A Hertfordshire mother has defied her expectations and achieved remarkable weight loss after participating in a unique form of hypnotherapy. Laura Bell, aged 42, reports shedding five stone and transforming her physical and emotional wellbeing – all without undergoing surgery or resorting to restrictive diets.
For years, Laura struggled with fluctuating weight and repeatedly considered drastic options, including surgical gastric banding. As a mother of three, she routinely found herself oscillating between diets, none of which offered the lasting change she desperately sought.
On the brink of seeking medical intervention, Laura encountered a hypnotherapy professional through her business work in strategic consultancy. The meeting would prove life-changing. Rather than booking in for surgery, Laura accepted an invitation to try “gastric band hypnosis” – a psychological technique designed to convince the mind that the body has received a gastric band, thereby fostering new, healthier eating habits.
The treatment involved four intensive sessions, delivered over the course of just a week, costing her around £500 in total. During these sessions, Laura experienced deep relaxation combined with vivid visualisation – the environment was manipulated with familiar hospital smells and calming sounds, immersing her in the imagined scenario of actually receiving a gastric band.
“During the hypnosis, you’re encouraged to vividly picture the experience of surgery, right down to the hospital scents like Dettol,” Laura explained. Specific mental ‘suggestions’ were incorporated during what she called a dreamlike state. These included instructions only to eat when hungry, stop eating once full, and forsake snacks and alcohol.
Laura recalls that the change was almost immediate. She found herself naturally gravitating towards healthier meal choices, feeling satisfied with far smaller portions and losing her usual cravings for high-calorie treats. “After just one session, I chose soup over pizza at lunch and didn’t even fancy any crisps, cake, or chocolate,” she said, citing her astonishment at how little she missed her old favourites. She also gave up alcohol altogether, recognising it as simply unnecessary “empty calories”.
With her newfound energy, Laura now frequents the gym several times a week and enjoys more active time with her children. She describes the change as a complete “glow-up”, not only enhancing her daily life but also her confidence in managing the demands of motherhood.
Laura insists that she still maintains her progress by listening to monthly recordings from her hypnotherapy series, using them to reinforce her new behaviours and attitudes towards food. “It isn’t a one-off fix – the ongoing self-care is key to maintaining the outcome,” she advised.
Inspired by the transformation, Laura has since qualified as a clinical hypnotherapist herself and now operates a business helping others tackle unhealthy relationships with food. “Before this, I was at a low point – I knew I needed a permanent solution that didn’t rely on willpower or complicated rules,” she noted. Through her work, she seeks to empower others to make sustainable changes, highlighting how such therapies can counteract ingrained habits and societal messages about food.
Reflecting on her journey, Laura said she feels as though she has gone through actual gastric band surgery, given how instinctive her healthy choices have become. “I only eat when I’m hungry now, and sometimes I still forget that my body has changed so dramatically – I still reach for larger clothes out of habit,” she admitted.
Laura’s story underlines the growing interest in psychological methods for health improvement. While many remain sceptical of these alternative approaches, her experience offers an inspiring case for the potential power of mind over matter – and a challenge to the more invasive or restrictive methods so often pursued by those seeking profound change.