Hi again, using food to get them to trust you does NOT mean forced handling, it means feeding from tongs, so the animal realises you don`t mean it any harm, over time (it might take several months, it could take much longer), as the lizard gets more at ease, you can gently try stroking on the side of the body, neck etc, but don`t attempt to pick up at this time.
It must be done at the monitor`s pace, not yours!