A London-based clinical hypnotherapist is advocating for a radical, drug-free approach to weight management, claiming people can "think themselves thin" by reprogramming their subconscious cravings.
The Mind Over Matter Method
Phil MacLeod, founder of the Thought Reader clinic, told the Mirror that dozens of his clients have successfully lost weight using his 10-step plan, avoiding injections, side effects, and strict dieting. He positions his method as a natural alternative to pharmaceutical solutions like Ozempic and Mounjaro.
"Following these steps daily will help you focus on the body that you want," MacLeod states. "It will empower you and create genuine, long-lasting change. Over time, sugary snacks lose their appeal while natural sweetness becomes more satisfying, without relying on willpower."
The 10-Step Plan to Reprogram Your Cravings
Step 1: Breathe and Visualise
MacLeod's method begins with the unconscious mind. He recommends a daily breathing exercise: close your eyes, inhale deeply, and exhale for twice as long. On the inhale, visualise your future self in three months—happier, healthier, and more energetic. On the next breath, picture yourself in a perfectly fitting, confidence-boosting outfit. "Hold that thought," he instructs, suggesting you store this mental "selfie" as a goal. Regular practice, he claims, guides the mind toward healthier choices.
Step 2: Ditch the Scales for an Appetite Dial
Using the same breathing technique, imagine shrinking down and walking into your own mind. Visualise a control panel with a dial labelled "appetite," set to high. "Imagine changing it to auto," says MacLeod. This mental act is designed to help your mind regain control over what, how much, and when you eat, allowing your stomach's natural signals to guide you.
Step 3: Break the Link Between Mood and Food
MacLeod identifies emotional triggers—boredom, stress, low mood—as key drivers of binge eating. "Hypnosis helps you recognise those moments," he explains, enabling you to pause and make a conscious choice rather than automatically reaching for junk food. He advises letting your mind automatically ask, "Is this what I want? Is this good for me?" before eating.
Step 4: Slow Down with Mindful Eating
To combat autopilot snacking, MacLeod advocates for mindful eating practices: always eat in the same place to control portions, use cutlery instead of your hands, and eliminate distractions like phones and TV. This focused approach helps you enjoy food more and recognise fullness cues.
Step 5: Change Your Mindset
Employ the breathing technique to vividly recall the last time you felt uncomfortably bloated after eating. Then, amplify that feeling in your imagination. MacLeod says recalling this amplified sensation during future cravings can powerfully rewire your brain's associations with overeating.
Step 6: Be Conscious of Snacking Habits
Apply the visualisation techniques to snacking. Take a deep breath and imagine eating a piece of fruit, noticing the energy and happiness it brings. Contrast this with the imagined sickly taste of too many sweets, the heavy stomach, and the subsequent energy crash.
Step 7: Implement Craving Countdowns
When a craving strikes, MacLeod suggests closing your eyes, taking a deep breath, and counting down slowly from ten to one. He claims this simple interruption allows the urgency to fade, often preventing a binge before it starts.
Step 8: Set a Better Sleep Routine
Poor sleep disrupts hunger hormones, leading to overeating. MacLeod recommends an evening wind-down ritual using slow breathing and visualising tension leaving your body from head to toe, which helps settle the nervous system for rest.
Step 9: Reconnect to Your "I'm Full" Signal
Stress and rushed meals can dull the body's satiety signals. To reactivate it, breathe in and imagine a soft golden light settling over your stomach. As you exhale, visualise a message travelling to your brain saying, "I am full. I am satisfied."
Step 10: Manifest Your Future Self
The final step involves a complete mindset shift. Imagine your future self as someone who doesn't overeat, has control over cravings, and makes consistent healthy choices. "Step into that version of you," MacLeod urges. "See through their eyes. Feel their confidence, clarity and control."
A Natural Path to Weight Management?
While MacLeod's claims are based on client testimonials rather than large-scale clinical trials, his method taps into growing interest in non-pharmaceutical wellness interventions. His approach, centred on hypnotherapy and cognitive reprogramming, offers a contrasting narrative to the current prominence of weight-loss injections, suggesting that the key to sustainable change may lie within our own minds.
