Praise for The Hunger Fix “In The Hunger Fix, Dr. Peeke tackles one of the greatest health problems of our day with startling new insights. She addresses food addiction at its root cause rather than simply providing a diet that leaves people hungry and dissatisfied. The Hunger Fix is a must-read for anyone who wants to end overeating and food obsessions once and for all.” —Norman E. Rosenthal, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry, Georgetown University Medical School, and author of the New York Times bestseller Transcendence: Healing and Transformation Through Transcendental Meditation “In The Hunger Fix, Dr. Peeke shows how the foods we eat can directly alter brain chemical messengers and why some find it so challenging to just say ‘no’ to sugary, fatty foods. More important, she offers solutions and tools to counter the vicious cycle of food addiction.” —Michael W. Smith, MD, medical director, chief medical editor of WebMD.com “The Hunger Fix presents research that is shockingly undeniable—food addiction is real! But there’s hope for those struggling with hunger and overeating. Dr. Peeke’s easy-to-follow plan will help readers rewire their brains and transform their bodies permanently. If you’ve tried everything and failed, this book is your savior.” —Chuck Runyon, founder and CEO of Anytime Fitness and author of Working Out Sucks! “The Hunger Fix provides people of all sizes, shapes, and ages the opportunity to cast aside self- destructive behaviors and instead get high on Healthy Fixes. We couldn’t agree more that injecting joy and fun into daily physical activity generates the real reward we’re all hungering for as we seek long- term happiness and wellness!” —Kathie and Peter Davis, cofounders of IDEA Health and Fitness Association “In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Peeke successfully links the new science of addiction with the practical realities of our primal drives for hunger and appetite. Through this mind-body connection, The Hunger Fix offers a simple lifelong weight management and lifestyle solution that touches all aspects of how we think, eat, and play.” —Paul Terpeluk, MD, MPH, medical director, Employee Health, Cleveland Clinic “Diets are based on denial and deprivation—they create a vicious cycle that leaves dieters feeling addicted to food. In The Hunger Fix, Dr. Peeke explains the science and biochemistry associated with addiction and food binges and offers simple eating steps for people who feel hopeless and out of control.” —Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD, sports nutritionist and author of the bestselling Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook “In The Hunger Fix, Dr. Peeke guides readers through the groundbreaking new science of food addiction, helping to explain how their reward systems can be altered by exposure to certain foods. After identifying the challenge, she provides an accessible, practical, science-based strategy to manage cravings and addictive habits for the long term.” —James O. Hill, PhD, cofounder, National Weight Control Registry, and executive director, Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, University of Colorado To anyone, of any age or size, who has ever felt helpless, hopeless, and defeated by their relationship with food. You can achieve the dream of lifelong control over your lifestyle choices. You can achieve optimal health. Also to the extraordinary men and women who shared their stories throughout this book. Each of them has offered priceless words of wisdom as well as the hope that you, too, can discover their secret to success: What you truly hunger for is not found in the fridge nor the pantry. Instead, as one man said so eloquently, it’s the peace that comes from learning to live your life to the fullest. Find your true hunger and therein lies your real reward—control, peace, and joy. They did it. So will you. Contents FOREWORD BY TARA COSTA INTRODUCTION: Hand Over the Chocolate and Nobody Gets Hurt! CHAPTER 1: The Dopamine Made Me Do It! CHAPTER 2: The Hunger Fix Cycle CHAPTER 3: Breaking the Hunger Fix Cycle CHAPTER 4: The EpiphaME: Finding Your True Hunger CHAPTER 5: Stage 1: False Fix Detox CHAPTER 6: Stage 2: Beginner Recovery CHAPTER 7: Stage 3: Master Recovery CHAPTER 8: The Hunger Fix Eating Plan CHAPTER 9: The Hunger Fix Recipes APPENDIX A: The Yale Food Addiction Scale APPENDIX B: Mind-Mouth-Muscle Daily Journal APPENDIX C: The Three Pillars of the Hunger Fix APPENDIX D: The Hunger Fix Quick Shopping List APPENDIX E: Document Your Rewards APPENDIX F: The Three M’s: Resources APPENDIX G: Find Your Healthy Fix Voice NOTES ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INDEX Foreword by Tara Costa MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW ME FROM THE HIT reality television show The Biggest Loser. I was on the show in Season 7, competing with my friend Laura. We were former models. My brief time on the ranch at the Biggest Loser was just one stop on my weight-loss journey. You see, before applying to the Biggest Loser, I had what Dr. Peeke calls an “EpiphaME”—a moment that rang my bell and made me realize I needed to change my life. It was May 24, 2008, my best friend’s Lauren’s birthday. That night, I stood in front of a nightclub with a bunch of my friends. By all accounts, it should have been a fun and carefree night. We had two cabs full of beautiful girls, and Lauren knew a promoter, so everything was taken care of—no waiting on line, no paying for drinks. I remember thinking, “Wow, we are set! This night is going to rock!” As we walked straight up to the door, I had a moment of nostalgia—I used to do this kind of stuff all the time in my past modeling life. This was fun, getting dressed up and going dancing! The bouncer unlocked the red velvet rope and the first group of girls walked right in the club. Now it was time for the second group of girls, including me, to