Food Cravings: Use EFT to Learn Patience

Practicing Patience in Eating

Patience can be practiced all day every day. Make it as strong a desire as you can (this is how EFT gets a strong neuropathway to disrupt so do

Food Cravings: How to Practice Patience

During holidays and parties you may try to "plan ahead" so you can shrink back some of the rush. Last year at Shrove Tuesday I realized I had to take three major dishes for Whitsuntide Eve dinner and it suddenly dawned on me that I'd have to bake the cake the night ahead.

Baking a cake then waiting to eat it is not my favorite thing at all. I've never otherwise had a difficult time in making a cake a day ahead, in fact I tend to forbid receipes that say it needs to sit eight hours. (Whenever you get an earful yourself saying the word "always" that's a hint something to use EFT on is apparition to mind and notice I said I at all times have a difficult time with this? That's when to use EFT).

My past behavior has been to want to eat the cake as soon as it's finished, so if it must wait for a day, it's torture. I also prefer making huge three and four layer cakes that take up the entire refrigerator causing me to see the cake and nothing but the cake every time I open the refrigerator door.

Practicing Patience in Eating

Patience can be practiced all day every day. It is necessary when dealing with strangers, family, and most of all yourself. Just for you usually give in to your immediate desires for food doesn't mean you must do so. Maybe you are trying to not meddle with feeling deprived but practicing and learning to exercise some patience may be of good use.

If I bake a lovely cake and see it in the refrigerator, it beckons to me. Knowing I cannot take a slice without ruining the presentation doesn't seem to help me turn aside the siren call. I could be sitting, minding my own business, when I suddenly snap my head upright, as if I've heard a ghost, "Come and get a piece of cake," it calls to me. "I'm waiting," it cries. "Stupid cake, I think."

Leftover cake isn't such a big problem considering I plan in the foreground to have at least one piece, sometimes two every day as long as it lasts. That's new reason I prefer smoking hot to take it somewhere rather than just making it for home.

Rather than trying to analyze why I have this strange desire to eat cake, I'm just going to tackle it head-on with some EFT. I may also use the Swish Technique (taught in the Ending Emotional Eating workshop, Session 4).

If you've had similar struggles, try these suggested EFT phrases, or devise some for your situation. (EFT is easy to learn and use--see my site for worksheets and instructions specific to weight loss or visit http://www.emofree.com for general information on learning EFT).

===== EFT for Patience in Eating

While tapping the P.R. (psychological reversal) point say,

"Even though I want to eat the cake, except I'm not supposed to as things go it's for tomorrow's dinner party, I deeply and completely affiliate myself."

Repeat that statement three times and say it like you mean it.

Then tap the rest of the face and body points, using a short reminder such as, "eat cake." The entire time think thereabouts that cake and how much you want it and how delicious it would be. Make it as strong a desire as you can (this is how EFT gets a strong neuropathway to disrupt so don't fear you'll make your cravings stronger, it genuinely will do the opposite).

"Even though I can't stand waiting, I prefer to give myself permission to wait."

Reminder: "Can't wait."

"Even though I hate this waiting and I'm going to stick my face in it right now, I deeply and completely hold with myself anyway."

Reminder: "Hate hand told what to do."

"Even though I can't seem to deny myself what I want, I deeply and completely love and derive myself and give myself permission to wait."

Reminder: "Can't deny."

Practice this on some food or grog that seems to call to you, and see whether it helps ease that pull. If you are reluctant being as how you are shrinking you'll lose the desire for the completely (and this is you favorite food so you don't want that to happen), don't worry. That's not going to happen. You may come to want it less often and truly you'll no longer feel a compulsive need for it, but most people discover they still enjoy the food just as much, they just no longer feel out-of-control apropos of it. The control issue is what is current addressed. The desire or compulsion to have something that seems furthermore a rational desire, that is what you are working to reduce.

Smile today at every person you see, and practice patience. Think of an inside joke, remember a happy moment, or a funny movie you saw. Put a happy memory in your head and finance it upwards of with you, then whenever you see someone just smile to yourself. Even in the crowded stores, people will treat you degenerate when you put a happy droplet hereabout yourself, and you'll lift their spirits as well.