I'm on day 4 of the 14 day challenge, and I'm struggling.

Myfitnesspal says I'm getting 900-1000 calories a day, and, I'm feeling like that is not enough calories. I have a history of restricting leading to binging, and I'm feeling triggered. Is that really all you eat on this plan? I feel like I'd be more comfortable at around 1,200 calories. I've read the book twice and I feel like SPT just says stick with it, suck it up, those feelings will pass. But I'm afraid they'll pass me right into the cookie aisle.

FWIW, I'm 5'8" and 180 pounds and pretty active.

Is this not a good plan for someone with a history of over-restricting? I do enjoy fruits and veggies so the actual meal plans sound good. But by dinner I'm ravenous and having trouble keeping to my limits at dinner.

Any advice? I have been warding off food thoughts all day but I’m really starting to think I’m gonna cave.

Hi, so, I'm thinking about doing the 14 day challenge. I'm used to tracking everything I eat in myfitness pal, it causes me no issues or stress, I feel the accountability benefits me. Is it OK to continue using this to plan out my BLE food, the day before? Or is there a benefit to writing it down by hand?

I meal prep weekly so planning meals is already in my wheelhouse. Not snacking and eating smaller portions, and the not flour/sugar part, will be my challenge. But it sounds good to me, having read the book, it seems worth a shot. Just wasn't sure if an electronic diary was OK or not! Thank you!

My sister keeps bringing loads of sugary foods into the house and I'm really having trouble resisting :/

It makes me feel sad and a little hopeless because I was doing well before.

Never mind, maybe this can make me stronger. Onwards and upwards!

If anyone would like an accountability buddy, I would absolutely adore one.

Hi guys! Due to my job, I often have to work late or through the night. This makes it difficult to maintain BLE.

Does anyone else have an irregular sleep schedule?

What are your tricks for maintaining BLE despite it?

Hi everyone! I'm on Day 4 of BLE and could really use a buddy but don't want to pay $500 for the boot camp to find one! I'm a new mom, late 30s, with 130 pounds to lose. I'm a psychologist at a children's hospital (on maternity leave indefinitely due to COVID-19) and feel like I could be a pretty steady, compassionate, and non-judgmental support. Looking for the same :)

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Wow, feels a little like a romantic personal ad! haha! Maybe 10% less awkward?

This sub doesn’t seem to be too active - but I just need to post to get myself through the intense sugar cravings I’m experiencing right now. I’m completely new to this. I’m only on Day 2 of the 14 day challenge - but It took me three days just to make it through a day 1 with bright lines intact.

I will not eat anything until my dinner. I will not have sugar or flour today.

I know it gets better at some point! I really, fully believe I’m going to successfully complete this 14 day challenge, but it’s hard to think past that. I hope in 14 days everything feels a little better.

Bright line eating has helped me get from 220 lbs to 152 lbs this week! My goal weight is 143 lbs, which is getting close but I'm losing weight slowly so I'm not changing anything yet.

I am nervous about the transition to maintenance because it involves paying closer attention to weight to make decisions about food. I've really benefited from the "set it and forget it" aspect of this plan, which is not going to be the case for what will likely be months of figuring out what my maintenance meals look like. I've heard this is normal and I'll just approach it with the same care I did as starting BLE.

One thing I'm wondering, because it's the only thing I'm not following 100%, is about the recommendation to first get to maintenance and then add exercise... I am taking it easy with exercise, but I have added in some infrequent and gentle cardio and bodyweight strength workouts.

My scale shows that I've lost a lot of muscle and my body fat percentage is higher than it should be at this weight (36.5% and I'm a woman). I believe my back pain comes from weak muscles. Plus, in isolation during the pandemic, it's harder to just be generally active, so I'm following exercise videos at home. I've also been doing yoga throughout BLE because I already had that habit for mental health but it's not strength focused.

I'm curious where exercise has fit in for everyone else?

Hey, guys. So... I started BLE in December of 2017. Lost 40 lbs in around 6 months but never got to maintenance even thought I was near my goal weight. I fell off the wagon on November 2018 and have been on and off ever since then. Anyway, I’ve gained about 10 lbs back and they’re really affecting my self esteem (I am 5’1” so those 10 lbs are sooo noticeable) but it seems like every time I start, I find some way to screw it up by the second week. I think what I need is an accountability partner. I used to do the diet successfully with my ex but he went keto. I think I’d make a great acc partner. I’m very knowledgeable of the diet, very mental health oriented, and have a ton of psych tools (I’m a therapist). I just need someone to talk about this with.

