In this blog post I’m reviewing the Bright Line Eating diet from my lens as a dietitian.
A new diet is on the block called Bright Line Eating. It’s become pretty popular, even one of my best friends from college did it with her husband and they both had great success. The Bright Line Eating website is pretty vague on what the actual guidelines of the diet are, so I coughed up $13 to buy the book on this one to get all the deets.
Disclosures: None. This post wasn’t created in partnership with any product or brand.
Bright Line Eating Diet Review
I’ll start with a very short background of the author, give an overview of the diet, what I do and don’t like about it and whether or not I recommend it and why.
Meet the Bright Line Eating Author: Susan Peirce Thompson, PhD
In contrast to some other diet reviews I’ve done in the past, the author Dr. Susan Pierce Thompson actually has credentials. She does not have a background in nutrition, but did receive a PhD in Brain and Cognitive Sciences.
What is Bright Line Eating?
Bright Line Eating (BLE) is an extremely regimented diet program. The goal of BLE is for you to be “Happy, Thin and Free.” Following Bright Line Eating requires strict adherence to the four Bright Lines:
- No sugar. Sugar naturally occurring in whole pieces of fruit is ok, although fruit in any other form (e.g. smoothies, juices) are a no.
- No flour. This includes whole wheat flour and any grains or other substance ground into flour (i.e. no oats ground into flour, almond flour or the like).
- 3 meals per day. Nothing between meals, virtually without exception.
- Precise quantities. BLE has prescribed quantities which are to be measured using a digital food scale every meal, every day, ongoing.
Portion sizes and number of portions differ in the weight loss phase vs. the weight maintenance phase.
Weight Loss Phase
The weight loss phase looks like this:
- Breakfast includes a protein, a grain and a fruit.
- Lunch includes a protein, 6 oz vegetables, a fruit and a fat.
- Dinner includes a protein, 6 oz vegetables, 8 oz salad and a fat.
Men and women get slightly different protein portion sizes, which she outlines in her book but I will not here. There is no variance otherwise in the weight loss phase.
Notably, vegetable portions are not to use any fats in cooking (steaming is suggested, spray is allowed).
Maintenance Phase
The weight maintenance phase is harder to succinctly outline. After goal weight has been reached you add in additional servings until you stop losing weight. There are 16 additional serving steps, which I won’t outline in their entirety here (examples: add 4 oz cooked grain to lunch, increase breakfast grain to 1 1/2 servings, etc.). The first four steps are suggested for women. The first eight are suggested for men. Then there are extras for those who are still losing weight and need additional calories to maintain.
Importantly, after the new Bright Line portions are identified for weight maintenance, the Bright Liner is to continue measuring portions at meals as identified, indefinitely.
The Idea Behind Bright Line Eating
The author is a firm believer in food addiction, and particularly that sugar and flour are the addictive culprits. While there is currently no food addiction diagnosis per DSM-5 criteria, there is some emerging research on the topic (not necessarily specific to sugar and flour). Based upon Susan’s own experience in having food addiction, eating disorders bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, and her background in brain studies, her approach to quitting sugar, flour and measuring every meal to a T are like that of a smoker: you kick the habit and never look back.
Susan’s idea is that by following these Bright Lines it makes eating easy; you don’t have to decide what you will and won’t eat because you already decided. There is no room for moderation and there is no going back.
As a side, in my own experience helping treat eating disorders, I will say BLE certainly has a lot of strains of an eating disorder. I guess another way I could say that is, I’m not surprised the person who developed BLE has had serious disordered eating in the past.
Things I Like About Bright Line Eating
So let’s get into it nutritionally-speaking. Here’s what I like about Bright Line Eating, as a dietitian:
- It’s high in fiber.
- It’s high in protein.
- I agree most adults snack between meals for reasons other than hunger.
- It’s probably too few calories for a number of people, but it’s not crazy low in calories. For a woman in the weight loss phase, it clocks in at about just under 1400 calories-ish. Given Susan recommends individuals not exercise as they get their relationship with food under control, not every person is going to be in an alarmingly, net-negative calorie state.
- It actually is a fair amount of food, quantity-wise. Many would probably feel full from sheer volume given how many veggies are required, even though it will be lower in calories than most people have been eating prior to starting the program.
