The Whole 30
Mclundy
Posts: 4 Member
Today is day one of following The Whole 30 program. I'm not meant to log calories, but...if this is my one habit I don't break then I'm not doing too bad. I'm doing this with some family for support but am not looking forward to 30 days with no carbs/sugar/caffeine. As one buddy said, 'It's only 30 days' is our new mantra!
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Replies
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Good luck! I did a Whole30 a couple of years ago and learned some of my favorite recipes and cooking methods! My overall tip for success is Don't get too complicated! You don't have to come up with fancy recipes and combinations of foods and things. A simple protein plus a few veggies sautéed together with whatever spice you prefer is quick and easy. It doesn't have to be pricey, either - don't fall into the trap of Whole30 compliant treats/deserts. A frozen banana blended with some fruit is tasty and simple, no need for nut flour baked treats that are incredibly dense and expensive to make. I ate a protein, 2 veggies, and a fruit at every meal, with nuts for snacks in between and lost about 8 pounds and several inches. It's great that you are doing it with your family - people to commiserate with when you REALLY want that latte are important! I hope you enjoy the month and get great results and learn some new healthy habits!1
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Whole 30 includes both carbohydrates and sugar.4
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Whole30 is not a weight loss program. Yes, a lot of time people lose weight on it but only because they've cut out lots of highly processed foods and empty calories. I've done two rounds to find out what foods caused me issues from headaches to abdominal upset. I know now and have eliminated or reduced them from my diet. Now, I'm back to calories in/calories out. I lost a couple of pounds on Whole30 but nothing significant.
As long as people take Whole30 for what it is, then it is a fantastic tool!6 -
Whole30 is not a weight loss program. Yes, a lot of time people lose weight on it but only because they've cut out lots of highly processed foods and empty calories. I've done two rounds to find out what foods caused me issues from headaches to abdominal upset. I know now and have eliminated or reduced them from my diet. Now, I'm back to calories in/calories out. I lost a couple of pounds on Whole30 but nothing significant.
As long as people take Whole30 for what it is, then it is a fantastic tool!
It absolutely can be a tool for people with medical issues/sensitivities to figure out what changes they need to make.
But it's an extreme elimination diet. I wouldn't say it's about eliminating empty calories......
Processed foods can have higher calories.....but eliminating them short term doesn't do diddly for weight management.
Do not consume added sugar, real or artificial.
Do not consume alcohol, in any form, not even for cooking.
Do not eat grains.
Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds.
Do not eat dairy.
Do not consume carrageenan, MSG, or sulfites.
Do not consume baked goods, junk foods, or treats with “approved” ingredients.1 -
Today is day one of following The Whole 30 program. I'm not meant to log calories, but...if this is my one habit I don't break then I'm not doing too bad. I'm doing this with some family for support but am not looking forward to 30 days with no carbs/sugar/caffeine. As one buddy said, 'It's only 30 days' is our new mantra!
so no bread, vegetables, fruits at all?????????????
1 -
Today is day one of following The Whole 30 program. I'm not meant to log calories, but...if this is my one habit I don't break then I'm not doing too bad. I'm doing this with some family for support but am not looking forward to 30 days with no carbs/sugar/caffeine. As one buddy said, 'It's only 30 days' is our new mantra!
so no bread, vegetables, fruits at all?????????????
You're supposed to cut out bread, rice, and other grains, but have as many veggies and fruit as you want. the "no carbs" is a misnomer. It doesn't mean NO CARBS, it means NO GRAINS (if you're being strict), and people easily get it confused.0 -
Today is day one of following The Whole 30 program. I'm not meant to log calories, but...if this is my one habit I don't break then I'm not doing too bad. I'm doing this with some family for support but am not looking forward to 30 days with no carbs/sugar/caffeine. As one buddy said, 'It's only 30 days' is our new mantra!
so no bread, vegetables, fruits at all?????????????
The "no sugar" refers to no added sugar - naturally occurring sugars in fruits and veggies are totally fine.
