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.
This post is a place for you to brag, boast and show yourself off. Made some changes after you attended one of our workshops? Experienced improvements in performance, energy levels, body composition or quality of life after our personal consulting package? Read something on our blog that made you stand up, take notice and make some improvements to your health and fitness? Sound off and make yourself heard.
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!!!
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
Cindy,
Thanks for the inspirational update. New, healthy eating habits start with healthy shopping habits, and you’re rockin’ those already. Great work. Keep us updated.
So, I am now on day 23 of the “Whole 30″ and as one who basically ate buy my own made up Paleo/Zone/Mainstream diet and still allowed myself to have dairy frequently, depended on protein supplements/bars and some bread once a week and as well as oatmeal and I had a lot of digestion issues and couldn’t figure out exactly why. I thought I was eating so well… Even though I’m still not sure of the exact culprit I know that cutting out the grains, dairy, supplemental protein alone have made a world of difference in my digestion and must say that I’ve not had any issues the last couple weeks. I am leaning out more which I did not want and I am having a difficult time countering that but it is better than being constipated for days on end! I know. I know TMI! LOL!! I eat a lot more veggies/fruits and fish for that matter and must say I’m feeling pretty good as of now while getting creative with my lean meats. Will keep you updated!
Day 10….and I’m plugging right along. Stood on the scale this morning and I’m down six pounds. As if that weren’t enough to cause me to jump around in circles, the very fact that my belly is flatter, my hunger assuaged, my outlook is bright and cheery, my resolve to complete this has increased ten-fold. I feel better than I have in years. Was I perfect? No…I slipped last Friday night and had a glass of wine. On Saturday, however, I climbed right back aboard the wagon train heading to better health. I love your STM suggestions, and have already used several. My favorite so far: Taco salad. Ummm…delicious.
Anyway, just wanted to pop in and tell those who are debating giving this a shot. In the infamous words of Yoda: DO OR DO NOT….there is no try.
I’ll check back soon with another update.
Warmest,
Cindy
Ben,
Glad you’re doing so well! Keep rockin’, dude.
Cindy,
Post your updates on the Whole30 post here: http://whole9life.com/2010/05/whole-30-v2/ P.S. Do or do not. There is no slip
Best,
Dallas
I’ve followed this lifestyle for 5 weeks now and have lost 23 lbs! My CrossFit performance has improved greatly…hell, all of my performance has improved greatly. I had been eating a blood type O diet for several months. This is very close to a paleo…but no cigar. I was still consuming quinoa, wild rice and legumes. I had done P90X, insanity and was 2 months into Crossfit and although I had gained muscle, I was not shedding the fat. A friend suggested that I check out the Primal /Paleo lifestyle. I read the primal blueprint in one night. I had decided to cut out dairy on my own (a stroke of luck). I began to see immediate results so I devoured The Paleo Diet, The Paleo Solution and Pandora’s Seed over the course of the last month. I also listen to Robb’s podcast when I walk and am just about up to date. I encountered The Whole 9 along the way. I can’t say enough about the people who put this great information out there for free (I’m attending 2 seminars in Feb to learn more, plus you guys deserve to make a good living!) I now have a link on my site recommending you guys!
WOW WOW WOW!!!! I have just successfully completed the Whole 30 challenge and can’t believe how my mind and body has morphed!
I have struggled with a Gluten intolerance for 5 years and a lot of inflammation and illness. In the last 30 days my body has changed incredibly. I have not lost a lot of LBS but I have leaned up so much I can see my ABSgau and fit into my skinny jeans again…something I never thought would happen again after having a baby.
Emotionally I feel much more stable and no longer have cravings for chocolate, sugar, cheese…for those that know me know what a big deal giving up cheese has been.
I can’t emphasis enough how right the article on the website is about this changing your life in 30 days. I have no intention of going back to the way I used to eat! I love this new me and am greatful to the people at WHOLE9.
Also, I would like to thank Shane Gibson and Karen Gibson from CrossFit Albuquerque for throwing down the gauntlet. I am really excited of this new path I am on.
Thank you Whole9!
I am starting on this diet tomorrow! I am getting together recipes and a grocery list and will hit the grocery store tonight. I just finished cleaning (purging!) everything out of my fridge. I think the hardest thing for me will be giving up dairy. I’ve done Zone before and saw great results. I am looking forward to looking leaner and having more energy. I will be on here a lot looking for encouragement and motivation to stick with it! But this diet makes complete and total sense-eat foods in their natural form!
Finished the Whole30 about a week and half ago and I am still going strong. I truly thought it would be difficult to stop eating so many foods that are in the American diet nowadays…grains, diary, sugar. (And when I go into a grocery store now…I am amazed at how much junk there is crowding you as soon as you enter.) But I started the diet and loved what was happening….I was busy trying to make me better.
A TOTAL PLUS! I thought that I needed to have a doctor to tell me what to do since they have a medical degree (and I have been around hospitals and medical professionals for a very long time from a previous accident), but I had/have the power to do it all by myself. Headaches are not a major thing anymore, I feel AWESOME, and I truly LOVE what I am eating. I do have some urges to eat something sugary when I am around it, but I breathe in and out and the moment passes by. I have tons of energy, and I can definitely feel the benefit from a good nights rest after sleeping for 7+ hours and taking the magnesium supplement before bed. I have lost weight and have been getting very toned from eating the right stuff and going to Crossfit WOD. I try to tell my family how GREAT I feel and how I wish they would try this with me, but they look at me like I am CRAZY! But I know it is hard for them since the snack they grab has sugar or grains in it, as opposed to my snack of choice of a piece of fruit, a hard-boiled egg, and shredded coconut. But I am amazed at how much I notice their food choices, and then analyze why I have not chosen to eat that ever again…..it is an obsession now. 
Day 33… I’ve chowed. I never felt deprived. I knew I should probably reign in my fruits and nuts consumption, but I never really did. I ate whatever I wanted when I wanted it, of REAL foods that are good for me.
There were a few days that I got overfocused on appearances, days that I just wanted to feed my emotions with alcohol, icecream and chocolate, but I knew they wouldn’t make me feel better. There were many days that I was discouraged not to see super hero powers arrive on my doorstep. I am still tired, and Workouts are still hard.
BUT I sleep like a rock, I have avoided any illness though they’ve run through the house, and I haven’t had to take any allergy medicine (until today).
AND Get a load of this!
Pre-whole 30 136 lbs just about 18% Body Fat
Now…33 days later 135 lbs and 14% body fat.
I do not even believe it. Some of my friends who don’t see me often may think I am anorexic or food obsessed and I’m too lean to have children yada yada… but get this… my weight has not changed much. (and for the skeptics, all things feminine are clockwork and healthy).
I have just dumped fat pounds over into lean mass pounds. That. is. awesome.
VERY subtle changes on the outside – No one seeing me would know this – but it has been drastic changes on the inside.
I’m not the thinnest/skinniest of my adult life, but I am faster, stronger, and leaner = ATHLETE!
I don’t have any desire to change this lifestyle. Thanks!
