The healthiest way to lose weight is not the quickest way to lose weight. Crash diets and drastic increases in exercise are not recommended and may be considered a dangerous approach to weight loss. Crash diets do not work because they slow down the body's metabolism (this is natures way of conserving energy) and may leave your body short of essential nutrients.

Exercise, getting into a hot sweat at a gym will not necessarily burn off the fat. Why, because your body will respond better to slow distance exercise on a regular basis. This will increase your aerobic threshold and burn off more calories.

Portions, these have grown over the years. 20 years ago you may have been served a portion of chips weighing 2oz or 65gms (200 calories). Today a normal sized portion may be around 7oz or 200gms. This is a stunning 600 calories.

Hypnotherapy can help with weight loss and weight management in many ways:

• Developing a new self image
• Learn to be more relaxed about weight management
• Positive thinking about weight and diet. Stop worrying about your weight and start looking forward to achieving your goals
• Learn how to feel better about yourself. Most people expect to have to lose weight in order to feel good about themselves. Interestingly, when you start to feel good about yourself, weight loss becomes easier.

Diets often build up an expectation that you are going to have to make yourself do something that you do not want to do. You are programmed to expect losing weight to be difficult. Hypnosis works at the subconscious level of the mind to help you achieve weight loss easily, willingly and feel good about your achievement.

I recommend two to three sessions of suggestion therapy where there is no obvious underlying cause for overeating. Suggestions are discussed and agreed to with you at the introductory session. These are designed to help you achieve weight loss at a sensible, healthy rate.

However, the reasons for over eating or comfort eating may be more deeply rooted and require a course of analytical therapy