November Whole30 - Advice? Anyone else?

Shadowknight137
Shadowknight137 Posts: 1,243 Member
So, I've decided to commit to a Whole30 this month. Why? Well, why not. It might make me feel really, really good as other people have claimed to have felt afterwards, and at the very least it'll be an interesting experience.
I'm gluten-intolerant, so eliminating grains ins't an issue for me - did that ages ago. However, dairy and some legumes I do enjoy; love me cheese and peanut butter... though not together (yes, I have tried it). But for a Whole30 days this new month I'm gonna cut them out. I want to try Paleo. Full-on, strict Paleo, in opposed to my current fairly lax Primal lifestyle.

Now, I have to ask: has anyone else out there who has completed a full strict Whole30 got any advice? Tips on what to eat and what not to? Recipes that are acceptable (I like recipes, so this one in particular)?
Also, are there any other takers? Anyone else doing a Whole30 this month? If so, feel free to add me so we can chat and share the experience; who knows, could be fun. Hell, I might even post a blog about this. ;D

Kinda getting oddly excited about doing this,now. Getting all worked up. It's 11:06PM asI quickly type this up and I'm slipping into wieird dreams about being a caveman. That's not normal. Think I'm gonna get to sleep, now.

Thanks for any advice and pointers - look forward to hearing from you all.

Replies

  • ricestephanie11
    ricestephanie11 Posts: 25 Member
    I am doing a "Whole35" currently as part of a nutrition challenge with my gym. I think the most important thing to remember is that the first week or two is going to blow and you just have to fight through it to get to the good part. Don't worry about your macro ratios. Simply eat whole foods when you're hungry and stop when you're not. Prep food as much as you can ahead of time so you're not put into a situation where you have to cheat. Remember that it's a finite period of time and it WILL end. And as always, when you're struggling, eat more fat!
  • uddermaddness
    uddermaddness Posts: 7 Member
    I am gonna do a whole30 challenge this month as well. I have been doing very lax primal for a long time.

    Time to give up grains for good and try no dairy for a month.

    I am pretty excited about this as well. Feel free to add me as a friend.
  • Fairysoul
    Fairysoul Posts: 1,361 Member
    I recomend stocking up on meats and veggies, make a list of meals, definatley check out the post on this group:primal meal pics, it will give you ideas!! I have even made a whole months worth of meal menu's and I still fall off track. And lastly, make big dinners so that if you run into a situation when you don't know what to do, you have leftovers!!
  • nmg8
    nmg8 Posts: 73 Member
    I am on day 10 of my first Whole 30, but I have a feeling it will be more like a Whole 45 or Whole 60, so I will join you!! The first week was awful (headaches, cravings, generally feeling like cr*p), but the last couple of days I have started feeling much better. I was coming off a few months of really terrible food choices, so my experience might be a lot worse than yours if you're just eliminating legumes and dairy.

    I am super busy with a full time job and two little kids, so planning has been key - I am spending waaaayyyy more time in the kitchen than I anticipated!! The first weekend I made big batches of beef stew, chili, and chicken soup (all Whole 30 compliant) and froze individual servings, so that I would have some grab and go meals if I didn't have time to prep food. It seriously got me through the first week - I never had an excuse to eat something off plan! Now that I'm getting into it a bit more it's getting easier. I'm eating a lot of salads with protein, avocado, eggs, protein/veggie dinners, etc.

    I actually bought the Well Fed cookbook online and it has some AWESOME Whole 30 meals.

    Good luck! Feel free to add me :)
  • juliebeannn
    juliebeannn Posts: 428 Member
    i started primal eating a week or so ago....thinking i'll join you in the whole30 challenge for nov! :)
  • hdlb111
    hdlb111 Posts: 20 Member
    I'll join in on the 30 day challenge too, kinda. I'll commit to 30 days strict paleo, but not following the whole 30 guidelines exactly.
  • Merci444
    Merci444 Posts: 222 Member
    I would definitely get the Well Fed cookbook!
  • Cerebrus189
    Cerebrus189 Posts: 315 Member
    I'm going to restart mine once again. However, mine is more like a Whole60 because I'm doing the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (again) but this time without coffee. It's even more restrictive than Whole30, with the first month being super strict. Then in the second month, I can reintroduce the foods, one at a time, that might be problematic.

