Intuitive Eating

In this week’s vlog, I answer a fantastic viewer question about the roots of emotional eating and discuss the benefits and detractors of mindful eating.

Follow Susan on Twitter!

Like Susan’s Facebook Page!

Subscribe to Susan’s YouTube Channel!

Comments

  1. B

    Great Vlog – thank you.

    Reply ·
  2. Patti Bennett

    You look absolutely stunning in your purple outfit. You’ve changed my life. Love you sweetie.

    Reply ·
    1. Alvin W Weiss

      Patti,

      Yes, I agree. That is the best look I have ever seen on Susan.

      Susan rocks the purple.

      Reply ·
  3. B

    Thank you for acknowledging that Bright Line Eating is not for everyone. My weight has been a yo-yo most of my life. Each time I lose weight, I gain it back; and then I am unable to lose as much weight as the time before. Also, thanks for the shorter vlog. I don’t always have time to watch or listen to a 20-30 minute vlog.

    Reply ·
    1. BJ

      Maybe watch the longer ones 10 minutes at a time…please do not dissuade Susan from sharing her knowledge in any way possible. Her vlogs are so incredibly valuable to those of us who are following her program and becoming happy, thin and free. If the vlog is longer, it just means more information…which we all can use! It is free…

      Reply ·
      1. Christina

        I agree! Long or short, I really enjoy listening to her blogs it’s always a wealth of information!

        Reply ·
  4. Muriel Siddle

    The way you say “welcome to the weekly blog ” …..is this doing service to you ?

    Reply ·
    1. Jan

      Really?

      Reply ·
      1. BJ

        Ya, really? We kinda like it…

        Reply ·
        1. Jamie Keith

          Yes, I love it!

          Reply ·
          1. Esme Boone

            This was discussed in an earlier Vlog and Susan actually spoke on it at that time, I think it as last year. You may find it further down. She chose to keep it for her own reasons.

    2. Evelyn McWilliams

      Susan has addressed that question in a previous vlog. Some people find her introduction self-deprecatory. Susan has explained that it’s a part of her exuberance. I think it’s kind of cute.

      Reply ·
      1. Evelyn Reinig

        I think it’s cute too.

        Reply ·
    3. jillian

      You don’t need to project your issues and judgment…the largest percentage of us appreciate and are grateful for this blog…and I think it is cute.

      Reply ·
    4. kathleen E. Dalton

      Muriel, I agree with you , I find it irritting so I pass over it. The purple is lovely. Good blog though – the blogs are usually helpful

      Reply ·
    5. Lynn Kelly

      Discussed and kept as it has a little ‘fun’ hook. Hope you can overlook. It’s a small thing.

      Reply ·
    6. Jane Mussey

      Hi, Muriel. This question has come up before and Susan had a great response to it. I’ll see if I can find the video. A couple of decades ago (or maybe more) I might have questioned Susan’s vlog mannerisms as well. But my thinking has changed. One thing that changed my thinking was…..maybe somewhat oddly……Shakespeare. His clunky, brilliant play _Hamlet_ had a lot of misogynistic attitude in it, which I believe may have been the author’s attempt to work out his own antipathy toward women (and perhaps comment on the antipathy of other men). I was struck particularly by the nunnery diatribe, describing many feminine characteristics in a vitriolic manner: “I have heard of your paintings too, well enough. God has given you one face and you make yourselves another. You jig and amble, and you lisp, you nickname God’s creatures and make your wantonness your ignorance.” Why shouldn’t women jig, amble, lisp, paint our faces and nickname God’s creatures? Love love love ourselves enough to allow for differences in presentation and expression. Susan has made BLE what it is because of her unusual set of experiences, knowledge, intelligence and insight. Let her wag her head and roll her eyes! Support her in it! And support yourself in all your strange and wonderful attributes. They make the world stimulating and profound. Big hug and a shout out from my weirdness to yours!

      Reply ·
      1. Janelle Trees

        Love that Jane.

        Reply ·
    7. Elizabeth Ellis

      I’m so in awe of Susan’s incredibly high quality content week after week, continuously.
      Beyond grateful for who she is what she is modeling. It’s inevitable that there will be quirks that “hook” people for a variety
      of reasons, thankfully that has not stopped her. For anyone who is getting “hooked” or triggered, I would inquire into what it reminds you of and any meaning attached to that.

      Reply ·
    8. Susan

      It makes my heart “smile” when Susan opens with her standard welcome…carry on Susan!

      Reply ·
  5. DonnaJean Wilson

    What can I say? Best vblog in a while! Thanks Susan.

    DonnaJean

    Reply ·
  6. Stephanie Molnar

    What a fabulous vlog! It succinctly states the issues of addiction, brain-rewiring and the co-opting of our U.S. food system in a way that seems very accessible to me. Also, love the reiteration of not poisoning the system (just like I myself don’t drink or use drugs). Thank you!

    Reply ·
  7. Patricia O'Connor

    Love this vlog. Never get tired oof hearing this. It keeps me strong by understanding my desire to over eat has to do with the poisons I was eating. Two years in and I do not feel that I’m on a diet but this is how I eat. Beautifully said, Susan!

    Reply ·
  8. Nicola Hoare

    I like the way you speak your experiences. I have had a similar journey with being a bit overweight, borderline anorexic, and ex drug user with a passion to help people stay on a good path, I hope to be doing something similar in the UK and your work encourages me. I wish you continued success. Nicola/London

    Reply ·
  9. Kim

    So on target with what I needed to hear. Thank you!

    Reply ·
  10. jennifer

    great blog! always look forward to them

    Reply ·
  11. Denise Boudreau

    Hi…i started bright line eating 21 days ago…i measure accurately and journal my food….i am really hungry about 1 hour after i eat…
    it says in the book if we are hungry that we didnt eat enough…my portions are according to what it says in the book…i had lost 30 lbs on my own and it took me 1 year…before starting bright line..i was on a plateau for 5 months…in these 21 days..i lost 7 lbs…thats 37 lbs lost up to now…but how do i not be hungry…its real hunger not just oh lets eat again…i drink water and tea in between meals…i can only last 4 hours between meals…should i bump up my protein from 4 oz to 6oz…

    thank you..
    p.s….on your supceptability scale i am a 6….i have no cravings and i feel good…but this hunger is annoying…i been toughing it out but its hard to imagine to do it forever…the sugar and flour i can do without…just wondering if 1100 calories a day might not be enough…thats what my portions equal out to every day…

    Reply ·
    1. Mariah Perkins

      Hi, Denise………Perhaps you could try a few days of choices that are higher in calories? Salmon instead of tilapia, eggs instead of tofu, one tablespoon of olive oil (120 calories) plus vinegar instead of one tablespoon of dressing (often as much as half that?) Keep at it! Be unstoppable! Actually it sounds like you are off to a good start. Wishing you much love and serenity.

      Reply ·
      1. Denise Boudreau

        thx Mariah..i will try that…i cant give up..i have worked too hard..its a way of eating that i like…maybe i am not eating enough fat…thx again.

        Reply ·
        1. Carol Stearns

          Denise, try upping the fat. I wasn’t eating enough fat but when I started to be more aware of adding fat, I felt less hunger and cravings.

          Reply ·
    2. Gem

      Hi Denise, are you doing the bootcamp? I would highly recommend getting the support of the bootcamp during your process. You can also write into the support desk with questions like this. And if you are in bootcamp there is a private facebook house where you can ask every question you need.

