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.
BLE is the best gift I have ever given myself. It is doable and hundreds of us do. I love it! I have been a tiny size 8/10 (UK – US 6) for more then a year and a half. I put on a much needed stone during maintenance (I had lost too much weight). I’m so sorry you are not able to sustain an eating plan that consists of cutting out sugar and flour, allowing you to eat whole, natural foods. The weighing is so you train your body to KNOW it’s had enough, not to limit you. When did you last eat 20 oz of veg in a day? How can anyone who has visited our Facebook page fail to comprehend that it works? Those that are keen to lose pounds (from your bank account) should stick to WW the newly rebranded ‘same old, same old weight watchers weight’ – do you ever stop paying? So sad my dear Oprah is affiliated with this ridiculous weight loss process that DOES NOT WORK or you could try a Keto diet where you eat nothing but meat and no veg. Give me a healthy balanced diet rich in fruit, veg and whatever protein I like any day! Thanks for the review but I refute everything you say.
Please try BLE for yourselves, don’t be put off by one persons negative view. At least read the stories of BLEr’s on Facebook and Instagram. Prepare to truly be amazed.
🙏🏾 xx
BLE is the most wonderful gift I have ever received for myself. I celebrated 3 years of no sugar, flour, sweeteners on Sunday. I’m effortlessly maintaining a weight off of 80 pounds. Rare food cravings!!! No time wasted wondering what I will eat!! Every day I get to eat a wonderful balance of REAL food- beautiful fruits, veggies, grains, protein, fat. I love my meals and feel so lucky that I’m hungry at meal time and each meal carries me to the next. You won’t hear me poo poo other methods of gaining peace and integrity with food. Hey- whatever works for you is wonderful!!! I’m just beyond grateful to a plan that keeps me i recovery from food addiction one day at a time. My 3 legged stool is intact (physical, emotional and spiritual) with the beautiful aid of BLE and 12 step community. It’s not for everyone and that is ok, but 80 pounds lighter and most importantly FREE from
any obsession with food that you would NEVER understand unless you suffered the years that I suffered.
I totally agree. I am so glad we found BLE before I read the “professionals” reviews. As someone who is low on the Susceptibility scale (3) but has a husband who is high (9), I can tell when someone who is not addicted to flour and sugar write a review. I have cooked for my husband for 40 years – and have seen him struggle with his weight for 40 years. I could see it, but I could not understand it. He went on a dietians recommended diet when he first was diagnosed with diabetes: he lost weight, but he was still hungry. No matter how much “good food” he ate, he was still hungry. It wasn’t until we started BLE and he gave up the S&F, that he finally! felt full. and this when he was finally, easily, able to loose weight. Unless you are addicted to or live with one who is, you just don’t get it.
Thanks for your feedback, Loretta! Everyone’s nutrition journey is different. I’m happy your family has found something that works well for you and feels sustainable with the results you were hoping for.
So true. My experience was the same. The strict guidelines work fir addicts. Two dieticians did nothing for my husband. BLE did 30 kg less in 12 months, he is happy and has finally learned what healthy eating is,
Happy to hear BLE is working for him!
Hi – I appreciate this and other reviews. I can only imagine how BLE might impact someone who’s hx w/food is control based.
For someone like me, where at the ripe old age of 53, realized how similar my behaviors around food had been to that of my drug addicted child, BLE is a saving grace.
Somehow, getting off of sugar and flour completely ended my drive to overeat. I do think many nutritionists are not persons who have a personal understanding of what it feels like to be ruled by addiction to unhealthy foods.
The author of BLE is careful to state she is not a nutritionist and you could certainly consult one to individualize it.
WW also works off of generalized systems.
I guess I wish I could somehow convey how opposite it is for someone with a hx of out of control eating. I feel so free to trust the scale , notice my own brain pushing towards a lack of integrity because “no one will know “ or “just this once” or “I deserve it”. I don’t feel ashamed, I feel accountable and seen because I relate to this. I have had much therapy from trauma hx, and focused on loving myself, exactly as I was; being aware of emotional eating , trying to journal and face feelings rather than eat. But eliminating sugar and flour has turned off that drive in my brain! This was the missing piece! Now I can and do journal instead of eat.