I completed 30 days this past Saturday. Over the past 10 months I have lost 60lbs and of course have received lots of comments about that but over the last 30 days I lost 10 of those 60 and probably received more compliments in that time-frame than the whole 10 months. The last 15 were crazy, people commented non-stop, mainly on how much flatter my stomach is.
I took measurements and pictures before and 15 days in as well as on day 30. I have been keeping measurements pretty consistently on a monthly basis for the last 7 months. Some areas that just weren’t budging (mainly my upper arms and belly) lost about an inch in the arms and more in the belly in the last 15 days, I couldn’t believe it.
I do Crossfit and also received many comments there about how my performance in the WOD’s has improved. The class I go to is all guys, many of them former Marines and most of them have been struggling to keep up with me. I finally feel like I am force in the gym and can stand up there with some of the fastest.
In general abstaining from dairy or grains wasn’t a challenge, I just don’t miss them. I did realize how absurdly addicted to sugar I was/am. I also learned that I used to turn to junk food when I was bored, I used to eat bad things for excitement and not fuel. I am still trying to change that habit but at least I am 10 times more aware about it than before these 30 days.
I did indulge with wine and some pizza Saturday and don’t think I will do that again, at least not on a significant scale. I was pretty useless yesterday and my workout this morning suffered. I believe I will indefinitely stick to this plan if for no other reason than it makes me feel good.
Thanks for all the work involved in hosting this challenge and putting this great resource out there!
P.S. A tip for all those gum chewers (I was one!) I used toothpicks with either tea tree oil or cinnamon oil infused and they filled that void nicely.
Just finished my 30 days and am going to stay on it. Didn’t feel more or less energy, no more or less aches and pains, no more or less weight gain than any other restrictive eating program I have been on. I like the fact that I feel like I am eating healthier than in the past. I will add in a limited balance of organic beans and grains.
The wife and I finished our first Whole30 last month. Noticed we were having a few too many ‘choice’ meals this month and have decided to go strict once again. Our rules are a bit different as a couple-few times a week, we have weekly engagements with family or friends that require us to eat what is provided. As good manners, we always eat what is provided from those who serve but are selective as to what foods we ingest and those we shun. Last weekend and once last week we had what I would consider scary meals in that, they definitely weren’t Whole and most certainly not down the route we want to take. So I called an audible two days ago and we are going back to strict eating because 1) it is REALLY simple and 2) we NEED this.
For the first time in several years, after many lies to ourselves and others, we are trekking through life with full control of ourselves at a dining room table. It feels amazing as we’ve both been overweight for far too long and faced with incredibly high blood pressure we knew action was needed immediately. I had stalked the Whole30 site but was afraid to take that plunge, afraid of how hard it would be. Come to find out, after the first two weeks were over, it was the easiest thing on the planet — I have a friend who is paralyzed and my wife’s mother has ailments beyond measure, I look to these as example of ‘hard’, eating a ton of meat, veggies and eggs is by no means hard. We haven’t measured a single meal, there is no discussion of how many calories each of us had that day — the more the better I figure. We eat protein and good fats like they are going out of style and just since the beginning of October, we’ve both seen amazing results. My wife had a goal of being in a size 16 dress before a friend’s wedding in March, long story short, the wedding got moved to December due to family illnesses. My wife kept a positive attitude but I could tell she was fretting over not meeting the size 16 goal — last weekend she bought two new dresses in size 16 (down 4 sizes! in over a month) and still has several weeks to go, I let her know I’d be more than happy to buy her new dresses in an even smaller size! I am super proud of her as well as myself.
This plan isn’t hard, there is nothing hard or impossible or even difficult about it. Put down the crackers, put down the soda, skip the alcohol and just get control of your present self, your future self will thank you. I’m definitely looking forward to buying new clothes come the beginning of the year — just this morning I slipped on my ‘tight’ jeans, the ones usually reserved for the very bottom of the clean clothes pile and had oodles of room. Skipping potato chips and cookies isn’t hard, neither is learning your blood pressure went from 156/96 to 120/74 in a matter of weeks and buying new clothes because you are losing fat is definitely not hard.
Before embarking on the Whole30 challenge, it was a must for me to mentally prepare! I knew I wanted to do this challenge, but more importantly I wanted to commit to it 100% and was NOT going to let myself fail. Diet is something I myself, have full control over in my life. I had to do this for me! I’m not overweight, but I knew there could be improvement in my diet and I wanted a challenge.
Let me start off my saying this is the first real diet I have ever done, I was a collegiate athlete and am now 25, so have no real major health problems. Now I am a CrossFit athlete and living a Whole30 lifestyle. After only 5 days, 5 DAYS, I saw changes! I saw changes in my body composition, I was sleeping through the night, I was waking up more energized! I was AMAZED at how quickly I was seeing changes and was extremely motivated to get through the 30 days to see what other results were in store.
I will admit, week 2 was the toughest. Not tough maintaining the diet, tough having enough energy to get me through my CrossFit workouts. But week 3 was a different story, i felt great! After the 30th day I was feeling awesome!! I was looking great and living great! I had lost about 12lbs and dropped 2 sizes. I was a lot leaner everyone was noticing. About 2 weeks after I had completed the diet is when I really started noticing improvements in my workouts, and am still noticing them. My times are faster, I’m stronger, and am not getting as winded during workouts. It’s simply amazing.
I am currently maintaining about a 75% strict Whole30 eating style. I may have a cheat meal on the weekend but during the week I try to keep it clean. I will do another strict 30 days in January, and I’m ready for the second time around. Who knows what the results will be this time. Now that I’m even more knowledgeable about how and what to eat!
When I started the Whole30, I was very familiar with paleo. I had been “eating paleo” for a while, or so I thought. I had been working out with a personal trainer 2-3 days a week, and worked up to running half and a full marathon. No matter how hard I worked I just couldn’t budge the scale! I finally, begrudgingly admitted it was time to take a closer look at my diet. Around the same time I started the Whole30 I quit my personal training and joined a local CrossFit. I have to admit, I was a little skeptical about the Whole30. Like I said, I had been “eating paleo” for a while and not seen any results. I was determined that I could lose the weight, and I had tried everything else, so why not try this insanely strict and impossible to follow diet?
What I learned over my 30 days was amazing. First off, I hadn’t been eating paleo at all. I was just eating a lot of poor quality meat, too many nuts, lots of fake sugar and baked paleo goodies. The Whole30 changed EVERYTHING. I dropped the diet drinks, paleo muffins, processed protein shakes and bars, oh yeah…and the alcohol. I’m proud to say I followed the instructions exactly!
My physical results were fantastic. I lost 3 inches on my waist and gained a significant amount of strength. I wasn’t able to do a fat pinch test on day one and day 30, but in the few months since I started the whole30 I’ve dropped 15# of fat. I fit into clothes I haven’t worn in years, and have set PRs in my workouts over and over again.