      1100 calories is a standard weight-loss level, but if you are more than about 180lbs, it might be a little low. However BLE doesn’t use “calories” as a measure. Choosing slightly higher calorie protein and veges can assist (as someone else suggested). eg. With your 20oz vegetables total, make sure you have 6oz of these as starchy veges during the day (eg. sweet potato, or butternut squash).

      Also, it may reassure you – I didn’t stop getting hungry until around the 4-5 week mark. Some people find this happens earlier. Some people find it happens later. Drink plenty of water! And keep going! You’ve got this! You can do it 🙂 it is worth it!

      Reply ·
      1. Denise Boudreau

        hi Gem..the reason i know my daily calorie intake is that i enter my food in My Fitness Pal…im not sure how much more fat i should eat..in the book it says 1 tbsp for lunch and supper and thats what i do…the daytime hunger i can deal with but after supper 630pm til i go to bed at 1am..is hard but i am not giving in…i just hate being hungry…it has been a month this coming wednesday…maybe my stomach will adjust in another few weeks….thx for replying…

        Denise B.

        Reply ·
    3. Martha McCannon

      Hi Denise–I got super hungry at first too and truth be told I still get hungry at times. The body adjusts but it took me a good 30 days to feel less hungry. I have “hungry weeks” but I like those weeks because generally I lose more those weeks. The body needs plenty of time to adjust to the plan and it probably thinks if it makes you hungry enough, you’ll go back to eating like you used to 🙂 Hopefully you are in bootcamp and can go to the facebook page and post about this. I guarentee you are not alone 🙂

      Reply ·
  12. jdog

    Can’t wait to hear from future Mara and how BLE works out for her! Thanks for responding to her question.

    Reply ·
  13. Dawn

    Thank you Susan! I love you sharing about how you got healthier and healthier emotionally but that your weight went up. That can help all of us have compassion for people who struggle around food! That it’s a brain rewiring/addiction thing, not a weak person thing. You are awesome!

    Reply ·
    1. Caryl

      Me too…my experience exactly. I dove into emotional healing and energy psychology 17 years ago firstly to heal my own early life traumas blocking me from success. This led me to become a recognised therapist/ coach helping clients break free when it comes to transforming major blocks in areas like money, love, writing etc. I am skilled in more than 9 modalities which I apply. BUT…while I became healthier and happier/ living the life of my dreams, fulfilled in my life purpose …my weight issues were never permanently ‘solved’ and only now via BLE can I truly embrace this way of life as the physiological practical piece in the puzzle. Though initially critical of Susan for co- opting the non profit anonymity of 12 step eating programs in BLE I am now her biggest fan and follower!!!!!

      Reply ·
  14. Susan

    Oh goodness, I just spent a half an hour writing to someone one about the addictions model vs. intuitive
    eating. I wish that I had watched this first. As always Susan, you are a clear and respectful teacher which
    I greatly admire. Is there a way to share this? Whether there is or there isn’t – thanks!

    Reply ·
  15. Joanna Traczewska

    Best vlog yet Dr SPThomphson! MashaAllah! Love!

    Reply ·
  16. Carmella

    Thank you for addressing this topic. My 16 daughter overheard me listening and I realize you are about to save ANOTHER life!

    Reply ·
  17. Michele

    yes yes yes – this is my story. I’ve been a health educator for many years and remember the day I threw my hands up in the air and just stopped doing nutritional counseling! BLE is the whole story – SANITY NOW 🙂

    Reply ·
  18. Donna

    I really like what you teach about cues! I did your 14 day challenge and did lose some weight but the bigger bonus is that it’s really making me think why and when I eat. I have kept it up and after only 3 weeks, I’m already starting to have less cravings. I am continuing on with this way of eating. Also my husband is on board just because he eats what I make. He’s also lost weight and is feeling better and wants to keep going with this life style as well. It’s been good to go out for dinner together and just pick good stuff to eat. I went on a four day business trip and was pleasantly surprised at how I can do this everywhere. Thanks for all your information and support! Also, is there a facebook page I can join? I tried one which was Bright Line Eating but it wasn’t associated with you and it seemed kind of harsh. I need gentleness in this both to myself and from others.

    Reply ·
    1. Bright Line Eating

      Hi Donna,

      Thanks for sharing your story and congratulations on your success with the 14-Day Challenge! You’re right, only our official Facebook support groups offer our brand of support, compassion and experience with Bright Line Eating.

      Those groups are for people enrolled in a Boot Camp, or those who have joined the Bright Lifers program. I highly recommend the Boot Camp, especially if you found success with the 14-Day Challenge, as that was just a “taste” of our full program. Have you considered joining a Boot Camp?

      oxo

      Reply ·
  19. BJ

    Great vlog, Susan…no, it is NOT a diet…I never think of BLE that way…it is a choice to be healthy…pure, plain and simple…why do people try to make it so complicated?? It’s pretty ‘salt of the earth’ simple…

    Reply ·
  20. Tamara

    Absolutely agree – great Vlog and BLE is a way of life.

    Many diets strive to say that, however, it seems to me that BLE really “walks the talk”

    Watch some of the important documentaries out now on nutrition, like “Sugar Coated”, “In Defence of Food”, “Fed Up”.

    A few important lessons I learned precipitated a paradigm shift in my relationship with food:

    We (civilized populace) are at large, undernourished while we stay in the grips of the vicious cycle of sugar and flour (processed foods); too many of our kids are visibly overweight from sugar or carry most of their body fat in their core – a sign of too much sugar; sugar is 8X more addictive than Cocaine; we make over 200 food decisions each day – many of which we aren’t even aware of; so many diseases like Type 2 Diebetes, Hypoglycaemia, certain Cancers, Hypertension, Autoimmune Diseases can be avoided, even reversed when we embrace a clean food diet.

    Given these insights, for me, I find that the BLE regime of 3 meals a day, principally vegetable-based, no sugar, no flour are deliberate choices I make to nourish my body and to dislodge myself from the mainstream of disillusionment around food. I feel BLE is not about restrictions – but is more about adding in lots of healthy foods that nourish and satisfy my body right down to the cellular level – it’s kind of like making daily deposits into my life-healthy bank account 🙂

    Thank you, Susan!

    Reply ·
  21. Denise

    When I read the book I had my doubts about this program being something my husband and I could sustain, but we decided to try it as written for two weeks and ‘see how it goes.’ Boy am I glad we did! This has been a game changer! I have lost 12 lbs in 5 weeks and our bright lines are still bright! My husband hated the nightly salads at first but kept steadily losing weight and got up one morning and said he’d gladly keep eating those salads if he kept losing like that. Now he enjoys them! 🙂

    Reply ·
    1. Jan

      Hi there , I’ve been doing Bright Line Eating for quite a while and here’s a suggestion. For your vegetables you can eat them all cooked or raw , as in a salad. Take the total for the meal and divide the amount to your liking. Some nights you may not want a big salad.

      Reply ·
  22. Chris

    Great vlog, kind of shows that eating disorders may be caused by the consumption of sugar and flour and not a weak will.