Again, I can’t speak for those with control issues , but for myself , being so out of control and triggered to overeat, adding clear boundaries and some long needed control is quite freeing.
I know the response here is about how everyone has their own journey, but I wish you might expand on that and acknowledge that this program seems to have a high level of success and that sometimes large groups of people DO need to abstain from substances that lead to health issues.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience!
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.
go whole food plants and eat as much as you want and lose weight. I am down 88 lbs and i eat lots.
Susan does not recommend this diet for people with food disorders like bolemia or anorexia.
That’s not true. She has special interest groups for bulimics and anorexics and refers to eating disorder behaviour as ‘the fifth bright line’ which you must not cross (binging and purging). It’s actually disturbing to read people’s comments encouraging each other to stick with the plan for weight loss and not healing from destructive eating disorders. Restriction, which BLE is built on, is a main cause of disordered eating. How can it also be the solution? There is no freedom in restrictive diet prison. I know from experience with BLE. It’s not for everyone, especially those prone to disordered eating.
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.
That fact has never been repressed, what is different is the support around owning your own journey and not falling victim to a shame based structure of discipline.
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 am in a similar situation as Kristin (history of eating disorder). Could you email your recommendation. 63 year old, female, 5′. Currently feel.I have to exercise everyday 45 mins max trainer or 1 hour brisk walk. And count calories 1000-1100 per day.
Tired of looking for THE answer and battle with by body. Fifty years is a loooong time to be at odds.
Thank you.
Emailing!
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.
Leslie,
I too am in recovery from alcoholism. I also believe I have food addictions. (My relationship with money could be healthier also!) My therapist, who is 30 years sober and 15 years at a healthy weight, highly recommends either Food Addicts Anonymous or BLE.
Did you struggle with any of the same negative thoughts you had about foods as you did when you were new in AA? I’m getting very similar resistance and denial feelings when thinking about having to weigh and measure my food for life, that I’ll never eat anything with sugar in it, that I can do it myself, etc. like I did before I finally went to AA.
My concern is that at least I don’t need alcohol to survive, so as long as I follow my program, I won’t relapse. But I HAVE to eat. Do you really feel “free”? Or do you ever feel tied down to another 12-step like program?
Warm regards,
Andrea
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.
I think ultimately those of us who have suffered with food addiction for years can trust someone who has been there. If a teacher hasn’t experienced food addiction the way I did, their suggestions will go in one ear and out the other because they truly have no clue. Bright line eating is a lifestyle that allows me to experience freedom from food obsession. I’m maintaining a 75 pound weight loss for two years and don’t experience hunger (except before mealtime) and I don’t experience cravings. Living life without cravings is priceless. Living life in a healthy body size is priceless. I would never try to convince someone to eat the way I do. If someone who suffered the way I did finds Bright Line Eating is the answer for them then yippee!!! If someone else can eat one or two servings of sugary, processed food I’m happy for them. Over and over I tried the experiment of moderating eating that stuff and it rarely ended well. Everyone should follow the path that brings relief and peace. That’s what I’m doing! For me it’s not about the number on the scale, it’s my peace of mind that I wouldn’t trade for anything!!!!!
Love this feedback and approach, Lisa!
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!!! 🙂
Several of my friends are currently doing BL. I looked into it and immediately saw the warning signs of disordered eating, plus the cult of personality. I am sure there are a lot of good things this eating plan promotes and I am glad it has helped people. Food addiction is real, but it is also a symptom of deeper emotional issues. Following a strict plan can help but it is better to address the underlying issues that are manifesting as food addiction. Yes, I’m speaking from experience. I am looking forward to Dr Greger’s ‘How Not To Diet’!
Thanks for sharing your insight, Vicky!