    My tips for doing Whole30 are to plan out your meals a week ahead of time. Buy some new vegetables that you're interested in trying, and find or figure out Paleo recipes for them. It'll keep you interested and you might find something you really like. Keep jerky, cans of tuna, salmon, and fruits on hand. If you're going out socially and not sure what's going to be on the menu by way of food, eat before you go so you won't be tempted. And of course, stay away from alcohol as best you can. If you do partake, a glass of wine is a good choice.

    Just started a group for this exact purpose - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/9437-whole30-for-november
  • LPCoder
    LPCoder Posts: 404 Member
    Can I ask, what is whole 30? I do primal and am not familiar with Whole 30.
  • ricestephanie11
    ricestephanie11 Posts: 25 Member
    Can I ask, what is whole 30? I do primal and am not familiar with Whole 30.

    http://whole9life.com/2012/08/the-whole30-program/
  • MamaDee2
    MamaDee2 Posts: 843 Member
    Get you a cookbook and a few good websited saved in your favorites and do NOT be afraid!
  • Yep, I'm doing it this month as well. I'm also writing a novel this month, so between that and the cravings, it's going to be an interesting month :P
  • LPCoder
    LPCoder Posts: 404 Member
    Can I ask, what is whole 30? I do primal and am not familiar with Whole 30.

    http://whole9life.com/2012/08/the-whole30-program/

    Thanks, I guess for the last year I have been doing this (with the exception of cheese). I don't drink milk, but cheese is just fine on my body.
  • mandabrett
    mandabrett Posts: 139 Member
    I am in too! I'll start tomorrow. Today's already too late. I am so excited!
  • RatherBeInTheShire
    RatherBeInTheShire Posts: 561 Member
    I started whole30 today!
  • MissNordicLight
    MissNordicLight Posts: 140 Member
    I'm on day 2 of a 28 days challenge that my gym is organizing. I'm not sure if it's exactly the same as Whole30 (I will have a look at the web site), but I'm cutting out:

    - grains, pulses, sugar, salt
    - dairy
    - caffeine
    - alcohol
    - all processed food obviously

    Cutting out the dairy is tough for me, I love cheese, cream, cottage cheese .....
    But I'm determined to stick to the plan for 28 days and see how I'll feel.
  • I will join you on this adventure. :smile: I am on day 16. It was a little rough at the start but well worth it. I have not mastered what to eat at all!! My family is all about NON-PALEO!! lol I have been eating a lot of salads wtih avacado, lean ground beef, steamed/raw veggies. Nom Nom Paleo has a lot of good recipes. I just googled paleo recipes and there are some really good ones. I have done a paleo meat loaf which I think rocked but the family HATED it! Kale chips are good as well. I have been just kind of creating strange paleo correct meals. lol Good luck!
  • Eat2Live2Run
    Eat2Live2Run Posts: 137 Member
    I started Whole30 on Monday, so I'm on day 3. So far so good! Very strange for me because I went from being a vegetarian to Paleo. Cooking and eating meat has been very unusual for me as its been 3 years since I've done so. Some of the advice that I have gotten is find meals you like and make them over and over again. That is totally not my style. I love to cook as much as I love food and repetition is bad bad for me. Emeals.com has a Paleo program that I signed up for and am loving for ease of coming up with meals and grocery list. I also bought a couple of cookbooks Well Fed and Paleo Solution. I think they are going to be excellent resources.

    I'm documenting my meals and thoughts on the Whole30 on my blog as I go if anyone is interested in checking it out ... www.eattolivelivetorun.wordpress.com
  • thomas_sf
    thomas_sf Posts: 4 Member
    Hey there,

    new to MFP, I have been doing Paleo for about 4 weeks now, and have started to work out daily. Have already lost 13 pounds that way. I will be glad to join in here.

    Greetings from SF

    Thomas
  • sad0608
    sad0608 Posts: 10 Member
    I did Whole30 last month, and still going...what has helped me are: well fed, the side thefoodee project there's a w30 section....have fun and eat fun