    Reply ·
  23. Karen

    I took your quiz twice. The 1st time I was an 8; the 2nd time I was a 3. The reason I did this is because I ‘used to’ have a lot of food addictions and much of your story, I could totally relate to. But over the years, out of wanting to get healthier, eat better because of becoming a Type II diabetic, I got even better at choosing the right stuff. But listening to you thru the Food Revolution network, your explanation of how the brain gets when addicted to sugar and white flour (also sugar), just clicked and I knew you had something there. Having said all that, and being only a 3 right now cause I don’t crave foods anymore…yes I need to get off all crap sugar and look at it as poison for my system, which it is, but that wasn’t hard for me. I want to do your Boot Camp. I intend to do it all the way, but I am seeing, right now, with the things I’ve learned in 2 months (also from Learning Herbs website and webinars) that I’ve dropped more weight, feel better, aches I had in my back have gone and my mental health has lifted to a point that I actually do get out of bed in the morning now looking forward to my day. My questions is: do I have to follow the extreme bright lines being a 3? I still eat a few raisins with my raw nuts. I still use Stevia. I still love and use cheese, a lot less than I used to, but I love cheese. I’ve switched from milk to Coconut/Almond milk, but I love plain yogurt with a few drops of stevia and fruit in it, along with chia seeds, flax seeds and prebiotics. What’d’ya think?

    Reply ·
    1. Bright Line Eating

      Hi Karen,

      Congratulations on your journey toward healthy eating. We’d love to welcome you into a Boot Camp! In answer to your question, first of all, we’re not the food police. You can use Bright Line Eating’s program any way you like. That said, there’s a reason we ask you to answer the questions on the Susceptibility Quiz as you would have in the worst 3 months of your life. This is because any habit we’ve had in the past is still there in our brains, in a neuronal pathway, waiting for neurons to come back through.

      It’s great you’ve developed new habits which will indeed help you now. We don’t include Stevia or dried fruit in our food plan, as Stevia still activates the dopamine receptors to get excited by extra sweetness. Dried fruit enters the bloodstream as fructose too quickly for most of us as well. That said, if you find it’s not a problem for you, we don’t argue with your success!

      We have both a plant-based food plan and an Omnivore food plan. You’re free to pick items from either or both plans. I hope this helps answer your questions?

      Reply ·
    2. Mieke

      I think that you are going great without restricting lines which light make you crave your little pleasures more by forbidding them. No need for that as a number 3! Enjoy your freedom!

      Reply ·
  24. Josh

    To me, BLE is certainly not a diet, but just like Susan said: a choice based on not giving my body poison. For me, it’s like saying “I don’t smoke.” I don’t eat sugar, because it’s a monster that chooses to run me before I have a say in the matter. I don’t even miss it. Lemme tell you, I LOVED smoking. In fact, I think smoking is socially the best thing ever. I love having a cigarette on the beach, or on my balcony having a coffee. But you know what? I don’t smoke. Why? Because it is dangerous and will kill me. Simple sugar and flour are the same for me. They do me harm, so I don’t do them 😉

    Reply ·
  25. Ellen

    I think this blog is spot on! I’m 60 years old and have struggled with food since my teens. I thought I was “over weight” long before I was; I was so out of control with food and it was only dumb luck and lucky genetics that I wasn’t grossly overweight for my entire life. I may have been “an emotional eater” but despite lots of “emotional work” dieting was always a will-power, white-knuckle affair. Failure in eating choices and failure to really figure out my “emotional issues” just piled on together to make me feel shame. I have always been very analytical and emotionally honest – why couldn’t I figure this out??

    I’ve lost 45 pounds after giving up flour and sugar. I don’t need (and don’t thrive under) the “write everything down the night before” guideline but blossomed with eating only 3 meals a day, avoiding sugar and flour, and eating lots and lots of veggies, fruits, healthy fats, etc. The identification of sugar and flour as addictive, with all the science about how and why they pull their dirty tricks, has been ABSOLUTE FREEDOM for me. I no longer get down on myself as some kind of emotional mess; an erroneous conclusion drawn from being so out of control with food. Emotions, as Susan said in the VLOG, may have often been my trigger – but that’s different than being the cause. Thank you, Susan. And thank you for the reminder that Bright Line Eating is not for everyone. I am training to be a Health & Wellness Coach and (contrary to my training) constantly want to yell from the rooftops – “Give up flour and sugar and your problems will be solved!!” I need to avoid overwhelming others with the zeal of the convert. 🙂

    Reply ·
    1. Mara

      Ellen, I totally agree about giving up flour and sugar. It’s a must in my opinion. I also don’t like writing down my food the night before. I like to options and to be able to tune into my body and figure out what it is needing and wanting that day. BUT, I do get the concept behind it and think it’s a good idea for many people. Congrats on training to be a health coach. I am now certified and am working on getting my business up and running.

      Reply ·
    2. KLK

      I am so glad to see your post. I am 55 and hoping I will lose too just giving up the flour and sugar. So far I have only had the carbs in the morning and hope that is going to get the weight off. I have only been overweight the last 8 yrs.

      Reply ·
    3. Kathleen

      Thank you Ellen, you could’ve taken the words right out of my mouth. I am 55 years old, I have been listening to the Vlogs, read the book and joined the 2 week challenge to get access to the recipe’s etc. I’ve just started this week by following the no flour and no sugar and 3 meals a day without snacking. I stick to the amounts (mostly, but I’m not overly pedantic, I’m more interested in training my eye to recognize an appropriate serving size.) – the only thing I struggle with is the writing things down, I’m encouraged by your comments that it may be possible to have success here without that step. (I can always return to it if I find myself losing my focus) I lost 30 kg (about 66 pounds) last year using a different approach (including meal replacements) but acknowledge that it was not a viable long term solution given that I have about double that amount still to lose. The science supporting Dr Susan’s method just makes so much sense to me, I too have to avoid being over zealous as this new paradigm is hard for some to ‘swallow’. I decided today that I just need to do it and show by example that it works.

      Reply ·
  26. Mara

    Hi, Susan. Mara here. Thank you so much for reading and addressing my email. Very helpful and insightful. Gives me a lot to think about and process. I did the 14 day challenge. What worked for me was giving up flour and sugar. Period. I don’t really even miss them. Sometimes I will use an alternative healthy sweetener, such as xylitol or stevia, but it’s not daily and it totally hits the spot when I do. The thing that also was super helpful was to write down everything I put in my mouth. So good to see that on paper. The thing that I couldn’t find in me to do was stick with was measuring everything. It really did feel too restrictive for me. BUT, I appreciated weighing things for the first few days to give me an idea of how much food you recommend to eat to be able to lose weight and be in a right body. The other thing that I noticed that really helped lose a few pounds was lowering my carb intake, not just flour, but no grains and “fake” flours, and upping my fat and protein intake. That really helped with cravings. The unfortunate thing I noticed, though, was how much I overate in the evenings (eating when I wasn’t really hungry) and drinking too much wine. So, Susan, to me it feels like it’s tied to emotions (boredom, anxiousness, unsatisfied with some things in my life, etc) and not physiologial. It would seem to me that if I changed up my routine, such as go for a walk, or hang out with a friend or take a class in the evening at the gym, that is what would be beneficial and help stop the overeating and drinking wine. Anyway, I am thrilled you addressed this topic because I know it’s a very common issue. I am going to be reading your book and doing some more thought work and research on your philosophy and what you teach and what worked for you. One thing is for sure, you are helping thousands of women lose weight and feel good in their bodies. You are changing lives and that is beautiful and what I desire to do as well. I will keep you posted on my journey with Bright Line Eating and overcoming emotional eating. Blessings to you!