I have been doing BLE for 15 months and I have lost 50 pounds. For me it has transformed my disordered bingeing and constant food obsessing into most of the food chatter in my brain receding. I’ve crossed over into overweight but no obese for the first time in years, I feel better in my brain and my body. I plan to keep doing this for life. As for giving up sugar and flour being extreme—I would say what most people have to do for health—daily insulin injections, open heart surgery, etc., that’s extreme. I have seen it work for so many people. If you are interested try the book and join one of the many facebook groups dedicated to it. It’s been life changing for me, after trying EVERY diet and exercise program on earth!
Kathleen, thanks so much for sharing your experience! I’m happy this has made a positive impact for you.
Thanks for this review. I just received book in mail so yet to read it, have watched videos. I have done eight days of this eating plan. What concerned me was people’s extreme responses to “eating “errors” on the Facebook page and I think your comments around this doesn’t feel like freedom from guilt and shame. I personally could never respond in that way. I like a guide but rigidity doesn’t fit for me. I was interested in the brain science aspect of it and within the 8 days I had stopped craving snacks by cutting the sugar so I think that is a learning. I might take what’s helpful but quite possibly I will still have that toast made from whole grains or allow myself to join in a treat from time to time. I resist the idea that it’s my dopamine talking when I have a negative response to never being able to eat certain food types, I would have that response if someone said you can’t eat vegetables. But I accept people make their own choices and for some this is as good as it gets.
I really appreciate this take! I think it’s a great idea to take what you like and modify according to what fits you, your lifestyle and head space best.
I just ran across this article and want to share my experience with BLE.
I did BLE for four months with no problems and then one day something in me just snapped and I started binging(which was not something I did before starting BLE). I was so overwhelmed by a it being able to stick to the plan and became extremely discouraged. I had to let go of BLE, start therapy, and eventually gained the 20 pounds I had lost back.
It has completely messed with my head. 7 months later I am still struggling with binging. I don’t know what to do with myself anymore. I am not an obese person, only about 10 to 20 pounds overweight.
In your article you said that BLE could encourage an eating disorder. I think that is what it has done for me.
Rebecca, thanks so much for sharing your experience. Let me know if you’d like any help finding a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in your area who works with disordered eating. I’m happy to get you connected.
I think we are missing a common thing with all the negative feed back. Everyone has a right to there own opinion and experience. I have done bright line eating with success. Will I be on it the rest of my life, I don’t know. What I do know is that for me she delivered on her promise. No more cravings. No more brain chatter. Weight loss. I have an addictive brain. I know this. I’ve known this for a while. Before I read this book I didn’t understand why other diet programs didn’t work for me. Now I know. I don’t do moderation. And I am ok with that. I knew that too. Cult like, maybe. But when people find something that works for them they want to share or people see something working for someone and they ask how. I know that food addiction comes from deeper issues that is why she recommends journalling, meditation, service, prayer, sleep. All these things help get at the root. Counciling could help some people too.
Susan has been there fought her demons and she is sharing her success and helping hundreds of thounds of people.
To the author of this article…
Obviously what nutritionist are telling their patients isn’t working because as a society people are getting fatter not skinny. If what they said actually worked the better part of this world would not be obese right now. Susan found a way to get weight off and keep it off. She has kept it off for more than a decade. I think I would follow a food plan that will keep the fat off verses one where I yoyo my entire life.
Thanks for sharing your experience and feedback!
I did BLE very successfully for 4 months. I lost 35 pounds of 90 lbs I needed to lose. At the end of the Bootcamp, I found it hard to maintain my progress and over the course of 1.5 years, I regained weight. I had no support at home, a chaotic life, and honestly, I didn’t make the best use of the support available from the BLE community. That is totally on me; not the plan. I absolutely love BLE. I was never hungry. I lost weight consistently. It made sense to me. And as a side effect, it helped get my auto-immune diabetes under control like nothing else ever did.
I shared the plan with my best friend, who was 225 lbs overweight. In a year she has lost 100 lbs and continues to experience success.
The Facebook group: yes, some people write things that raise red flags. That’s their issue. Some people put Susan on a pedestal. Again, their issue. Sometimes I was annoyed by the founder’s videos. I remind myself to “take what you need and leave the rest.”
