This Tool Can Stop Your Food Cravings

This Tool Can Stop Your Food Cravings Do you often find yourself binge eating? Are you having trouble following through with your goals? The good news is there are several ways to manage your food cravings and learn how to train your brain to stop the impulse to go into a binge eating moment.   In this episode, I discuss one great tool you can use to help stop the cravings and impulsive thoughts leading to a food binge. I also talk about the limitations of prescribed meal plans or diets and why it is typical that people will not be able to follow them. Tune in to the full episode and learn more about how to train your brain to change your relationship with the cravings and impulses.  I am now offering a virtual 7-week CLASS! The class will include pre-recorded videos, audio recordings, handouts, membership in a Facebook community, and weekly private group sessions.  The class begins on October 2, and enrolling now will guarantee that you can participate in the private Zoom meetings with therapist Blair Thurston. Participants enrolling after the class starts will be able to access all the content but will miss out on group participation. If you would prefer more individualized help, contact me so we can schedule a private virtual session. To sign up for the class or to get private help, you can send me an email at [email protected] or visit my website. Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode: Why is it challenging to follow meal plans? What can you do when you start reverting to old binge eating habits? How to use the Sedona Method to retrain your brain? Resources The Sedona Method Episode Highlights Why It Is Difficult to Follow a Meal Plan Although we might want to follow a plan or a diet, we often can’t stay with it because our mind’s fears, habits, and impulses are too strong. It’s not that we are lazy, rebellious, or won’t follow the plan—we just can’t do it until the mind becomes calmer. Believing You Can Do Something Matters When parts of you believe that you can’t succeed, the brain will flood with emotions of defeat, helplessness, overwhelm, and shame. Rather than trying harder, this lack of belief will give you an excuse to succumb to a moment of weakness. The lack of belief will sometimes subconsciously try to prevent you from risking failure, and it might secretly have a mission of self-sabotage. Managing belief is a key piece of the puzzle for success. Reverting to Old Habits Is Not a Catastrophe If you notice that you are reverting to your old eating habits, stop and breathe. Instead of going into a period of sadness, anger, or regret, use this impulse as a sign pointing to what you must do. Learning how to understand and connect with your fears is part of the journey of healing. Without facing your fears, these parts inside of you can’t heal. Things to Note if You Are in a Cycle of Self-Sabotaging Behavior Depriving yourself of food may lead to overeating. But by connecting with our beliefs, we can tap into the energy of our subconscious, which drives us.  Addiction occurs when wanting something turns into needing something. It makes sense because it’s a way to feel more in control and calm. The willingness to pause, reflect, and turn inward will allow the process of change. Learning From the Experience of a Client One of my clients wants to eat healthier. However, when she eats, she gets stuck in a loop of uncomfortable thoughts and emotions, which leads to overeating. The uncomfortable thoughts resulted from a memory of an experience that was stuck in the subconscious. Sedona Method’s Steps to Retraining Your Brain Sedona Method is a simple 4-step process to train your brain to be present with emotions in a different way. The podcast will go into this tool in more depth. Stop and notice feelings. Focus on your instinct to resist them. Allow yourself to feel your emotions and impulses fully. After you let yourself feel them, ask yourself, “Now that I have felt it, can I let it go?” Tips from the Sedona Method One way to let feelings or cravings go is to imagine them as little pieces of thoughts breaking away and going into space. You may also think about dropping the emotions as if they were an item you are holding in your hand. Imagine the craving as a car accelerator that you can mentally direct to slow down. The Brain as a Machine The brain is like a machine, repeating what is comfortable and familiar. Addiction or extreme behaviors happen when parts of the brain get carried away with their efforts to help. Flooding your brain with new ideas and willingly practicing new ways to respond to situations will create new neural pathways. The more you follow these new paths, the less your brain will revert to its old default patterning. 5 Powerful Quotes from this Episode “You will change if you know how to change. And how to change almost always requires baby steps—you don't do it all at once; it’s a slow process.” “I think it's helpful to remember that what you fear is what is going to lead you to a place of greater wisdom and abilities. So, what you fear is exactly what you need in order to stop avoiding whatever is going on with you.” “If you're stuck with overthinking and yo-yo dieting and disordered eating patterns, I'm convinced it's very, very difficult to get out of these cycles on your own. And getting outside guidance, perspective, and accountability makes a huge difference.” “At first, it might seem impossible. It might seem like you truly cannot change your compulsion to think about the same things… Rest assured, you can train your brain to shift. You can do this.” “Belief that you can do this is really important. And you know what? You can do anything. So never forget that.” If you listened to the podcast and enjoyed it, please share and post a review! Have any questions or want to schedule an appointment? You can email me at [email protected] or visit my website. To making peace with eating, Betsy