Weight Loss Forensics: FBI Tactics to Investigate Cravings, Overeating, and Why Diets Suck

As a 20-year PMP nerd and systems girly, I can predict exactly when your diet is going to fail you. It’s when you have a bad day. In fact, the FIRST predictable failure point in your diet is that you do not have a plan for it to work when you aren't feeling it.

Because I'm guessing the diets you've been on have worked when you're motivated. 

But what happens when you're having a bad day? What happens on the days you don't wanna? What happens on the days when you slept like crap, wor...

I lost 40 pounds, got the body I always wanted, was single, and started getting attention from men for the first time in my life. And I absolutely hated it. It took me 20 years of dating, getting married, divorced, and gaining the weight back to understand why.

This is a story about dating after weight loss, but it really isn’t. It’s about the dragons that many women need to fight along the way. If you’re fighting some of those battles, too, keep listening. This episode is for you.

Together, we will investigate:

I want to show you exactly how I used brain science and my training at the FBI to curb overeating and emotional eating and finally lose weight that actually stayed off. 

This was after eating my feelings my entire life. This was after losing and gaining the same 20 pounds over and over again. This was after 4 nutrition certifications completely failed me. And this is from someone who loooooves food. 

I want to show you what I did, because it didn’t just work on me. I’ve helped hundreds of women do the same.

Toge...

What if the secret to losing weight and keeping it off has less to do with your diet, and more to do with thinking like the FBI?

After 4 nutrition certifications didn’t help me lose weight, I used the skills from my days as the FBI Chief of Staff for Counterintelligence to finally create sustainable weight loss for myself, and have helped hundreds of women do the same.  

Today, I’m taking you inside my former world at the FBI and giving you 3 unexpected tactics that you can steal for your own weight loss journey.

...

I had 39 women pay me to participate in a weight loss program that I built from scratch. We built the plane together, as we were flying it. And, yes, you heard me right. They did not get in for free. They paid for three months of construction dust with this new weight loss program. 

Over those 90 days, I watched 39 life-long, professional dieters completely change the way they approach weight loss. 

Today, I’m sharing the 5 things that surprised them about their experience, and these 5 things surprised even me, too. 

Together, we will investigate:

[WEIGHT LOSS MACHINE] Become a Sustainable Weight Loss Machine
👉 https://academy.pinkfortitude.com/pl-machine-reg

THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU IF: 
* You know exactly how to lose weight. You just can’t figure out how to stop gaining it back. 

* You’ve spent 10, 20, maybe even 30 years losing the same weight over and over again. Someone should give you a PhD in this.

* You can follow a diet perfectly when life is easy. But the minute life gets lifey, and people get peopley, it’s easier to give up.

* You don’t want to spe...

I am going to say the unpopular thing, and I know a lot of weight loss coaches will disagree with me. The all-or-nothing mindset may actually work in your favor to help you lose weight, especially if you are a Type-A perfectionist.

And, your brain probably just got whiplash, because every therapist and weight loss coach has told you that all-or-nothing thinking is toxic. But if moderation and intuitive eating actually worked, you wouldn’t be listening to this episode right now. These approaches aren’t wrong for everyone. But they might be wrong for you. 

Tog...

Last week we talked about the 5 predictable resistance patterns your brain uses to pull you back to your old habits. And I promised you that it’s possible for your brain to work for you instead of against you. 

But before your brain works for you, it’s going to take you to a place that no other weight loss coach is going to warn you about. This is the place where you will quit or win. It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you want to get past that stop-start dieting thing that you kee...

You were doing so well in the first few weeks of your weight loss journey. But then, you just quit. You think it happened because the diet was hard to maintain. But it was actually your brain fighting 5 predictable resistance patterns you will face as you try to lose weight and eat healthier.  

Today, you’re going to find out exactly what this rebellion looks like, and what you can do to stop the sabotage before it happens.

