The Whole 30 (and The Whole 9)- Results?

laurelderry

Hi Everyone,

I've been Primal/Paleo since 2011 and an organic eater since 2010. I have definitely not been as strict as I would like to be (hovering around 85%-90% Primal Paleo, and allowing myself some SAD meals here and there).

I DON'T want to do this anymore. I want to be 100% Primal. With that being said, have any of you done the Whole 30? I have researched it... attempted it once, and failed miserably.

I'd just like some opinions and insight. Does anyone feel like it is TOO restrictive? Does anyone swear by it? Obviously eating whole organic foods is the best route possible- but also trying to avoid the soy lecithins and guar gum stabilizing additives that are added to even organic coconut milk is to be avoided with the Whole 30.

I'd love your opinions and insight!

AggieCass09

im interested in the answers as well. I did the 30 day challenge, but the only way I made it through was knowing I could have some diary and alcohol after those 30 days were over. I lost 12 lbs during my challenge and have steadily kept it off since while dropping body fat.

here is my comparison blog:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/AggieCass09/view/3-months-of-crossfit-with-comparison-pics-249749


has anyone maintained this style of eating?!?

monkeydharma

Hi Everyone,

I've been Primal/Paleo since 2011 and an organic eater since 2010. I have definitely not been as strict as I would like to be (hovering around 85%-90% Primal Paleo, and allowing myself some SAD meals here and there).

I DON'T want to do this anymore. I want to be 100% Primal. With that being said, have any of you done the Whole 30? I have researched it... attempted it once, and failed miserably.

I'd just like some opinions and insight. Does anyone feel like it is TOO restrictive? Does anyone swear by it? Obviously eating whole organic foods is the best route possible- but also trying to avoid the soy lecithins and guar gum stabilizing additives that are added to even organic coconut milk is to be avoided with the Whole 30.

I'd love your opinions and insight!

I don't do 'programs' - I just continue on, constantly refining my goals and methods. Life is a spectrum, and a journey. We all have way too many opportunities to 'fail' - I don't need to introduce even more artificial ways to do so.

No one is 100% paleo. Besides not knowing with 100% accuracy how primitive man ate, the basic fact is that we live in a modern society, and we are not hunter/gatherers - our foods come from farms, ranches, markets and manufacturers. We do the best we can under those circumstances.

My personal 'primal/paleo' mantra is simple: "Whole foods, organically grown - and simply prepared". Everything is weighed against that. I'm not sure why it is difficult to avoid the soy lecithins or guar gums (not that guar gum is inherently bad) - I eat plants (none there), animals (none there), goat and sheep dairy (seldom any there, and when found I move on to another brand), tea, coffee, wine, and scotch (none there). I don't touch 'power bars' or protein drinks simply because they are manufactured foods. While I'm not adverse to buying a premade product for convenience (like mayo or canned tomato sauce), I have a simple rule of thumb: if the label has over five ingredients - make it yourself.

Just my own thoughts. Take 'em with however much salt you need.

laurelderry

Hi Everyone,

I've been Primal/Paleo since 2011 and an organic eater since 2010. I have definitely not been as strict as I would like to be (hovering around 85%-90% Primal Paleo, and allowing myself some SAD meals here and there).

I DON'T want to do this anymore. I want to be 100% Primal. With that being said, have any of you done the Whole 30? I have researched it... attempted it once, and failed miserably.

I'd just like some opinions and insight. Does anyone feel like it is TOO restrictive? Does anyone swear by it? Obviously eating whole organic foods is the best route possible- but also trying to avoid the soy lecithins and guar gum stabilizing additives that are added to even organic coconut milk is to be avoided with the Whole 30.

I'd love your opinions and insight!

I don't do 'programs' - I just continue on, constantly refining my goals and methods. Life is a spectrum, and a journey. We all have way too many opportunities to 'fail' - I don't need to introduce even more artificial ways to do so.

No one is 100% paleo. Besides not knowing with 100% accuracy how primitive man ate, the basic fact is that we live in a modern society, and we are not hunter/gatherers - our foods come from farms, ranches, markets and manufacturers. We do the best we can under those circumstances.

