Part 3

Many people have a problem losing "just a few" pounds. I am one of those people. Sometimes someone who is not at their ideal weight is made to feel bad about themselves (of course this is always a choice), because they aren't obese. I personally feel right now that the additional weight I am carrying is partly because if I lose it, other people might feel bad. How silly. We should not take on others emotions, we certainly have enough of our own. I think I'll be tapping on that! Blessings, Dawn


Part III
Hi Everyone,
Dr. Carol Look provides us with another installment in her weight loss series. Please notice the many insightful Set Up phrases aimed at the underlying emotional issues.
Hugs, Gary

My client, "John," was very dissatisfied with his body and wanted to address his "weight issue." Despite "getting away with" an extra 15 pounds because of his height and build, he was still unhappy and uncomfortable. Eating sweets in the office as a mood lifter or physiological pick-me-up was his main weakness. He is settling into a new job and finds himself reaching for sweets when he feels anxious, in a bad mood, or is grappling with confidence issues. Since we had been successfully using EFT for his fear of success and fear of envy, he was very open to using EFT for weight loss.

I offered John a plate of peanut M & M's and a small piece of wrapped chocolate. He attributed his low craving/urge to our having an appointment during the morning when he wouldn't ordinarily experience cravings. Nonetheless, he managed to focus in and rate his craving at about a 3 or 4 on the 0-10 scale. When his first impression of the chocolate changed from "inferior, not rich enough to produce a craving" to "oh, now I see that's pretty high quality chocolate," his urge went up. We tapped as follows....

"Even though I crave eating sweets, especially when I'm anxious...I deeply and completely accept myself anyway."

He instantly felt more relaxed and was far less interested in the chocolate. We tapped again....

"Even though I reach for sweets because I think they'll make me feel better..."
We then talked about John's family's attitude toward food when he was young. He said, "I never told you about this? My father hated and still does hate fat people." John said he was continually criticized for eating too much, for being sluggish, and for enjoying reading novels and writing rather than playing sports as a kid. (Please note that John is now an extremely successful writer with both a staff job and several freelance projects for which he is well paid) We tapped as follows....

"Even though my father hated how and what I ate..."
"Even though my father criticized me for being overweight as a child..."
"Even though my father wanted me to exercise instead of read..."
"Even though I wasn't accepted for who I am..."
"Even though he never accepted me for who I was/am..."

John wept during and after this last set up. He said his self-esteem was incredibly low during adolescence because of his father's constant criticism and obsession with his weight and what he ate. He was surprised by the intensity of the emotion and then admitted that not being accepted by his father was the most painful part of his life he could remember.
John then remembered feeling inadequate and poorly about himself in school. We tapped....

"Even though I felt ashamed of my body and the extra weight..."

Two tapping rounds aimed at his shame reduced the intensity of the emotional pain to a faint feeling of discomfort. He was able to take a deep breath and relax. John then went on to describe other emotions connected to his daily eating habits. We tapped as follows....

"Even though I feel guilty EVERY time I eat..." and
"Even though I feel guilty spending money on food...I deeply and completely accept myself anyway."

There's nothing like intense guilt to trigger more anxious eating.
For John, having a high enough salary to enjoy sophisticated New York restaurants whenever he chooses has caused him a great deal of guilt. He feels disloyal to his parents for being successful and for spending money on dining out. He struggles with guilt each and every time he and his friends eat out at a restaurant.

When I saw John 2 weeks later, I noticed his face looked thinner. He confirmed that he had been surprised when he looked in the mirror and noticed it too. The last time he checked, he had lost at least 5 pounds. He had been tapping on himself for mild cravings and general anxiety, and found that it had been surprisingly easy to control his portions and avoid sweets--except for an occasional dessert. He felt in control, relaxed and more peaceful.
I am continually impressed by EFT's effectiveness in the areas of compulsive overeating and weight loss. I hope this case offers more encouragement to the list members who are overeating to manage and tranquilize anxiety. EFT works for weight loss if you use it consistently AND if you address the deeper underlying emotions that are being anesthetized by food.

Dr. Carol Look