The diet that I thought would be impossible to follow long term has become a way of life. I can’t imagine eating anything other than fresh local vegetables, seasoned with herbs and spices and great quality proteins. Processed food tastes like plastic to me. I no longer have sugar cravings. I drink my coffee black, and like it. I am NOT hungry between meals, I don’t miss bread, and I learned it’s ok to go to a party and not have a drink. (even though everyone will ask if you’re pregnant) I DO NOT IN ANY WAY FEEL SHORTCHANGED!
Perhaps the most surprising part is how easy it is. I cook all my meals and have no problem with getting it done, and don’t spend hours slaving in the kitchen. I’m not miserably bored with the food I eat; I enjoy every delicious bite! I don’t even go to the grocery store any more, I shop entirely at farmer’s markets. I’m proud to support local farmers and ethical and healthy treatment of animals. And I spend a tons less on groceries, since I buy less food.
I’ve shared the Whole30 with many friends and have gotten a few on board. I fully expect more to follow. Seeing is believing and the results speak for themselves. Pass it on.
I’m proud to have completed my Whole30 yesterday and while there were real challenges, it’s been an interesting journey. I dropped my weight to personal goal using Weight Watchers and started Crossfit this summer to become stronger. Everyone there talks about Paleo and I was the biggest nay-sayer, though I started changing my diet in subtle ways, giving up all soda (diet or not) and trying to eat more vegetables and fruit. I did notice that on days when I ate poorly, my WOD suffered from lack of energy.
I started eating more Paleo in October and after meeting Robb Wolf decided I should take the Whole30 Challenge. What did I have to lose? 30 days without bread and pasta? So I took the plunge – the day before Halloween and it went throught Thanksgiving. Weeks were easy – consciously planning my meals – but the weekends and traveling were downright difficult and unpleasant. We had brunch with some VIPs who noticed I wasn’t eating all of the fancy foods at the Club. I sat in countless Tex-Mex restaurants surrounded by chips and queso. I even brought my own food to the in-laws so I’d have something to eat for Thanksgiving (talk about insulting them!) I did not miss the Halloween candy and I pushed through cravings for kolaches and pasta. I learned to remake favorite recipes replacing the bad stuff with good, healthier ingredients. I don’t miss the pasta or dairy, though I do occasionally crave certain sweet things (hot chocolate this weekend!)
Benefits? I didn’t take any measurements, but my size 6 jeans, which were loose before, not fall off and my size 4s which were a snug but good fit are now loose. So I know I lost inches. I dropped 6 lbs and 5% body fat. For the first time in probably 30 years my father told me I was too skinny. What I like is having more energy for the WOD. There have been days when it’s challenging but not exhausting. I haven’t been as sore or achy after workouts, but have enjoyed a good rush of adrenaline for hour or more afterwards.
Most importantly I’ve explored another area about myself and how I relate to food. I’ve broken barriers about what I need vs. what the rest of the world tells me I should be eating. I went to a movie theater and didn’t buy popcorn. I sat in a hotel room where everyone ate delivered pizza and stayed strong. I did not eat a single piece of Halloween candy or my favorite Thanksgiving cornbread stuffing.
Yes, I plan on reintroducing some foods, but in small amounts and largely for social reasons. IE: if we’re out with family and there isn’t a paleo option on the menu, instead of fasting I’ll have the least damaging item I can find. And if I want a Christmas cookie, I’ll have A Christmas cookie – not 5. So I plan on eating clean during the week and not stressing over the weekends as much. I also think I’d appreciate a small glass of good red wine and a bit of chocolate. But I don’t NEED those things.
I went grocery shopping this eve to buy some eggs, fish, and greens.
Day 1 starts tomorrow! I am super excited. I was recently introduced to paleo through a friend. I really want to stop making excuses and give this a go. The full 30 days I deserve : D
Wish me luck!
HI! So, this might not be the BEST comment, but I figure that people might hopefully relate to me, and have some words of encouragement. I started the whole30 about three weeks ago (right before Christmas, it was brutal) but I knew that with my husband doing it with me, there was a chance. It’s not that we eat HORRIBLY, we just love to eat whatever is delicious! But I knew that my affair with pastries needed to END. I work at Starbucks, and there are loads of them thrown out every night, and I always relied on that as dinner. YIKES. Any-who, so things were going GREAT the first week! Eating-wise, and cravings-wise. But, I overdosed on almonds (literally) on about the third day and was throwing up what looked like coffee grounds… it was completely bizarre. However I didn’t crave sugar the way I thought I would! OH! And I should mention, I didnt cut out alcohol. I don’t drink a ton, but my husband makes homebrew beer and had three new batches that I knew I wouldnt be able to pass up. I didn’t want to lie to myself, I knew in the beginning that I just would NOT be able to cut it out, plus I didnt want to hurt his feelings by not trying it. I did cut wayyy back though, it really didn’t sound very good when i was eating so many delicious, healthy fruits and veggies all day. Okay so… then, two weeks in, I felt a little weak at the gym, and had lost 6 pounds ALREADY (I’m 5’3″ and went from 121 pounds down to 115), and I felt like I was eating MORE than usual! It was so crazy, and I felt soo good! Then one night it happened. BAM. Like an out-of-body experience, I can’t even remember how it happened, but I found myself in my kitchen pouring not one but TWO bags of Dora fruitsnacks down my throat in some sort of manic rage. And then I felt so guilty, that I quit. I gave up. And then i gained 7 pounds in 2 days… and felt so horrible and discouraged. And now I’m back to square one. Starting over today. How do I keep this weird sugar frenzy from happening again?!
When I began this journey 60 days ago I have to admit I was skeptical. I really didn’t think my one deviation of oats in the morning was really that big of a deal but overwhelmed and exhausted from being sick- I decided to give it a try. My first week was pretty decent and I got the false impression that this was going to be easy.
During the first month there were a lot of not so great days. My body had been run over by the taco bell truck (was seriously their best customer back in my younger years) and had been so beaten down that it was not happy with anything I did. After a few weeks I began to notice some changes though. I could eat foods like broccoli and eggs again without any major digestion upset and having fewer IBS attacks and spasms.
Just before the end of the first 30 days I stopped taking my last antibiotic and am only taking one medication now and that Is just for IBS.
The biggest positive outcome from this experience is a much unexpected one. Over the years I’ve gone from one diet or plan to another. Initially, it was to lose weight and I lost so much my body began to shut down and couldn’t function properly. I lost my period and got down to 105 pounds– I’m 5”5. I then worked to eat a more wholesome diet but I was still stuck on all this low-calorie and low fat bs. I had all the Hungry Girl books so I could make bad food choices into still bad food choices but be content because it was low calorie. This viscous cycle turned into major body issues and an eating disorder. I was so fixated on food that I lost touch with the real reason we eat and I got so obsessive about being rail thin. I would go to the gym for at least 2 hours a day and workout until my heart rate monitor said I had burned at least 1,000 calories. This was so taxing mentally and physically and I knew things had to change. Then my sister came to live with us and all of a sudden my behaviors were on display. No longer could I binge and workout till I was sick because now I had someone watching me. I didn’t want to set this kind of example for her and I was also embarrassed about my behavior. I began to get slightly better after this but I was still struggling with this mental burden and pressure that I was putting on myself. Then a friend introduced me to CrossFit. I set up an intro session at our local box and from then I was hooked. There are still many days when I have to fight the little voice inside my head that says “but you didn’t work out long enough, you need to do more” or “you can’t eat that much today- you didn’t work hard enough for it.” Well that little voice is just full of crap. My body image is starting to improve too and I’m embracing who I am for the first time in a very long time. The Whole 30 has been a huge part of this transformation in the fact that it has changed my relationship with food. I eat to fuel my body now and I WANT to eat good foods that will fuel it properly and that will leave me feeling great. I no longer struggle with binging and this is no longer a diet to me but just the way I prefer to eat. My nasty sugar tantrums are gone as well!! That was probably one of my biggest issues when I struggled with the eating disorder. I had so much trouble with sugar and now I don’t want it at all. I was even able to resist the massive table of never ending sweets that we had at Christmas.
