It sounds as though it borders on the ridiculous, but more and more case studies are suggesting that hypnosis apps can help you with your battle against weight loss.

The latest case study comes from Helen Hall from Essex. Hall, 34, reached a record 17 stone in September 2017 and naturally felt as though she needed to take decisive action. In the past she had attempted to visit slimming clubs, but to no avail, so the hypnosis app seemed like the right path to follow. This wasn't any random app though, it was a virtual gastric band app that retailed at £7.99.

In short, the results could speak for themselves. Hall managed to lose five stone in just seven months- all whilst listening to the app just twice per day. She managed to do this on her commute to work in London, so it didn't take any time out of her day in the slightest.

Of course, there was a little more to the app than just the sessions themselves. The app is also able to give guidelines on how you approach food, which Hall said was invaluable.

How did Hall feel through her transformation?

One of the most interesting elements from Hall's story was that through the whole process, she wasn't really conscious of the fact that she was losing weight. It was only when a friend tagged her in an old photo on Facebook that the transformation became apparent.

Furthermore, through use of the app, Hall says that she never felt as though she was consciously restricting her food intake. In other words, it didn't feel like dieting, and it didn't feel like she was really curbing all of her food addictions (when in reality, she was).

What was the history behind Hall's weight?

To give some context to Hall's situation, it's worth talking a little about her history. This wasn't some sort of short-term weight gain - it had been building up over a lifetime. In other words, reversing the trend was an almost impossible task, until the app came along.

As a child Hall was always large and stated that her weight always matched her age. Then, after giving birth and going through the trials and tribulations of motherhood, the problem simply worsened. A typical day would involve skipping breakfast and starting at around 11am with a muffin or piece of toast. Unfortunately, things would go downhill from there. She would take advantage of a meal deal for lunch, alongside crisps and a cake, and fill her afternoons with a sugary bar as a snack. In the evenings, it would be a sandwich followed by a meal, with biscuits before bed.

Unsurprisingly, such a diet resulted in other health implications as well as the obvious weight gain. For example, at just 17-years-old, her doctor diagnosed her with Type 1 Diabetes. The highs and lows of her blood sugar levels meant that her mood was all over the place - and this was simply emphasized with the less-than-ideal diet.

Naturally, it also had an impact on her confidence levels. She said that her head was always down and she didn't even want to contribute ideas when met with a group situation. All of this occurred through stages where she tried umpteen weight loss solutions, but to no avail.

How did Halls come to try the hypnosis app?

At one point, Halls was almost giving up hope. After all, no matter what she tried, nothing would work.

Then, she read an online article which referenced various hypnosis apps. This was one, final throw of the dice so to speak - to see if she could get her life back on track following weight loss traumas throughout her life.

The app she tried was called Virtual Gastric Band Hypnosis - Lose Weight Fat.

It cost £7.99 and as soon as she purchased it, she started her cycle of listening.

The results were quite staggering. As we have already alluded to, this wasn't a case of a drastic transformation. Instead, Halls found that she actually wasn't changing her diet significantly. In fact, she found the mindfulness guidelines preached from the app just as important. It taught her to eat what she wanted, and simply stop when she was no longer hungry. In the past, she would just carry on eating until she was full. In contrast to the vast majority of apps of this ilk, this didn't make any concrete suggestions on what to eat. Instead, it was more general advice, which allowed Halls to become much more creative (and healthy) in the kitchen. Nowadays, she's much more inclined to turn to fruit and veg, and make sure her body is hydrated, and this is all due to the advice that the app handed to her.

To put her new diet into perspective, she now starts her day off with eggs for breakfast, followed by a salad full of protein for lunch. The only snacks that she turns to during the afternoon is fruit, while at dinner time it is a simple concoction of vegetables and meat.

Is the app still helping Hall to manage her weight?

Let's end with a really important question; is the app still helping Miss Hall manage her weight? This is one of the big problems with a lot of weight loss fads; they aren't sustainable.

However, at least on the evidence so far, it seems as though this hypnosis app really could have done the trick with Hall.

Her weight is still at 12 stone, so five stone less than what she was, but perhaps more importantly she has re-evaluated her relationship with food. Unlike how she once saw it, now it's not the main thing in her life and it doesn't rule all of her decisions. She is still able to have a treat every now and again, but she understands when she is overindulging and this is all through the lessons taught from the app.

What about the impact it has made to those around her? Hall says that it has made her a much happier person. It's allowed her to be a better wife, mother and her whole life is impacted by these surging levels of confidence.