- There is adequate protein, carbohydrate and some fat (although it is a little low in fat, in my opinion).
Things I Don’t Like About Bright Line Eating
There are some positive points to BLE. There are, however, some things I don’t love about BLE:
- Lack of sustainability. There certainly are people who can stick with something this regimented, but it is just not reasonable for most people to weigh every food they eat for the rest of their lives. It’s not impossible to live life without added sugar or any type of flour, but to me it’s a little extreme.
- No accounting in portions for differences in body sizes. Given how precise BLE requires its portions to be, as someone who has calculated individual calorie needs for thousands of patients… you cannot blanket serving and ultimately calorie needs. Not every woman needs the same number of calories. Not every man needs the same number of calories. I get that she wrote a book and wants it to be translatable for everyone, but it’s too prescriptive without enough variability.
- Some of her nutrition information or suggestions are incorrect. For example, in BLE potatoes and sweet potatoes don’t count as starchy vegetables, they are counted as grains. But… potatoes are starchy veggies. In BLE, you’re allowed to have whole grains because they are high in fiber, but you’re not allowed to have any whole grains in flour form. But… whole grains, in flour form, are still high fiber. Similarly, Susan says fiber is lost in smoothies, which it is not (yes, it is lost in juicing). She says that hypoglycemia is caused by sugar and flour… which is just not correct. Lastly, we do not have evidence that sugar and flour are addictive. I’m not saying there isn’t emerging research on food addiction, but that’s a pointed statement to those specific food components.
- In my opinion, BLE is a bit disordered. Having worked in an inpatient eating disorder hospital unit, BLE has a lot of disordered traits. People with eating disorders love rules. They love control. They love following something. Precision is mastery in eating disorders. One of the hallmarks of eating disorders (particularly restrictive type) is lack of flexibility. The black and white, all or nothing nature of BLE just does not scream “recovery” or “positive relationship with food and my body” in the least. Not every person will have a negative response to following a diet so regimented, but guilt, shame and fears around food is not food freedom.
Bottom Line, Would You Recommend Bright Line Eating?
Let me lead with, I don’t necessarily think it’s unsafe, and a lot of people have found success with BLE. And for those who have had success and love it, I think that’s great. BUT – I personally would not recommend Bright Line Eating (I promise there are dietary patterns I do recommend!).
First, I think if you wanted to be that specific with your eating and portions to reach your health goals, you totally can but I would highly recommend working with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist to calculate your personal needs if you intend to measure everything you eat. From there she can give you your number of servings of each food group if you wanted to go that direction, but I would not follow specific servings from a book that are intended for every male or female on the planet. And sure, if you wanted to cut sugar and flour out of the equation then you can, but I get hung up on the generalized-but-strict portions.
The second reason I would not recommend BLE is strictly just because I think there’s a high likelihood to instill disordered eating behaviors.
Lastly, I don’t think it’s sustainable for the majority of people. Personally, I prefer teaching long-term healthy eating principles and intuitive eating on portion sizing.
Have you heard of Bright Line Eating?
Have you tried Bright Line Eating?
What has your experience been with Bright Line Eating?
Reader Interactions
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I have to agree that it’s likely not sustainable for many.
Right. Not “not doable”, but it’s a stretch for many.
Never heard of this before! Thanks for sharing your knowledge! Now I know 🙂
Yes!
What a great review. I learned so much!
This is news to me, too! Thanks for sharing your information and opinion on this.
Very interesting, thanks for the review!
I have been doing bright line eating for almost 4 months now. And I feel like this review mighty be a little harsh, although I might just be feeling defensive. I love the diet. I do admit that I could be one of those that loves it because I have eating disorder tendencies, but I really feel like I need to have the structure or I just eat everything in sight. The diet was made for people who cannot stop eating like me and it has been great. I’m down 40 lbs and although I’m not perfect at keeping the lines bright all the time, I do slip up, I can easily just get right back on track for the next meal.
Beth, thanks so much for sharing your experience. I think everyone has a different health journey, and I never discount someone’s positive experiences regardless of my personal opinion! BLE seems to provide a sense of safety and structure for you. If you feel like it helps foster a positive relationship with food and your body, I think that’s great. 💗
Beth — I am having such a hard time with nighttime bingeing. Right after dinner — I just seem to need something sweet and I go into a trance-link state and munch on pretzels or even ice cream sometimes.