    Reply ·
    1. Mara

      As I reread through my comment, I’m thinking the nightly overeating and wine could definitely just be a habit (like you mentioned) and not really related to emotions necessarily. It could just be as simple as changing up my routine and breaking some bad habits I have fallen into. Sheesh, you’d think that us health coaches and teachers would have all of this figured out. lol! Nope. It’s definitely a journey and a learning process.

      Reply ·
      1. Dyan

        Hi Mara: Yes, break-up your routine. If you find something else to do that will be (a lot) more exciting than the food & wine you’ve been tied to, you’ll start to break this habit. Find something that would be just as pleasurable & comforting. Start making your exciting list today….yoohoo!

        Reply ·
      2. Brooke

        Mara, I would definitely get her book. She talks about the part of your brain that will try to “justify” having some wine or eating too much in order to get what it wants. She calls it the saboteur. My saboteur used to convince me to buy cookies for the kids (ha!). Of course, my poor kids came home from school to a box with only three cookies in it!
        The connections we have to food go way back to childhood. Amazing how we use food for comfort or distraction. It does tie in to our feelings (in that sense it is emotional). I am learning to sit with being in an uncomfortable situation or to use other ways to self soothe.
        One last thing….I believe that sometimes we just need to find someone who seems to have the answer (Susan Peirce Thompson) and give their way a try. After struggling with food for forty years and feeling like a failure every time I slide back, I let Susan have the voice of authority for me, initially just for the 14 day challenge but now it’s been 100 days. It’s such a relief to just do what someone says and not feel as if it’s all on my shoulders. She has done the heavy lifting for us.

        Reply ·
      3. Gem

        I’m a weight-loss coach too, and a BLE bootcamp grad and bright lifer, and I’m so glad Susan answered your question Mara, as I have similar struggles and questions. In your process of exploration, I would actually totally recommend doing the bootcamp as an experiment. And sticking to everything that is recommended as an experiment. And then deciding later how you will continue.

        I am still deciding myself exactly how I will integrate some intuitive eating elements with BLE, but when I was doing the bootcamp and following the bright lines 100% oh my goodness!! Around the 3-5week mark something profound changed in my brain. The same food I was eating in week 1 and 2 all of a sudden was dramatically more satisfying. I can not every describe it. If I hadn’t had that experience, I wouldn’t have truly known the benefit of the BLE lifestyle. It is profound. I’m still a bit “on and off” with my “bright lines” and working towards full integrity again. It’s a struggle to change both my thinking, my emotional habits, my philosophy, and my habits… but the profound feeling I experienced in bootcamp keeps me moving forward. And the support during the bootcamp was truly the most profound group training support I’ve ever experienced. It impacted me profoundly emotionally. Definitely recommend.

        Hope this helps 🙂

        Reply ·
        1. Mara

          Gem, thank you so much for your input. Nice to hear from another weight loss coach. Like you, I struggle with where I’m landing on what I want to apply to my life and teach my clients. Can you tell me what was the hardest part of doing the BLE bootcamp? Did you feel hungry a lot? Deprived? Restricted? Also, would you mind sharing where you attended school? I attended Health Coach Institute and am getting ready to further my education with a Life Coach teacher by the name of Brooke Castillo.

          Reply ·
    2. Susan Peirce Thompson

      Hey Mara. So glad you’re here watching!
      One thing I forgot to mention in the VLOG–there most definitely is a role for emotional healing to play in the journey…it just comes AFTER one stops eating addictively. We have a 2-part course called “Bright Line Healing” that’s a deep-dive into the inner work. I’m a HUGE BELIEVER in doing the inner work. Just not as the initial impetus for us to get our food on track, but rather as the healing that will allow us to KEEP our food on track. I would suggest doing the Boot Camp and really diving all the way in. When you commit to not having that wine or extra food at night, you’ll finally see what your inner psyche is trying to tell you needs to be healed…and then the journey will really get interesting 😉
      So much love.

      Reply ·
  27. Rachel F.

    Very smart video. I like your point about emotion as cues, in the same way that time of day or activity are cues. I always thought that I had some deficiency or ineptitude because I am an emotional eater. It is clear that I have a predisposition for this behavior and then and somewhere along the line I learned to use food to curb my emotions. For me, unpacking the reasons why have gotten me nowhere. The reasons why are simply learned behaviors that are structured throughout momentous periods of my life.

    Reply ·
  28. Sreynuch

    Dear Dr Susan,
    I’m please give me a advice, How’s should I do for my weight loss, It doesn’t keep last longer ?
    But, my issue was brain fog ..
    Thank you so much..

    Srey

    Reply ·
  29. Mel

    Interesting question and one I’ve pondered many times myself. FOR ME, here is my take: as long I have “addictive” substances in my diet and wreaking havoc with my brain (i.e. sugar, flour and any foods that cause me to overeat) I just cannot eat intuitively because my “intuition” about what is healthy for me, what “feels good” in my body and even when to stop eating are messed up and “poisoned” by those addictive substances. However, I also have digestive issues so eating large meals (i.e. 3 meals per day) can be too much, cause gas, bloating and discomfort and actually LEAD to bingeing or overeating for me so I find smaller (and if necessary more frequent) meals, and more blended foods like green smoothies and blended veggie soups seem to just make me feel really balanced and are sustainable. So in this situation I am more inclined to follow my innate wisdom/intuition or just listen to my body & its needs/symptoms vs. listening to any hard and fast rule made by someone else who is not living in my body day-to-day.

    Having said that however, I think intuitive eating is a spectrum that people could benefit from in different areas of eating (quantity, meal timing etc.) but in terms of actual types of foods to eat, I do agree that until you remove all the things that disrupt neuronal patterns, impulse control and ability to make good choices (basically those things that HIJACK the brain and willpower) your ability to use intuition for the kinds of foods you need to eat to be healthy may be difficult if not impossible. When you still have these things in your system, your intuition cannot work as well because you will continually delude yourself and you can’t honest about your symptoms because your hijacked brain insists you need it.

    My ultimate goal is not to rely on anyone else’s ideas, rules, structures or guidelines around my food but to read, study, listen and learn and then continually experiment to find out what really works best for me to heal my body and brain and allow me to eat intuitively (meaning eating based on what my now healthy brain tells me my body needs). Is that a possibility for someone with a history of food addiction? Can a former food addict, over time, develop their intuition so that it sends them reliable signals about what their body needs for food and fuel and what is best to avoid? I don’t know because everyone is different, but it would sure feel amazing!

    Reply ·
    1. jillian

      Hi mel…this may not be at all what you need but as I got to be over 60 I was having some digestive issues. My Holistic Dr. had me take digestive enzymes since we have less as we age. I have been eating very healthy whole foods for years so that was a surprise to me. It did help.

      Reply ·
  30. janet

    It’s not a diet, it’s a choice!! Yes! thank you for that. I have had a difficult time trying to explain my reasoning for being on this and sticking with it now that I am the weight I want to be. I am still a few pounds over what insurance and/or doctors’ charts say I should be, but I’m very happy with where I am, so I don’t want to say that I am still on the ‘diet’ I have just changed my method of eating forever. By choice.

    Reply ·
  31. Shawna Murph

    As usual- PERFECTLY said Susan! In a perfect world (with a perfect brain), I think we would all want to have intuitive eating habits. Unfortunately, I don’t have a perfect brain that knows when “enough is enough”. My brain is a “whiny baby” and wants what it wants when it wants it! BLE makes my brain behave and not rule the whole house. Thanks for all you do to educate, inspire and bless our lives! P.S. Have fun in San Diego!!!!!!!!!

