Healthy Lifestyle: Eden

Eden Schiffman
Secretary
Lago Vista, TX

I've struggled with weight issues for the last ten years. It was a constant waste of inner turmoil. I always felt like I couldn't get on top of it, I couldn't have any control over it, and that the food had power over me. I've tried Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, starvation, Adkins, and calorie reduction. I always had the typical results; I had short term success and then gained the weight back and more. I was always telling myself that it was mind over matter and I felt like I was hanging on by my fingernails. It was a constant struggle for me.

I felt completely out of control. I would stop for fast food two or three times a day. My car would automatically turn into the drive through even when I said that I wouldn't. It had nothing to do with hunger; I would eat when I was full and then pass that point. I was trying to fill something that could never be filled and now I realize that I had been suppressing so many things from myself. My behavior had become nightmarish. My lifestyle was so unhealthy that I was afraid I would die of a stroke. The last couple of years were the worst point of my life.

I learned about A New Day Hypnosis when I did a google search. When I met with Laura, she was easy to talk to and really understood what I was trying to do. After the first session, I felt a boost in positive feelings and noticed some changes in my behavior. I felt a lot calmer and started to want better foods. It's been one of the easiest things that I ever did. It requires effort and attention, but my mind has changed and that's the biggest difference. I have more energy and want to exercise more. I'm a more positive person and I don't freak out all the time anymore. I feel capable and on top of things now and I have much more endurance with my exercise.

I feel so much more in control now. I make better choices and I feel better about who I am. I'm not being negative about myself and my inner voice is much more confident. I know that I can do anything that I want and that understanding has expanded past the food and into other things in my life. Smaller portions satisfy me because I've started to really focus on the food itself. Healthy food in particular has become a focus in my life. I have cravings, but now they are for healthy foods and that's been a total change for me.

This has been such a bigger experience for me that I'd ever imagined. I came here for a particular reason and it turned into a life changing event for me. My husband has noticed the difference in my attitude and the way that I think about my life now. All the doors have opened up for me and he acknowledges that I've been able to learn something new at 50. The people who work around me can tell the difference because the guys who I get lunches for are getting Whole Foods now instead of Jack in the Box. I have an internal confidence and I don't need approval from people to make me feel good. This was the push that my brain needed to talk myself into doing all the things that I can do. It opened the door to change for me that I didn't know that I had shut.

The biggest thing for me is realizing that I'm really good at ignoring things that need attention in my life. Throughout my life, when things got unpleasant, I've said, "Well, I'm just gonna shut that door and not think about it". I've realized that I can't ignore things forever and that eventually my mind will force me to deal with them. Your brain can either help you or hurt you and I know now that if I don't deal with things, my brain will do really weird things to compensate and I'll end up eating fast food and covering myself with a layer of fat. You have to figure out what the issues are in your life and deal with them.

I know that I'd been getting my self esteem through work. My life was completely out of balance and I found myself saying that family was everything, but then spending all of my time and energy at work. The weight gain was indicative of something that I wasn't facing up to or dealing with. Now I can move in the direction that I want to. The experience has let me know that I have what it takes to continue to do the work that I need to stay healthy. I've recommended this to others and I know that it depends on the person and a belief in the power of their mind.

Laura has provided so much more than what I expected. I came here predicting very little and thought I would get some suggestions that would be pretty generic. Instead, she figured out the issues with me and we worked on them. Despite my attempts to block it, Laura tends to poke at things until they come around. If the person wants to do this and understands what the mind can do and is willing to work at it, Laura has the tool that they need. It has been life changing. Every time I go home I cry because she's opened so many doors for me. I see things in me and have learned things about myself that I never thought I was going to learn. It's not what I expected. It's been life changing.

Healthy Lifestyle: Amy

Amy Braden
Design and Production Manager
Austin, TX

I've struggled with my weight all my life, but specifically since I started working in the last ten years. It kept going up and up, but never went down. I tried pretty much everything; I did Weight Watchers and lost some weight, but ultimately didn't sustain the weight loss. I tried Jenny Craig for two months and it was short lived because I was always thinking about food and obsessing over it. I tried Adkins and lost a little weight and then gained it all back. I found that I had to distract myself to not think about food and eventually lost motivation and just stopped. I felt like food was controlling me. I ate out of stress and would buy a bag of peppermint patties and they wouldn't last the day at my office.

