Friday, June 30, 2017

Bright Line Eating

Hi everybody. I am writing today to share a bit about this journey I've been on for the last two months. Today is Day 61. I waited until now to talk in length about it as I was afraid it might be one of those things that wouldn't last. And, it still might not last but for today my plan is the same as it was yesterday and the day before that. It's working for me so I think I'll commit to another 30 days.
 
Long story short, on May 1st I eliminated all refined sugar (including sugar substitutes) and flour products from my menu. I thought it was going to be really hard. Turns out it was not. I'm one of those all or nothing kinda girls. There are some things I simply cannot stop once I start. Alcohol is one of them. Sugar is the other. I gave up alcohol nearly 16 years ago. Giving up refined sugar had to be the same way. I know that once I start with the first teaspoon in my coffee, I am off to the races, chasing the feeling I get when I consume it, with me ending up tired, cranky, and wondering what happened.
 
A close friend from high school told me about this program she had started last fall when we were on our annual girlfriend trip. I thought she was crazy (sorry K!) and that it was just another program designed to extract money from the pockets of fat Americans. When we traveled on another trip this spring, she talked about it a little bit and I shared that I was so uncomfortable in this body of mine and tired of being consumed by sugar addiction. I had told her previously I was not going to spend one more dollar on diet crap. She told me that the woman who started this program recently published a book. I ordered it when I got home from that trip. I spent $14.95 to see what this guru has to say.
 
The author, Susan Peirce Thompson is a recovered meth addict/alcoholic with a Ph.D. both in Brain and Cognitive Sciences. You can read more on her bio here.  She speaks a language I know. She uses a lot of 12-step lingo in her book but also adds some of her own. One of my favorites I have adopted and has served me quite well is "not my food". As in, those cookies on the kitchen table at work -- not my food. The book is an easy read and one that I'm glad I bought in hard copy so I can highlight and re-read. 
 
Breaking it down into simple terms, which is what I need, there are only 4 Bright Lines:
1: No Sugar (this does not include natural fruit)
2: No Flour of any kind
3: Planned meals with no snacks in between
4: Quantities are measured
 
What is a bright line?  It is a line you don't cross, no matter what. Simple as that.
 
I like simple.
 
On Day 61, I am down 15 pounds.
 
It is working for me.
 
love, susan
 


2 comments:

  1. I have a friend who gave up sugar several years ago and feels much better. We are all different when it comes to our bodies and food. I could probably exist on bread and cheese, lol. And have almost no interest in alcohol unless I open a bottle for something I am cooking and then consume the rest over the next month. It's whatever works for you.

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    1. My hubby loves bread and he never seems to have any trouble keeping weight off even though he eats bread every day. I've been so afraid to try going off sugar. I realize that going all the way off is the only thing that is going to work for me. There is no "controlling" it. So far, so good! Today I'm cooking my garbanzo beans from scratch. That's a first for me! I usually buy them in cans but with the amount of them we've been eating, I decided to try cooking them myself to save on the salt intake and also the number of cans. After soaking them all night, they look great and I can't wait for them to finish boiling so I can see if I have been successful in this endeavor.

      thanks for dropping in!

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