Building A New Life With Losing Weight And Gaining Confidence

S came to see me in my practice in Brisbane just over three years ago. He was a pleasant young man of 22 who was very overweight and very unhappy.

He was working for an extremely unpleasant boss in a job that he loathed. He was bored, frustrated and was showing the first classical symptoms of depression. The fact that he weighed far more than he should have didn’t help one bit.

S felt that he was suffocating under the excessive weight and the control of his boss but had no idea how to make changes.

He had always been given large portions of food from childhood and was ingrained in the overeating habit that was now inhibiting his life. Add to that the social life of a popular young man which included indulging in fast food and copious amounts of beer on a regular basis with his mates and hey presto – a recipe for disaster.

Of course there was also the comfort eating that S craved to sooth away the discomfort of his bullying boss and lack lustre job.

We began by breaking all those old unhealthy eating and drinking habits that had inhibited his energy, self-esteem, happiness and motivation with hypnotherapy. We also focused on some regular gym sessions as he particularly liked the idea of the gym but felt too uncomfortable to go. S began to lose weight consistently and steadily. As the kilos dropped off he felt his confidence beginning to soar. He was looking good and feeling good.

When S was truly convinced that changes were taking place both in body and mind he became determined to do whatever it would take to help him succeed. He started to study nutrition and the benefits of healthy food. This made him feel he was making a big contribution to his weight loss – and, of course, he was. He took great pride in sharing with me all his new found knowledge and how he was putting it to good use.

The weight continued to drop, but he was still unhappy at work. So whilst keeping his weight loss buoyant we focused on his lack of confidence. Once he was able to realise what great inroads he had made with his weight, and continued to do so, his self- belief began to rise and with great delight he eventually handed in his notice.

At this point S had no other job to go to, but was determined to move forward to a more positive future.

He decided to study. His subjects of choice? Personal training and nutrition!

S worked very hard and was extremely motivated, knowing that he could achieve whatever he set out to achieve. He got his qualifications and began working as a personal trainer in his local gym.

His weight continued to level out and his confidence grew.

Today he lives in Melbourne and is an active partner in a gym in Melbourne.