1. Integrating Self-Suggestion
with Other Programs
• Betty was overweight. She tried well-known approaches to weight
management.
• She had some success with each one.
• But then she relapsed and went back to old habits and patterns that caused
her to regain the weight she had lost.
• She always thought about food and felt driven to overeat and indulge in
treats.

2. Integrating Self-Suggestion
with Other Programs
• Betty had tried a local program where she counted calories in the foods she
ate and tried to set a limit on what she ate each day.
• She did well at first, but then stopped following the program.
• She criticized herself a lot, and sometimes she felt helpless and hopeless, but
she kept trying new programs

3. Integrating Self-Suggestion
with Other Programs
• Betty tried a self-help program where she kept track of her calories and her
exercise level.
• She still ate too much, so she just quit that program.
• A group support program tried to help her stop using food for loneliness,
sadness, or anger.
• She liked the support but she still overate because it gave her pleasure.

4. Integrating Self-Suggestion
with Other Programs
• She tried a high protein diet.
• She lost weight, at first, but did not follow through.
• She tried a liquid diet under medical supervision.
• Again, she lost weight.
• Soon, after finishing the liquid diet, she returned to old eating patterns and put
on weight.

5. Integrating Self-Suggestion
with Other Programs
• She tried a food service that offered calorie-controlled meals.
• She got bored with the food and discontinued the service.
• She went back to overeating.
• She tried a well-known weight management program that gave her lots of
choices and encouragement.

6. Integrating Self-Suggestion
with Other Programs
• She was allowed to use points for treats.
• Betty liked using points for her favorite high-calorie foods.
• She liked having a choice between points and food groups.
• She was allowed to freely eat from a selection of fruits, vegetables and
proteins.

7. Integrating Self-Suggestion
with Other Programs
• Betty lost weight.
• Still, she quit.
• She could not explain why she quit.
• She kept trying programs and quitting.
• Betty lost and gained, lost and gained

8. Integrating Self-Suggestion
with Other Programs
• She knew how to lose weight, but seemed to give up at the maintenance
stage.
• She chose good programs but did not follow through.
• She was self-critical about her lack of "follow through."
• Weight management is difficult for everyone.

9. Integrating Self-Suggestion
with Other Programs
• Betty recognized she had parts that were in conflict.
• One part of her mind was always thinking about and being tempted by food.
• Another part was self-critical.
• Betty's self-critical part was useless in moments of temptation.

10. Integrating Self-Suggestion
with Other Programs
• Finally, Betty connected to an inner-helper part.
• She turned her knowledge about weight management into self-suggestions.
• Betty asked her inner helper to suggest how to do what she had learned she
had to do.
• She sensed her inner helper wanted her to succeed.

11. Integrating Self-Suggestion
with Other Programs
• Betty imagined her inner helper gently restraining her impulsiveness.
• Betty imagined her inner helper asking her critical part for greater tolerance.
• Food control requires negotiation with different parts of the Self.
• You need to make use of that inner helper part of the mind.

12. Integrating Self-Suggestion
with Other Programs
• Betty imagined an Inner Helper that could sort out her self-talk.
• She imagined an inner helper giving her courage to commit and offering useful
suggestions she could follow.
• They were her suggestions.
• Over time, she began to follow her self-suggestions to protect her health.

13. Integrating Self-Suggestion
with Other Programs
• Good advice from other programs can certainly become self-suggestions.
• Self-suggestion helps good advice from other programs become your own
advice.
• You can listen to an audio exercise that helps you combine self-suggestion with
good suggestions from other programs, other experiences.

14. Integrating Self-Suggestion
with Other Programs
• This audio exercise has gives you a chance to:
• Review what you already know about healthy eating.
• Identify your impulsive and self-critical parts.
• Discover how your inner helper can balance conflict between parts.
• Let your inner helper suggest how to guard your health.

15. Integrating Self-Suggestion
with Other Programs
• You can integrate your self-suggestions in new ways to plan actions that will
work for you.
• You can combine different ideas about how you want to be, do what you
want to do.
• Go to the next slide to listen to the audio guide about turning your wisdom into
action--using self-suggestion.

16. Integrating Self-Suggestion
with Other Programs