Gastric Mind Band Therapy, Session Three

I can’t believe I’m almost done with the therapy sessions. There is only one left. I’ve really looked forward to the sessions… working through the food issues, discussing nutrition, and then the oh-so-relaxing hypnosis sessions. But I’m also excited that soon I’ll have completed all the sessions and will be on the road to a smaller, healthier, more fit me!

This past Sunday was my third of four Gastric Mind Band Therapy sessions (GMBT). I walked in the door 4.6 lbs lighter than my first session, two weeks prior, so I was already excited and positive about another appointment. This time my therapist, Julie Gibson, began things by handing me a jar containing one pound of lard. How often do we lose just one pound and are disappointed that we didn’t lose more? The jar was heavier than I thought one pound would be. Julie said anytime I lost a pound I should remember how heavy that jar was. Then we discussed nutrition: serving sizes, label reading, things to be aware of such as sodium in processed foods and the nutritional advantage you usually have when cooking at home instead of eating out. We talked about the basics of weight loss: a pound is 3500 calories, if you cut 500 calories from your diet every day, in theory you would lose one pound a week. Of course there are other variables: your level of activity, hormones, medical conditions, medications, etc. It’s hard to know what causes the occasional plateau, when your weight-loss efforts continue but your weight-loss does not. She got out a huge stack of books that we flipped through and talked about. Some were cookbooks and all were about nutrition. I have a whole new wishlist for the bookstore now!

Then we did the third hypnosis session. After the initial relaxation exercise, I remember that Julie talked in more detail about my goals, motivations and methods for achieving them. She talked about meals and how I would be leaving part of my meal on my plate; I would eat smaller meals and still be satisfied. I had a little tickle in my throat and I coughed occasionally. I didn’t doze off like I had in the first two sessions. But when it was over, once again I felt great! Not euphoric, but positive and confident and refreshed. And I noticed something odd this week… I ate out a couple times and each time I looked down at my plate and realized I had put down my fork after eating exactly half of my entrée. Freaky! My efforts are still far from perfect, but I don’t expect ever to be perfect. My habits have improved tremendously and I feel great about it. And that positive feeling just feeds into continuing more of the same.

This coming Sunday is the final hypnosis session, where it will be suggested that I had gastric band surgery. I’ve already seen so many differences in my habits with the first three sessions; I wonder how much of a difference the last session will make. Stay tuned!



FTC disclaimer: Since I am blogging about the experience, the service is being provided at no charge.