Using EFT to Eat Less Over the Holidays

Did you know that from Halloween through Super Bowl Sunday (the National Eating Season) a large part of the population gains around 10 pounds? First, there is Halloween with all the candy ... then Thanksgiving and all the stuffing. And if that wasn't enough—next is the Christmas season with cookies, cakes, and those special drinks (eggnog, anyone?). Then, there is celebrating the New Year. Last and not least is Super Bowl Sunday around the end of January. During this three month period there are innumerable parties with friends and family, including insane quantities of food and alcohol. Whew, just thinking about it gives me a stomach ache.

But wait; there is something you can do! Ta da (drum roll) — Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). If you haven't used EFT to eat less and to help resist cravings, then you are missing out on this extra powerful tool.

How might someone start using EFT to control binge eating? One way to begin would be to tap on your unwillingness to miss out on any of the goodies coming your way through the rest of the year. For example, you could tap on the karate chop point on the side of your hand (see energy chart on my site), saying something like:

Even though:
• My inner child doesn't want to give up any goodies—ever—I deeply and completely love and accept myself
• There is a part of me that feels like I deserve all of the goodies that are offered to me, and I don't want to say "no" to any of them ...
• No one can make me not eat any of the goodies that I have been looking forward to all year ...
• There is a part of me that feels like I don't want to control myself around any of the treats that are going to be available the rest of the year ...

If your inner child is anything like mine, she feels like she deserves it ALL. Oh yeah, you might want to add at the end of one or more of the above statements:

I forgive myself for pigging out in the past
• I forgive myself for being out of control with goodies and treats—I really was doing the best I could at that time

Then you would tap the points on your body with Reminder Phrases like:

Out-of-control partier
• I have tended to overdo it
• I can’t seem to get enough
• I want to stuff myself like a sausage
• I want my share
• No one can stop me
• Only I can stop myself
• I don’t know that I want to stop—that would mean I would miss out
• Maybe I could eat with awareness
• I choose to eat with awareness

Let’s say you are going to a party where there is going to be a buffet or potluck as well as drinking. Here are some tips that may be helpful. First: you may want to use EFT to help you deal with the situation that you imagine you will be tempted with. Let’s say you tend to hang around the table with the food, and sample everything until you are stuffed. You could tap before leaving the house, saying something like,

Even though:
• In the past, I have hung out at the buffet table, and have piled food as high as I could, I deeply and completely love and accept myself
• I have stuffed myself like a little pig …
• I seem to get out-of-control around all of the goodies at parties …
• I have ended up feeling uncomfortable from eating more than my body needs …

Then you would tap on the points of your body (see chart) while saying something like:

I eat more than I need at parties
• I just can’t seem to get enough while I’m eating
• It almost seems like I am trying to make sure I get my share
• I can’t get enough
• I want all that I can eat
• I stuff myself like a piggy
• Maybe there is a part of me that feels more comfortable eating than visiting
• I want to eat less at this event
• No I don’t — I want to get my fair share
• Yes, I choose to be aware and to eat less

After you do a round of tapping, then you check and see if you still have a charge when you think about going to the party and being out of control with your eating. If you still have a charge, then tap some more.

Of course, your words may be different than the ones I am using here. These are just to help you get started. What has been your truth about eating and drinking during the National Eating Season? If you can get in touch with why you have been overeating, and clear it with tapping, you can go through this winter (not to mention the rest of your life) without gaining weight. With awareness and intent, you can change your pattern. It just takes forethought, follow-through and some tapping to change your experience so you are in control of your eating — not just during this season but throughout the year.

JoAnn SkyWatcher
Ukiah, California, US
www.JoAnnSkyWatcher.com

From the EFTfree Archives, which are now a part of EFT International .
Originally published on November 10, 2012