I am re-starting in 2020 because I do think it is the key to my success. This time I’m building a strong support network into my plan.
Good morning! A few additional points:
1.) You can exercise on BLE if you exercise ! The caution if you do not, is to start an exercise program as you start the food plan, if you are a person who might do that mindgame of calorie trading in your head and then undoing the diet. If you’ve started the January 1st full blown exercise and diet plan all at once like me, you might find that its too much change at once also. That’s all. BLE would never say to undo anything medically recommended or to not exercise at all if you do as healthy habit already.
2.) ALSO Bright Line Eating is very supportive, and ALL about sustainability and what works for the individual for the long term process. So as they say its a new way of life and developing habits, strategies, reflecting on your behavior, feelings, understanding your commitments to self-care and yourself, and that is of focus in this program as much as the food plan and there are many different food plans within BLE that still can be implemented with the BLE 4 lines. E.g. many of the BLE community are whole food plant based. Others are diabetic. And the number of people who share daily of coming off of major amounts of mediation on BLE is staggering to me. (statins, diabetes medications etc.) . The food plan is four rules only and there’s PLENTY OF FLEXIBILITY within them-it’s always necessary to get used to food changes in ANY DIET. But the other components are what make it work for the long term, if you engage and make the commitment each new day (One day at a time helps, as does the planning with the group of people you are part of when you join. It’s some visioning and long term planning to get to goal, but its all about staying the course in the moment.)
3. Bright Line Eating has a specific support network, of which I am a member, for those participating who have eating /binge disorders and that includes daily networking, and support with sharing with others and seeking help, as well as coaching. This is guided by a Clinical Psychologist, Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry, UCSD School of Medicine, and dedicated expertise in eating disorders.
4.) As I read the comments above there is one sure thing about regaining weight : everyone on EVERY DIET regains weight if they don’t reach a point of maintenance and finding the right amount of food to sustain you for the long term and to reframe habits over time. This program is for the long term and supports the hard work of getting to that commitment for yourself, if you choose, and supporting your needs at each step of the way over time that may be different from the prior. EVERY DIETER regains weight from ANY DIET if they abandon it. So LOTS of meal plans WORK to lose weight. But not all work to support the long term process. Bright Line Eating first and foremost provides ongoing support, forever. I am three years in. The goal is to find freedom as you take action a manageable step at a time to change how you think about food–the brain chemistry changes over time in its connection to food and what you eat also.
I think we will eventually see changes in the DSM on all sorts of addictions with the research underway. Other major addiction programs (FA, OA) which may be much more rigid depending on the meetings, have similar approaches to the food end as some have already mentioned.
Its overly simplified to separate the “FOOD” from the other components that are part of BLE that make it work. I have not reached goal. But at age 53 I finally understand what this involves and it goes way beyond diet.
I’ve been following Bright Line Eating for the last 18 months. I’ve been obese most of my life… and this is definitely the answer for mew. I’ve never been able to follow any plan longer than 4 months. Everything I have tried in my 57 years, I would always look forward to the end and then gain it all back plus 20 lbs. I’ve lost 80 lbs and I don’t feel deprived, angry or restricted in any way. I don’t follow strictly — other than no flour and sugar. Susan encourages anyone to find their own rhythm. But I have definitely experienced the “atomicity” Susan talks about. A regular saying around BLE is “I came for the vanity, and stay for the sanity.” It’s really true.
When I read your review I couldn’t help but wonder if you had actually tried the plan? I wonder if your review would be different if you had? Susan also readily admits she is not a ND or MD. It is also interesting to me how each of the folks that follow the plan find success using the same quantity guidelines. But if you work the plan, it does work!
My problem with this review is that it refers to this as a diet. A diet is short term almost by definition. When people think about and talk about diets they usually talk about cheat meals and cheat days.
