Whole 30 diet. Any success?

litak85472
litak85472 Posts: 17 Member
edited November 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Been thinking about taking on this challenge soon. Was wondering if anyone has a success story with the Whole 30 diet? And what did your meal plan look like?

Replies

  • Sp1tfire
    Sp1tfire Posts: 1,120 Member
    If it helps you eat at a caloric deficit more easily by eating nutrient dense whole foods, you should see results!
    When people I know have done it though, and they treat it as a one off "round" of whole 30 and don't see long term results and gain the weight back. But if you find it a good way to jump start your weight lose with an easier deficit, good luck!!
  • jelleigh
    jelleigh Posts: 743 Member
    edited August 2017
    I really like it. It's not any magical thing for weight loss, but I think it's really excellent at breaking unhealthy mental or emotional connections with various foods. I learned to value healthy fats, to listen to my body for when I'm hungry and when I'm rating for other reasons, to break unhealthy food obsessions, and also discovered that I have reactions to dairy products that I never knew I had. It's not a method that I could follow long term (and I don't think it's meant to be followed long term ) but o think it's really valuable for what you learn. If you do it, be sure to check out the 'what to expect timeline which very accurately describes normal reactions and symptoms. It helps a lot. Good luck!
    Edited to add that although it's not a magical weight loss tool (it's all still CI/CO) I did lose 8 lbs in the month, while not measuring anything, and not being hungry .
  • Javagal2778
    Javagal2778 Posts: 74 Member
    I have done two and my experience was similar to the experiences above. I didn't lose weight but I learned a lot about some food sensitivities that I have.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited August 2017
    I think it is probably most useful if you don't really do a lot of home cooking and the challenge encourages you to start and to have protein and vegetable-based meals.

    I considered doing it, but I do that already, so the main difference for me would have been cutting out potatoes (I think they are now included, but were not), all grains (including the corn that is currently in season, oats), and legumes -- all of which I think are healthy and add variety -- plus dairy, which I think is tasty and helps with protein.

    I read the book and thought the reasons for cutting those out were really weak/misleading or not based on accurate information, and that turned me off the whole thing.

    The shtick is that it's about finding intolerances, but most who have them likely know (lactose) or know something is going on, and the foods cut out aren't really a good coverage of the most common intolerances, so if I was interested in that I'd work with a dietitian.

    My impression was that it is a little scammy, but again if it's a big change and you like challenges it might be a way to encourage a dietary improvement and get in the habit of doing home cooked, nutritionally dense meals.

    For me, I think it would be easy, but result in a more limited and less nutritionally dense diet than I current eat (I think if anything I should eat more legumes). Plus, I'd have to waste all the local, in season corn that comes in my farm box!
  • not_a_runner
    not_a_runner Posts: 1,343 Member
    I've known several people who have attempted it and ended up binge eating as a result of too much restriction...

    If you are really set on doing it or want some type of "whole foods challenge", I would start by incorporating more whole foods/whole food only meals. Ease yourself into that kind of eating so if you do try Whole 30 you aren't suddenly in your first few days and stressing because you have no idea what or how to eat.

    I personally do better making goals to eat a wider variety of foods, or so many fruits/veggies per day, rather than trying to restrict myself to only certain foods.
  • Treece68
    Treece68 Posts: 780 Member
    I have been getting cross contaminated by gluten lately and I was thinking of trying this for a week or two. I don't think I could do it for 30 days I do love my sweets. I agree with above posters it is for food sensitivity not really for losing weight.
  • SafioraLinnea
    SafioraLinnea Posts: 628 Member
    Whole30 is not a diet for weight loss. It is an elimination diet to establish allergies or food sensitivities: nothing more than that. Anyone who loses weight while eating on plan is in a calorie deficit. You can be in a calorie deficit eating doughnuts and coffee only. Whole30 would be more nutritionally fulfilling than the coffee donut diet, but weight loss only requires a deficit.

    I love fruits and veggies - always have - and eating them and other foods to excess is how I got fat.

    I did a round of Whole30. It was one of the worst experiences of my life. I was angry all the time and stressed out due to all the restrictions. I didn't lose weight, didn't get any burst of energy or feel healthier. I completed it but had several rough days in the weeks following it due to returning to my usual diet.
  • beckyr06
    beckyr06 Posts: 144 Member
    edited August 2017
    I have done several; the first was doctor-recommended for a health condition that I was dealing with and it helped me immensely along with the other therapies I was doing. I have had good success with it; I truly felt better and I did lose weight the first time I did it.