The whole point to this message though is my relationship with food and what the Whole 30 has done for me. The Whole 30 has given me weeks and days of almost no IBS attacks and any flare ups have been moderate and short. I haven’t really noticed any physical changes but my family tells me that I look great. My jeans do fit a little looser and my tops a little tighter in all the right places. I know my body still has a lot of healing to do and I hope in this next year I will see many more things improve. Maybe even help my body to heal enough to finally become a mommy.
Still lacking in energy but anxious to see if that improves as time passes.
I’m passing the good word on too -starting with my Sports Nutrition class!! The “Question Authority” shirt should be a great conversation starter!!
Elise,
That is a totally amazing and inspiring story. Please keep us updated as you continue to get stronger, healthier, and (we suspect) happier. Thanks for sharing!
Kathleen,
Short answer: don’t have the Dora (“fruit snack”) Demon in your house. At all. If it’s not there, you can’t mindlessly go house on it. Also, make sure you’re eating enough. If you’re hungry, eat! Emphasize protein and fat, and make sure sleeping 8+ hours in a cool, completely dark room. That helps a lot with sugar cravings. Our Whole30 Success Guide outlines details and suggestions in more detail, but not having the “crack” easily accessible is your first step. Clean out the house. ALL of it. Good luck on your Whole30!
P.S. Also, having some accountability with others going through a similar experience helps a lot, too. Join our “virtual support group” in comments here: http://whole9life.com/2010/12/whole30-2011/
I am on day 27 of the Paleo challenge. I’ve never felt better.
I’ve lost 12 pounds. My waist went from 37″ to 33″.
I’m not a crossfitter (yet) and have x-c skied once a week as well as done spinning once a week.
Nothing else… I have found this an easy change ( the first few evenings were tricky…!)
I enjoy walking through my days feeling proud that I’m treating my
body so well. My skin looks great, my energy’s been really high.
And most importantly, my 5 & 8 year olds are beginning to WANT to try a bit of Paleo!
It’s rubbing off on them. As I approach Day 30 I’m just curious how I should change my eating & drinking, as the challenge is extreme. That’s my one question.
I took the whole 30 challenge this month and lost an additional 23 pounds. My blood pressure has completely normalized too.
I finished my first Whole30 yesterday. And started the second one today! I lost 12 pounds, and my energy went way up–I am *way* more active. The most unexpected change was my skin–it is clearer and my husband says it “glows.” I feel great, and have started to move the family in this direction. I spent a lot of time finding the quality (grass fed beef is not around every corner!) and exploring lots of veggies. And reading lots and lots. It really wasn’t hard, but did take some planning. I feel I need the second one to really get it down pat, and change my relationship with food completely. I honestly don’t miss anything except a glass of wine now and then. And in 30 more days I’ll have one.
I celebrated my day 30 on Jan 30th by driving 5 1/2 hrs to Blacksburg, VA for the Whole 9′s nutrition seminar!! I got to eat my homemade lunch with Melissa & Dallas!!
Since I had already been pretty strict over the last year and half, I didn’t have a lot of “weight” change, but making great progress in gym and visibly leaning out more, which I hope to continue. Since starting my paleo life-style in July of 2009, I have lost almost 40#’s.
I am so excited to share all the new info I learned from the seminar, and from my whole 30 experience in general with all my members! I think I have a more realistic view now and can testify, it’s not hard, just do it! Hope to get more involved with the whole 9 community in spreading the word of health!
Finished my first Whole30 on 1/30/11. I lost 7 pounds and numerous inches but the best part is I feel great and no more break-outs. My skin is clearer than it has been in 10 years! I’m continuing to eat Whole30 – until something special enough comes along for me to eat dirty.
I finished my whole 30 yesterday (although I am still going strong). It’s been a GREAT experience! My clothes fit better, I am wearing clothes I haven’t worn in awhile. People who haven’t seen me in awhile were commenting on my weight loss just 2 weeks into the challenge. I have more energy. Recover quickly from killer WOD’s. Haven’t seen the changes much on weights (push press, etc), but my endurance is up! I believe the increase in weights will come (probably with more Crossfit) I am a dork, so I took TONS of measurements, here they are:
Lipid Panel
Total CHOL Pre: 213 Post: 185
HDL Pre: 85 Post: 83
TRG Pre: 112 Post: 51
LDL Pre: 106 Post: 92
Ratio Pre: 2.5 Post: 2.2
GLU Pre: 82 Post: 80
I was really amazed at my TRG because I was a bit skeptical about eating all this protein, I thought my LDL’s would go up. But numbers don’t lie!
Weight loss: 7.4 lbs (7.3 is fat loss)
3.5% reduction in body fat
inches lost: (taken wit h an anthropometric tape measure)
1.25 from waist
1 inch from abdomen
1 3/8 from hips/buttocks
1 3/8 from hips/thigh
5/8 from thigh (single leg)
1 1/8 from top of thigh (made this measurement site up)
3/8 from calf (single)
Psyched about above measurements. But really my mentality about food has changed. No joke, it’s hard to explain, but I have absolute no desire to go back to eating the old way. And this is coming from a person who has never stuck to a “diet” for more than 2 weeks. I look at what some of my coworkers bring for lunch and try not to judge, but I have a new found respect for my body and I will not treat it like a night club! I used to LOVE pizza, now, I decided IF I am going to have it, I am going to fork over the money for the REALLY good brick oven, gourmet topping stuff. I am going to enjoy it, not just scarf it down so I get as much as possible into my body. It’s like Melissa says SAVOR it. So that is my mentality, when I venture off the recommended foods its going to be for a good reason, not just because it’s Tuesday and I didn’t pack lunch and overall I am going to enjoy it.
I will admit, I am actually a little nervous about adding things back into my diet, but from reading posts, moderation is key to foods I haven’t eaten in a while, so I will heed that advice. Can’t wait for my victory glass of wine this weekend though! Oh yeah, that was one thing I noticed on the Whole 30- I can smell a glass of wine from a room away. Pure torture!!! Thank you Melissa and Dallas for sharing your program!!!!
@Andrea: Explore the “Life after your Whole30″ section of our Resources page – that should help you figure out what to do with all of the knowledge you gained during your 30 day program. Congratulations on your success, and with getting your kids interested in eating healthy food!
