Looking for Whole 30 reviews? Here are my findings from my Whole 30, what I learned and what I’m going to do about it.
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Orchard Chicken Salad Wraps
The day after Valentine’s Day I embarked on what I considered a pretty wild prospect: to abstain from eating anything containing soy, sugar, dairy, gluten, grain, or alcohol — for THIRTY DAYS. Since these ingredients are pretty prevalent in the average American diet, it was a bit of a challenge to keep those ingredients at bay.
What did I eat? Lots of meats, fish, eggs, nuts, vegetables, and fruits. You can read my complete log here. Over the last few years I’ve developed a series of protein-focused meal plans that couple what I’ve learned from the Whole 30 with the budget-friendly style of cooking that I love.
The Whole 30 diet, if you want to call it that, is considered “a nutrititional reset”, a chance to give your body a break from foods that might not agree with you. By eliminating most of the usual suspects of inflammation and food intolerance, you get a chance to see what “normal” is — for your body. During the reintroduction phase at the end of 30 days, you can find out if something really doesn’t agree with you.
I initially tried this program to see if I could troubleshoot my recurrent hip and leg pain. I read the book It Starts with Food (that’s an affiliate link*, by the way) and then set forth trying to reduce my pain or at least determine the cause. Many folks who’ve done a Whole 30 have seen remarkable results when they eliminated the foods that were causing them trouble.
My 30 days ended a little over a week ago. Here’s what I learned:
1. Paleo is not so very weird.
The Whole30 is a very strict paleo diet. The few Whole 30 reviews I read led me to believe that it might be incredibly hard, require weird ingredients, and leave me feeling starved.
Previously, I didn’t know much about paleo and just assumed it was weird. Eating along these guidelines, mainly animal protein, fruits, nuts, and vegetables, I found plenty of meals that were super satisfying — and not all that different from some of my favorite regular, run-of-the-mill meals.
While I ate larger portions of meat and fish than I normally do, I usually fill my plate with vegetables and fruits anyway. This wasn’t some crazy meal. It all looked fairly normal.
I realized that I had some misconceptions of what paleo was and therefore, had been fairly judgmental about it. I assumed folks were just gnawing on steaks. Paleo, eaten properly, is a great balance of produce and protein.
Italian Salad with Crispy Prosciutto
2. Regular meals are good for me.
I am a rule follower, generally speaking, so I stuck to the directions of the Whole30 diet. That included no snacking and making sure that I ate three meals a day. Sometimes, I really had to force myself to eat a meal. It showed me how often I skip meals or just snack my way through the day.
Making my favorite Skillet Eggs every morning was good for me.
Since I slept really well most nights and had no trouble getting up early without an alarm clock, I’m seeing that regular meals were good for me. And since I wasn’t snacking, I also didn’t eat something sugary right before bed. That helped me immensely.
If you missed the meal log, you can see what I ate everyday during my Whole 30. I came to love the recipes I developed during this time so much, that I’ve packaged them into several protein-centric meal plans.
3. Sugar is not my friend.
Since going back to all the regular foods, I’ve discovered that excess carbs, particularly sugar, make me drowsy. During my 30 days, I drank my coffee with coconut milk instead of my 3 teaspoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of cream. I’ve given up that habit because I realize that it just doesn’t help my day very much.
I still crave sweets, so I’m still working through how to keep that in check. I don’t think sugar is the devil or anything like that. But, I realize that I need to enjoy it wisely. I’m on a mission to reduce our household sugar intake by making more juices, smoothies, fruit and nut bars, and other naturally-sweet treats.
(I also learned that turnips don’t agree with me. I never would have been able to narrow that down unless I’d been on this strict elimination diet, knowing exactly what was going into my body.)
Monkey Salad
4. My pain was not about food.
Some of you know that I had already been to my doctor on two occasions, trying to get help for the hip pain I’ve had since May of last year. By the end of Week 3 of the diet, my pain was getting worse, not better. I decided to try a chiropractor instead. He’s helped me tremendously.