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nicholerohrer wrote: »
Agreed - these all work on the same principle and none are inherently better than the other, as long as you're getting proper nutrients (which IMO may not be possible on all of them) and developing eating habits that you can maintain. Whatever works for any particular person, works for them, it's all CICO, but if one of these approaches makes CICO easier to get used to or easier to maintain, what's the harm (again, assuming proper nutrition)?1 -
nicholerohrer wrote: »
Agreed - these all work on the same principle and none are inherently better than the other, as long as you're getting proper nutrients (which IMO may not be possible on all of them) and developing eating habits that you can maintain. Whatever works for any particular person, works for them, it's all CICO, but if one of these approaches makes CICO easier to get used to or easier to maintain, what's the harm (again, assuming proper nutrition)?
But MAINTAIN is the key word (IMHO). I've lost weight a few times. I was a "successful" low carber......but here I am again.
Some of these diets are fads (I'm sure some will disagree). There is also a misbelief (in replies I've read)......that some of these diets do work better than CICO. Some people will insist that CICO doesn't work for them. This is a great chart. It's very helpful. Information is a good thing.2 -
nicholerohrer wrote: »
Agreed - these all work on the same principle and none are inherently better than the other, as long as you're getting proper nutrients (which IMO may not be possible on all of them) and developing eating habits that you can maintain. Whatever works for any particular person, works for them, it's all CICO, but if one of these approaches makes CICO easier to get used to or easier to maintain, what's the harm (again, assuming proper nutrition)?
But MAINTAIN is the key word (IMHO). I've lost weight a few times. I was a "successful" low carber......but here I am again.
Some of these diets are fads (I'm sure some will disagree). There is also a misbelief (in replies I've read)......that some of these diets do work better than CICO. Some people will insist that CICO doesn't work for them. This is a great chart. It's very helpful. Information is a good thing.
Completely agree- maintain in the key concept! I enjoyed Whole30 in small doses, but I couldn't maintain it, so I don't use that approach. I did learn some great tips and techniques, though, so I think it's a good place to start/try out for some people as long as you don't get wrapped arou d the axle about it being the ONLY way to get healthy0 -
Today is day one of following The Whole 30 program. I'm not meant to log calories, but...if this is my one habit I don't break then I'm not doing too bad. I'm doing this with some family for support but am not looking forward to 30 days with no carbs/sugar/caffeine. As one buddy said, 'It's only 30 days' is our new mantra!
so no bread, vegetables, fruits at all?????????????
You're supposed to cut out bread, rice, and other grains, but have as many veggies and fruit as you want. the "no carbs" is a misnomer. It doesn't mean NO CARBS, it means NO GRAINS (if you're being strict), and people easily get it confused.
They shouldn't. The idea that carbs=grains is one of my biggest pet peeves. Fruits are mostly carbs, vegetables have carbs. Pretty sure sweet potatoes have carbs. I think the current version of W30 even allows potatoes (it didn't back when I considered doing it) and they have carbs.
It's okay if you want an elimination diet, but if you know the foods eliminated aren't an issue for you (I know I am fine with dairy and potatoes and legumes -- I was curious about grains and eliminated them for a while and no issues), I would actually choose a better elimination diet. People with IBS or other food issues can have much more specific or weird things -- my sister can't eat avocado or melon, among other things.
If the desire is to force yourself to eat all whole foods, all home cooking, nothing packaged for a month as an experiment, I think that can be fun (I mostly do it anyway, although I like going to good restaurants and sometimes get lazy or life gets crazy). I never understand what this has to do with cutting out dairy or legumes or oats, though.1 -
Whole 30 isn't even meant to be a long term solution. The "30" is 30 days- you eliminate nearly everything, and then reintroduce foods to discover how individual foods and groups of food make you feel.
I don't believe I have any food intolerances or sensitivities, so it never appealed much. I like eating too much to give up a long list of things for even a month. And I am suspicious of diets that tell me beans aren't allowed.
Incidentally, coffee is allowed by the rules. Just not milk or sugar.2 -
Today is day one of following The Whole 30 program. I'm not meant to log calories, but...if this is my one habit I don't break then I'm not doing too bad. I'm doing this with some family for support but am not looking forward to 30 days with no carbs/sugar/caffeine. As one buddy said, 'It's only 30 days' is our new mantra!
so no bread, vegetables, fruits at all?????????????
