Turns Out, I Like My Lines Blurry

Today I got an email from Hay House—a publishing company that I love!—with the subject line “Are You Addicted to Food?”

Of course, I opened it.

It’s one of those questions that endures for me…can a person be *addicted* to certain foods? I have definitely had times in my life when food cravings seemed overwhelming.

So I took the quiz.

The “Food Freedom Quiz” asked me to think back to a 3-month stretch of time in my life when my eating was AT ITS WORST and to answer the questions based on my eating during that time period.

I did not answer the questions based on the time when my eating was at its worst because that was 30-or-so years ago which seems a tad irrelevant. So I answered the questions based on how I felt during a highly stressful time in my life that happened about a year ago.

My “Susceptibility Score” was a 7 (out of 10) suggesting that I might struggle with food and my weight as well. Certainly my history supports that assessment!

The *quiz*, naturally, was a lead-in to a weight loss program.

Have you heard of Susan Peirce Thompson and Bright Line Eating (BLE)? I had heard of Bright Lines, but really didn’t know much about it. So, I was curious.

The program consists of 4 BRIGHT LINES, or non-negotiable rules: 1) No sugar, 2) No flour, 3) 3 meals per day and 0 snacks, and 4) strict portion control.

Oh my god. That sounds miserable!

Like no sugar FOREVER. Three meals per day and no deviation, EVER??

Holy hell on earth.

I am a rule-maker and a rule-follower, for sure, and these rules are way too strict for me.

You may have heard me speak or write about eliminating trigger foods from your home and your life for limited time until your cravings settle down and you can be rational around your particular trigger foods…I believe in this.

AND frequently trigger foods are highly processed and chock-full of sugar and flour. But do you need to eliminate them COMPLETELY, FOREVER?

Do you?

Some people are more sensitive to processed foods than others. Some people have a harder time managing their cravings than others. It’s definitely up to you to gauge how much processed food your body can handle before it goes haywire and starts sending signals to over-consume.

This will involve some trial and error.

I have no doubt that a person could achieve their weight loss goals and maintain with this program. But the question to ask yourself is, “Is this how you want to live your life?”

I’m curious; can you imagine living the rest of your life with these restrictions?

If not (and I’m in the “not” category, for sure!), then you *get* to find what works for you and allows you to find *your way* of enjoying food and enjoying life in a body that you feel pretty damn good about...

In other words, it’s all about MAKING IT YOUR OWN.

Find the LEAST RESTRICTIVE way in which you can meet your goals and sustain/maintain and…voila! You own it.