Hypnotherapy for Weight Loss: Does It Work?

Does hypnotherapy really work for weight loss?

It is the question we hear most often before someone books a consultation, and it deserves an honest answer. The short version: the research suggests hypnotherapy for weight loss can help, particularly when it is combined with sensible eating, regular movement and behaviour-change strategies. It is not a magic fix, and it works best as part of a bigger plan.

Most people who come to us already know what they should eat. The hard part is doing it consistently: at 3 pm when the biscuit tin is calling, after a stressful day at work, or on a Friday night in front of the telly. That gap between knowing and doing is exactly where weight loss hypnotherapy is designed to help.

What is hypnotherapy?

Hypnosis is a natural state of focused attention and deep relaxation. You have probably experienced something like it already, such as being so absorbed in a book that you lose track of time, or driving a familiar route on ‘autopilot’.

Hypnotherapy uses this focused state for a therapeutic purpose. With the guidance of a trained hypnotherapist, you become more receptive to helpful suggestions and new ways of responding to old triggers. A few things it is not:

It is not mind control. You stay aware of what is happening and cannot be made to do anything against your values.
It is not sleep. Most people describe feeling calm, heavy and relaxed, yet still able to hear and respond.
It is not stage hypnosis. There is no swinging watch and no clucking like a chicken, just a structured, collaborative conversation followed by guided relaxation and suggestion.

How hypnotherapy helps change eating habits and behaviours

Most diets focus on what you eat. Hypnotherapy focuses on why you eat, and on the automatic habits that override good intentions. Weight loss through hypnotherapy is really about behaviour change: making healthier choices feel easier and more natural, so they last.

In practice, hypnosis and weight loss work together in several ways:

Breaking the stress–eating link. Many people eat to soothe stress, boredom, loneliness or tiredness. Hypnotherapy can teach your mind and body a calmer response, so food is no longer the default coping tool.
Reducing cravings and ‘food noise’. Suggestions can help reduce the pull of particular foods and quieten the constant background thoughts about snacking.
Noticing fullness sooner. Many clients find they slow down, pay more attention to their meals and recognise when they have had enough.
Interrupting automatic habits. Grazing while cooking, finishing the kids’ leftovers, the nightly trip to the pantry: these routines run on autopilot. Hypnosis helps you notice the moment of choice and respond differently.
Building motivation for movement. Suggestions and mental rehearsal can make exercise feel more appealing and easier to start.
Improving self-belief. Research links confidence in your own ability to change (known as self-efficacy) with better weight loss outcomes. Hypnotherapy aims to strengthen that belief.
Letting go of guilt and all-or-nothing thinking. One slip does not have to become a lost week. A kinder, more flexible mindset helps you get back on track quickly.

Many programs also teach self-hypnosis, a short technique you can use at home between sessions. As the research below shows, regular practice appears to matter.

What the research says

So, does hypnosis for weight loss work? Overall, the evidence is encouraging but mixed. Studies consistently show hypnosis adds something to standard weight loss approaches, but how much varies between studies, and the strongest results come when hypnosis is combined with other proven strategies. Here is a plain-English summary of the key research.

The latest overviews

The most comprehensive recent look at the evidence is a 2024 review in Frontiers in Psychology that brought together 49 meta-analyses covering 261 clinical trials of hypnosis. For weight loss, it found large, significant benefits of hypnosis compared with control groups, both at the end of treatment and at follow-up. The authors also noted that many studies across the hypnosis field are small and of mixed quality, so larger trials are still needed.

A 2021 review in Current Obesity Reports looked specifically at hypnosis and self-hypnosis as tools people can use themselves to manage their weight. Of 11 randomised trials testing hypnosis as an add-on to weight loss programs, nine found a benefit. The gains were mostly mild to moderate and often clearer at later follow-up. The authors cautioned that most of these trials were small and many were decades old. They also found that weight loss was the most common goal of the hundreds of hypnosis apps on the market, yet none of the apps reviewed were backed by evidence.

The big picture: a 2018 meta-analysis

A meta-analysis pools results from many studies to give a clearer overall picture. The most comprehensive recent one, by Milling, Gover and Moriarty (2018), reviewed controlled trials of hypnosis for weight loss.