    I do agree with some of the other comments that stated it really isn't a weight-loss program, however, and probably shouldn't be treated as such. I think the reason why I lost weight was I had increased exercise at the same time, and the Whole30 required me to eliminate my "trigger foods" that I would end up bingeing on. It wasn't a "fix"; I have needed to learn to be mindful about the types of foods that I need to limit/eat in moderation and remain healthy. I would say that I still eat probably about 80-90% of the "Whole30 way" currently; I do eat some grains and cheese occasionally, and I feel very good.

    You asked about what meal plans looked like - as an example, I typically ate eggs and sometimes breakfast sausage for breakfast (if I ate breakfast that day), and things like chicken with roasted vegetables, spaghetti squash with meat sauce for lunch, and homemade sweet potato fries for supper, sometimes with chicken again.
    One of the biggest challenges was the label-reading, since absolutely no added sugar is allowed.

    White potatoes were not allowed on the original plan but are allowed now. I have found that for me, I still need to limit those.

    I also agree with the poster that advised going to the original website....there are too many "knock-offs" out there.

    Best of luck to you.

  • Wynterbourne
    Wynterbourne Posts: 2,235 Member
    Whole30 is not a diet for weight loss. It is an elimination diet to establish allergies or food sensitivities: nothing more than that. Anyone who loses weight while eating on plan is in a calorie deficit. You can be in a calorie deficit eating doughnuts and coffee only. Whole30 would be more nutritionally fulfilling than the coffee donut diet, but weight loss only requires a deficit.

    I love fruits and veggies - always have - and eating them and other foods to excess is how I got fat.

    I did a round of Whole30. It was one of the worst experiences of my life. I was angry all the time and stressed out due to all the restrictions. I didn't lose weight, didn't get any burst of energy or feel healthier. I completed it but had several rough days in the weeks following it due to returning to my usual diet.

    The bolded. It was not created to be and was never meant to be a weight loss plan. It was made as a way to diagnose food allergies/sensitivities.
  • ISweat4This
    ISweat4This Posts: 653 Member
    I did it and lost 10lbs. Ate mainly an omelet for breakfast, salad for lunch and veggies & meat for dinner. Had 2 fruits during the day. I also learned to drink black coffee. Day 3-4 was the hardest for me.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,346 Member
    I did it and lost 10lbs. Ate mainly an omelet for breakfast, salad for lunch and veggies & meat for dinner. Had 2 fruits during the day. I also learned to drink black coffee. Day 3-4 was the hardest for me.

    Were you eating significant serves of fat at each meal, as required?
  • OliveGirl128
    OliveGirl128 Posts: 801 Member
    I'm planning on starting and have read up extensively and the big point is that the Whole 30 is NOT a weight loss diet. Some people lose on it, many, many don't, and the main point is - that isn't what it is for.

    It is an elimination diet to establish food sensitivities and intolerance. The plan itself is quite calorie dense if you're doing it right, and it is very restrictive.

    If you have suspected intolerances and want to learn more, go for it. If you're looking at it as a weight loss plan, look elsewhere.

    Also, if you're looking for info, go to the official site. The plan has been bastardised beyond belief on Pintrest and Facebook and barely resembles itself.

    Meh, weight loss is definitely implied on their site.

  • ryenday
    ryenday Posts: 1,540 Member
    Ignore the woo factor - ( i.e. Whole30 gets rid of your chronic pain and inflammation and brings you boundless energy) and there may be something to get out of it ( it makes you pay good attention to what and how much you are eating).

    But menopausal age women beware - lots of anecdotes about sharp increase in hot flashes and other menopausal complaints when on the diet - I'm one of them. Something in that extended restrictive eating plan either majorly messed with my hormonal balance or there is one *kitten* of a big correlation coincidence.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    I'm planning on starting and have read up extensively and the big point is that the Whole 30 is NOT a weight loss diet. Some people lose on it, many, many don't, and the main point is - that isn't what it is for.

    It is an elimination diet to establish food sensitivities and intolerance. The plan itself is quite calorie dense if you're doing it right, and it is very restrictive.

