In the previous blog on goal setting, I introduced Success Key # 3: Be Prepared for Setbacks.  At that time, I said that there were two reasons why people could have setbacks, using the example of weight loss.  They were: couldn’t resist the powerful physical craving and eating for emotional reasons.  I said that in the next blog, I would introduce a powerful exercise that would eliminate both of these setbacks.

The tool that I want to introduce is Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT.  EFT is like Acupuncture – without the needles. Very simply, with EFT, you tap on the ends of the key energy meridians or energy channels with your fingertips, while focusing on the craving or the emotional problem that is making you want to eat. The tapping or vibrating helps to shake up or release the energy blocked by the problem or craving.  Then you are able to think more clearly and choose a better food choice instead of automatically eating the way you used to.

1. The first thing you need to do is pay attention to your body and notice what is happening to you.  If you are experiencing a craving for a forbidden food, where do you feel it?  In your stomach?  At the back of your throat?  What does it feel like?    Identify exactly what you are feeling when you have the craving. 

Also identify what is going on around you.  Are you in a stressful situation?  Is this a programmed response or a habit?  For example, when you watch T.V. after dinner, do you always have a snack?  Or, are you used to having coffee and donuts during your break at work? 

Do you get the idea?  You need to separate yourself and look objectively at what is happening around you when you get the craving to eat.  That information is vital to using EFT to break the addiction. 

2. Take the time to sit quietly with a pen and paper and write down every feeling or sensation you have around food.  Write down what times or activities are especially hard for you.  Write down what foods call your name.  Also, notice and write down what is happening emotionally for you.  Are there any people or situations that can trigger an eating craving for you?

3. Think about each craving/emotion that you have written down, one at a time and tune into your body. What do you feel as you think about it? Choose the one craving/emotion that creates the greatest physical response. Determine between ‘0′ and ‘10′ your level of stress about this craving/emotion.  ‘0′ means there is no stress and ‘10′ means there is great stress. Tip: If you are crying or feeling intense emotion, you are a ‘10′.

4. Once you have identified your main stressor about the situation, you can quickly and easily reduce it by applying Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT. Using the attached diagram, you are going to start reducing your stress on the craving/emotion you have chosen by tapping on the karate chop point. According to the diagram, it is the fleshy side of your hand – what you would use if you were going to karate chop something. In this case, we want to karate chop or eliminate your stress.

While tapping on the karate chop point, repeat the following statement three times: “Even though (fill in the blanks with your chosen craving/emotion), I love and accept myself and choose to feel good about myself, desiring only adequate amounts of healthy food.” This is an example only. Use your own words to make it real for you.

Tips: — Be as specific and detailed as possible. The more detailed, the faster the stress relief. For example: “I am feeling anxious” is pretty general. A far more effective statement would be: “I really want to eat that chocolate bar because I am feeling anxious about having to speak to Tom today”.  Do you see the difference?

• The more feeling you can put into the statement, the more effective it will be.

5. Then you tap with your fingertips on each acupressure point (listed below) about seven to ten times. As you tap, you state aloud with feeling, a reminder phrase about your craving/emotion The reminder phrase is usually just a shortened version of the original statement. For the above example, the reminder phrase could be: “want chocolate” or ”want my chocolate comfort.”  Do you see what I mean?  Just pick some words that create a picture in your mind of what you are feeling or craving.

The tapping points are:
a) Inner corner of eyebrow (on the brow bone)
b) Outer corner of eye (on the eye socket bone)
c) Under the eye (on the eye socket bone)
d) Under the nose
e) Center of the chin
f) Collar bone point – just place the flat of your hand over the two collar bone points and slap                                                                                                                     g) Under the arm, parallel to the bra strap for women, again using flat of hand
h) Gamut point – top of the hand, above and between the baby and ring finger knuckles
i) Top of the head, parallel to both ears, using flat of your hand

6. At the end of the round of tapping, take a slow deep breath. Check in with your body to see if the stress level has decreased on this issue. You will notice that as you tap certain points, you will probably start yawning or sighing. This is a sign that the stress or craving is being released.

If there is still some remaining emotional stress or craving, repeat the tapping procedure, using the words: “Even though I still have some remaining (fill in the blanks with your issue/statement), I (repeat the above positive statement: (I love and accept myself and trust that I will eat only what is healthy for me).  Or say whatever comes into your heart or mind.

Tap each of the above points again, using the reminder phrase: “remaining (fill in the blanks). Continue until the stress is resolved.

Within a couple of minutes, the craving will be gone.  You will have to continue doing this exercise every time you get a craving but it only takes a minute to do.  Once you have broken the addiction, you will no longer want the food.  That is so freeing because you won’t be depriving yourself of anything.  You just won’t want it.

In the next blog, I will share my experience of using EFT to break my addiction for chocolate.