My mom and I finished the Whole30 on Monday. 30 days of no grains, legumes, alcohol, dairy or added sugar. The restrictions, while not sustainable for a long period, weren’t impossible to accommodate. Like it says in “It Starts With Food,” giving birth is hard, fighting cancer is hard, not having creamer in your coffee for 30 days is NOT hard.
Although it wasn’t a big change from my normal diet, I never once felt deprived. As you’ve seen in my recaps, we ate very fresh, well-balanced meals and experimented with new foods in the kitchen. Forewarning: I have a lot to say. To help, I’m going to break up this final recap into sections with bullet points. Because, everyone likes bullet points. I also had my mom chime in, too. Because, mom’s are always right.
What I Liked
-The focus on whole foods. Plain and simple, that is the most important feature of this program. I don’t think health is a one-approach-fits-all, but if I had to advocate for any “diet,” whole foods would be it. (See the next section for my thoughts on grains, dairy and legumes)
-No calorie counting or weighing yourself. Even though Whole30 seems “all the rage” now, there’s more to it than meets the eye. It’s not a quick weight-loss solution, if that’s what you’re looking for. You might lose weight during the 30 days but I can imagine that’s if you ate many processed foods to start. Neither my mom or I lost any weight.
-The book. If you have a desire to do Whole30, read the book. It explains everything you wanted to know (and if your answer isn’t there, check out the website forums). While I personally don’t agree with everything they discuss, I appreciated learning the science behind the program.
-Having a support team. I suppose I could have done this on my own, but doing it with my mom made it 10x easier. Plus, hello, she’s an awesome cook.
What I Disliked
-Cooking all.the.time. It wasn’t bad at first, but eventually meal prepping got old. A big pan of roasted vegetables and potatoes would last one day…two if we were lucky. Whenever I walk into the kitchen I have a natural reflex to immediately pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. I’m not sure if that will change too much (we do like our vegetables) but I can foresee it becoming less of a dire need every day.
-The cost. I don’t know how much money we spent on food and I don’t want to know. Also, my dad is reading this and he definitely doesn’t want to know. Let’s just say I should have bought stock in Whole Foods years ago…
-Hearing people bash the program. I understand both sides of this point. Even though I had great success with the program, hearing people (indirectly) say “I’m so crazy for doing it” and “it’s not necessary for health” made ME question its effectiveness, even though I could feel the effects first hand. The other side is that Whole30 really is not for everyone, as ostracizing as that sounds. We all have strong opinions on our diets so I’m learning to take other people’s comments with a grain of salt.
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Tips for Success
-Read the book.
-Meal prep. Make things in double or triple portions to prevent cooking almost every day, like I did.
-Don’t treat the program as a big deal and it won’t feel like a big deal. I unnecessarily said the word(s) “Whole30” a million times, even though the dietary changes weren’t incredibly significant for me. Once I let go of the label, it was easier to go along with daily life.
-Don’t skimp on fats and carbs. You’ll learn that without both your energy levels will dip.
-Do it for the right reasons. You have to do what is best for you, regardless of what so-and-so blogger or friend is doing. That could mean starting the program next month or it could mean never starting it.
Emily’s Final Thoughts
-I’m not 100% convinced Whole30 was THE main reason I’m feeling so great stomach-wise. There are just too many variables to give it all the credit. A few notable examples: I started taking a digestive enzyme (mentioned in this post), I’m stress-free (compared to last semester) and I’m in a comfortable, relaxed environment. I still believe a lot of good can come from following the protocols, but I’m not sure which aspect of my lifestyle this year has had the most impact. But all that matters is I’m pain-free.
-I don’t think grains, dairy and legumes are inherently bad. I do believe some people process them differently (I’ve never been good with beans or too much dairy), but labelling an entire group of food as “bad” seems dramatic.
–I will never discredit someone’s way of eating as long as they are happy and healthy, mentally and physically. Vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, no-label, paleo, whatever. I found pain relief on program that many people don’t believe in, so I will never judge those who are trying to make a change for the better.
Kathy’s (my mom) Final Thoughts
-I learned that there are two main keys to success: 1) Not eating the “banned” food, but also 2) eating enough of the right foods. I thought I was doing so well abstaining from certain foods, but I was low on energy because I wasn’t getting in the vegetables and carbs early enough in the day. Once I made the change and added greens and potatoes to breakfast, I saw my energy increase.
What’s Next
-For starters, I’ll be sharing more recipes because I can finally have treats, as well as certain ingredients that were banned (ex: honey).
-I won’t be taking photos of almost every meal. That got old FAST.
-I will probably eat very similar to how I did pre-Whole30 (always GF and paleo-ish). I will base it off how my stomach feels during the reintroduction period…so far so good.
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Thanks for sticking around, for both this long post and my 30 day challenge. Let me know if you have any questions and I’d be happy to elaborate more (if that’s possible) on my experience.
