Am I Hungry?® Mindful Eating Programs and Training

Women’s wellness speaker Michelle May, MD, CSP, brings passion, energy, and humor to transforming health and weight management via both live and virtual experiences.

Michelle is a physician, author, and recovered yoyo dieter, who delivers insights that transform the way her audiences view eating, physical activity, health, and self-care.

Michelle’s interest and expertise stem from her personal struggle with chronic dieting and negative body image and her years of clinical experience. Using a mindfulness-based, non-diet, weight-neutral approach, her unique message delves far beyond the obvious advice to “eat less and exercise more.”

Audiences are inspired by her compelling, compassionate, and constructive approach that empowers them to become more mindful in their lives. They also love her guided mindful eating experiences! Whether savoring a single piece of chocolate or a full meal, this fun, enlightening, and memorable experience will keep participants talking long after your event.

Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat book series

Dr. May is the award-winning author of the Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat book series and the founder and CEO of the proven Am I Hungry?® Mindful Eating Programs and Training that guide participants to eat mindfully, live a more active lifestyle, and balance eating for enjoyment with eating for nourishment. Am I Hungry? is available through corporate wellness programs, medical offices, hospitals, fitness centers, insurance companies, and community programs. She has trained and licensed over 800 health and wellness professionals in more than 30 countries.

Michelle is an Associate Professor at Arizona State University where she teaches Mindful Eating. She has been a featured expert on the Discovery Health Channel, Dr. Oz, and Oprah Radio, and has been quoted in CNN Health, Fitness, Fox News Radio, Glamour, Health, Huffington Post, Parade, Parents, Prevention, Self, Shape, TIME.com, USA Weekend, US News & World Report, Vim & Vigor, Washington Post, WebMD, Woman’s Day, Woman’s World, and many others.

Dr. May had 16 years of clinical experience as a Board Certified Family Physician in Phoenix, Arizona. She has “retired” from practice to focus on mindful eating. She received her Bachelors degree in Psychology from Arizona State University and her Medical Degree from the University of Arizona College of Medicine and she completed a three-year Family Medicine Residency at Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona where she served as Chief Resident. She is well respected by her physician colleagues who elected her to serve as President of the Arizona Academy of Family Physicians.

Michelle must practice what she preaches in order to balance her personal and professional life while maintaining her own optimal health. She regularly enjoys yoga and hiking near her home in Phoenix, Arizona. She and her husband, Owen, a professional chef, share a passion for gourmet and healthful cooking, recipe development, wine tasting, and traveling.

Virtual Experiences:

Mindful Stress Management

These are challenging times. When you’re experiencing stress, your impulse might be to watch the news constantly, freak out, and/or turn to food—perpetuating the stress reaction. But even when we cannot control what is happening around us, we are in charge of how we respond.

During this virtual workshop, you will learn:

• About the causes and effects of stress, specifically during the Corona virus pandemic.
• Specific steps for mindfully managing stress to decrease dis-stress and dis-ease.
• A personal plan for building a self-care buffer zone.
• Strategies for coping with mindless and emotional eating.

You literally hosted a calming oasis this afternoon thanks to Michelle May’s words of wisdom. – Jessica

Mindful Eating in Challenging Times

With our personal and work lives upended due to COVID-19, many people are struggling to manage their eating effectively. They may find themselves standing at the refrigerator (again), craving comfort foods, and eating (and drinking) more than usual to cope with the stress, boredom, and uncertainty we are all facing.

During this virtual workshop, you will learn:

• How to cultivate awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and habits.
• The importance of checking your “fuel gauge” before eating.
• Three questions to balance eating for nourishment with eating for enjoyment,
• A mindful practice for eating with intention and attention – and we’ll practice your new skills with a mindful bite or two!

Most Popular Keynote Topics:

Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat

Decades of dieting have left us feeling guilty, disappointed, and less healthy. This interactive, entertaining keynote turns that old fashioned paradigm on its head! Michelle delves much deeper than the obvious advice to “eat less, exercise more.” Using humor, personal anecdotes, and uncommon insight, she’ll show you how to nourish your body and fuel the fulfilling life you crave for optimal well-being. (Keynote can also be tailored to address diabetes self-management, life after bariatric surgery, binge eating disorder, athletes, or college students.)

