I'm So Effing Hungry: Why We Crave What We Crave – and What to Do About It

by Amy Shah MD

I'm So Effing Hungry has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Self Help, Food, Nutrition, Audiobook, Cookbooks

248 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 28, 2023

Reviews

[Provin Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot from this book. Some of it was stuff I already knew but I was enlighten by the authors reasoning behind it. If you have big food cravings this book could help you come up with a plan to tackle them! I look forward to reading her previous book ‘I’m so effin tired’

[Lori Jahner Mohre · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book did a great job of explaining gut health and how to reduce/eliminate sugar cravings. The book included alot of science based advice and some great recipes were included. The book was an enjoyable book to read it was easy to understand & had good information without being overly technical. I'm happy I read it & would recommend to anyone who would like an easy read that's packed with great information .
Thank you to Dr. Amy & Goodreads for the complimentary copy 📖

[Chris Schultz · Rating 1 out of 5]

A lot of science-based info here, but nothing new. Eat whole foods, avoid processed crap, exercise, sleep, etc. Most of the advice is responsible, with a few reckless ideas thrown in.

I would probably give it 4 stars for the above, but found certain gripes whilst reading. For one, she tells us that nothing is our fault. Repeatedly. Everything is society's fault and we are all helpless. I understand that we live in an extremely sensitive culture where no one likes to take responsibility, but c'mon! Minus one star.

Then there's the gratuitous overuse of "hacking." Every other page, she lists a new "hack." Newsflash: Not everything is a hack. In fact, by definition, none of her "hacks" are actually hacks. Minus one star.

But wait, she keeps on and on and on with her special cure-all hacks. I dare you to play a drinking game every time you see the word "hack" or her trying to sell her other books, or saying nothing is our fault, etc. Are you still standing? Exactly. Minus one star.

Well, I guess that leaves one star left. I hate being so cynical, but it is what it is. I was going to donate this, but fear it might cause more harm than good for the next person. Maybe I should just recycle it instead.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was very informative and motivating. I really think some of her tips will help me become healthier and practice "unlearned eating" habits. One thing I'm definitely going to start right away is getting more sleep. It's quite amazing how getting the right amount of sleep can benefit one's health. I wish I could like Greek yogurt so I can work on getting more probiotics in me, but that stuff is nasty. I was disappointed in the recipes...they're just not for me. Still, her lists of the types of beneficial foods is helpful as are some of her tips. I'm especially interested in trying her 3-2-1 Technique to curb my cravings.

[Kate Laycoax · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really pleased with this book and all of the helpful information it contains. I am always interested in learning more about my body and how it functions and ways in which I can improve it. I learned so many things from Dr. Shah in this book: why we get hungry, what we can do about it and history behind our food and why hunger's meaning is more than meets the eye. There was a lot of scientific evidence to back up what the author wrote. I love that I didn't feel shamed and there were actionable steps I could take to fix my hunger issues and how this would help me to become a healthier person.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harvest and Harper Collins for the eARC of this book.

[Carol Palmer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not enlightening

I heard the author talk on the Mel Robbins podcast. After reading the book, I’m hoping they will review it on “Maintenance Phase”. I didn’t learn much except to eat more yogurt. Someone without my background in biomedical science may get more from the science in this book.

[*Layali* · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was fine. Unremarkable. I picked it up on a whim, and while I agree with points, it is still adding in to toxic diet culture that I can’t support.

[Julie Shuff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book, but it was pretty info dumpy, without really feeling cohesive.

Also everything is her special named “technique” (e.g. the 3-2-1 technique), when it’s really just eating mindfully/grounding yourself while eating. I felt at times like she overcomplicated things (but the baseline intentions were good).

I did like learning about more moderated intermittent fasting.

While I highlighted a lot of prior studies (and was grateful she provided sources), some of the sugar detox elements she fully admits are not backed by science.

Like many other health authors, she’s also trying to sell you her mixes. That’s totally fine, but just be aware going in.

