This is a powerful personal story written by a dear client of mine who let go of her obsession with food and dieting. We did one Food Craving Session together back in August, 2008, on her obsessions with food and dieting and she was gracious enough to share about her experience.

I’ve been eager to share this with you since she sent it, because this pretty much sums up why I do what I do.
Below, she eloquently describes her struggle and her progress towards Making Peace with Food and her body:

“Before my Acupressure session with Kara, I worried about food often. What have I eaten today? How will it affect how I look in my clothes? Should I go on a diet again? These were not new questions. I asked myself these things several times a day. It was tiring. I knew something was wrong with this, and that it was not how I wanted to live my life.

It started when I joined a national weight loss program. I had been overweight my entire life, and with this plan I lost 30 pounds in about 5 months (20% of my body weight). The first 20 come off easily, but it was the last 10 that were more difficult. I exercised for at least an hour each day and watched everything I ate. I planned my meals, and while I was eating one meal, I was already thinking about the next. If I deviated from my menu for the day, I would beat myself up for eating something that I shouldn’t have. It affected my sleep, and I was blacking out.

I first went to a psychiatrist and confessed that I spent a lot of time thinking about food. She saw nothing wrong with this and said, “Well, if you find yourself obsessing, give yourself a time frame where you’re allowed to think about it, and when that time is up… stop.” Easier said than done. Nothing changed.

In fact, things got worse. I was often tired and irritable, so I decided to find a nutritionist. We went over my average daily caloric intake and exercise routine. She helped explain the physiologic reasons behind my obsession with food. This was helpful… I wasn’t crazy! My body was reacting in a totally “rational” manner. Her advice was to eat more, and specifically add more carbohydrates to my diet. I did and was almost instantly able to sleep through the night without waking up and obsessing about food.

I felt better and had more energy, but then I started to gain weight. This did not sit well with me. I had worked so hard to lose that weight… Why should I allow myself to gain any of it back? I went through a time where I would be content with my food intake, but then the pendulum would swing in the other direction (usually after I would find that certain clothes no longer fit me the way they used to) and I would severely restrict my food intake. This was not fun, and I often wondered whether I could ever have a “normal” relationship with food.

This went on for months, and then I found Tao to Wellness [This is my former Acupuncture office in Berkeley, CA] when searching for Acupuncture clinics in Berkeley. I was interested in acupuncture for an unrelated matter, but somehow, the “food issue” came up in my conversations with Kara. She thought that Acupressure might be able to help me. I always felt so comfortable with Kara, and hoped that this would finally be the breakthrough I needed.

The Acupressure session itself was different from what I had imagined. I thought that Kara would apply pressure to various parts of my body (sort of along the lines of needles in Acupuncture), but no… the pressure came from my own two hands. Kara guided me through a series of questions, and the answers that came out of me were things that I had not shared with anyone else – ever. It was all so effortless and everything made so much sense. After the session, it literally felt as if great weight had been lifted from my shoulders. All of my food anxiety was gone. It was the craziest thing! I was so much happier, and my body image improved dramatically.

I would not say that I am entirely healed. The mind plays funny tricks on you, and old fears / insecurities come back to the surface. I look forward to another session, and continuing to break old habits that have plagued me for years. With Kara’s help, I believe that I can definitely make this happen.”

Are You Looking for Peace with Food and Relief from Food Obsessions?

If you can relate to this young woman, you are not alone. She speaks for many women, young, old and everywhere in between. If she speaks for you please know that there is help for your issues with food and your body. There’s nothing inherently wrong with you, there’s just some old programming that no longer serves you and it can be deleted, just like a computer program that you don’t want anymore.

If you’re looking to make peace with food and your body and end the obsession around your weight, please sign up for my bi monthly tips below this post, they’re free!

I also offer free webinars where you can experience Acupressure (TAT) to help with your food cravings and you’ll be notified first when they are offered.

Yours in Health,