The Battle with Self-Sabotage
By Maggie Wilde – The Potentialist
Consider the following scenario.. does it sound familiar?
You’re finally ready to lose weight! You set the date and decide on a ‘dieting’ plan
You have a last ‘hoorah’ the night before and think “this will be the last time and that’s it, I’ll be good from now on …”
You commit to exercising, eating right, saying no to dessert, leaving second helpings to others and proudly resist the chocolates tempting you at the office
All goes well for the first day or three …
Then something happens…
The cookie, chip or chocoholic monster starts to ‘nibble at your confidence…
The battle begins… you’re in two minds.. “Will I or won’t I have that extra glass of wine or choose those chips? Can I really be bothered to drag myself to the gym after work?”
Your mind rambles on and you’re starting to think you were never in control… “It’s been a tough day…just this once. I’ve been good…”
Then something else happens…
You find yourself standing in front of the pantry or fridge staring at the contents not knowing what you want but sure you’ll find it there. You know you’re sabotaging by eating your emotions but you rationalize it and eat your way through an entire box of crackers or devour the chocolate bar anyway …
There it is…
The sabotage monkey is in your ear, on your back and leaving tangible crumbs of guilt and shame in your gut now too…
The battle in your head is on yet again…Your inner critic rambles on “You’ve blown it now. What’s the point…just give up and face the truth… you’ll never get this weight off?”
You go to bed feeling defeated…
But then something happens; you remember you have two choices…
You KNOW you’ve been eating your emotions and your choices are:
- Do what you’ve always done and get what you’ve always got then stew on regret, blame and shame. Give up on your plan and decide you have even more proof that you’ll never succeed
- You remember emotional eating is only old reactive ‘wiring’ in your brain so you decide to do something different...
Next time ‘something happens’, you decide to try something different to switch that wiring off. Even if the ramblings of doubt or rebellious inner critic surface again you decide, ‘I’ve got nothing to lose I’ll give this a go’.
You repeat to yourself…
“I CHOOSE to do SOMETHING DIFFERENT”
So you try my BRAIN TRAINING RECIPE (below)
FREEDOM FROM SABOTAGE CRAVINGS
Rub or tap on each thumb and fingertip and the karate chop point as you say:
That craving or sabotage
There it is, that’s not me
That’s just old wiring
I feel it here … (take note of wherever the sensation or thought is)
It feels like this (state what it feels like e.g. tight, urgent etc)
I choose to switch that wiring off
Tap or rub on these points as you say the corresponding statement
Inside eye by the bridge of the nose: This sensation
Outside eye: I feel it here… (state where)
Under eye: It feels like…. (state what the sensation is)
Under nose: That craving and sabotage
Crease of Chin: Emotional eating is just wiring
Chest point again: I switch it off
Tap or rub again on each fingertip and thumb and end with the Karate Chop as you say:
Enough is enough, the past is the past
It’s only old wiring; I choose to switch it off
Emotions have nothing to do with food
I forgive myself for eating my emotions
I know differently now
I forgive myself for sabotaging my success
I know differently now
It’s happened, its over, I switch it off
I disconnect emotions and food
That’s not me
I feel calm, I feel good…I am in control
Stronger every day, I am in control
Then as you breathe out:
I switch that wiring off, I let it go….
Assess how you feel after this and if you need to do it again do so now or use it to switch off other sabotage cravings.
DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT…
Unleashing Your Potential
Maggie Wilde – The Potentialist
