Look who's back... back again!

If you’re reading this post, let me start off by saying “thank you.”  You all know that I’ve been a consistently inconsistent dieter and exerciser for the last 10 years. You may recall that I successfully completed the VIP fitness program in late 2015 where I lost 36 lbs.  I’m sure none of you will be surprised to learn that I have gained back 30 of those 36 lbs.  I have nothing bad to say about the program, it was simply unsustainable for the long term, and as soon as I returned to more normal eating patterns, the weight came right back on.  What that program did for me, however, was prove that I could do it.  I could stick with a program and be successful at losing weight, something that I had not been able to do previously. 

Over the last 5 years, as my weight started to creep back up, I’ve tried to replicate the success I had with VIP to no avail.  Then, three years ago I started having issues with chronic back pain, ending up in the hospital in March of 2018 and again in April of 2019.  The back pain is far from resolved and in fact after months of physical therapy, 6 rounds of pain injections, and a rhizotomy ablation that has not afforded me the desired relief, I know back surgery is in the offing for me. 

Recently, I visited my doctor for my annual exam, and for the first time he told me it’s time to lose weight.  Though I’ve tipped the scales at more than I weigh now, this is the first time a doctor has ever told me to lose weight.  I complained to him about my back, and I told him that I can’t exercise because of it, announcing that “I can’t even walk around the block!”  I also advised him that I can’t lose weight by changing my diet alone, I’ve tried that in the past, but it doesn’t work unless I incorporate exercise.  He listened to my tale of woe excuses, and said that he hears that all the time, but it isn’t true, saying “You can and should lose weight by changing your diet, if you do it right.”  He then suggested that I look into a program called Bright Lines Eating (“BLE”) which was developed by a scientist named Susan Peirce Thompson. When I visited the website, two things struck me: 1) this program seems tailor-made for a “rule follower” like me, and 2) it isn’t really a diet, it’s a way of eating and thinking about food.

Though I found some negative online reviews about this program, I’ve decided to give it a try anyway, it comes recommended by my own doctor who I trust, so there must be at least some merit to the program. I downloaded a copy of Susan Thompson’s book from the library and purchased the 14 day trial program. When I’m done with that, I may decide to join an 8 week “BLE Boot Camp” or I can keep going at it on my own. I’ve calculated that I need at least 10 weeks to get to my “goal weight” or as Susan Thompson refers to it, my “right sized body,” a phrase which I kind of like.

A Brief Summary of the Bright Line Eating Program

The program is really straight-forward with 4 main pillars or “bright lines.”  For the rule-follower in me, these “bright lines” or “rules” make sense. Here they are:

1.    No sugar.  This rule really means no “added” sugar of any kind, and it also means no artificial sweeteners, natural sweeteners, honey, maple syrup, agave or the like.  If sugar or some other sweetener is listed as one of the first 3 ingredients in a product, do not eat it.

2.    No flour of any kind.  This includes almond flour, rice flour, whole wheat flour, and any other flour.  Susan points out that the plant that the flour comes from is not the issue, it’s the processing used to create the “flour” that is problematic. As with sweeteners, if the word flour is in the first 3 ingredients of a product, it’s not allowed.  

3.    No snacking; Eat only 3 meals at regular meal times.  Snacking between meals, after dinner or before a meal starts is off-limits.  This rule runs contrary to some other programs that suggest you should graze all day to keep your metabolism running.  This no snacking rule also prohibits bites, licks, and tastes (“BLTs”) while you are preparing a meal. According to Susan, the first bite of a meal should be when you sit down to eat. This rule is a hard one for me to follow, I’m constantly taking bites here and there as I make the kids’ lunches or make dinner for the family. I’m also guilty of eating while cleaning up after dinner… for example, a bite of chicken left on a kid’s plate, a few bites of spaghetti left in the strainer which is not enough to save, but I don’t want to see it go to waste.  These are the BLTs that add up to excess, unwanted calories.

