A special guest post from Anne Sharp, member of CrossFit South Arlington, a Whole9 Nutrition Partner.
In Anne’s Own Words…
“For those of you about to embark upon a January Whole30, I have one morsel of tried-and-true wisdom for you: half-a**ed participation will yield—at best—half-a**ed results.
Allow me to elaborate.
The Whole30, Take One
Sometime last winter, a handful of us decided to hop on the paleo bandwagon for a 30-day ride. Armed with my 90-page Whole9 Nutrition Guide and a weekly meat delivery, I felt destined for greatness—a slew of PRs, a rockin’ bod, and a general radiance that would commence the moment I leapt out of bed ready to win the day. I wasn’t even starting from scratch—most of my meals were cooked at home and weekly trips to the farmers market were like a visit to the candy store.
That said, I had a few cards stacked against me—notably a pastry-oriented lifestyle and a desperate aversion to being “that girl.” You know, the one who’s a pain to take out to dinner because she doesn’t eat/drink like a normal human.
So, like any competition-driven individual, I did the logical thing: I gamed the system, stretching the limits of what is “paleo” to ensure I was rarely uncomfortable. I took the path of least resistance, replacing sweets with Larabars or dried fruit and making the assumption that wine, merely a fermented form of grapes, was totally legit. I avoided awkward interactions with restaurant staff and relatives, obediently eating the questionable dressing offered on my salad rather than asking for olive oil and vinegar—I mean, DRESSING?? We’re talking a tablespoon of sugar here. And everyone already thinks I’m preggers because I asked for club soda.
A few weeks in, I can’t say I really felt much different from before. But rather than seek out flaws in my strategy—I was, after all, 99% compliant and just a little fruit-heavy—I assumed it suggested that I had already achieved near-optimal functionality with my diet.
Shortly after the end of this challenge, I began reintroducing non-paleo foods to prepare for hiking the Appalachian Trail. All the nuts and jerky in the world wouldn’t make paleo feasible for a 2,000 mile thru-hike, so I figured I’d best get my system acclimated to Snickers bars and Little Debbie cakes. The transition was fairly seamless—no real change in how I felt.
The detectives among you will realize this is a major tip-off to the half-a**edness of my participation in the first Whole30 challenge.
The Whole30, Take Two
Fast forward, September 2011. We successfully completed the trail, but five months of couscous and candy bars had caught up with me (despite 15+ miles per day of hiking). I was an emotional hazmat and literally felt puffy—my clothes fit all wrong. I knew a dietary intervention was in order.
Luckily, meat and vegetables were precisely what I craved the most. Show me another cellophane-wrapped breakfast pastry and I’d probably have smushed it in your face. I also had a good monetary incentive this time: after six months sans income, I didn’t have a lot of cash to spend willy-nilly but I was feeling very materialistic—my cravings for steak were only matched by my cravings for new lotions, potions, and goodies to make me feel civilized.
Without a CFSA challenge to piggyback on, I embarked on my own: six weeks of strict Whole30 (NO HALF-A**ING).
The difference across the two challenges was enormous.
Although I was starting from a post-trail nutritional low point, this was a whole new world compared to the first challenge. The puff disappeared quickly and my mood became irrepressibly positive. My energy was boundless—I really did wake up ready to rock and could sustain that energy for whatever the day threw at me. A few berries or an apple could sate my initial craving for sweet things and ultimately, I found myself much more enthusiastic about roasted cauliflower. I ran faster and recovered easily from rigorous workouts. As an unexpected bonus, my nails grew so fast and so strong that I just HAD to get a fancy manicure to celebrate.
I also learned a few lessons about navigating one’s social life in the midst of the challenge.
- Ordering club soda at a bar is only as awkward or lame as you make it. You’ll be so charming and radiant from your new diet that you’ll enchant regardless. If your friends judge you then they aren’t your friends. Find new ones.
- As long as you’re not half-a**ing the challenge, you’ll have an easier time answering questions about why you’re doing it. If you genuinely feel awesome (which you will if you stick to the rules 100%) it’s easier to explain why you’re not having your mom’s famous potatoes at dinner. She’s your mom, she wants you to be happy.
- When making plans with friends to go out to eat, participate enthusiastically in restaurant selection. Going somewhere where any menu item would require major modification/omission to be paleo is pretty crappy. Ask around if you need suggestions.
I’m currently in the post-challenge “testing phase” and find that the further I stray from paleo, the funnier I feel—groggy, stomach-rumbly, less on the ball. Except, of course, with regard to moderate consumption of wine and chocolate. They bring nothing but happiness to me.”
The Lesson
As we say in our Whole30 program, we don’t demand 100% compliance because we’re playing the tough guy, or trying to be the most toughest nutrition program out there. We demand 100% compliance because that’s what the program demands, based on the science of an elimination protocol. Why waste 30 days giving up foods you think you love, only to learn nothing from the experience? As Anne demonstrated, you get out of the Whole30 what you put into it, but it’s not proportional. She learned the hard way that a 99% effort gleans far less than a 99% improvement in results – and that extra 1% (or 10%, or wherever you’re coming from) makes 100% of the difference.
Thanks to Siddharth Sawkar and Anne Sharp for sharing their story with us – and good luck to all of the January 2012 CrossFit South Arlington Whole30 participants! You can read more of Anne’s smart ramblings on her blog, Real Pretty Food.
