Not an Option 

I keep coming back to her. I fall off and then climb back on....

I’m only 150 days into Bright Line Eating, but my brain seems relieved to not having to make food decisions except when I’m writing down my food for the next day. I credit grace and I don’t take it for granted. I liked the comparison of a begging dog. Never give them food from the table or you will be hounded at every meal!

This concept is very powerful not only for addiction but also for focus in general. Whenever you sit down to study, for example, your brain constantly wants to go and get easy dopamine from something else like looking at your phone or whatever it is, and you can get lost in decisions about how to study or when to study or how long you should study. The same goes for going to the gym and so on. There are so many things now that we have a saboteur in our brain annoying us about because our brain craves easy dopamine and comfort and wants to avoid discomfort and strain. Creating a small time window where you decide what you will do in that time window and then after that, it is decided with bright lines, can help reduce the options throughout the day and make things less tiring for your brain in the same way you describe in this video in many areas.

Coming back to this video in 2024, which is for me almost 5 years later. I often think of it, wanted a reminder (validation), and was happy to find it searching today. My fridge and cupboards are no longer a slot machine of variable reward, because I have just NOT advanced those option for long enough. Not an option. And the brain knows! My brain has reached this point right now, and I am positive it will be one of the keys to maintaining my loss (for the first time ever).

I have listened to this one twice already, and I know I will listen to it a few more times. This is exactly what I have needed. I was chugging along for eight or nine months, losing every single week, and feeling powerful and free. Then I started making exceptions here and there, and hit some big time stress land mines, and a few sporadic exceptions became frequent and then daily exceptions. I will turn 60 this summer, and I think it’s time to find a way to do the Bootcamp. I started after reading the book. A month later, I did the 14-day challenge. But I believe Bootcamp will give me the structure to get back on track and retrain my brain. Thank you, Susan! Time after time what you share is really good stuff!

Seen this before, watching it again years later, it is brilliant & so helpful! Yes it is tough, yes it requires a commitment. But this vlog " calls a spade a spade." Excellent! Thank you.

8 months in and 4(ish) lbs from maintenance I've reflected ALOT on this topic. This is the first time in my life I"ve been in a right sized body, I am committed to my right sized body, and I will do whatever it takes to keep it. I already don't have to say "no" all the time, or at least its so automatic in many situations as to be almost unnoticeable. Where I struggle most is listening to my body these days to figure out what's true hunger talking vs. any other excuse/"need" to eat food. Sometimes I experience true hunger between meals and I'd rather have a fruit or veggie snack than be a hangry b**** to my family. We made a "snacks are fruits and veggies ONLY" rule for the kids and that's my new "snacking" line (along with not allowing a snack to push me over maintenance calories for a day) I know that I have to write down my food and track my quantities, those are my deal breakers (if I stop paying attention I will start spiraling out of control, tricking myself). What I wonder and sincerely hope is that I can take my "not by the food plan" journey and extend that to a revision of my personal bright lines in a few months (at least 6 from reaching maintenance, I need time to figure out how to eat maintenance before messing with it) to allow for strictly controlled S/F exceptions. I know I'll need a "no S/F exceptions on a whim" line, I know I'll need a "no more than average maintenance calories in a day" line, I know I'll need a "no more than x-y (thinking 3-5) S/F exceptions in a month" line. If the S/F causes cravings to return it will have to be shut back down and out of my life - I accept that to. Call it experimenting. I just wonder if strong commitment is good enough if there is a framework of some sort in place. Like the gal in Brain Over Binge (love that book, thank you for the recommendation) can I use what I've learned about what controls the desire vs what controls the action to keep my right sized body without following a super strict food plan 100% of the time? She didn't want to do that to control her bulimia and I don't necessarily want to do that to control my eating disorder forever either. Can I use what I've learned about reboot/rezoom to keep the waves soft, manageable, and non-threatening? I really, really hope so. Thanks for another great vlog!

