Since April 2009, tens of thousands of people have successfully completed our Whole30 program, with amazing results. Today, we’re rolling out our new Whole30 guidelines for Fall 2011.
What is the Whole30™?
Certain food groups (like sugar, grains, dairy and legumes) could be having a negative impact on your health and fitness without you even realizing it. Are your energy levels inconsistent or non-existent? Do you have aches and pains that can’t be explained by over-use or injury? Are you having a hard time losing weight no matter how hard you try? Do you have some sort of condition (like skin issues, digestive ailments, seasonal allergies or fertility issues) that medication hasn’t helped? These symptoms may be directly related to the foods you eat – even the “healthy” stuff. So how do you know if (and how) these foods are affecting you?
Strip them from your diet completely. Cut out all the inflammatory, gut-disrupting, calorie-dense but nutritionally sparse food groups for a full 30 days. Let your body heal and recover from whatever effects those foods may be causing. Push the “reset” button with your metabolism, systemic inflammation, and the downstream effects of the food choices you’ve been making. Learn once and for all how the foods you’ve been eating are actually affecting your day to day life, and your long term health. The most important reason to keep reading?
This will change your life.
We cannot possibly put enough emphasis on this simple fact – the next 30 days will change your life. It will change the way you think about food, it will change your tastes, it will change your habits and your cravings. It could, quite possibly, change the emotional relationship you have with food, and with your body. It has the potential to change the way you eat for the rest of your life. We know this because we did it, and tens of thousands of people have done it since, and it changed our lives (and their lives) in a very permanent fashion. (Need convincing? Just read some of our stunning testimonials.)
Our Whole30 program, as outlined.
Eat real food – meat, fish, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats. Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re totally natural and unprocessed. Don’t worry… these guidelines are outlined in extensive detail in our Shopping Guide.
More importantly, here’s what NOT to eat during the duration of your Whole30 program. Omitting all of these foods and beverages will help you regain your healthy metabolism, reduce systemic inflammation, and help you discover how these foods are truly impacting your health, fitness and quality of life.
- Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels (and your Success Guide FAQ), because companies sneak sugar into products in ways you might not recognize.
- Do not eat processed foods. This includes protein shakes, pre-packaged snacks or meals, protein bars, milk substitutes, etc.
- Do not consume alcohol, in any form. (And it should go without saying, but no tobacco products of any sort, either.)
- Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, millet, oats, corn, rice, sprouted grains and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. Yes, we said corn… for the purposes of this program, corn is a grain! This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch and so on. Again, read your labels.
- Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds (black, kidney, lima, etc.), peas, lentils, and peanuts. No peanut butter, either. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, tamari and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).
- Do not eat dairy. This includes cow, goat or sheep’s milk products such as cream, cheese (hard or soft), kefir, yogurt (even Greek), and sour cream… (NEW!) with the exception of clarified butter or ghee. (See below for details.)
- Do not eat white potatoes. They are carbohydrate/calorie-dense and nutrient poor, and you’ve got an excellent, nutrient-dense option in sweet potatoes or yams. (refer to your Success Guide FAQ for details).
- Most importantly… do not try to shove your old, unhealthy diet into a shiny new Whole30 mold. This means no “Paleo-fying” desserts or junk food – no Paleo pancakes, Paleo pizza, Paleo fudge or Paleo ice cream. Don’t try to replicate junk food during your Whole30 program! That misses the point of the program entirely.
One last and final rule. You are not allowed to step on the scale or take any body measurements for the duration of the program. This is about so much more than just weight loss, and to focus on your body composition means you’ll miss out on the most dramatic and lifelong benefits this plan has to offer. So, no weighing yourself, analyzing body fat or taking comparative measurements during your Whole30. (We do encourage you to weigh yourself before and after, however, so you can see one of the more tangible results of your efforts when your program is over.)
The Fine Print
A few concessions, based on our experience, and those of our clients. These are less than optimal foods that we are okay with you including during your Whole30. Including these foods in moderation should not negatively impact the results of your Whole30 program.
- Clarified Butter or Ghee. (NEW!) Clarified butter or ghee is the only source of dairy allowed during your Whole30. Plain old butter is NOT allowed, as the milk proteins found in non-clarified butter could impact the results of your program. Refer to our Butter Manifesto for more details on the milk proteins found in butter, purchasing high quality butter, and how to clarify it yourself.
- Fruit juice as a sweetener. Some products will use orange or apple juice as a sweetener. We have to draw the line somewhere, so we’re okay with a small amount of fruit juice as an added ingredient during your Whole30… but this doesn’t mean a cup of fruit juice is a healthy choice! Refer to your Shopping Guide for clarification.
- Processed Meat. On occasion, we are okay with organic chicken sausage (those that are nitrate, sugar, gluten and dairy-free), and high quality deli meat, packaged fish (like tuna or smoked salmon) or jerky. Read your labels carefully, because Whole30-approved processed meats, especially jerky, are hard to find.
- Certain legumes. We’re fine with green beans, sugar snap peas and snow peas. While they’re technically a legume, these are far more “pod” than “bean”, and green plant matter is generally good for you. (Refer to the FAQ for details.)
- Certain processed foods. We’re okay with cans or jars of olives, coconut milk, sauces and spice mixtures like tomato sauce or curry, or vegetables like sweet potato or butternut squash, but only if the labels prove they’re “clean”. (Refer to your Success Guide FAQ for details.)
- Vinegar. All vinegar, with the exception of malt vinegar (which generally contains gluten), is allowed during your Whole30. This includes white, apple cider, balsamic, red wine, rice, and other non-malt vinegar varieties.
Ready to start?
Now that you have the basic plan, you need to know how to implement it. It’s simple, actually. Start now. Today. This minute. Count out thirty days on your calendar. Plan out a week’s worth of meals, using the Resources we’ve given you here. Take our Shopping Guide to your local health food store, farmer’s market or grocer and stock up on things you’ll be eating. And then… go. Cold turkey. Just start, using our MealSimple™ template to take all the guesswork out of meal planning. But don’t put this off, not for one more day. If you give yourself excuses or reasons to delay, you may never begin. Do it now.
Your only job for the next 30 days is to focus on making good food choices. You don’t need to weigh or measure, you don’t need to count calories, you don’t need to stress about organic, grass-fed, pastured or free range. Just figure out how to stick to the Whole30 in any setting, around every special circumstance, under any amount of stress… for the next 30 days. Your only job? Eat. Good. Food.
The only way this will work is if you give it the full thirty days, no cheats, slips or “special occasions.” This isn’t Whole9 playing the tough guy. This is a FACT, born of education and experience. You need such a small amount of any of these inflammatory foods to break the healing cycle – one bite of pizza, one splash of milk in your coffee, one lick of the spoon mixing the batter within the 30 day period and you’ve broken the “reset” button. You must commit to the full program, exactly as written. Anything less and we make no claims as to your results, or the chances of your success. Anything less and you are selling yourself – and your potential results – short.
It’s only 30 days.
Here’s what you can expect.
The first week or two will be tough, as your body heals and adjusts to this new way of eating and your brain wraps itself around going without all those sweet tastes and sugar-driven energy spikes. And while you may start to feel better after a week or two… the healing process takes significantly longer. In addition, the mental addiction and emotional connections to sugary foods, large amounts of carbohydrates and over-the-top, chemically-altered flavors is going to take a lot longer to overcome.
Stick with it, and be patient with yourself. You cannot reasonably expect to completely reverse decades of poor eating habits in just 30 days. The good news, however, is that improvements are front-loaded, and you will start to see significant benefits within the month.
At some point, we promise you… the magic will happen. You’ll go to sleep easier, and sleep more soundly through the night. Your energy levels will increase and stabilize, and you’ll feel just as good first thing in the morning as you do at the peak of your day. Your body composition will start to change – your clothes will fit differently, and you’ll feel less bloated at the end of your day. Your performance, whether it be in the gym, while playing sports or during a hike, will improve. Your recovery after exercise, a game or a hard day’s work will feel easier and more complete. Conditions, ailments, aches and pains will miraculously start to improve. And through all of it, you’ll be eating delicious, fresh, natural, real food… food that tastes good, and is physically satiating and mentally satisfying.
Refer to our Success Guide FAQ for more details about what to expect, or if you find yourself in a rough patch during your Whole30.
It’s for your own good.