I heard about A New Day Hypnosis through citysearch.com. My mom had used hypnosis for weight loss and had success, so I was motivated to try it. I started to notice changes in my behavior right away; I gave up the sweets at night, which had always been my biggest downfall. In college, I was playing sports and would skip meals and eat sweets instead; I would cut out the chicken and green beans and eat ice cream for dinner. Now that the issue with sweets is cured it feels so weird to me. It's crazy to me because it's been I'd had this problem for 30 years and now it's just gone. I feel more in control now and it's easy for me to avoid sweets.

This process has been very easy, I don't have the cravings and I don't think about it. My mind isn't constantly focused on where my next meal is coming from. I'm exercising a lot more consistently and that's been great. I've slowly increased my cardio and I can see the improvement in my endurance. I'm also doing much better with food at restaurants, which had also been a problem for me. Now I'll take half of it home and make two meals out of my dinner. I've completely eliminated stress eating and I don't have to eat sweets to reward myself. Instead, I catch up on my magazines at the gym as my reward for my hard work.

I feel more confident because I can see the change in the way my clothes fit and increasing my cardio workout. My mother and husband have both commented that my jeans are fitting differently. I can see my progress and feel like my whole life is in control. I know that these changes and my weight loss are permanent because I don't have to think about anymore, I just do it. I know that there's no reason why I can't sustain this and I would recommend A New Day hypnosis to anyone who wants a healthier lifestyle because I've found a lot of success with it.

Healthy Lifestyle: Anna

Anna Davies
Homemaker
Round Rock, TX

I've struggled with my weight for almost eleven years and it's been really frustrating. I was having a lot of difficulty with anxiety, which was affecting my weight. I felt really out of control. When I'm anxious, I don't eat right and I get very uptight and I don't sleep well. I'm cranky with my kids and I don't get good sleep. I felt shaky and use food to calm me down. I would have a snack for a meal and an hour later I was snacking again. I thought I might break down and start crying or beat my head against the wall or something, so it was a little scary for me.

At this point in my life, I've tried harder than I ever had before to control my weight and I just couldn't do it. I tried lots of eating plans and I would lose a little bit and then quit losing weight and stop doing the plan. I also did massive amounts of exercise, but that didn't really help either.

I heard about A New Day Hypnosis on yahoo.com. It took me a month to pick up the phone and schedule my appointment. I wasn't sure what to expect because hypnosis was an unknown for me. I was afraid that I was going to be brought back to childhood or do something strange.

I noticed changes after the first time I met with Laura. I immediately felt a lot calmer. It's been a lot easier for me to stick with a healthy eating plan. I'm better able to control anxiety and I'm handling it more healthfully. When other people around me are upset I'm able to stay calm and I don't take on negative energy or stress myself out. My husband gets anxious sometimes and I just tell him to calm down and I don't buy into the drama. If he gets upset, I stand up for myself without getting emotional.

I'm not overeating anymore. We went to Fresh Choice the other day and even my kids had more to eat than I did. I'm eating more regular meals. If I do have a snack, I'm satisfied with a little bit and I'm able to stop myself. If I'm in the middle of an unhealthy behavior I just stop to regroup because I don't have the desire to do it anymore. My mom and my kids have noticed a change in my behaviors and my mom and husband said that I looked smaller.

I feel more confident and don't compare myself negatively to others all the time. My biggest benefit has been feeling more focused on what I want and not having the anxiety about things. I can be happy now and if I feel I'm getting stressed out, I have tools that will work for me for the first time in a very long time.

I believe that these changes and my healthy lifestyle will be permanent. I've learned how to listen to myself and it's helped me to calm down and take a more realistic view. I put my attention on what I want to happen instead of worrying. I've already recommended Laura to friends who want a healthy lifestyle because she's great. I feel like hypnosis is a really valuable tool for me. I've had a lot of people comment on the change in me; I'm able to calm myself down when I'm starting to feel stressed and I just keep going.

Healthy Lifestyle: Beverly

Beverly Haldiman
Process Management Consultant
Austin, TX

I've struggled with my weight my entire life. It was like I was on a roller coaster; I was constantly getting on or off a diet. It was horrible because I've always been in a state of overindulgence or deprivation. I talked ugly to myself and beat myself down. My biggest problem has always been overeating. I thought that food would make me feel better, but it was just a temporary solution for my problems.

