No, it doesn’t work miracles. It’s not a magic bullet that immediately makes you love exercise. It is a deep state of relaxation and intense mental focus that can help you re-program old attitudes and beliefs about eating and maintaining a healthy weight.

“While you’re in a state of hypnosis, your subconscious mind is more available to you, more open to receive suggestions that will become a natural part of new behaviors” explains Mark Avnet, Founder and Director of the New England Hypnotherapy Center.

“Suggestions to your subconscious mind bypass the critical mind, which you use day-to-day and go straight to the part of the mind that controls habits” he added. “These allow you to go through with any changes you have decided to make in your life.”

Some of the messages seem pretty simple - and they are.  It’s just where they reside that makes the difference.  Suggestions such as “you eat only in response to your body’s natural need for food as fuel” or “you feel completely satisfied with three small nutritious meals a day” or “your enjoyment of a regular exercise program grows with each time you visit the gym.”   Repetition of these suggestions can boost your determination and enhance your conscious willpower.

But, and it is a big but – Hypnosis alone is not enough.  It takes a combination of behavioral modification and understanding to achieve a permanent healthy eating pattern.  A well-trained hypnotherapist addresses all the issues - because once you realize why you are eating when you are not hungry, you can begin to change that behavior.

Mental imagery is another important part of hypnosis. While in a hypnotic trance, your hypnotherapist may lead you through an imaginary journey seeing yourself in clothes that you have grown out of.  You might imagine the positive comments of friends or co-workers.  You might be encouraged to use all five senses to experience yourself growing thinner, stronger, and healthier.  Studies show that the more real your inner experience, the more likely the final results will match your mental imagery.

While it’s not magic, hypnosis, when used as part of an overall program of behavioral modification and attitude adjustment, can be that extra dimension your weight loss program needs for long-term success.  And a good hypnotherapist teaches the client self-hypnosis as a part of the treatment program. In the battle of the bulge, it can just be the tool that makes the difference between success and failure.

Mark Avnet is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, certified by the American Council of Hypnotist Examiners and the National Guild of Hypnotists. Mr. Avnet trained at The Hypnotherapy Academy of America, studying with world-renowned Hypnotherapist and educator Tim Simmerman, as well as Gil Boyne, pioneer of 20th century Hypnotherapy and "Master of Hypnosis," who regularly speaks at the Academy.

Mr. Avnet’s training includes analytical and transpersonal hypnotherapy, pain management, medical hypnosis, Gill Boyne’s Transforming Therapy™ techniques, Core Transformation™, surgery preparation and accelerated healing, present and past-life regression, Body-Mind Solutions™, dream work, guided imagery, focusing, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), prenatal regression, parts therapy, suggestion therapy, childbirth preparation, success and motivation training, and more.

In addition to his extensive hypnotherapy training, Mr. Avnet also holds a Master’s degree in Interactive Telecommunications from New York University, and is earning a Ph.D. in Media Psychology at Fielding Graduate University.