Weight Loss
After Todd Goodwin earned his Masters degree in Nutrition and Health Promotion in 1999, he quickly realized that even the best conscious-level weight loss advice seldom produces lasting behavioral change. After all, eating habits are only symptoms, and many doctors and dietitians focus primarily on behaviors and pay mere lip service to the emotions that drive them. In reality, we should do the opposite – acknowledge the obvious behaviors but focus primarily on influencing the underlying emotions. With this awareness, he opened the Miami Hypnosis Center in 2007 (now known as Goodwin Hypnosis).
The Emotion-Behavior Connection
The irrational, short-term-oriented, subconscious mind generates emotions that drive behavior. An emotionally compulsive behavior provides momentary pleasure or temporary relief from discomfort, and often both. Despite one’s conscious desire to resist this behavior, the subconscious and immediate “need” to avoid pain or seek pleasure usually prevails. Due to this internal conflict, willpower usually fails to change habits, and that is why conscious-level behavior modification is usually a waste of time and energy.
Well-meaning nutritionists may devote their careers to helping people through diet and behavior modification, only to be frustrated by results that are short-lived or non-existent. It is possible to change subconscious programming that affects both emotion and behavior, but conventional healthcare professionals are not trained to do it.
Unwanted emotional and behavioral habits are conditioned responses to learned beliefs and perceptions, which means all of them can be unlearned and deconditioned. A significant, often unrecognized cause of these beliefs and habits is emotional trauma.
Todd shares this story of a client with emotional eating issues, and how he resolved them by focusing on the trauma, not the behavior. To read a client case study of how sexual trauma can lead to obesity, visit this page.
“You may have heard the phrase, “It’s not what you’re eating, but what’s eating you.” I could recount numerous such client examples. A few years ago, a physician I know referred Jane, a 60-year-old woman who had been overweight for years and was in an unfulfilling marriage of 30 years. She had tried to lose weight many times but could not maintain healthy eating habits. She would eat well until an hour after dinner, when the mounting stress from her day, often triggered by interactions with her husband, would prompt her to consume a glass of wine with cheese and crackers, or whatever else was available. The occasional cheese, crackers, or glass of wine is unlikely to prevent successful weight loss, but with consistency, it will. In fact, one glass of wine a day can generate more than 10 pounds of body fat in one year.
Jane realized that her relationship with her husband tended to initiate stress eating that would temporarily comfort her. During the course of one of our sessions, we focused on the emotion of frustration or anger towards her husband, and the feeling triggered a memory from when she was seven years old. She recalled perceiving that her father favored her brothers and didn’t love her, even if her adult self understood intellectually that he did love her. All that matters is that she had come to believe, as a result of this and other experiences, that her father did not love her. As a result, she never felt loved by him. Growing up while feeling rejected by a parent can cause a lack of self-worth that can produce chronic stress or anxiety. If our self-worth is conditional upon others’ approval or love, we will be more vulnerable to emotional or behavioral problems (symptoms).
Because Jane’s emotional “hunger” was due to her feeling unloved by her now deceased father, it could not be satisfied by food. During the session in which she remembered that childhood experience, we modified the memory of her interaction with her father, reframed her childhood feelings, gave new meaning to the emotional distance she would feel from him while growing up, and future paced her with self-acceptance and a new understanding of her father through subsequent memories. Note that we could not change what had happened in the past, but we changed her perception of what had happened, and that’s what really mattered.
Every traumatic memory that can be consciously accessed can be modified using one’s imagination. Doing so with Jane immediately changed her feelings. As she opened her eyes, she began to explain to me through her tears, “I now truly feel, for the first time in my life, that my father loved me.” This process took about 30 minutes. I contend that her belief (whether accurate or not) that her father did not love her, and the supporting memories, constituted the thorn in her side that had been itching for decades. If this were true, then the removal of the thorn should alleviate the emotional itch, and her “need” to scratch (emotional eating) would disappear.
Sure enough, when Jane came back the following week, she reported feeling much calmer around her husband, her stress eating had disappeared, and she didn’t drink any wine. After a few additional sessions to reinforce self-confidence and healthy habits, she eventually shed more than 30 pounds with little need for willpower. Imagine how different her life might have been had she done this type of work 30 years ago.”
If you believe that your weight issues or unhealthy eating habits are caused by emotional trauma, you may be able to work with us privately, which is the most effective and rapid intervention. Please visit this page to learn more.