@Hank: We’ve been keeping up with you via your blog – amazing results! We’re so happy to have been a small part of your big-picture transformation. Keep up the wonderful work.
@Lisa: We hear “glowing skin” a lot. Congrats on your success, thank you for sharing your story.
@Sue: So great to meet you – thanks again for making the drive.
@Cate: Again with the clear skin – it’s almost like this Paleo thing works, huh? Great job!
@Jill: This is UN-FREAKIN-BELIEVABLE. We are LOVING the change in your biomarkers! My Dad’s doctor told him (before his Whole30) that you could never change your total cholesterol by more than 10% with diet alone.
YOURS DROPPED BY 13% IN JUST 30 DAYS.
The triglycerides are amazing too – what a spectacular, healthy drop. Fantastic results – we’d like to feature this main page on our site. Any chance you took some photos along the way? Please send me an email (melissa/whole9life.com) and we’ll talk!
Thanks to all for contributing – let’s keep the testimonials rolling in, so you can help inspire others to take the plunge!
Melissa
I finished my first W30 on January 30, 2011. I weighed myself on February 1, 2011 and found out that I lost 18 lbs and 2 inches off my waist. (I limited fruit to one a day and nuts 2x/week.) I have known that I should be eating Paleo for at least a year. My doctor suggested the Paleo diet to control my PCOS. (It’s such a coincidence that your success story winner also found that W30 was the answer to controlling PCOS.) Even knowing this, I just couldn’t commit for some reason, and then a friend at work said she is going to read The Paleo Solution and follow the program. She asked me if I wanted to do the program with her. I thought it would be fun to do it together and have support.
I came across W30 while I was searching for Paleo recipes on the Internet. This program really spoke to me. I liked that it had clear and simple rules that I can follow. When I expressed my doubt about whether I can stick to W30 rules, my husband said I can do anything if I set my mind to it. That really helped me get into the right mindset and commit to W30.
I am on my second W30 now, and my PCOS symptoms are under control. When I see my doctor next month and get blood work done, I am hoping that I can stop taking the medication to control insulin resistance. I still have 46 lbs to lose, but it does not seem so impossible because I now have all the right tools to combat this horrible condition for which there is no cure. Thank you Melissa and Dallas for putting this program together and providing an online community for people doing W30. I have found many posts so helpful and uplifting.
The interesting thing is that I did not find doing W30 hard. I know other people on W30 have said the same thing, and it is true. I love to cook, and I really enjoy eating the W30 way. I never felt hungry between meals. I plan to stay on it with controlled occasional cheats. One of the best things about this program is that I no longer get the urge to binge. It made my obsession with unhealthy foods go away. I have been a yo-yo dieter for 24 years and have been on all the diets out there with varying degree of success. I spent thousands of dollars on doctors, nutritionists, books, and supplements. It is ironic that when I finally found the program that works, it is FREE. On top of that, I am also saving money by not eating out. If anyone is on the fence about trying W30, I say go for it.
Dallas and Melissa, I posted the following to our Paleo Eaters Anonymous blog (Melissa is an invited user). I attended the seminar in Bowie, MD in November. I was inspired to make this list by a prior blog post you published.
I started a Whole 30 on January 3, 2011 to get myself back on track after a hectic and cheat-filled holiday season. Here are the lessons learned from my experience:
1) Intentionality. This manifests itself in several ways; particularly, every “cheat” or “slip” is a decision. Melissa and Dallas make that point in their instructions and description of the Whole 30 program, and you may recall that I had, at one point, a very negative view of their no-compromise approach on the issue of cheats. However, as I went through the process, I discovered that this is correct. If it is a matter of convenience (“Ah, what a pain to have the kitchen take this back to remove the cheese”), or desire (“Oh, chocolate, my chocolate. . .”) there is a point where you always decide what you are willing to accept that moment of that day. Another element of intentionality was food quality and being prepared. I made an effort to try to eat either organic or grass fed meats and eggs during this month. That is something that I can maintain into the future. In terms of being prepared, I started some new good habits like bringing groceries to work for easy and convenient lunches. I had to think ahead about what my days were going to be like for cooking preparation and worked hard to keep the fridge stocked. Even a simple outline of a weekly meal plan made cooking at home easier and more appealing.
2) Addiction. I learned that I love coffee for the experience more than the caffeine, and that I can live (and really enjoy) black coffee and decaffeinated coffee or herbal tea. Milk in my coffee was a habit. A second morning cup was a habit. Recognizing that, I definitely decreased my caffeine consumption, but I did not eliminate it. Maybe, I will be able to cross that bridge in a future Whole 30. I also learned a lot about my sweet tooth and desire for sugar. Fortunately, because I have been practicing paleo eating for over a year before starting this, I didn’t suffer from sugar withdrawal, but I found that being conscious of the desire for a sweet was helpful in figuring out some triggers for emotional eating.
3) Training. I felt alert and strong training while eating squeaky clean, in particular because I was not drinking. Through the absence of the alcohol, I realized that even one glass of wine would make me foggy for morning workouts. In addition, I think that my body was performing efficiently and recovering very well.
4) Body Composition. Ok. I flunked on the part of Whole 30 that says don’t weigh yourself. In my own defense, I will say I went from once a day weigh ins to twice per week. That admission out of the way, I did see a weight loss, though, not dramatic. (About 5lbs) In addition, I definitely had a “Hey, is that an ‘ab’?” moment.
My coach has advised me to throw away my scale. I’m not there yet, unfortunately.
5) Special Occasions. It is possible to have a fun birthday without alcohol or cake. (See point 1 about choices).
6) Day 31/It’s still your life. My husband, asked me when I was fretting about re-gaining weight as soon as my Whole 30 was over, “well, are you going to actually change or are you going to abandon everything you have been doing?” Uhhhh, good point. He’s totally right. Why would I stop doing what is working? So, day 31′s pretty much like days 1, 3, and 13. By the same token, I did learn that there are some things I could have done better during this Whole 30, but it is my life. I may not have been Dallas or Melissa perfect, but I’m Mrs. F perfect most of the time, and that’s better.
Thanks for all you do,
Ivy aka Mrs. F.
I’ll apologize in advance for the long post but I thought this would be appropriate. The one BIG thing I got from my first whole30 is the empowerment to cut out any food at any time. I had tried and failed whole30s in the past but after making it through this one I realized how much power I had gained. I was already pretty fit, wasn’t overweight, and didn’t have any major diseases like Crohn’s, IBS, or diabetes. I didn’t expect much from the whole30 but I got a lot. I look at food differently and am completely able to pick out worthwhile cheats. On top of this a lot of people at work asked why I wouldn’t partake of all the random foods they brought in to work and have created a veritable army of folks researching the whole30. Thanks for the empowerment and firsthand knowledge of how I can change my life with a little discipline and a lot of whole9 awesomeness.
I am including a journal entry I wrote for myself at the end of December to show my lead in to the whole30 in January. I didn’t write it to post here but looking back I see how it fits with the other testimonials.
