Testify
Back in February, we did a workshop at CrossFit King of Prussia (KOP) in Philadelphia, PA. During the workshop, we mentioned that one of our clients had seen a remarkable improvement in her “seasonal allergies” when she eliminated dairy from her diet. Gym owner Aimee Lyons then asked, “Do you have a list of things that the Whole30 can help? Things your clients have experienced?” At the time, we did not, but we thought gathering that sort of information would be a great idea. And there’s no better time than now, with the re-launch of our Whole30 program.
This post is a call to arms for those of you who have already completed the full Whole30. We want you to testify here and now to the changes, effects and improvements you have personally experienced because of this program. We want specifics – weight lost, sleep quality regained, energy levels restored, and most importantly… health conditions improved. Share your experience for all the new Whole30 participants to read. Testify, make yourself heard, and provide that extra motivation for those who may still be on the fence.
This post is a call to action for those of you who are still contemplating whether to take us on. Ready to make some changes, but not sure you can follow through with the full 30 days? Unhappy with your body composition, energy levels, gym performance or physical health, but still not sold on whether the Whole30 program will actually work? THIS POST IS FOR YOU. Read. Believe. And join us.
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What the heck, I’ll kick this puppy off!
During the course of my participation in the original Whole30 (back in the day, before it had a cool name) I had a number of positive results. To begin with, I dropped around 25 pounds in the first 30 days that I ate clean. I also saw marked improvement in every area of my crossfit workouts and performances. Even more remarkably for me though was the improved recovery I had. Workouts that would leave me trashed before, would leave me trashed, and then I would get up the next day feeling fine. My sleep improved somewhat, though it wasn’t a big issue to begin with. Persistant Back-ne that I’d had for years cleared up. Also, I had always reacted terribly to getting bug bitten growing up, often having bites swell up to the size of quarters from a mosquito, and it hit me later that I stopped having such a large response(really any response at all). My energy levels were rock steady all day long. These were all fantastic improvements.
But the biggest thing for me was that thirty days changed my relationship with food. I had never approached eating with such conscious decisions and such dedication. I was happy with what I ate, for the first time. My mind was clear, never foggy. There was no guilt in my food, no emotions attached to a vacuum that was my mouth. It allowed me to completely re-evaluate how I saw and interacted with what I ate.
Even after I eventually went non-strict, the experience has profoundly stuck with me. This is my eating lifestyle now. It’s a conscious choice I make every day when I get up in the morning, because I know it will make me a healthier person. Ten months later, and total of 50 pounds lighter, this really has changed my life.
Jesse
Oh, and as an addendum, I’ve only gotten sick once in the ten months since I started, despite repeated exposure to infected people on a regular basis. That cold also only lasted me about two days. Also, my family has a history of high blood pressure, that I was beginning to see play out before I made the switch. My normal BP went from 140/100 to 116/76, in about a month period, and has stuck around there ever since.
My first Whole30 was last July (which I think was the first big group one, I believe), and while I haven’t been 100% on the program since, many things have stuck with me, such as not eating grains. Here’s what I noticed then, and since:
• The biggest change was in my digestion. On and off for the past 15 years, I’ve had bad intestinal cramping, and without getting graphic, let’s just say my “digestive results” have been all over the board. I even passed out a few times, especially after big wheat/dairy meals. Seriously. But, ever since that first Whole30—and subsequently being off grains and minimizing legumes, dairy, sugar, etc.—I haven’t had a bad episode since. (And now that I’m a couple weeks into another Whole30, everything is smooth sailing.)
• My seasonal allergies disappeared, and haven’t come back at all.
• I move better. Less tightness, more fluidity and mobility in general. I’m 38, so I probably notice this more than some of the younger-somethings around here, but it has been a big boon to my workouts, lemme tell you.
• I did lose some flab, and most of it was around my midsection.
• My energy levels are much more constant throughout the day, and I sleep better at night, too. (When I’m not eating as clean, I tend to wake up more in the night.)
Who knows, there may be other things that changed in the beginning which I’m now taking for granted, but those are the biggies that I’m grateful for all the time.
If you’re just starting out, stick with it! Trust me – it’s the greatest thing.
I come from a big family. Actually, quite short, but obese. My whole life, I have lived in fear that I will eventually become obese. I have stairmastered, step classed, spinned, and crossfitted my little tail off, combined with weight watchers, lean cuisines, and just plain “you’re a loser if you eat that” self-talk, all in the hopes of staying out in front of that looming potential future. I have always been about 10-20 pounds too heavy, but that felt like a win given my family history. And I have never been friends with food or my body. Sworn enemies actually.
I started my Whole30 exactly 28 days ago. So far, I have lost 7 pounds – my total desire is to lose 15 – so halfway there without weighing a damn thing, or counting a single calorie is pretty freaking awesome. But, like Jesse above, the single biggest impact is the way I relate to food and my body. It is awe-inspiring how quickly I have made friends with food. It is on MY TEAM now. It is RELIABLE now. It is not a solution for boredom, or a way to have fun, or my mortal enemy. It is fuel and it is consistent. I can’t tell you how much that means – instead of being this magical thing that has the power to shape my body and my self-worth, it is now this CONSTANT, totally predictable…. Does that make sense? As a woman, that is powerful stuff. Truly. When I read “This. Will. Change. Your. Life” I thought, “whatever, we’ll see.” Well, it’s true. My life has been changed. In 4 weeks!!
I also have all the other good stuff – clear skin, no puffiness, stable energy, stable mood. Woo hoo.
Thanks guys! I am signing up for another Whole30 starting next week!