Together, we will investigate:

If you have ever wanted to throw your scale against the wall, this episode is for you. Because here’s the thing. Why are we told to focus on how many pounds we’ve lost and what the scale says when, in fact, weight loss is the last thing to happen?

Today, you’re going to get 15 non-scale weight loss wins to prove that the scale has been lying to you the entire time. 

Together, we will investigate:

It's the middle of July, which means it’s the season for county fairs, carnivals, and festivals. It’s also the season for eating some of the worst food on the planet that makes you feel fat and bloated and gross. I’m here to prove to you that there is a psychological reason why you can’t stop eating when you’re at the county fair.

Today, you're going to find out exactly how this carnival food hijacks your brain, the 8 foods you should completely avoid, and the 4 foods to enjoy. This is a short but important...

What if the weight loss advice you’ve been following the last 30 years is the reason you’re struggling to lose weight? What if it’s all one big fat lie?

Today, we’re putting the top 5 industry lies under a microscope. It’s time to start flexing those critical thinking muscles, question what’s not working, and walk away with a game plan. 

Together, we will investigate:

The majority of weight loss coaches and programs are focused on one thing… losing weight. And, you're probably thinking, ok Holly, that's literally what they're supposed to do. But when they make the scale the finish line, they are missing something critical. I'm going to prove it with my own body across 16 years and three very different scenarios.

Today, you're going to experience the same weight on the same person, but with three completely different bodies. This proves that the scale has been lying to you this whole time.

Together, we will investigate:

Every woman who has ever tried to lose weight has quit. Nothing you don’t already know. But what I haven’t heard anyone else talking about is the Quitting Zone, which is the specific window in your weight loss journey where quitting is handed to you on a silver platter. You don’t know it’s coming, and it wins every single time. 

Today, you're going to find out exactly when the Quitting Zone hits, why your brain makes it almost impossible to push through, and when I experienced this myself, what I did to get to the ot...

Most women say they experience shame after they emotionally eat, binge eat, or overeat. But what if I told you that the shame comes first? Shame is actually one of the reasons and the drivers behind why you are reaching for the comfort food in the first place.

Today, you’re going to track shame back to its 3 core wounds, and how it drives your emotional eating.

Together, we will investigate:

The weight loss industry has made hundreds of billions of dollars, knowing you are going to buy the diets, pills, shakes, and quick fixes. But what if the sustainable fix was actually in your brain? 

Today, we’re getting into the neuroscience of emotional eating, specifically, what happens to your brain and body right before you crash out and binge eat. These are the patterns that connect your childhood emotions to why you can’t stop eating today.

Together, we will investigate:

My role as former FBI Chief of Staff for Counterintelligence was to find patterns that no one else could see. I recently analyzed some interesting patterns when it comes to sustainable weight loss and I thought you might find this interesting. The answer came from the strangest place - Instagram, and the difference between staying stagnant and explosive growth. 

While I was connecting the dots, I realized these 7 factors are the exact same reasons why you haven’t been able to maintain sustainable weight loss. These 7 patterns are so similar, I had to share them with you.

Ozempic is not the problem and it’s not the solution. You are. 

I say this because we have been programmed for decades to reach for the quick fix every time the weight loss industry dangles the newest one in front of us. And you jump on the next big thing without stopping to ask one single question.

Today, we are talking about The Ozempic Effect. 

This isn’t about whether GLP-1s work or if you should take them. This is how you can become the biggest weapon against the industry that claims...

Overweight women and healthy-weight women think differently. They talk to themselves differently. They fail differently. If you've been wondering why you can't crack the code on weight loss, despite being one of the most disciplined women in every other area of your life, this episode is for you.

Today I'm going to show you exactly why motivation is your biggest enemy, and what discipline actually looks like when it's working.

Together, we will investigate:

I’m Holly Bertone. I outsourced my entire life and things did NOT go according to plan, especially when I was doing everything right but I couldn’t lose weight.