    Reply ·
  32. Robin Scott

    I have chronically dieted for 45 years. I feel clueless in being able to eat intuitively. I think I should eat what I did on a diet before. I can rarely identify what I want to eat.

    Reply ·
  33. Jane Cole-Stitt

    I signed up for the 14 day BLE challenge. Then immediately put it on the back burner when i thought it was too restrictive and I’ve been learning about other ways of eating. Watching this video helped me realize i should just do it and see how it fits in my life

    Reply ·
  34. Leslie

    We’re all on a diet. Some might follow the diet of eating crap and others might be on a vegan diet. Diet is simply what we are putting into our bodies, and should not be a reason that stops one from trying Bright Line Eating. I think the problem with today’s society is that we are a bit spoiled. We want what we want, and can’t imagine “restricting” ourselves. This is what will put most people six feet under unfortunately.

    Reply ·
    1. Laurie

      True

      Reply ·
  35. Luanne Holland

    Thank you so much Susan for your weekly vlog. As usual I find your comments so valid and interesting. I took the 14 day challenge and was totally amazed when it worked for me. I am truly happy, and free and am working on the thin. I feel so much better physically and mentally. The fact that I was addicted to sugar and flour was what was wrong all along and I never knew it. I can never thank you enough for leading me to this solution. I am telling all my friends about this program because I want them to experience the wonderful success of feeling great again. My family has been watching this whole process and are now becoming more selective in what they put in their bodies also. In other words the whole family is eating healthier with less sugar and flour. Thank you for having such a impact on my whole family. Keep up the good work.

    Reply ·
  36. theresa rupert

    I can so relate to this. I actually threw down the book several times and said, no, it’s too restrictive. But I picked it back up and I couldn’t be happier. This, this is what was missing in my three year struggle to identify my food issues. I don’t know if I could do this without that work though. What I do know is I’m down 16 lbs five weeks into bright line eating and I find it to be making me feel really good. Better than all those cookies, Cheetos, and beer ever did!

    Reply ·
    1. Mariah Perkins

      Wonderful! So happy for you. Yeah!!! Keep on going..

      Reply ·
  37. Dogbert

    I really appreciate your framing the discussion in terms of cues. Whether they’re emotional, temporal, geographic or chemical, it seems like for those of us who’ve fought this battle for so many years, there’s a lot of awareness that needs to be brought to the process. And while we’re raising that awareness, we are supported by the bright lines and the other tools of your program, Susan, which for many of us makes the job infinitely easier. Sure, it can seem like a strait-jacket at times. But at other times (and this is most of the time) it provides a blessedly necessary structure. I call it the Freedom of No-choice.

    Reply ·
  38. Libby Breukels

    You’re an amazing woman, Susan. Such an inspiration. 💕

    Reply ·
  39. Susan

    What is the 14 day challenge?

    Reply ·
    1. Bright Line Eating

      Susan, the 14-Day Challenge is our “taste” of Bright Line Eating… a chance to experience our food plan and philosophy and some of our tools for 14 days to see if you want to continue and do a Boot Camp. More info under the “Get Started” tab of our website: http://www.brightlineeating.com

      Reply ·
  40. Rhonda

    This was right on target! I struggled with weight and eating all my life and explored everything: that I was an emotional eater, that I was addicted to food, mindful eating, every diet imaginable, etc. I finally realized that in order to get to and stay at a normal weight, I would have to be starving all the time–which was simply an untenable way to live. Then I discovered the ketogenic diet and 90 pounds melted off with no hunger at all. I now realize I am super sensitive to carbs which jack up my blood sugar quickly and then the insulin response leaves me starving even though I just ate. I have effortlessly maintained this weight loss for a few years now. I wish I had figured this out 40 years ago! It wasn’t any of those emotional or psychological issues, it was simply eating too many refined carbs. I can’t deal with all the weighing and measuring, but it turns out I don’t need to. I naturally stop eating when I’ve had enough because I’m eating lots of good delicious fats at every meal.

    Reply ·
  41. KLK

    Day 3 or 4 of bright line. Excited but scared…..I am a candy addict and hoping I can stay away. Its true one bite and I have eaten the whole bag. Best to not even buy it. Hopefully it will get easier if the weight drops of fast so I know its worth hiving it up.

    Reply ·
  42. Rebecca Ranieri

    Hi Susan ! Thank you so much for this vlog and all the others! I found you by accident on Facebook, bought your book, and have been following the Bright Line Eating program since April 1st. I’ve lost 16 lbs in these two months, and I’m so grateful to you! I’m fairly isolated out here in the country, so I really love and appreciate your vlogs! I have 80 lbs to go! 😊
    Love, Rebecca

    Reply ·
  43. Tina

    Thank you Susan! This vlog could have been written for me too! I have been in therapy for several months now with Intuitive Eating as the strategy to manage my binges and emotional eating. It does not work! It is exactly as you said – some days you intuitively eat to fullness others you over eat. Thank you God for your Bright Lines eating program! The boundaries and structure are exactly what I need. I just started a little over a week ago and have already lost 8 lbs and can already feel such a shift in my brain cravings and hunger as I detox my brain from sugar and flour. Thank you! I have a lot of weight to lose (110 lbs), but for the first time in a very long time I have hope in being freed from my prison of fat I engulfed myself in. Thank you!

    Reply ·
  44. Natalie Helen Beresford-Wood

    Great presentation. SUSAN what you say is 100% correct… Its a lifestyle choice. Well done. Thank you. Your skin is amazing to.

    Reply ·
  45. Fiona UK

    Thank you for this well explained blog Susan. I have been running a peer support group for emotional and binge eating for a couple of years now but there has always been something missing and those attending tend not to lose weight although they reduce their self hatred a little. I am on my third week of BLE – a grazer all my life and now I am transformed. If I can break this cycle of habitual eating any of the people who attend the group can too. The link to sugar/flour has relieved my negative thinking, and restless legs, and hope to shrink my dibilitating fibroids too! Can’t wait for next week’s vlog and I agree with other – you look positively radiant. Thanks again.

    Reply ·
  46. Deb

    Although you say this is not a diet, I think it becomes one when you weight and measure the amount you eat. I tried abstinence of sugar and flour alone and I did not lose weight quickly. Only when I bounded quantities I lost weight quickly and consistently. I have to continue to weigh and measure to maintain as well. It is sad but necessary for me .

    Reply ·
  47. Linda

    I feel that this vlog was presented just for me…. I have so much emotional strength and healing but can’t shift the weight. loved the 14 day challenge but fatter than ever and so depressed about my body… It’s like an alien has a hold of my brain . Always an excuse for “just one more” doughnut….

    Reply ·
  48. Karen

    Good blog I watch when I’m not eating and can pay full attention I think most people consider a diet as a short term fix and a life style as something permanent with no variations. Brite lines keep things in perspective and since you make them up its your job to keep them. True story last night my daughter made gluten free brownies with pecans, my favorite and I was ready to break the line. In fact I was going to enjoy them. My daughter said no and handed me an orange. Now I had asked her not to bake because I have just started with BL but she helps me get back to base a lot. She is 18 years old and not a tyrant, baked goods were all ways used to celebrate in my house. I have found that even the gluten free stuff is not good nutrition and so have not been eating it.