[Fran · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you have read few books on the same topic, you won't find any real news worth the purchase of the book. If you are totally new to health principles (e.g. sleep hygiene, hunger control), this book could be a decent starting point

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was so good general advice.... but it is a diet book it says it's not but it is

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ohio Digital Library copy

Nothing terribly new or helpful, except for the fact that maybe we all need to eat more yogurt.

Fairly standard information, and not a bad guideline. Decent recipes.

[Chris Boutté · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t have much to say about this book. I don’t know why I always get suckered into reading these books (probably because I’m fat lol) because they all turn out the same. They all start out with “this isn’t a diet book”, and then the entire book is telling you what to eat and what not to eat. This book discusses a lot of foods that help with gut bacteria and help reduce hunger throughout the day. Although the author is credentialed, there’s so much BS and pseudoscience out there, it’s hard to tell what’s real with these books.

The author’s first book was about being tired, so I’m curious about which realm she actually specializes in, and I don’t have the time to research it. Should you read it? Maybe. I can’t tell this book apart from any other book on the topic of weight loss.

[Angela Bowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great! I loved it and plan on buying it.

Easy to read and understand. Helps if you have a little foundation or background in physiology because she goes into nice detail on hormones and their relationship as they affect our hunger.

Some off the top of the head takeaways:
1. Heal your gut. Out-of-whack gut health is part of the reason why you are craving.
2. Eat fiber! It’ll help heal the gut, nourish your body, and minimize hunger.

I really enjoyed this one.

[Wilmaaaaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative, refresher on science based information to help guide my clients with reasoning of why our recommendations work, with real life examples and to the point. Gives you great starting points, quizzes, guides, meal plans and recipes. Have not tried the recipes yet.
Read for 10 CEU’s for my RDN license.

[Maddie P · Rating 3 out of 5]

First 50% of this book was interesting with lots of practical tips

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. Interesting info

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I follow the author on IG and wanted to read a bit more in depth about her program. She makes a lot of sense. I like that she shares the evidence for her recomendations and that it comes from medical research that she has done over the years combined with her personal experience and the experiences of her patients. The suggestions are not completely surprising, but this approach was nice. Those who have read up on the Mediterranean Diet or the Blue Zones will recognize the same patterns including the importance of lots of vegetables, minimal amounts of meat and dairy, and daily movement (prefereably outdoors). I made leek potato soup for dinner tonight and was very suprised how tasty it was. I will make additional recipes and look at incorporating additional fiber-rich meals into my diet.

[shey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative. The way the information is broken down is very helpful. The science behind the food you eat and how your body reacts is a great mix. Recipes in the back along with easy week by week shopping lists makes this a must have for anyone trying to change their eating habits. By far the easiest foodie book I've found to follow. I plan to go back through with a highlighter, which is a huge surprise as I expected to donate after reading like I have with other books of this genre. I can't wait to try out the cheesy broccoli soup. And I'm hopeful that with the tips I have learned here my family will be eating healthier, fuller meals.

[Suzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of science in this book! Fortunately the author explains in detail but it can be a bit overwhelming and I feel like I'll need to consult back with the book. She encouraged small steps but there is alot of content so I'll need to study more to do more than a small step. Very comprehensive approach.

[Justin Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a very good book. Well thought out and simple. Easy to understand and based on science. The layout is a little clumsy but I have the unedited version, so hopefully that gets cleaned up in the final version. Recipes and meal plan aren’t quite my style or taste but it gives a good idea of what to eat.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

The recipes were a big no for me.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting hints and tips to stop cravings