Turns out I have all kinds of things to fix: dysfunctional sacroiliac joint, the beginnings of a hunchback, and the effects of my childhood scoliosis. After less than two weeks of treatment (adjustments, ice, stretching), my hip pain is in check, and the doctor is working on the scar tissue in my back and neck to reverse or diminish the hunchbackety-ness.
I’m so thankful that the pain was not food related. You know me. Food is a big deal in our family. I’m already juggling lots of different challenges; I really didn’t want to have to omit something from my diet.
5. Soy and sugar are in everything.
I already was on a rampage against soy; I think that it’s overused, too much of it is GMO-quality, and it messes with sex hormones. Since I spent more time reading labels, particularly at restaurants, I realized how much soy and sugar are in our diet. Not good.
I did not expect to see soy in canned tuna or sugar in bacon, two ingredients that I previously would have thought were devoid of “extras”. My eyes are a little more open to these ingredients in particular, and I’m hoping to avoid them where I can.
Denver Scramble
6. This was not a body improvement venture for me.
There are some Whole 30 reviews I read that said I’d drop 20 pounds during the month. That was not my experience.
Since I was learning to avoid snacking, I ended up eating very full plates of food three times a day. My husband was taken aback at my large portions. While I did lose a few pounds during the 30 days, the inches did not come off. In fact, my clothes were at their most recent “tight” on Day 30. Since backing off the diet, my clothes have started to feel more comfortable. I haven’t really gained weight back, but it seems that what’s there has moved around a bit. I’m not sure.
7. I discovered some great flavor combinations.
I’ll confess, by Day 30, I was ready to be done. I clocked soooooooooo many hours in the kitchen during that month, it really took its toll on me. That said, I did discover some great flavor combinations, like Monkey Salad or my favorite salad with chicken, avocado, oranges, and cashews.
This diet is not deprivation, especially if you make an effort to be creative and are willing to spend a little on your base of ingredients to give yourself variety.
8. Friends can help carry the load.
When I did this, there weren’t too many Whole 30 reviews to check out. However, the beauty of Facebook never ceases to amaze me. Thanks to some late-night networking, I found a great group of friends and acquaintances to give me support and guidance throughout my 30 days. A host of others doing a Whole 30 at the same time really helped me get a grip on the experience.
My husband was skeptical, but completely supportive. He endured endless date nights at Chipotle since that was the only restaurant that was “easy” to eat at. Basically, I couldn’t have done it without the help of friends.
Cumin-Scented Cabbage Salad
9. I want to learn more.
I am not convinced that any food God made is inherently bad. Food products that scientists have made? That’s a different story. While I’m not ready to give up my baguette, cheese, and wine, I do see that my body benefitted from the experience. I was much more alert and didn’t need as much sleep.
My husband claims I also went to bed earlier instead of eating ice cream or making a late-night run to In-N-Out Burger (which I have been known to do). Maybe I was sleeping in a more productive window? Maybe I ate during better hours? Maybe there is something to avoiding the carbs?
I’m not really sure. I know that this diet was not sustainable for me long term due to the nature of my work, family, and budget. However, I’m going to try again later in the year and see if I can learn more about how food and my body agree.
Have you ever done a Whole 30?
What was your experience?
Jenny
Thanks for sharing your story! I’m on the 3rd day of my 2nd Whole30, looking for meal ideas. I just have a question for you- it seems like you ate a LOT of food! And a lot of nuts! Is that normal for you? I don’t up my food intake on the Whole30, and I actually probably end up eating slightly less than normal, since the protein and fat are so much more satiating than empty carbs. Wondering if that could have impacted your results at all?
Jessica Fisher
Yes! LOL! My husband says I ate like a lumberjack. I was “following” the meal planning template, but that was quite a bit more food than I normally eat. If you scroll through other non-whole 30 photos, you can see that my portion size is pretty small.