I have struggled with compulsive eating most of my life. I tried dozens of diets. This book is written from the standpoint of food addiction. If we use that paradigm, the absolute nature is accurate and powerful. Intuitive eating assumes that I can regain control of flour and sugar, but for some, including myself that theory produced overeating and misery. Some can modify their alcohol intake. Some are severe alcoholics. Would I tell a severe alcoholic that abstinence is not sustainable? How about a glass of red wine on your cheat day? Just drink intuitively?
From the outside the plan seemed strict and compulsive. In the beginning my family thought it took a lot of time to prep and weigh and measure. What my family came to realize was that structure offered freedom. I don’t need to agonize about what or how much I eat. I am happier than ever and healthier. I am training for a 100 mile bike ride.
The book goes into detail about modifying the plan and working with a health care professional. I work with a nutritionist. She never suggests that I need flour or sugar. She never encourages me to stop weighing and measuring. I never take a scale into a restaurant. She helps decide what portions are adequate and has helped me modify every month or two based upon my weight, fat%, energy level, and activity.
This is not a diet or a diet book. This is a way of life. Those that treat it like just another diet are likely to fall into the same traps that got them unhappy and unhealthy before.
Respectfully happy, thin, and free.
I’ve been with BLE for 4.5 months, have dropped about 25 pounds and have about 7 to go. I joined after I read Susan’s book because the scientific evidence was compelling. I wonder if you have read her book all the way through. Some of the general statements you make in your review could be refuted by things in the book that are backed up by studies. This eating plan was recommended to me by a registered dietitian who is also very oriented towards natural healing. She has seen her clients have great success with it. I have had a problem with eating regularly and eating enough of the right kinds of food, so this has been wonderful for me to have a little bit of structure. I have a better schedule of eating and eat so any more healthy foods. I find that if I eat regularly, I don’t miss the foods with sugar and flour or the snacks. In the beginning, I weighed and measured my foods pretty strictly, but now I have gone to the one plate method, which Susan recommends for those who have a problem with weighing and measuring. I look forward to the maintenance phase and I feel like this will be a very healthy and doable eating plan for me to maintain because I can choose from a wide variety of foods. Thanks for your perspective.
Hi Stacey,
I really appreciate your credibility, educational & professional background in the field of nutrition. Thank you for your fair and honest review of BLE and for the way you laid out your article (vs. a clearly biased view in which solid points get soupy like: https://abbylangernutrition.com/diet-review-brightline-eating-a-shame-filled-marketing-monster/. I have watched some BLE videos and then went online to search for reviews/critiques –that’s just what I do. Your review helps me make a more informed decision to try BLE’s 4 bright lines for emotional eating, but I would not go all in. Glad to hear BLE has helped some food addicts with it’s FA Anonymous rigidity & strictness.
That doesn’t feel happy & free for me. Yes, tailoring to one’s unique health/medical situation and individuation I believe is the key. Unless it is a Hawaiian muumuu or a dashiki, ‘one size does not fit all.’
Thanks for your feedback, Mea. I appreciate how you’ve weighed your options and have made a decision you feel confident in! Best wishes in your food journey!
To take a cursory glance at the diet phase of BLE it does seem to be a one size fits all program. However, the maintenance phase (which is essentially the rest of your life once you get close to goal weight) is extremely tailorable. The maintenance food adds that you described are suggestions but not prescriptions. The support of the Bright Line community around assisting people in maintaining their weight loss and glide in to their personal right size body is very nuanced and tailored to each persons needs. I am learning to listen to my body when it is most hungry, making my maintenance additions personal. The end of the program is the beginning of the rest of my life in a right size body, learning how to never get on the diet yo-yo merry go round again. This program has heavy emphasis on maintenance with studies and data to back up its success.
I have been on BLE for almost a year, and the following are some of my experiences:
1. Cravings (for most people) GO AWAY!! No more white-knuckling it!
2. The support community is phenomenal!
3. The brain science behind it is what sets it apart from all other “diets”.
4. It may seem like a one-size fits all plan, but it can be tailored with the help of very knowledgeable coaches, sometimes Susan herself.