Here comes the tough love. This is for those of you who are considering taking on this life-changing month, but aren’t sure you can actually pull it off, cheat free, for a full 30 days. This is for the people who have tried this before, but who “slipped” or “fell off the wagon” or “just HAD to eat (fill in food here) because of this (fill in event here).” This is for you.
It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Quitting heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard. You won’t get any coddling, and you won’t get any sympathy for your “struggles”. YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE not to complete the program as written. It’s only thirty days, and it’s for the most important health cause on earth – the only physical body you will ever have in this lifetime.
Don’t even consider the possibility of a “slip”. Unless you physically tripped and your face landed in a box of doughnuts, there is no “slip”. You make a choice to eat something unhealthy. It is always a choice, so do not phrase it as if you had an accident. Commit to the program 100% for the full 30 days. Don’t give yourself an excuse to fail before you’ve even started.
You never, ever, ever HAVE to eat anything you don’t want to eat. You’re all big boys and girls. Toughen up. Learn to say no (or make your Mom proud and say, “No, thank you”). Learn to stick up for yourself. Just because it’s your sister’s birthday, or your best friend’s wedding, or your company picnic does not mean you have to eat anything. It’s always a choice, and we would hope that you stopped succumbing to peer pressure in 7th grade.
This does require a bit of effort. If you’re cutting out grains, legumes and dairy for the first time, you have to replace those calories with something. You have to make sure you’re eating enough, that your nutrients are plentiful, that you’re getting enough protein, fat and carbohydrates. You’ll have to figure out what to eat for lunch, how to order at a restaurant and how often you’ll need to grocery shop. We’ve given you all the tools, guidelines and resources you’ll need in this Success Guide, but take responsibility for your own plan. Improved health and fitness doesn’t happen automatically just because you’re now taking a pass on bread.
In conclusion…
We want you to participate. We want you to take this seriously, and see amazing results in unexpected areas. Even if you don’t believe this will actually change your life, if you’re willing to give it 30 short days, do it. It is that important. We believe in it that much. It changed our lives, and we want it to change yours too.
There are plenty of “nutrition challenges” and 30 day plans out there – things that sound a lot like the Whole30, that promise you’ll lose weight, have more energy, feel better. They give you more of what you want – arbitrary points for eating junk food, or an exercise penance for cheating, or acceptable alcohol choices “if you must drink”.
But here at Whole9, we’ve built our entire business around telling you what you need, not what you want. We will not pander to you here. We will tell you what we know to be true, based on literally thousands of testimonials and consulting clients’ real results. Programs that offer built-in cheats or rationalizations for less than healthy food choices simply do not work long-term. They don’t help you reach optimal health, they don’t teach you anything about how the foods you are eating are affecting you, and they don’t help you change your habits, patterns and behaviors in the long run. The Whole30 program has been in motion for almost three years, with participants all across the world – and has measurable, real-life, sustainable results to back up our claims.
Welcome aboard.
Questions?
While most folks can follow the program exactly as outlined here with spectacular results, you’ve got two options if you need a little more help with your Whole30, or simply want to maximize your results.
- Purchase our expanded and revised 85-page Whole30 Success Guide, which includes (in part) a detailed Shopping Guide, our MealSimple™ meal planning template, an extensive FAQ, over 40 delicious Whole30-approved recipes and a guide to help you manage the first few days after your Whole30.
- Read (for free) old Whole30 comments (as posted in our new Whole30 Archive), where we practically guarantee we’ve answered all your questions ten times over. “How much should I eat?” “How much fruit is too much?” “Are headaches in the first few days normal?” All this and then some can be found in the almost 5,000 comments on the Whole30 Versions 3.11, 3.0, 2.0 and original Whole30 post.
To download the Whole30 Version 5.0
Click here for a printable copy of the Whole30 Version 5.0 program, exactly as written above.
To download the Whole30 Version 5.0 en Español
NEW! Click here for a printable copy of the Whole30 Version 5.0 program in Spanish!
Looking for our official list of Whole30 Approved foods?
NEW! Click here for a current list of Whole30 Approved snacks and other on-the-go foods.
Join our Whole30 discussion on Facebook
Join the current Whole30 discussion on our Whole30 Facebook page: http://facebook.com/whole30. Whole30 participants are sharing recipes, offering their best tips and tricks, providing motivation and support and holding each other accountable, so become a “fan” of The Whole30 page today.
Want to fly your Whole30 flags high and proud?
Copy and paste this code to display our Whole30 graphic on your web site or blog:
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You’ve earned it! Copy and paste this code to display our Whole30 graphic on your web site, blog or Facebook:
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Day 4, today i had the ginger eggs and i used chili powder and i dont think my stomach agrees with it. I had cramps all morning. I am drinking tea but i feel a bit dense. I am not craving sugar right now, i think my body was used to getting sugar around 4pm that’s when i get anxious and ready to run for a snack. So far I cant believe i am on day 4.
Day 5 and going strong… I still get “snacky” in the afternoons and late at night and that’s when I want sugar or something crunchy like popcorn, but I’m substituting carrots/apples with guacamole or almond butter and that seems to be working OK so far.
Thanks for all the recipe ideas! I will start trying them this week once I’ve used up all the food I have in the house now.
Captain Tom – which types of fish does your recipe work with? Unfortunately, I can’t ask anyone at the grocery store for help, or ask them to smell the fish for freshness (it is mostly in pre-arranged trays) since I don’t speak the local language. But I don’t think it will be an issue — I have been overwhelmingly impressed with how fresh all the fish is in Japan, even in the larger supermarkets. I figure that it has to be high quality if they sell slices of raw fish for you to assemble at home for sashimi.
My biggest issue is that since I can’t read the labels, I will have to buy fish based on what it looks like (they have some fillets of red fish and white fish but mostly the fish are whole or arranged with the skin-side up so I can’t see the color of the flesh. There’s also lots of octopus and something that looks like eel. That’s why I am interested in recipes that can work with a variety of kinds of fish … time for experimentation!
Hey Wendy, I think you were addressing your question to the other Lauren, but I wanted to recommend the book “Raw Emotions”. It’s written for people transitioning to a raw foods diet, but it addresses the emotions and deepest issues wrapped up in our relationships with food really powerfully, I think, and directly addresses the challenges of eating in a manner at odds with the dominant culture. I haven’t read the whole thing yet, but really like what I have read.
Thanks for your vulnerability.
http://www.amazon.com/Raw-Emotions-Angela-Stokes/dp/0979570115
Becky S – you are a great person, and friend. My thoughts are with your young friend.
Day 4 and feeling very good. No cravings from sugar or grains ( wasn’t a huge consumer of them…it wa dairy that was getting me too much recently). Who above just extolled virtues of ridding dairy from her system, even if only a few days? Drat, I forget your name, but you are bang on.
Am having very little fruit which is requiring effort, and can feel the balance as a result. A fair amount of veg like broccoli and cauliflower so digestion is evening. I have discovered an underlying addiction to coconut butter LOLz.
Eating more meat as my protein than ever before and liking consistent energy levels. No longer crashing after two or so hours (as when using Greek yogurt as protein, for example). The fats are helping that cause too though, of course. Sometimes I forget to add them to snacks but do usually remember within about 15min because “weird I’m still hungry?? Oh yeah!”
Today was a good test. Stuck at hospital for way too long (with kiddo#1) and no opportunity for food or drink. Yet no nasty cravings or stupid actions. Would never have done that previously.
One last note: I did not opt to give up caffeine as it wasn’t required, but honestly? I don’t want it. Strange especially considering how fractured my sleep is right now (infant). I can only stomach half a cup at best, often of the decaf as well. Could my taste buds be cleaning themselves up also? Weird.
GT – could you maybe arm yourself with translations of various fish varieties and then go to supermarket and try to decipher the labels that way? Forgive me if this is an over simplistic approach, I am positively unfamiliar with Japanese language and how hard/easy it would be to recognize words.
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Hello, friends! Today is my first official day of no sugar, no dairy, no grains, etc. since our holiday started in early October. I ate my way through Prague and Paris — with zero regrets — but I’m ready to get back on the program and be firing on all cylinders. It’s not so bad to be a sugar-burner on vacation… feeling droopy? eat some more chocolate! … but real life requires so much more bad-assery.
