Biggest Loser ~ Health First Fitness ~ Forks, WA

I again had the honor on Sunday, February 5, to meet with about 30 women in the Biggest Loser Program at the Forks Health First Fitness. All combined, this group lost over 340 pounds in the first month! It was interesting to me that the women who released the most weight were the ones most actively involved and most closely followed my recommendations. By using self-hypnosis, reading Becoming Slender For Life, eating a plant based diet and exercising, they are effectively overcoming the “weaker reward circuitry” and find pleasure in healthy ways.

A Slender For Life™ client recently shared with me that she now starts her day with the question, “How will you feed yourself today?” So, how will you feed yourself today? Physically: Will you try to get your hit of happy through junk food and processed food or will you eat vegetables, whole grains and fruit? Mentally: Will you watch mind numbing TV or actively engage your mind in stimulating conversation or learning about some topic that interests you? Emotionally: If you are stressed, bored, angry or lonely will you lose yourself in a box of chocolates, a block of cheese or a bag of chips or share your emotions honestly and vulnerably with someone you love? Spiritually: Will you fill yourself up with a tub of ice cream or find joy by expressing gratitude for all the blessings in your life?

What do you think – do overeaters have a weaker reward circuitry? Is it that overeaters are born this way or is it that overeaters are victims of the food they eat? My hunch, it’s a combination of both. But here is the deal, we don’t have to be victims! We can change how we feed ourselves. And, hypnosis for weight loss is the perfect tool to make the changes last a life time.

You can learn hypnosis and strengthen your reward system. Discover that you have a healthy craving for vegetables. You may realize that you can’t remember the last time you had the TV on because you were too interested in feeding your brain with learning. You might find yourself having closer relationships that fill your heart and you may even discover your soul is happy and overflowing with life’s abundance.

How will you feed yourself today?
Please comment below, I’d love to hear about it.

Check out Slender For Life™ and call (206) 903-1232 or email for your free consultation.

Remember to sign up for your FREE 8-part audio course, Understanding Hypnosis, at the right side of this page NOW!

Food addiction is characterized by loss of control over eating, habituation to food, possible physical dependence on food, and negative consequences in any major function, such as health, work, intimate relationships, friendships, moral and spiritual development, or in relation to the law. Loss of control can be over the types of food chosen.

Drugs don’t become addictive until they are extracted and concentrated by modern industrial processes:

• Cocoa leaves ~ Cocaine
• Poppies ~ Opium
• Grains, fruits, potatoes distilled ~ Alcohol
• Dried tobacco ~ Nicotine

Nature                     Extracted                 Concentrated
Whole foods      >      refined/concentrated     >         Addictive?

When whole foods are processed, refined and concentrated, large quantities of them may lead some people to compulsively seek and consume them.

Much as classic drugs of abuse highjack the brain, accumulating evidence suggests that chronic consumption of refined, highly palatable foods can have a similar impact, but with weaker effects.

A healthy daily food plan is plant-based. Eating real food, food that looks like it was dug out of the earth, picked off a plant, a bush or a tree – food that looks like God made it, will naturally support your recovery from the addiction to processed food. If you can’t put the fork down, hypnosis and whole, plant-based food can help you end food addiction. Learn self hypnosis and be in complete control of the food that you eat.

Check out Seattle weight loss and Bainbridge Island weight loss.
Call (206) 903-1232 or email for your free consultation.

Remember to sign up for your FREE 8-part audio course, Understanding Hypnosis, at the right side of this page NOW!

Hedonic (Happy) System

Our brains are hard wired for pleasure and reward in the mesolimbic system (a.k.a. “twinkie circuit”) which can make food act like a drug addiction. Dopamine motivates our behavior and strengthens our anticipation. It encourages us to engage in a complex set of pursuit- and- acquisition behaviors. Dopamine drives desire through a survival-based capacity known as “attentional bias”, which is the exaggerated amount of attention paid to highly rewarding stimuli at the expense of other (neutral) stimuli. This gives rewarding foods (and other rewarding experiences) prominence in our minds so that we focus our attention on pursuing them. We get a hit of “happy.”

Food activates brain reward circuitry both through palatability (involves endogenous opioids and cannabinoids) and through changes in ghrelin, insulin and leptin concentrations (this is how homeostatic and hedonic systems normally interact in the control of food intake and regulation of body weight).

