Stephanie D.
Musician
Austin, TX
I've gone down 1 ½ clothing sizes and I'm on my way to my next set of jeans. I'd always been kind of big, but I've really struggled with my weight for the last six years. In 2001 I started to get really heavy and I lost it and then gained it back over the last couple of years. I couldn't wear any of my clothes and I just got bigger and bigger. It was like that scene in Willy Wonka where the girl turns into a giant blueberry except that I wasn't blue and this was real life.
I've tried lots of things to lose weight, I've done The Firm workout, but I didn't stick with it. I did the low carb diet and I hated everything. I tried Slim Fast and that just made me crave sugar. I did LA Weight Loss because my parents coerced me into it and I gained weight to defy them. I did the South Beach Diet, but it involved a lot of cooking and a lot of vegetables, so that didn't work out so well.
I joined a gym, but found out that it doesn't really help if you don't go. I tried to work out with friends, but you can't work out with friends when they don't go. I even did Dexatrim for about a week. This, of course, was the week that they found out that ephedrine was burning holes in people's hearts. No matter what, every time that I tried something new I would start for a while, get tired of it or stop seeing results, and go back to my old ways. I would completely fall off the wagon and gain it all back.
Sometimes I felt out of control. If I got upset or nervous, the first thing I thought about was going to get food. It wasn't a snack cake; it was a box of snack cakes. It wasn't a candy bar; it was a bag of candy bars. It felt terrible and felt sick all the time. I was a Mopey McMoperton and I used to sit around and feel sorry for myself with my frosted donuts. I used to have a bad day and I'd say "Forget it; I'm going to buy every box of cookies that I can find and stuff my face until I feel better", which made me feel guilty and even more fat.
I didn't really have concerns about hypnosis because I had a teacher in college that used to do it and told us about it. I decided to call A New Day Hypnosis after I saw a testimonial on Craigslist. When I met with Laura she was really easy to talk to. I felt comfortable and it seemed like she wanted to help me. I didn't feel pressured by her and I respected her opinions about my situation.
I've had anxiety problems in the past and during the first week I noticed that I was a lot more relaxed about things and I started sleeping better. I noticed in the first week that I was drinking a lot more water and I noticed pretty soon after that I had more confidence about not eating sweets. My stress levels became a lot lower.
I let go of my defeatist attitude and now if I get frustrated and upset, I try and identify what's making me upset and see if I can change it. If I can't change it, I just keep on going. It's nice to be able to go to the grocery store and see a dozen cinnamon rolls on sale without wanting to take them home. I'm happier and it's easier to laugh. I don't spend all my time feeling sorry for myself. I'm also running a lot and my feet don't hurt. The first time that I ran the mile it took me 16 minutes and 38 seconds and the other day I was able to run it in 10 minutes 37 seconds! I met up with a friend recently who noticed my weight loss and she was shocked that I'd been running without being chased.
I feel more in control now. Halloween has always been the hardest holiday for me and this year I didn't eat any Halloween candy even when I handing candy out to kids. I didn't want it and that was crazy for me. Friends and family notice that I'm getting thinner and I have a better attitude. I haven't worked in the last month and normally that would cause me to have a tailspin. I notice that I don't feel sorry for myself anymore and I'm being more productive. People have mentioned that I'm a lot more calm and relaxed. I'm just doing what I want to do and I'm much more confident about things. It's so refreshing for me. Now I know what I want and I'm going out there and getting it.
I always feel better after my sessions and it's a good boost for me. It has helped me gain a better perspective on things and I feel more in control and much more hopeful. I'm confident that I'll do better this time because I've learned a lot and faced facts. I can't just lie around waiting for the pounds to melt off. I've figured out a way to eat that will get my body what it needs without making me absolutely miserable. I won't try to cut out food groups from my diet because that's not permanent. I'm a lot more realistic about what I am willing to do for the long term and that makes me feel good.