    Reply ·
  49. Jeni

    Susan,

    I can’t tell you how timely this Vlog was for me! I have done your boot camp, and the 14 day challenge. I have read your book and just eat about everything you dish out, no pun intended. BUT yet I struggle! I am still crazy with food. When I am doing BLE I feel so good about myself, I’m in control, my head frees up and I am loosing weight. So many thing about BLE feel like divine truth that I have been searching for over a decade of trying to loose my excess baby weight. However, at some point I let life get the best of me and I fall off the band wagon and binge widely- like WAY WAY worse than I ever did PRE-BLE. It’s just terrible. I get depressed and cry for days. BLE would be so much easier for me if I didn’t have a family who eats sugar and flour, and quantities that I don’t. THEY are the best part of my life and I wouldn’t trade them for all the thin-ness in the world! I am about to see a therapist who specializes in eating disorders, particularly binge eating disorders and she recommends intuitive eating. I purchased the book and thumbed through a few chapters. You mentioned how this didn’t work for you, and I can see why it wouldn’t work for me either. I can’t be trusted to just know when to stop eating, eat whatever I want, whenever I want. That would make me feel good emotionally ( in the moment) but would just be a bandaid fix for a greater probl em, meanwhile I am gaining weight- which makes me depressed and crazy with my food in a different way. I do see how intuitive eating could help solve some of my problems that BLE was creating. For instance, when I am traveling with my kids being able to be spontaneous and eat subway sandwiches on the go at the park like everyone else. My husband and kids were secretly annoyed that I couldn’t be spontaneous with them and had to eat “only and exactly what I wrote down the night before.” Being able to celebrate there birthdays with cake and ice-cream (they notice that mommy isn’t eating it too) and I worry what message that is sending to them. Or why Mommy is “eating so much salad and vegetables and no pasta again with our dinner”. Yes I did educate them on the importance of the quality of food, and why mommy is eating this way and not that- but they are young, and notice and very impressionable. I appreciate your honesty when you say that BLE isn’t for everyone. In my truest self I want BLE to work for me- its just hard for me to do consistently as I am feeding my family foods that I don’t eat, AND it takes a lot for me to be successful ( like I am thinking about it at the expense of being emotionally present with my kids and husband). I appreciate you telling us your experience with intuitive eating. I am learning things about myself vicariously through you. I am wondering if I need to have a hybrid approach between the two?

    Reply ·
    1. Eileen

      Maybe if you follow BLE & get your leptin unblocked, it will help you go back to Intuitive Eating, where you can be spontaneous & very free to live in the real world with your husband and kids? Like Susan said, after 8 weeks of BLE, try it and see if you’re still pulled to your addictive foods. From what I’m gathering from a lot of comments….. some people are and some people aren’t.

      Reply ·
  50. Nancy

    Thanks for your wisdom! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with all of us.

    Reply ·
  51. Lisbeth

    Hi Susan
    I enjoy juicing – Can this work Within the BLE system?

    Reply ·
    1. Bright Line Eating

      Lisbeth,

      We get asked this question a lot; unfortunately, the answer is “no” we do not do juice or juicing. The reason is that we need the insoluble fiber of the whole fruit or vegetable; if we mascerate them, the glucose or fructose enters our blood streams to quickly.

      Reply ·
  52. Ruth Flynn

    I totally agree that BLE is not a diet. Flour and sugar do mess with your Brain and you can only see it when you go through your program. Then your eyes are opened to see how your body gets Effected by eating flour and sugar. Great message. Thank you

    Reply ·
  53. Betsy Meynardie

    Great vlog. As someone who has struggled my whole life to lose weight, I always thought it wasn’t going to work until I had figured out the underlying cause. However as someone who comes from a loving family and had a pretty wonderful childhood and have been super blessed with not experiencing severe trauma… I always struggled with the idea that I had to figure out my “issues.” Yes I have body image issues, Yes I have tended to eat when I’m stressed… but this vlog and the BLE program is teaching me that it really is the food I was eating that was causing the problems. Thank you Susan and the BLE community.

    Reply ·
  54. Evelyn Reinig

    Loved the Vlog! Your an amazing lady. I know I will be in my right size body one day soon. I will keep pressing on till I do . Thank you for being present on the earth. Sending love and prayers Evelyn P>S> God bless you always and forever

    Reply ·
  55. Donna Reynolds

    So glad you covered this topic…freed me from all my beliefs about emotional eating!!! And helped me to see BLE is a way of life not a diet!! No restrictions on taking care of myself…I am 22 days living BLE and liking it!!!Me and my brain thank you!!

    Reply ·
  56. Helen Roberts Spingola

    One of Susan’s best blogs ever!! Have watched it over and over……ah yes….sugar: the OTHER white-powder!!!!

    Reply ·
  57. Gail C

    Until I ran across the name of Susan Pierce Thompson PhD and Brightline Living I had been living this way but always felt it was an uphill battle that I was fighting on my own. I was happy, fit and trim and for the most part liked my life. Then 10 years ago I had a major life change that I allowed to shipwreck how I had lived for years and then just about everything I believed in became such a battle that I believed the lie and gave up on what I knew to be true since I was tired of fighting this battle alone. Then I ran across Brightline Eating and finally felt that I was connected to something bigger than myself with others who spoke the same language. The strength that has risen up in me again because of this tribe/community of people has been life transforming – it is like being resurrected from the dead. I have hope again of a happy future. If Brightline is something you, I encourage you to go for it with everything that is in you. You will not be disappointed.

    Reply ·
  58. Peggy

    Great vlog! Very timely for me also!

    Reply ·
  59. nadwa

    hey suzan,
    I went into Ble in oct 16 till nov 16and ilost 25 pds. theni maintai ed my weight . until feb 17 when someone offered me a small cup of wine then i started 2 eat sugar and since then i gained 3 pds and each time i start to loose them i cant do it . meanwhile i wanna tell u that i cant let habit into my life I always need a change its a charcter tha i have what can i do .tha k u.

    Reply ·
  60. Taty Shoham Roth

    Hi Susan
    What is your opinion on milk?

    Reply ·
  61. Gem

    Great video, thank you Susan 🙂 as you know from our conversations, I have struggled with this issue myself. This video really helped. Today I started an experiment (for the 2nd time, I flopped once already, resuming now!!) “365 days without sugar”. What I think will work for me is “I wonder what would happen if…” … ie. I wonder what my life would be like if I did other things with my time instead of eat (and binge-watch Netflix!! hehe). Surely this will be profound. I wonder what will happen? … In any case – thanks for another insightful and useful vlog. Lots of love. Gem xx

    Reply ·
  62. Virginia Harcourt

    Wow. What a great vblog. I recently went to a seminar on intuitive eating and was in a room of woman who were all extremely over weight and the speaker handed out chocolate and said it was ok to eat it Etc. I was gob smacked … I’m like she’s handing me my herion. (I’d been doing BLE for a few months at this stage). And said I wouldn’t eat it because it’s a drug to me and she said sugar is just the new bad guy it’s not true and small amounts won’t hurt you. . Wow seriously!!
    I’ve got no deep seated emotional issues, I was just obese and ate too much.
    i ate myself fat and now I eat myself thin and happy. Simple.

    Reply ·
    1. Katlin

      If you had been doing BLE for a few months and very happy with it, as you said, why did you go to an Intuitive Eating seminar?

      Reply ·
  63. Marla

    I have been choosing the Bright Line eating system for the past 7 weeks, since I read the book., which I loved! In the first week I dropped 4 pounds and I haven’t moved the scale since. Any ideas on why this would be? I have never changed my diet and not had results. I am flummoxed.