I've attempted to change my eating habits in lots of different ways. I've tried every diet under the sun, artificial sweeteners, and diet pills. I even tried hypnosis in the past with a creepy guy, but it didn't work that well. I did the Opti-fast liquid diet twice and lost a lot of weight, but gained it right back when it was over. I can't even count how many times I've done Weight Watchers. I felt out of control and no matter what I did, I never really mastered my weight problem. My friend Tommy recommended A New Day Hypnosis to me when he was able to stop smoking with their help and he made me a believer.

I noticed changes immediately. I felt positive and began to believe that making this change was possible. It was an evolution that was getting to the real issues instead of just putting a band aid on things the way that I'd done in the past. It's been very easy because Laura is easy to talk to and her methodology gets to the heart of the problem. She doesn't preach or tell you what to do. She's good at getting me to say things that I didn't know that I was thinking or feeling and I've come to a lot of self-realizations through this process. I like the way that she remembers things about me, a lot of times when you go to the doctor, they don't have a clue what they did the last time, but Laura always makes me feel like I'm important to her.

I feel like I have a support structure that I can rely on forever. I can exercise control because I'm more self-aware, I have a little voice in my head that reminds me of what I need to be doing every day. When I see myself creeping back into bad habits, I'll listen to my sessions and change the way that I feel about things. The biggest thing for me has been recognizing my behaviors and having a dialogue about it.

With hypnosis, it's like the little secret in my back pocket. Before I eat, I ask myself if I'm really hungry. When I go to a restaurant, I almost always put half of the food in a to-go box before I have the first bite because I'm aware of what I'm doing now. My body has become my friend and not my enemy. People have commented that I've calmed down and seem a lot happier. I feel more confident and know that I have control now.

My biggest benefit has been that I've been able to work on issues that I wouldn't do anything about if I were on my own. It's been really satisfying to actually intellectualize what's going on and come up with a solution. When it comes to eating habits, it's a very complicated thing because you've got to eat every day. I know that I'm done with going up and down and I'm ready to age well and be a healthy old person who has fun.

I've recommended A New Day Hypnosis to lots of people because it's a good process, Laura cares about what she's doing and it shows. She really helps people get to the root of their problems instead of giving a band-aid and that has been invaluable to me.

Healthy Lifestyle: Becky

Becky Helton
State Employee
Austin, TX

I have always struggled with my weight and spent a large part of my life being depressed and thinking way too much food. I've been on so many food plans that I was able to know, without consulting anything, exactly how many calories I had consumed every day. Teenagers have better things to do with their time and it wasn't a fun way to spend my adolescence. When I wasn't compulsively counting calories, I would wipe it all from my brain and never think in any way shape or form about food or exercise, which was also not healthy.

As far as diet programs go, you name it, I've done it. I did the Scarsdale for four months and I've tried every single fad diet that exists. I even bought Susan Powter's book back in the 80's when it came out. I've exercised and paid attention to what I ate. I even did The Zone a couple of years ago and felt like I needed a slide rule to eat lunch; that made me feel more nervous. I was thinking about food all the time and I don't want to think about food that hard. I lost weight, but I'm sure that at least five pounds was due to energy expended in freaking out that I had my food ratios wrong. In everything that I tried, I would lose weight, but was never able to sustain it. I felt out of control because I wasn't progressing and felt like I was just stuck.

I heard about A New Day Hypnosis when I saw a flyer at the Wheatsville Co-op and decided to call. This has been so much easier than anything else that I've tried. I started to notice changes in my outlook almost immediately. I had a plan and I became more conscious about trying to get to bed earlier so that I could get up and exercise. I really like having these tools and a sense of control. This process has been easy for me because I let the information seep into my brain, so it isn't much of a challenge. I never felt tense or nervous about it and it didn't require any effort on my part. I'm getting better sleep and I see progress, which gives me a greater sense of control.

I feel more confident because now I know that I can do it. My biggest benefit has been learning how to be patient with my body because this process isn't magic and it doesn't happen right away. When I was able to let go of that belief, it became a lot easier not to get fed up, or say "why bother".