I got some great ideas for new recipes on my trip that I hope to share in the next week or so… lovely new ideas for special little salads to eat alongside grilled meat — and “sandwiches” that are fun to eat, pretty to look at, and 100% Whole30 compliant. Coming soon… just as soon as I’ve unpacked the suitcase that’s still lying in the kitchen (!) and finished pouting about our vacation coming to an end.
Best wishes to all new Whole 30-ers for a great month!
GT: — A long time ago I spent 2 years in Japan living and eating mostly off the local economy. I understand your problem. One of the ways to adapt is find an English speaking native and engage them to accompany you to the market and restaurants. They can give you the Romanized Japanese pronunciation and spelling of the Kanji symbols for the cuts of fish you see. They may know the English name of the fish, but if they don’t you can look them up and find out what they are. I remember octopus and eel in soups/stews and (W30 forbidden, drat it) awesome Tempura.
Do the same for meats and veggies you are interested in and have them explain what’s in the food dishes you see displayed in plastic in the café windows (if they still do that).
Record/write down the translations and pronunciations, practice them and try ordering in Japanese. Even if you screw it up the person knows you are trying in their language they usually are very helpful.
It is pretty easy to find Japanese/English speaking natives. Most universities and lots of the lower schools welcome native English speakers and you can find someone or groups happy to practice English with you. It can also give you a opening into Japanese society and culture. Worst case you have to pay someone for the lessons but I’d be surprised if it came to that.
I have fond memories of Japan and the Japanese, especially once you get out of the cities and into the country. It is an amazing place.
Day 5 and I’m having MAD cravings for pizza. Maybe I’ll make spaghetti squash with meat sauce tonight to try to satiate that.
Day 5– I was so sick yesterday with cramps and chills I went home early. This morning I was afraid to eat. I ate my broccoli hash but I had a headache all morning. I went to read the instructions and gives me relief to know that is normal…. Right???
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Laura,
Hopefully you are feeling better by this point. I’d say give it a couple days to settle out. If you don’t feel better, maybe you’ve contracted a virus or something. In general, just be sure you are eating enough to feel full and not shaky. The headache seems to be a common experience by folks trying this new way of eating as their bodies adjust.
Steph
I completed the 30 day challenge without a hitch – never craved all the stuff I gave up and I actually enjoyed the challenge of learning to cook with the simplest of ingredients for tasty new options. – found a great dessert, for example, of just mixed berries and a crumble crust with almond flour, eggs and cinnamon (baked for 45 minutes at 350). no added sugar, no grains, totally yummy. Now that I have competed the challenge, I’m keeping the principles alive, sort of, but have introduced back into my diet some things like yogurt, pizza, sushi, the occasional cookie… I don’t feel nearly as well as I did on my 30 day challenge. It’s not been the 30 days of paleo diet that convinced me (though I felt better than ever before and shed nearly 10 pounds without really trying) but it’s how I feel introducing grains and dairy back into the diet that convinces me that there’s something essential to shifting the diet.
five days done!!! tough week. I’m crankier than I like. I think coffee/green tea might be too much. this week found out my son is allergic to gluten and dairy. Really not surprised. We had been cutting some foods out of our diet during the summer. So the switch is a bit challenging. But, duable. Just need to get there dad on board. (tough one)
One great thing happened today. My boss said I can add nutrition to my skills at our club. YES!!! The staff/my clients know I’ve been whole9life for some time. I’m always sharing. Now, just need to add “nutrition certfied” to my resume/profile. No problem. I believe Dallas and Melissa have a cert I can get. Very excited to Official spread the word at work. I say that is the silver lining of week!!!
Melissa “Melicious” Joulwan – Whole9 EE thank you for sharing your vacation. happy your home. Can’t wait for your cookbook to come out!!!
Question: how long do you wait after eating to go to bed?
Question 2: is 100% cacao approved?
@Kate: Congrats on finishing your Whole30! Looks like you’ve discovered that “awareness” piece that we hope everyone achieves when their programs are over.
I will warn those asking about your dessert option, however… that’s dangerously close to “Paleo-ified pie”, which would be off limits according to the Whole30 rules. Obviously, you didn’t have issues with sugar, sweet or dessert cravings during your program – but most folks do.
So for those of you reading… if you’re trying to banish your sugar demons, YOU CANNOT EAT PIE during your 30 days. Does that make sense? In fact, I’d venture to say we’d rule that concoction (mostly because of the crust, and sugar overload from all that baked fruit) off limits for the Whole30 entirely.
Kate, this is not meant to discount the results (or success!) of your program. You found what worked for you, and we couldn’t ask for anything more. But what worked for YOU might not work for everyone, and I just wanted to warn folks that the concept of “dessert” may just be their Whole30 undoing.
We encourage everyone to take a good, honest look inward and work their own program, and we encourage you all to embrace the spirit and intent of the program – not just the technicalities. If you’ve done that, you’ll be able to figure out for yourself where to draw that line during your Whole30.
For more resources on this subject, please read:
http://whole9life.com/2011/01/dessert-2/
http://whole9life.com/2011/10/sex-with-your-pants-on/
Best,
Melissa
Heidi, I believe you should not eat for 2 hours before bedtime.
sorry, then, for the dessert reference. I could find nothing wrong with it, and it’s not at all sweet actually, which was very, very cool to learn that a “treat” needn’t be sugary. While I kept fruits down to a drastic minimum, I did eat berries during my 30 days.
COCOA…my experience, 5 days in. Read the ‘great debate’ and the outcome, got it from both perspectives. It is a spice I thought, let’s try it I thought. MISTAKE for me. I became a junkie. Next thing I know I’m heating coconut oil and adding cocoa trying to make a hot chocolate. Wheels were turning, then I realized what was going on with me and got back on my wagon. FOR ME, way too early to go there. The demons are close by. You warned me with your rationale on it’s use for us sugar addicted folks, I get it now. Thanks again.
Heidi – I hear that eating close to bed time is a bad idea, but I routinely eat a large meal 60-90 minutes before going to sleep. In fact, if I have not eaten a meal with plenty of protein and fat just before bed time, I tend to wake up in the middle of the night hungry. Eating in the middle of the night usually costs me at least 45 minutes of sleep time, so I do my best to eat before sleeping. This approach seems to work for me.
Thx gentlemen for the sleep +eat feedback. I have done it a few times so as to actually get my dinner otherwise I would be going for about 15 or 16 hrs without food and having to wake up for at least an hour during the night. Just can’t function that way. I find my sleep is very disturbed if I don’t wait at least an hour, preferably longer. Just hear that pillow calling is all…LOLz.
Re cacao, I was intending to use as a spice/ additive in recipe. Will follow that reading suggestion though, thx.
Day 6 went out for dinner as per our meal plan ( prepped last week before learning of Monday’s start…). Happily ignored bowl of chips and salsa on table, ordered no alcohol, chowed down on the neatest! Salad with guac, olives, cherry tomato, greens and clean steak. Yum! Left hungry though since with la salad, I am a volume eater. Not the least bit missing the beans and cheese I asked to be kept off the salad. Never do dressing anyways.
Can feel as well as see a marked improvement already, which is encouraging of course. But true reward is no more feeling like a bulldozer is ripping thru my stomach after eating cheese or other irritant. Also, I no longer feel tender in my stomach. It felt like I was still pregnant in that respect, couldn’t even lie on it without discomfort. Now, it is feeling much more “normal”. I attribute it as well to these changes.
Thanks for all the ideas for my husband! I’ve already tried many of them, and he doesn’t go for it. I think his issue is that he is craving other kinds of food (nachos, quesadillas, basically anything “dry and crunchy” [his words]), so carrots with guacamole doesn’t exactly cut it for him. I keep telling him he doesn’t have to do it, but he’s determined to prove that he can control his body. So now that I realize it’s more of a craving issue than a hunger issue, I don’t feel quite as guilty.
This is day 13 for us, and this past week has been harder for me than the first week was. I think I need to work on some bulk food preparation, because all the cooking and cleaning up is burning me out.
I’m looking forward to some new recipes from you, Melissa, since probably 80% of our dinners the past 2 weeks have been your recipes! Yum! Welcome back!
Heidi — I train in the afternoon and then coach until 8 pm three nights a week. I also go to bed strictly at 9:30. I usually eat post workout on those days (1/2-1 can of wild salmon + 1/2 sweet potato) and this tides me over until I can get home and have a small meal of generally a little more protein and some fat. I don’t find it hinders my sleep at all, though I can sleep through just about anything.