Okay with three meals — keep my bright lines during meals!!!
Can you give me some pointers on how to get through that “trance-like” time each evening after dinner.
Would really appreciate it!
Hi Stacey,
Thank you for your review. I came across it when I was researching for my own review of the diet. I actually linked to your review in my post!
https://thiswellseasonedlife.com/bright-line-eating-reviews/
I did follow the diet for about 7 months. I came to recognize how disordered it was and that it wasn’t ultimately aligned with my values and how I want to live my life.
I would love your feedback on what I wrote. I’m hoping it adds a different perspective to the “negative” reviews of BLE and ultimately helps people explore other options.
Thank you for your work. – Andrea
Love your perspective! Definitely great insights from someone who’s experienced it. I totally see that there are pros and cons, as with most “diet” plans. Thanks so much for sharing.
Having a history of bulimia nervosa, I started bright line eating 3 months ago. I did not have any support, which the founder say is key, but did it solely following the rules from the book. It’s very efficient to lose weight. But I ended up thinking about food all the time – definitely not being free. And when I broke the bright lines, I had a ligny of anxiety and fear of gaining weight. Going out to restaurant/eating at friends became a real stress. Eventually, I fell back into bulimic habits, when breaking the bright lines. I would not tolerate not following the rules, and would purge. What’s interesting is that I was not necessarily binging on flour or sugar containing products.
I’d therefore agree that it’s a very effective program, but use a lot of caution doing it. Especially if you’re on your own and/or have been struggling with eating disorders
Lou, thanks so much for sharing your experience. Yes, I would imagine this restrictive of a diet would not be a great choice for someone with a history disordered eating, given it is very rule-oriented. I hope you’ve been able to move back towards recovery; let me know if you’d like me to get you connected with a provider in your area. 💗
Thank you very much! I am actually using some cognitive behavioural autotherapy books, really allowing myself to not feel guilty about eating, and ditching the scale for a while until I feel less… obsessed with it again.
It’s very important to highlight that BLE is a copy of the diet that Food Adicts has been following for decades,.
That is also true, Sergio. It is very similar.
I was on the BLE plan for about eight months and got down to my desired weight and able to sustain it for about a year but was unable to sustain it permanently. I am now right back where I started and very discouraged. And for some reason, I am not able to go back and “redo” the experience by following the plan again. I definitely have an eating disorder which is why this plan initially may have been so successful but I could really use a sustainable weight loss plan if there is one that you recommend.
Hi Kristin! I will email you :).
I’ve been following the plan. I don’t weigh my food everyday. I weighed once in specific containers and now I trust myself not to “squish an extra cabbage leaf” into the container for veg. I lost 3 kg in 5 weeks.
I love Susan. I think she’s hit the ball out of the park with her susceptibility scale. She gave me structure and a plan. She lets me be veg or non-veg. She is worse with food than I have ever been and she’s won the weight loss battle. So I know that I can win too.
Most diet books are written by people
Low on her susceptibility scale. She’s High on her susceptibility scale. So she makes sense to me. I’m a bit high on susceptibility to food too, on some days…..
Her chapter on “rats and levers” is amazing. Subconscious priming. Amazing. Sign of food . Leads to “sedentary eating”.
Hyperpalatable foods. Oh my God she got it right. The bit on how dopamine receptors get blasted down by porn and how hyperpalatable foods do the same thing as porn to our brain. Actual brain scan pics.
Thank you, Sara Pierce.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
I am concerned about one friend (who is probably not overweight) who talks about this diet with religious devotion. She strives hard to improve herself in general, so it seems like strict rules would appeal to her. I doubt she is really an “food addict,” and I wonder what her kids will pick up about food. I also wonder if this is a lot like paleo eating? I don’t know much about that one.
Over the course of five years, I lost 80 lb, using the 21 Day Sugar Detox, followed by a period of stalling then gaining, until BLE allowed me to reach a goal weight I never thought possible for myself. I am now 62 years old. I lost approximately 58 lb with 21DSD, then creeped up 15 lb, until I decided I was NOT going to let myself gain it all back after working so hard to lose what I had! I began BLE in October 2017, weighing 157 lb. I reached my goal weight of 120 in May 2018. Actually, I was originally shooting for 138, as I thought it would be impossible for me to lose more than that.
