Cravings Archives - Finding the Meaning in Everyday Life

Chocolate – NOW!

There are those days when I just have the strong urge and I need chocolate NOW! They don’t happen as often as they used to, and I can usually tap my way past it. This is one version of the tapping that I use to manage those strong cravings.

Setup (Karate Chop Point) – Even though I really want chocolate right now, I deeply and completely love and accept myself anyway. Even though chocolate isn’t part of my food plan right now, I acknowledge that I want it anyway. Even though I am craving chocolate right now, I choose to look for other ways to take care of my emotions first. I accept my cravings. I accept my emotions. I am open to clarity.

Eyebrow…I really want chocolate right now

Side of Eye…The craving is very strong

Under the Eye…Chocolate is the only thing that will fix it

Under the Nose…Fix what?

Chin…It will make me feel better

Collarbone…It will fix the problem

Under the Arm…I don’t even know what the probhlem is

Top of Head…Then how do I know chocolate is the answer?

Eyebrow…I am open to clarity about my emotions

Side of Eye…It won’t really fix the problem

Under the Eye…It does taste good

Under the Nose…It is ok to eat chocolate because it tastes good, but not to manage my emotions

Chin…I am glad I have tapping to handle these strong emotions

Collarbone…I choose to remain in control of my eating

Under the Arm…I can manage my emotions in many ways

Top of Head…I like chocolate but I am learning to love myself with or without it

This tapping is usually enough to take the edge off of the craving, but hopefully leads to recognition of the underlying emotion that caused the strong craving. At the nose point we asked ourselves, “Fix what?” The answer to that question is a source for additional tapping and greater long-term relief.

Want more tapping about diet, health, and exercise? Check out Don’t Diet: Reprogram Your Weight With Meridian Tapping.

book cover for Don't Diet Reprogramming Your Weight With Meridian Tapping

The Christmas Cookies Are Calling Me

We have entered a season of baked goods. Christmas cookies, candies, cakes, and nut breads will be everywhere. I swear to you that the Christmas cookies call my name. The tapping exercise below was one of my favorites from Don’t Diet and it seems appropriate as we approach this food-laden holiday season.

Setup (tapping the karate chop point): Those Christmas cookies are calling my name. “Eat me!” I’m sure you must hear them. I’m feeling powerless to resist and that bothers me somewhat. On the other hand, there is a part of me that hopes I will give in. That conflict between giving in and resisting takes an awful lot of energy. Even though I feel like the cookies are calling me, I choose to remember that I have options. Even though a part of me wants to give in, I choose to remember my long-term plans. Even though part of me wants to resist, I choose to remember that one cookie wouldn’t be such a bad thing. I have choices. I have power. I love and accept myself, no matter which choice I make.

Eyebrow…Those Christmas Cookies

Side of Eye…I really want one, or two, or twelve

Under the Eye…That is the problem

Under the Nose…I’m not sure I can stop at just one

Chin…And if I give in to one

Collarbone…I’m likely to eat the whole batch

Under the Arm…One cookie would make me feel good

Top of Head…Several would make me feel sick

Eyebrow…And a whole batch would make me feel like a failure

Side of Eye…Cookies don’t really talk

Under the Eye…They aren’t calling me

Under the Nose…I am choosing to focus on the fact that they exist

Chin…That is a choice I am making

Collarbone…I could get busy with something else

Under the Arm…They will still be there later

Top of Head…It’s not a choice I have to make right now

Eyebrow…It might be interesting to see if I still hear them after a warm bath

Side of Eye…Do I still hear them after a good workout?

Under the Eye…Are they as loud if I am playing a game?

Under the Nose…Cookies can’t control me

Chin…Sounds like I’m worried that I can’t control me either

Collarbone…Either decision I make is okay

Under the Arm…I choose to love myself, with or without the cookies

Top of Head…I choose to accept myself, with or without the cookies

Happy Tapping

My Cravings Always Win

Although this is not as true as it used to be, I do sometimes feel my cravings always win. Some days are definitely worse than others. What follows is a tapping exercise for those rough days. One way to make this even more effective is to have the item you are craving right there where you can see it and smell it. If you choose that option please be sure to rate the intensity of your craving on the 0-10 scale (10 is severe) before you get started.

Setup (while tapping the karate chop point): Even thought it seems like my cravings always win, I deeply and completely love and accept myself anyway. Even though it seems like my cravings always win, I choose to continue to try. My cravings are part of me, and I accept myself.

