Losing weight with the power of your own thoughts can work, and it involves a powerful tool called NLP – Neuro-Linguistic Programming. It may sound like software for your computer, but it’s actually a technique with a global following that is incredibly powerful in achieving various goals, such as permanent weight loss or improved fitness.
What is NLP?
With NLP, you can “manipulate” your subconscious. It’s a psychological reprogramming that consists of highly effective techniques. NLP can assist you in achieving ANY goal. Neuro refers to the brain and nervous system, Linguistic refers to the language of the brain, and Programming initiates future actions.
In the context of weight loss, you can achieve the following with NLP:
- Stop compulsive eating
- No longer overeat
- Learn methods to control what and how much you eat
- Improve communication with your subconscious
- Progress every day instead of falling back into the yo-yo diet trap
NLP addresses the root cause of overweight or excess fat. When we eat too much and feel “externally controlled” and repeatedly struggle to stick to diets or regain weight after external control, it’s just a symptom.
Most people know very well what they should eat, what exercise they should do, but the missing link is often their weight loss mindset
NLP was “developed” in the 1960s by modeling the techniques of successful therapists. Essentially, NLP was part of the early streams of personal development. It emerged within the so-called “Human Potential Movement,” which explored human potential in terms of self-optimization and self-realization.
NLP techniques are used in various fields, including sports, education, business, and coaching, because reprogramming our subconscious mind is so effective.
Working with the subconscious is crucial because it makes up about 90-95 percent of our minds, whereas the conscious, which we can truly control, accounts for only about 5-10 percent. Your subconscious essentially holds the reins. The subconscious is responsible for processing the countless pieces of information bombarding us every day. It categorizes everything using existing worldviews, beliefs, values, and attitudes.
From recurring activities, our brains develop simplified programs. Morning routines, going to the bathroom, brushing teeth, getting dressed, etc., are consistently repeated actions that are challenging to change with sheer “willpower” once they’ve gained momentum.
Imagine this like an elephant with a rider on top. If the elephant (your subconscious) wants to go left, the rider (your consciousness) can only steer against it with force. You feel the effort when trying to stick to the diet with willpower.
In concrete terms, you can think of NLP as a set of tools aiming to influence your mind, behavior, thinking, and personal reality positively to support you in achieving your goals.
Permanent Weight Loss with NLP
The fact that we regularly overeat, feel somewhat externally controlled, and almost equate a compulsion to eat with an addiction is because we often learned in childhood to compensate for certain feelings or states with food. The child is “brave” at the doctor’s, then gets a bag of gummy bears, and so on.
We tend to maintain this pattern into adulthood. You feel sad, let’s eat ice cream. Moreover, after eating, there is a certain form of satisfaction. Released hormones like dopamine, serotonin, and a reduced stress level when hunger is satisfied lead to joy, satisfaction, and relaxation.
Our brains quickly learn, and the next time “negative” feelings arise, such as loneliness, sadness, fear, etc., you repeat the program that helped you achieve the desired state last time, and you reach for food.
Correctly applied NLP techniques are extremely effective for permanent weight loss. They intervene precisely at this point where things from your past can be replaced so that you no longer let old experiences, such as parents’ separation, school bullying, or other issues, hold you back.
Getting Started
At the beginning, it’s always useful to conduct a current analysis. That means figuring out where you currently stand in your life. Your weight and the fact that you gain or lose weight are direct results of your habits, routines, and overall lifestyle.
In translation, this means: The food you eat, the frequency of your meals, how you eat, how often and with what intensity you move, how you perceive the world, and what you think daily determine how your body looks, whether you succeed or not, and whether you feel comfortable or not.
I’d like to give you an example to help you understand how deep-seated beliefs and experiences stored in your subconscious mind can hinder your goals. Suppose you were teased as a teenager because you had smaller breasts. Then you gained weight, your breasts grew, and you finally felt feminine like your friends. Now, unconsciously, if you lose weight, you associate it with smaller breasts. You connect it with a specific pain because you remember the teasing. And unconsciously, you retain everything that maintains your “bulk.”
This deep-seated anchoring regarding your weight needs to be released so that you can reduce your weight significantly more relaxed and, above all, permanently.
WHAT IS YOUR GOAL?
Tip: Write down your goal weight, not the number of kilos you want to lose. Always focus on the result at the end.
WHAT ARE YOUR VALUES?
Find the connection between your values and your goal! If one of your values is freedom, then healthy eating might mean feeling free. If your value is security, then a healthy weight can give you self-confidence and a sense of security. Make sure that your goal also brings your values into balance.
HOW DOES YOUR LIFE CHANGE WHEN YOU REACH YOUR GOAL?
Be aware of the benefits! Every change also has disadvantages. For example, if you lose weight, you may receive more attention. If you tend to be shy or introverted, this may initially feel like a disadvantage.
DEVELOP YOUR PLAN
What do you want to achieve, and how do you get there? What is the first step?
FIND YOUR WHY!
Why do you want to achieve your goal? Why is it important to you? This is your source of motivation
PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS WITH NLP
Once you have made all these preliminary considerations and know where you currently stand, it is time to use NLP techniques to change habits and beliefs and thus achieve permanent weight loss.
If you want to go even deeper, you can work with a coach. But even on your own, you can achieve a lot with NLP.
I hope this article inspires you and gives you some tools to help you on your journey to permanent weight loss. Don’t forget: You can achieve anything you set your mind to!