Compared with control groups, people who received hypnosis lost more weight. At the end of treatment, the average hypnosis participant had lost more weight than about 94% of people in the comparison groups. At the longest follow-up, that figure was about 81%.
Adding hypnosis to a standard weight loss program gave a small extra benefit at the end of treatment, but a large benefit at follow-up. In other words, hypnosis seemed to help people keep the weight off.
The authors concluded hypnosis is a very promising option for weight loss, and called for more research on results beyond one to five years.

Earlier reviews: a healthy debate

In 1996, researcher Irving Kirsch re-analysed studies that compared standard weight loss programs with and without hypnosis. On average, participants lost about 2.7 kg without hypnosis and about 5.4 kg with it. At the final follow-up, the hypnosis groups had lost about 6.8 kg, while the non-hypnosis groups had not lost any more. That suggests hypnosis may help people continue losing weight after the program ends.

Not every researcher reached the same conclusion. Allison and Faith (1996) re-examined the six studies from Kirsch’s original 1995 analysis, corrected some calculation errors and found a much more modest effect. This kind of back-and-forth is normal in science, and it is a good reason to be wary of anyone who promises guaranteed results.

Selected clinical trials

Study	Who took part	What they found
Delestre et al. (2022), France	Adults with obesity who struggled with impulsive or uncontrolled eating	Adding hypnosis and self-hypnosis to nutrition education reduced loss of control around food over 8 months, with a likely benefit for weight.
Bo et al. (2018), Italy	Adults with severe obesity on a lifestyle program	Over one year, both groups lost similar weight. The self-hypnosis group felt fuller and reported better quality of life. People who practised self-hypnosis regularly lost more weight (about 9.6 kg on average) and ate less, though they may also have been more motivated to begin with.
Stradling et al. (1998), UK	60 NHS patients with obesity and sleep apnoea	All groups lost 2–3% of body weight at three months. At 18 months, only the group whose hypnotherapy focused on stress reduction had kept a significant loss (3.8 kg), though the authors described it as small.
Cochrane and Friesen (1986)	60 women with excess weight	Women who received hypnosis lost significantly more weight than a waitlist group, and kept losing after treatment ended: about 8 kg on average at six months, compared with almost no change in the waitlist group.

What about the ‘hypnotic gastric band’?

You may have seen the hypnotic (or virtual) gastric band advertised as a way to ‘trick’ your stomach into feeling smaller. It is a popular idea, but the evidence does not support it as anything special. In a 24-week pilot study of 30 adults, the virtual gastric band produced no more weight loss than ordinary relaxation-based hypnotherapy.

That matches our experience. Imagining a smaller stomach does nothing about the stress, habits and emotions that drive overeating. That is why we steer most clients towards an approach that tackles those causes directly.

What this means for you

Hypnotherapy is a helper, not a stand-alone cure. The best results come from combining it with good nutrition, regular activity and practical habit-change strategies.
Stress and emotional eating matter. In the UK trial above, the hypnotherapy that targeted stress produced longer-lasting results than simply focusing on eating less.
Practice makes a difference. The 2018 meta-analysis found larger benefits when self-hypnosis was part of the treatment, and in the Italian trial, regular self-hypnosis users lost more weight.
The benefits often build over time. Several studies found the gap between hypnosis and non-hypnosis groups grew after treatment ended, rather than shrinking.
Results vary, and the research is still growing. Everyone responds differently, and researchers agree that larger, longer trials are needed.

What to expect during a weight loss hypnotherapy session

If you have never tried hypnotherapy before, it is natural to feel a little curious or nervous. Here is how weight loss hypnotherapy at Hobart Modern Hypnosis typically works.

Free 30-minute consultation. We talk about your goals, your history with weight and dieting, and what tends to trip you up. It is also your chance to ask questions and decide whether hypnotherapy feels right for you, with no obligation.
A detailed conversation. Your first full session begins with an in-depth discussion. We explore your eating patterns, emotional triggers, stress levels, sleep, movement and the beliefs you hold about food and your body. Standard sessions run for about two hours at the start, giving us time to build a strong foundation.
Guided relaxation. You sit comfortably while you are guided into a calm, focused state. You remain aware throughout and can open your eyes or speak at any time.
Tailored suggestions and techniques. While you are relaxed, we use suggestions and imagery designed around your triggers and goals. For example, feeling calm instead of reaching for food when stressed, or feeling satisfied with smaller portions.
Returning to full alertness. Most people feel relaxed, clear-headed and refreshed afterwards.
Tools to take home. You may learn self-hypnosis or simple strategies to use between sessions, so the changes keep building in everyday life.

