Overcoming Chocolate Cravings and Emotional Eating:
Case Study: Helen's Journey Through PSYCH-K®
Helen initially booked in because she was experiencing a lot of frustration with being able to have control over eating sweet foods, particularly chocolate.
For most of her life Helen had been underweight, but things began to change around 2017 when she reached a stage where she no longer felt comfortable with her weight. She joined Slimming World and had success with that for a time. Then lockdown happened and, at the same time, menopause. Her activity levels dropped and her weight gradually increased.
Savoury foods were easy to give up, alcohol was easy to cut down, but chocolate was the sticking point. Helen would describe it as though chocolate would “lead her astray” and would become a downward spiral which would then impact the rest of her diet.
By the time we started working together she was at the heaviest she had ever been. She didn’t feel comfortable about that within herself, and she was also concerned about the implications for her health.
Helen described having a real sweet tooth and felt that if she could just decrease the craving for chocolate so that it was no longer there, it would naturally have a positive effect on other areas of her life as well.
Understanding Chocolate Cravings and Emotional Eating Patterns
Interestingly, chocolate was never an issue first thing in the day. The craving tended to begin after lunch and into the evening. It felt very much like a habit and a reward association. Once the working day was finished, chocolate had become the natural reward.
The craving itself felt almost like an addiction. One part of her would be saying “you don’t need the chocolate”, while another part of her mind would say “yes you do, go and get it”.
Often when she did eat the chocolate there would be that initial feeling of satisfaction, but it rarely lived up to what she expected it to be. The build-up to eating it was often bigger than the experience itself. Afterwards there would often be disappointment and regret about not having been able to overcome the urge in the first place.
Sometimes the week might start well, with just a small amount of chocolate on Monday or Tuesday. But by Wednesday things would start to slide and it would gradually turn into a downward slope for the rest of the week.
Helen had also tried going completely cold turkey and avoiding chocolate altogether, but that hadn’t worked for her either. It was frustrating because she felt she should just be able to do it. Over time there had been a gradual, almost imperceptible increase in the amount of chocolate she was eating, and she had also become quite hard on herself about it.
The Eating Pattern Helen Wanted To Change
Helen’s aim for our time together was very clear. She didn’t want to ban chocolate completely. What she wanted was to be able to eat chocolate occasionally and enjoy it, without the craving being there. She wanted to be able to have a small amount, think “that was lovely”, and then simply move on. Ideally she wanted to be able to go from one week to the next without chocolate, or just have it as a very occasional treat that she could enjoy in the moment, without then wanting to have more.
Having already discussed the process and some of the science behind it, Helen felt informed and cautiously open-minded. While not deeply sceptical, there was still a clear sense of “the proof is in the pudding” – would this actually work for her? Ultimately, her decision to proceed was based on trust. She felt that Rachael understood exactly where she was coming from and that gave her the confidence to try something new.
Addressing the Root Cause of Chocolate Cravings
After our initial complimentary call we worked together for three PSYCH-K® sessions across five weeks. One of the most intriguing aspects for Helen was the fact that the sessions could be carried out remotely. Although the rationale had been explained and demonstrated beforehand, there was still a degree of surprise in seeing it actually work in practice.
Through the PSYCH-K® process we were able to uncover the subconscious beliefs and memories that were sitting underneath Helen’s relationship with chocolate.
What Was Uncovered at a Subconscious Level
The theme of these beliefs included:
• Forgiveness and releasing painful experiences from the past
• Letting go of things that were no longer serving her
• Creating the belief that change was possible
• Reinforcing that progress was already happening
• Strengthening her belief in herself and her abilities
• Recognising that she was worthy of the best in life
• Building the belief that she had the strength to overcome the challenge chocolate had been presenting
Unexpected Associations Of Chocolate Cravings
Interestingly, there was also a connection with money, business and allowing the exploration of her talents. All of which were naturally addressed as part of the PSYCH-K® Process within our sessions together.
What Changed
Helen found that parts of the process required her to dig quite deeply, particularly when the outcome pointed back to her own internal knowledge. This wasn’t always easy. At times it brought up thoughts or feelings that were uncomfortable or not something she felt entirely ready to face. However, at no point did she feel the process wasn’t working. Instead, there were moments where it simply felt like she had reached her limit for that session. Rachael was very attuned to this and handled those moments with care, helping to keep the experience supportive rather than overwhelming.
What Changed
As these beliefs began to change at a subconscious level, Helen noticed that her relationship with chocolate started to change too. Some of the changes were noticeable surprisingly quickly. After the very first session, Helen felt a sense that “a weight had lifted”. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by the urge, she found it easier to reconnect with her goal and felt a greater sense of calm and control, as though the craving no longer had the same hold over her. The intensity of the craving lessened. Chocolate stopped feeling like something that had power over her. Instead, it became something she could choose.
Helen began to notice that the urge to reach for chocolate wasn’t there in the same way. The automatic habit loop that had previously kicked in at the end of the day started to dissolve.
Where previously it had felt like an internal argument between two parts of her mind, that tension gradually disappeared. Instead of trying to force herself not to eat chocolate, she simply found that she didn’t want it in the same way.
The Outcome
For Helen, chocolate is now exactly what she wanted it to be from the beginning. An occasional treat she can enjoy in the moment, nothing more than that.
From Helen’s perspective, the outcome felt like a combination of behavioural change becoming possible through shifts at a subconscious level. While she doesn’t claim to fully understand the underlying mechanism, she recognises the tangible result and it has made a meaningful difference.
If this case study has resonated with you and you are looking for a gentle solution back to feeling settled in life, the best next step is to book a complimentary, no-obligation 30-minute call. This will be a chance for us to connect, see if we’re the right fit, and for you to find out if you feel I’m the person you’ve been looking for.
I work with people who are committed to their journey and open to a mind-body-soul approach. If that resonates with you, I’d love to talk with you.
Case study disclosure: This client received sessions at a discounted rate in connection with taking part in this case study. The arrangement helped make the sessions accessible to them and recognised the additional time involved in contributing their experience. The discount was not conditional on positive feedback or on achieving a particular outcome, and the experiences described are their own.