I feel confident with everything that I've learned that I have tools to keep me on the right path. I've gone down around two clothing sizes so far and when I saw my mom and my brother recently, they commented that I was looking good, which helped me to see my progress even more.

I would recommend A New Day Hypnosis to anyone who wants a healthy lifestyle. It's painless and it gives you a good plan. Everyone may not to learn the same things that I did, but there are always things that everyone can learn and improve upon.

Healthy Lifestyle: Jennifer

Jennifer Plato
Quality Analyst
Austin, TX

I've had to struggle with my weight for the last five years and it's been very difficult and painful. I was tired and restless all the time and it was hard to not be able to fit into any of my clothes. It was painful emotionally seeing people who were thin and then looking in the mirror and feeling so fat. I felt out of control because I couldn't stop myself from eating. I saw what I was doing, but I couldn't do anything about it. It had gotten to the point where I was eating between five and eight times a day. I was embarrassed that I was getting fatter, so I stopped eating around other people.

I've tried fasting, crash dieting, different meal plans, and exercise. The results were temporary no matter what I did. I would lose a little weight and then gain it all back. I'd try for awhile and then miss the foods that I used to eat or I would have outside interference from friends and family and just make the bad choices again.

I heard about A New Day Hypnosis on citysearch. Every review that I read was a positive one, so I thought I'd call. I had a little bit of concern about using hypnosis, because of the things I've seen on TV and in the movies. I was a little worried that it might be mind control, but when I came in and met Laura she seemed wonderful, so I wasn't worried.

I noticed changes immediately after my first session. When I went to eat something, I was choosing things that were healthy. I wanted to get up and go and I didn't have the desire to lounge around anymore. I've gone down two clothing sizes so far. I have more energy and I don't struggle to get up stairs anymore; I'm also getting a much deeper sleep. Of course, there is always that temptation in the background to make bad choices, but doing hypnosis has helped reinforce everything and keep me on track. I feel more in control and if I notice that I'm reaching for something I can stop myself now.

Hypnosis has helped me eliminate all the snacking and friends and family have noticed that I'm thinner and I'm wearing different clothes. I eat more vegetables and fruit and I find that I'm eating a lot less in general. I can control myself and I'm just eating three times a day. I feel more confident and I'm a lot more positive because I have hope for my future.

My biggest benefit has been that I have the tools to lose weight and I've learned a lot about what to eat and what exercises are best for me. I have a clearer structure on how to plan and a direction for healthy eating in my life. I know how to do this and I can apply it to everyday life rather than running home to eat my Jenny Craig meal or getting on another temporary diet. I would recommend A New Day Hypnosis to anyone who wants to lose weight because it really does work.

Healthy Lifestyle: Kasi

Kasi Chapman
Travis County Court Reporter
Kyle, TX

I've struggled with my weight for the last seven years. My eating habits were very poor because I didn't care what I ate as long as it tasted good. I had no control over my life. I felt out of control, like a tumbleweed rolling across West Texas. My emotions were out of control and I was getting through a couple of 20 ounce bottles of Dr. Pepper a day. I could eat a half a pan of brownies and feel really sick afterwards, but I liked the way that it tasted so I didn't stop myself. I was stopping at Taco Cabana for breakfast tacos almost every day and my stomach really hurt from it, but I kept eating it anyway.

I've tried Weight Watchers and it worked, but after I'd lost twelve pounds, I realized that I had to start reducing my food intake and it totally freaked me out. I wasn't sure I could do it and I had no confidence in my ability. I tried it again three other times and I would do it for a month, but I wasn't prepared for the changes that I needed to make, so I quit.

I knew that I wanted to lose weight because I wanted to excel at my job and feel more confident. I also wanted to have more children and decided to be healthy beforehand. I firmly believe that if you can change your mind you can change your life and hypnosis was something that I hadn't tried yet.

I did a yahoo search and read about A New Day Hypnosis. Pretty soon, I noticed that I was eating better and eating less. I was also drinking a lot more water. The biggest change for me was stopping Dr. Pepper and I haven't had one in two months! I've gone down a clothing size so far and I have a lot more respect for myself because I know that I can do it. My emotions don't go up and down anymore and I'm pretty happy all the time. Today at work someone told me that I have a really bubbly personality, which I haven't heard in a long time. I have more energy and that makes me happy. I feel good and I'm a lot more motivated and patient, so that I get things done right. I notice that I have a lot less anxiety about life in general.

