Well, I've been tapping for eight days on food and body issues. My greatest area of challenge was going to be night time eating and I'm just blown away with my experience thus far. I hadn't even received Carol Look's program yet, "The Key to Successful Weight Loss: How to Conquer Emotional Overeating." Just been tapping on my own, making tapping my FIRST and ONLY line of defense with food and body issues - throwing out all other weightloss strategies. No plans, no calories, no diets, minimal scale usage. My plan: Tap on anything and everything that brings up stress, doubt, worry, concern, anxiety, or discouragement regarding food and body and TAP.
I've been tapping first thing in the morning for the day ahead, right before dinner as "preventive medicine" for potential eating triggers, and as needed for cravings (maybe only 3 times in 8 days).
The following statements capture the emotions, thoughts, and beliefs that have been my areas of struggle:
Even though I'm afraid I'll lose control with night time eating, I deeply and completely accept myself.
Even though I think I can't go out to eat and still lose weight, I deeply...
Even though the thought of giving up sugary treats feels like a loss to me...
Even though I think I can't ENJOY my meals and lose weight, I deeply...
Even though I think that successful and permanent weight loss means that I will lose the pleasure and fun of food, I deeply...
Even though I don't trust myself to do what it takes to lose weight and maintain it, I deeply...
Even though I'm afraid I'll sabotage my progress, I deeply...
Even though I don't trust myself to LET myself have the body I want, I deeply...
Well, amazing things have happened. Night time has been a completely different experience. I have had a reasonable after dinner treat each night (at home and at a restaurant) and then felt COMPLETE. No urge to keep eating, no willpower, no struggle. Oh yes! My mind has been watching and asking, "Can this be real? Am I willing myself not to eat?" But the reality is that I've felt calm. I've understood that I could eat if I wanted to, but have felt no need."
Additionally, I've been going to sleep earlier. In the past my night time ritual was eat dinner, then munch in front of the t.v. and there was always the feeling of "this is my time to escape, this my "me" time." It was as if I'd go into hiding at night.
At about day 4 I realized that first my behavior was changing, but on day 4 when I felt no need to eat at night and went to bed tired and looking forward to a real night's sleep, I lay awake in bed and several waves of emotions and thoughts came upon me. I tapped on each layer as it revealed itself.
1st layer: I'm working too much. I'm not spending quality time with my kids. I'm not appreciating the time I have with them. I don't know how to cherish the moments. Tapped. Released. Then..
2nd layer: I'm sad. I feel lonely. Why? Tapped on sad and lonely. Realized that these feelings had always fueled my binge/purge episodes in the days of my active bulimic behavior. I further realized that in later years, I had dismissed that this could still be present because, "how could I be sad and lonely? I have a beautiful, loving family, friends, and community. There's no way I could be sad and lonely." But the truth was that I have been, even if it felt completely irrational.
Drawing on other healing modalities to identify the origin, I connected with the knowledge that one can be sad and lonely regardless of the conditions in their lives AND that I've been carrying the experience of "sad and lonely little girl" since I was eight. Tapped. Released. Finally fell asleep.
The next day I woke up feeling light and peaceful. Really looking forward to spending quality time with my kids. Had a great day wtih them. And the slightly obsessive energy that I normally felt around my work had calmed down. I still LOVE what I do, but the energy feels like a clean passion without the "obsessive" quality.
I had many more aha's but I'll stop here for now. The most amazing thing here is the result I'm experiencing in my relationship with food. Eating healthfully, feeling like I am in CHOICE, rather than reactivity, no addictive feelings, no cravings. And I'm already feeling more comfortable and lighter in my clothes.
Time to check out Carol Look's Program and see where that takes me!
Choose Your Reality!
Sonia
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