Can I Control Food Cravings And Lose Weight With Eft?

EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Technique. It's a variation of "Energy Psychology" which is defined by the House Committee on Veterans Affairs as "psychological acupuncture without the needles." Practitioners use the technique of tapping on specific meridian points with the fingers as a way of shifting brain patterns to help to get rid of unwanted thoughts and behaviors. Griffith University reported in 2010 that participants in a study showed significant reductions in body mass index with reductions in food cravings over six months, so EFT may help you control food cravings.

History

EFT has its roots in ancient Chinese acupuncture, as the same meridian lines are physically tapped to create the desired effect. According to the Mastering EFT website, the difference is that acupuncture doesn't focus on emotional outcomes. The development of "emotional acupuncture" is indirectly attributed to Dr. George Goodheart who used his knowledge of acupuncture to start using manual pressure instead of needles. Dr. Roger Callahan took it a step further and used this knowledge to build a framework for psychological problems, which he named TFT (Thought Field Tapping). In the early 90s, Gary Craig, a student of Callahan's developed his own tapping technique called EFT which he has been teaching to students ever since.

Expert Insight

Psychologist Dr. Peta Stapleton of Griffith University said regarding her university's 12-month study, "Psychological acupuncture therapy can have an immediate effect on reducing food cravings, resulting in maintaining reduced cravings over time, and impact upon BMI in overweight and obese individuals." Stapleton additionally stated that th EFT helps people to stop overeating for emotional reasons at a subconscious level, making it more likely that the food cravings are minimized in the long term.

Benefits

The study showed that the effect of reducing food cravings happened very quickly, often within four two-hour sessions, according to Griffith University. EFT is also used for many other problems including post traumatic stress disorder, phobia and anxiety. Research published in the "International Journal of Healing and Caring" in 2009 looked at the effect of EFT on anxiety, depression, pain and cravings in healthcare workers. The study examined 216 people and concluded that brief EFT sessions provided an immediate positive effect on cravings, psychological distress and pain.

Considerations

Although there is some evidence to suggest that EFT may help in the reduction of food cravings, therefore helping with weight loss, nothing can substitute for a sensible diet and exercise regime. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services guidelines for physical activity states that you should participate in at least two-and-a-half hours of moderate aerobic exercise per week, plus strength training twice a week to build strong muscles and maintain a health body. To lose weight, you must create a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories per week by burning more calories than you consume, Mayo Clinic states.