Drugs activate this same circuitry via their direct effects on dopamine cells or indirectly through neurotransmitters that modulate dopamine cells such as opiates, nicotine, y-aminobutyric acid or cannabinoids.

Slender For Life™ clients learn hypnosis for weight loss and are able to end the addiction to food and create healthy and natural ways of  happiness.

My challenge to you today is to do at least one healthy activity that provides you happiness.

Click here if you’d like more information about the Bariatric Counseling and Hypnotherapy Certification course that Richard Nongard and I are teaching in Dallas, Tampa and Seattle.

Check out Slender For Life™ and call (206) 903-1232 or email for your free consultation.

Remember to sign up for your FREE 8-part audio course, Understanding Hypnosis, at the right side of this page NOW!

When you lose weight do you ever feel sabotaged and that not everyone is rooting for you? Today in America, it is abnormal to be at a healthy weight. It is abnormal to eat fruits, vegetables and grains and to stop eating when your body tells you it has enough fuel. If you choose to let go of the excess pounds, you’ll likely have people around you who consciously or unconsciously try to sabotage you. The  Slender For Life™ hypnosis for weight loss program provides you self-hypnosis tools so that you can lose weight and keep it off. In my book, Becoming Slender For Life and its hypnosis CD set, I offer you ideas on how you can conquer sabotage.

Not everyone may be rooting for you

As sad as this is to imagine, not all of your friends and family may be thrilled that you are releasing weight. The reasons for this are complex, and don’t necessarily imply that you have mean-spirited people in your life. It is often inadvertent on the part of the saboteurs—they rarely realize what they are doing. This can be one of the toughest hurdles to leap, especially if the saboteurs are in your immediate circle. So if this is your reality, the first key to dealing with it is awareness. Here are some signs of diet sabotage—how many have you experienced?

• “Honey, you know I like you just the way you are.”
• “I think your love handles are cute.”
• “It’s Christmas…you can’t diet during the holidays.”
• “Just have a few bites…this is the best cake I‘ve ever tasted.”
• “You’re wasting away to nothing.”
• “What—now you’re too good for my cooking?”
• “What do you mean you’re not eating meat anymore—have you lost your mind?”
• “I wondered why you were so grumpy lately—it must be because you’re on a diet.”
• “The gym can wait…I haven’t seen you in ages.”
• “You’re doing so well on your diet—let’s go out for ice cream to celebrate.”
• “It’s too cold to go for a walk—let’s watch a movie instead.”
• “But I made this pie just for you—it’s your favorite!”
• “Why bother dieting—you know you’ll just gain it all back and then some.”
• “Oh come on, have the last cookie.”
• “Just finish up these potatoes—there aren’t enough to save for another meal.”
• “Let’s celebrate your birthday at that French restaurant you love so much…you know how you adore their chocolate tortes.”
• Then there are friends who repeatedly pass bowls of junky snack foods to you every time you come over.
• Co-workers who always have a candy bowl on their desk and bring donuts into the office once a week.
• Spouses who offer boxes of candy and other treats as gifts.
• Don’t go getting too skinny on us now.
• You look great! You don’t need to lose anymore weight.

Julie’s experience is typical. “Whenever I make an effort to improve my eating and reduce my weight, my friends, my mother and even my husband seem intent on undermining me. They bring rich foods into the house, they push desserts in front of me and tell me I don’t need to diet.”

Your weight loss program forces those around you to examine their own weight, and that may make them uncomfortable because they aren’t ready to change. Or perhaps they’ve witnessed your past weight loss failures and are simply trying to prevent another one. Or they could be simply jealous and fear that you may seek out new relationships to match your new body and improved self-image.

Whatever the cause, the answer is speaking your truth to those you experience trying to sabotage you. Let them know how you view their actions and words and request their support. It’s fair to ask your mother to fix more vegetables when you come over to eat. It’s okay to tell your friends to put the Cheetos away before you stop by. It’s reasonable to ask a co-worker to consider bringing healthier treats into work—or to at least put her donuts someplace less conspicuous. Even better—if it feels comfortable to do so, consider suggesting to your boss that the company adopt a healthy eating policy and dissuade employees from bringing in junk food. In any case, be sure to keep healthy snacks at the office so you can join in a birthday celebration—without the cake. When people try and shove food in your face, just say firmly: “No thanks—maybe later.” A conditional response will often make them go away, when a firm “No” elicits an argument. Above all, don’t be afraid to be assertive about what you need to succeed. You are the only one who gets to decide what you eat, and you need to enforce that right.