I was scared of being hungry between meals and feeling the temptation to snack, so I ate as much as they said I could eat. When I do this in February, I will eat eggs less often since that might have contributed to bloating, and mitigate my portion sizes. 🙂
Good luck with the rest of yours! We’ll overlap since I’m starting on the 1st. I’ll be posting a meal plan with grocery lists during the last week of January in case you’re interest.
Jenny
Not snacking is tough! Especially when I haven’t planned my meals well enough in advance. I’m going to try to stick with it for 45 days this time (maybe longer), so I’ll definitely check back for your meals plan! Can never have too many ideas / inspiration! Good luck to you!
Jenny
I also meant to say- I just got back from the store with ingredients for your monkey salad and skillet eggs! I’ve been totally slacking on breakfast (hard boiled egg + larabar or raspberries) so I’m really excited to try something new! Thanks for the ideas!
heidi w
I have an observation on ur sugar cravings. I recently bought , read, and did the “i quit sugar” 6 week program, and u cut out fruit initially because its actually fructose that were addicted to and causes blood sugar spikes as well as cravings… any time u have fructose u keep that cycle of cravings n crashes going, so initially to detox u need to b off all fructose. And theres even sugar things like balsamic vinegar … 🙁 so sad.
I highly recommend reading that book cover to cover and doing the 6 week challenge to go deeper with sugar detox.
Mignon
Started today – love your journal with the pictures and ideas! Love the Monkey Salad!! Thanks!
Jessica Fisher
Good luck!
Emily
I’m starting the Whole 30 at midnight and wanted to give you a big thank you as you’ve been very helpful in my ‘prep.’ Here goes! 🙂
Jessica Fisher
Yay! I can’t wait to hear how it goes. I’m gonna go for it on Feb 1 and this time I’m going to prep a little bit more.
Emily
End of day one. I’m starving. My portions are large. Will the feeling eventually subside? 🙁
Jessica Fisher
Hmmm. What did you eat? Did you use the meal planning template? http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-meal-planning.pdf I couldn’t finish all the food if I followed that rubric.
Christa
i would love to try this, but I’m allergic to eggs. What would you recommend I replace them with?
Jessica Fisher
I think you’d be fine having other lean protein. It’s odd for me to eat meat and veg for breakfast, but I’m sure there are lots of options you could try. Eggs just happened to be a cheap protein for me.
Vicki R.
I’m late to the game here, but I just wanted to “second” your experience about the amount of energy you felt a few weeks into the plan. I read the book & ended up on an even *more* restrictive diet after visiting with a nutritionist; I couldn’t have any sugars of any kind – ie, no fruit!! And I did my special diet through the holidays & I did it for 4 months. There were several things that amazed me. I couldn’t believe it took almost a month before I started feeling better (chronic migraines, no energy, etc.). And once I did start to feel better, I couldn’t believe how GOOD I felt! The energy & just overall feeling I had was something I could not explain to other people. I could not fall asleep some nights because I just felt so GOOD! I think food can be healing but I also agree that it’s not the end-all be-all.
Jessica Fisher
What a great story! So, you’ve stopped the diet? Are there some things you’ve changed long term?
Vicki R.
Yeah, I was in a really desperate place so stopping everything cold turkey & just eating meat & veggies, mostly, was challenging but I had the support of my husband & 2 young boys – I refused to make a meal for them a special meal for me every day so they were troopers!! I can only remember making a handful of meals that just did not taste good to anyone, but for the most part, we all experienced new foods & flavors. I lost 30 pounds in those 4 months – I did not exercise at all, just by eliminating sugar & grains, the weight fell off. It was crazy. But of course, even after 4 months, I just could not maintain the rigidity of it all. Plus, it took a lot of energy to plan appropriately – especially with young kids & being on the go all the time. I still juice a lot, especially when the migraines return; I make a simple juice of carrots, a lemon & some greens. Sometimes I’ll throw in an apple for a change. But carrots rock!! To maintain eating a whole food diet takes planning, lots of grocery store trips & staying on top of things, or the food goes bad real quick. I’ve gained back all the weight & while I don’t feel terrible anymore, I definitely still have my bad days. My issue is also menopausal, so, I’m hopeful things like the migraines will be long gone in another 10 years when my hormones have finally settled down!!
