| Many people mistakenly believe that's cravings or | | | | over food and feel better about your weight loss |
| urges to eat occur because of physical withdrawal, | | | | efforts. |
| and because of the need to eat. But this isn't true. | | | | Another technique which I teach my clients when |
| Most of our urges or hunger pangs are triggered by | | | | they come to my office for help in losing weight is |
| unrelated things, like the time of day, certain people | | | | the balloon technique. In order to do this you would |
| whom we're around, a type of feeling, or the kids | | | | first close your eyes and take a few deeps breaths |
| coming home from school. Some people also | | | | just to get yourself in a comfortable state. Then you |
| mistakenly think that if they experience a hunger | | | | would imagine yourself holding a helium balloon. You |
| pang, that they must eat something. This is | | | | then imagine tying all of your hunger pangs or |
| something which isn't true. Cravings or urges to eat | | | | cravings to the string of this balloon. When you have |
| are very often conditioned responses that seldom | | | | done this you then slowly count backwards from 3 |
| last very long. Plus if you do not give in to these | | | | down to 1 and then you imagine releasing the balloon. |
| feelings then you will very often find that they get | | | | At the same time feel the relief as you watch the |
| weaker and easier to ignore. | | | | balloon floating up into the air, taking with it all of |
| So when you feel a craving or hunger pang, you can | | | | your hunger pangs or cravings. Almost feel as if a |
| talk to yourself in your mind and remind yourself | | | | weight or a burden is being lifted off your shoulders |
| that, in a minute or two it'll go away. Hunger pangs | | | | and is putting you back in control. Once you have |
| are always fairly brief and time-limited. This is | | | | done this exercise, slowly open your eyes and notice |
| something which many people fail to realize and | | | | how good it feels to be in control again. |
| because of that they fear that it won't stop unless | | | | Just like the first exercise this one works best the |
| they eat. So if you do get a hunger pang or craving | | | | more times that you do it. So make it a habit of |
| just tell yourself that it will go away in a minute or | | | | doing this technique and if you do that you will |
| two. And that you don't have to eat right now. | | | | discover that you can begin to do it much quicker. |
| If you make this a habit then you will soon discover | | | | You may even get to the point in which you do not |
| that these urges to eat will not last very long and | | | | have to close your eyes. Many of the clients which I |
| before you realize it, the cravings are gone. If you | | | | work with perform this exercise with their eyes open |
| can practice this then you will learn to have control | | | | and sometimes whilst doing something else. |