December 12,
I hit the proverbial wall this morning about 2:30 am. I woke up, unrested, parched, with a bad case of heartburn, and a headache. I had gone to a steak house, ate the complimentary bread and asked for seconds, had prime rib, salad, a loaded baked potato and finished up with some Kentucky pie. I don’t know where the name came from but it tasted like a warm chocolate chip cookie. Good, rich, and jam packed with gluten and sugar. It was the beginning of the end but also the beginning of a new beginning.
For some silly reason I have been stuck in carbapalooza and a search for the Holy Grain(l). I started breaking from my regular gluten free existence a couple weeks back because I was at work, really hungry and only Burger King was open within a 45 minute round trip and a 30 minute lunch break. I didn’t feel like getting a salad so I settled for a double stacker, two spicy chicken sandwiches, and a Dr. Pepper. I knew it would hurt tomorrow, typically in my left hip, and I would be getting at least one pimple on my 38 year old face. (Wrinkles are expected but pimples are not supposed to happen at my age.) For some reason over the next couple days I continued to make bad food choices and justify them as part of the holiday season. What a crock. I started to perpetually feel bad and was down to about a 50/50 split between good quality chow and crap but I kept it up. After a while I thought that I would continue to eat this way until the end of the year (three weeks away) and would feel so bad that I would go cold turkey with the whole30 that I had been promising myself to do since the Whole9 seminar in Austin last May. Truth be told, I could never get rid of the Lacto in my Paleo. This disgusting feeling was the last straw. I was created to be better than this.
I had already planned on going Whole30 during the month of January but this was just the kick in the pants that I needed. I will definitely drop the grainfest I have been on immediately and eventually wean myself off the sugar and dairy before New Years. I have never had too much of a problem with dropping the grains and I don’t have too much of a sweet tooth but the dairy will be tough. It is my vice. I will be dropping it to do as Dallas and Melissa say, to break my connection to the food. I am not completely convinced of the evils of all dairy, although I may be after 30 days without it, but I am convinced that I have an unnatural kinship to it. I grew up on a farm where Mom would go milk the cow in the morning and put it in the fridge. I had milk with every meal and cheese was as natural to eat as air is to breathe. On top of that I really like cheese. When Melissa outlined her love affair with cheese and how it ended abruptly when she went whole30 and 1 ounce of cheese gave her stomach fits I got a little concerned. I want to know what dairy does to me and cutting it out is really the only way to know for sure but part of me is scared that I will never be able to go back. Me, a 38 year old man who has been to war zones, been woken up by mortar attacks in Iraq, is afraid of missing out on cheese. If that isn’t enough of a motivator to explore this feeling I don’t know what is. I don’t have an addictive personality and have always been able to quit anything cold turkey but this one will definitely test me.
Kevin
@Bok: Thank you for sharing your story. We’re happy to hear your PCOS is now under control, and that you’ve found the nutritional solution you’ve been looking for all these years. The Whole30 will ALWAYS be free, for exactly that reason.
@Ivy: Fantastic observations, and we love the conclusion at which you arrived – why change what’s working so well! Read up on “life after your Whole30″ and work some of those not-so-perfect foods in as special treats once in a while in a way that’s not going to totally derail your progress. Thanks for sharing!
@Kevin: We’re happy to hear you’ve made it through – you’ve been around for a long time now, and we’re thrilled that you found your own success story in the Whole30. The question is… are you going back to dairy or not?
Melissa
Melissa,
Why did you have to ask that? I went back to dairy, in small amounts, immediately and didn’t notice much difference. I have figured out that it does make me phlegmy and will cut back drastically. I think the big thing is I learned I can have my wife’s awesome spaghetti sauce on top of spaghetti squash without cheese. Who would have thunk it. I am in control of my intake and that is my biggest accomplishment. I have found a new love for coconut cream (instead of Kefir) with fruit and only eat cheese that I know is really good.
Thanks for the insight and kind words. You guys rock.
Kevin
Hi Guys, Well belated congrats to the founding newlyweds. My bestfriend from HS had his ceromony and reception at the hotel Del on Cornado with interim pics on the beach it was beautiful!
I completed my first whole 30 yesterday. Here are some numbers:age50, lost 19.5 pounds to put me at just under 20% BF at 194 LBS. Two pounds lost were of the visceral variety, YEAH! Muscle weight remained unchanged. Metabolic age dropped by 14 years, Blood pressure dropped 14 and 10 points respectfully, resting heart rate is down about 8 beats as well.
Overall my energy level, sleeping, breathing capacity and sinus congestion have improved noticeably. I’m going to be paleo lite for a few days with travel coming up and then go strict again at least another 30.
Part of my motivation of doing this was my 18 year old daughter. After two years of seeing doctors and having two surgeries, one for a facial tumor in her high cheek and one for a ovarian cyst the size of a big mac in which she lost a fallopian tube, a fertility doctor finally told her she had PCOS.
As we helped her adapt a new diet, I got to thinking, she’s alot like me so what is the PCOS equivalent for men? Yes i have the skin tags, yes I’m overweight, etc. So in supporting her I decided my terrible diet needed to be more “wholy” too. She’s away at school and we text, talk and email about our diets. My middle child is eating with me when she’s home because the food is sooo flavorful as compared to bland pasta and bread.
I’m going to continue for several reasons. First and foremost to continue providing inspiration to my family. The cereal boxes are gone, I’m doing more of the cooking or my wife will emulate fresh and natural food dinners with a few sneaks on the side.
Secondly I’m going to continue because, as powerful as the body is in healing itself I don’t think 30 days of clean natural eating can totally cleanse 35 years of gluttony, overdrinking and fast food, coupled with a mouthful of teeth that craved sugar constantly. I don’t think it’s possible. I realize some of the damage may be irreversable but hopefully it won’t get any worse or will continue to improve. I plan on having extensive blood work done after this next round. I can’t wait to see the shock and awe on the doc’s face.
Lastly i will continue because of how I feel and how I’ve freed myself from so many food addictions. As i told melissa in an earlier email I can feel my body almost canablizing itself yet I’ not hungry or having any cravings. I used to hord potato chips and fries-fresh kalechips taste so much better. For my old cookie fix, I’ll eat a couiple of figs compared to a fig nuttent cookie. For candy I’ll place some almonds in my hand and sprinkle on shaved coconuts. Tastes like an almond joy minus the chocolate.
For awhile i did miss the alcohol but I didn’t miss getting up in the middle of the night to pee it out of my system or the occasional headache from too much of it. I did miss the cheese but not the congestion it causes. Fasting from dairy before helped me realize this condition.
It’s funny as i sit here typing it barely feels like I’m breathing. That is how efficient my body has become in a short 30 days. It’s gotten stronger too. As a recent home gym crossfitter my strict pull ups went from one in a row to five. I don’t think you can contribute that to just the weight loss.
I’ve done two body composition challenges in the past. Both were for 12 weeks and allowed “cheat” days. Yes the before and after pics were good but I accomplished much more in 30 days, following the whole 30 program than either of those programs and I was much younger then.
