If you have trouble losing excess weight, it’s likely that your body and mind are conspiring to keep that extra weight on you. When you’re bored or sad or upset, the brain’s natural tendency is to make the body do something to feel better, and food provides the immediate gratification.

However, bodies of research show that hypnosis works in partnership with weight-reduction therapy by revealing the subconscious motivations for keeping you trapped in unhealthy behaviors, such as eating in response to emotional distress. These hidden traps are why willpower alone is so often ineffective.

Using the mind to reprogram your response so that you’re not reaching for food all the time is an effective way to regain control of eating. The technique involved in hypnosis not only helps you understand why you want to eat when you’re not hungry, but also why you don’t feel like changing the behavior that, consciously, you know would be best for you.

Here are five ways that hypnosis addresses subconscious behaviors and leads to sustainable weight loss.