I did my first Whole 30 in January of ’09. At the time, my crossfit workouts were hit and miss and my diet was not good-not BAD, but not good. The 30 days helped to pave a path for the next year in good healthy habits. It felt like starting fresh. After the 30 days were over, it seemed pointless to cheat.
I was happy with the way I felt physcially and emotionally. My workouts became consistent as well as my diet.I didn’t have the tired feeling in the afternoon or after a big meal. My stomach bloat went away and the cottage-cheese on the back of my thighs decreased(kind of gross, but the truth). My confidence level increased as well as my overall body image. The 30 days helps you see the fruits of your labor. I was doing all this working out and eating lots of proccessed food that covered up all my muscle. After the second week, I really started to see some definition in my body and overall looked more lean.
Your relationship with food really changes. You figure out what foods will help you maintain overall health through out your day. It was nice for once in my life to not have to count, weigh or measure. And…it worked!
This is my second round with the whole 30. I’m excited! I eat palo 90% of the time, but really want to challenge myself this time by giving up the milk in my coffe and sugar free gum.
Good Luck To All!
J.Spice
I did my Whole 30 in January of this year. I was hungry all through the first week and annoyed with anyone eating things I couldn’t through the second. After that I was great. I felt consistently better throughout the day even after hard workouts. During the thirty days I dropped over 10 lbs and even though I wasn’t as strict afterwards, sticking mainly to the guidelines I was down almost 25 lbs as of the beginning of may (165-140 lbs). All that weight loss was without really trying to lose weight. I ate what I wanted; it just sort of went away.
In terms of performance, all of my lifts continued to improve in spite of the weight loss. In that month I added 15 lbs to all my core lifts (squat, bench, press) with 20lbs added to deadlift. The press stalled after that but everything else continued to progress after the initial 30 days. I didn’t race in February, so I don’t have a bench mark for that, but I ran my second half marathon earlier in May. Last year I ran the same race in 1:54:49 and was absolutely destroyed afterwards. This was eating somewhat decently, but with lots of grains and dairy. This year I ran a 1:46:49 and felt tired but not anywhere near completely destroyed. It’s hard to trace how much was diet and how much was training in that improvement, though the 20 lb weight loss definitely helped.
The last thing is allergies. I still get stuffed up and leaky around what I used to, but cats don’t nearly kill me, and the outdoors during certain parts of the year don’t make me destroy an entire box of kleenex in an hour. I didn’t keep good enough track to definitely say this is diet related, but the timing at least somewhat matches up.
I attended a Whole9 lecture 32 days ago at Crossfit Ignite in Westwood NJ…yeah I was the one shooting death rays from my eyes at Dallas and Melissa when they were explaining how we (I) would have to give up beer and tequila..but despite that I started that very day and although I “almost fell on a beer” I stayed legit for my Whole30 which ended on Sunday!
Well I dont know where to begin with how it has helped be to:
-Hit PRs on any benchmare WOD posted since
-Add 30# to my CFT
-Add 15# to my Squat
-Add 30# to my Clean
-etc…
But for those who are not in it for the performance factor, since beginning the program, my energy levels have been excellent (once I finally dialed in my fat intake), I have had great nights of sleep, and lost about 9 lbs since I started. I was not very heavy to begin with, but also never relized how much fat I had on me!! I have not been this weight since my freshmen year of HS (YEY….I really do have abs…lol)!
From a health standpoint, I used to be sick ALL THE TIME and although that nonesense pretty much stopped once I went on the zone and found Crossfit, my joints still felt like crap, but since my Whole30, they feel pretty good, especially once I started to kick in the Fish Oil as per Robb.
I could go on and on with why anyone if not everyone should do this! Other than finding Crossfit, the Whole30 was one of the best things I have ever chosen to do. Was it easy, well NO, but I wouldnt have it any other way!!!
Thanks Guys!!!
PS…Now I am off to go “fall on a beer” and maybe even some tequila, but hey it is my first drink in 32 days! LOL!
I did the first Whole30 challenge (when it was supposed to be a post about cheating on paleo and called “Change Your Life In 30 Days) and loved it so much I haven’t looked back. Sleep quality, recovery time, stress levels, focus at work, and heavy weight lifting all improved.
The biggest thing for me, though, was that it cured my GERD (acid reflux.) I’ve had wicked bad issues with my stomach since high school and was able to wean myself off of my high dosage of Nexium without getting horribly sick like before. For me, this is a BIG. Freaking. Deal. Now, if I have a cheat day I experience some bad heartburn but am able to manage it with a couple Tums, unimaginable before.
PS: I also never get sick. In fact, the only time I’ve gotten sick in the past year was when some Ninja at our box infected everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) with a bacterial infection, then two weeks later that same Ninja gave us a 48 hour stomach virus. Other than that, I haven’t experienced even the slightest of sniffles and I’m a person with bad allergies as well.
I did my first Whole30 in April and was amazed at the results. I’m a fitness instructor and teach 5 Zumba classes and 2 Pilates/yoga classes each week along with taking 2 hot yoga classes and 2 CF workouts and running a title insurance company in between. My energy levels have always been all over the board, mostly because I’m a sugar junky…as they say, admitting the problem is the first step to recovery…and eliminating the evil white powder is the answer! The first week of eating clean I was NOT a happy camper at my office…13 employees, all women, someone bringing in a baked good to share EVERY DAMN DAY and putting it in my in basket so I had to keep moving it to get to my stuff! I finally moved my in basket and locked myself away from the temptations for a few days, had a grow up and be a big girl talk with myself (ie: you CHOSE to do this new eating thing so it’s not anyone elses fault that you can’t partake in the office sugarfest!) and by the second week the pastry envy had dialed down to a manageable level.