My personal 'primal/paleo' mantra is simple: "Whole foods, organically grown - and simply prepared". Everything is weighed against that. I'm not sure why it is difficult to avoid the soy lecithins or guar gums (not that guar gum is inherently bad) - I eat plants (none there), animals (none there), goat and sheep dairy (seldom any there, and when found I move on to another brand), tea, coffee, wine, and scotch (none there). I don't touch 'power bars' or protein drinks simply because they are manufactured foods. While I'm not adverse to buying a premade product for convenience (like mayo or canned tomato sauce), I have a simple rule of thumb: if the label has over five ingredients - make it yourself.

Just my own thoughts. Take 'em with however much salt you need.

Thank you for your insight. I eat entirely organic and from scratch (aside from recently as I have been moving- and eating all over the place) but on the off chance I decide to buy a non-organic cooked chicken from Costco- it has been injected with carageenan as a stabilizer. Even the greatest organic coconut milk has guar gum in it- which I choose not to ingest as it has been altered in a lab to be used a stabilizer. Dark Chocolate bars, even from organic sources sometimes have soy lecithin (whilst organic soy- it is still a genetically altered stabilizer). Of course, all of the above are "processed foods" and are not whole/raw and are merely examples. I have made my own coconut milk before, and it is very tedious- so for me- that would be the one food product I am referring too.

I understand your "programs" statement- but being a part of a "Primal/Paleo" support group, you are saying that you "support" that lifestyle (or 'program'). The Whole 30 is merely a team of individuals that are challenging those of us already eating Primal/Paleo to take it one step further and refine our diets.

Of course I'm not trying to be snarky or rude- but your profile itself also says that you have used "Dr. Steven Gundry's 'Diet Evolution', and still basically follow it, but have also incorporated a lot of Mark Sisson's 'The Primal Blueprint'. These are also "programs" as is the Whole 30.

monkeydharma

Thanks for your response. I think that maybe some or our differences may be semantic, but even it not - we all have to make our own decisions on what and how we eat what we eat.

on the off chance I decide to buy a non-organic cooked chicken from Costco- it has been injected with carageenan as a stabilizer.

Well, that's what we get if we decide to buy that stuff. There are occasions when I'll do the same (not chicken - I get free-range from a ranch down the road), but maybe a pre-cooked rack of ribs when I'm out of time. On occasion, it will not kill us. We just need to watch for 'occasionally' becoming 'all the time'.

Even the greatest organic coconut milk has guar gum in it

Maybe in your corner of the world - I get my coconut milk from Trader Joe's and, although it is not organic, the ingredient list is "coconut milk; water". Now, we ARE talking about real coconut milk (in the can), right? Coconut milk beverage (in the carton) is watered down, starched up and nutrient enhanced. I don't touch that stuff.

Dark Chocolate bars, even from organic sources sometimes have soy lecithin

Oh, I agree - we always need to read the labels. Green&Black Organic 85% chocolate, readily available most anywhere I shop, doesn't have lecithin. That's what I usually buy.

I understand your "programs" statement- but being a part of a "Primal/Paleo" support group, you are saying that you "support" that lifestyle (or 'program'). The Whole 30 is merely a team of individuals that are challenging those of us already eating Primal/Paleo to take it one step further and refine our diets.

This is where I think we get bogged down in semantics. Personally, if Whole 30 helps you live the lifestyle - go for it.

I don't consider reading about primal/paleo and figuring out the ways I follow it 'programatic' - following specific implementations, with rules that are meant to be followed without necessarily understanding them - is. Admittedly, I started this journey on the basis of Diet Evolution, but as I've continued to learn the principles, I put them into practice - sometimes at odds with the generally accepted 'rules' (especially as regards DE). Practice isn't necessarily program - but it can be.

Anyway, enjoy your journey!

laurelderry

True the semantics of the conversation were definitely getting in our way. If we were speaking in person this probably wouldn't have been misread and would have been a healthy, friendly banter