[Marya · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's nothing radical in the quantitative information here: no "magic bullet" that will make everything better. But that's a good thing! Dr. Shah sticks to the science and does not give any quick fixes. Better than that, Dr. Shah's not looking to "fix" you. Her approach is not to focus on weight or body image or will power. Rather, she is targeting people's feeling that they don't feel in control of their eating and are helpless to stop it. The book takes the approach of saying "it's not your fault" repeatedly and assuredly. You are not the one engineering hyper palatable food that is designed to make you crave more without actually filling you up. You are not the one who created swing shifts that deprive you of natural exposure to light, thus screwing up your circadian rhythm. You are not the one who created a diet culture that turns large food groups (i.e. 'carbs') into villains, making it a Herculean task to avoid them. Instead, Dr. Shah wants you to focus on making yourself healthy and happy first by meeting your basic nutritional needs. After that, there is no will power fight to win or loose; you just won't desire the other stuff in the first place. It's a great theory, and there's a lot of power given back to the individual to control their own destiny.

However.

Working a night shift isn't exactly one of the things you alone can change. She gives you some hacks around having a screwed up sleep cycle, but they are only temporary hacks. Likewise, she doesn't have any particular hacks for getting in exercise. If you are a caregiver and don't have hours in your day that are your own to exercise, there's not a lot of help here. And while Dr. Shah has a list of tasty recipes to get you started, she misses the point that her "grab and go" client eating patterns aren't cooking because they lack the resources (time, ingredients, cooking skill). It's a kind, synthesized approach to getting more control of your body for those with the resources already there to implement the recommendations.

[Emma Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's interesting to see some other reviews critiquing the book's "cliche" advice: eat more whole nutrient-dense foods, gets good sleep, and exercise. Something that says otherwise is selling something.

I'm So Effing Hungry breaks down the physiological aspects of hunger, how it happens (like the hormones that are released and why) and how it can be manipulated by the bacteria in our gut and the foods that we eat. I really appreciated Dr. Shah's comprehensive overview of how hunger works in the body. Maybe I just missed this particular Heath class, but I don't remember learning this in school, so I found almost every part of it to be enlightening.

This is not a book on how to lose weight, although that is a byproduct of living healthier. If you're looking for a new diet that will help you shed pounds quick, this is probably not the book for you. If you're interested in learning about how your body works and hoping to gain some control of your body through knowledge, than you'll find this book to be a great as I did.

And I really do feel more in control of my body, even though Shah explains that our hunger is basically out of our control (from above mentioned bacteria and hormones). However, Shah doesn't make it seem like all is hopeless- quite the opposite. We have the power to fuel our bodies with foods that will make us feel our best, and that can start a chain reaction in feeling better, sleeping better, and overall experiencing better health. I've always been an "all or nothing" person when it comes to fitness and diet (toxic trait, I know), and this book really helped me put that mindset in perspective. Every food choice that aligns with a healthier way of eating is worth it, and the effects are greater than we think. And now I know the science to back that statement up.

3.5 stars simply because non-fiction just isn't my thing, even though I think this is a valuable, well-written, well-researched book.

[Jite · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a diet book written in a really accessible way with a lot of compassion for the struggle of struggling with food addiction/overeating/binge eating etc. As an author, Amy Shah has the credentials and expertise you would want from anyone authoritatively providing advice on what to eat. She also provides a lot of the empathy and scientific explanation for why it sometimes feels like we can’t stop eating. Sometimes some of the science and evidence felt a little cherry-picked and dumbed down and I felt myself doing the labour of looking up the studies and also looking up the counter-factual.

In essence, there is no magic in this book that is going to help - according to Amy, if you want to stop overeating, you need to give up sugar and start eating healthily (mostly plant-based), fast a little, sleep more, and exercise. She does provide step-wise ways and suggestions to pick up these habits but there’s very little revolutionary in the approach. There’s a menu and a suggestion of a variety of foods meant to fill you up or trigger one nerve or the other to help with satiety. I think the foods suggested are good for you enough foods that you should eat them anyway- I can’t say they will do much good if you have an overeating or food addiction problem which is often more about an emotional hunger than a physical one. The recipes weren’t much to my taste either- they’re mostly plant-based which is fine and even good, but they just didn’t spark joy or excitement for me in terms of feeling like I wanted to eat the food.