I lost about 5 lbs the first week, which I had to work hard to get back as weight loss was not my goal. Once I dialed in the quantity of food I need to eat with my workout schedule it was pretty smooth sailing. My husband lost 15 lbs over the month and has had to replace much of his wardrobe as he hasn’t been this size in over 20 years. I agree with several other posters on the change in attitude towards what I’m eating, it’s now fuel more than some kind of entertainment. The food is tasty and satisfying, but it’s less of an event. Neither my husband or I ever seem to be starving between meals or have that horrible bloated lethargic feeling after eating anymore. Sleep like a baby, pop out of bed at 4:30am ready to go. My skin is clear and energy levels are steady all day long…no more afternoon comas!
I also discovered the Carlson brand lemon flavor fish oil and now have my daily shot glass of oil with my breakfast…don’t be afraid, it actually tastes GOOD and it beats downing 15 of the little capsuls every day! The fish oil really seems to have helped in recovery from workouts.
Bottom line, fixing your diet makes everything else in life easier! I’m sold on the diet, now I’m doing a second Whole30 to solidify the new habits…ie, when something goes wonky at work, you DO NOT go to the magic chocolate drawer for a fix, it WON’T make anything better! I KNOW this, yet I have caught myself stuffing dark chocolate covered pomagranate balls in my cakehole a few times lately so apparently there is some part of my brain that still doesn’t get it.
Oh, one other thing, I had blood work done a couple weeks ago and it came back perfect according to the doc. I looked at the list and what jumped out at me is that my iron is now right where it should be, which is amazing because I have been consistently boarderline anemic MY ENTIRE LIFE. I do take a multi-vitamin, but other than that it has to be all the greens and the quality proteins I’m now eating.
Fantastic, everyone! Keep them coming – we’ve heard from people who have put their Lyme disease in “remission”, whose seasonal allergies “disappeared” and who now have the hormones of a 20 year old baby making machine, thanks to their Whole30 program.
For me personally, the first time we did a Whole30 (April of 2009, before the madness started here on the blog), I experienced the following in a single 30 day period:
-Put 10# on my push-jerk, 10# on my front squat, 10# on my clean and cut my 5K time by somewhere around 4:00
-Leaned out significantly without even TRYING (WHILE getting stronger!)
-Slept better, felt better and had the most consistent energy levels of my life
-Most importantly… my “bad” shoulder, which used to wake me up at night because of the pain, STOPPED HURTING ALTOGETHER
Can I get an amen?
Thanks to ALL for contributing!
Melissa
Having birthed an 11.6# baby (not a typo) 2 years ago, and having started Paleo in October 09, I am now in the best shape of my life. My body fat% has dropped 5+%, I’ve lost about 8lbs total (but have gone from a size 8 to a size 2). My energy levels allow me to keep up with my 2 year-old. Our eating habits as parents have resulted in positive changes not only for us, but for our daughter as well. Since Fall of last year, she has not had ANY asthma flare-ups due to having a fairly consistent gluten-free diet (still working on weening her off the soy milk). My husband’s blood pressure has gone from 140/90 to 90/60.
Awesomeness.
I did the 30-day strict-Paleo program last August and dropped 10 pounds which I’ve kept off (I’ve never been able to keep weight off before. My quality of sleep was better, I had more energy. Roller derby practice 4 times a week was no problem. My skin cleared up, too, though I was taking Solodyn at the time so I can’t say for sure it was the diet, alone. My bosy just felt like it was working more efficiently, too. I was never hungry and always just felt good.
Looking forward to getting back on track. Day 3 and counting!
Like a lot of you, I sit at a cublicle all day. I used to feel bloated very often and my stomach would make embarrasingly loud noises througout the day. Since I started eating Paleo, I no longer have this issue (I’m thinking the lack of dairy and salt). I’m rarely bloated (except during certain times of the month, but even that has decreased in severity) and my stomach no longer makes loud noises.
I am also more full when I eat and I stay full for a full 4 hours.
Those are my two major motivations for continueing to eat Paleo.
To my two favorites, Melissa and Dallas, and –of course- the whole9 population looking to dive into the whole30 program,
What more can I say than DO IT? If you know who I am, you know I’m insane and have been yo-yo-ing since I heard there were levels of the “paleo diet” (ie, zone/anabolic diet…etc) – it’s all crap. Hah. The only time I saw results was when I blindly dove into the whole30. I gave it all up. Filled my kitchen with fantastic food from the Farmer’s Market and bought a huuuuuuuuge bottle of fish oil. I slept when I was tired and tried and tried to get 8+ hours a night. Maybe my 2nd time through with strict paleo I did not lose weight but I’m pretty tiny. I saw huuuuge imporovements at the gym. I got a pull up and a ring dip. Picked up 185×5 (my 1 rep deadlift is/WAS 195!). My skin cleared up. Headaches WENT AWAY. ALLERGIES. OMG. I have HORRIBLE allergies. And after switching from Claritin to fish oil, my allergies went away (this being another recent reinvestment). I even recently discovered that I need to be eating WAYYYYY more than I am. Finals week I OD’d on chocolate, coconut milk ice cream and Chew Man Chu restaurant and even ate for 6 hours straight at a BBQ (not paleooo) and ended up losing 2 lb. Why, you ask? Go find Melissa’s blog where she congratulates people for discovering they need to eat more. I don’t look better by any stretch after eating all that but I am LIGHTER – so I’m back to paleo and already lookin fabbbbb. It farther proves why paleo works. As soon as I cut it all back out I leaned out and felt 110% better. I follow Whole9 and Robb Wolf religiously. You should too. It’s delicious.
