Why do I eat so much?

Do you ever feel out of control around food? Do you continue to eat until you are uncomfortable even though you’re not hungry? Do you choose to eat junk even though you know it makes you feel fat and uncomfortable? Do you eat “comfort foods” even though they make you feel really “uncomfortable”?  Do you wake up in the middle of the night to eat? These are the issues I get regularly from clients. I always begin by asking, “who are you angry at?” I’ve noticed a pattern that overeating habits are often about anger. Sometimes its not what you eat, its what’s eating you! 

 Anger is really the ‘fear of being out of control.’ If you focus on the anger you have, it is usually because you could not control someone or a situation. Anger is a normal emotion but only becomes a problem when you turn it inward or when you hold on to it.  Most of the over eating issues that are from anger stem from childhood. Even though there could be current anger triggers, it's the ones from the past that need to be addressed to successfully remove them.  Eating habits are developed early in life and so are beliefs and feelings around food.  Generally when food is a reward for a young child or the happiest memories are those that are focused on food, that programming is pretty powerful. Some people have established the habit of using food to fill a void or to medicate uncomfortable emotions. Eating becomes a way to pass time instead of nourishing the body.  The most successful weight loss clients change their relationship with food so it is only thought of as fuel for the body, therefore making healthy choices is easier. Choosing to eat junk is a habit, just like smoking, and can easily be eliminated when the emotional component is removed. In some cases I teach alternate behaviors to deal with stress without reaching for food.

 Recently a client was unable to change her habits after the first session and in the 2nd of 4 sessions, it was uncovered that between the ages of 6 and 13 years old, she was not permitted to hang out with her school friends afterschool or on the weekends.  She felt sad, confused and angry about this. The same emotions she felt about her weight issue. She did not understand why her parents were being so cruel towards her. Her mother was an excellent baker and she always had special treats ready for her when she came home from school.  Her mother always ensured that there was a tasty dinner and dessert for afterwards. As a young child, she felt deprived and sad as a result of her parents decision.  As an adult, she over indulges in junk food all night long, and did not understand why.  Once she understood her parent reasons for doing what they did, she could forgive them & the hurt, anger and frustration dissolved away. You see, her parents were from a war torn country, poor and alone in a new country. They were simply afraid of losing their daughter, so they were just wanting to protected her by keeping her close to home where they could ensure her safety. Going forward my client had no more need to stuff herself with excess food, she no longer had anything eating at her emotionally. By the end of our 4 sessions together, she felt more confident, happy and energized.  "Hypnosis didn't only help me with my overeating, it helped me in all areas of my life". 

 My clients are always surprised they can recall events from their earliest years while in hypnosis that they cannot remember otherwise. Because of the nature of the unconscious mind, where all your life experiences are stored, the good, the bad and the ugly, hypnosis is the most effective modality to access it.

Although many people experience results immediately, many require more sessions in order to get to the underlying issues that are getting in the way of their goals. Sometimes there are layers of issues to uncover like peeling away the layers of the onion, but when the issues are resolved, the effects are remarkable. Eating out of control is a red flag that indicates they feel out of control and it is usually about childhood when their lives were truly out of control because their parents had the control! Hypnosis works when nothing else does to give you back the control you had all along but didn’t know it!