Eyebrow…My cravings always win

Side of Eye…So it doesn’t seem worth it to even try to resist

Under the Eye…I might as well just go ahead and eat it

Under the Nose…If I fight it and then lose, I just end up feeling worse

Chin…Even though it seems that my cravings always win

Collarbone…I know that it isn’t really true

Under the Arm…Sometimes I am able to resist

Top of Head…I am open to learning about what makes me more successful

Eyebrow…At one time and less successful at another

Side of Eye…My cravings don’t always win

Under the Eye…My cravings sometimes win

Under the Nose…In reality, my cravings aren’t against me

Chin…They are part of me

Collarbone…My cravings are a signal that something needs my attention

Under the Arm…I can choose to deal with it with or without food

Top of Head…I can choose to continue toward my goals

Take a deep breath and let it out. Now say the statement aloud “My cravings always win” and re-rate the intensity. What do you notice now? Did anything shift? Once the intensity is at or below a 3, consider tapping on what your cravings might be signaling for you.

My Brain is Lying To Me Right Now

Did you know that your brain can tell lies? Perhaps it would be more kind to say that it misinterprets information. The end result is the same. There have been multiple times when I have thought that I was hungry but my brain is lying.

Setup (while tapping your karate chop point): Even though my brain is lying to me right now and telling me I am hungry, I choose to remember that I ate a short while ago and this is just a misperception. Even though my brain is lying to me right now and telling me that I should eat, I choose to remember my health goals. Even though my brain is telling me I am hungry, I know that this cannot be the truth and I choose not to eat based on a lie.

Eyebrow…I can’t sleep because I’m hungry

Side of Eye…I want to get up out of bed and get a snack

Under the Eye…That will help me sleep

Under the Nose…No one can fall asleep when they are hungry

Chin…Certainly not me

Collarbone…But I know I’m not really hungry

Under the Arm…I ate a healthy meal just a few hours ago

Top of Head…My body got everything it needed

Eyebrow…What I’m feeling right now isn’t really hungry

Side of Eye…That is just what my brain is calling it

Under the Eye…I am probably tired, frustrated, angry, lonely, sad, or uncomfortable

Under the Nose…Food won’t fix any of those things

Chin…In fact, eating more food than my body needs will only make them worse

Collarbone…I choose to eat based on facts, not lies, misinterpretations, or misperceptions

Under the Arm…Even though I am convinced that I am hungry right now

Top of Head…I choose to love and accept myself just as I am.

Just Because Its There

I confess. Sometimes I eat food just because it is there. I don’t think it really is out of boredom because I’m almost never bored. I have lots of things that I want to do and enjoy doing. Perhaps it is just habit.

In the tapping example below I have added a tapping point that isn’t part of my regular tapping routine. It is labeled wrists. At the point turn the underside of your wrists toward each other and tap them together.

Setup (while tapping karate chop point): Even though I have a tendency to eat food just because it is there, I love and accept myself, even though I have unhealthy behaviors. Even though I eat food without any real good reason, I am learning to love and accept myself anyway. Even though I eat food, and I don’t even know why, I choose to love and accept myself anyway.

Eyebrow…I seem to eat food for no good reason

Side of Eye…If it is there — I eat it

Under the Eye…I eat food even when I’m not hungry

Under the Nose…Heck, sometimes I eat food that I don’t particularly like

Chin…My tendency to eat food just because it is available

Collarbone…Is not good for my body

Under the Arm…And when I notice what I am doing

Wrists…I feel like a failure

Top of Head…This tendency to constantly eat is not a behavior that I want to continue

Eyebrow…I’ve tried to manage it by not having food around

Side of Eye…But that isn’t realistic

Under the Eye…I can limit the choices, but it won’t stop my overeating

Under the Nose…I don’t really believe that I eat food just because it is there

Chin…I believe there is another reason. One I am not yet aware of

Collarbone…When I catch myself eating I choose to stop and consider why

Under the Arm…There is a reason behind everything I do

Wrists…It is up to me to figure out why

Top of Head…Then I can change my behavior more easily.

Not Enough

Tapping about feeling out of control continues. This video includes an update about progress, use of the 9-Gamut procedure, and an exploration of additional factors underlying the compulsive food behavior.

Are there any areas in your life in which you feel like there isn’t enough of something? If so, you might find this tapping very useful.

I hope you will tap along, even if this isn’t an issue that is currently a problem for you. Any tapping, even about other issues, can help you to unlock your own issues and bring relief.

Out of Control Update

What follows is an update on my tapping about being out of control with food. There were several positives, although baby steps, and a resolve to set myself up for more success by making tapping more automatic instead of relying upon myself to decide to tap when I need it. I also explore what might be some of the underlying issues that will need to be resolved in order to experience more success in managing my food more successfully.

Out of Control With Food

Have you ever been out of control with food? This is an old problem that has re-surfaced for me. Please tap along with me in the video. If you have questions or comments about any of the content, I’d love to hear from you.