To this day, I write down what I eat, and continue to weigh and measure my food. I am the kind of person who does well with the rules, as I will overeat left to my own devices, and I have a weakness for binge eating. BLE did not cure me of binge eating, as I do not intend to go 100% sugar and flour-free. Recently, I found I was 12 lb more than my lowest weight after two months of lots of major social events and letting myself go, including bingeing. If I let myself go a little, it often ends up being a slippery slope. So, once again, at the beginning of July, I decided 12 lb was it! I had worked way too hard to lose 80 lb, so I was going to do repeat the BLE 14-Day Challenge because I knew I would stick with it if I paid for it (I never did a bootcamp, instead using the book and 14-Day Challenge to learn the ropes, then continued on my own). But I ended up buying another food plan that is more comprehensive and customized, rather than paying again for the 14-Day Challenge. So I am in process of battling off four more lb to get back to my lowest weight, then hope to cement some strategies for successful maintenance.
I have to say I WOULD recommend BLE! It works if done as prescribed!!! It may not work for long-term for all people, but it seems to me a sound and very effective way to lose weight. I am still using the principles I learned about what to eat daily and in what quantity to maintain, and I don’t think four lb more than lowest weight after nearly 14 months is so bad! Definitely a fan of BLE!!!
Ann, thanks for sharing your insight and experience with BLE! It’s always insightful to hear varying opinions.
I was on the BLE eating plan for two years. It’s cult-like, and so many members of the Bright Lifers community seem to adore and idolize the author in a strange way. It’s difficult to impossible to find any negativity about this program on the internet. Why is that? Sure, 1200 calories a day (at most) leads to rapid weight loss. I lost over 30 pounds quickly. Maintenance is another story. There are no hard or fast rules in maintenance, and I along with many others developed a full-blown eating disorder. It’s definitely unsustainable over the long run. I am angry and disillusioned by my participation in Bright Line Eating. If you are prone to ED, stay away.
Michele, thanks so much for sharing your experience with BLE. It’s important to understand long-term implications of restrictive dietary patterns.
I’ve been reading the BLE book and am thinking about starting the programme, and found this site through some googling about ‘real life’ opinions (thank you for this page, Stacey).
I think the book has made me re-think my relationship with sugar (and potentially flour) but I love my exercise, and I don’t think I could give it up to do BLE properly.
After reading your post, I think I’ll take away the positive parts of the programme (i.e. eating whole foods, and more natural) and trying to stick to 3 meals a day. Although I think it’ll be hard for me when I exercise… Thanks, Stacey!
Fiona, that’s a great idea! It’s always nice when you can get “take-aways” and incorporate those in sustainable ways. You might be fine with 3 meals/d when exercising depending on the timing of your exercise! Otherwise a small, carbohydrate-rich snack pre-exercise to help with fueling your activity might do the trick if you’re exercising before breakfast or in between lunch and dinner and it’s too big of a gap for you! Thanks for sharing your insights!
hi Fiona–
If you exercise regularly, you don’t have to give it up to do BLE. The author is just saying that for some people, learning the ropes of the diet and doing it takes enough willpower, never mind trying to add in exercise on top of that. But since it is already an established habit in your life, by all means, keep on keeping on!
If you are a person who struggles with binge eating, having to weigh and measure portions is an excellent strategy for eating enough, but not more than you need. It is also a wonderful strategy for maintaining your weight loss, as you might creep back to old habits of eating trigger foods and food in general in quantities that are too big. It was the right approach for me to reach my goal weight, which I never thought would be possible.
I hope this helps, as well! 🙂
Ann
Thanks, Ann, that’s really helpful! And also thank you for the encouragement :).