Great job staying clean during your meal out. One of my favorite ways to eat if I find myself at a Mexican place (which is pretty easy to do here in SoCal) is to order ceviche and pour it over a huge salad. Usually this tides me over pretty well. Keep up the great work!
Andrea — For someone going from a diet with crackers, chips, etc included to the Whole30 is bound to be tough. I commend you on doing your best to support your husband. Hopefully he will realize that his cravings are just that–cravings because of how gluten, grains can affect our brains in that manner. Also, have y’all read the Grain Manifesto yet to get a basic primer in why these foods aren’t ideal? It’s good reading for sure. Keep up the good work. Our household is just two people but I cook like there are 6 of us and we eat a lot of leftovers
That way, I just cook more and we reheat for a couple days.
@Wendy –
I’m so sorry that I didn’t respond earlier, I just saw your comment this morning! (Possibly due to the spam filter issue?)
First of all, I hear you on the binging/starvation cycle, it’s so vicious … but DON’T LOSE HOPE! You are definitely not alone, sister!
I used the “free eating” method earlier on in my life, maybe six or seven years ago, and it really worked well for me then. I used the book “Making Peace With Food,” by Susan Kano, and although her nutrition advice is NOT at all what I agree with (she’s pro carbs and anti fats – the book was written in the eighties) it’s a really beautifully written book that I still pick up now and again to reread when I’m feeling really low. She has amazing things to say about self-love and self-esteem.
However, in my relapses that I’ve had since then, most notably the major relapse of the last year or two that I’m still trying to dig myself out of – free eating has NOT worked. It failed to address any of the underlying causes of my eating issues: STRESS, chronic sleep deprivation, deep seated emotional issues, anxiety, etc; so all the ‘free eating’ that I’ve done in recent years only served to leave me addicted to sugar and salt, bloated, and feeling even more dejected than before. In short, I think ‘free eating’ probably does work well for SOME people – it worked for me at one point – but now I think that in order to fully heal I need a nutrition-based approach, ie: I absolutely need to avoid sugar 100% and load up on healthy fats.
Other resources (and I know I mentioned these before, but I’ll extrapolate further here) that have been helpful have been seeing a therapist who is supportive of my nutritional modifications (she was a bit wary of me adopting a restrictive diet at first, but once she realized that Paleo was all about eating REAL FOOD and not snickers bars, she was totally supportive.) I put off seeing a therapist until I was truly at rock bottom with my eating, and I wish I hadn’t! The progress has been slow but steady, and having a professional work with me to identify my “triggers” for binging (sleep deprivation, stress, PMS, did I mention stress?) and work on non-food coping mechanisms has been invaluable. Try to find a therapist who will work with you within the paleo framework, they’re out there!
Another thing that’s been so helpful has been acupuncture. Getting regular treatments helps me to more effectively cope with all my aforementioned ‘triggers’ by helping me to sleep better, deal with stress and anxiety better, and have more regular and peaceful menstrual cycles. I really recommend acu for anyone struggling with an eating disorder, and I should mention that I go to a community acupuncture clinic (a list of these types of clinics in the USA can be found at http://www.communityacupuncturenetwork.org/clinics) where I get an amazing treatment every week for only $15! Not sure what your budget is but if you can squeeze it in I really recommend trying a month or two of weekly treatments and seeing how you do.
Also, (and this is going to sound really really goofy) try to have as much joy and fun in your life as possible. I know we’re all busy busy busy adults, but – you deserve it! I don’t know if you do this, but I noticed a couple years ago that whenever I binged or just felt fat in general I would spend the rest of the day wallowing and thinking of all the ways I was going to punish myself in the future – don’t do this! Be sure you’re making time to play with your dog, smooch your lover, dance around your house to Queen, whatever you LOVE to do, no matter how many donuts you’ve eaten or how hopeless you feel.
Aaaaanyways, sorry for rambling, and I hope this helps! Keep me posted, and let me know if you have any more questions.
Lauren
Day 7 – mid afternoon update. I’ve got a few free minutes, wanted to check in.
Crazy energy today, holy moly!! I’ve got a long list of chores done around the house, veggies cleaned/chopped/some precooked and others prepackaged, meal plan done, yada yada yada. Even prepped tomorrow’s (Hallowe’en) art & crafts session for the kiddos. Never done that before, yikes!
Today’s lunch of brussels sprouts (plain, YUM!), chicken, salad and homemade guac was super duper delicious. Just got a new Miele steamer oven and lordy lordy it’s my new bestie.
Roast is a’roasting and football is on tv. My gosh, catch you all later as I’ve got somewhere else to be
Hello all,
I was just wondering why citric acid is out? I just read that somewhere, and then I realized the canned tomatoes I used to cook a meat sauce this week have citric acid in them. AND, I can’t seem to find any canned (organic or not) that just have tomatoes in them. I try to limit my canned tomato intake regardless b/c I’ve yet to find one that is BPA free, and the naturally acidity of tomatoes eats right through that nastiness. Anywho, wanted to know what I may have put in my body this week! Thanks =)
Cate, citric acid is an approved ingredient for the Whole30. There is nothing in citric acid that would be problematic for your program. We always prefer finding products with fewer ingredients or additives, though. Pomi brand tomatoes come in a cardboard container, and include only one ingredient (tomatoes!).
Melissa
Melissa – thanks! I was confused by that one. I think it was posted by another user on the facebook page maybe? Anysnooch, fewer ingredients are always preferable and I’ll see if I can find Pomi brand. muchas gracias!
RE: CITRIC ACID
Ack, I see where the confusion lies here.
In our Whole30 Success Guide, we specifically mention citric acid as a “not okay” ingredient in tomatoes (canned or paste) or in olives. We’ve done some additional research and softened our stance on citric acid – it’s not encouraged (as you can easily find those products without), but we don’t believe there is anything in citric acid that will affect your Whole30 program or results.
I’ll be correcting the Success Guide ASAP. We’re also working on a comprehensive list of food additives for the book, each with a green light, yellow light or red light, to help folks identify which ingredients are Whole30 approved.
We try to have a very consistent thought process with respect to whether certain ingredients are “approved” or not, but ultimately, some of these things are judgment calls. Thanks for your patience and understanding as our thought process continues to evolve.
Best,
Melissa
Lauren-
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond!
I would have to agree with you that free eating, although it may work for some, does nothing to actually deal with the REASONS why we binge. I am currently in the process of excavating that mess
I think I was/am a little turned off of the therapists is because when I brought up Paleo to my therapist she immediately accused me of wanting to be on a diet. She seemed to think Paleo was just code word for restrictive diet. She really would not allow any deviation from free eating.
Thank you so much for your help. I am DEFINITLY seeing that proper sleep, lowering stress levels, finding effective coping methods and making time for play is ESSENTIAL in this process.
Also- I am looking up that acupucture website right now. That is great news!!! I’ve always dismissed it bc the cost is just too much for me right now…but this actually makes it affordable.
I *really* hope I can get it together this time…I am sooo desperate to be free from this eating disorder!!!
ah, halloween tomorrow. I’ve armed my boys w.some good snacks. They have parties!! UGh!!!
I’ll be going in and helping. I’ve made sure I will eat ahead of time. No that my son is officially gluten/dairy intoleratant. I see all this food at whole foods/trader joes/safeway. I think they “paleofied it” just taken diffent sugars/flours. tada!! Bread!! (no better for body really). Slowly switching boys to whole9life style. Right now, Edwin has way to much to change. And taking bread away to stressful for him. He’s a trooper. we gave up yogur/cheese no problem. I’m doing better. I ate too many Larabars last week. My foods were not prepped. Life was just a bit more hectic. I see my error. I’ve already got meals made for beginning of week. Better start! Have a great day! Marianne
Hello, friends. I’m back on the Whole30 train — whew! — and posted the first of many new recipes. Last night, I was reminiscing about a take-away dinner we had in Prague: Prague ham, sausage, and a cabbage dish that was the very definition of comfort food. I made a new Brussels sprouts recipe to try recreate that flavor sensation. Hope you like it!
Bohemian Brussels Sprouts… smoky, salty, sweet yumminess with lots of veggie power. http://bit.ly/sPnbJM
Send me positive energy; today is my first day in the corporate overlords’ office in a full month. Lunch and snack are packed. Workout begins in 5 minutes. I can manage it, right?
Thanks again for all the fish assistance — I’m headed to the grocery store tomorrow and will try my first fish dish ever!