How many sessions will I need? Everyone is different, but many people begin to notice changes within two to four core sessions. We will recommend a plan once we understand your situation.

In person or online? Sessions are available at our clinic at 176 Macquarie Street, Hobart, or online via secure Zoom anywhere in Australia, which suits clients in Launceston, the North-West Coast and regional Tasmania.

Your part in the process

Hypnotherapy can make change feel much easier, but it works best as a partnership. We help shift the thoughts, feelings and automatic habits that have been getting in your way. You then put those changes into practice in daily life. Think of it like having a good coach: the coach makes a real difference, but you still have to get on the field.

The people who get the best results usually:

practise between sessions, using self-hypnosis or the techniques we give them (the research above shows this matters)
make small, practical changes to what they eat, how they shop and how much they move, rather than waiting to ‘feel different’ first
stay curious rather than critical when they slip up, and tell us about it so we can adjust the approach
keep their appointments, especially in the early weeks when new habits are still settling in.

Why weight loss can feel slow (and why that is a good sign)

Weight loss is one of the few goals where you cannot see progress straight away. With something like quitting smoking, you know on day one whether you have had a cigarette. With weight, the changes happen inside first and show on the scales later. That delay can be discouraging, even when everything is working.

A few things are worth keeping in mind:

Steady is sustainable. Around 0.5 to 1 kg a week is generally considered a healthy rate. Losing weight faster usually makes it harder to keep off.
The scales are not the whole story. Your weight can rise and fall from day to day because of water, salt and hormones. Weekly or fortnightly weigh-ins give a truer picture.
Look for the early wins. Before the kilos move, many people notice fewer cravings, less snacking at night, calmer evenings, smaller portions feeling satisfying, better sleep or clothes fitting differently. These are signs that the underlying habits are changing.
Plateaus are normal. Almost everyone hits a flat patch. It is not a sign of failure, and it is often when support matters most.

We will talk through realistic goals with you at the start, so you know what to expect and can recognise the progress you are making.

Who is most likely to benefit?

Hypnotherapy for weight loss tends to suit people who already have a reasonable idea of what to eat but struggle to follow through. You may be a good fit if you:

eat in response to stress, boredom, sadness or tiredness
experience strong cravings for sugar, salty snacks or takeaway
snack or graze at night, or eat mindlessly in front of a screen
have lost weight before but found it hard to keep off
feel stuck in a cycle of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ days with food
want more motivation to move your body
are ready to make gradual, realistic changes rather than chase a quick fix.

Motivation matters. Hypnotherapy works with you, not on you, so you will get the most from it if you genuinely want to change and are willing to practise between sessions.

When to speak with your GP first

Hypnotherapy is a complementary approach and does not replace medical care. Please talk with your GP or health team before starting if you:

have, or think you may have, an eating disorder such as anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder
have diabetes, a heart condition or another medical condition affected by diet
take medication that affects appetite or weight, including newer weight loss medications
are pregnant or breastfeeding
have a serious mental health condition, such as psychosis.

In many cases hypnotherapy can still sit safely alongside your medical treatment. We are happy to work in with your GP, dietitian or psychologist.

If you are struggling with eating, you can also contact the Butterfly Foundation National Helpline on 1800 33 4673.

Frequently asked questions

Does hypnosis for weight loss really work?

The research shows hypnosis can improve weight loss results, especially when combined with healthy eating, regular activity and practical habit-change strategies. It is best seen as a powerful support rather than a stand-alone solution. Results vary from person to person.

Will I lose weight from hypnotherapy alone?

Hypnotherapy does not burn kilojoules on its own. What it can do is make healthier choices feel easier, reduce emotional eating and cravings, and strengthen your motivation. The weight loss comes from the changes you make in daily life, so what you do between sessions matters as much as the sessions themselves.

How quickly will I see results?

Many people notice changes in cravings, snacking or stress eating within the first few sessions. Changes on the scales usually follow more gradually, often around 0.5 to 1 kg a week once new habits settle in. It is normal to feel impatient, but slow and steady loss is the kind that tends to last. See Your part in the process above for more on what to expect.

Can I be hypnotised?

Most people can experience hypnosis to some degree. It is a skill that often gets easier with practice. You do not need to ‘go under’ deeply to benefit.