Jessica Fisher
I think the overall cleaner eating is more important than the grains, unless you have a particular allergy or intolerance. It’s great to hear that you’ve cured many of the issues.
heidi watters
Well done for doing 30 days!! A thought i had about your sugar cravings is based on a book i started about a month ago. “I quit sugar”, its an8 week detox from sugar, but really from fructose. Fructose is what turns intantly into fat and what spikes our blood sugar contributing the cycle of addiction and cravings. So even tho it limits ur food alot fruit is a no-no, especially bananas, they r mostly fructose.
Since ive havent had any sugar, including fruit my cravings r pretty much gone. Now that am over the addicted hump, i can eat fruit in moderation but am by no means a slave to it… just thought id share 🙂 her book is really informative and easy to read…
Linda
I’m just starting the Whole 30 and I have a constant headache, but my stomach feels thinner. Jessica, I read most of your blog, but I don’t recall reading that you lost weight after your Whole 30. Did you lose and if so, how much?
Shay Shepherd
I recently completed the plan with a co worker who supported me to the end. That was the most helpful part of the plan..to have a buddy to talk through challenges and victories. At the end I felt better, my clothes felt better, I had no cravings, my blood pressure came down to normal, I had no daily aches and pains and lost a meager ten pounds.
Adding back foods gradually has shown me I cant do sugar and pasta and dairy. But I found substitutes in natural honey, gluten free pasta, almond milk and Lactaid milk. I even found a sugar free ice cream branded So Good …and it is!!
My favorite meals were eggs with veggies or salmon with salad and veggies and I learned to mix lots of colorful veggies with a protien to keep it interesting every meal.
I have modified my daily intake of all foods in better, healthier ways and that is the best change of all. The ten pounds didn’t seem like much but the greater loss is in inches and my body is still resculpting itslef as I continue to detoxify it and my life to reduce inflamation that is visible from my face down throughout my leaner and trimmer body.
I can truly say The Whole Thirty changed my Whole Life for more than thirty days!
Donna
I’m doing my second Whole30 now. I finished one in May 2013. Cheese and dairy are so hard for me to ignore. I have the added bonus of the diagnosis of diabetes and used to have seasonal allergies. For those reasons, my doctor suggested W30. It’s strict and I am craving the world, but by reading your experience and that of others, I know I will make it just fine. I’ve never minded cooking, but I sure do spend a lot of time chopping stuff! Anyway, thanks for sharing your experience. Your very honest account is what I was looking for 🙂
James
I did it to feel better, not just lose weight. It was good to be disciplined in my eating, and I didn’t realize how much sugar is thrown at me everyday.
People thought I was in shape before, but I was really about 15 pounds over my suggested healthy weight. I lost eight pounds and can start to see my abs again. I feel better, but still tired and REALLY miss sugar.
I’m going to keep going a little longer until I have more energy again, but hopefully now from sleep, excercise, and a more balanced life.
Jessica Fisher
Great job. I wonder why you’re still tired though. At the end I had lots of energy. How long has it been?
Rachael
Try the beauty detox solution by Kimberly Snyder. It’s a much more sustainable approach to eating than Paleo or whole30.
Craig
I’m starting my own first Whole30 experiment next Saturday and found your blog while searching for additional Whole30 information. I enjoyed reading about your journey and plan to use some of your recipes. Thanks!
Jessica Fisher
Great! I hope it goes well for you!
liza
Wow! What a great website and also a great review of the whole 30. I’m just on day 1 and got the headache already. Looking forward to seeing how I get on! Thanks for the great recipes.
NV
Great success you got there! Are you still doing the whole30?
Jessica Fisher
I did it only for the 30 days last spring. I like a lot of the things about the program and will do it again sometime. Right now, as a food writer, I just can’t fulfill my obligations on so strict a diet.