    Reply ·
  64. Christiana

    I love that you talk about the many different cues. I think that healing through eating the food that we know are good for us according to the Bright Lines will allow us to deal with emotions more fully and healthfully by actually seeing them without the barrier of food.

    Reply ·
  65. Cari Koebke

    I love you Susan!!!!! You have saved my life!!!! Everything you say is spot on for me!!! BLE is the only eating plan that has ever worked for me! I have been struggling with hypoglycemia for almost 50 years. I have tried restricting flour and sugar but without a bright line firm no, I couldn’t succeed long term. Fuzzy lines ensure failure!!!! I cannot express how grateful I am to you for giving us BLE and all your brilliant expertise!!! You are AMAZING. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

    Reply ·
  66. Cari Koebke

    I watch your Vlogs more than once. They are loaded with wisdom! I can’t get enough!!!

    Reply ·
  67. Kathy

    Love this vlog, I tried the intuitive eating route based on a doctor’s recommendation. Ha ! I gained even more weight. For us 10’s on the scale – just made things even worse in the food addiction department. It did help me to forgive myself about over eating, but Bright Line Eating has brought the structure, results and peace I was needing so very much. I have taken the 14 day, the boot camp and still working on goal weight. I have lost 38 lbs and am confident in loosing the 20 more to reach my goal and stay there. Thank you Susan and BLE!!!

    Reply ·
  68. Kathleen Marinell

    First of all, where do we get your book!! What is the title? I knew over a year ago that you wanted to get your book completed and published but somehow missed the memo that it was done. Hope you or someone can let me know how to find it… I’d love to read it.

    Appreciate that you addressed this topic here. My personal journey to successfully reaching my ideal weight and maintaining it easily included wading through the emotional side of my relationship to food and I had the same experiences that you shared. Lots of emotional healing and intellectually/logically appreciating the simplicity of “eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full” and nothing helped with my addictive behavior and cravings for sugar until I changed what I was eating. So it is refreshing to hear that the science does not substantiate emotional healing as a guarantee to ending addictive eating and coming from you carries a lot of weight for me – no pun intended – as I have not studied the scientific research anywhere near to the degree that you have. I have found in my own journey over the past four years that the more I improve the nutritional quality of my foods, I am better equipped to heal deeper emotional issues that surface rather than the other way around. I like that you mentioned the emotional factor being more of a queue that triggers our eating like the time of day or social event. Lots of great insights for me in the vlog, so thank you.

    Reply ·
    1. Kathleen Marinell

      Just found the book and ordered it on Amazon. 🙂

      Reply ·
  69. Wendy

    Its day 3 for me. I felt ‘free’ right from the first meal! Happy is already here, thin is a way off still though :)This is so empowering. I’m so excited but also terrified that I will betray myself again. Please God let this be it at last! I find not having to make decisions absolutely life changing. And not BLT’s and not putting stuff in my mouth as I cook and serve, wow! And sitting still to eat, I never knew I would find that so difficult. Fascinated what this is showing me about my chaotic eating habits. As for the Vlog, I’ve spent more than a decade of deep spiritual and emotional work, therapy, everything known to man trying to get to the bottom of my emotional eating. I feel all the feelings now, I am an advanced meditator, I practice lucid dreaming, I heal my shadows, I’ve banished toxic relatives, none of this helps me to lose weight, I am the biggest I have ever been! but with BLE I feel that things are finally starting to make sense. I bought the book and it arrived last week. Its giving me the structure and boundaries which I so clearly needed. I’ve lost 1kg in 48 hours. I sincerely hope to be reporting a steady loss in a few weeks, months and years from now…I too am a nutritional coach with a wealth of nutritional knowledge but being about 15kg overweight don’t feel I can do my work at all until I have overcome my own weight problems. I am even an ACE certified personal trainer – Still no luck! I even went as far as to open a detox company where people do 7 day holistic juice fasts. I’ve done 7 week long fasts. I just gain the weight straight back afterwards. I’ve even written a cook book! (sugar and wheat free)and two other books on the subject (none published yet) But still I am overweight. Perhaps this is the answer at last, I really really hope so . Susan you are amazing and I thank you for what you are doing. I hope you never get discouraged by anybody’s criticism of you. Hopefully the love and appreciation overcomes it. Mwa!!

    Reply ·
  70. Lyn OBrien

    Hi, can you please tell me what the 14 day challenge is, and how I might be able to sign up for it. Thanks, Lyn.

    Reply ·
  71. Lyn OBrien

    Can you please tell me what the 14 day challenge is. Thanks, Lyn.

    Reply ·
    1. Bright Line Eating

      Hi Lyn,

      The 14-Day Challenge is for those people who are interested in trying a “taste” of Bright Line Eating before they commit to the full Boot Camp. It’s a complete program unto itself with different modules (daily for 14 days) then the 8 week Boot Camp.

      It’s an online program and you can register at http://www.brightlineeating.com under the “Get Started” tab. We’d love to have you!

      Reply ·
  72. Lynette

    Good Morning! I am reading your book, easy reading by the way you write very well. I have read and purchased a lot of books regarding diet dos and donts. I did Atkins for years lost 140 pounds. I gained 20 pounds back but for the most part kept it off for years. But as soon as I started eating the carbs I gained weight. I packed on another 65 pounds. Because of a really bad back, hips & other elements I had the gastro sleeve done. I lost 65 pounds & half of my hair. That was 1.5 years ago. My hair is starting to get fuller. But here we go again I put back on 10 pounds. Floor & sugar are the issues. I truly believe that flour & sugar are an issue. But here is my question. You talk about 3 meals a day which I use to be a meal eater but my problem is I cant eat enough in a meal to hold me for, fours hours until the next meal. Any suggestions as to how to do this. Thank you for all your hard work in helping all of us to become a healthier people. Lynette

    Reply ·
  73. Barb Grey

    TRIGGER, NOT CAUSE!!! This is HUGE! THANK YOU!!!!!

    Dear Susan, I’ve lost 42.3 pounds so far as a Bright Line eater, having started in the January Bootcamp. I’m 74 years old and have been yoyo dieting for decades. I even lost 100 pounds 6-7 years ago (on a big brand diet plan), but regained it all plus 10 more and was almost resigned to sitting out the rest of my life. I finally crossed the line into full blow diabetes and was gaining weight. At 275# and gaining I didn’t think I could “eat less and exercise” my way out of this sad state of affairs. I’d be so hungry! How could I ever eat less??!!! Now, I’m thrilled to report, I have been Happy and Free for months already and I’m loving life with great verve!!! The Thin, my final prize, is unfolding delightfully, tho I have a long way to go. Every day is a new delight. Loving the process!