5. It is sustainable.
Having said all that, I will also say that it is not for everyone. If you try it, you will soon know whether it is for you. And if it is, you are in for “your best life yet”, and weight loss will be only a part of it.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Sharon!
Stacey, thank you for investigating the details of the Bright Line Eating book. I am not a dietitian nor have I followed the program directly, but the focus of her passion is recognizing addictive behaviors and overcoming them particularly in relation to food. For all 50 years of my life, sugar and sweets were the main source of energy for me. I have effectively eliminated processed food, flour, and sugar for 9 months now. The low sugar sensations I used to have are gone. I will say that the thought to grab something sweet still enters my mind, but it is so much easier to tell myself, ‘that’s not my food’.
For anyone who is reading this, please let me encourage you to keep reading and learning. Develop your own awareness and understanding of why food or other addictive habits may be an issue for you and start somewhere with confidence that you can make a difference for yourself. The result of knowing and loving yourself enough to change will have a powerful impact on everyone around you. Take care.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Gordon!
Thank you for this. I tried BLE for 6 months. I’m glad it seems to work for some people, but I did not have a good experience. I was miserable all the time. (Judging by what I saw in the private BLE Facebook group, I’m not alone in that. ) I couldn’t stop thinking about food. I spent 2-4 hours a day hungry to the point of my stomach growling, waiting for the approved time when I could allow myself to eat.
BLE pushed my lifelong issues with disordered eating into overdrive. After 6 months of BLE I had gone from binge eating 2-3 times a month, to 5-6 times a week.
I quit the program and found a therapist who specializes in eating disorder recovery. After 5 months of therapy I’m well on the road to making a full recovery. I am free from obsessive food thoughts, and I’ve only had 2 binge eating incidents in the past 3 months.
For anyone struggling with BLE, please know that you’re not alone! Please find qualified help, from an expert who has experience in treating disordered eating.
Erika, thank you so much for sharing your experience. I am so happy you were able to recognize the negative impact BLE was having on your relationship with food and your body, and getting help from an appropriate source. Great job on putting your health first.
If intuitive eating, moderation, and watching portion sizes works for most people, then why do we have such an obeseity epidemic? Something about the standard nutrition advice is not working especially in the culture/society we live in (McDonald’s and Dunkin Donuts every where, highly processed foods in abundance and highly marketed to people of all ages and stages, including infants and toddlers… Check out the toddler snack aisle at the grocery store). For most people the pull of sugar and flour even in small quantities is too much. If it wasn’t we all be able to just walk away from it easily. Obviously it’s much harder than that. Brightline Eating is the answer for many people because of the culture and food society we live in and the scientifically engineered food that is around us. Our population is struggling and failing to lose weight and kept it of with the moderation advice. For some people (I would dare to say many people) abstainence only, at least for a time is the key keep the weight off. Brightline Eating also helps people rethink their relationship with food which is crucial for long term to success. I can see how it wouldn’t work for some, but I think for many it could the answer. It has been for me!!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Bonnie!
I’m intimately familiar with the plan outlined in BLE – but not from Susan Peirce Thompson. In 2004, I came across almost the exact same principles (no sugar, no flour, 3 meals a day with nothing in between, weighing and measuring everything you eat) in a food addiction 12 step program called CEA-HOW. CEA stands for Compulsive Eaters Anonymous and HOW is an AA term meaning Honesty, Openmindedness and Willingness.
I was a member of CEA-HOW for a number of years and it did change my relationship to food dramatically. I taught me that I could be hungry and not DIE from it, that eating a lot of vegetables was really good for me and that there was such a thing as enough when it comes to food.
Ultimately, though, I left the program because I knew I had to learn to trust myself around food. That was definitely a journey of two steps forward and one step back! Now, some 15 years later, I can go 6 months without sugar and really not think about it, or I can eat a cookie or candy bar and not have to eat more later that day or the next day.
12 step programs are available at no cost to anyone who wants them. If you’re interested in trying this way of eating, you have options.
Yes! BLE was derived program from a 12-step program. Thanks for sharing your experience!