Audience: This mindful eating keynote presentation is perfect for community-wide events, corporate, and association audiences, wellness or women’s conferences, and spouse programs. Continuing education credits available. Your audience will learn:

• How to break the eat-repent-repeat cycle
• Six simple, yet powerful strategies for knowing when, what, and how much to eat without rigid, unsustainable rules
• How to recognize and cope effectively with triggers for mindless and emotional eating
• How to balance eating for nourishment with eating for enjoyment – without deprivation or guilt

“We are extremely grateful for Dr. May’s fabulous presentation and the indelible impression she left on our tight-knit community.” – Tanner Health System

Guided Mindful Eating Experience

During this memorable mealtime immersion experience, participants learn to apply conscious eating strategies while Dr. May guides them through an enjoyable mindful meal. They’ll learn practical mindful eating techniques and reinforce them immediately for maximum impact and retention. This session will nourish the body, mind, heart, and spirit! (Continuing education credits available.)

Audience: This applied session is the perfect complement to any of Dr. May’s keynotes or workshops. Continuing education credits available.
Your audience will learn:

• How to differentiate physical hunger and head hunger
• How to use self-awareness to make the “perfect” food choice every time
• How to eat mindfully for more pleasure with less food

“I loved seeing all of our physicians and guest so entertained and engaged in the learning process. I believe they will more effectively transfer your key healthy lifestyle message to their patients because they experienced the power of it for themselves.” ?– Maryland Academy of Family Physicians

Eat Mindfully, Live Vibrantly

Organizations interested in promoting well-being need engaging, positive, and practical strategies to effect behavior change. To address the complex issues contributing to our diet and exercise choices, it is essential to move beyond advice-giving and address the core drivers. This presentation explores an innovative approach that helps individuals develop mindful eating patterns that don’t result in disordered eating and weight cycling.

This interactive, entertaining keynote is punctuated by real life, practical examples illustrating how to implement the strategies in a variety of settings (customized to the audience). Dr. May delivers this crucial and timely message with passion, energy, humor, and insight that leaves a lasting impression.

Audience: This keynote presentation is perfect for corporate wellness programs, food industry, health care professionals, and policy makers. Continuing education credits available. Your audience will learn:

• The bio-psycho-social drivers of eating important for the development of effective messages and programs
• Six crucial decision points that impact the way people manage their eating
• Why mindful eating is a powerful and universal solution to the complex problem of unhealthy lifestyles
• Specific strategies to encourage sustainable balanced eating habits and active lifestyles

“Dr. May’s unique way of addressing food and eating issues obviously resonated with many employees in the audience.” – Oklahoma State University Employee Wellness Program

Mindful Eating: Positive Consumer Messaging about Food

After decades of a difficult love-hate relationship with food, consumers crave a positive, rational approach to eating. Dr. Michelle May’s unconventional strategies to promote mindful eating and the fearless enjoyment of food offer a powerful and universal solution to the complex issues contributing to unhealthy lifestyles. This interactive, eye-opening keynote deconstructs the Mindful Eating Cycle and explores the bio-psycho-social drivers of each decision point.

Michelle is not only an award-winning author and mindful eating expert, she is an industry-insider. With her family immersed in the restaurant business for over 25 years and a professional chef-husband, she offers uncommon and unconventional insights.

Audience: This keynote presentation is ideal for the food, beverage, and restaurant industries. Your audience will learn:

• The bio-psycho-social drivers of eating important for the development of products and consumer messages
• How to effectively engage consumers to make sustainable healthy lifestyle choices
• Strategies for communicating positive consumer messages that promote mindful eating and the fearless enjoyment of food

“The supermarket dietitians from around the country so enjoyed what you had to say and told me that your message of eating mindfully is exactly what many of their shoppers need to hear!” – Shopping for Health Conference