I went to a restaurant last night and had sparkling water, steamed shrimp and a spinach salad. Fruit for dessert (I usually don’t eat fruit). Totally paleo. Don’t tell me it’s not possible because this restaurant was FANCY SHMANCY! (I was there to see the musicians, not the food haha) But yeah. Get to the farmer’s markets ☺ Sleep at night. Take fish oil. Get sunlight exposure. I know, this sounds really hard.
Keep rocking, Urban.
Your friend in Philly,
Samantha.
PS. I healed an injury on Paleo. Knees from running and my hip from overuse. Food is healing. I never get sick, and as a musician – it’s pretty important to stay as NOT SICK as possible. So yay. Go whole. Go whole30.
I’ll be speaking for myself, my wife, and parents.
6 months in, everyone has lost weight. Those with significant amounts to lose, are still losing, my wife and I dropped about 12 lbs the first month, but frankly I didn’t think we had that much to lose.
-Gym performance increased across the board.
-Weird rash that the Dr couldn’t diagnose, had been there for years, gone.
-Abdominal pain with a hard lump that the Dr couldn’t figure out that had been there for years, gone.
-Arthritis – gone.
-Clearer skin.
-Nobody has been sick in the 6 months since we started (wife is a teach and usually gets sick at *least* 4 times a year).
-Almost positive I recover from sunburns better. Still burn, but fades to a tan instead of peeling. (I’ve always burned and peeled *very* easily)
-Lifetime of migraines – gone.
-Constipation that no amount of fiber was helping – gone. This was huge, as her entire life it was an issue.
-Certainly better sleep quality across the board.
-More stable energy.
-When we decide to “kick our heels up and live a little” with a hot fudge sundae or taco’s, it’s a guilt free enjoyable occasion.
Oh and I forgot. We all had our blood work done before, and after the 30 days. Everyone had improved profiles by every metric. And specifically large improvements in reguards to Pattern A vs. Pattern B cholesterol.
Just finished up a 7-week paleo “challenge” with CrossFit Omaha. Going 100% strict wasn’t required, but my diet was fairly clean before, so I decided to go whole-hog. Just had to drop the dairy and the cheats. Within 10 days, I noticed significant changes in my body composition (lost 5-10#, and leaned out quite a bit in the midsection) and my overall energy levels. (It turns out, the rumors are true. Abdominal muscles DO exist. Who knew?) My normal spring-time seasonal allergies failed to show up this year. My work capacity (I’m not a “metcon girl”) and my recovery from workouts were both improved. Recovery was especially important, as we were doing 2-a-days to prepare for Regionals. (Our affiliate team took 1st!) I FINALLY got handstand push-ups and consistent (not just lucky) muscle-ups. (kipping AND strict!) Sleep has not generally been something I have ever noticed as being a problem, but I definitely felt more rested in the mornings – bonus, since the alarm sounds at 4:15 am. My occasional knee and hip flare-ups were less frequent and way less severe. Shoulder impingement improved significantly. I rarely get headaches anyways, but I didn’t have a single headache for the entire 7 weeks. My penchant for parentheses was seemingly the only thing unchanged.
I’ve been taking the last week and a half to “relax” a little – experimenting a little with some foods I haven’t eaten in a while, and I’ve noticed that:
I can NOT tolerate sugar. Instant headache, almost-instant crash. Cake is a big no-no for me, and ice cream MUST be high-quality and absolutely in moderation.
Grains bring the allergies right back. Constant drippy nose on days when I have even just a bite of bread. Sadly, beer does the same. This news is devastating.
Dairy = sinus drainage. Had cheese on an omelette the other day, and the subsequent ear-ache was maddening.
All of this, plus the unbelievable results I’ve seen in others at CFO, has me completely sold. We start another 7-week bout June 1 (which, conveniently enough, will take us just past the Games), but I’m not waiting until then to jump back on board.
I’ve been following a paleo diet for several years now and have lost significant fat (about 25 pounds). Most noticeable, however, is that my seasonal allergies have vanished. Wheat is the one dietary factor that most influences my performance and how I feel.
Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to share their (awesome!) experiences with changing their diets – and their lives. Hopefully your experiences will encourage folks who are still skeptical to give it a 100% go on their own Whole30. Keep rockin’!
Very encouraging stuff here. I see the 80/20 rule in effect with a Paleo lifestyle. You eat 80% paleo, you get about 20% of the results. This can be substantial and life-alterting, depending on your starting point. I think that the remain 80% of the results happen as you eliminate the noncompliance, with probably another 30% coming w/ the next 10% of compliance and the final 50% of results coming as you go from 90% to 100% compliance. Of course I have no actual evidence of this, but it sure seems like this in my life. If you half-ass any kind of diet, you’re not doing yourself any good.
I just started crossfit and Paleo a couple months ago. I’m gradually getting cleaner, but I’ve already dropped 20 lbs and am wearing pants I haven’t worn since college. Good stuff here.
i haven’t explicitly completed the whole 30 program, but did something very similar with my nutritionist. in 2 years of eating a whole foods diet, the following health concerns have cleared up completely or are noticeably reduced:
- no more irregular menstruation and painful cramps (my period used to skip 2-3months. no, i wasn’t pregnant. i havent had action in an embarrassingly long while)
- no acne (unless i cheat and have too many sweet fruits or dark chocolate)
- no more toxic liver (get rid of your plastic foodware!)