go in. Suddenly I felt intimidated and shied away in the back. I hadn’t been clubbing for so long (and I looked a lot bigger now). As we walked up to the rope, my friends were let in one after the other— boom, boom, boom. Then my worst nightmare came true. The bouncer let in all of my friends, then stopped me and locked the velvet rope! I’ll never forget his words, “We’re at capacity!” My first thought was “Bullshit—that’s what they say when they don’t want to let you in.” My second thought was “Get me the hell out of here.” I was mortified and ashamed. I weighed 316 pounds. I got into the first cab that I could find and told the driver to drop me off on the corner of my block, even though I lived halfway down the street. You see, my local bodega was on that corner, and it had all my little food friends that medicated me through life’s hard times. The second I walked into that bodega, a strange calm came over me. It was as if my problem was solved. Before I knew it, I stood in front of my two best friends—Ben & Jerry. Now the important questions raced through my mind: New York Super Fudge Chunk? Chunky Monkey? Or Karamel Sutra! I no longer cared about the humiliating rejection I just faced, because now I had what I thought was my reward—but what Dr. Peeke calls my “False Fix.” The truth is, I am a food addict. I didn’t become 316 pounds overnight. Packing on the pounds was a process, one that, at times, I don’t want to remember. But finally facing what got me there is what has helped me realize that I never want to be like that again—lost, dissociated from myself, and hungering for the lies and the quick fix of my food addiction. I’m an emotional eater. Whether I was sad or extremely happy, it didn’t matter—every emotion was registered as “hunger” and filled with food. And the fact that most of my family has weight issues, and the majority of them are still obese, certainly didn’t help. Sunday dinners at Grandma’s house had four courses! There was no getting up in the morning to take a walk. We were clued out. I had horrendous habits—I lived from one False Fix to the next. I would order breakfast from McDonald’s every morning. In New York City they deliver! (Shocking, right?) I would order dinner in the car heading home from work and would eat in bed every night. I was out of control, living in a food trance. Like any food addict, I had my favorite False Fixes: chicken Parmesan, Ben & Jerry’s, Entenmann’s Pop’ems, fried chicken, waffle fries with cheese, Famous Amos cookies. After 9 months of appearing on The Biggest Loser, and subsequently doing a tremendous amount of work on three important areas—what Dr. Peeke terms Mind, Mouth, and Muscle—I realized I needed different outlets to help me handle my emotions and stresses and express all the feelings I’d been numbing with my False Fixes. At times I still find myself looking at the dessert table, wishing I could have it all. I realize now that’s my “inner addict” speaking. It’ll always be with me, but I’ve learned how to turn what used to be a screaming command to stuff my face into a controlled, barely audible whisper. My life today is no longer spent obsessing about how I am going to get my 3 o’clock latte and cookies. I am fully into what Dr. Peeke describes as a Stage 3 Master Recovery: I have maintained 80 percent of my numeric goal for over a year, and I am no longer hungry for the False Fixes. I reject that False Hunger. Instead, I have keyed into my real hunger, the thing that drives me: How I can help others embrace a healthy lifestyle? Now that I have discovered my real hunger for a better life, I’m following through and completing a master’s in physical education, working as a body appreciation coach, and serving as the founder/president of my Inspire Change Foundation. I look at the reminders that my current body and life is what I want forever— photos of me finishing the New York marathon, and flying through the finish line at the Kona Ironman triathlon. I humbly accept the fact that I will never be cured of my food addiction, but I do believe that I can lead a life of recovery. Every day I have the power to make the right choice, for my mind, body, and spirit. My own personal slogan reflects Dr. Peeke’s 24-hour rule perfectly: “Just For Today—I can.” Most of us do not understand that once we identify our true hunger, we can set the scope of our dreams—that no matter how powerful the influences are, we do not have to be trapped by our environments. This is something Dr. Peeke has been preaching for years. I will never forget the day that I met Dr. Peeke. I was running in the More Women’s Half-Marathon in New York City. I saw Dr. Peeke from afar—she was surrounded by a huge group of women, all standing in a circle, just laughing out loud! From that moment, I knew I had to meet her—I love being around people who make others laugh. When the festivities of the night began, Dr. Peeke got up on stage to deliver her trademark “Go get ’em” prerace dinner keynote. Instantly I could see she was a woman with a commanding presence, a truthful force who was also extremely compassionate. And she was leading her own team of Peeke Performers in the half-marathon the next day. She’s the doc who truly walks her talk. She never hesitated in accepting the offer to be on my foundation board alongside Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong team. I am privileged to have Dr. Peeke on my board and, more important, to have her as a friend and mentor. Take it from me—a fellow food addict. This book will help you rid yourself of the shame and blame that you might feel because of your addiction. It helps you to understand how to win the day-to-day battles so you can end the lifelong war with yourself, once and for all. This book can change your life, if you allow it. You can get better. You can feed your true hunger. You can do this. Now is your time. Let’s get started on your road to recovery.