An unexpected universe!

“A crazy thing happened in a little Facebook group I started on July 9, 2018, with about 500 people.

A bunch of us got skinny.”

Amanda Rose, Ph.D.

A community with over 200 100-pound loss “century” cases 

(That’s 100+ pounds lost since finding us.)

Learn the core eating approach at Eat Like a Bear! in the highly reviewed (and complimentary) Three-Day Challenge. Join this email course below or read more about it here.

Start Here!


The Home of the “Century Bears”

We measure the community’s success big: 100lb loss cases. We call them “Century Bears.”

Amanda Rose and the post office crew with a sign that reads simply "10,000." A collage of post office photos.

The Legendary U.S. Post Office Story!

Nearly “breaking” a rural post office (and ending up in the U.S. Postal Employees magazine…)

From a zip code with 256 people (yes, that’s right — 256 people), the original print run of the book Half My Size with The Ridiculously Big Salad was shipped via the U.S. Post Office, despite challenges in supply at the national level and extreme volume limitations in this extremely rural location.

The whole story, highlighting an extremely solution-oriented and bootstrapping network of rural postmasters, made the national magazine of the U.S. Postal Service employees.

Eat Like a Bear in Woman’s World

To date, Eat Like a Bear! and its members have been featured in eight separate Bauer Media publications:

  • Woman’s World August 17, 2020 featured Amanda Rose on the cover and an introduction to Eat Like a Bear!
  • Woman’s World December 31, 2020 featured community members Melinda Troxel and Gail Thompson, with a focus on apple cider vinegar.
  • Keto Your Way, January 2021, featured Amanda Rose’s story as one variation of a ketogenic diet.
  • Woman’s World October 7, 2021 featured community members Shon Tetik and Jackie Patti along with Amanda Rose’s new book (in digital only now) Half My Size with Soups, Skillets, and Sautes.
  • January 2022, community member Iola Meadows is featured in the annual Woman’s World special weight loss issue “Half My Size Over 50.”
  • March 2022, community member Iola Meadows is featured and appears on the cover.
  • March 2022, community member and Century Bear Michele Evans’ success with intermittent fasting is featured.
  • October 2022, community members Bobbi Rongstad and Marilee Evans were featured with the Big Mac salad.
  • January 2023, community member Iola Meadows is featured again in a special reprint of Bauer’s “Half My Size Over 50.”

The Eat Like a Bear Books

We’ve got three books in digital. Two of those are also in print. The third will be in print some time in 2022. Find all of our premium content here (CLICK!).

Photo of Amanda Rose holding the Jump Start book

Jump Start!

Your go-to starting place! The Eat Like A Bear! Jump Start book takes the massive success of the Three-Day Challenge and turns it up! The book teaches the framework that has driven the success you see on this website, centered around our own challenge, which was featured on a national magazine cover.

Amanda Rose holding the book "Half My Size with The Ridiculously Big Salad"

Ridiculously Big Salad

This book was a game-changer for our community’s success. I ate what we now call ‘The Ridiculously Big Salad’ about four out of five days during my rapid weight loss phase, but I didn’t appreciate that it was a key success factor for me until I saw thousands of people implement it with great results. It’s simple and inexpensive, but it is a specific framework, not ‘just a salad.'”

Soups, Skillets, and Sautes

This highly-reviewed book complements the weight loss goals of both salad-eaters and salad-haters. The print version will be available in 2022, likely in the last half of the year. Get the digital version now and get to your goal weight before this book makes print!

The Viral “Postcards”

Before the Eat Like a Bear! community had dozens of 100+ pound loss cases, the early motivational message came via “postcards” — views of new life unencumbered by body weight and reflections on that transformation. Explore the postcards at Eat Like a Bear!

The Message in “A Postcard from Yellowstone”

Life can change completely in one year,” Amanda Rose asserts in the video A Postcard from Yellowstone.

The strong “You Can Do It!” message, viewed by over five million people, captured the hearts of thousands of older women, shaping the culture of support in the Eat Like a Bear! community.

Read the Postcard from Yellowstone story here (CLICK!).

Learn about the video’s role in the origin of Eat Like a Bear here (CLICK!)

More Postcards


Weight Loss Can Be Inexpensive!

  • A hallmark of Eat Like a Bear! is its no-nonsense, budget-friendly approach to weight loss. There is a large and growing foundation of content here at Eat Like a Bear!, available complimentary to you, although there are books and tools you can buy, if you wish. (I thank you for that.)
  • Eat Like a Bear! was founded in Tulare County, one of California’s most obese, diabetic, and impoverished counties. We aim to turn around the obesity and diabetes statistics, one friend at a time. Amanda Rose lives in eastern Tulare County, in California’s Giant Sequoia National Monument. (Read the origin story here.)
  • You know all the people who have been trying to convince us that the solution to our weight loss lies in their products? It never did, and it never will. In fact, that ubiquitous marketing message is a big part of the high rate of obesity in the United States. The people who are success cases in Eat Like a Bear! learn a core message: The locus of control of weight loss is ourselves.

Meta highlights Eat Like a Bear’s viral Facebook video and community

The community of Eat Like a Bear was formed around Amanda Rose’s success story, a story that went viral in Facebook beginning in 2018.

Meta highlighted the virality of the community and the role of the Facebook app and, in particular, the Facebook Group in supporting the large and growing community of Eat Like a Bear.

Given Amanda’s extreme rural location in California’s Giant Sequoia National Monument, the origin and success of Eat Like a Bear simply would not have been possible without social media and, more specifically, without the structure of the Facebook Group.

Read more about the Eat Like a Bear origin story here (CLICK!).

Meta's statement highlighting Amanda Rose and Eat Like a Bear

The Lost Ozark Post Office

In a spin-off story from our popular post office tale (in which a team of rural postmasters saved the Eat Like a Bear business in 2020), this heart-felt tale is perfect for those days when you need to fill your heart with tales of family life in rural America.

From Eat Like a Bear headquarters in California, this Ozark story intertwines with the Eat Like a Bear story in unexpected ways

Thank the Farmers for the Viral Lettuce

We fill a lot of shopping carts with lettuce and greens for those Ridiculously Big Salads and with broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and more for those Ridiculously Big Skillets.

Take a moment to reflect on what a miracle it is that we can get this year-round for a pretty frugal price.

More importantly: It is a key tool to help us reach our long-term goals. How awesome!

Amanda Rose had the opportunity to thank the Yuma farmers for their role, on Yuma’s KYMA news.

Start Here with the Three-Day Challenge!

Amanda Rose on the cover of Woman's World with article snippets

Looking for more?

Read the Getting Started Frequently Asked Questions

Navigate some of the Eat Like a Bear! world with our Getting Started FAQ.

The Eat Like a Bear! Philosophy

Read more about our philosphy here, including how this site is funded.

The Eat Like a Bear! Origin Story

How did we end up in this unexpected universe? A combination of serendipity and good decisions. Read the origin story here.

Be Inspired with Success Stories

We are working to bring you the many success stories here at Eat Like a Bear. Find them here. (We are constantly behind on this most important project.)

Find our Books and Tools

Find the premium content driving massive amounts of success in this community. Find the latest books and tools here.

Our 100th Century Bear

Find the fun story of our surprise of the community’s 100th Century Bear (the 100th person down 100+ pounds). Read more here.

Take the Three-Day Challenge by email

Join 150,000 others and take the original Challenge by email below.

(Read more about it here.)