I’ll bet you didn’t know I used to compulsively eat fast food, did you? It wasn’t all the time, but when I was under a lot of stress, that’s what I would do.

One period in particular, I would drive to Mc Donald’s and get a big mac, french fries and a chocolate shake. I had a boyfriend who was a vegetarian, and I had been one too for the previous five years. I was a vegetarian who was really happy being a vegetarian, I had no plans of eating meat. And yet, the stress of that relationship sent me not just to red meat, but to Mc Donald’s! Might I add, I was getting my masters in Nutrition Science at the time, so I knew better. I was ashamed, but I could not control myself. I was also quickly gaining weight. It may have been the food, but it was certainly also the stress that caused the weight gain.

So, when clients come to me and tell me they sneak food, I know what they’re going through. There’s the strong urge, the compulsive thoughts, you find yourself going to the drive through or hunting through the cupboards or stalking the fridge or pantry. You eat in your car or while driving, and look around to make sure nobody is watching.  Then you destroy the evidence before going home and feel bad about yourself.

Hiding the Evidence in the Dumpster

Back to my out of control trips. I made sure that my boyfriend didn’t know I was doing this and made sure I threw away the trash from McD’s in a dumpster downstairs. He could have known, but he never mentioned it.

If I knew then, what I know now, I’d have known that something was really out of balance in my life. I had a hunch at the time what was going on in the relationship, but it seemed like I was getting into fear, when my intuition was totally spot on, I just didn’t trust it.

But, I was young, and hadn’t learned about what to do with my intuition or what to do when uncontrollable cravings came over me.  Now I know the best thing to do, is to figure out what need is trying to be met with that food. Acupressure (TAT) is great at this, but you can also do it through questioning.

There’s always a need that your mind / body is trying desperately to get met. This is its job, your mind / body is tasked at keeping you in balance in the moment. If food is the only way to meet that need, then that is what you’ll go to great lengths to get.

But, if you can determine what that need is, what you want to feel, be or have, the cravings will fade. This happens with Acupressure (TAT) really quickly, you feel the change during your session, but you can also do it yourself over time. It will take longer as you have to strengthen the new habits in your brain. So, try this:

Next time you have a strong craving, pause and do the following:

1. Take a deep breath.
2. Acknowledge that your body and mind are trying hard to get you some form of satisfaction and that’s not a bad thing.
3. Get curious. Ask yourself:  ‘What do I REALLY want?’ Hint: It’s not really the food. The food is a temporary means, the feeling of satisfaction or relief you’re looking for can be much more long term and inherent within you.
4. Get curious.  Ask yourself: ‘What ways can I have that feeling?’ You can think of a time in the past when you felt that way. Then, let yourself feel that feeling. Now that you know what it feels like, just amplify it. This is what dissolves a craving.
5. Ask yourself, what activities will remind me of that feeling on an ongoing basis? Is it a hug, the relief of yelling into a pillow and venting frustration, taking a walk, watching a funny movie, what is it you want? Or is it more quiet, like doing some yoga or sitting quietly under a tree?
6. Then, take some action that will evoke that feeling you want on a regular basis, daily is better. In other words, if it comes to you that you need more quiet time, put ‘quiet time’ in your schedule on an ongoing basis. Set a reminder on your phone so you take that time for yourself. Each time you do this, you’re setting new pathways in your brain and your mind/body will opt for getting needs met in that way instead of with food and you’ll have freedom then!

Remember that it’s not about denying yourself the food. It’s about getting the underlying need met so you can decide if you want that burger, fries and a shake or if you’re really prefer a nice conversation with a friend and some sushi instead.

And sometimes, you just want the burger, and that’s okay, but you probably won’t be hiding the evidence if you’re not meeting an underlying need, right? You’re just enjoying a burger.

This is a tool that you can use on your own. There’s more to it, but this is a good start. Will you let me know how it goes?

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All the Best,