The "no sugar" refers to no added sugar - naturally occurring sugars in fruits and veggies are totally fine.
why would that be when there is no difference between added sugar and natural sugar? Sugar = sugar2 -
Whole30 is not a weight loss program. Yes, a lot of time people lose weight on it but only because they've cut out lots of highly processed foods and empty calories. I've done two rounds to find out what foods caused me issues from headaches to abdominal upset. I know now and have eliminated or reduced them from my diet. Now, I'm back to calories in/calories out. I lost a couple of pounds on Whole30 but nothing significant.
As long as people take Whole30 for what it is, then it is a fantastic tool!
It absolutely can be a tool for people with medical issues/sensitivities to figure out what changes they need to make.
But it's an extreme elimination diet. I wouldn't say it's about eliminating empty calories......
Processed foods can have higher calories.....but eliminating them short term doesn't do diddly for weight management.
Do not consume added sugar, real or artificial.
Do not consume alcohol, in any form, not even for cooking.
Do not eat grains.
Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds.
Do not eat dairy.
Do not consume carrageenan, MSG, or sulfites.
Do not consume baked goods, junk foods, or treats with “approved” ingredients.
I didn't say that it's about eliminating empty calories. I said, as a result of them eliminating those foods like soda and donuts, etc...they will lose pounds. I did not lose many pounds because I was already not eating those types of foods with high calorie/low nutrition. You take someone who is eating only highly processed foods, has a lot of weight to lose and yes, they will likely lose weight on Whole 30, sometimes a lot.0 -
And caffeine is not on the don't list for Whole 30.1
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I'm on the whole everything diet. I focus on eating a whole lotta lots of things within my calorie allotment.6
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Today is day one of following The Whole 30 program. I'm not meant to log calories, but...if this is my one habit I don't break then I'm not doing too bad. I'm doing this with some family for support but am not looking forward to 30 days with no carbs/sugar/caffeine. As one buddy said, 'It's only 30 days' is our new mantra!
so no bread, vegetables, fruits at all?????????????
The "no sugar" refers to no added sugar - naturally occurring sugars in fruits and veggies are totally fine.
why would that be when there is no difference between added sugar and natural sugar? Sugar = sugar
It has to do with the "whole" part, where the idea is to get people to focus on whole, natural foods as opposed to processed foods with various additives. I don't argue the sugar = sugar point, in fact I've seen people stick to this type of plan and gain weight because they were suddenly loading things with honey or agave or other 'natural' sugar and not paying attention to CICO. IMHO, I tend to shy away from processed foods because I just prefer foods closer to their natural states for the bulk of my diet but I eat food processed to varying degrees, too - I was in a pinch today so for lunch I had an orange, a mini bag of microwave popcorn, and a Quest bar. I grew/harvested 0% of that, so it's all processed/ manufactured and there's no harm in any of it. To me, whole fruits, veggies, meats, and simple grains are the best way to go, but that's what works for me. Others will be different and should eat what works for them. We're all on the same path to getting/ being healthy
. 2 -
Whole30 is not a weight loss program. Yes, a lot of time people lose weight on it but only because they've cut out lots of highly processed foods and empty calories. I've done two rounds to find out what foods caused me issues from headaches to abdominal upset. I know now and have eliminated or reduced them from my diet. Now, I'm back to calories in/calories out. I lost a couple of pounds on Whole30 but nothing significant.
As long as people take Whole30 for what it is, then it is a fantastic tool!
But they bring up weight loss several times on their website-
The physical benefits of the Whole30 are profound. More than 95% of participants lose weight and improve their body composition, without counting or restricting calories.
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.
Since 2009, their underground Whole30 program has quietly led tens of thousands of people to weight loss,
https://whole30.com/
And that site is so full of woo it made my eye twitch
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FWIW, I have been doing an elimination diet similar to Whole30 I guess, but that wasn't my template. I have had a weird series of hive issues which medication hadn't been helping and which doc thought was *probably* my thyroid, but maybe not, so I tried elimination to discern if some food was giving me trouble while simultaneously undergoing various allergy tests.
I did lose close to 20 lbs in about two months from it, which was not the plan but which I needed to lose so I'm happy. I did not count calories during, but mostly I think I was just so bored/fed up with my limited options that I didn't care to eat sometimes. I also was so anxious to get the rash to go away that I never cheated and if I was away from home (like work meeting) and didn't know exactly how something was prepared I didnt eat it. It's been pretty rough.
