| Breaking Down Cravings One at a Time | | | | something new. |
| I know you've heard of one-day at a time, but | | | | Stay out of the Water |
| one-minute at a time? Come on, who needs that? | | | | Post a mental "No Swimming" sign for the next |
| Hum, maybe you. If you've struggled repeatedly, yet | | | | wave. Decide in advance that you can go swimming |
| continue to fail in your weight loss efforts, what's | | | | anytime but instead of diving in, you're going to ride |
| going wrong? Was the way you tried to stop eating | | | | the next wave. This way it's always just one wave |
| a specific food too restrictive? Did you say, "I'll never | | | | at a time, not the whole ocean. |
| eat ice cream again," or "I can't eat cookies again." | | | | If you have a habit of overeating, no matter what |
| If you set such absolute restrictions when the | | | | time of day, realize it's just a habit. No different than |
| cravings for the forbidden food hit you like waves | | | | a habit of biting your nails, twirling your hair, or picking |
| rushing ashore, you'll likely give in. It's too much work | | | | lint off your sweater. Habits are acquired by |
| to try and avoid those waves. They keep hitting you | | | | repeating the same thing often enough that it |
| and knocking you down until you're wailing, "I can't do | | | | becomes an established pattern. Breaking habits |
| it. I don't have the will power. I'll never lose this | | | | happens the same way, but in reverse. Habits can be |
| weight." | | | | broken, if you are willing to ride the waves. |
| Trying to avoid the waves of cravings by sheer will | | | | Even if you were trying to drive a different way to |
| or force doesn't work. If you just stand there, they'll | | | | work, the desire to travel the old route would be |
| crash into you and knock you right over, but you can | | | | strong. Eating habits aren't the only thing that's |
| learn to surf the waves. Once you learn to ride them, | | | | difficult to break, but it can certainly be done. If your |
| instead of standing and getting hit, then you'll be able | | | | family moved, you'd get used to driving another |
| to see what life is like on the other side. The side | | | | route and it wouldn't be traumatic either. Stop |
| that doesn't have a weight problem. | | | | thinking you can't and know you can. |
| Learn to Ride the Waves of Hunger | | | | When the urge strikes, decide right then to ride this |
| Get out your boogie board, and you'll be glad for | | | | craving out. Tell yourself, "I'm riding this craving," and |
| those waves. Think differently about the situation. So | | | | then just do it. That means you decide in advance |
| you're riding a wave of a food craving, ah, there's | | | | that you will wait 10 minutes perhaps or 5 minutes; |
| the crest, now you're free falling down the other | | | | whatever time works for you. Decide how many |
| side. Most likely you've forgotten about the wave | | | | minutes you will wait before having the food and |
| entirely. Next thing you know, here comes another | | | | then see what happens. Waiting a few minutes gives |
| wave. What do you do? You ride it too and then the | | | | you a chance for the wave to crest and you'll be |
| next wave and the next after that. Habits, like | | | | amazed how often it does. |
| waves, hit hard, but each successive wave (craving) | | | | Every single time you ride that wave and get to the |
| is a little less intense. By riding the waves you'll find | | | | other side it gets easier and easier. Now, for you, it |
| you can learn to surf them, then even enjoy them | | | | could be that it takes a thousand waves before it |
| as they lose their power over you. | | | | gets easier but I can guarantee it will. The day will |
| Use EFT on Every Wave | | | | come when you'll realize you used to have a problem |
| If you haven't yet learned to use EFT, get the fre.e | | | | with this food or that, or you used to eat an entire |
| materials and learn it. It's simple and very effective | | | | bag of chips every night, but you no longer do. Now |
| especially for cravings. The EFT process takes no | | | | if you want a cookie, you eat a cookie but that |
| more than 20 or 30 seconds and gives you | | | | crazy desire to eat them all has gone. The tide has |
| something tangible to do for what first moment | | | | turned. |
| when you think you can't ride the craving wave at all. | | | | Couple this surfing metaphor with the EFT technique |
| After the EFT, you may see you've already ridden it. | | | | for cravings and you'll have a winning combination, |
| Cravings are toughest to ride out at first because | | | | but even without EFT, this is one way to stop |
| that's when you are still stuck in the old pattern of | | | | feeling out-of-control, and start taking control instead. |
| diving into it. Instead, make an effort to try | | | | |