Do you have your own Whole30 story to tell? Are you tired of half-you-know-what-ing your own nutrition program? Join us for the Whole30 Version 5.12 on January 1, 2012… and share your experience with us in comments.
This is a great post, and exactly what I needed today. I started doing the Whole30 over a week ago with the intention of getting back into eating paleo (all the way paleo, because I know that is the best for me). I was doing so well, despite some pretty ridiculous sugar cravings, but then I ran into the in-laws. My friends and parents are supportive, but my in-laws have this weird “you’re disrespecting the cook” attitude if you show up and don’t eat the food or worse, bring a dish to share. I thought if I gave them ample warning and explanation, this wouldn’t be a problem, but here I was Tuesday night at a dinner there, and it didn’t go well. In the end, I ate three of the mini brownies that kept being shoved in my face (“But, I made this without milk just for you!”) and a broccoli salad that had high fructose corn syrup in the dressing. I had thought I was prepared by eating dinner before going over, but they lay it on very, very thick and basically make me and my husband feel like I’m being disrespectful to them. I can look back now and realize this isn’t a good excuse, I just didn’t stick to my guns and that’s the bottom line.
And, I was the one who paid for it. After just one week of eating perfect, that meal threw me off. I actually got McDonald’s yesterday, like I was a junkie or something. I felt like total garbage from it. I can’t believe I could ever eat that stuff and feel like I had eaten a real meal of any kind. So, I definitely see your point about how you really do have to stay 100% on task to truly see benefit.
I’m nervous about Christmas because of what happened, but at the same time I’m a little angry that in order to “respect the cook” I have to trash my health. Maybe this will carry me through and I’ll grow a spine next time!
So, do you think, after your second challenge, you could have actually stuck with Whole30 on your Appalachian Trail hike? Or would it really not have been feasible?
I am trying this way of eating and I am so confused and frustrated. I am starting to believe that i am destined to be the “thick, super curvy and fit fat woman”. Here is a bit about me; i have lost 85 pounds so far. My first 60 lbs I lost using weight watchers and the other 25 lbs i lost watching my caloric intake on my own. I exercise 5 to 6 times per week, cardio daily and lifting 2 to 3 times. My body has a very difficult time losing weight. It took me almost 7 years to lose 85 lbs (ridiculous I know).
I started eating the paleo way in an effort to eat cleaner and lose my last 30lbs and I haven’t seen any changes. i joined crossfit and the coach assured me that there was no weigh this wouldnt work. In fact i think I gained weight or stayed the same weight.I am day 28 so I havent gotten on the scale. I am honestly following the plan 100% and i am worried that this may actually work for anyone else EXCEPT me. Is it possible i am doomed to be this size? What am I doing wrong? I am starting to feel really pissed about giving up bread, rice, oatmeal and pizza for failure. Is it possible this way of eating wont work for me?
I am not half “a**ing the program but i dont have a success story. I want to run faster but right now i feel as if my body runs out of gas. HELP!
I have a very similar situation to Casey’s. I’m married to a lovely Korean woman. Her mother always makes delicious and for the most part nutritious food. However, in Korean culture it is disrespectful to decline food offered to you. Rice is a staple and I admit I caved, thinking it wasn’t a big deal. This is a great post for me to realize I need to stick to my guns. I will be pushing the reset button and going 100% this next go around
Tarsha, it could be the workouts are causing your body to hang onto all the calories at the moment. Once it realizes that this is the new norm, it should reset and you should get back on the wagon =)
Adrienne , that totally gives me hope. Thanks so much. I am going to do the whole 30 for 3 months. I figured my health is worth the effort. I will update you guys with my success story.
Great write up. Even though I just now found your site and haven’t committed to anything, I have recently realized that part of my problem was half-a$$ing it. I am committed to committing this year!
Tarsha,
Remember, there is a lot more to health and fitness (and weight loss) than just diet and exercise. We’ve got our Whole9 Health Equation for a reason – because people forget that there are all of these other factors that may be impeding their progress. http://whole9life.com/2011/09/whole9-health-equation/
In addition, there are many factors completely outside of our control (like health history, age and genetics) that also play a role in what’s happening to us today. http://whole9life.com/2011/09/context-matters-additional-factors/
If you’ve been a yo-yo dieter, losing weight then gaining it back, you’ve got an especially tough road to travel. Patience is your biggest ally in this battle – which, I know, is not what you want to hear. Continue doing what you know is the right thing – eating clean, exercising smart, recovering adequately between workouts, sleeping well, and managing stress – and things will fall into line. But it may take longer for you than for others, based on the above factors. And you may need a little help from a professional to triage your program and help you figure out where to place your focus.
Hope that helps.
LynnM: Welcome to Whole9! Glad to hear you’ve been inspired by this post.
Best,
Melissa
@Tarsha:
You’ve lost 85 pounds (who cares how long it took) and you believe you don’t have a success story?!!! How many people can say they’re 85 lbs lighter than they were 7 years ago? Not many. Stop focusing so much on the “weight”, as are likely gaining muscle and burning fat, thus little to no changes on the scale. The scale can LIE to you and make you feel like you’re not making progress, when you actually are. I recommend you get some BF calipers to know for sure. As you get closer to your goal, dropping BF gets harder for everyone. The crossfit training should help; however, you need to make sure you’re getting the right amount of recovery. I can’t imagine that you aren’t moving better and simply feeling better with your new eating patterns and 85 lbs lighter.