The other day, I overheard someone sigh and say, “I’ll never lose weight. I always fail.”

It struck me how many times I hear that same line in my practice here at Phoenix Hypnotherapy in Cheltenham and Gloucester.

It’s not just the words. It’s the heaviness behind them — the years of diets started and abandoned, the familiar cycle of initial motivation followed by disappointment.

And then the brain draws its conclusion: “See? This proves you can’t change.”

But here’s the truth:
That’s not fact.
That’s just old wiring on repeat.

The Familiar Trap

The unconscious mind runs about 95% of your behaviour. Only 5% is conscious — the part that sets goals, reads diet plans, or makes New Year’s resolutions.

So when people rely only on willpower, they’re asking 5% to fight against 95%. It’s no wonder it feels like an uphill battle.

Thoughts like:

• “You’ll never stick to it.”
• “You don’t have the discipline.”
• “It’s only a matter of time before you fail again.”

They sound convincing because they’re familiar. But familiar doesn’t mean true.

What Hypnotherapy Does Differently

In sessions, we don’t try to argue with those thoughts or drown them out with positive thinking. That rarely works long-term.

Instead, hypnotherapy works with the unconscious — the part of you that runs habits, cravings, and emotional responses.

It’s like reminding the mind of an old language, maybe one from a long time ago when weight was never an issue, or even teaching it a new way:

• Stress doesn’t always have to equal snacking.
• Comfort doesn’t always have to come from food.
• Movement can feel natural, not forced.

When those unconscious patterns shift, the thoughts start to lose their grip.

Clients often describe noticing that the pull toward old habits feels weaker. Or that they suddenly realise they’ve gone a few days making healthier choices — without it feeling like a battle.

That’s when you know the unconscious is starting to line up with what you want.

A Simple Nugget You Can Try

The next time your mind says: “I’ll never slim down” or “I’ll always fail”, try this:

Catch the thought → smile to yourself → and say:
“That’s an old programme, not a prophecy.”

It may feel small, but it creates a crack in the old pattern. A reminder that a thought is just that — a thought.

Final Thought

If you’ve struggled with slimming for years, it doesn’t mean you’re broken.
It doesn’t mean you’re destined to fail.

It just means your unconscious has been running on old wiring — wiring that can be updated.

At Phoenix Hypnotherapy in Cheltenham and Gloucester, my work is about helping people move past the trap of believing every thought their mind throws at them.

Because once you stop treating those thoughts as facts, change doesn’t just feel possible.
It feels lighter. And more natural.