So thank you again. God bless you two for doing this. To those of you considering this don’t give it any more thought. You deserve to treat yourself, to nourish yourself, to complete yourself with this transforming, wholesome, natural and delicious way of living.
PAX, Gregg
Gregg: Wow – we are blown away. What an amazing testimonial! We’re so happy that you and your girls are eating better, feeling better and making better choices together as a family. Your comments will surely inspire other families to take the first step! Thank you for taking the time to share your experience here – best of luck to you and your family.
Melissa & Dallas
Yesterday was Day 30 of my Whole30. I have known for several years about my allergies to wheat, corn, and soy and didn’t eat them. So, my diet was very low in grains, the only gluten was in beer, soy-free. I’d done months of eating more paleo than usual (no obvious sugar, no grains/legumes/soy, dairy in smaller amounts, no beer, but still wine) I thought that the Whole30 would just sort of be a nice month of good ol’ clean living, but thought the slogan “Change your life in 30 days” wouldn’t really apply to me. I was wrong.
I have had pretty much constant sugar cravings forever. Nowadays, I can get pretty darn excited about an orange, but I’m not constantly dreaming about pounding a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. Today is my 30th birthday, so I’ve been planning all along for some dark chocolate tonight. So far, I’m not really interested in it. If I decide I want it this evening, I’ll still have it for sure, but I’m pretty dispassionate at the moment. I’m not sure if I can express how monumental this is: I would let myself have my first bit of sugar in an ENTIRE MONTH today, but I’m not even sure I want it. That’s CRAZY.
Alcohol, too. I’ve always been a 1-2 drinks a night kind of person, with the occasional night of 3-4 drinks. Alcohol has never been problematic in terms of me getting drunk a lot or anything like that, but I always really really really wanted my nightly beer/wine. I totally forgot about beer/wine on the Whole30. The only time I ever wanted it was when it would have been nice to have a drink socially. I had planned to have a glass of red wine with my dark chocolate tonight. Well, I don’t know if I really want that either! Again, crazy talk.
I’m looking good these days, if I do say so myself. I haven’t weighed myself yet, but I’m looking trim and fit, despite the fact that I’m not really working out much (just active recreation, really). I have definitely dropped some fat.
I’m also feeling pretty good. I haven’t had a huuuuge improvement in energy levels, but I have a young kid who doesn’t sleep that great, so that’s a huge confounding factor. My energy levels are more constant, though. I have better mental clarity. Fewer aches. The mild tendonitis in my hands (I play upright bass and am a desk jockey) seems to have resolved. I’ve had a shoulder that has been tightly knotted and often painful since the middle of last summer. That, too, has improved significantly. If I eat grains, I also have nasty acid reflux and heartburn everytime I eat anything. Grain-free=zero heartburn EVER. Not even a little.
The big health effect for me is in allergies. I have more allergies to more things than anyone I have ever met or heard of (which is not to say they’re necessarily the most severe, but they are plentiful indeed). In addition to pretty much every pollen out there (and we’ll see how that goes this spring) and the aforementioned corn, soy, wheat (which I simply will never eat again, full stop… there’s just no point), I have oral allergies to pretty much all raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Meaning, when I eat them, my mouth/head/throat gets itchy. If I continued to eat them, hello anaphylactic shock! When I’m eating completely grain-free, my selection of safe raw fruits and veggies expands exponentially. I went from pretty much lettuce being the only safe thing, to being able eat apples, oranges, all manner of berries, carrots, peppers, hazelnuts, spinach, cabbage, and so on. I still can’t eat avocados (wah!), almonds, or bananas, but compared to how it used to be, this is pretty damned exciting. You all recognize what a treat a fresh strawberry is, but so many people don’t. After not being able to have them for years and years, I am delighted. More than delighted. Downright rabid with excitement.
Ok, I could go on, but I’ll stop. In short, this did indeed change my feelings about so many foods in such a powerful way. Thanks, guys!
After 20+ years of damage done to my body from being a professional firefighter, mom and care giver to everyone except myself, I realized I was in trouble. I have been waging war with my weight for years and at 46, I was losing the battle. With 23 yrs. in the fire service I had earned 3 herniated discs and degenerated to the point my core strength was almost non-existent. Even my position as an investigator was becoming difficult to manage. So I embarked on a mission to get it together while I still can. After finding out I needed a partial hysterectomy and reconstructive surgery; I knew I better get a professional to guide me in any exercise program or I would end up hurting myself due to how weak and unstable I knew I had become. So off to CrossFit Garland Tx and Robert Selders the trainer I went. When he told me about the whole30 diet I was like are you kidding? But I thought the reasoning behind the Paleo explanation sounded intriguing so I was game to give it a try. WHOLLY COW in just 3 days I felt better, and even though I am doing types of exercise and lifting I have not done in years, I wake up the next morning expecting to be sore and hurting and I am not, it’s amazing! I am usually miserable this time of year with allergy symptoms and I have NONE. I am convinced the Whole30 is the best way to approach food. I am not afraid to eat anything that fits into the rules; there is no guessing, no measuring and no counting. This is the way God intended for us to eat, if it can do what it’s done for me in less than 30 days I can’t wait to see what the future holds. I was at the point that I was not sure I could work 5 more years, now I can see making 10 to 12 with no trouble….I feel like I got my life back and that is not an over statement…..it’s a fact!!!
Kim,
We’re really, really happy for all of your improvements and results, but the allergy thing totally blows us away. We talk about gut inflammation and permeability and its role in allergies at our workshops, but here’s walking, talking proof of these concepts! Heal the gut and magic happens. Thank you so much for sharing – we can’t wait to share your story with others.
Nancy,
Thank you for your AMAZING testimonial. We love hearing how the Whole30 helped people accomplish their real-life goals, and we’re thrilled that you’ve got a new zest for life (and new rockin’ energy levels) to accomplish all your goals. Good for you – and thanks so much for sharing.
Best,
Melissa
I heard myself pipe up a confident, “Yes! I’ll take the challenge…” And am I glad I did. Too sensitive to meds to bring down sugar levels in the high 300′s, and quite damaged from previous meds and 23 years of untreated lyme disease, things just weren’t budging for me… until 3 days into the whole9. By day 10, blood sugars had dropped 150 points. Muscles that were long gone no matter what I did suddenly appeared overnight. Sleep was glorious for the first time in years and daytime energy strong and available. 10 pounds left, dropped into normal sizes for shirts, and a lot of adipose fat disappeared. WHAHOO! Skin also cleared significantly. 10 days. And the knees that I was told were too young to replace…well, they are working beautifully. Ringing in the ears stopped, mental clarity returning…and I am hoping to ski, kayak, and bike again in the near future. After the challenge, I tried eating conventionally…no thanks, going back to clean!
Andrea: Amazing! We just put up Meggie’s story, and how the Whole30 (a special version customized for her) helped her control her blood sugars too. We LOVE hearing about stuff like this, because the biomarkers just don’t lie. Thank you so much for sharing your story and inspiring others!