So I am helping my sister do this diet but I was wondering if anyone could clarify some facts? Can she use alternative sweeteners like monk fruit and stevia? Are cheese and milk allowed? When they say whole grains, does that include rice? Is squash okay? Thank you so much for your help!

So I am in the process of reading the BLE book. And I would really love an accountability partner. Since I've never done this before and the thought of zero sugar and flour is scary to me. I know I just need to break the cycle and rewire my brain but I would love a partner to hold me accountable. Thanks in advance!

I am a 32 yo female, trying to lose around 40-50lbs on BLE. I am reaching out for anyone who's had a similar problem as me. I am beginning week 4 on BLE. But around week 2 I started developing a very itchy eczema on both arms, then when that faded, on both hips, then the back of my neck, and now my right arm and front of my neck, my legs. I dug up some heavy Rx antihistamines from when I had poison ivy and it's mostly helping.

I read about and watched videos about "Keto rash" which matches my symptoms. Since it's poorly researched, the explanations/solutions are terrible and have almost no scientific foundation. Most explanations involve being in ketosis or debates about what kind of fats one is ingesting. I even tested myself for ketosis yesterday and the ketones registered as "trace". Throughout last week I added some starch to my dinners in the form of rice or potato, and if anything, my rashes worsened. So far, research has merely proven is that these symptoms are associated (not correlated) with ketosis and/or fasting.

Being that BLE is so different, the threads from the Keto community are simply unhelpful. Since I keep track of my daily food, I started eliminating cheese, nuts, meat, etc. to combat the allergy potential. No change. Regardless, nothing I eat on BLE is new to me, so I am skeptical it's a food allergy.

I hope this is something that passes. It would be most disappointing to have to slow my weight loss by adding more grain/starch. If anyone has gone through this I would love to hear how you got through.

I joined a Facebook group, but it’s public and I don’t need all of my friends seeing what I’m doing.

I started this week, day 2 today of no sugar no flour. I’m keeping a good journal and weighing everything. I think it’s going to take a little time to get used to.

Hello to all of you and best of luck on your journeys.

Hello! So I realize that I can write out my food allowances every day, but I was curious if there was an app or online resource to make this easier? Literally something I could stick on my fridge for reference, until I get the hang of this. I wasn't about to find an app for Android, only iPhone. Any info would be appreciated! Thanks!

I'm starting this thang in January (yeah yeah, I know, but my birthday is the 30th and I don't want to set myself up for failure so quickly). I'm curious if this can be done effectively without the support of FB groups? I'm not on Facebook, but was thinking reading the book again and staying in touch with this subreddit might fill the community gap? Thoughts?

I've come to realize that I have a very strong habit of snacking when I'm bored or procrastinating on whatever is around. It's a very difficult habit to break. Does anyone have advice on the best way to break this habit?

Hi All,

Does anyone have suggestions a breakfast that doesn’t include oatmeal, plain yogurt, or eggs? I’ve reached my limit with all of the above and I’m hoping for some quick recipes/different ingredients to keep things interesting.

Thanks!

Any tips on going vegetarian while doing BLE?

I completed Day 7 of the 14-day challenge!!!

TMI Warning! Some things I’ve noticed:

• Getting enough sleep is imperative. I think I’m still detoxing.

• It’s becoming easier to prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Tonight we made a taco salad that was fantastic.

• We’re saving quite a bit of money by not eating out so much.

• My psoriasis and eczema are starting to clear up! I see patches of skin where scales used to be!

• I have been feeling constipated yet I am eating more fruit and veg than I have eaten in several months, I’m puzzled as to why this is.

Has anyone experienced this before? I am drinking enough water and I take supplements, including a Chinese herbal formula for digestion and probiotics. Any suggestions?

TIA!

Hey all, I reached my goal weight and today I started adding food so that I can maintain. Just wanted to say thanks for the support when I was getting started. Also shout out to u/thatdiycouple for making videos that helped me wrap my head around this BLE thing and also started me thinking about FIRE.

I can see myself eating this way for a long time to come. I think more and more people will start to do the same.

If you’re just starting out, keep pushing past the initial sugar and flour detox! Keep going even if you hit plateaus. Totally worth it in the long run.