learned helplessness NOUN A condition in which a person has a sense of powerlessness, arising from a traumatic event or persistent failure to succeed. It is thought to be one of the underlying causes of depression.[1] What Is Learned Helplessness? Learned helplessness occurs when an animal is repeatedly subjected to an aversive stimulus that it cannot… Continue reading The Lying Liar: Learned Helplessness & Food Addiction
At some point (likely many points) during your low-carb journey, you will encounter a tempting food that is off-plan, and something resembling the following will roll around in your brain: “You can eat that — just have a few bites!! Go ahead! It’s fine! You’ve been so…good. You deserve a treat. You will get… Continue reading Moderation is a Fairytale
Keep your total carbs low. Shorten your eating window. Move your body. Get enough sleep and manage your stress. Those are the basics. But the road to leaving obesity behind for good is long and winding, and fraught with potential stumbling blocks. A few things I’ve learned along the way… 1) Hunger. Understanding… Continue reading Lessons Learned on the Road to Losing 225 Pounds
Nuts and dairy are very popular foods on a low carb or ketogenic diet — they are nutritious, low in carbs and contain healthy fats and protein. The problem? They are also very energy-dense and hyperpalatable which makes them very easy to overeat. If raw and unsalted, you’re less likely to overconsume them, but when… Continue reading Nuts and Dairy: Fat Creep on Low Carb
Every time my eating spirals out of control into a case of the “F-its” (also known as “F-it…I’ve screwed up, so I’m gonna eat all the things and start again on Monday”) it is food addiction talking, somehow convincing me that I don’t care. This all-or-nothing thinking tells me: “Go ahead, eat that. It’s no… Continue reading Why Are You Eating?
I am an obesity parolee. It is the most apt description Dr. Tro and I have come up with for what it feels like to lose 200 pounds after a lifetime stuck in the matrix of countless failed diets, lost hope and desperation. Somehow, I made it to the other side, but like many people… Continue reading “Now What?” (Is an Open-Ended Question)
By Amy Eiges I recently wrote on Twitter about the value of “failing” at many attempts to lose weight, all of which landed me before Dr. Tro and the beautifully simple question he posed after reviewing my food logs. He never asked that I track food, but I was terrified not to, conditioned by countless… Continue reading Are You Hungry?
Health Coach Amy Eiges: Dealing With a Bad Case of the F***-Its By Amy Eiges This is not the blog post I intended to sit down and write this week, but circumstances change, so…. here goes. On Friday I purchased a pair of pants that is the size I said I’d be satisfied with when… Continue reading Tales From The Scale: The Evil Metal Box
By Amy Eiges If you are brand new to keto/low carb or just starting out on your weight loss journey, you might want to save this blog post for a rainy day, but for the many of us that have been at this for a while and possibly discouraged, frustrated, stalled, finding it difficult… Continue reading Weathering the Perfect Storm
By Amy Eiges I am a food addict. The fact that I have lost about 180 pounds would seem to indicate that I am no longer a food addict, and indeed, I had convinced myself for a while that this was the case. Riding high on weight loss and ketones, decreasing clothing sizes, and… Continue reading The Cold, Ugly Truth: “I Will Always Be a Food Addict”
By Amy Eiges These are extraordinary times we are all living through right now, and it would be easy to slip back into self-destructive behaviors, forgetting to make your own self-care a priority. Eating disorders, substance abuse and mental health issues thrive in isolation, and many of us are in seclusion right now, separated from… Continue reading Self-Care Must Be a Priority Under COVID-19 Quarantine
For more than 40 years, Amy Eiges struggled to make sense of a hopelessly broken system that made her feel it was her that needed fixing. More than 200 pounds overweight, she was given the same advice we’ve all heard for years: “Eat less, exercise more. Have more self control. Everything in moderation.” That advice… Continue reading After Losing 170+ Pounds, Amy Eiges is Now Coaching Others While Working to Fix a Broken System
Freedom is Attainable — It’s On the Other Side of the Mountain of Garbage We’ve All Been Fed “Jeez, Amy. What are you getting so worked up about?” I’m at brunch with my closest friends and they’re all staring at me dumbfounded. We are talking about a mutual friend’s efforts to help their kid lose… Continue reading “I Am Not Broken”