Majorly agree with your point about people bashing it. It feels like in January there was a post every other day talking about why Whole30 isn’t a good thing to try or why I’m wrong for doing it. Like you said, it’s worth it for the benefits we see. Glad that you got some good out of it, and i”m excited to see those recipes :)
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Thanks, Gretchen! And so glad you and Margaret formed the FB group. It was great to have so many people who were/are going through the same thing share their experiences.
Yes, yes, yes to all of this! I don’t even know where to start because I couldn’t agree more with everything. Whole30 really isn’t that hard. I have no trouble giving any of those things up, but the lifestyle honestly is a little difficult (obviously why I didn’t complete it). I’m actually okay with the cooking all the time (hate the picture taking), but it is harder when you live with more people because there’s practically no such things as leftovers! In my first Whole30 I was living by myself and I could go a whole day if not longer on leftovers and it made everything so much easier!
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I actually think the picture taking and making plates look pretty is what puts me over the edge haha. Sometimes it’s ok but after a long time of cooking I just want to eat. My mom and I would “fight” for leftovers so I definitely know what you mean there.
I think one of the hardest parts of the program would be the constant meal prep. I could see myself having to roast a batch of veggies every few days too and that would certainly get old really quick. I think it is great you had your mom as a support system through it since I am sure that helped so much to have someone going through it with you — and helping out in the cooking department too!
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Luckily the vegetables roast themselves (or that would have been the last straw). Still, the chopping and attending to them got old. So grateful that my mom and I were able to share the cooking!
Good to hear your thoughts! This doesn’t sound so terrifying if I ever had to do it for some reason.
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I’m glad it came across that way, because it really wasn’t bad! I hope I dispelled some “myths.”
Enjoyed your updates and this recap, Emily! It sounds like you made a good decision and – regardless of the real reason (I imagine it involves a combination) – you’re feeling better, and that’s what counts!
I’ve wavered on trying Whole30. On one hand, grains, legumes and dairy are a huge part of my diet and I selfishly -even for 30 days – don’t want to give them up. But…everybody’s doing it! ;) And, like your mom, I could stand to curtail my sweet tooth!
I doubt I’ll try it unless I start experiencing digestive or other issues; I’m a working mom, so there’s limited time. Plus, my husband does the cooking 90% of the time and would NOT be on board – even for Lent. ;)
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Thanks for your comment, Catherine! The only reason I was eager to try it was because of my digestive issues, and my mom just tagged along for support. Oh if my dad did the cooking it would not have been as smooth sailing :)
Thanks for sharing your experience. I’m a vegetarian and a runner (so my diet is pretty bean/carb heavy) so I already know this is not a program for me, but I do find it interesting to hear how others felt on the program. At first glance, it looks too restrictive and I would worry about how it would impact my social/professional life as I love to enjoy a nice meal out with friends or coworkers. I’m wondering if you could talk about that in future posts!
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That’s a great point! It definitely can impact social life, especially as alcohol and eating out are huge components of that. I ate out 3 times within the 30 days and didn’t have an issue because I picked restaurants where I knew I could order a Whole30-friendly meal. I’m used to looking at menus ahead of time and making substitutions because I have celiac disease but my mom (who doesn’t have any dietary restrictions) found it difficult. I will keep this topic in mind for future posts :)
You hit the nail on the head with so many of these points. While Whole30 is good for some people, it’s not for everyone. I’m glad you found so many successes and I think you did it for the right reason. You were in pain and looking for relief, so you tried something that is known for helping with those issues. I’ve said it before but if I didn’t have such a limited palate and an ED background, I’d probably be more receptive to programs such as this. It would be nice to kick the sweet tooth but for me, putting myself in that position where I’m cutting out entire food groups from my diet, I know that’s not a healthy mindset. Either way, you had some incredible results and for that, it makes it worth it for you. Plus, as you said, you already eat very similar to that due to being GF and just your natural lifestyle, so it probably wasn’t as much of a shock as it would be for someone like me who eats a very gluten-heavy diet.
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Thank you for your support throughout this. I’m happy I had a success but I know my experience wouldn’t be universal. I was ironically forced to expand my palate (with the strong urge of my mother) during Whole30. Now I like eggs and different cuts of meat. Still, small changes in the grand scheme of things.
I really enjoyed following along on this journey with you, and your final thoughts are similar to what I felt like I’d feel if I did the Whole30, which is partly why I didn’t go the “whole way” (pun intended haha) when I was doing my elimination. I’ve added dairy in and in moderate amounts think it sits okay with me, and will be limiting grains from now on, but occasionally will still indulge in GF treats made from rice or oats because it’s about balance for me.
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Thanks, Alyssa! I’m so glad you’re starting to find what food groups work with you. But yes, balance is important overall.
Yay for no stomach issues!! So happy to hear that! And I like what you said about how you aren’t just deeming the Whole30 as the only reason you’re feeling better since there are so many factors it could be. Even so, whatever is contributing to your symptoms going away, it’s a great thing.
