– ☺
– OK, good. Over the years of counseling, I have helped thousands of people to drop weight. Do you know how many people in Russia suffer from excess weight? Over seventy million! Just fancy! As for the world, there are over a billion seventy million people with excess weight! You see, I still have a lot of work to do.
The most curious things happen when people who have already dropped ten, twenty, or forty pounds. They told me afterward that when they meet an overweight person somewhere, they feel a strong desire to come up and say: “Join us! You can drop weight by eating regularly!”
– ☺
– No medicines, no starvation, no coding, no hypnotic stare, or subliminal stimuli. A woman asked me recently: “Look at me with your special hypnotic stare, the one I saw in the picture on the cover of your book. I know you have a sort of superpower. Can you look at me like that to stop me from gorging myself with foods?
– ☺
– You should address such a request to a psychic or a hypnotist! I don’t know how to do it.
Andrey Vasilyevich Trenogov, psychologist, psychiatrist:
We need to recognize that coding helps some people. About ten percent of people feel better after it. What about the remaining ninety percent?
Almost all coding and hypnosis techniques provide for a list of allowed and forbidden foods. Some people immediately declare: “If some food is forbidden, I will eat it for sure.” One of my clients said: “I never liked pies. But after I have been forbidden from eating pies, for some reason, I craved for them. Now I still try to give up this habit”.
The effect of the suggestion of a good hypnotist usually lasts only for a short period of time. This is due to the fact that in addition to the biological immune system, a human being has got a “mental immune system”. When it detects a sort of ‘foreign particle,” no matter if it is nice and useful or not, it easily gets rid of such suggestions and returns to a state of “psychological homeostasis”.
Group session of psychologist
Artyom Andreyevich Ovechkin:
I can change your eating behavior. I’ll give you useful knowledge and help to form new habits and skills. We’ll create new mental mindsets and work on their adoption. Former dysfunctional mental mindsets will be challenged and rejected to prevent them from triggering weight gain. You will use all the knowledge and skills acquired during our session feeding yourself with tasty, nourishing, healthy food every day. At the same time, you will lose weight! All you need to do is to change your attitude towards yourself, others, and food.
Nikolay Ivanovich Kosenkov, member of Petrovskaya Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ph. D. of medical science
Insulin converts glucose and other carbohydrates into fat and inhibits lipase activity. Normally, one-third of alimentary glucose is used for the synthesis of endogenous fat. For obese people, the ratio of converted-into-fat glucose is up to two thirds.
A decrease in the amount of fat in fat cells is due to increased lipase activity.
What hormones activate lipase?
These are adrenaline and noradrenaline (stress hormones), somatotropic hormone (growth hormone STH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and glucagon.
Glucagon is a so-called “hunger hormone” produced by α-cells of the pancreas in response to a decrease in blood glucose levels. By raising blood glucose levels, glucagon increases insulin secretion.
Growth hormone is released only from 11 pm to 4 am. This is the time when your body grows and repairs itself. The release of GH is reduced if a person has eaten a lot of sweet things after eight pm (had a cup of tea with cookies or sweets, ate sweet yogurt or some honey, and so on). Or if the person doesn’t sleep at this time (from 11 pm to 4 am), for example, watching TV, as he is afraid to miss something important. Therefore, you shouldn’t eat sweet things (simple carbohydrates) after 8—9 pm. You can eat something else if you are hungry. Besides, you need to sleep from at least 11 pm till 4 am.
Remember, you can lose weight while sleeping!
If you walk in the park in the evening, a few ounces of excess weight will disappear by the morning.
“A monster in the mirror!” Time to settle the problem!
– What was the final straw for you, Eugenia? Why did you come here?
– I met Eugenia. She has lost sixty-six pounds. Fantastic! She became so slim! I was impressed.
– Why does excess weight disturb you so much?
– It’s not comfortable to be like this.
– Why?
– Because of my job. As a network engineer, I often have to creep under tables. It’s not comfortable at all when my body is so big!
– Ok, got it. Elizaveta, what was the last straw for you?
– My twelve-year-old son told me: “Mom, you are getting a bit fatty.”
– A woman told me recently that her young child used to clutch her tummy. No wonder, there is enough of flesh to cling! So, he uses to shake her fat rolls and yells: “Mom, you are so fat!”
That’s it. Just fancy, she told me: “I nearly almost faint when he does it! I feel so bad. It’s depressing”. What about you? What did you feel when your son said that you are “a bit fatty”?
– I realized that my child is embarrassed of having me around. My elder daughter doesn’t like it either.
– Got it. Thank you. Nadezhda?
– I tried everything to get and to maintain healthy weight. I dropped weight, but then I gained it again. The problem is that I can’t maintain the result. I keep this diet or another, then allow myself some treats – and start to gain weight again.
– Why does excess weight disturb you so much?
– Perhaps, it’s because of my job. Frankly speaking, I can’t drop weight anymore. I am concerned about gaining more weight…
– So, you are afraid of gaining weight?