Breaking the Rules

Today I broke the rules. Some people might not think that this is too serious. I didn’t break any laws. I didn’t cheat at any games. I ate pasta for dinner. I’m sure it doesn’t seem like much to you, but to me it is quite disappointing. When it comes to my food, I don’t like breaking the rules.

Rule #1. Don’t eat when you aren’t hungry. I had a snack earlier. I drove toward town and stopped at my favorite Italian restaurant and ordered gluten free pasta. Its a great place where they really understand my allergies and cook off-menu for me. My motivation…I was tired of eating salad, felt frazzled from work, and just wanted some relief.

Rule #2. Don’t eat any starchy carbs after 5 pm. I know that eating late in the evening is bad for me, so I load most of my calories before 5, and try to eat raw fruit and veggies in the evening if I’m hungry. This was definitely a plate of starchy carbs, and there were very few vegetables involved.

Rule #3. Drink a full glass of water before eating meals. I didn’t drink any water at all, and none before the meal. I already know that thirst wasn’t what was driving my behavior, but it might have helped me to slow down. If there had been a video camera on me I bet I would have seen myself actually shoveling the food in.

Rule #4. Use tapping before eating anything that isn’t on my meal plan. I want to know that I’ve dealt with my emotional baggage BEFORE reaching for food. No tapping before this meal.

These aren’t rules given to me by anyone else. These were my own rules and I couldn’t – or wouldn’t – follow them. Luckily I get a redo tomorrow. I’m not going to spend a lot of time beating myself up for it. One meal of pasta isn’t a disaster but I do know that it is sometimes hard for me to get back on track after starchy carbs.

Here are the tapping topics I see in my very near future:

stress eating
resistance to following my plan
using food for emotions instead of eating for fuel
forgiveness for being an imperfect human

How about you? Did you have challenges with food today? Did you stumble or overcome them? Did you tap?

Deeply Ashamed

This is a tapping exercise that I first used in 2011. It pains me to tell you, but it was true again this week. I am once again deeply ashamed of how out of control I am about food. In my own defense, it isn’t always true, but some things have obviously changed in my life and another aspect has clearly shown up, so I’m bringing this one back — for me. Hopefully it will be beneficial for you too.

I have gained a little clarity about why the problem has returned. I’ve noticed that the time right after work is the most perilous for me and I don’t have the same problem on the weekends usually. There seems to be something about my lack of control with my job and my lack of control with food. (We will likely address that in a tapping video very soon.

The Setup (tapping on the karate chop point). I am so ashamed of my inability to control my eating. Even when I am eating, my brain and inner self often tell me to stop. But I am out of control. Something takes over and I just keep eating and eating and eating. In spite of being like an out of control animal about food, I want to let go of the shame and guilt about this situation. Even though I have shame and guilt about my eating habits at times, I am trying to learn new skills and new ways of relating to food. I get out of control around food and I am ashamed of my lack of control. Even with this “character flaw” of mine, I choose to take baby steps to regain a healthier way of eating and living with food (although I’d definitely be ok with giant steps too.)

Eyebrow…I am ashamed of my eating

Side of Eye…I am often out of control

Under the Eye…I should be able to control my eating better

Under the Nose…I should be able to control myself better

Chin…Its not like I don’t know any better

Collarbone…I blame myself for this

Under the Arm…I am supposed to be a smart person

Top of Head…Obviously Not!!!

Eyebrow…Other people would be appalled if they really knew how I am with food

Side of Eye…I am so ashamed of myself

Under the Eye…I’m not really out of control all of the time

Under the Nose…Just some of the time

Chin…But I am ashamed all of the time

Collarbone…That doesn’t make sense

Under the Arm…I don’t want to be out of control

Top of Head…I don’t want to feel so much guilt and shame either

Eyebrow…I wonder if there might be something about this that I could change

Side of Eye…I wonder if there is a way I could be more mindful about my eating

Under the Eye…I wonder if there is a way to be more gentle with myself

Under the Nose…Feeling out of control is scary

Chin…Guilt and shame are awful

Collarbone…I would like to feel a little bit better about myself

Under the Arm…I could probably let go of these feelings, at least sometimes

Top of Head…I can control myself when I eat salad

Eyebrow…I can control myself when I eat vegetables

Under the Eye…There’s no reason to feel guilt and shame there

Under the Nose…I can control myself when I eat apples

Chin…Another reason to reject guilt and shame

Collarbone…I may have a bad habit of guilt and shame

Under the Arm…I choose to stop beating myself up when it isn’t appropriate

Top of Head…I choose to love myself into better health