But I have a new question today … has anyone else had problems with skin breakouts during their Whole30? I am eight days into it and my face looks like a minefield. I have noticed this in the past when eating strict Paleo for longer than a week at a time, but all I find when I search for it are stories of other people whose skin has become miraculously clearer after eating clean. It’s having the opposite effect on me — any idea what could be causing this? Or more importantly, what I can do to make it stop?
GT –> I’ve been through the Whole30 – take some time off – Whole30 cycle several times in the last few years. Each time, I have a short period, like a week or so, where my skin gets a little crazy. Then AFTER that, it gets super clear and smooth and awesome. If you ride it out, your skin will most likely clear up and look better than ever. Hang in there!
GT, Follow Mels advice first, she has way more experience at this than I do.
If the problem continues you may have a slight reaction to one of the foods you are eating now more than you were before starting the W30. My wife has skin reactions to certain nuts (pecans esp.) that will cause her to break out. Not enough to call it an allergy but she definitely reacts to them. We use more nuts on a W30 so need to be careful with types of nuts.
Let us know how the fish dinner turns out. I’m sure it will be great!
Marianne — Kudos to you for working to switch your kids over to Whole9! When I go to Trader Joe’s, etc, I shake my head at all the GF stuff. Basically, you need to be a saavy consumer and read labels like an investigator. Have you checked out any of the stuff on http://www.everydaypaleo.com? Sarah has 3 young children, and they follow a Paleo diet.
Melicious — I love your recipes. Thanks for sharing the brussel sprouts dish! You’ll do great today! We are all here to support you.
GT — I have had some skin inconsistencies while transitioning to and from Whole30, kind of like what Melissa described, but by and large, my skin is blemish free now and when I’m doing a Whole30 (I cycle it throughout the year as well from time to time). Stick with it. Also, CaveGirlEats has some great posts on skin care the “Paleo” way on http://www.cavegirleats.com. Many facial/hair products contain gluten or things that can continue to sensitize the skin even though you are eating healthier. Best of luck with your fish dish and as Captain Tom said, keep us posted!
Stephanie, Whole9 Envoy Extraordinaire
@mariannetaylor – definitely watch out for the larabars. they were my downfall on my first whole30, and even though I keep them around now for fuel during long distance runs, or if I get stuck somewhere with absolutely nothing else to eat, I still am wary of them. i ate 1/2 of one on Saturday when I was stuck in traffic on a road trip back home, and I could just feel the sugar taking off.
anywho, onto week 2 and i’m feeling fantastic. i really appreciate how much more aware i am now of how everything affects me, and i cook and eat accordingly. this time around it feels much less about trying to still satisfy old cravings with new food, and more about eating what makes me feel good. i love to see progress, even if it’s just in thought processes. it’s exciting to know that i can continue to fine tune my eating habits as i let go of my old thought patterns. woo hoo for week 2!
oh, AND, best part of the weekend – going to a Halloween party saturday night and not feeling tempted to drink or eat any of the less than stellar food there. i was totally happy drinking water and chit-chatting with my fellow costumed folks. i love waking up the next morning feeling like i have a leg-up b/c i didn’t drink oodles of beer and eat loads of nonsense. good stuff!
For anyone needing a little extra support today:
http://whole9life.com/2011/10/halloween-candy/
Stephanie, Whole9 EE
I am on Day 31 and feel so much better! I have PCOS and was inspired by the Ms. PCOS story. God sent that story my way at just the right time, because I was feeling up to my forehead in symptoms of the PCOS, namely weight gain that I couldn’t stop. I weighed this morning and I lost 10 1/2 lbs. I am looking forward to reading the closing articles to see where to go from here. Thanks so much for the program you have built to jumpstart healthy eating habits. For those just starting, it is possible and YOU CAN DO IT!
Day 8 woohoo I feel more energy I went back to my box and finished my Wod and I was not the last person doing it. Less cravings Thank God I survived a halloween party on Saturday and all it took was a little preparation and planning before heading out.
I survived Early Thanksgiving yesterday. My best friend’s daughter is going to Korea next week and won’t be home for Thanksgiving, so my friend fixed the whole shooting match yesterday. I DID NOT eat homemade, home-grown Marionberry pie, mashed potatoes, homemade rolls, etc, etc. I did eat turkey, broccoli (skipped the hollandaise), olives, macadamia nuts (needed something to nibble on ya know) and a pear. I took coconut water to have as a beverage (it’s ok, but probably won’t ever buy it agian). I felt full, satisfied and happy. I did not feel like a was wearing a hair shirt or punishing myself. I think it helped to give myself allowed treats ( I don’t eat olives/nuts very often) and something sweet. Yea Me! My goal for real Thanksgiving is to make some paleo friendly dishes, cut myself some slack on the startch and dairy front, allow just a bit of sugar (cranberry sauce) and keep grains out of my mouth.
I’m in 100% compliance through day 8!
Great work Marcia, Laura, Jill and Cate. Thanks for sharing your successes and struggles. Helps to know we aren’t alone with the challenges.
Day 8 for me now officially over. Halloween presented little temptation for me. Too busy? Lol. Seriously though, the fridge is well stocked with cooked proteins and vegetables have never tasted so good. I have had some fruit (berries and apple) and hope I am applying principles correctly. Ie not using it as a crutch when jonesing for sugar. Just when fruit would be tasty or I needed to eat something a different colour than green.
Today, with life stressors, I found I wanted a drink (beer) – no worries though, did not even consider as an option.
Have a great day 9 all
@stephanie, thank you for your support. Yes, I have read sarah’s blog. good reminder. I have not been on her sight lately (overwhelmed w/other articles to read) I bought the lunch packs she uses for boys for school. That continues to be a hit. boys and I have been working on cutting down on sugar and talking about “wiggles” during class. this is the next step. Teaching boys that dairy/wheat/gluten in a lot of foods. We are down to just getting cheese, yogurt, and bread out of the diet. Adding more veggies. They love fruit.( Hahah I’m going to end up being a cook weather I like it or not : > ) )
@cate way to go on halloween party!!!!! Woot!
I did really good today. I made sure to eat before kids(2of them) parties. I had snacks packed ready to go in bag stayed in the truck. Boys and I made it through. Biggest challenge was trick or treating w/exhusband and girl friend. ugh!!!! He just started diet taking the crap HCG hormone w.500 calories. REALLY???? Stupid??? Right in front of my son and I. He called Naturalpath meds “snake oil”!!!! So have my hands full. Good thing I have boys 90% of the time.
Love that I’m leading by example and learning soo much at the same time. So worth eating healthy. the more energy I have. The more I can do for my boys!! Cuz this will be one of my toughtest challenges!!!! have wonderful ngiht.
Great job to all that made it through today!!! Woot!
10 days of staying on plan! I made an incredible dinner for my family on Sunday night – pork chops with sweet potatoes and yellow onions sprinkled with chipotle seasoning – using chicken broth in the crock pot – WOW – it was fabulous!!! Yesterday I made Tom’s Pot Roast with Cinnamon and onions – we loved it! I have to say Mel and Tom both have fabulous recipes if you’ve not yet checked them out. When I did my first W30 I started printing recipes and now, on my third W30 – I have a notebook full of great recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tonight we’re having Pizza Soup which I changed to Taco Soup because I use Taco seasoning instead of pizza seasoning (no luck finding Penzey’s Pizza Seasoning nearby). I can’t wait to check out Mel’s new recipes – hurry up and get that suitcase unpacked girl! One last story -this last Saturday was a U of O, Duck football game (we have season tickets and go to every home game and tailgate) GO DUCKS! so I planned ahead so I wouldn’t feel jipped while everyone else was stuffing their faces – I made it through the day (yay Ducks pull another win making the record 7-1 for this season) and game without fail. I kept thinking about how good I will feel in the morning when I wake up vs how I used to feel after indulging on game day. Halloween was a breeze last night – the candy just doesn’t even appeal to me since learning about real food through W30. Have a great week everyone!
I have not download an ebook before. I prefer my books in hard copy form so I can take them with me everywhere. If I download the book to my desktop will I be able to also download it to my iphone? How can I access the book using a different computer?
Day 10….it’s so clear that it wasn’t work, stress, or lack of sleep that was making me so worn out and depressed…it was my diet.