– Yes. It will be harder to drop pounds when I get older.
– Fine. Got it.
– My husband told me: “You were a bit slimmer before.”
– And whenever he goes by, he pinches your tummy…
– Yes. ☺
– Got it. Larisa?
– I don’t like it! I hate this fat! I don’t like myself! Of course, when I meet friends, they tell me: “Why do you need to lose weight? You look great. You are doing well.”
– Of course, they want you stay like this.
– Agree. I believe, they have to look critically at themselves. I am realistic. I am not pleased with what I see in the mirror. Staying in front of the mirror, I often think: “What a mess!”
– I have to do something about it.
– We’ll discuss this “mess” today. Actually, it’s not a mess at all. You say stuff like that because you are a bit tired and disappointed.
– I always treat myself this way…
Andrey Vasilyevich Trenogov, psychologist, psychiatrist:
We can gain some weight while getting older. On average, after the twenty-fifth birthday, you can afford to gain five and a half pounds every decade. For example, if at twenty-five you weighed one hundred thirty-two pounds, then at the age of thirty-five, your normal weight is one hundred thirty-seven and a half pounds At forty-five years you can weight one hundred forty-three pounds, and so on. But that is up to you Comfortable weight is something very personal, associated with values and self-identification.
Therefore, you should not count your perfect weight as “height minus 100”. You should stop dropping weight when you feel comfortable.
Nikolay Ivanovich Kosenkov, member of Petrovskaya Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ph. D. of medical science
While a person is not looking at the mirror, he usually likes himself. Then, why a person often considers himself fat after looking at the mirror? Even people suffering from lack of weight – patients with anorexia and bulimia – believe that they have excess weight and are try to drop it in every possible way. Any objective arguments – weight readings, photos, opinions of others – cannot prove to them that their problem is underweight, but not excess weight. Such behavior is called uncritical (distorted) attitude to weight.
Overweight people often preserve critical attitude to their weight. They realize that their weight is excessive. In addition, this view is supported by the people around and weight readings.
The reason for this behavior is that the mind of an anorexic patient has already formed a “body matrix” based on the constitution of top-models and celebrities who the person looks up to. It’s a tribute to fashion, and at the same time, it’s the destruction of personality, replacement of reality with phantom, and desire to be like this phantom.
In this case, the “error detector”, after unsuccessful attempts to correct the behavior of the person, starts up the process of self-destruction. The person believes that there is another person in his body.
We can create another phantom to correct our body. For this purpose, you need to use your memories and your photos of the time when you were completely satisfied with your body. Then it will seek to return to the state that you had once. It will be you, not a celebrity phantom in the photo.
No! No! And no again! Is it really useful?
– Many people want you to stay big, kind, and appeasable. You know, overweight people are considered friendly and soft.
They never say “no”. This is a great benefit for others. Have you learned to say “no”? Or you have always been able to do it?
– No, not always. Life has taught me. But it’s still hard sometimes.
Nikolay Ivanovich Kosenkov, member of Petrovskaya Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ph. D. of medical science
We cannot say “no” when it corresponds to our intentions. We cherish and demonstrate in every possible way our best quality – kindness.
This is the main mindset for many people: “A kindhearted person never says “no”. They say, fat person is a kind person, because he can’t resist delicious dishes and his desire for food.
But it’s not the worst thing. N. P. Bekhtereva, an academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, established that our brain has a special mechanism, so-called “Error Detector”. This mechanism continuously monitors thoughts of a person and compares them with actions: whether they correspond to his life attitudes and rules that were formed by his conscience during upbringing and education.
If such a comparison shows that a person repeatedly acts contrary to his conscience and principles, then the “Error Detector” forces a person to correct his behavior by using psychosomatic disorders as one of the mechanisms for influence on the person. We know that obesity is considered to be a psychosomatic disorder. This is often reflected in so-called compulsive actions and thoughts. These are the first obvious symptoms of psychological distress, manifested by inner anxiety, depression, fears, sleep disturbance, decreased concentration, and mental fatigue. At first, one psychosomatic disease occurs. If a person did not make any conclusions, another disease is added, then another one. If it does not help, a person does not want to correct his thoughts and actions, and the Error Detector starts up a self-destruction mechanism through very serious diseases or injuries.
The only salvation is to live in accordance with our moral instincts.
Live in harmony with ourselves, cherish positive thoughts, be kind, but do not demonstrate this quality everywhere and always, especially when you are not asked to be kind and to impose your goodness on a person..
Group session of psychologist
Artyom Andreyevich Ovechkin:
– You are a lucky one. We’ll discuss this topic during our training for sure.
– I started to gain weight at the age of thirty-five. I’ve gained a lot of weight during the last four years. You know, hate myself sometimes.
– You shouldn’t. You know, I have an idea. Raise your hand if it is hard to say No for you… If you can’t say No… Be honest. One, two, three… Eight… Nine! Nine people! As you see, the problem is vitally important. Some people take advantage of you. They take your time, money, attention and energy. As a rule, overweight person gives everything to others again and again. Who is the one he cares the least?