- death of seasonal allergies! well, not quite dead yet. when pollen is high, i do get a little tickle and sneeze. but no more itchy and watery eyes, sore throat, cough, or stuffy nose
- no more migraines
- less mental fogginess
- a better handle on sugar cravings, but this is still a work in progress. my tolerance for sweets is much lower than before- improved thyroid function (its a slow climb, but its working!)
- improved digestion and gut flora (lacto-fermented veggies are awesome)
- stable energy levels
- no horrible mood swings
- happier outlook on life!!! :D
oh i forgot to mention that my pants are fittin a litle loser, and i’m slowly leaning out. ;)
Today is day 31. This program has shown results that I didn’t think were possible. Prior to Whole30 I recognized that I had severe difficulties dealing with food cravings and knowing when to stop eating. I have been told stories by several family members of instances as a child and infant where I would not stop eating, I would express my constant hunger(through any means possible), or would sneak off to eat more food after family meals. Unbeknownst to my family I never grew out of those issues. The urgent need for change has increased over the past three years since i started training in mixed martial arts. As the level and frequency of competition increased, so did my frustration when trying to recover from cheat meals that turned into cheat feasts and cheat weekends. As a competitor I need to meet weight requirements and the task is tough enough without battling my body’s desire for crap food.Throughout my competition history I can remember many times where I was telling myself out loud “NO DO NOT EAT THAT, YOU HAVE TO MAKE WEIGHT. THERE ARE BETTER CHOICES”. For some reason my body and mind decided that I needed cheat meals and a part of me knew better. But as I continued, my frustration with controlling my cravings and urges sky-rocketed. Daily I asked myself, “How can I get these urges under control? Why do I feel like I NEED these bad foods? Where should I go for help?”
Whole30 is the answer
I haven’t felt the deep desire to pig out that I used to experience since I’ve submerged myself into this program. I don’t feel like I have to struggle to make decisions when trying to decide what to eat. It’s as simple as knowing that what I have been eating is beneficial to me, and that is how I will continue to nourish myself. My girlfriend and I were watching a Food Network show on day 28 and they shoed some pretty amazing desserts. She asked when I would be off my diet, and my reply was simple. “The way I eat now is how I honestly desire to feed myself, so there is no an end in site.” To be truthful, I almost fear having a cheat meal or some food that has added chemicals or sweeteners. I don’t know if I would relapse and go back to the way I was so I’d rather not chance it. Not having a cheat meal now is much less stressful than what I used to experience so I’d rather not go back.
I am truly thankful to have been informed of the Whole30 and Whole9 lifestyles. Thank you for helping set my mind and body in a direction that doesn’t present any reason to look back over my shoulder at the way I used to eat.
My 1st Whole 30 in January put me in a better place with food. I have had a bunch of medical and injury issues and am not that guy who drops some carbs and leans out easily. I dropped a good amount of body fat with 30 days, but MUCH more importantly for me (and for those around me) it gave me a more positive relationship with food. I began shopping more and cooking allot more. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed cooking! Eating was now more enjoyable and the stress of counting and weighing was alleviated. When I finished my 30 days I stayed 100% about 90% of the time and when I actually ate and rested the way that Melissa & Dallas told me too, my recovery went through the roof and I started getting strong again. I shy away from “changed my life” and other super adjectives, but the Whole 30, and The Whole 9 did change my life. My relationship with food, with my weight and with my recovery is in a MUCH better place. In my 2nd 30 I have been making great strength gains and recovering well. I feel better about what I eat and what effect it has on me. Melissa and Dallas got a bunch of people at my gym hooked up on Whole9 and the results are astounding. I can not honestly think of another thing in my life that has created the positive impact that this did. Thanks guys! To anyone who has ever had any food/diet issues….JUST DO THE 30!
Ok so I started my Whole30 on May 3rd and busted ass in EVERY WOD that I did. Today is my last day and i’ve never felt so damn good in my life. I was a Muay Thai fighter prior to finding Crossfit and my new found apssion for good clean food and let me tell you that I’m in the best shape I’ve EVER been in. If I was in this shape when competing maybe I wouldn’t have had the adrenalin dumps or shitty energy levels. I THOUGHT my cardio endurance was good but it’s light years better now.. ANyways, I’ve leaned out considerably and I’m down 17lbs. I know it sounds like a lot but I’ve been super strict and this is the first time in my life i’ve done 30 days wo any grains, legums and dairy. On a few occasions I would have some Jerky from Whole Foods and it had trace amounts of sugar but I didn’t overdo it. Also, I ordered out a couple of times and they doused my damn broccoli with butter so I did my best to soak it up with a napkin. ALl in all i’m feeling great and set some new PR’s in the DEadlift and some other MetCons. This 30 days has really changed the way I look at food. I eat for performance FIRST and taste SECOND.. A HUGE THANK YOU TO Melissa and Dallas for all there hard work. I’m a huge fan of your work. On a side note, I’ll be at the next cert at Crossfit Ignite. Missed the first one because the In-laws were in town.. PEAS OUT PEOPLE!!!!
@Mike H,
We LOVE your revised 80/20 rule (80% clean eating = 20% results). We might even start using it in our workshops. Do you charge royalties? ;)
@David,
Thanks for the kind words. We’re super proud of you. Really. Even if you think sweet potatoes are “un-American”… ;)
Nope, no royalties. I think that your no compromise/tough love approach inspired the huristic anyway. Well, that and my vast experience half-assing various diets.