I am currently on BLE and have lost 21 pounds so far. I have 60 more to go. Here is what I LOVE about BLE and why. Susan is real. She talks about the brain and why we eat. I have been to dieticians and I do NOT agree with the things that they tell me to eat. There is NO shaming in BLE, yes there are guidelines, but Susan herself says that there are no Brightline Police. People make their own choices. This is not for the faint of heart. Anyone with addictive tendencies (like myself-29 years sober) understand and “get” what she is saying and talking about. What I loved about the 14 day challenge were the daily videos that explain the process and why the foods she doesnt recommend are triggers. Real food is what we need. Smoothies are not recommended because the act of chewing and eating tells our brains that we are eating and to prepare our stomachs. I can verify that when I drink a smoothie with the same ingredients that I could physically eat, I am hungrier, faster. Same amount of calories but a different effect.
I eat to feel better, because I am stressed, because someone hurt me, to celebrate something etc. It is regimented because anyone with food addictions need to have structure. Otherwise, we will either NOT eat or over eat. More than learning how to eat, this is about facing our addictive eating behaviors. I believe with all my heart that this is sustainable, but you really have to be ready and willing to face the reasons that you over eat in the first place. This is a recovery program and I recommend it to those who are truly ready to change their lives. Again, I say, this is NOT for the faint of heart because it is really hard not to binge eat when I am stressed out about things or upset by something. It isnt a cult, people who are not ready to get sober say that about Alcoholics Anonymous too. It was exactly what I needed to get what I needed. The lack of breads and four etc. is because people like me dont just eat one piece of bread, I eat 5 or 6 and once I start, it sets off a trigger in me for more! I cant eat just one piece of chocolate, if I have one, I have little or NO control and I eat the whole thing whether it be a small normal sized candy bar or a huge bag! It is about addictive behaviors and if you ever have the chance to be a part of the 14 day challenge, I highly recommend it because you will learn more about the brain and how it works and why BLE works. But just like with AA not everyone stays clean and sober, neither will everyone be ready to face their demons around food.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Leslie! I really appreciate your insight and perspective.
I had given up sugar/fruit for a year and I lost about 30 lbs on my own but could not stop the flour portion then I found BLE. I had tremendous success in losing 20 lbs in the bootcamp and even signed up for the Brightlifers. Within two weeks after completing the bootcamp I started binging hard. I tried to control my cravings but it was impossible and now a year and 1/2 later I have gained back the 50 lbs. Now I am just committed to eating as healthy as possible and exercising. The science is very clear about weight loss, you have to devote your entire day resisting and controlling what you eat. I’d rather live my life.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Patti. Your mental health is so important in making long-term lifestyle changes.
Stacey, thank you for giving a fair review to Bright Line Eating. I started Bright Line Eating in Feb of 2018 when I weighed 339 lbs. Today I weigh about 180 lbs. After failing many diets in the past, Bright Line Eating was finally the approach that worked.
It is not for everyone. But for me it has been life changing. I agree that the eating plan could use some modifications, but BLE has tried to remain fairly nutritionally agnostic. They also teach that it is fine to modify the food plan to your individual needs and circumstances. “There are no Bright Line Eating police” is a regular mantra.
For example, I eat air popped popcorn twice a week even though popcorn is discouraged. I only added it back into my diet once I hit my goal weight. Things like popcorn, smoothies or whole grain bread are avoided, not because they are unhealthy (quite the opposite actually), but because these can be trigger foods for those of us who struggle with food addiction.
For me, I had to train myself to eat whole fruits and veggies. Just having them in a smoothie like I had done in the past did get me the nutritional value, but it was not giving me the behavioral value. A smoothie for me was a delicious vitamin and I needed to start thinking of fruits and veggies as part of a meal.
Thanks again for your balanced review.
Thanks for sharing your viewpoint, Jim! I appreciate your experience.
Applauding you, Jim, for your fantastic success with BLE!!! It has worked very well for me, too. I have maintained my 80 lb weight loss for 15 months, though I have gone up and down, mostly within the 5 lb range, but more so when I let things slip during a time of many social obligations. Letting myself go did become a slippery slope, so I feel much better sticking to the “bright lines,” mainly in the forum of virtually no flour/sugar, and weighing and measuring everything I eat. I have gotten used to it, and would rather do it than gain the weight back little by little. I do estimate when I am out, as I never carry a scale with me. I know this is not for everyone, but it does work well for those who have historically been undisciplined eaters (aka addictive eaters/binge eaters). Cheers to your continued success!!! 🙂