@EVG: We provide you with four downloads, so you can save the book to your laptop/desktop and any portable readers (such as your iPhone, iPad, Nook, etc.) Please note, however, to “save” the file on your iPhone, you’ll need to download a PDF reader application (like GoodReader or the like). Otherwise, you’ll lose the document the second you switch internet pages.
Best,
Melissa
Experience Life magazine has a great piece this month about the 6 stages of change… seems particularly relevant to people finishing up a Whole30 and wondering about how to make the new habits permanent.
Read it here: http://www.experiencelife.com/issues/november-2011/life-wisdom/the-stages-of-change.php
My update: I’ve been eating clean for three days and today was my first day back at my CrossFit box. Feeling really good physically, but my skin! I look like a teenager, and not in that good, dewy, unlined way. Can’t wait until I pass the two-week mark and the blemishes go away. Stupid gluten.
Day 10 – OMG I feel a lot of energy so much i couldn’t sleep last night. I tried making the Mayo and it was a disaster but I’ll keep trying until i can make it. I have been using coconut milk, for coffee and that is a big plus for me. I still so amazed by all the fastest and easiest junk food i was eating. All it takes is planning, just like anything else. Today is a good day!
Laura — When I make mayo, I get the best results when everything is at room temp for a few hours prior to starting. Maybe that will help!
Stephanie, Whole9 EE
Day 10 – all I can say is wow! Without having undertaken this restart, my system would be seriously messed up right now. I am on little sleep since Sunday (seriously 4 or 5 hrs total each night) and all alone with the kids for the week. I have noticed faint cravings for starches like bread especially at night when I am ready to drop, but they were not overwhelming like before. It is soooo much easier to override them.
No sugar cravings. Didn’t dip even once into Halloween candy. Fruit isn’t that interesting although yesterday I did have apples twice.
Biggest noticeable right now is that I simply am not hungry in-between meals. Before Whole30, I ess eating every 2-4 hrs, mostly mini meals but dAiry wa included and sometimes a little grain. Hungry all the darned time. No matter the amount or type of protein too. Weird!
While my skin isn’t yet clear, it hasn’t broken out so I’m taking that as a win
Best thing is a control in my moods. When this tired and eating grains (and obviously dairy too), I would be up and down like a maniac, basically ready for the clock tower. Soooooo much more controlled.
Still will think about having fruit afte a meal, but the desire is weakening with each day. Reprogramming doesn’t happen overnight
Why is fruit minimized??
I have had more than 2 handfuls a day..
It is not for sugar cravings but between meal filler type with Hazelnuts
Started today. Excited for my 2nd whole 30!
@David: We don’t say to “minimize” fruit, only to prioritize veggies over fruit, as they are far more nutrient-dense. In addition, we don’t want people using fruit to satisfy their sugar cravings – they won’t change their habits or break their sugar addictions that way.
If you’re eating more fruit, but don’t have sugar issues (and aren’t using fruit in that manner), then you’re doing just fine. Dallas eats WAY more fruit than I do, and that’s totally fine and healthy for him. For some, if they eat too much, it brings back sugar cravings. So, as we often say… context matters.
Best,
Melissa
Thanks Melissa,, that helps clear things..
I do eat each equally ..
alot of veggies (celery, mushrooms, brocolli , and jalepeno’s) with eggs…
for breakfast and similar lunch and dinner.
Fruit in between.
Thanks Day 11 going strong ..
I’ve been browsing some paleo web sites for Whole 30 compliant recipes and I noticed that some authors state that bacon is not acceptable while doing Whole 30…is that right? Is there a comprehensive list of food to avoid while on Whole 30? I’m concerned that I might not be staying Whole 30 compliant as there seem to be some things that are ok for a regular Paleo diet but not the Whole 30.
Blanca,
Bacon is allowed, as long as the label doesn’t include any off-limit ingredients. (This is true of many other foods, like chicken broth or mustard. Just read your labels.)
It’s hard to find bacon without added sugar, nitrates/nitrites, but if you hunt (locally, usually) you can sometimes find a farm that provides an all-natural, unsweetened product.
We have a complete shopping guide (and extensive FAQ) in our Whole30 Success Guide, if you want a little more help with the ins and outs of what to eat.
Melissa
Blanca – I found bacon without sugar for several months in 2010, but none lately. I recently started using Prosciutto or Speck – Italian dry-cured hams – where I might otherwise have used bacon. They are not cheap, but just one strip of Prosciutto added to 5 scrambled eggs with chopped onions this morning made my breakfast taste special. And the ingredients in the Prosciutto and Speck I’ve been buying? Pork and salt. Nothing else.
help!!! I’m bingeing on whole30 approved foods :_( day…1/2. After four tries.
I realize this may be just a panicky over-reaction, but maybe not. I am on day 28 of my first Whole30. I’m not normally a bacon eater, but for some reason picked up some Applegate bacon this week without carefully reading all the ingredients. It’s a very rare occurance that I buy anything at all with a label. I knew it was uncured, but did not notice the mention of cane juice until I’d eaten a few thin pieces and had a stomach ache. Is this a total screw-up?
thanks, pamela
@KDog: More details, please. Eating too many carrots and kale chips is different than bingeing (in an out-of-control fashion) on dried fruit and nut butters.
@Pamela: The cane sugar in your bacon isn’t going to mess up your “reset” process. Just take it as a lesson learned to read every label, because they sneak sugar into everything! But you haven’t done your healing process any harm, I assure you.
Best,
Melissa
Melissa,
Thanks so much for your quick reply. I’ve been sitting at my desk beating myself up for this all morning. I’ll give it a rest and go back to label-less foods. They’re more fun anyway. Thanks again for the continued support.
pamela
kdog — Recognizing and reflecting on reasons why you haven’t succeed in the past is critical so that you can make a plan for this time around (aka the time you will make it to Day 30 successfully). Sometimes all it takes for me is a little journaling or thinking about what my triggers are to help me through those tough times. Whole9 EE Melissa also wrote this also blog post about hunger vs. emotional appetite which really hit home for me: http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2011/10/31/hunger-vs-emotional-appetite/. Remember…you are STRONG!
Stephanie, Whole9 EE
@Melissa @Tom Thanks so much for the prompt reply! I’ve quickly learned that there really is sugar in just about everything! Like @seafish, I too thought my nitrate/sulfate free, uncured bacon was good to go. Of the five or so ingredients, sugar is listed second to last. label says its not a significant source of sugar and doens’t list the quantity. Which makes me think I may try the Proscutto and Speck
This comment section is a great resource and I can already see that there is a community here ready and eager to help a newbie. One suggestion though, have you ever thought about making a forum website where questions and replies can be organized by topic? I’m sure a lot of us don’t read every comment to see if our questions have been answered some place. Just a thought to save us all some time
Thanks again!
Day 12 – Going Strong– @Stephanie, thank you i will try that next. I feel really light and happy most of the time. I don’t get hungry as much. I cook for myself only so I am having a hard time dividing the servings and ingredients for one. I am freezing some food but i don’t want to keep eating the same food all week. So i eat until i am not hungry but it amazes me how little i am eating. uhmm. Well i feel good.
Every day I feel better… this is AMAZING. Thank you thank you Melissa and Dallas for creating this structure and a sense of community, which were the missing pieces for me! I am so grateful to you.
I want to second Blanca’s suggestion above: the comments here are an incredible resource and the chronological stream of them makes it hard to find particular comments, links, topics, etc. Have you ever thought about creating a “secret” or “private” Facebook group for Whole 30 participants? It’s super simple — would only require that you approve people’s membership — and would allow for separate threads + an easier way for all of us to connect and continue networking. I’ve administered a group and would be happy to help with this if you’re interested but lacking in time. Feel free to contact me privately through my blog if you want to discuss it.
Think I’ve fixed my acne/breakout problem I was having the first week … when I started this Whole30, I also started taking fish oil supplements daily after having been off them for about a month. That’s also when I started breaking out something fierce. When I stopped the fish oil, my skin cleared up a few days later. No more supplements for me!
I did, however, make my first fish dish last night — started with salmon, since I know my husband likes it. Pan-fried and put some pesto on top (from the Everyday Paleo pesto recipe). Was quite tasty. Next … on to the white fish
I really needed comfort this morning so I went to Starbucks and had a latte made from whole cream. Not a moment of pride, but I guess it could have been worse. I’m not sure how I could have handled it, I was pretty emotional before I went there. I certainly gives me something to think about.