Others may need reassurances from you that you will not abandon them once you reach your target weight. Rather than nagging and pleading, be a good example for them, and some of them may well join you in your quest. Perhaps you’ll need to find new ways of participating in familiar social rituals. If you’re accustomed to going out for drinks after work with pals, you can still go—just order mineral water and a veggie plate instead of a pitcher of beer and a heap of onion rings. Or if you need to turn down food offered by friends and family, make sure they understand it’s the Boston cream pie you’re rejecting, not them.

But there’s no doubt your priorities will change as you get healthier. You may prefer going to the gym after work instead of a pub. You may want to go for a nice long run on Saturday mornings rather than go out for a big greasy brunch. You may learn to love different restaurants than the ones you’ve been used to frequenting. All these things can be cause for concern among those who are invested in your not changing. When they complain to you about your new habits, simply but firmly explain that you now place a high priority on your health, and let them know they are welcome to join you. If they insist on telling you how you should eat and what worked for them, simply smile, nod your head and say, “Thank you, but this is working for me.” Inevitably, some friends may indeed fade away from your life—but they will be the ones who are most toxic for your longterm success—so just remain clear what matters most to you, and you’ll be fine. For every potato who won’t get off the couch with you, there’s a new friend waiting who’ll love to join you on your daily walks.

Spouses can present the worst situations. A New York diet doctor studied data from more than 6,000 of his patients, and found that 70 percent of the women had difficulty eliciting support from their mates, as opposed to 5 percent of his male patients. He learned that a man often considers his wife’s diet as her problem, not his, and is unaware how his actions affect the outcome. Fears and concerns about sexual attractiveness may also be part of the mix. Communicating why you are intent on releasing your excess weight and enlisting your spouse as a partner is key. Emphasize that your motivation is better health and more time to enjoy life together—it’ll be hard to argue with that.

Remember, every time you say “yes” to something you know is not good for you, when what you really want to say is “no,” you can create passive anger within yourself. Passive anger can gnaw away at you in the form of guilt and depression, making lifestyle changes much more difficult. Until you can say “no” whenever you want to, “yes” means nothing. When others sabotage you, remember that the problem lies with them and not you. You have taken charge of your life.

If sabotage remains an ongoing issue for you, journal about it. Your reality may be that you will just have to have stronger resolve and constant clarity about your intentions. Venting about it to your journal is at least an outlet. And you are especially likely to find comfort from a support group. Just don’t give away to anyone the power to determine the fate of your body!

~Chapter 7, Becoming Slender For Life pages 213 -216

Stop looking to everyone else for support. Starting rooting for you! Hypnosis is the ultimate display of control and with self-hypnosis you can be your best cheerleader.

Purchase your copy of Becoming Slender For Life
and its hypnosis CD set now

Check out Slender For Life™ and call (206) 903-1232 or email for your free consultation.

Remember to sign up for your FREE 8-part audio course, Understanding Hypnosis, at the right side of this page NOW!

Are you fed up with obesity? You should be. Americans are the fattest people on earth. At a time when our nation is in a financial crisis and is in desperate need for healthcare reform we are making ourselves sicker and poorer with the food that we eat. For most of us, obesity and its related diseases like diabetes are preventable. Yes, many of us, myself included, are genetically predisposed to be overweight – but, we do have choice. We have the power to choose healthy food, to eat only when we are truly hungry and to exercise. Seattle weight loss and Bainbridge Island weight loss hypnosis clients learn the proven Slender For Life™ techniques that allow them to lose weight and keep it off.

Are Americans Getting
Fed Up With Obesity?

WebMD, January 17, 2012: The growth in the nation’s obesity rate appears to be slowing and in some groups leveling off, according to new research. Yet, the rate is still more than double the government’s goal for 2010.

The proportion of obese U.S. adults changed little in the 1960s and 1970s, but grew nearly eight percentage points between the 1976-1980 and 1988-1994 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, or NHANES.

In 2009-2010, more than 35% of men and women and nearly 17% of children and teens aged 2-19 were obese. That adds up to a total of 90.5 million obese Americans. The Healthy People 2010 goals were 15% obesity among adults and 5% obesity among children.

