Food, especially sugar cravings, can be challenging. You sometimes feel entirely out of control, as if you are not in charge of your food decisions. Cravings come like waves in the ocean – nothing can stop them. And, indeed, you don’t have control over those waves of desire. However, you can learn to ride them onto the shore. And pretty soon, they will get more manageable, less frequent, and not as intense. You might even find yourself completely free from your craving with time and patience.
The RAIN technique approach can help you learn first to reduce and then eliminate your compulsive desire to eat something sweet. The goal is to use it every time you catch yourself having a craving.
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First, RECOGNIZE that the craving is coming. Take five slow breaths to RELAX into it.
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Since you have no control over the craving coming, ACKNOWLEDGE and ACCEPT it as it is. Find your way of doing it. For example, you can say, "here we go, or here it comes," or nod your head. Don't ignore or try to control it, don't resist or avoid it, or try to do something about it.
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To catch the wave of your craving, study it carefully. INVESTIGATE it while it builds. Ask yourself: "What does my body feel like right now?" See what arises, what comes to you.
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NOTE the experience as you follow it. And keep it simple by using short phrases or words: thinking, restless, rising sensation, the tension in my tummy, etc. Continue doing it until it completely subsides. If you get distracted, just bring yourself back to the question, "What does my body feel like right now?"
See if you can ride it until it’s completely gone. Ride your wave of craving to shore.
Ph.D. Judson Brewer describes the RAIN technique in detail in his book The Craving Mind.