Will I lose control or say something embarrassing?

No. You stay aware throughout, you can hear everything, and you can stop at any time. You will not do or say anything you would not normally be comfortable with.

Is hypnotherapy safe?

With a trained practitioner, hypnotherapy is considered very safe, and serious side effects are rare. Some people feel briefly drowsy or emotional afterwards. If you have a medical or mental health condition, check with your GP first.

What about reviews of hypnosis for weight loss?

Online reviews can give you a sense of what working with a particular hypnotherapist is like. Keep in mind that each review reflects one person’s experience, and results depend on individual circumstances and commitment. When choosing a practitioner, also check their training and professional memberships, and be cautious of anyone who guarantees a set number of kilograms.

Can I use weight loss hypnotherapy alongside weight loss medication or a dietitian?

Yes. Hypnotherapy can complement medical and dietetic care by helping with the habits, emotions and mindset that medication and meal plans do not address. Let your treating health professionals know you are using it.

Do you offer the hypnotic gastric band?

We can, and we are happy to talk about it, but it is rarely our first recommendation. Research has not shown it to work better than other forms of hypnotherapy, and it does not address the reasons people overeat. For most clients, we focus on the stress, emotions and habits behind their eating, which is where lasting change tends to come from.

Do you offer online sessions?

Yes. We offer secure Zoom sessions anywhere in Australia, with the same tailored approach as sessions in our Hobart clinic.

Is hypnotherapy covered by Medicare or private health?

Hypnotherapy is not covered by Medicare. Some private health funds may offer rebates under extras cover, so check with your fund.

Book a consultation with Hobart Modern Hypnosis

If you are tired of starting over every Monday, weight loss hypnotherapy could be the missing piece: not another diet, but a way to change the habits and emotions that keep pulling you off track.

At Hobart Modern Hypnosis, our weight loss hypnosis program is tailored to you. We focus on the why behind your eating, work alongside your GP or dietitian where needed, and give you practical tools to use long after your sessions end. Principal hypnotherapist Steve Woodbury is a member of the Australian Hypnotherapists Association and the Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists, and is listed on the HCA Australian Hypnotherapists Register.

Take the first step today. Book a free, no-obligation 30-minute consultation to talk through your goals and find out whether hypnotherapy is right for you.

Phone: 03 6108 9053
Visit: 176 Macquarie Street, Hobart TAS 7000
Online: Zoom sessions available Australia-wide
Book: Get in touch

This article is general information only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Individual results vary. Please consult your GP before making significant changes to your diet, exercise or medication.

References

Rosendahl, J., Alldredge, C. T., & Haddenhorst, A. (2024). Meta-analytic evidence on the efficacy of hypnosis for mental and somatic health issues: A 20-year perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1330238.
The use of self-help strategies in obesity treatment: A narrative review focused on hypnosis and mindfulness (2021). Current Obesity Reports.
Milling, L. S., Gover, M. C., & Moriarty, C. L. (2018). The effectiveness of hypnosis as an intervention for obesity: A meta-analytic review. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice, 5(1), 29–45.
Kirsch, I. (1996). Hypnotic enhancement of cognitive-behavioral weight loss treatments: Another meta-reanalysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(3), 517–519.
Allison, D. B., & Faith, M. S. (1996). Hypnosis as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy for obesity: A meta-analytic reappraisal. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(3), 513–516.
Delestre, F., et al. (2022). Hypnosis reduces food impulsivity in patients with obesity and high levels of disinhibition: HYPNODIET randomized controlled clinical trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 115(6), 1637–1645.
Bo, S., et al. (2018). Effects of self-conditioning techniques (self-hypnosis) in promoting weight loss in patients with severe obesity: A randomized controlled trial. Obesity, 26(9), 1422–1429.
Stradling, J., Roberts, D., Wilson, A., & Lovelock, F. (1998). Controlled trial of hypnotherapy for weight loss in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea. International Journal of Obesity, 22(3), 278–281.
Cochrane, G., & Friesen, J. (1986). Hypnotherapy in weight loss treatment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54(4), 489–492.
Pilot investigation of a virtual gastric band hypnotherapy intervention (2016). International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 64(4).
Rate of weight loss can be predicted by patient characteristics and intervention strategies. PubMed Central.

Does Hypnotherapy Really Work for Weight Loss? What the Research Says