We’re seeing the same pattern happen today as weight loss has become the new AI economy. 

Here’s how I got sucked into outsourcing everything in my life, what I did differently to start seeing results… and most importantly if you see yourself in the same pattern, 5 things you can do to take back control, especially if you are struggling to lose weight.

Together...

At 39, I had the perfect life, and I was on top of the world.  I was the FBI’s Chief of Staff for the Counterintelligence Program Office. I had just “retired” from competitive mountain bike racing, and I was athletic, I had a smokin' bod, and I felt unstoppable. I had moved in with my Green Beret fiancé and soon-to-be stepson. 

And, then...everything changed and the weight of it all came crashing down on my body.

I thought, when I lose this weight, then I’ll be happy, and then I can pick my life back u...

Did you know that cult recruiters hold the secret to stopping your next binge eating and yes, this is a little out there, but stay with me.

In this episode, I’m going to show you exactly how your brain is wired to obey the wrong voice and how to take your authority back so you can stop those sabotaging emotional eating patterns.

Together, we will investigate:

I analyzed 3,171 emotional eating cravings profiles using the same pattern recognition methods I used as Chief of Staff for FBI Counterintelligence… and what I found will completely change how you see your eating habits.

Especially if you’ve been relying on willpower, discipline, or diets and nothing has worked.

In this episode, you’re going to discover the hidden patterns that have been driving your emotional eating for years without you even realizing it.

Together, we will investigate:

There’s a 10-minute window in your day that is silently triggering your emotional eating… and it has nothing to do with stress.

In this episode, I’m going to show you the pattern behind this 10-minute window, so you can finally break what has been sabotaging you and keeping you in this danger zone of emotional eating.

Together, we will investigate:

If you’re trying to choose a weight loss coach, you’re probably making at least 3 of these 7 mistakes… and it’s exactly why nothing has worked for you. 

This episode is for you if you’ve invested your time and money, followed programs to the T, but still ended up back where you started. 

In today’s episode, I’m going to walk you through 7 specific criteria to help you choose the right weight loss coach and program… so you stop wasting time, money, and energy on things that don’t work.

Together, we will in...

If this is your 5th April in a row, listening to podcast episodes and scrolling Instagram looking for summer body magic... and you’re still no closer to actually achieving it, this episode is for you.  

I’m about to give you the 3 renegade moves I’d make right now if I wanted a strong, confident summer body in the next 9 weeks. 

Together, we will investigate:

Jillian Michaels was right to call out the body positivity movement. Almost. 

Love yourself at any size sounds good on a bumper sticker, but it’s dangerous to ignore what your habits are actually costing you.

And what I noticed… This debate missed something big on both sides. 

In this episode, I’m going to break down what Jillian got right, what the body positivity movement gets wrong, and the piece that no one is talking about.

Together, we will investigate:

If you’re the woman who crushes it at work and then comes home and eats everything in sight, keep watching, because your brain is actually programmed to make you binge eat. 

Today, you’re going to get the step-by-step process to shut off those nighttime cravings in 10 days without another diet, without willpower, and without counting a single calorie.

Together, we will investigate:

If you find yourself getting offended by what people say… and then spiraling into emotional or binge eating later, you might not realize what’s actually happening under the surface. 

Because the truth is… you can only be offended when it’s true, and those are the exact patterns that lead to diving face-first into a pint of ice cream.

In this episode, I’m breaking down the one condition that has to exist for someone to be offended, what your insults about others secretly reveal about you, and how this pattern connects directly to emotional e...

If you’re tracking calories, macros, steps, and your weight... that obsession might be the reason you can’t lose weight. The weight loss industry tells you to track everything, but for a lot of women, it’s a recipe for disaster.

So how are you supposed to know what to track and what is a waste of time?

Today, I’m breaking down:
1. The 3 types of people who should or shouldn’t be tracking.
2. When tracking is important, based on what phase of weight loss you are in.
3. The 5 categories of what most...

