Anne: Overcame migraines and tamed the 'Cookie Monster'

At the age of 45, for the first time in my life I began to experience monthly migraines, just before my menstrual period.

I had to lie down once they began, and if I tried to lift my head I instantly had to vomit. My GP said they were oestrogen withdrawal headaches and prescribed oestrogen patches, tablets, then injections for the migraines. None of them worked, in fact they made me vomit even more.

I had been suffering the migraines for about 6 months by the time I went to see Robyn. Each month they were becoming worse: I was bedridden and constantly vomiting for 3 days; I had begun to experience a kind of fit every time I raised my head with each passing month which was really scary; and even after the actual migraine finished I still had a lingering headache and was dizzy and off balance for another 3 days.

So all in all I lost 5 or 6 days out of every month. Plus even when I didn’t have a migraine, I had a constant daily headache which I’d come to accept as normal – I just lived with it.

During my first consultation, Robyn explained that my migraines were caused by my body attempting to detoxify itself. She told me that if I followed the 5-day dietary detox plan, and the follow-up nutrition plan which she gave me, I would be free of migraines forever.

I was so motivated, and so afraid of getting another migraine, that I stuck to the plan like glue! I enjoyed the food, and lost over 5 kg without even trying. I felt so much healthier and fitter, and because soon I could wear the fitted style of clothes that I’d always preferred again, I felt younger and more confident.

After several weeks I suddenly noticed that I no longer had that daily dull headache – what a relief! It was easy to stay on the healthy eating plan because I felt so great. I was really organised and made sure I had healthy food wherever I went.

Then one day I really fell off the wagon. I was out, hadn’t been able to get any healthy food, was really hungry, and had just a taste of Rocky Road. Suddenly I couldn’t stop eating cakes and sweets again. For 2 weeks I binged uncontrollably, until one day I woke up, opened my eyes and the room was spinning! I was at rock bottom.

I felt quite hopeless, thinking that I had had that experience of eating well and feeling great, but now I’d blown it. I was worried that I could never get back to that comfortable place of eating well and feeling well.

I went back to Robyn and we started working on my addiction to cakes. All my life I have had a boom and bust relationship with food – especially cakes. I would not eat them at all for a while, but once I had a nibble, that would trigger uncontrollable desire to eat cake, past the point where I was even enjoying it.

I was like the Cookie Monster, just stuffing the food into me, barely tasting in, and unable to stop. Robyn taught me how to do EFT, and how to adapt it to my preferences (I don’t like to tap!). We did lots of EFT on my early childhood experiences which had shaped my eating patterns, though I’d never realised that before.

Although I slipped back into old, bad habits quite a few times, Robyn always encouraged me to just tackle the next issue, just resolve the next painful memory that came up, just keep working on the next uncomfortable feeling.

I now know what a huge impact the food I choose has on how I feel and how I look. I’ve noticed that when I am eating unhealthy food I feel tense and anxious, and although my body and mind seem to be running too fast, I’m constantly tired.

When I’m eating healthy food, I feel calm, I have plenty of energy to run my business, look after my family, exercise and socialise. I also know now that when I get tense, my emotions drive me to eat.

And most importantly, Robyn has taught me how to handle my emotions so I can stay in control. One of the things that has helped me most, is that Robyn explained that allowing myself to acknowledge how strong is my desire for the foods that tempt me, without judging myself for that craving, actually helps me quickly work my way through the craving and get back in touch with my deepest intention which is to feel healthy all the time.

Now I can talk myself through tempting situations, and remind myself that nothing tastes as good as feeling healthy feels!

I’ve also learned strategies that help my stay on a healthy track even when I’m surrounded by people who are eating and drinking things that I know I’ll pay for afterwards if I have them.

I’m now comfortably in control of my eating, able to choose what I eat and how much. I can now eat cake occasionally, but I know when to stop.

I recently turned 50. I value the health that Robyn helped me regain so much, and now I can look forward to being fit, healthy, active and full of life well into my old age!

Anne, Sydney