Using NHANES data, the researchers compared obesity rates for 2009-2010 with those for 1999-2000. An increase was seen only in men and boys, but not in women and girls. In 2009-2010, women aged 60 and over were more likely than younger women to be obese, but there was no significant difference in prevalence of obesity in men by age.

Some researchers have suggested that 30% of U.S. youth will be obese by 2030, but, the authors write, their data “suggest that the rapid increases in obesity prevalence seen in the 1980s and 1990s have not continued in this decade.”

So have Americans finally begun to heed health messages about the risks of obesity?

Read Are Americans Getting Fed Up With Obesity?

Obesity and its related diseases are not only disabling and have a profound impact on our quality of life, but they also create an impossible financial health service burden for any country. The medical care costs of obesity in the United States are a staggering $147 billion per year. However, if future projections become reality, by 2030, obesity-related conditions will cost the U.S. health care system up to an extra $66 billion each year

We can change this. We can stop the preventable epidemic of obesity. How? With healthcare reform! Each of us must individually take responsibility for our own health care. Each of us must be responsible for what we eat, how much we eat and we each must be responsible for our weight. No more blaming our genes or McDonald’s or the processed food manufacturers. No one is forcing you to eat these obesogenic foods. You do have a choice.

Hypnosis for weight loss can help end your cravings and desires for the unhealthy fattening food and help you create the desire for healthy plant-based food and for exercise. My book, Becoming Slender For Life and it’s hypnosis CD set provide you with the weight loss hypnosis tools so that you can lose weight and keep it off. If you are fed up with obesity and ready to take action for your health, discover how Slender For Life™ can support you.

Check out Seattle weight loss and Bainbridge Island weight loss.
Call (206) 903-1232 or email for your free consultation.

Remember to sign up for your FREE 8-part audio course, Understanding Hypnosis, at the right side of this page NOW!

Do you like vegetables or are you one of those who hates them? I am sometimes surprised at the conviction that some folks have in their hatred of vegetables. I’ll admit that growing up I wasn’t much of a vegetable eater. Those mushy things in the can just didn’t do much for me. When I discovered fresh vegetables a whole wonderful world of tastes, smells and textures opened up for me. Over the years with Slender For Life™ I have seen hypnosis for weight loss clients quickly and easily changed their hatred for vegetables to a love of a wide variety of vegetables. One of the many great benefits of vegetables is that they are a perfect food to help you lose weight.

Plant Foods Provide Nutritional Building Blocks to Optimum Health

All the protein you need – without the meat

Protein is one of the most misunderstood and, consequently, most abused substances in the food supply. First, you should know that all plant foods contain protein. Indeed, all the protein you need and more can be easily derived from plant foods alone.

Second, all plant foods contain “complete proteins,” meaning that they contain all the “essential” amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. This means that you will get all the protein – as well as all the amino acids – you need on a diet composed exclusively of plant foods. Think about it. Plants are the only foods eaten by elephants, horses, and hippos, and all three have no trouble growing all the muscle, bone, and tissue they need. Surely, there’s enough protein in plant foods to grow a human being, especially since we are relatively small when compared to an elephant.

To be on the safe side, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends men, women, and children should get five percent of their calories from protein. WHO recommends pregnant women should get six percent. The chart to the right reveals the protein levels of selected plant foods. As you will see, it’s virtually impossible to fail to meet the World Health Organization’s daily requirements. ~ John McDougall, MD

Read Plant Foods Provide Nutritional Building Blocks to Optimum Health

Vegetables are the perfect food. Hypnosis for weight loss can make “I like vegetables” your reality. Researchers are studying the unhealthy addictive qualities of foods like sugar, chocolate, meat and cheese. We are told that both sugar and chocolate have powerful effects on brain chemistry. But apples, bananas, oranges and a cool summer salad – tasty though they may be – do not. Let’s face it, no one ever went to a convenience store at nine at night to buy an broccoli. We go there for junk food.

If you are hooked on sugar, salt and fat or just don’t like vegetables, learn self-hypnosis and discover how you can improve your health and lose weight.

Check out Slender For Life™ and call (206) 903-1232 or email for your free consultation.

Remember to sign up for your FREE 8-part audio course, Understanding Hypnosis, at the right side of this page NOW!