I've been very impressed with the services and I like that the meetings are one on one. It has really helped me to work with someone who is honest and won't BS me through it. It's also been good to work in the present and the future, not digging up problems from the past. I feel much more in control now. When I go to a restaurant, I'm not afraid to try new things that are healthier. I also have more patience with my cooking. I'm more in control about how I make decisions. I step back, evaluate and think about what I want to do instead of doing the same thing every time. I realize that I have choices and I don't have to go back to my old ways.

I eat because I'm hungry now and not because I'm bored. I eat slower and don't feel guilty about not cleaning my plate; my appetite has changed a lot and I notice that I'm less hungry. I feel more confident and know that I can do anything that I want to do. I think a lot of the issues that I had about food were really about fear, frustration, and impatience. Once I got those things under control, the food situation got better. I have faith in myself and know that these changes and my weight loss will be permanent, so I would recommend A New Day Hypnosis to anyone that wants to create a healthy lifestyle.

Healthy Lifestyle: Cynthia

Cynthia W.
Practice Administrator
Austin, TX

I've struggled with my weight for the last 20 years. I felt like I was inhabiting someone else's body and I really wasn't myself. It was depressing. I would dress in the dark and avoid mirrors so that I wouldn't have to be faced with it. I wore bulky clothes and tried to ignore it. Looking back I can see that I was out of control, but I didn't know it at the time. I didn't have a plan at all. Whatever was out there, I grazed through it until it was all gone, whether I was hungry or not. I felt fat and matronly and it made me a lot less confident in my interactions with everyone.

I tried eating less and exercising more. I was really good at deluding myself and would tell myself that even though I was eating cake, I was sure I was losing weight. I'd eventually get on the scale and be totally bummed out. I even tried a South American herb that was supposed to eliminate hunger. It was very expensive and it didn't work at all.

In the past, I had quit smoking using a guided imagery technique and thought that I would be a good candidate for hypnosis, so I thought it might help me to improve my eating habits. I did a Google search for hypnotherapy and found A New Day Hypnosis on Citysearch.

I started to notice changes within 24 hours. It was Halloween, and in the past, it would have been Butterfingers for dinner. This time, I didn't eat any of the candy. I've lost 15 pounds so far and the process has been easy because I don't feel like I'm denying myself anything. I'm exercising regularly now and it's pretty incredible. On the weekends, the first thing I do is get up and go walk two miles. I don't even think about it now, it's just what I do and I have a lot more energy.

Not only have I become more conscious about my eating, I've seen a carryover and I'm more conscious about my spending habits as well. I stop and think before I do things. I feel more in control now; I automatically know when I sit down, what I'm going to do. If we are out to eat at a Mexican food restaurant, I get the fruit instead of the rice and beans and eat half the enchiladas. At home, I know how much and what I'm going to eat before I even start. Hypnosis has also helped me to eliminate overeating and unconscious eating. I control it and plan it. I'm not even snacking at work anymore. I just ask myself "What would thin Cindy do?" and I operate on that mindset.

People have said that they can tell that I've lost weight and that makes me feel more confident. Even a banker at work noticed a change in my appearance the other day, which was nice. My relationship with my employers is different now because I'm more confident and meet them on an equal footing, so I can totally be myself. There isn't a barrier there anymore and that makes me happy.

This process has affected my health and my confidence in a positive way. It's not a temporary fix and I know that these changes and my weight loss will be permanent because it's been so easy for me to absorb. It doesn't even feel like I'm doing anything differently, it's just how I do things now. I would recommend A New Day Hypnosis to anyone who wants to have a healthy lifestyle because it really changes the core of what needs to change so that you can improve yourself.

Healthy Lifestyle: Rona

Rona Wheeler
Accountant
Austin, TX

I've struggled with my weight on and off during my lifetime, but for eight years I was able to maintain it. Unfortunately, during the last two years I forgot how to handle stress and I turned to food again. I put on a lot of the weight that I had lost and I was wearing bigger sizes and didn't have much energy. My confidence went way down and I felt like I didn't have control over my life. It was really scary and I felt miserable. If I was upset, I would just eat and eat. I didn't know why I was doing it, but I just kept on and couldn't stop myself. I wasn't taking the time for myself and I wasn't exercising. I felt really overwhelmed.

