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Can You Will Your Weight Off?

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GAYLE GUYARDO, News Channel 8

Published: February 15, 2008

Is it possible to will your weight off? Hundreds of people in the Tampa Bay area are giving the power of hypnosis a try and melting off the pounds.

For more than a year now, I've been tracking participants of a popular group hypnotherapy program headed up by Rena Greenberg, an author and president of Wellness Seminars Inc. For 18 years, doctors and hospitals in Florida and throughout the United States have welcomed Greenberg to hold group sessions for people trying to lose weight.

I sat down with News Channel 8 viewer Sharon Tournade, who lost 97 pounds in just one year after attending one of the group sessions. Tournade told me she left the session thinking it didn't click, but she was wrong.

A week later, Tournade and her husband were shopping at the grocery store and she noticed something odd. Tournade realized she was filling her cart with fresh fruits and vegetables instead of chips and cookies. In a matter of weeks, her weight started melting away. "Gayle, I feel better now than I did 20 years ago," she told me.

Tournade confessed to spending much of her adult life in isolation when she weighed 240 pounds.

"You know, when you're that heavy, you don't want to be around people. Now if somebody is having a party, I'm there. I'm putting on something that looks good, and I'm going!" Tournade said she has the confidence to step out in style now that she weighs 143 pounds.

Greenberg is getting national attention. Women's World Magazine recently featured a woman who lost more than 100 pounds after reading Greenberg's book "The Craving Cure" (McGraw-Hill, $16.95).

Greenberg told me the key is learning to really love foods that are good for you instead of forcing yourself to diet. "Actually, it's changing yourself at the subconscious level, so when we open that refrigerator, we push that brownie away."

Darryl Schumacher is yet another News Channel 8 viewer who suddenly found himself turning his nose up at junk, "I'm pushing away bad foods, and it seems natural and normal," Schumacher says.

Schumacher says he left the session with Greenberg feeling as though nothing happened, but just days later, changes started taking place. After dropping 97 pounds in one year, Schumacher says he's off the couch and a proud, active grandfather.

After hearing all the successful stories, I asked Greenberg if she could hypnotize me so I could relate to this experience and share it with my viewers and readers.

She quickly agreed, but said instead of focusing on food, she felt compelled to help me handle life's stresses, such as juggling a hectic career and raising four children.

Greenberg asked me to look up and find something to focus on. In a matter of moments, I was under.

I actually felt as if I could open my eyes at anytime while under hypnosis, but I didn't want to. I enjoyed following Greenberg's voice as she asked me to visualize a place I enjoy visiting, a place that makes my heart feel warm. That was a no-brainer; I chose Longboat Key.

My husband and I take our children there often. Under hypnosis, I felt as though I could hear the waves crashing, the wind blowing and the laughter of my children. Nothing gives me more joy than watching my girls play in the surf, and before I knew it I felt so happy, a tear of joy was running down my cheek.

I was under for about 30 minutes, and the entire time, Greenberg asked me to focus on things in my life that are good and positive. She encouraged me to reflect on these feelings when life gets me down.

As she counted, I slowly open my eyes. Just like she said, I felt refreshed and relaxed.

Like others who have experienced Greenberg's sessions, I walked away wondering if it really worked. Sure enough, everyday moments that before might have driven me to my wits' end were suddenly no big deal. I often find myself drifting to memories of days spent on the beach with my family. And I smile.

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