Healthy Lifestyle: Paige

Paige H.
Technical Writer
Austin, TX

In the past, I was able to lose a significant amount of weight and kept it off for five years. I gained it all back recently and realized when I was exercising in sweat pants in 100 degree weather that there was something seriously wrong. I felt really self conscious. I knew that I had a choice, but I wasn't choosing to control myself and that made me feel awful.

I've tried exercising and eating right in the past. I was doing pretty well with my regimen, but I hit a plateau and couldn't get past it, so I thought why bother to try. I knew that I needed to change the way that I was thinking, but I didn't know how to do it. My grandmother told me that she'd had an issue with her weight in the past and thought that hypnosis was a great way to go, I decided to look into it.

I went to Positive Changes and it was way too expensive and from what I understood, you just went in and sat in an armchair and listened to a tape that they had there. I needed something more personalized, so it wasn't for me. I drove past A New Day Hypnosis and saw the sign, so I decided to take a look at the website and schedule an appointment.

Laura was very articulate and knowledgeable about hypnosis. She explained the process thoroughly and I felt more comfortable when I realized that I wasn't going to do anything that I didn't want to do. I really connected with her; she heard what I was saying and also heard what wasn't said, so that made me feel really good. She does a great job and I really like the way that we chat before my sessions. She helps bring ideas into my mind and it's a really important part of the service.

The first change that I noticed was that I had better eating habits. I'd bought some junk food when my children came to visit and it just sat there and I didn't have the desire to eat it. It's been really easy. I'm always afraid to go to my medical doctor because I'm scared that she'll yell at me, but I don't get that feeling from Laura. Even if she tells me strongly to do something, I don't feel like she's going to make me feel bad.

I'm now eating three balanced meals a day and I have more energy because I'm feeding my body the right foods. Hypnosis has helped me stop eating cereal at night and I never eat peanut butter out of the jar anymore. I make better food choices when I'm out with friends and instead of ordering an enchilada plate, I'll get a bowl of chicken soup. I've also noticed that exercise has been easier and I've been more enthusiastic about doing it. I have more tools, so that gives me more control. When I hear the little voice in my head that tells me not to exercise, I can push it away.

Getting healthy has given me more confidence. I know what to do now and I've got another tool in my toolkit to work with. I've learned more about myself and because of the focus on my personal issues, I'm noticing results. I don't feel lost and I know that the things that I've learned will always be a part of my thinking. It's all coming together for me and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to help getting control with their own issues.