Kiwis battling obesity and weight management issues are turning to a virtual ‘Inject’ weight management programme to drop the pounds.

Latest Government health figures show New Zealand has the third highest adult obesity rate in the OECD with one in three Kiwis over the age of 15 classified as obese, and our rates continue to increase.

The virtual weight management programme, which has been widely adopted overseas, allows patients to virtually “inject” control over food, portions and cravings, alongside daily motivation and exercise.

Richard Kellow, founder of Kellow Hypnotherapy, says the Virtual “Inject” Weight management programme addresses the sabotaging behaviours of habitual eating through a holistic approach that encourages people to form a healthier relationship with food.

“One of the key aspects the Virtual “Inject” Weight management programme deals with is the emotional side of eating.

“More and more Kiwis are looking for a more holistic approach to weight management. There are myriad reasons for this,” he says.

Virtual ‘inject’ weight management programmes which are also seeing a rising trend overseas, involve the process of hypnosis.

“Hypnosis is a generally safe process as we go into a natural state of hypnosis every day,” says Kellow.

The process of the Virtual “Inject” Weight management programme involves four appointments in total. All sessions take place online via Zoom for an approximate one-hour duration. Between sessions clients are given a set of recordings to listen to, reinforcing what has been worked on.

The first Virtual “Inject” Weight management programme session involves talking through eating habits, goals, and what the client wants to achieve. Kellow then takes his client into hypnosis, encouraging them to imagine giving themselves an injection while they are eating, totally painless and safe that suppresses their appetite. (Clients are also able to do this themselves any time out of hypnosis too). Clients also inject essential motivation, confidence and control tools at this first session.

“We look at and talk through people’s habits and behaviours and assess what they are eating, how much they are exercising, what their goals are and what they hope to achieve,” says Kellow.

“This could be anything from gaining more energy, to fitting clothes again, feeling healthier and more confident and increasing motivation.”

The following three sessions focus on decreasing cravings for foods the client no longer wishes to eat and in turn increasing desire for fresh, nutritious foods. Overcoming emotional eating, letting go of thought patterns and bad feelings around food and focusing on where the client wants to be in the future all combine to foster permanent change.

According to Kellow, the Virtual Weight management programme is not limited to people with a certain BMI, with the focus less on the number on the scales and more about freeing up people’s minds from thinking about food.

“Thinking about food takes up so much brain space and is incredibly controlling,” says Kellow. “The Virtual Weight Management programme is about taking back control.”

Weight management takes time and effort to be successful. People should seek professional advice on diet, exercise and lifestyle changes. Individual results may vary.

For more information, visit kellowhypnotherapy.com