Food Cravings: Use EFT to Learn Patience

Food Cravings: How to Practice Patience

During holidays and parties you may try to "plan ahead" so you can avoid some of the rush. Last year at Christmas I realized I had to take three major dishes for Christmas 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 always had a difficult time in making a cake a day ahead, in fact I tend to avoid receipes that say it needs to sit eight hours. (Whenever you catch yourself saying the word "always" that's a hint something to use EFT on is coming to mind and notice I said I always 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 because you usually give in to your immediate desires for food doesn't mean you must do so. Maybe you are trying to avoid 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 avoid 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 because I plan ahead to have at least one piece, sometimes two every day as long as it lasts. That's another reason I prefer baking 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 because it's for tomorrow's dinner party, I deeply and completely accept 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 about 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 actually will do the opposite).

"Even though I can't stand waiting, I choose 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 accept myself anyway."

Reminder: "Hate being told what to do."

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

Reminder: "Can't deny."

Practice this on some food or beverage that seems to call to you, and see whether it helps ease that pull. If you are reluctant because you are afraid 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 certainly 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 about it. The control issue is what is being addressed. The desire or compulsion to have something that seems beyond 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 carry it around with you, then whenever you see someone just smile to yourself. Even in the crowded stores, people will treat you better when you put a happy bubble around yourself, and you'll lift their spirits as well.

~~ Kathryn Martyn, Master NLP Practitioner, EFT counselor, author of the free e-book: Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss, and owner of OneMoreBite-Weightloss.com

Get The Daily Bites: Inspirational Mini Lessons Using EFT and NLP for Ending the Struggle with Weight Loss.

Related Articles:
JellyBasket - Order Palmalito guava jelly by the case or gift basket!
Palmetto Canning Co., Inc. - Contract Packaging in glass or plastic for sauces, marinades, and other food products
CareMetix, Inc. - Contract Packaging for tube filling, form fill and seal, wet or dry chemical products including polyvinyl packaging.

How To Use Food Pyramid Guide For Better Health?
For those of you who don?t know, the food pyramid is a carefully drawn up plan of exactly what the human body needs nutritionally. That is, the food pyramid is a guide to help us determine what we should eat everyday. It doesn?t have a set menu of food that you need to eat per day. All it has is a guide that can help you plan your meals so that you get the correct amount of nutrients into your system every day.

I Love Italian Wine and Food - The Latium Region
Latium is located in the central western part of Italy on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. It includes the Apennines mountains, fertile foothills and valleys. There are four groups of ancient volcanoes, each with crater lakes. This area was once the center of the world, and remains an international center of art, politics, religion, and trade. Its population is 5.2 million, making it the third most populous region of Italy.

Five Tips For Decorating Your Dining Room
Dining rooms are your primary area to entertain and can add to the festivity of an occasion by being decorated to the max. When you are not entertaining, the dining room can still have a personality of its own by focusing on the structural pieces of the room and wall d?cor. To decorate your dining room for parties, one should set the table with gusto. Using fabrics to add color to the dining area through table clothes, napkins, table runners, and seat covers is another way to make your table bright and cheery. Bringing in live ornamentals like flowers or fruits and vegetables, as centerpieces are sure to enchant your guests. During the time when the dining room is not being used, your room should still have sufficient lighting to make the t...

Oorah Radiothon: Entertaining, Thought-Provoking Essential Kiruv
More than half-million Jews are expected to tune into radio stations across the country as Oorah's Chinese Auction Winners are drawn. In addition, one can listen in on a great debate as renowned Jewish figures share their views on current hot topics.

Final Weeks of Summer Food Drive
Popeyes® Partners with America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network - to Serve "A Side of Hope" to Hungry Children during Summer Vacation.

2nd Annual Palette and Palate Stroll Celebrates Charleston's Fine Arts and Food Scene.
ResortQuest offers Charleston vacation rentals for Palette and Palate Stroll on July 13. The event begins at 5:30 featuring an evening of fine art, cuisine and wine

Does Gourmet Cat Food Really Taste Better
In recent years, there has been a serious surge in the production of so called "premium cat food" or "gourmet cat food", and people are beginning to wonder if these more expensive brands on the market are actually worth all the hype, and of course the money These gourmet cat food brands are meant to taste more lavish than the traditional brands of cat food found in the average supermarket

Food Allergy Versus Food Intolerance
Among the allergies rampant in American lives today, food allergy is one of the top three. However, some people misdiagnose food allergy as food intolerance. There are certain similarities but one must be careful in administering medicines to a person with an allergy.

Human Trial Results Show Plant Extract Tops Drug at Regulating Blood Sugar Levels; Huge Market Seen for Newly Developed Food Additive Emulin?
Human trials show that Emulin(TM), a plant-based extract, is better than metformin, the leading Type 2 diabetes medication, at controlling blood sugar levels in human beings.

Who Else Wants to Know What the Best Calcium Supplementation For Their All Natural Dog Foods and Homemade Dog Food Recipe Is?
The best all natural dog foods or homemade dog food recipe contains calcium because dogs need a 2:1 ratio of Calcium to Phosphorous Meat is high is phosphorous so calcium must be supplemented to keep this important 2:1 ratio of Calcium to Phosphorous