Not convinced this is for me ... advice?

[Lorraine16]

Hi, Whole30 seems like a combination of Paleo, Low-Fodmap and elimination d*ets that I have been on (and off) of for hashimoto's thyroiditis and leaky gut -- but even more strict. IS the 30 days to figure out what's bad for you? And then is the idea to never have those things again?  I feel so deprived so rarely (if ever) eating bread, pizza, pasta, beans, corn, dairy, etc that a glass of red wine and some (goat) cheese at the end of the workday is the one thing I look forward to. Yeah I know it's only 30 days  ... am I being too weak? Thoughts? 

[ShannonM816]

Whole30 is Whole30. It was developed initially from a Paleo background, but rather than focusing on what our paleolithic ancestors ate, the focus is on eating the things that are good for us now, so there are some places where it differs from other Paleo plans.

 

It doesn't have to be low FODMAP, though if you know you react badly to FODMAPS, you certainly would want to limit or avoid them -- why eat something you know doesn't make you feel good?

 

The premise is that for 30 days, you eliminate the foods that are most likely to cause issues for most people. You do careful reintroductions afterwards to see how you react to them. Some, you may find you react strongly enough to that you want to avoid them always. Some may be worth it for special occasions -- maybe you don't generally do well with gluten-containing grains, but your relative makes this absolutely heavenly cake once a year on your birthday just for you -- that might be worth it, while a grocery store cupcake is not. You use the information to help you make informed decisions about what you want to eat going forward. Many, many people stick pretty close to this way of eating long term because they feel better.

 

It is just 30 days. If you have more questions about the program, I'd recommend looking for the book It Starts With Food -- it gives all the reasons behind why the rules are what they are.

[jolong]

Lorraine,

I am on Day 18 of my second round of Whole 30, and it is totally worth it. I also have a weakness for red wine and that will be my first reintroduction item on day 31. After my first round, I really didn't crave any of those grains, dairies or sugars, so I really kept eating Whole 30ish for the most part. I did decide to go back to it for another round because I know I feel so much better without those items in my diet.

[Carlaccini]

The whole 30 is a tool.  It's a tool to find out what causes health problems and what doesn't.

 

Is it worth it?  For me it was.  Will it be for you - I cannot say - everyone is different. 

 

When I came to the whole 30 I had lost all hope in the medical system for helping me or curing me of my many, many ailments.  So this was my last stitch effort - so I came here from a perspective of "What do I have to lose? Everything else at this point has failed"

 

Now when I return to do a whole 30 I think:  What am I going to gain this time around?

 

Is it hard - sometimes.  It sometimes helps if you can focus on all the delicious foods you CAN have rather than the ones that you can't.

[Tom Denham]

If you want the quality of health you currently have, don't do a Whole30. 

 

"The value of doing a Whole30 is to begin seeing meat, fish, eggs, veggies, and fruit as the good stuff and to start thinking of everything else as stuff we have to make do with occasionally."

[Lorraine16]

thanks all! started June 1!