I think as much as I was comforting myself with food, I was also acting out over the program’s restrictiveness, which is really silly because no one is forcing me to do this.
@Lauren/ Blanca: We’ve talked about a forum for Whole30 participants for a while now, but we just don’t have the resources to run something like that. (We’d need admins/moderators, of course.) However, as the program expands (and as our book comes out next June!) we’re going to need additional support for Whole30 folks. We’ll keep kicking the idea around.
@GT: There is a population (usually women) who have breakouts when taking fish oil. Usually, adding some GLA (a small dose – 40-50mg/day) helps to clear that up. If you’re eating lots of wild-caught fish, however, you may not need any fish oil supplementation at all.
@Marcia: I guess the question I’d ask you is… how comforting was your latte? Perhaps you enjoyed the flavor for a sip or two, but was it worth the conflicting emotion you experienced before, during and after? I know the mental aspects of this program are challenging, and two years ago, I would have responded with some tough love. But today, I’ll just ask you to think about what you are hoping to get out of the program, and how you might need to address how you handle stressful, emotional situations in the future to succeed with your commitment.
Unfortunately, the ingestion of milk solids breaks your “reset” process. If you really want the full benefit of the 30 days, you’ll have to start over, but that is entirely up to you. Keep us posted with how you decide to proceed, okay?
Best,
Melissa
2 things I wanted to share about my Whole30 experience so far. I’m just 2.5 weeks in (started Oct. 17).
This week I got back into my pre-pregnancy pants. My daughter will be 4 months next week. It is AWESOME to have some of my wardrobe back! Still breastfeeding so the top half has to wait
I noticed this week how much easier it is to trust my body with food now. Not my mind yet, but my body. I have a few Larabars on hand in the diaper bag just in case we’re out and about and I get in a desperate situation. Of course, knowing these tasty little treats are around can be tempting. I had a few moments this week after dinner where my mind was thinking how great it would be to have a little Larabar dessert. I wasn’t hungry and was usually in the middle of reading, doing some online research or watching a little of the boob tube. It was SO much easier to ignore those thoughts. There was NO accompanying physiological response. It was just my mind still mulling over the old habits of having a little sweet treat. It was amazing how detached I felt from the “desire.” It’s almost like this stuff works!
Thank you Melissa and Dallas for your awesome program and the community you’ve cultivated to support us through this awesome transformation.
@Melissa Thank you so much for responding; sadly it was not the kale chips binge but the dreaded nuts/fruit one. I had a good breakfast: lots of greens, some coconut milk, a bit of turkey (4 deli slices, BH) and some tea. And a good lunch: handful of almonds, a ton of egg whites (have to finish off those little cartons), more greens, olive oil, and a little bit of pumpkin banana sauce I whipped up. Then it was bam! nuts! raisins! boom! Though I was confused at the time, I think it started in boredom and continued in guilt–the whole30 should be a learning time for me, and learning doesn’t come without mistakes, so I am not too bummed. Still want to mark the start of my “30″ today rather than yesterday though. Today went well!
@Stephanie I truly appreciate your suggestion to keep a journal. I really love writing and it always does help me make sense of things, but I always felt like my eating/attitude toward food weren’t important enough to write about, and I’m slightly embarrassed by them anyway. That’s a flawed view, I know, so here goes on a writing adventure
Thank you also for pointing me to Melissa’s blog post–so good! I have to remember that there are better things to do when I’m bored: things that make me feel good about myself rather than those that make me feel bad about myself. It’s perfect running weather here in Virginia so I’ve got a great escape 
Thanks so much both of you for responding; what an awesome community! Looking forward to helping my body be its best
And not bingeing on nuts and fruit or anything else 
Today is Day 14 of my first W30 and I’m feeling like a completely different person!! you really *ARE* changing my life!!
I’ve still work to do getting a handle on the details, won’t kid myself. Next minigoal is to rein in and be consistent with my portion sizes of fats. As the example: when I do coconut milk I don’t do enough of a serving but when I do coconut butter, I do a little extra.
Not beating myself up anymore about stuff like that, which is a huge, huge, huge step in the right direction.
Also noticing behaviour patterns are being changed as a result of making the conscious decisions to change my nutrition. Which must mean my brain is being engaged in this process, right? it isn’t just a matter of ‘no more yogurt or cheese’, etc This makes me very happy because it’s ME who is doing the positive work and not just relying on a program to do the work. [Did that even make sense? LOL]
I am not missing what I am actively choosing not to eat. I am not dreaming of finishing the W30 to have a specific food. I’m lying if I said I am not wishing the weight to fall of faster, of course – can’t hide that… but I know this is a process that will be life altering so the goal is so, so, so much more than just simply weight loss. Since *that* nasty habit has been 30yrs in the making, it’s totally going to take more than 2 weeks to break.
THANK YOU FOR CHANGING MY LIFE even in just these ways, especially in two very short weeks. (Which have flown, by the way)
This is my favorite part of the Whole30. For me, it’s the ‘breakthrough’ period. The moments that I realize the transformation IS happening. Getting the connection between food and body, and amazingly between food and mind. My energy levels really start to peak now and food choices are becoming new food habits for me. One of the bigger changes for me is my mental state of health. The ‘blues’ are gone, there’s a ‘hopeful’ feeling. The light switched on. I LOVE reading the posts and sharing these experiences with so many others right now.
Several months ago a friend was sharing a difficult story of a friend who was very depressed, hopeless, and ready to go on prescription meds. I suggested she go to the Whole30 website a d guide her friend this direction first, with supervision. I said it’s worth a try. Well a couple weeks ago I learned she had. She did the Whole30, successfully, and now she is happy, hopeful, and med free. Released from those food demons she didn’t even know were there. I will always be grateful for this program, always be on the soap box about it. I think Dr’s should have an obligation to ‘prescribe’ this route first. Thank you for changing my life and caring enough to sometimes have to be harsh about it!
Day 14 – This has been a difficult day, I guess when i have too much free time at home, i want to eat all the time. Right now i am ready to go out and stop the program., so i decided to check out the website for some support. I have been snacking on avocado, almonds and coconut flakes…but i want more…at this point i think is all mental, i am not hungry but i have a headache. I spent Saturday buying the food for the week, i guess i’ll start cooking right now.
Laura C: I just wanted to let you know that you’re not in this alone. You’ll have ups and downs during this program. But know that your hard days are just one good night’s sleep from being behind you. Do what you need to maintain – tomorrow is a new, sunny day. And you’ll be proud of yourself for staying the course when things got tough.
You’ve got this.
Melissa
My husband and I just completed our first Whole30 this weekend. I blogged about our results
http://houseofpeanut.blogspot.com/2011/11/whole30-all-done-hooray-woohoo.html
He lost 22.5 pounds (!) and best of all, neither of us wants to go back to eating all the processed crap we were eating before. This is also helping me cook food my dairy-allergic daughter can eat, without having to think about it – ie everything Whole-30 approved is ok for her
Thanks again for this awesome program. It was the gentle nudge we needed!
Becky — That’s an awesome story. Thank you for sharing, and I too wish that doctors would prescribe this way of eating as a first intervention.
Laura — I have shared those struggles too. Being at home can be tough for me on the weekend mainly because I have my work week food/eating so dialed in. I usually try to drink an enormous glass of water or hot tea and then try to shift the focus away from food for a bit…even catching up
on laundry or something like that. Keep up the good work!!
ARC — Wow, what an awesome blog post! Congratulations to both you and your husband
To everyone who started on the 23rd of October (the day v 5.0 was launched)…you have completed half of your journey! Be proud of what you have accomplished so far!