    If you have suspected intolerances and want to learn more, go for it. If you're looking at it as a weight loss plan, look elsewhere.

    Also, if you're looking for info, go to the official site. The plan has been bastardised beyond belief on Pintrest and Facebook and barely resembles itself.

    Meh, weight loss is definitely implied on their site.

    Yeah, it started as an elimination diet to isolate food allergies/reactions, but some people who did it lost some weight and I assume the creator saw dollar signs. So now they slyly do promote it as a weight loss plan cuz that sells more books than food allergies do :lol:
  • Running_and_Coffee
    Running_and_Coffee Posts: 811 Member
    I was thinking about doing it because I think I have an unhealthy relationship with food. I only seem motivated to avoid those "BLTs" (bites/licks/tastes) when I am unhappy with my weight, then once I lose it, the nibbles start again. Was wondering if this would be a good reset button for cravings, and also the part about not weighing yourself had appeal. Does the diet work in terms of killing cravings and teaching you to not eat when not hungry??
  • Treece68
    Treece68 Posts: 780 Member
    @storyjorie No it does not
  • Running_and_Coffee
    Running_and_Coffee Posts: 811 Member
    Awww, man, I guess this means that I have to just exert will power to not eat more food than I need to! @Treece68 Was hoping there was some new magic pill that would transform me into someone who could effortlessly remain thin! ;-)
  • not_a_runner
    not_a_runner Posts: 1,343 Member
    storyjorie wrote: »
    I was thinking about doing it because I think I have an unhealthy relationship with food. I only seem motivated to avoid those "BLTs" (bites/licks/tastes) when I am unhappy with my weight, then once I lose it, the nibbles start again. Was wondering if this would be a good reset button for cravings, and also the part about not weighing yourself had appeal. Does the diet work in terms of killing cravings and teaching you to not eat when not hungry??

    It seems to be disastrous for those who have an "unhealthy relationship" with food...
    If weighing yourself less frequently seems appealing, you can do that without doing Whole30.
  • MommaGem2017
    MommaGem2017 Posts: 405 Member
    storyjorie wrote: »
    Awww, man, I guess this means that I have to just exert will power to not eat more food than I need to! @Treece68 Was hoping there was some new magic pill that would transform me into someone who could effortlessly remain thin! ;-)

    It's still important to remember that Whole30 is NOT a weight loss plan. It's most useful for identifying food sensitivities. Certainly not a magic bullet. It may reduce cravings while your on the diet, but once you introduce additional foods back into your diet and allow "snacking" then you back at square one.
  • JustRobby1
    JustRobby1 Posts: 674 Member
    First I have heard of this one. Just what the world needs, another fad diet.
  • cjv73
    cjv73 Posts: 240 Member
    I did it last year and I loved it! My psoriasis cleared up, I slept very well (my husband said my catathrenia--a type of apnea -- also virtually disappeared), and I also lost 14 lbs. My sister finds it very good for controlling her migraines.

    I loved the food I could eat; eggs, bacon (I ate prosciutto instead), sausage, hash browns... as long as all the ingredients were within the program guidelines. The problem for me is that with five kids and a hubby, it was too much to keep up indefinitely, but I would definitely do it again if my psoriasis comes back (it's been gone everywhere except my scalp ever since I did the Whole30 last summer).
  • Sophsmother
    Sophsmother Posts: 83 Member
    I did it 2 years ago. It's tough. I lost 10lbs but I never felt the surge in energy that the owners tout so much. Just view it as a challenge for a month, not a diet, not something you'll do forever, just a personal challenge. If you have no underlying medical issues, it's healthy to do. Good luck!
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    ryenday wrote: »
    Ignore the woo factor - ( i.e. Whole30 gets rid of your chronic pain and inflammation and brings you boundless energy) and there may be something to get out of it ( it makes you pay good attention to what and how much you are eating).

    But menopausal age women beware - lots of anecdotes about sharp increase in hot flashes and other menopausal complaints when on the diet - I'm one of them. Something in that extended restrictive eating plan either majorly messed with my hormonal balance or there is one *kitten* of a big correlation coincidence.

    I had a friend with similar - also her cholesterol (good and bad) went us, and her thyroid levels got worse
  • Treece68
    Treece68 Posts: 780 Member
    @storyjorie don't we all wish there was a magic pill unfortunately we have to rely on ourselves and some times we fail :smiley::neutral:
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