“Hypnosis has changed my life! I recommend it to anyone facing a challenge, problem, wanting to change behavioral patterns, or just overall improvement in oneself. I was referred to Todd by a friend and to be honest at first I was hesitant to see hypnotist, after all I had gone for years to therapy sessions. Well, I am sure happy I went! When I first saw Todd I was dealing with the following issues: I was not assertive, lacked self-esteem and self-confidence, struggling with my weight and ate to alleviate my emotions (which we all know is a momentary feeling), I procrastinated, I was a people pleaser, had anxiety, and constantly worried about what if’s. Through the tools and guidance provided by Todd I was able to conquer or diminish the aforementioned. My friends have noticed a change in me and have expressed to me that I am a totally different person. I am more assertive, and I value and love myself for whom I am every day more; I like myself. Also I still worry at times but a lot less than before, and if do see that I am worrying I listen to hypnosis. In addition, I have lost approximately 15 to 20 pounds since hypnosis and my relationship with food has changed; I will just go for a walk instead of eating if I am feeling an undesirable emotion, If you are contemplating hypnosis do not hesitate any longer! It is the best investment of my life and I do not regret doing it for a minute. It has totally changed my life.” – Maricarmen Sanchez
“I worked a 5 session program with Gina on my impossibility to eat vegetables and fruits (mostly all the healthy stuff). She was great, she completely re-wired my head in a way that I’m not only able to eat them, but eager to do it. It’s incredible how the mind works. I strongly recommend her.” – Gonzalo Navarro
“I have had total success with Todd’s weight loss program. I’ve been at it since end of February and have already lost 50 pounds. I still have another 50 to go and I KNOW that I will make it because of Todd’s program. I highly recommend him for any wight loss issue you may have. It’s so worth it. Sessions are usually spread out over 2 to 3 months. Todd is a really funny guy, I would go see him in the evenings- usually his last session because of where I worked. He was particularly funny at that time. He knows exactly how to make you comfortable and he’s super trustworthy. I loved going to see him and talking about the successes that were happening. The mp3s are also really good. I still listen to them. He always recommended that I listen to at least 1 each day while in the process. If that’s the maintenance I need to keep off the weight then I have no problem with that!” – Christine Abreu
“[Todd Goodwin] is fantastic, knows his stuff, and has a totally different approach to weight loss. I have also used him for hypnotherapy for my fear of highway driving. The approach is very innovative and I couldn’t recommend him more highly. He does things other than hypnotherapy, such as educating you on exercises and nutrition.” – Howard Nestler
“I went to the Miami Hypnosis Center for weight loss. Hypnosis has helped me make my actions and thoughts consistent with my desire to lose weight and be a thin and strong person. I truly enjoy my current healthy lifestyle and have no desire to change back to my previous habits. I highly recommend it to anyone battling with their weight!” – Jorge Gomez
“A few months ago, I was about 60 lbs. overweight. I tried almost everything to lose weight and I felt like I always sabotaged myself. I signed up for Miami Hypnosis Center’s program…Once I got out of my own way, my thinking gradually changed from a fat person to a fit person…I’ve dropped from a size 16 to a size 10, and I’m on my way to a size 6! This program really works and can be easy if you do exactly what they tell you to do…Take my advice and make it easy on yourself. Go in, sign up and follow their instructions. It’s that simple.” – Betsy Nelson
“I had chubbed up to 50 lbs over my ideal weight after retiring. I knew what to do to lose weight. I did not have a “glandular” problem. I had me. That was the problem. I hadn’t the willpower to give me the won’t-power to stop eating like it was the Last Supper. [At Miami Hypnosis Center, they] explained that it wasn’t a willpower issue. Under gentle guided hypnosis, [it] reinforced my desire for health and (okay, let’s admit it, here) the admiration of myself and others, and also suggested other helpful ideas and techniques which had never crossed my mind. The weight is now dropping off quite quickly, and after only a few short weeks I’ve already lost approximately 1/2 of the flab…I moved to North Carolina on June 4th and…I haven’t had the opportunity to work with them since I left the Beach. It’s reassuring, however, that my new eating habits seem to be as strong as ever.” – Mitzi Richardson
“Stress and anxiety completely took over my life and was largely due to work pressures and problems. It drew me to a very short fuse causing anger episodes (especially when driving), extreme frustration, depression, and generally just being in a bad mood all day everyday. I gained a very large amount of weight in no time by eating those problems. It pushed those who are closest to me out for no real reason aside from being around my bad mood. Even the things I loved to do meant nothing and didn’t care for it. After feeling like I was in a 20-foot hole with no way out and so consumed by problems and anxiety, I spoke with my doctor. I was recommended to see Todd Goodwin. I was skeptical and didn’t really understand what it was. It is truly amazing how effective and well this worked. First, the stress and anxiety went away, which lead to drive and confidence, which led to better days at work. Then there was less eating the problems away and in turn weight loss and feeling good physically. Honestly, I left the first session thinking that was it? I don’t feel any different. How is that going to help me and why did I just waste my money. Literally the next morning I felt like someone took off a 45 pound gym plate from my back and another from my chest. This completely changed my life and I’m so grateful for it. Its so simple and effortless it almost doesn’t seem real. This is the best investment I have ever made and will recommend this to everybody. There is positivity and most important happiness. I have such gratitude Todd and his practice because I feel like I am back to the person Im supposed to be. Despite the long review, the whole thing just really leaves me speechless.” – Oscar N.
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If you believe that your weight issues or unhealthy eating habits are caused by emotional trauma, you may be able to work with us privately, which is the most effective and rapid intervention. Please visit this page to learn more.
*Comments made by former clients are true and factual. Goodwin Hypnosis, its officers, and personnel, do not imply or claim that these comments represent typical results. Results vary depending on age, gender, lifestyle, motivation, and individual commitment to achieve a desired result. Each comment, and/or review, is the opinion of one person at a specific time and should only be considered in that context.