'.

Another good thing is to ask some Sleight of Mouth questions around consequence:
What will happen if he carries on the way he is doing now - (away from motivation)
What won't happen if he carries on the way he is doing now? - (what could have been)
What will happen when he achieves his goal? - (OMG... theres' still time?.. excitement about the possibiltiy)
What won't happen when he acheives his outcome? - (wow - no more ridicule, fat baggy clothes, etc)

So we are working on getting the desire up so that when things get tough and his resolve breaks - which it will and you will need to innoculate him against that - allow him to know that any 'minor setbacks' on the new road to permanent success is just a way to give him creative opportunities to do even better - this is important to avoid the 'all or nothing' thinking pattern.

Also find out what 'being fit and active' means to him with the aim of breaking these down into observable and recordable actions - ie walked 10 minutes at a rate that raised my heart beat, or drank a glass of water and really enjoyed the feeling of looking after myself etc. This will give you some information about his knowledge and expectations around what he is willing to do to get there.

Give him a demonstration of the 'one point' exercise as a convincer that this stuff really works - you can then use this centred resource state to give him strength for going to the swimming pool - so that he can practice being strong 'as he is today' without having to lose weight first - (it's the old "I will be happy when....." SIN-drome')

Let me know how you get on with these we can take it from there.

Best wishes
Nina

virtualAngel wrote:

Hi Lynne,

Ok great - can you now look at his environment and see what he has set up in the way of supporting his outcomes? Let me know what you observe about it that does and/or does not support it. Who does the shopping, cooking, dishing up etc. What community resources are there that will help him get fit? If he is self -conscious would he prefer to work out at home? What are his natural food preferences? If good healthy food is available does he choose that over less healthy option? If he is choosing sugar and fat as you say - this is usually related to 'comfort' eating related to love and acceptance issues and or stress.

Next - how is he stating his outcomes? As you have written they are stated as things he does NOT want so perhaps help him to construct his outcome statements in ways that are directed towards his goals as things he wants. Help him to elicit a vision of what his new life will look like when he gets there - (create expectation of success in your language too). This is important to integrate his new slimmer body into a new life vision so that he has the program to support it in the 'long-run'.

Another good thing is to ask some Sleight of Mouth questions around consequence:
What will happen if he carries on the way he is doing now - (away from motivation)
What won't happen if he carries on the way he is doing now? - (what could have been)
What will happen when he achieves his goal? - (OMG... theres' still time?.. excitement about the possibiltiy)
What won't happen when he acheives his outcome? - (wow - no more ridicule, fat baggy clothes, etc)

So we are working on getting the desire up so that when things get tough and his resolve breaks - which it will and you will need to innoculate him against that - allow him to know that any 'minor setbacks' on the new road to permanent success is just a way to give him creative opportunities to do even better - this is important to avoid the 'all or nothing' thinking pattern.

Also find out what 'being fit and active' means to him with the aim of breaking these down into observable and recordable actions - ie walked 10 minutes at a rate that raised my heart beat, or drank a glass of water and really enjoyed the feeling of looking after myself etc. This will give you some information about his knowledge and expectations around what he is willing to do to get there.

Give him a demonstration of the 'one point' exercise as a convincer that this stuff really works - you can then use this centred resource state to give him strength for going to the swimming pool - so that he can practice being strong 'as he is today' without having to lose weight first - (it's the old "I will be happy when....." SIN-drome')

Let me know how you get on with these we can take it from there.

Best wishes
Nina

Gee thanks Nina, It is really kind of you to give so much, I do appreciate it as this is very helpful. Lynne

If he is feeling self conscious how about tasking him to walk into Mcdonalds and ask for a pizza? Sounds daft I know (or Ace! depending on you look at it) but it recodes responses probably kicking out from the amygdala

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