June is my whole30 month. I convinced my wife to do it with me as long as she could have limited dairy. I’d rather do it 98% of the way (and miss out on ~17% of the results according to my own damn rule) with a partner than struggle along by myself. Interestingly my oldest child recently proclaimed that he wants to try eating like we eat (he’s 9). That’s just leaves his 3 brothers and his sister to get on board. Boy is this going to get expensive…
@Mike H,
Dude, I’m glad your wife is in… but try to not let her resistance to ditching dairy deter YOU from achieving amazing success! Lead by quiet example, take a pass on the feta on your salad, cheddar on your burger, and half-and-half in your coffee, and let the results speak for themselves. Or… be totally content with 17% less, and stay happily married. I’m not judging ;) Best,
Dallas
Ok so this will def be TMI but screw it AND READ WITH CAUTION LMAO!!! One thing I forgot to mention is since i’ve started Paleo i’ve had inconsistent stool patterns. Like one day it’ll be ALL GOOD and then the next day it’ll be not so all good. I have a pretty consistent schedule of when I go but one day i’ll be good and the next day i’ll be not terrible but not good. At breakfast for example i’ll have like anywhere between 5 to 8 eggs whites some bolied sometimes i’ll make an omlete with an apple and some almond butter, snack time i’ll have some blackberries, lunch will be a piece of london broil with some broccoli and some Avocado and dinner (POST WOD) is normally along the same lines as lunch minus the fat for quick protein synthesis. I asked Robb about this because I attended his Hoboken Seminar but at the time I was still consuming beer and some grains on the weekend but yesterday was the last day of my WHOLE30 and I did go good but not all of the time. Is this common and do I need to up my fat intake PRE WOD? Any info is much apopreciated. Dude, Dallas looks like a man whore in that pic with those pretty females.. NICE!!
Hi there-
Hope everyone is having a lovely Saturday! And today I have actually tried what is typically my black coffee with some Thai coconut milk and cinnamon….delicious :-) I was just looking for some input from those of you who have completed the whole 30. My 30 days are coming up on a week from Monday. I don’t want this to sound like I am going to jump back into old habits b/c I don’t plan to….this has been an incredible experience and I am sure there will be future post about what I have learned etc. But I am honestly just wondering what it was like for those of you who have completed the program and when/if you reintroduced non whole30 foods back in. I mean while I don’t plan to drink wine as much as I did before whole 30 I’ll likely have it again…..what about sugar….how did that effect you and do the effects now solidify new habits (i.e did sugar make you feel yucky so now you don’t eat it)?
Do these questions make sense…..I think one of the biggest things I wanted to change with the whole 30 was the “cheat” mentality but I am not sure how or when to reincorporate these things with out that mentality…..it’s been with me for so long.
Melissa and Dallas sorry if I am jumping the gun on this…..just wanted to give it more thought in light of others experiences.
Thanks everyone!!
Diana
@Frank: It’s totally common, and likely to last more than just the initial 30 day period. Your body needs time to adjust and heal, and it’s not uncommon for the digestive tract to be a little “off” as this happens. Pay attention to when things feel good and when things feel not so good… there are some vegetables and fruit that may contribute to digestive upset in some people, so if you start to see patterns, you can play around with omitting or reducing the quantity of some of these foods and see if it helps. Hang in there and note whether things are getting better on AVERAGE.
@Diana: We’ll throw this up on the main page as a post later in the Whole30 period, so you can get insight from people who have completed the program before. In the meantime, try reading our Guide to Eating Dirty (Part 1 and 2) as a good place to start.
http://whole9life.com/2009/06/the-w9-guide-to-eating-dirty-part-i/
http://whole9life.com/2009/06/the-w9-guide-to-eating-dirty-part-ii/
@Melissa- Thanks! Just read both of those blog post and they were very helpful. Cannot believe this is day 21!!! Crazy. And just had jicama for the first time in my life on a salad and it was delicious!
Take care-
Diana
Ok so I had a meltdown over the weekend. I had completed my WHOLE 30 on Wednesday of last week which was June 2nd and I stayed good until the damn weekend. I had a few meltdowns. I took my wife down to Atlantic City for the weekend to meet up with some of my boys and their girls. So you could probably assume that there was beer/drinks involved and if you are assuming that then your assumptions are correct. Once I begin to drink beer I get a lil buzz going and then I start eating like crap. I had pizza and Ice Cream on multiple occasions and I feel pretty guilty and DISGUISTING ABOUT IT. It’s pretty crazy how food ties into my environmental allergies and my sleep schedule gets all screwed up to. I’m basically looking for a lil pick me up and I’m happy it’s Monday and I’ve gotten back on track. SOMEONE POST!!! LOL!!!
@Frank: This happens to pretty much everyone their first (or even second) time through. You get done, you feel like you should be able to treat yourself, and you go a little bit wild with the grains, dairy, booze. We talk about making poor food choices when alcohol is involved, sounds like you experienced that firsthand.
The most important thing is that you’re ready to get right back on track – and I’m betting you won’t do THAT again any time soon. Reintroducing things back into your diet is tricky, be patient with yourself and start with one food group at a time, so you can evaluate how it makes you feel. Maybe that one beer wouldn’t have kicked up your allergies, but a few bites of ice cream will. You spent all that time on the Whole30 so you could figure out once and for all how these foods are affecting you… so put that time to good use, and be systematic about reintroducing foods that may be problematic!