The Epstein Files aren’t just dominating headlines, they’re hijacking your nervous system. In fact, the constant exposure to any of this chaos, outrage, and disturbing content is spiking your stress hormones and rewiring your dopamine response… and it’s showing up in your cravings and binge eating. I spent 13 years at the FBI and saw firsthand what this level of exposure does to the brain. 

Today, I’m going to break down the psychology behind how this works, and how you can stay informed without getting sucked into the drama or stress-eating an entire sleeve of cookies...

They told you quitting sugar was easy. They lied. 

They said you just need to take one bite and put the rest away. They said…just have more willpower or discipline. They told you to do mindful eating or intuitive eating, and that will work. 

But if that were true…why are so many women struggling with sugar cravings and emotional eating and food binges?

Today, we're talking about the 5 patterns that sabotage you without you even realizing it.

Together, we will investigate:

100% of the women typed yes in the chat to say they wanted an encore. Because they understood this wasn’t about quitting sugar in 5 days. It’s way deeper, and they were here for the psychology-based rewiring that kicks in when life hits hard.

I recently helped 140 women quit sugar in 5 days, especially because discipline and willpower haven’t worked for them.  

And today, I’m breaking down the 3 hard lessons I learned from that experience, and what this means for you if you want to finally quit sugar. 

Together, we will investigate:

Your brain resists quitting sugar, and it’s actually by design.

If you’ve tried to quit sugar before and failed, this episode will finally explain why, and why starting with changing what you eat never works.

This episode is taken from part of Day 1 of Quit Sugar in 5 Days. You’re not removing foods, counting calories, or relying on willpower or discipline. You’re learning a specific sequence, and it starts with nervous system regulation. Because if your brain feels unsafe, it will always drive you back to sugar.

In this episode, you’ll u...

If you’ve tried to cut back on sugar, but those cravings came back 10-fold and you ended up eating more, it’s because you’re doing it backwards. In this video, you are going to get the winning combo to help you eliminate sugar cravings. 

Together, we will investigate:

Weight loss coaches hate me, and the reason is probably the same reason you struggle with sugar cravings, binge eating, or are completely out of control with food. 

Because what I teach doesn’t fit the old school diet framework you’ve been told to trust. That so-called trusted system didn’t just fail you, it failed me, and it’s failed many other women. So I challenged it. 

In this episode, I’m going to show you why the system is actually working against you, and how a psychology-first approach changes everything. I’ll break down the...

Hi. I’m Holly Bertone. I’m a recovered sugar addict. Here’s how I quit sugar for 2 years, what happened to my body, and how the relapse changed my life.

Together, we will investigate:

If you consider yourself a sugar-aholic or joke about your insatiable sweet tooth, this episode is for you.

Because we've gotten really comfortable calling certain effects of sugar everyday life. 

This episode is not a lecture and we are not getting into the science. This is your chance to stay curious and decide for yourself what’s actually normal and what’s a red flag.

Together, we will investigate:

Every diet fails because you’re starting at the wrong step. If you’re a woman who has tried at least 5 diets in the last 5 years, and has diligently followed advice from the professionals, but the scale is going up instead of down, pay attention. Because what no one tells you is that 4 specific steps have to happen first, before you even think about what to eat. 

In this episode, you’re going to get the exact blueprint so that weight loss can FINALLY become sustainable. 

Together, we will investigate:

Your New Year’s weight loss resolutions don’t fail in January. They actually fail in December, before you’ve even made them. Your January goals collapse because of 3 specific things you’re doing right now, in December, without even realizing it.

I’m breaking down the 3 December mistakes that quietly sabotage your weight loss goals, and how to fix each one so you don’t start January starting over. Again. If you want to finally hit your New Year’s goals without the New Year's resolution nonsense, this episode is for you.

Together, we will investiga...