I love these vlogs they are always on point

EOPINAP! Eating off plan is not an option! I really love this and it is on point with our Marco Polo topic this week! Thank you Dr. Susan.

This is probably the 4th time I've seen this & it becomes more profound each time I watch it! Honest, inspiring, helpful, powerful. And beautiful. Thank you.

This is so clear and a truth so necessary to accept on this journey. Thank you so much for spelling it out. Very grateful for your help and advice.

My experience is that is absolutely happens!! Not an option now for a long time - it is so worth the diligence early on to have the peace now.

I´m so loving this. Everything BLE! thank you!

Just this week I rejigged my plan and scrambled up my brain to learn a whole new way (Because I was regularly breaking my bright lines). It's working!!!!!

With data collection by say facebook, or online shopping, we train Artificial Intelligence logarithms to read how we make choices by clicking to advance towards the suggestion. What you are suggesting is very similar in concept. When items to purchase are popping up and we don’t respond to the triggers, AI will filter out putting forward the options that we ignore. The same is true in this instance ... when we continue to ignore the option of eating randomly (non BLE), over time the brain filters out that option. I believe the trick is just to continue to ignore the possibility of eating off plan. Easy, yet difficult. Quiet, calm place! We could also view it differently, that we train our brain by actively clicking on better BLE options to advance towards a place where these BLE options become the random pop ups! You’re a genius!

I would look at it like this: When you’re out clothes shopping…..you look for clothes in your own particular style and taste. You wouldn’t even consider looking at a pair of sequined platform boots and a bright pink sombrero…….that’s totally NOT your style. (or whatever isn’t your style; you get the idea lol ☺️) Maybe you thought it was cool when you were 8 years old, but clearly not now…as a grown person. Same thing with food. That stuff that isn’t my “style” anymore; I’ve grown. Im at a different stage in life now. I don’t even consider that other stuff anymore. It’s not on my radar. I really like this analogy. It makes it pretty simple.

You write and prep it all done. Absolutely no decision to be make. I agree. Its helping me on my baby day 6.🤪. Thanks Susan

I pick my favorite 3 meals that week and have the same every day. Nothing to think about all week. Sorted baby

This is pretty powerful stuff that will help a lot of people

Love this blog it touch home with my soul. Thank you

Huh. Very thought provoking! I feel this is true. 💜

my favorite analogy is when you compared it to smoking. I walk by cigarettes 100's of times a day. im never tempted to smoke because I DON'T SMOKE. I also walk by doughnuts and snacks of all kinds 100's of times a day (I work in a grocery store) and am tempted every time. this is because I am a food addict but not a nicotine addict. So being able to rely on the mantra of I don't eat that is so supportive and helpful for me. I don't smoke. I don't eat sugar or flour. period. im not quite there yet, but it is helpful to keep telling myself this.

I love the longer hair on her!!

Heading home from work my husband will have my bright dinner ready. Cooked and weighed. Anyone can do it.

*Hey Susan, great video! I would like to hear you talk more about possible alternatives to do. Instead of turning to eating to cope with the emotions, to numb out, or to procrastinate. Or just out of pure habit! I know personally I am prone to wanting a dopamine hit because I am bored or trying to numb out. Help?*

I'm brand new to BLE but I've had experience with these things in the past, was vegan for 8 years and was addicted to alcohol prior to that for 10 years. The first year without alcohol, my brain constantly tried to rationalize drinking again. It was a battle. The cravings were intense. I thought I'd be mad about it forever. But the cravings slowly disappeared. Years later, it's not an option. As a vegan, I made the decision to never touch meat or dairy and I literally never did, for 8 years, until I made the conscious decision to quit veganism. It wasn't hard, and meat/dairy were never tempting. I'm curious which of these scenarios will be true with my bright line journey.

bahahaha... brain says.."oh she is serious". what a great truth that is.

How do I get in the bright-line eating program?

Small issue but The opening tone sort of puts me in a down attitude for the rest of the video. She says welcome to the weekly vlog so negatively