    I am writing to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for this profoundly important vlog, the subject of which had remained the missing piece for me. It’s about “emotional eating”; I have never been able to identify with this assumption people make — that overweight people have “deep seated emotional issues”…!!! The missing piece was your explaining that emotions are often a TRIGGER for people, but they are not the CAUSE. That was the one last missing piece. I mean, I have spent years asking myself, ” Do I really have emotional issues I’m somehow not willing to recognize? Am I deluding myself????” Finally I “get it”!!! You see, for me, if I’m really scared or upset or sad, I tend to lose my appetite! My triggers to eat are more “pleasure / entertainment” oriented. Or time related, like “end-of-the-day-happy-hour” or social situations where eating/drinking is a socially pleasurable activity. I have learned that many people eat to soothe or mask negative emotions, but this particular pattern (which I now understand is not the cause, but the trigger) stimulates a different response in me. So, just as I’m more drawn to bread than chocolate, my primary triggers may be a bit different from other peoples. But it’s about addiction (brain chemistry) and TRIGGERS! I am so happy you are giving us the tools to really understand WHY we were overeating, confirming that “it’s not “our fault”, a lack of character, a weakness, a lack of discipline.. all the things so many other people THINK about us as a “class of people”… It’s that flour and sugar are drugs to our brains, and that we have an addictive response to them that is involuntary, but that it is manageable when we stop ingesting these substances!

    So, dear Susan, you answered my last remaining question about the WHY of my obesity!!! It’s what I’d always believed (that it is not CAUSED by emotions) but until hearing this vlog I have NEVER heard or read this explained (outside of my own “inner voice”)!! TRIGGER, NOT CAUSE. This is huge!!!! So, Susan, THANKS AGAIN for all that you are doing for us! I love and appreciate you more than you could ever know!

    Reply ·
  74. Kimberly

    Dear Susan,
    THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!! For sharing your personal experiences and scientific knowledge! I am on day three of the 14 day challenge and after just three days, I believe that BLE is the key I have been searching for to be free of dieting. I have battled losing weight for decades. I tried numerous diets and exercise programs that were short term successes. I went back to the way I was eating before starting a diet and would gain back the lost weight plus more each time. I am so enthusiastic about BLE being my way of clean eating and not a diet! I am already feeling happy and free and seeing evidence of becoming thin!

    Reply ·
  75. Christa

    Good VLOG. I only ever ate 2 or 3 times per day but when angry or frustrated (ie…emotional) I would eat again. Told myself it was my 3rd meal but mostly I was eating junk like chips or frozen yogurt. I am 80 lbs overweight -do not eat dairy , soy or flour. Am on the ‘Candida’ diet and am a practicing Bright Liner. (have been for 9 months). Have never lost an ounce but the brain fog has lifted and I feel so much better overall. Not really hungry most of the time so make myself eat but seldom feel full until about an hour after eating. The ‘mindful’ plan would never have worked for me! Now if I could just heal my leaky gut and get some help with my Thyroid, maybe I could lose the weight! Thanks Susan for putting yourself out there. The sharing of your personal experiences really helps!

    Reply ·
  76. Tammy

    I SO get what you’re saying about not being a diet! BLE has not felt at all like a diet for me. I started 60 days ago, and 9 days ago my spouse started on the BLE plan as well. She was able to articulate what I felt but didn’t have words for — she said that she’s not on a diet, but is in her sobriety by eating differently than she used to. That made sense to me. For me, this is my plan for food sobriety. I am extremely grateful for BLE and absolutely love your book Susan!

    Reply ·
  77. Evanthia

    Thankyou so much Susan. All of your blogs are so helpful. Thankyou. Thankyou.
    P.S. I’m still waiting to receive the book. Looking forward to it. Hope I don’t have to wait too much longer.

    Reply ·
  78. Eileen

    Susan, I caught you on The Doctors and signed up immediately. I am addicted to sugar and am having a tough time giving up sugar completely, even though I have given up sugar in my coffee, cereal and tea. I have probably reduced my sugar intake by 75% but the craving is always there. Mainly, I wanted to tell you how enjoyable it is to listen to such an intelligent person and you seem to understand how tough it is to eat properly.

    Reply ·
  79. Martha McCannon

    Thanks Susan for this vlog!! I was pretty sold on the intuitive eating thing until I realized that in reality I never felt full!! I’m such a volume eater that I seriously can eat a whole chicken without even blinking, so stop when you’re full didnt really apply 🙂 Plus the sugar/flour addiction thing LOL

    Reply ·
    1. Perry

      Maybe when you unblock your leptin you’ll start to sense your full sensation again, because Intuitive Eating is still so pleasurable, spontaneous & very very free.

      Reply ·
  80. Nancy

    Totally agree with Susan. I’ve become emotionally healthier over the years and was still unable to lose weight and keep it off . In life we have to set boundaries. I didn’t choose the addiction gene however I have it and have to deal with it. BLE works. It is a lifestyle choice for me not a diet. I’ve tried numerous diets. They all work and take it off but none of them helped me keep it off. Since I’m new in this community, my journey has just begun but I hope to be in the 1%.

    Reply ·
  81. Veronica

    Day 37 of BLE. Read the book. Doing the 14DC. Lost a solid 10 pounds. But more importantly, I’m DOING STUFF! VOLUNTARILY! Yardwork. Housework. Playtime with my husband. Awesome.

    Reply ·
  82. Beverly Scarpulla

    This was helpful for me on many levels. First I am currently struggling with an alcohol addiction. Even though I know it is better for me in every way to give it up, I still have been returning to the drink. Same with sugar and flour. I know it probably will result in not losing weight but sometimes I just want toast with my eggs when I go to breakfast with a friend at a diner. Last, I would love to someday become a health coach and need to find my way to health. Right now bc I am focusing more on sobriety, I am just doing no sugar, no flour and no eating between meals with the one plate plus salad rule. Along with the no alcohol of course. Hopefully I will get back to health.

    Reply ·
  83. Evanthia

    Thank you over and over again dear Susan. Find so much support from your blogs. I’m a bit worried because I haven’t received the book yet. Could it be because it was ordered on my son’s computer? dc@mc etc. (similar to mine) Anyway, here’s waiting for that fascinating book. Many of the comments above, coming from such beautiful people are helpful, too. ( I’m close to being 85, but I still look into the future.) Do you think there could be a blog on tinnitus? (Wishful thinking) Love, Evanthia

    Reply ·
  84. Christy

    To me, it feels like a diet because I am only eating 3 times a day:) I am happy to not be eating sugar and flour. It has been suprisingly easy. I started the 14 day trial with ble, but i quit sugar about a week prior. Weighing my food makes me feel like I am on adiet too. Although, as I weigh my food, i realized i do not eat nearly enough. Now that I am eating more, the sugar cravings have completely stopped:) I joined BLE because I want to lose 21 lbs and I want to keep sugar and flour our of my life. Thank you:)

    Reply ·
  85. Leith

    The thread of this wonderful conversation ended on July 26, of this year. However, I came to this VLOG just today. I signed up for the 14 day challenge and I noticed significant changes in the way that I felt. Lighter somehow, physically that is. Within a few days of FEELING GOOD, I let my guard slip. It started with sugary donuts and I learnt, AGAIN, that its the one taste of the one substance that is the culprit. Now, I’m not sure how long since that FEELING GOOD moment, I am watching this VLOG and tears hit my face and quite literally sob through the thoughts of…I failed, AGAIN. The tears have cleared, and the simple act of writing this comment has me staring at the hard hitting truth. This is going to be challenging for me, but I will have to straighten out my bike, fix the bent spokes and just keep on riding, through all the obstacles. As a relapsed cigarette smoker, I see the scary truth of the trick of “I’ll just have the one”. The one that becomes 2, then 3 and finally its daily. I think if it hold the truth that there are going to be difficulties. The biggest fear , for me, is failure , I suspect. Something that was pouring out with the tears this morning. So, I’ll return to the 14 day plan and begin again. Consistent persistence, I believe its called.

    Reply ·
View All Comments ▾

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>