I tried diet pills to weight; I'd lose 5 or 10 lbs and then gain it back as soon as I stopped taking them. I also tried starving myself, I skipped meals and would sometimes lose 5 lbs, but when I ate normally again I gained it back. I was going for the quick fix and it didn't work.

I heard about A New Day Hypnosis from Stephanie Delk at Austin Adventure Boot Camp. I read her blog and wanted to have some of the same success that she'd experienced with Laura, so I decided to schedule an appointment.

After the first session, it was all making sense to me. I started to notice changes in my behaviors within a couple of days. I tried to fight it, but I just naturally wanted to eat healthier. Now I know how to stop myself if I'm eating what I know that I shouldn't be eating. I ask myself if I'm eating just to feel good and make the decision from there. I've noticed that I can run faster because I'm exercising more. Saturday, before we went out of town, I went for a run in the morning, which I hadn't done on my own in a long time. Hypnosis has also really helped me stop bingeing, snacking, and overeating. If I have a craving, I don't act on it. I still might want a chocolate bar, but I just let it pass. A coworker said that she's noticed that I'm more determined and my fiancée, who eats pretty poorly, noticed that I'm still eating healthier.

The biggest benefit from this process has been confidence. I stand up for myself instead of just going with the flow all the time. Weight loss is awesome and it makes you healthier, but if you don't like yourself and let people run over you it's not so good. I'm not going to be a passive person anymore and I don't want to give control over my life to other people.

I believe that these changes and my weight loss will be permanent because I've re-learned how to handle stress and I have more tools on how to manage it. I would recommend A New Day Hypnosis to anyone who wants to lose weight because Laura helped me to get to the heart of the matter even when I didn't know what it is.

Healthy Lifestyle: Cathy

Cathy Charro
Network Center Technician
Austin, TX

I've had trouble with my weight since having my son about eighteen years ago. I wasn't happy and I was just going up and up in sizes. When I sat down to eat, I was eating way too much of the wrong things. I knew that the good choices were mine to make, but I wasn't able to make them on my own. I wasn't focusing on anything at all with my diet and was just out there wandering. I wasn't drinking water and I wasn't doing anything successfully, so I stopped shopping in clothing stores and started buying loose fitting sweat pants and baggy t-shirts and finding ways to avoid knowing what size I was.

I've tried just about every pill on the market to lose weight. Any time I would read about a new herbal supplement coming out, I would buy it. I had short term success, but I hadn't changed any of my habits, I couldn't stay on it forever and when I stopped taking it I gained it all back because I hadn't changed any of my habits.

I heard about A New Day Hypnosis on citysearch; when I read that Laura had gotten the hypnotist of the year award, I decided to call. My boyfriend had stopped smoking with hypnosis, so I wasn't afraid of it, but I was concerned that I wouldn't be susceptible to it and that worried me a little bit.

After my first session, I started to notice changes. I was drinking more water and was a lot more conscious about my food choices. Those were the biggest ones for me. It's the little changes that are making the biggest impact. I'm more conscious of what I'm doing, so I don't stray too much. I've lost 12 pounds and gone down a clothing size so far. I've seen a noticeable change in my shape and I've also noticed that my blood pressure is better. I feel more in control and I'm making conscious and unconscious efforts to do things differently.

Hypnosis has helped me to eliminate the bingeing and overeating. I can hear the things that Laura tells me inside my head when I'm sitting down to a meal or ordering food and that has helped me a lot. I know that I don't have to eat everything even if tastes good, so I'm leaving something on the plate. I go to lunch with my boyfriend every day and he has commented that I'm eating a lot less. Several people at work have also noticed that I've lost weight.

I walk taller and straighter and I feel more confident now. The biggest benefit for me has been that I have the awareness and I know what is going on. I've seen the success from it and I'm fitting into the clothes that were hiding in the back of the closet. I have better endurance and I can see the improvement in my lifestyle.

I feel confident that I'll stay on the same path that I'm on right now and continue with my progress. I would recommend A New Day Hypnosis to anyone who wants to change their lifestyle. I'm happy to share it with anybody because it works. I know it's all up to me and Laura has given me the tools that I need to be successful.