– He himself.
– Yes! Exactly. Ok, we’ll work through this. You know, I’m really impressed to hear that you can say No. Great!
– Sometimes I can give a sharp refuse.
– I guess life taught you to act like that?
– Yes.
– Tayisia, what was the last straw for you?
– I’m so tired of all of this stuff! Anytime I meet a friend, I hear something like: “Oh, you are getting some weight!” And then they add:
“It doesn’t matter, you look great.”
– I bet friends notice every excess pound you gain? You gain another couple of pounds, meet your friend, and she tells you: “Oh dear me, you are getting so fat!” And she says it so joyfully that you would like to punch her, right?
– ☺
– If often happens to overweight people.
Joyful sympathy? Bingo, Elizaveta!
☺ Well, don’t worry, you will soon demonstrate your achievements to her. Let her sweat it out.
– I told my husband: “Stop gobbling up!” He looked at me and shot back: “If you are not hungry, don’t eat.”
– Is he overweight?
– No. My husband is tall. He’s got a big tummy, though. He has a job that requires hard physical labor, so…
– A woman from another group told me recently: “My husband proclaimed: “It’s not a tummy. It’s a bundle of nerves!”
– That’s exactly how my husband feels! ☺
– Do you overeat because of some stress?
– Yes.
We’ll talk about it. The problem must be settled. Snezhana?
– This year we went to the seaside. I didn’t want to go out because of my excess weight. If you want to visit some sightseeing, you have to climb into an off-roader. I just can’t do it! It’s too hard for me.
– Did it hurt your feelings?
– Of course! I’d like to go around.
– I ask these questions to make you think why excess weight disturbs you so much. I want you to realize how you feel about it physically and mentally. I bet it happened more than once.
– Yes. During that trip, one incident really disturbed me. My son is ten. He said that he wanted to have a roller coaster ride with me. But there was weight limit. I couldn’t ride with my son!
– I see. It’s really upsetting.
But I am glad that you are here. Many people feel sad, offended, and unhappy. But they go on living with excess weight and obesity and do not take any attempts to try any effective technique for weight loss.
Olga Vladimirovna Tsyganova, 28, economist, lost 110 lbs Just imagine what a great feeling it is when you meet acquaintances who you haven’t seen for a long time, and their jaws drop because they haven’t got accustomed to seeing you slim and beautiful! It is a strange feeling, funny and inspiring at the same time. It gives you desire to get even slimmer. Sympathy disappears while rivalry takes its place. Right, now you can compete with other women on equal terms! I often felt that my friends were scared. You used to be smart, but many people preferred beauties. Now you are smart and beautiful. You can outshine everyone with your charisma and appearance. You are not a drabbie anymore. But true friends are still with me. They love me even more by now, and I love myself too. It’s much easier for me to live now. I buy clothes in stores I always dreamed about, I run without any shortness of breath. I walk a lot, and – amazingly – my legs do not hurt anymore. I don’t have high blood pressure. It’s possible to get slim and maintain weight at the desired level. You live only once. It’s time to get out of your shell.
Hello Rolly Pollies!
– Victor, why does excess weight disturb you so much?
– Heart issues. And short of breath. I know how much I should weigh. I gained a lot of weight in the summer. My wife attended your seminar in winter. The results are awesome! I attended a gym, kept diet until summer. But then I went on a bender. You know, beer, fish, other summer delicacies. It’s hard to stop. Meanwhile, my wife eats often and stays slim!
Andrey Vasilyevich Trenogov, psychologist, psychiatrist: I’d like to say a few words about physical activity. To lose a pound of fat, a woman has to carry a 10-lbs load for seventy-five hours! As for men, they are lucky. They usually lose weight faster. In order to lose one pound of fat, a man needs to carry the same load for only fifty-five hours.
To burn the caloric value of a 3,5-oz bun, one has to jog for about forty minutes (which is, by the way, pretty dangerous for knee joints of an overweight person) or walk with a dog for four hours.
Why do so many people who start to attend the gym lose weight then?
It’s simple. When do people usually attend the gym? In the evening. When do they usually overeat? In the evening! Physical activity leads to the release of endorphins, the so-called hormones of happiness. People usually overeat when they feel upset, bored, lonely, and sad. As you see, physical activity has almost nothing to do with weight loss. Of course, there are those who train intensively (the process of fat burning starts up twenty minutes after the start of the cyclic dynamic loading). However, let’s be honest. There are just a few of them.
Do not think that I discourage you from using any physical activity in the course of weight loss. It is necessary not for weight loss, but to keep your muscles healthy.
Yet, there is another trap that almost everyone falls into. If I eat more, it’s enough to train longer. This works for a car. The more gas you pour into the tank, the longer you drive. If this works for a human, then as soon as the energy obtained with food came to an end, the person would immediately stop until someone re-fueled him. We spend energy that we have received long before this. To be precise, what you ate on Monday will be spent two days later, on Wednesday.