Patrick
From reading some comments I’ve noticed a pattern, most people here are addicted to grains! They revert because it’s hard to stay away from grains? Something that I’ve done that’s helped A LOT is to convince myself that grains are GROSS! Instead of saying “I can’t have donuts” I say “I don’t want donuts” Give it a try it works!
Lori
My fiancee and I am on Day 21. Much like your thoughts, it hasn’t been that difficult and it has made me keenly aware of what is in the food we eat. I have read more labels this month than ever before and can’t believe how much sugar is in our staples. This will definitely change my attitude for life. The thing I am finding after 3 weeks is that we are tired of eggs, fruit/coconut/coconut milk, salad, etc. Through your blog of your Whole30, I am going to try sweet potato hashbrowns tomorrow morning! Also, never thought of Chipotle of being ok. We miss going out occasionally. But the biggest thrill is discovering we can have Aidell’s Chicken Apple Sausage. A couple of personal discoveries have been how good spaghetti squash is, butternut squash puree is delicious, and cauliflower mash is better than mashed potatoes (in my book!). Thanks for your article, it has encouraged me to finish strong!
Lori
Jess
I am just reading your posts and planning on my whole30 starting on Monday. I understand I need to be extremely strict during the 30days, does that mean I should try to avoid fruits since they contain quite abit of sugar?
Jessica Fisher
They recommend in the book that fruits should be a very minimal part of your experience. Like one or two servings a day.
Lori
As the book says….fruit is FOOD, not sugar. You have to completely avoid added sweeter of any kind. We have found fruit as an integral part of our Whole 30. My fave: blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, bananas, coconut, almonds and coconut milk for our dessert. YUM. Good luck!!
Ericka
Lori, from the Whole 30 forum moderators the fruit bowl snacks are not encouraged…
“Monkey salad is a definite SWYPO. Best to avoid if you want to have a successful Whole30.
Include fruit *with* your meal only after you have eaten a template meal of protein, adequate veggies (i.e., do not let fruit push veggies off your plate) and fat. The blood sugar spikes and dips you would get with fruit between meals will not help you get through *the need to have a snack* feeling, it will only perpetuate it. Meadowlily is correct, if you feel you need to eat in between a meal it should be a template mini-meal. Use the litmus test for hungry: you would eat plain fish and steamed veggies.
One of the goal of doing a Whole30 is to get away from the snacky behavior so many of us have and is perpetuated by the processed snack food industry and the silly mindset that we need to eat 3 meals plus 16 snack a day so we can make it in between meals…(a bit of snark there 😛 ). You want each of your 3 meals to be large and satisfying enough to keep you satiated for 4-5 hours so you have no interest of eating between meals.”
Paula
i made my own almond milk and put that in my coffee with cinnamon.thanks for some great ideas! I am on day 10 of the Whole 30,and I also seem more clear headed.
Jessica Fisher
Isn’t that a great feeling?
Elizabeth
Thank you so much for posting your thoughts on the Whole30, and especially your food log. I was looking into it since I remembered seeing your posts months back and am looking to be healthier, but as I re-read your posts, I realize that it would just not work for me. A common theme I saw in your posts was how hard it was to balance your different diet from your family’s, and as a full-time working mom of a 4-year old, I think it would definitely add too much stress to my day. Your meals looked really yummy, but eating breakfast and lunch at work (and having to prepare these meals the night before) would just be stressful, not to mention eating an entirely different dinner from my family! Thank you for the insight (and for saving me the stress).
Jessica Fisher
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about this and what habits (besides the ingredients omissions) I think were a step out of my norm and might contribute to the success of this diet. I’ll be posting them next week. Stay tuned. I think it will be a very doable thing for most people.
Lori
Jessica, I don’t think it would be that hard with a family. We have 3 kids (only every other week) and have done quite well. Of course, my fiancee had to be on board with me! Our main evening meal is whatever meat we are eating, a veggie side, a salad for us. The kids usually want to have some kind of bread, or we will make a quick pasta with butter and parm for them. Working full time, your challenge would be pre-planning your lunches when you prepare dinner. Best of luck!