Best,
Melissa
Whole 30 Results
I thought I was eating pretty clean. Doing the Whole 30 made me realize I wasn’t.
Whole 30 Results – March 2011
Start weight: 230lbs
End weight: 217.5lbs
Start waist: 36″
End waist: 35″
Start Morning fasting glucose: 107
End Morning fasting glucose: 89
Start 1 hour postprandial: 140
End 1 hour postprandial: 96
Start 2 hour postprandial: 120
End 2 hour postprandial: 89
Pictures on my blog.
My husband and I just finished our whole30 this past Wednesday and I can safely say it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! It is amazing that something as simple as eating real food can dramatically change your life in 30 days. I blogged about my experience and you can find my testimony here:
http://icaniwillidid.wordpress.com/2011/04/14/30-days-changed-my-life/
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
My husband and I are starting this challenge and it’s been a real eye opener. I feel fantastic – the main thing I realize is how much I snacked through out the day. We have found some really good recipes and I think the hardest meal is breakfast, but we are making it. I’ll be back to let you know the end result!
Whole 30? Whole Life! I was primal/paleo mostly for 6 months before a March/Lent Whole 30. I can’t see a reason to go back to dairy and don’t see why this isn’t sustainable forever. Closing in on 50 and I’m in the best shape of my life. Another 6 months and I don’t see why all of my inflammation related risk factors will not be under control.
Can I eat eggplant ??
Margarita,
Eggplant is perfectly acceptable as long as you don’t have any personal sensitivity to nightshades, a group of plants that include sweet and hot peppers, white potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant. Most people tolerate nightshades well. Good luck!
Tina – wonderful results! Thanks so much for sharing, those photos definitely show a physical difference as well. So happy you told your story here.
Brittany – your story is great too. Those lessons learned will take you a long way – well past your first 30 days! Your photos show a huge difference as well. I bet you’re glad you took them – remarkable change.
Emily – nice to have you on board, post back here and let us know how things went!
IvyBlue – Whole Life indeed! Glad to hear you’re taking the lessons you’ve learned with you.
Best,
Melissa
I finished the Whole30 and I lost 14.5 pounds and 9 inches. I feel great. I don’t think I’m going to reintroduce any foods into my diet because I don’t feel like I “need” them. I’m going for another 30 days and see what kind of results I get. Thanks so much!
Nice, Alicia! Do you have any before and after pics to share with us, by any chance? Thanks for the comment, and congrats on your success!
Melissa
I have before pics…I didn’t take any after pics..lol. I will take some after pics today and send them in.
A little bit of back-story for anyone who cares: I spent the majority of my late teens to mid-twenties being very thin without having to really do anything to maintain it. Four years ago, I got a job that required a lot of travelling and corporate events, which is nothing but extremely long hours and unlimited bad food, alcohol, sodas, fancy coffees, etc. etc. etc. As a result, I put on a lot of weight in a short period of time.
Thanks to the economy (and I mean that sincerely), I was laid off in 2009 and decided to go back to school and finish my bachelors degree. I couldn’t make the payments anymore, so I sold my car and started walking everywhere. That helped me lose a great deal of the weight that I had gained and get back down to a decent weight for my height and frame, but I was still a little more “puffy” than I would have preferred to be. So last month, my friend suggested I try this.
I finished yesterday and I had lost 7.3lbs, 2% body fat, and 1.5 inches off my waist. Also, went from jean size 6 to a 4, and dress size 4 to a 2. My tummy is super-flat and it looks better than it ever did when I was younger and super-skinny. I have noticeably more definition in my arms and have leaned out a great deal overall.
My results are probably not as dramatic as the others because I did not have a whole lot of weight to lose and wasn’t able to work out more than a few times throughout the 30 days. As a full-time student, I don’t have a lot of time to get to the gym as often as I’d like. Most of my physical activity comes from walking since I no longer have a car, so I walk about 45 minutes a day to get to and from my classes.
The thing I appreciate the most about this program is that I no longer have to stress about gaining weight from what I eat. Now that I have adopted these dietary standards, I never have to worry about what I’m putting in my mouth because it’s all healthy. After about the first week, I was amazed at the simplicity and wondered why I hadn’t thought of this before.
Even though I have “finished”, I’m not going to change anything. I plan to eat this way for the rest of my life. And as soon as I graduate, I will definitely be jumping on the CrossFit bandwagon.
Thank you guys for everything you do.
Oh yeah, I blogged about my experience, too. Here’s the link:
http://therayrayblog.wordpress.com/2011/06/03/my-whole30-experience/
I am not a gym rat or a runner, I heard about Whole 30 from a friend of a friend through a post on facebook. I am so glad I did! I am a 53 year old woman, and I was MISERABLE. Felt like I was 83. Exhausted, joint pain, could barely walk, and could not do anything but work and go home. Thanks to Whole 30, now I feel like I’m 33! It has given me my life back. I immediately began sleeping SO much better. I ate whenever I was hungry (but only foods on the program) and I have lost 40 pounds, without trying to lose. I had lost weight many ways before, but always gained it back, and hated weighing, measuring, counting calories and being hungry all the time. Now I am never hungry, I have plenty of energy, and get constant compliments. I LOVE Whole 30!!!
Before Whole 30, I ate dairy and whole grains (only). Thought I was eating healthy. Didn’t like meat, veggies, or fruit. Just cheese, yogurt, milk, and whole grains like granola. (Oh, and lots of sugar). So it was a big, big change for me, but WOW. What a change.
I will eat this way for the rest of my life!
@rngATX: Thanks for sharing your testimonial here! We just put a quote from your blog up on our Facebook page, to illustrate the beauty of the program – its simplicity. Loved your story, and your results!
@Annalisa: We LOVE hearing stories like this – energy, sleep, quality of life… all wonderful “side effects” from the Whole30. Thank you so much for sending us your testimonial – we’ll be pulling a quote from your post for our Facebook wall soon.
Best,
Melissa
Just did it again. Was eating an apple and thought “Yummmmmmm”. If you knew me, and how I avoided veggies and fruits like the plague for my first 51 years, you would be floored. It happened first when I was eating a clementine (had never tried one- I’m 52). Then while I was eating green beans. Me? Fruits and veggies? Yummmmmm????? My friends cannot believe it. I cannot believe it. You HAVE changed my life. I have lost 40 pounds- without trying. Just by eating the right way! Rock on!
Just an update. Today marks two months that I’ve been eating like this and every week I get closer to having my ballet body back, without having to deprive myself at all. (Back in my days as a dancer, I severely bordered on a starvation lifestyle.) Since starting the Whole30 back in May, I have given up my vegetarian ways and I am so much happier as a result. Last night, I ate a 12 oz ribeye. Today, my hubs made me a little bit of bacon with my eggs.
Here’s what I’ve learned: Two years spent as a vegetarian made for a puffy, anemic me. Embracing my inner-carnivore has made for a lean and happy me.
I’m also training for my first 5K! I have wanted to do one for years, but running for long periods of time was always super hard for me. I’m amazed at the quick progress I am making. Thanks again for everything!!