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.