Such a relief! I have a feeling what we talked about will hold true…sometimes you just need a reset.
I loved reading all your thoughts on this! I’m glad you’re feeling better and reading your mom’s thoughts was interesting too! I never really thought about the support aspect of the challenge and how important it can be. Thanks for sharing this and go enjoy a glass of wine :)
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You know, I didn’t think about the support aspect until I was in the middle of the program. It made such a difference that she could feel (physically and mentally) what I was going through too. Plus, she cooked delicious compliant meals :)
LOVE your mom’s thoughts and find them spot on with my own. If I had more of a support team to eat with and prep with, it might be a tad bit easier. I did curb my sweet tooth and have already found it a bit more out of control. Though, everyone is different, so one thing might work for one person and it might not for another.
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The prep was a huge help! We were both so happy when the other person had already prepped vegetables and potatoes.
i agree with you about bashing the program or judging other peoples diets if they are happy / healthy.
for me personally, i would consider the whole 30, but i refuse to give up beans and legumes haha. i understand all the other things, and i think it’s a great way to figure out if you are allergic or have issues with certain foods, but i know what disease i have (celiacs) so i don’t eat gluten, but i also don’t eat a lot of meat (preference, not connected to celiacs lol) so i rely very heavily on beans and legumes. anyway. i think it’s awesome and commendable for anyone to do something so strict, even if it isn’t sustainable, the dedication and willpower it shows is awesome.
Completely agree. It would have been hard for me if I liked beans to begin with (I never have) or if I didn’t eat meat. It’s so different for everyone! But it was a good exercise of willpower for one thing- ha.
so glad you are feeling better that is what counts. i enjoyed your posts ! and appreciate the meal pics cuz if i ever do this im gonna need ideas on how to replace all the cheese i currently eat :)
Thanks, Tara! I’m glad you got some ideas for meals :)
I had nearly the EXACT same conclusions after doing it! Totally agree with what you said. There are definitely benefits to doing it, but I also think that it is a bit restrictive for long term maintenance.
My 1000+ word post summed up perfectly ;) Good for 30 days, but too restrictive long term (for me)
AWESOME recap friend! I have never done Whole 30 and I do not think I will, just because I am happy with the way I am eating right now and I respect you respecting others and their eating habits. I mean who are we to judge…Just do what works for you! Added high-five for including your Mom into the post…I honestly would be kind of curious the food shopping bill compared to a month of not eating Whole 30.
Thanks, Katie! I am so grateful for all the support (near and far!) that I’ve received. I really should have saved grocery receipts but I think I could estimate if I had to…all those fresh vegetables and expensive cuts of meat probably added the most.
I love how honest this is! I did a comparison of Paleo, Whole30 and the Mediterranean Diet. Paleo and Whole30 are just too hard to do for an average person because they take so much work and money! I always stick with the Mediterranean lifestyle because its very relaxed and you can make it what you want it to.
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I love the philosophies behind the Mediterranean Diet. I would say my family generally eats like that regularly!
My Mom is almost done the Whole 30 now and she really got into it and her only complaint was that she missed wine too much lol. I feel like so many people fail the whole 30 because they treat it like a big deal, as you said and they think they have to be perfect. I like that you took a mellow approach to it and are completely honest with your review of it!
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Yeah my mom and I “substituted” wine for kombucha. Kind of a stretch but it worked for 30 days. Thanks for your supportive words! xo
I haven’t tried Whole 30 but always seem to see folks who are all in or hated it. Good to read an honest & well thought out review
Thank you, Stacey! I hope I dispelled some myths…I definitely had a great experience but can understand how some people don’t.
Thanks for the recap and final thoughts! I really enjoyed following you through this process. You know my thoughts on Whole 30, but just because I don’t agree with it for myself doesn’t mean I didn’t find it interesting to see how it could potentially help someone. You have the most level headed, realistic approach to this program I have seen yet! I LOVE what you said about feeling better but not being sure about attributing it all to Whole 30! Most people just assume it’s what made the difference, but like you said, TOO MANY variables. Also, digestive enzymes?! LIFE SAVERS. I started taking them when I was 10 and was totally cured of reflux after being told I’d be taking medication for the rest of my life. I wouldn’t be surprised if THEY were what’s making the difference! :) Again, thank you so much for sharing!!
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Thank YOU for being so supportive and open to my Whole30 posts :) I 100% believe it’s not for everyone so I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to read my experience. Oh I wish I discovered digestive enzymes sooner. Life saver is right!
I loved following along on your whole 30 journey! I can imagine there was a lot of meal prep involved and a lot of trips to the grocery store along the way. It’s great you had your mom doing it with you, I think support in anything is key to success.
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I agree with SO many of your points. While it isn’t for everyone it also isn’t THAT crazy like you said. Even if you realize it’s not for you I think giving this kind of challenge a try is such a great way to figure out what you’re body likes and dislikes.
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