Stephanie, Whole9 EE
That Paleo Guy published a really interesting discussion of eating fruit that includes a shout-out to the Whole30… http://thatpaleoguy.com/2011/11/07/can-eating-fruit-lead-to-weight-gain/. He makes the point that just because fruit is good food doesn’t mean eating tons of it is a good idea.
hello all! this is a bit of a delayed post, but i wanted to share the fabulous All Souls’ Day paleo feast that we threw down last week.
around 4pm on Wednesday, I got the itch to cook. this is the first all souls’ day since my dad passed, so even though i hadn’t planned on doing anything, at the last minute i decided an appropriate offering was necessary. i headed out of work early (easy since my two fellow comrades were both invited to the shindig), went to the market and loaded up, and then spent the next couple hours making large quantities of recipes i’ve come to cook regularly. the menu included:
2 whole chickens baked and 8 chicken thighs grilled, marinated in this delicious recipe from the clothes make the girl blog; http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2010/05/06/moroccan-grilled-salmon/
4 lbs of brussel sprouts steamed than pan seared in ghee and salt/pepper
1 very large kabocha squash baked and drizzled with coconut oil and paprika, and served with the moroccan dipping sauce also found on the clothes make the girl blog
Two other folks there actually started eating paleo a couple months ago, so it was nice to know all the food there was compliant for them, but it was even more awesome knowing that 10 or 12 others were munching down, raving about the food, blissfully unaware that they were eating whole30 compliant food. I LOVE to cook for people, but the holidays used to mean i made oodles of baked goods or super heavy, rich foods. The compliments from my guests usually concluded with statements like “i’m so stuffed” or “i’m gonna roll myself outta here now.” It felt really good to know that I made a holiday worthy meal that also left everyone with enough energy to enjoy the rest of the evening.
Also, it was incredible how easy it was to throw such a large meal together in just a few hours. When I’m not trying to soak grains, beans, or make doughs, etc, its really just about the ingredients themselves. Can you tell I’m still on a little high from it??
Anysnooch, I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!
OK I am doing this starting today right now!! I am 61 years old. I am looking forward to doing this and looking and feeling better. At my age is is possible to change my body?? I am only overweight by about 8-10 lbs, but my body has changed!!! I do Crossfit and I love it.
Carol — It’s never too late, in my opinion! Good for you for enacting positive change, both with your nutrition and with exercising. Kudos!! Check back here often for support. Welcome
Stephanie, Whole9 Envoy Extraordinaire
Day 15 – Thank you Stephanie and Melissa for the encouragement. You were so right, i am glad I didnt act on my emotions. Last night i cooked my meals for 3 days and my focus changed, i got things done around the house and last night i went to bed feeling proud. This morning i had my morning coffee, and the coconut milk fritatta…yummy! My lunch is the crab salad and dinner will be chicken Alfredo. I feel extremely happy today, i know i dont want to go back to eat—lean cusines again
This is a way of life…Love it Thank you!
Day 15! I pulled on some work pants this morning and they are so comfortable! I’m also no longer needing to keep a food log like I did for the first 12 days to make sure I was only eating because I was hungry and not because I wanted food for whatever emotional reason. But most importantly, I am finally having fun planning my wedding!! All the stressful situations I was creating/making up in my head are gone now that my mood has changed for the positive. My fiancé is a little taken aback by my energy and super sunny disposition, but maybe it will convince him to give Paloe a try.
Carol, I am 67, just finished my second Whole30 and I will tell you that it is never too late. Your body will respond to treating it better.
Question: is it possible to have a gluten sensitivity-style reaction from eating non grass-fed beef?
I ate a steak tonight that wasn’t grass fed and my itchy head is driving me crazy! Everything else I ate today was W30 compliant and leftovers/foods I’d had previously with no reaction.
Possible? Not possible?
Input please, thx
Heidi,
All the literature I’ve read says this is impossible – that the grains fed to the cows can’t make their way into the meat in any form that would cause a reaction, even in a Celiac person. However, I’m not going to say your ingestion of the meat didn’t cause a reaction. Potentially, cross-contamination or additives could be responsible for your itchy scalp.
If you find through the rest of your Whole30 that grain-fed meat continues to provoke this reaction, please let me know. Just because the scientists say it’s not possible doesn’t mean it can’t happen.
Best,
Melissa
Thx Melissa
It has been an ongoing issue and going thru the Whole30 has illuminated this (remote) possible connection. Will continue to monitor and evaluate, and update at the end.
Day 15. Feeling great. Slight sugar Craved for first time since starting
Got cashew peanut butter and bananas.
Day 16 – Feeling a lot of energy. I am bit concern that i have eggs 2 days in a row for breakfast. Most of the recipes i saw have eggs in the morning. Any suggestions? I have a very slow metabolism, and i have to take a pill every morning. I will have my thyroid check after completing this program to see if I see any changes. I have a feeling that my metabolism has not kicked in gear yet. I exercise 3 times a week and i don’t see my belly down yet
I know that I am doing this, not necessary to lose weight but that will be a huge plus is I do. Overall I feel great and motivated today.
Laura, I usually eat the same things for breakfast that I eat the rest of the time: protein sauteed with veggies, coconut oil, and spices. Sweet-ish, mild veggies like broccoli, cabbage, and spinach are really nice in the morning with ground beef or cooked chicken. Sometimes I throw in a scrambled egg if I want to make it more “breakfasty.”
Another good option — that might sound weird at first — is soup. I know! Weird. But it’s a really comforting way to start the day. Try this pizza soup. SO good.
http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2010/10/17/10-minute-pizza-soup/
You can also copy the European style breakfast: some cold meat — either cooked chicken or beef — with a sliced cucumber, a piece of fruit, a few nuts, some olives, a cup of tea. Arrange it nicely on a plate and bam! breakfast smorgasbord.
Sardines and an orange is also a yummy way to start the day. Again, maybe weird, but now that I’m used to it, I love it.
Just wanted to check in. I broke my whole30 tonight to celebrate my dad’s birthday, the first since he passed away earlier this year. I initially thought it was just going to be when we toasted him, but we ate his favorite meals family style so other things crept in. I appreciate the feedback Melissa passed along week before last to me, and I know I would have regretted not partaking in the evening with my family remembering him.
Hopefully I don’t feel too bad tomorrow, but I also know it will only take a couple of days of good clean eating to have me feeling good again. So, I guess this leaves me with a whole 15, coupled by another whole 15 until Thanksgiving, and THEN I can have my next full whole30 before Christmas hits. it didn’t work out as planned, but I also know the real test will be not using this as an excuse to completely go off the rails. after my first whole30 in august, i definitely found that when i introduced foods back into my diet, one day of eating less than stellar often led to a week of it before i would feel bad enough to change it again. working to not do that this time is my goal.
O.K., I’ve been all over the site. Is there a starting point? Beginning meal suggestions? Is there a link where I join? Is everyone starting with the paid “success guide”? Help! Is there a link where I begin? Ha! Ha! I’m a dork. Need direction
Thanks!
Carla,
Start here, with this post. The program is outlined here in full, providing many folks with all the information they need to complete their program. The Success Guide is an option for those who want a little more help along the way – it’s got a shopping list, a meal planning template, an extensive FAQ and more than 40 recipes.
You can also visit our Whole30 FB page (www.facebook.com/whole30) for support and motivation. In addition, there are a ton of recipe resources on our site (www.whole9life.com/resources) to inspire your Whole30 dishes.
Hope that helps – and welcome!
Melissa
Hi Carla,
I finished the Whole30 this week, and I started just like they suggest in this post. I’d been reading lots of different takes on fine-tuning my diet and my health, and this just caught my eye. So I just started, right there, right then, after breakfast in the middle of a Saturday morning. I am SO glad I did.
Read the part again about getting started. It’s really that simple.
Pamela
Cate — I have a lot of respect for you and your decision. The Whole30 is always here, so just hop back on board when you can.
Stephanie, Whole9 EE
Day 17 Check in; i feel great today, i did some weightlifting and i am not as sore as i used to…I can see myself eating this way for life, it takes a lot of planning and the first week i was crazy thinking about food 24 hours a day…what to buy, what to cook etc. Now i think i got it, but it’s a very expensive, in the last 2 1/2 weeks i spent almost $400 in food….granted that i needed to get most of my spices
Thank you for all the support!
Pumpkin seeds….are those ok?
stephanie – thanks for your comment =)
i was a bit bloated today, but overall not too shabby. i definitely could feel some sugar cravings mid afternoon, but luckily i didn’t even have fruit around me to feed them. it’s always nice to know you can just hop back on the proverbial horse =)
Laura C – Pumpkin seeds are okay.
I thought eating Paleo was expensive at first, but I’m not sure it is really. You spend more at the grocery store, especially at first, but you spend a lot less in restaurants, Starbucks, and bars. Beer, latte’s, and cheesecake ain’t cheap. And long-term, the savings on health care are enormous.
Blanca,
Look at getting side pork cut and make your own bacon. Side pork is the same cut as bacon, unpreserved and no additives, just have them slice it for ya bacon style. My wife is Korean and she makes some awesome Korean spiced side pork style bacon. Delish! Though not quite Whole30 friendly