This is definitely not sustainable long term, but as I'm adding back food groups now I am hopeful that this will have lasting effects such as reducing my dairy and baked goods consumption for good, as they both were adding way too many calories for me essentially my whole life. If I also stuck with black coffee from now on that would likely save me a few lbs per year in cream/sugar.2 -
My view on Whole 30 is that it's geared more towards helping people change their relationship with food when compared with diets like paleo or keto. It eliminates a lot of the more highly refined foods, swedteners, and other hyperpalatables that people tend to overdo, which can help break their dependence on them. After the 30 days is over, the hope is that you've broken your cycle of over eating such foods and that you've either learned to moderate your intake, or that you now find such foods to be undesirable. When you start to fall back into old habits, you embark on another Whole 30.3
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Don't ever do the Whole 30 while training for a marathon. #lifeexperience3
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crazyycatlady1 wrote: »Whole30 is not a weight loss program. Yes, a lot of time people lose weight on it but only because they've cut out lots of highly processed foods and empty calories. I've done two rounds to find out what foods caused me issues from headaches to abdominal upset. I know now and have eliminated or reduced them from my diet. Now, I'm back to calories in/calories out. I lost a couple of pounds on Whole30 but nothing significant.
As long as people take Whole30 for what it is, then it is a fantastic tool!
But they bring up weight loss several times on their website-
The physical benefits of the Whole30 are profound. More than 95% of participants lose weight and improve their body composition, without counting or restricting calories.
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.
Since 2009, their underground Whole30 program has quietly led tens of thousands of people to weight loss,
https://whole30.com/
And that site is so full of woo it made my eye twitch
Well, right, because the bolded is just an outright lie, right? They may not be counting the calories, but they are being restricted. Not to start that argument here, though....
1 -
crazyycatlady1 wrote: »Whole30 is not a weight loss program. Yes, a lot of time people lose weight on it but only because they've cut out lots of highly processed foods and empty calories. I've done two rounds to find out what foods caused me issues from headaches to abdominal upset. I know now and have eliminated or reduced them from my diet. Now, I'm back to calories in/calories out. I lost a couple of pounds on Whole30 but nothing significant.
As long as people take Whole30 for what it is, then it is a fantastic tool!
But they bring up weight loss several times on their website-
The physical benefits of the Whole30 are profound. More than 95% of participants lose weight and improve their body composition, without counting or restricting calories.
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.
Since 2009, their underground Whole30 program has quietly led tens of thousands of people to weight loss,
https://whole30.com/
And that site is so full of woo it made my eye twitch
Well, right, because the bolded is just an outright lie, right? They may not be counting the calories, but they are being restricted. Not to start that argument here, though....
I'm so tempted to do a round, but intentionally eat over my maintenance calories and record what happens (spoiler alert-I'll gain weight ). However, since I think cutting out things like whole grains and beans would be detrimental to my health, I'd never do it (so tempting though lol). 2 -
crazyycatlady1 wrote: »crazyycatlady1 wrote: »Whole30 is not a weight loss program. Yes, a lot of time people lose weight on it but only because they've cut out lots of highly processed foods and empty calories. I've done two rounds to find out what foods caused me issues from headaches to abdominal upset. I know now and have eliminated or reduced them from my diet. Now, I'm back to calories in/calories out. I lost a couple of pounds on Whole30 but nothing significant.
As long as people take Whole30 for what it is, then it is a fantastic tool!
But they bring up weight loss several times on their website-
The physical benefits of the Whole30 are profound. More than 95% of participants lose weight and improve their body composition, without counting or restricting calories.
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.
Since 2009, their underground Whole30 program has quietly led tens of thousands of people to weight loss,
https://whole30.com/
And that site is so full of woo it made my eye twitch
Well, right, because the bolded is just an outright lie, right? They may not be counting the calories, but they are being restricted. Not to start that argument here, though....
I'm so tempted to do a round, but intentionally eat over my maintenance calories and record what happens (spoiler alert-I'll gain weight ). However, since I think cutting out things like whole grains and beans would be detrimental to my health, I'd never do it (so tempting though lol).
That's exactly what happened to me on Atkins years ago. I gained weight and felt like garbage. Admittedly, I didn't know about electrolyte balance/keto flu, but...never again.1
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