Best,
Melissa
@ Melissa. Thanks for the encouraging words. I can tell you that the grains make me feel bloated (like MEGA bloated) and the ice cream just makes me feel super groggy, gassy and just lazy as shit.. LOL!! After eating clean for the 30 I mean I had TONS of energy and literally eating like crap during the weekend made me feel like I had completely undone everything I addressed during the WHOLE 30. It amazes me how just a few meals/dessert can make you feel like a pile of shit. I’m going to take today to relax and go for a run and then tomo i’ll get back to Ignite. I have to stop eating grains because I have a super sensitive insulin response and I feel like I can slip from being a lean ripped 160 to obesity in 1 meal because all I have to do is think about pasta or pizza and I can feel myself gaining adiposity. WTF!! I’m a first gen Italian and I literally grew up eating pasta and grains in general so this has been an obstacle for me but I’m determined to give it up for good. I love eating cheat but I love myself and my health more!! Thanks again for all that you and Dallas do for absolute strangers. The world needs more people like you guys that give a shit about helping people.. THANKS!!
Oh ugh! I did 7 days perfect. Totally fine and happy. Didn’t miss anything. Then I balanced my checkbook and realized I was broke and couldnt afford to go buy more Paleo things that night. So I went home and ate 10 Nutter Butters and 2 Peppridge Farm crack cookies.
Now I am totally off kilter. A week has gone by and I have been 1/2 on and 1/2 in the gutter.
I am so afraid of failure I dont want to start again. And I might add, since starting the crack again I dont sleep as well and headaches are back. I am so sick and tired of the yo yo. Help anyone? Or do I just need to stop whining and suck it up? is there something wrong with me?
Today is the 6th day of my first 30 day challenge. Thus far, I feel really great. I slept an entire 7 hours straight without the use of drugs; I did my 95% max squat lift without any difficulties at all, I feel more focused and my memory is better than it has been in a long time. I’m now just getting over the “sugar tantrum” hump that I experienced for the first several days. Everything is great, except….I gained 3 pounds! Now, i’m pretty petite, so I didn’t start this challenge because I wanted to lose weight, but I certainly don’t want to gain any either. I haven’t changed my exercise habits at all–I do CrossFit twice per week in addition to 3 spin classes and a nice long bike ride on the weekends. I’ve been eating approximately what I did prior to this challenge (maybe a couple hundred calories more per day the first 4 days) but certainly not 3 pounds in one week worth’s more.
Has anyone else gained weight initially with this challenge? I gained 4 pounds and then lost 6 within the first 5 weeks of CrossFit (I’m at 8 weeks with CrossFit now). Are these related or is this wishful thinking? Any advice would be appreciated!
Wife and I are celebrating the completion of our 99% Whole30 (kept in heavy cream and butter only) with a true margarita tonite. She lost no weight (and wasn’t happy about that) but she was also in the final month of nursing our 5th child so I think it’s probably a hormonal thing. Also she started doing crossfit-style weight training for the first time in her life and her clothes fit way better so the scale is probably not the best arbiter of success. I blasted through a 2 month plateau to drop 10 or 11 lbs and get a lot of comments from friends, even those who see me a lot.
I would say that there are two things that are most notable. First, my wife has suffered horrible allergies her for pretty much all her adult life. Normally at this time she takes 3 different medications. By the end of the whole 30 she’s only taking one. I’m honestly a little upset over the thousands of dollars we’ve spent w/ the allergist over the years that never once resulted in someone saying, “hey, since you’re so allergic to these grasses, maybe you should try avoiding eating the seeds of grasses, i.e. cereal grains.” Seriously… I figure we’ll eventually be able to ditch the meds entirely but we’ll see. Not like we’re every going to eat grains again, at least not as a regular part of our diet.
I noticed also that many people have discovered that they changed their relationship with food, particularly in that they view food as fuel and not as entertainment. Gosh it’s been the exact opposite with me. I’ve rekindled quite the romance with my food. I went from being a bit depressed about never being able to have a sandwich again to really revelling in the variety and splendor that is my CSA box. I find myself saying, meal after meal, “how is it that anyone could look at what I’m eating and think that I’m depriving myself?” I’ve rediscovered my love for vegetables. Although I’m really not looking forward to the winter when I can’t build these amazing salads w/o vegies flown in from Chili and such. Oh well.
We’ll see how it goes from here. I’m going to continue to enjoy the dairy fats and I’ll have a drink every now and then, but for the most part I can see deviating too far from the Whole30 for the foreseeable future.
I missed you guys when you came though my town of Bellingham, WA. Might try to catch you on the way back through Wenatchee.
@Jenny: I’m sorry it’s taken us so long to get back to you – we’ve been in B.C. on vacation, and have REALLY limited email access. I hope that you’re back on track now, but if you’re not, understand that beating yourself up over “slipping” isn’t doing you any good. You lost control there for a minute – stop, evaluate what happened (you had a moment of serious financial stress, and turned to your comfort food to feel better), and then come up with a strategy to handle that differently, should the situation arise again. Remember that turning to those foods DIDN’T make you feel better – and find something NOT food related that will. There is no shame in starting over, but think of it like this… “progress, not perfection”. Please let us know how you’re doing, and if how we (Dallas, I and the Whole9 readers) can continue to help.
@RobinD: Don’t use the scale as any measurement at all. I’m serious – get off it, and stay off it for the rest of your challenge. During certain weeks, you can be up 5# due to hormonal responses, and if I peed right now, I’d lose 4# immediately. The scale means nothing, especially in increments as small as three tiny pounds. Continue to focus on performance and how you’re FEELING, and after a few weeks, things will start to even out. Hope that helps.
@Mike: Thank you so much for this contribution. The food relationship piece is such a big part of the program – it’s SILLY to think that not being “allowed” to have any certain food, like a sandwich, makes us sad, mad or distracted to such a degree! It’s so important to break that cycle, and learn to think about food as nourishment or fuel for the body, as opposed to reward or treats or cheats. Congrats on your success, and thanks for commenting. (Hope to see you in Wenatchee this week!)
