How has EH worked for me?

Health - Comfort Eating - Weight

At the end of a triggering toxic relationship I was 3 stone over-weight and my health was suffering greatly. I decided after years of comfort eating and not prioritising my health to regain my balance and support my hormones. Through dieting and exercising hard I lost the unwanted pounds. The result was that I ended up feeling physically fitter than I had ever been and happier in myself that I had been in years!

I thought my weight journey was over (it really wasn’t ;)), I had lost the weight, met a lovely new partner and my future love life was bright. I was really happy or so I thought…

But then something cruel and unexpected started to happen which I felt I had little or no control over. Very gradually I began to ‘test’ my weight. Even though I was the weight I wanted to be and felt super healthy, with the more energy I had ever had in my life, I began to self-sabotage and it caused me a lot of self anger and despair! I started to comfort or binge eat. I tested myself by eating things to excess, I’m talking popcorn, crisps, chocolate (all the fun stuff ;)). All the while a little voice was asking myself ‘Would I still be lovable if I ate all of this? What would happen?’

Over time a depression at not being able to stop myself started to creep in, I didn’t see the point of exercising so much because I was ruining it with over eating and in the evening when I was alone I just snacked, even though I had eaten healthily in the day (so I definitely wasn’t hungry!).

I felt a sense of satisfaction after I finished the bag of popcorn, polished off the bar of chocolate, whatever I was eating and whilst I was eating I felt like the Little Girl in me (the inner child we all have inside of us) was being ‘treated’ she was being acknowledged. I tried to think of other things I could do rather than sit on the sofa and eat and watch TV but anytime I tried to even think about doing something else, like call a friend or do something creative I would stall, my heart wouldn’t be in it and I would get this intense wave of tiredness both mental and physical that lead me straight back to the sofa and the longing to numb myself out with food again.

What was going on??!!

At the time I was munching away nothing much was happening in my head thoughts wise, or so I thought! But using breath-work I checked in with my body and the emotion that I was pushing down felt big, too big for me to face, which is why I ate to mask it and that action of eating make me feel even a little better even if just for the time I was doing it.

I began to look at in turn the areas of my life to find out what was causing the comfort eating. Eventually I looked at the only area left-my relationship, it was nothing like the toxic one I had left yet. I felt happy, fulfilled and at peace yet here I was again, comfort eating. I was so confused and felt frustration and in despair. What was going on? Would I always feel this way whilst in a relationship? What did that mean for my life and future happiness? Did I have to chose between my health and having a partner!? Argh, so much fear and doubt! (And so many questions, right?!)

Now what I have learned about inner work and the universe is that a pattern or problem will keep presenting itself to you until you get the realisation you need for your soul growth to become that better version of yourself and to just be more you. Some healing was being called for on some level. This comfort eating lesson wasn’t over for me but what was I missing? Leaving my toxic relationship hadn’t been enough. Something was not in alignment to keep the weight off, my inner child was asking me for acknowledgment and attention yet all the practical things I had tried (social interaction, hobbies) hadn’t worked mostly because I was holding myself back in some way. I was self-sabotaging.

I began to do the inner energy work, and it was tough! I started to dig in to my emotions through inner work using all the tools I know as a life coach and in combination using the powerful Experiential Healing Process to help me. This is what I found out.

Although I was happy with my partner we had a long distance relationship and being apart was triggering me in a huge way. I worked through these triggers one by one. Eventually I got to the realisation that the situation reminded me of my father leaving when I was small and each time my boyfriend left, although my rational mind knew I would see him again my Inner Child felt rejected, abandoned and distraught. Boom! I got the realisation I needed.

I checked in with my Inner Child and learned that actually she liked being a healthy weight and she enjoyed wearing the clothes she chose and feeling confident but the pain of the abandonment was so strong that it out weighed the happiness she got from being healthy. The binge eating was a way to comfort her and show her she was loved and avoid the pain. My family were always foodies and one way they showed they cared was by providing food. There was an ancestral pattern there. I was loving my LG in a way I had learned but it wasn’t serving me as an adult. It wasn’t the ‘love’ I wanted and it was causing suffering to me emotionally and physically.

What followed was a beautiful healing journey using the EH Process and coaching method. A journey to uncover, release, remove and clear this old pattern of eating which had delayed me from feeling the pain I needed to feel and work through. I was ready to break this eating pattern which was no longer serving me. I accepted had on some level had chosen my current partner because my soul wanted to be triggered in this way to get the soul growth that I needed.

I did the work, I got to the root belief and I smashed this pattern!

Within a week the weight had started to drop off-just through my eating habits changing. It didn’t feel a chore, I wasn’t fighting myself and battling cravings. I was at peace and calm about my food choices. My mood improved, the depression and uncomfortable feelings lifted. I began to exercise again but this time in a more gentle, kinder way with appreciation for my health and respect for my body.

I got the realisation I needed and I was able to make the changes and move towards the healthy life I wanted.

Now if this pattern tries to come up again (and it may well do!) I will be more self aware and and choose how I show up with the knowledge about myself that I gained.

What was the lesson I learned? That I was scared to be abandoned.

The soul gift? Self love.

Do you have a reoccurring pattern that keeps showing up for you? Are there negative beliefs about yourself which are holding you back from being truly and fully happy? If so I invite you to contact me and chat about how the Experiential Healing Process and life coaching can serve you.

I would be honoured and excited to hold space for you!

Nothing inspired me more than seeing people empowered and my clients changing their lives for the better :) Let me show you how you can make it work for you!

Love Sarah x