Overall, I don’t think it was a bad book. I’m glad I read it and it makes me want to read more like this- about the science of food and dieting etc. But I wouldn’t hold onto this as doctrine. It’s a nice “good to try” because it promotes healthy habits and good-for-you food and isn’t too faddy.

[Kimberly Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

For so many of us, weight and weight loss rules our lives. We seek answers to how to lose weight, maintain weight, cut cravings, and succeed with a healthy lifestyle. For many of us, food cravings rule our life. We try low carb, keto, paleo, getting rid of sugar, getting rid of fats, anything to stop the cravings and lose weight. Amy Shah, a leading Gastroenterology Specialist, with years of experiences has written this book, “I’m so effing hungry, why we crave, what we crave and what to do about it” to impart knowledge about how to conquer your cravings so that you can improve digestion, weight, and hormone balance. While she presents scientific and medical information in this book, she does it in such a way to make it palatable and easy to read for all consumers. Dr. Shah presents a clear, 5 step plan to assist with your cravings and food consumption. The steps are: replenish by eating mood balancing foods, rewire your brain to eradicate the cravings for processed foods, reset your circadian rhythm, refresh with a good sleep and sleep habits, and retrain your body with exercise. This book also includes recipes to assist you in your journey. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're interested in how your hormone levels can play into your eating habits, this is the book for you. As for me, I was expecting something a little more like Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us which explains some of the secrets of how the food industry tries to addict us to certain foods.
For those who would like to learn more about why you're hungry, try one of the books on intermittent fasting (i.e. Gin Stephens's Fast, Feast, Repeat, Jason Fung's The Obesity Code). Dr. Shah briefly mentions this practice as circadian fasting. You may discover the practices in these two books really do help you feel less hungry.

[Gayle Cappelluti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Amy Shah captured my attention immediately when I saw her on a popular podcast dedicated to helping people live their best lives. She is quuite a rare bird, a doctor who is also a nutritionist! We all know, or at least we should, that most dosctors have the least knowledge about proper nutrition and how to treat problems through diet. For the most part, it seems to me, the standard tact of most in the medical profession is: "What's your problem; here's a script; let's follow up in six weeks to change the Rx if the problem persists; see me for surgery if the issue gets worse"
In Dr. Shah, the typia dieter has a strong ally, one whose "mission is top revolutionize the way we think about hunger and nutrition, and to help people manage hunger and cravings and break free from the tyranny of sdiets asnd battles with food." In her, we have an ally who has created a reliable science-based plan designed to help the reader take chatge of his/her health and cravings, without deprivation.
I loved this helpful book so much, I boughht a copy for my two daughters!

[B Pastore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway!!!

It's an extremely interesting book - that told me a lot of things I never knew before about cravings, hunger and how the food companies manipulate the food to taste inviting and become addictive.

It also shares ways to combat hunger, cravings and the difference between cravings and hunger. They do this by sharing information about addictions to certain foods - like sugar - and how to take care of that addiction.

I appreciate the recipes and the planner - which, when used, will help in eliminating hunger, cravings and addictions to certain foods. The bottom line is that this is all about living a better life! This is the best book I've read on the subject and I highly recommend it.

Looking forward to putting this book in our Little Free Library for others to enjoy reading and benefit from.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pros :: Nutritional science is explained well and it tells on a lot of research, which is excellent. Liked the mail main ideas of the cravings being 1. Food engineering to be highly palatable and addictive 2. Psychological response — or moods and emotions and 3. Psychological response of the brain and gut (gut biome) link. Also like the idea of intermittent reward scheduling to pick 3 days (M,W,F) one week then three other days the following week (T, Th, Sat) to eat rewards at different times to and never follow a predictable timeline, allowing dopamine peaks without depleting your baseline.

Cons :: Not much. Wish there was more acknowledgment about how hard it is to change. Lots of good advice and support, though.

Cover art :: 5 out of 5.