What happens when you're just minding your business and suddenly someone walks by with a delicious looking cake, muffins, or some other goodie you weren't expecting. You weren't hungry a minute ago but now you are suddenly ravenous. So you jump up and rush to get yours before it's all gone. After you get back to your desk and a few minutes go by, what happens? You suddenly realize you want more. Your stomach may be growling in fact. You can still see those muffins in your mind's eye. You want them. A few minutes pass while you debate, "I want another, No, I shouldn't, but, I really want one, they sure tasted good. If I don't hurry they might all be gone, what about your diet, who cares? I'm getting one," and off you go.

Frustrating, isn't it? All you need is a plan for when unexpected food suddenly drives you to eat. It's not like this isn't going to happen time and again, so having a way to deal with it, in that moment, is better than simply being swept up in wave of wanting. The old pattern of see food, want food, eat food, get angry about eating food, eat more to get over feeling angry, get angrier, give up, eat more. This cycle generally ends when you either pass out or food is gone. It doesn't have to be this way.

TV commercials also induce this see food, want food response, which is why so many people overeat in evening while watching their favorite shows.

Try this new approach using a technique caled EFT. It's effective in that it forestalls immediate pattern of jumping up and rushing to get a treat, and gives you a moment or two to think about what's happening. Realizing you want a treat is fine, and deciding to have a treat is fine too, but simply eating out of a primal see food/eat food response is not okay. You can move past that immediate driven response to food cues by using this approach.

Step 1: The Desire to Eat Unexpected Food

Do a round of EFT first moment you suddenly are struck by a desire to eat (when you weren't hungry or thinking of food a moment before):

"Even though seeing those muffins made me hungry, I deeply and completely accept myself."

"Even though I'm suddenly starving, I deeply and completely accept myself."

"Even though I want some cake (or whatever it is), I deeply and completely accept myself."

"Even though I know once I start, I'll never stop eating all day, I deeply and completely accept myself."

"Even though I'll wreck my diet today, I deeply and completely accept myself."

Now, these statements make not appear to make much sense, but if you've used EFT in past, you'd know that a quick round of EFT on whatever it is that's first and foremost in your mind (the thing you want, despite that you wish you did not), is what you want to address. That's how EFT works. I don't know anything about my car's engine, but I can drive. You don't have to understand every nuance of EFT or why it works to use it. Just do use it. (For info on learning EFT see resource box).

Step 2: Spending Your Calories Wisely

First check out offerings by looking them over. Food, especially unexpected food, has to qualify before I'd even consider eating some. For me a food qualifies as special by how it looks, it's texture, taste, and whether it truly is "special." Does it appear good enough to spend my day's calories on? I do pay attention, and I know I have a certain amount of calories on any given day and I don't want to waste them. If food is ordinary (something I could buy myself any day of week), then more often than not I'll choose to pass, saving my calorie expenditure on something I deem more worthy.

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Metabolism is essentially speed at which our body's motor is running. The speed at which our body burns calories is called metabolic rate. It's how fast your "motor" is running when you're still in a reclined position or sleeping. About 60-75% of energy is expended by body at rest in such activities.