4.    Quantities.  The BLE weight-loss plan specifies which foods from which food groups and their quantities you should eat for each meal. These food groups are protein, fruit, veggie, and fat. I’ll post a list of foods from each food group later.

5.    No alcohol.  I said there were only 4 rules, but I’m including a fifth in my list. Susan Thompson lumps alcohol with the “No Sugar” rule because the body processes alcohol the same way it processes sugar, but for my rule-follower brain, I need a specific “bright line” for alcohol, especially wine.  I had already decided at the end of last year that I would follow the recent “Dry January” trend, so at least initially the no alcohol has not been an issue for me.

Let me be clear, I know in my heart of hearts, that I will not be able to give up wine or alcohol for the rest of my life.  And perhaps that mind-set is setting me up for failure, but this is my journey.  What I’ve taken from the research I’ve done regarding BLE is that for today (and until February 6), I have committed to the “No alcohol” rule. I don’t know what the future will bring, but for today, I am committed, and I am committed to re-commit each day. That’s all any of us can do… live for today, because for each of us, tomorrow is not guaranteed. To help with this daily re-commitment, the BLE program offers some strategies.

Commitment Strategies

1.         Meal plan in a food journal the night before. One of the more important aspects of this way of eating is to plan ahead and then follow the plan without deviating from it.  The “without deviating” part of the rule is especially hard for me.  All I can say is, I am doing my best not to deviate, and if I have the right foods in my fridge, it makes it easier to follow the plan and less likely to fail. This part of the program isn’t all that different from other programs, like WW, that have you track your food throughout the day, I’ve tried that, unsuccessfully.  Here, the food journaling or tracking is reversed, you do it ahead of time and commit to following it. Again, my rule-following brain likes to have a plan to follow. 

2.         Wake up, meditate, and set your intention for the day. I actually love this strategy. Since last March, I’ve had real difficulty getting out of bed in the morning because of my back pain.  The only way I could get out of bed was by doing some stretching exercises I learned in physical therapy.  When therapy ended in September, I continued doing these stretching exercises.  Later, I started doing Yin Yoga, and now I incorporate a 15-20 minute Yoga routine into my morning upon waking.  Because I was doing that anyway, it was easy to add meditation and intention setting into my morning Yoga routine. I have to get up earlier than I would like, but I enjoy this routine so much, I don’t mind the early alarm.

3.         Be accountable. This is where you all come in to play.  The BLE program encourages participants to be public with their commitment. I’m certain that this is simply a marketing strategy for BLE to gain more participants. So let me be clear, I’m not asking anyone to buy anything or join me in the program, I’m simply looking for people to share my experience with me because I do believe there’s merit to the accountability portion.   

4.         Keep track. Keeping track of my progress is another aspect of this program that I enjoy.  I started sporadically keeping a bullet journal in June of 2016.  I re-committed to this way of journaling in October of 2019 and have kept up with it consistently since then.  Now, I’ve incorporated the tenets of BLE into my bullet journal.  There’s something satisfying about seeing my daily progress in black and white, or in my color scheme, blue and red. I’ll write a bullet journal post later.

This post has gotten pretty long, so if you made it this far, again I’ll say “Thank you!”  If you did make it this far, please post a comment below so I know who you are. After writing all of this, it occurred to me that I should add 2 more rules based on my personal experiences: 1) Drink water. This rule is a carry-over from VIP fitness.  BLE talks about the importance of drinking water in order to flush out the toxins in your body, but it’s not really emphasized, and I couldn’t find a specific amount to drink.  I’ll have to go back and look at my VIP notes to see how much water Jerry recommends, as of this writing I couldn’t find it. The last rule I’m adding is “Don’t Quit Trying.”  This rule is modified from an old “Quit Smoking” campaign, “Don’t Quit Quitting.” Not that I’ve ever been a smoker, but I think the sentiment works in this instance; It’s ok not be perfect, just don’t give up trying to be.