I never liked dieting or trying to control my food in any way. I wanted freedom, and my first attempt was learning about nutrition and becoming a nutritionist. Only later did I become a health psychologist.
I was somewhat rebellious and also pretty obsessed with food. One day when I was walking down Bancroft Avenue in Berkeley in my senior year, I thought, "When can I finally be free to eat as much as I want and get as fat as I want to get?"
Now, decades (too many to count) later, having devoted my career to gaining freedom from that self-torture, I have only neuroscientists (specifically Peter Sterling, Igor Mitrovic, Michael Merzenich, and Bruce McEwen) to thank. Still, there is a science-based pathway out of that torment.
It's called spiraling up.
The circuits that cause overeating and weight gain are in the emotional brain, and you can't change them without being an emotional superstar...able to activate circuits as a daily part of self-care and then move through your emotions with grace. Then they switch off.
Where does the freedom come in?
It comes from the double bind stress presents to us. The stress circuits activate strong drives to overeat and store those calories as fat. They block from activation the drives to eat healthy, exercise, and entertain happy, healthy ways of living that compete favorably with eating pizza, chips, and ice cream.
These circuits ramp up cravings and shut down sensible options for healthy choices. If we do not obey these circuits, the stress that follows mounts up until we either 1) go on a strict diet, choose bariatric surgery, or take any medication we can to stop our suffering, or 2) endure until we cannot take it anymore, and the suppressed emotions erupt into binge eating or substituting another coping mechanism, like over-exercising, drinking, overworking or my personal favorite, ordering online anything that makes me feel rewarded, loved, and as if I matter.
Freedom: the skill to spiral up
The role of EBT is to empower us to step out of that double bind and say, "I choose a neuroscientific approach to eating and weight." Here's how it works: you keep your EBT app with you, and throughout the day, take a break for ONE MINUTE and switch off those stress circuits.
Each spiral up clears the emotional blockade in the brain caused by stress and delivers a surge of endorphins and dopamine so that you can feel better on the spot.
Then you drop into our community groups, listen to others spiraling up, and feel empowered and less alone. You want more. Next, you learn to switch off circuits that fuel feeling out of control and overeating. There are two significant circuits - the FOOD CIRCUIT and the BODY CIRCUIT, and you learn how to spot and rewire them. Now freedom is beginning to feel possible.
A natural way to eat healthy and feel satisfied
Many people find they naturally eat healthier and begin releasing weight, but if it were that easy, 71% of people in the US would not be overweight. At that point, we recommend continuing the program and rewiring the emotional clutter from the past (we call them "5 Circuits") and turning them into circuits that promote lasting improvements in stress, health, mood, eating, and weight.
The program takes one year, but most people see improvements during the first week. EBT is the only program other than bariatric surgery to show (in studies published in peer-reviewed journals) continued weight loss after treatment ends. Review the science of EBT here.
What EBT participants say...
What about my rebellious drive? I used EBT, and have helped thousands of other people use it and those "issues" are gone. In the last week in my EBT telegroups, I heard the following comments:
"I don't even think about food anymore. I eat whatever I want, and am losing weight. It's such a relief."
"I've lost 50 pounds on EBT in the last year. I stopped wanting the extra food. EBT is natural. No drugs, no dependency, just skills."
This method is for anyone who values their freedom and is willing to learn how to transform stress and cravings into joy and satisfaction...You can join at EBT.ORG and try it out. We have Certified EBT Providers on hand via telephone, who will happily show you the ropes and help you start spiraling up.
Get started spiraling up today!