Eating whole food plant based continues, however, after COVID, the weight loss I had achieved and kept in check for over 10 years, through my monthly weigh-ins at Weight Watchers, came to a halt. With isolation, and my passion with preparing foods from wholesome ingredients, I found myself experimenting with more dessert type recipes. I was baking more and eating more rich sweets made with medjool dates, nuts and nut butters. After about 3 to 4 months, I wasn't able to control my weight from creeping up.

I told myself someday I'd be able to buckle down and get it off but found the rich sweet type foods more and more irresistible and before I knew it, I was in a cycle. I tried and tried moderating and found I was not able to. I justified that it wasn't too bad because I could still fit into my jeans. But in reality, it wasn't just about the weight. It was much deeper than that. Much to my frustration and disappointment in myself, I was also in amazement, shock and disbelief. I was starting to realize, this was a real thing and I would need help of some kind to break the cycle. The weight creep continued and settled to a 12 pound gain. I was starting to feel defeated, isolated and alone. I've been on this path before and thought I came to a place where I could manage my food. About me before Bright Line Eating.

Discovering Bright Line Eating

After four years of futile attempts, Bright Line Eating would be the beginning of my solution. As it turned out, my decision to join was very spontaneous. It was December, just before Christmas. I knew I had to do something different but I didn't know what. I was searching, actually I was in silent prayer. Always having the little conversation in my head. Please…  I need some help…  I don't know what to do...  I don't know how to break this cycle… Please send me guidance...

Then the most amazing thing happened. The following morning, I opened my e-mail to find a newsletter from Food Revolution. This was extremely odd because I had been unsubscribed for a few years. Rather than deleting, I decided I would check it out. There it was, Ocean Robbins interviewing Dr. Susan Pierce Thompson. I had forgotten about her. Dr. Thompson was an Adjunct Associate Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester in New York. I immediately went to her website where a free Masterclass Presentation popped up. With watching this, I knew this was the beginning of my answer.

What is Bright Line Eating?

Bright Line Eating is promoted as a weight loss program with its focus to support people to establish a food plan to manage food addiction. This is achieved by following four bright lines.

• No sugar
• No flour
• Weighed and measured quantities
• Eating only meals

My Experience with Bright Line Eating

Bright Line Eating exceeded my expectations in their total acceptance with people and wherever they were on their journey. Only science and evidence-based solutions are provided, with the option of participating in a very strong and supportive community. With listening to personalized coaching calls I was impressed with their never ending kind words of encouragement.

I struggled with the idea of needing to weigh food. To me, weighing food was diet mentality and could be an unhealthy form of food restriction. However in Bright Line Eating, I was to learn that it wasn't so much for restriction, but is used as a method to ensure that people are eating enough. This is particularly important for those with a tendency to avoid vegetables or to restrict their eating, either to lose weight quicker or if suffering from an eating disorder like anorexia.

I found Bright Line Eating to be very educational. I learned there is a difference between food addiction and eating food addictively. And there's also a difference of food addiction and an eating disorder as well as an eating disorder and disordered eating. It's all very complex. But more importantly, it's not a character weakness or a lack of willpower. The good news is, there is a solution and it can be managed with an abstinent based approach with planned meals and with specific measured quantities.

What Else is Different

Most importantly, we can work the program the way it works for us. This was crucial for me. I liked that I could do this as a self-paced program. I must admit, at first it was challenging because I wasn't working the program the traditional way that mainstream Bright Line Eating was taught. However, when I came across this vlog I knew I was on the right path and gave myself permission to work the program, the way I knew it would be successful for me.

Before joining, I was already well into the solution. I was aware of my hunger and satiety signals. I knew what I was resisting and I knew what my trigger foods were. Abstinence was not new to me as I was already abstaining from other trigger food for decades.

What was different was that I needed to come to terms, that some foods, although healthy, were no longer agreeing with me. Somehow, Bright Line Eating would help me break the cycle. At the very least, it would buy me some time where I could learn more about myself. In the meantime I was willing to accept, a temporary abstinence as I knew this would be helpful while I got my weight back to goal, then I would re-evaluate. And now my journey continues...

Food Journal

I also started a Daily Food Journal (this will link when available). My promise to myself was to not restrict or allow myself to go hungry. I would eat to satiety. If I was hungry, I'd eat more 'good' food. I would do my absolute best to make food choices that I felt were optimal to support my goal for weight loss as well as for my health.

With moving forward I decided to play a game, with observing my day to day calories, to ensure I would not exceed what my body required to sustain a healthy weight. Once I reached my goal, I would reevaluate what changes would need to be made.

Nonetheless, there were times, I gave in to food thoughts. Because I felt it was a lack of will power, I felt shame to write these foods down. However, with doing things differently, I’m glad I did because this honesty became pivotal to stop my addictive cycle and it took me to a new level of recovery.

My journey is evolving. As of this writing, I'm beginning my tenth month using Bright Line Eating, as a tool to give me direction. It’s nice to be in a place where I can be honest with myself and my food and not feel shame or regret. Sometimes to stay in this lifestyle, it is very tedious because it takes time planning and preparing wholesome food while forming new habits. Nonetheless I see this as the right path for me and worth the effort. I now understand what's it's like to have food freedom and peace with my food.

Managing Food Addiction and Recipes