whole 30

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  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    NannylouG wrote: »
    For a thread titled “Whole30” there certainly are a lot of people posting negative comments knocking it.

    Personally, although I would like to lose some weight, my primary goal here is to identify which foods trigger my inflammation and adverse health. As someone who had a heart attack nine years ago at a ridiculously young age, and a former Med Tech, I am very aware of my health issues, my abnormal labs and my family medical history.

    I bought three of the Hartwig’s books and I’m reading them cover to cover (even the cookbook). I’m very well aware what this diet is all about.
    What I have observed in the 16 of 30 days I have been following this plan is a remarkable change in how I feel. Will I stay on this forever? Of course not. When my 30 days are up, I will methodically determine which foods are my triggers and plan to limit or eliminate them from my lifetime diet.

    Right now I am leaning toward a transition to the a Paleo lifestyle, but my triggers will help determine if this suits me. I have a Practical Paleo book and I am reading that as well.

    I’m happy to share my journey with anyone who is considering this Whole30 plan. I’m really not interested in a debate why this plan is not sustainable or a waste of time, because I’ve already made my choice, I am already more than half way through it and I’m in this thread to share support with others who have made the same choice.

    To be fair, this isn't your thread and OP seems fine with the responses. OP said she was considering doing Whole 30 because she wants to get serious about her diet, after starting and stopping LC and vegetarian. We are merely suggesting that she doesn't have to choose a restrictive diet to be healthy, or lose weight, or take her diet seriously. Many women get caught in a vicious cycle of bouncing from one "diet" to another and never just figuring out how they can eat for the rest of their lives.

    You clearly understand the parameters of the diet and have specific health concerns you are working with. Many many people do not. Many posters follow the diet, don't count calories, and feel defeated when they don't lose a significant amount of weight.

    You'll find lots of folks in this community pushback against restrictive named diets, mostly because we've all done them, either failed or gained it all back, and don't want to see others (especially young women) start down that road.

    If someone needs an elimination diet to deal with health issues, Whole 30 is certainly appropriate. I hope it helps you figure out what's causing problems for you :drinker:

    Furthermore, as someone with a lot of respect for the Whole 30 and the intention of starting shortly, I get frustrated at the bastardisation of it and the idea that it's a weight loss diet. That's not its intention, and they are VERY clear about that, so I know I personally often respond to Whole 30 threads to discourage OP from starting it if it appears that they have misconstrued its purpose.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited February 2018
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    I don't do the Whole 30 but have permanently given up gluten and dairy. We also don't replace a lot of the gluten with gluten free substitutes, so aside from rice a couple of days a week (and an occasional potato or sweet potato -- I think some versions eliminate white potatoes), I eat very similar to Whole 30 and have done so for nearly 2 years. You can eat a Whole Food diet long term, but it does take a lot of planning. We don't out to eat often. I will say that giving up most nearly all processed foods has benefits as far as your skin, your joints, your weight (I have a hard time actually gaining weight) and your inflammation overall. We did this mostly for my wife's health. I had lost 70 lbs and kept it off for 3 years before I gave up dairy/gluten. I like legumes/quinoa and rice too much to do 100% Whole 30. I do think they eliminate those for people who are lectin sensitive. It certainly has benefits of teaching someone how to eat a whole food diet and be not only OK but feel much better with eliminating especially the wheat, dairy, sugar, corn syrup and vegetable oils. I think any modification that reduces these and processed foods is beneficial.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    AKTipsyCat wrote: »
    BDonjon wrote: »
    More seasoned Whole30ers can refute me on this one (I was only on it briefly), but I don't believe it's intended to be a permanent thing.

    The purpose of it--and if not the primary purpose, the true value of it IMO--is to reset the way you think about food. For 30 days you eat more veggies, nuts, meat, unprocessed foods, etc., and certainly you learn (and put into regular use) recipes that feature these healthier foods. After 30 days you leave the program with a new-found appreciation for foods that, truly, you should be eating more of anyway.

    Then, whenever you find yourself slipping back into the 'Standard American Diet', you go back on Whole 30 and reset yourself once again.

    Done this way, Whole 30 becomes a bridge to a more healthy but ultimately non-restrictive relationship with food.

    I agree, that's what I'm hoping for anyway - I'm on day 30 and while I'm chomping on the bit for a bourbon and a piece of cheese, I'm super excited to report I won't be going back to a lot of the *daily* foods and crap that I used to think I HAD to have. Also, my food has been so varied (thank god for the Instant Pot and the Internet, LOL) and delicious, I now have a whole stash of healthy, easy to prepare meals that I can incorporate into my WOE. I think any tool that you can use to help you stay on track is one that you can use. Some people need more structure and *plans*. After all, if we were good about portion control and knowing what foods were healthy, and were consistent about applying it... we wouldn't BE here.
    In my opinion and experience, it's exactly these ideas - that there are healthy and unhealthy foods, that you can train yourself to stop wanting things you like by calling them "crap", that we need special, sciency sounding, hard-to-follow plans in order to have any meal structure and portion control at all - that adults can't be trusted to make their own eating decisions - that makes people uhealthy, unhappy and overweight.

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