IS it really possible to believe you have had lap band surgery without going under the knife?
The Weekly decided to visit a Newport hypnotherapist to test her claims of virtual gastric banding.
Hypnotherapist Heather Richards, of CaS Therapy, says many of her clients believe they have had a band placed around their stomach and physically can’t eat as much.
“A lot of people, when they come out of the session, feel like they’re regurgitating because it’s like the band on the top of their stomach. Some people feel a bit funny for a couple of days.
“Your imagination wins every time.”
She leads me to a chair as we prepare to go into virtual theatre. “Basically, we’re accessing your subconscious mind, so close your eyes and we guide you into a dream state,” Ms Richards said. “Sometimes you remember it, sometimes you don’t.”
Unlike a woman I read about who said she could even feel the imaginary anaesthetic being administered, as we begin the journey I am aware that I’m not really on a gurney being wheeled down a hospital corridor.
But much to my surprise, as I pass a room with an older patient who looks like me and has obesity-related problems, I get upset at the thought of leaving my family behind.
So upset I fear I will cry, but I can’t, because I’ve been been told my eyes are locked.
When I emerge, I felt as though the positive messages planted in my subconscious have finally sunk in.
Since that day just over two weeks ago, my eating habits have been markedly healthier and, much to my surprise, weight has been falling off.
Former client Valda Smith, who has type 2 diabetes, says she was about to follow the lead of her sister and daughter who had both undergone lap band surgery.
Ms Smith, 76, opted for hypnosis after her doctor told her an operation would be too dangerous.
“I lost 22 kilograms from November to March and I kept it off.
“My sister had the [surgical] banding — she had the operation, and so did my daughter, and they get the same feeling as I do. If they eat too much they might throw up or they get indigestion.
“For me, it’s been wonderful. But, you know, it’s the power of the mind, it’s like everything. If you want it bad enough, it works for you.”