Best,
Melissa
a repost from whole 30 blog section…
I’ve been off my computer for about a week so it was fun to catch up on what all everyone is doing. I’ve mostly stuck to paleo with the exception of a few things. Some dairy, but my rule of thumb with dairy is: MUST be organic, whole fat and WORTH IT. Meaning, i’m not a milk drinker so i’m not just guzzling milk or anything but any aged cheeses or other dairy product better be (must be) fantastic. I do eat some greek yogurt in the mornings occasionally but that’s about it.
I find that when I have eaten something that isn’t my usual paleo chow I find myself missing the simplicity of it all…the tastiness of the purity of the food. I am well past my 30 days but when my company leaves (they come next tuesday through friday) I will go back to strict whole 30 again. We’ve had a lot of company and eating out and cooking for, etc. in the past two weeks. I haven’t gone whole hog crazy off plan, but with some foods i’ve tried I can definately tell it’s not the best for me. I LIKE that. I LIKE that I can finally tell when something bothers me…before when I stuffed my gullet without “thinking” I wouldn’t have known if something didn’t agree cause I generally ALWAYS felt shitty (pardon the french). Another thing too is that I truly enjoy the “treat” when I get it. It doesn’t just meld into the rest of my eating. If I CHOOSE to have a piece of aweome dessert of whatever type it’s because I CHOOSE to have it and savor it. And I find that maybe a bite or two is all I need, truly, to be satisfied.
I hope everyone is enjoying their summers :)
So far so good here…and round two for company…geeze louise i’m going to sleep for a damn week when everyone leaves!
Repost from Whole 30 blog…
Well, back after a week at the beach with my extended family! I finished my W30 two days before we left. Overall, I did very well. I was more active then usual on vaction (lots of walking and biking) so generally feel pretty good. I had a little wine, one serving of ice cream and a few other non-W30 items but enjoyed them very thoughtfully and ate mostly clean the rest of the time! Feeling relaxed and ready to continue on the W30 train. It was a good test to see how I could do on my own, so to speak. Gut feels a little unsettled so I’m heading to the store to restock for my family and get myself some good eats!
Today is my day 27, but I’m heading out camping with the fam tomorrow so I’m posting my 30 day now. I’m looking forward to trying out a glass of wine here and there, seeing how that goes. No plans to go back on grains or dairy whatsoever. After my (almost) Whole 30, I’m more than a few pounds lighter, quite a few inches smaller, I’m off the carb/hunger crazy cycles, I’m only occasionally drinking coffee or green tea (as compared to totally addicted), my energy levels have improved, my medical symptoms are not as severe, and I’m sleeping better. I did have some cravings (although those are way reduced), but I don’t feel deprived. It’s all good. I’m not going on a Whole 30 round 2 at this point because that would mean counting days, and I’m not going to choose not to “cheat” because of a number. I intend to continue to eat this way primarily in my life and to make conservative choices otherwise based on what feels good. And I have a good baseline for that now. Keep at it folks! It’s the right way to go!
Day 1 — Just started my 30 day today, not as bad as I thought. My biggest goal is weight loss and improving my crossfit sessions…everyone around me makes it seem so easy! I want to be like them :)
@Karin: Thanks for reposting! That kind of insight and success BELONGS over here on the “testify” thread! Congrats and thanks for being such a solid contributor around here.
@KayCee: You’ve got the picture, sister. It’s not about counting days or making it through another 30… it’s about developing new habits and changing those unhealthy old ones. Sounds like you’ve really put in some hard work to do both. Way to go, and congratulations on finishing your first Whole30.
@Nancy: Welcome aboard! Read through the post AND the comments on the Whole30 Version 2.0, because that’s where everyone else is going to stake their claim to better health and fitness. Keep posting, and keep us posted as to how things are going.
Day 1…29 to go.
By choosing Paleo, I hope to see weight loss, better sleep cycles, and whole body improvement…these are my mini-goals as I begin my ‘virtual Whole30 day-camp’. And, btw, has anyone ever walked through the grocery store and truly LOOKED into the shopping carts of the unthinking masses? Well, today, I did….and folks were plunking boxfuls of GMO grains, cartons of dairy products oozin’ with chemicals & preservatives, and blocks of artifically-colored cheeses, along with sugar-laden soft drinks, gooey desserts & mounds of candies, cookies, & bags of chips….I used to be like them. But for the last six-months, I’ve been slowly changing my food choices over to mostly organic. BUT THEN…two weeks ago, I stumbled across THIS Paleo food program site. I could hardly contain my excitement. After much soul-searching, I realized I wanted MORE out of my body. I had already lost 51 pounds by simply choosing organic…but I still needed to lose another 65 pounds to reach my weight loss goal. So this morning, armored with your Paleo guidelines printed out and clutched in my hands, I decided to climb aboard your 30-day commitment train. And today, at the market, as I wound my way around the masses, I eagerly loaded up my shopping cart with my organic fruits & veggie choices, all colorful, pesticide-free and chockful of yummy things. They nestled alongside wild-caught fish, lean, grass-fed beef, & healthy oils. And as I angled my shopping cart toward the checkout line, I felt amazingly good about this new journey. In the last half–a-year, my mantra has become: ‘Just for today, I choose to be healthy’. I’m 57 years young, and am blessed with two precious grandchildren. With this Paleo food program, I aim to be around to watch ‘em grow. Thank you for your wonderful blog…your inspiration is contagious and just the push this ol’ gal needed. I’ll check in periodically with updates.
All my best,
☺
Cindy