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Hello! I'm in the process of reading the books so I can have an Oct. 1st start date. So far I am mostly excited because it seems like there are plenty of things to eat and since I'm not counting calories, etc. I really am just focusing on what I put in my body and fighting cravings. I have some suspicions already about certain foods and how they affect me, so I don't think this will be super eye-opening, but I am anxiously anticipating feeling better and hope to continue the better eating well beyond the 30 days. I'm not here to lose significant amounts of weight, although I won't lie, if I lost 15 pounds I would be pretty happy. I think I'm picking the perfect time to start because I have two weeks off work in Oct. for vacation and since it's a staycation, I will have better control of my days and what I am eating. It's great to meet other people going through the same things and sharing ideas and support! Right now I'm thinking about going through my cupboard and fridge, marking what is safe to consume, and then making a list of the items I need to find Whole30 subs for, if possible.

When I wrote the original post of my experience as of Day 29, I was upbeat and happy, and glad to share my "success story". Then I read the reply by Tom Denham, a Moderator for the Whole30 program. If I had written a response yesterday, it would have been a short two word reply, but I decided to think about it and sleep on it. I did both and here is my reply to Tom and to others. Tom, you are implying that I did not complete the Whole 30 program and that I failed because I chose to weigh myself during the 30 days. You couldn't be more wrong....and you can't take that achievement away from me. I was 100% faithful to the food rules...let me repeat, 100% faithful. And for doing that, I was rewarded with many positive changes, physically and mentally. Tom, if you had read my post with an open-heart, you would realize how wrong your statement was when you said that I let the scale guide my behavior...if that was true, I would have stopped the program on Day 7 or 8 when I stopped losing any more weight. But I didn't stop because of all the other positive things that where happening, as I outlined in my original post. You may think I was not fully engaged in the program and you are free to have that opinion...but I felt fully engaged and reaped positive rewards for my efforts. The only negative experience I had during the past 30 days was reading Tom's reply which felt shaming and pious.

Also, pizza isn't going to DO anything to help your day. It won't fix your computer, it won't ease your headache, it won't magically make your rough morning smooth. It's just cheese on dough.............stay strong! Make sure you're eating enough food overall, drinking enough water and salting your food.

Happy Day One everyone. Be safe out there.

I'm starting my very 1st Whole30 on October first. How perfect is it that October 1st is also a Monday?? I have been putting off dong the program for a whole year because of lots of weddings, vacations and random events but I have decided that this is going to be my birthday present to myself. My birthday is October 30th so I'll be completing my last day on my 32nd birthday! Is there a better present than self love and improved health on your birthday???? I THINK NOT! Good luck to everyone! -Ginger

I'm also starting on October 1st! Mostly because it's a Monday and Monday is for starting things, and so is the first of the month. Also my birthday is on the 27th, and my boyfriend's already planned tacos and beer. I lost 60 pounds almost two years ago now by starting to exercise consistently and tracking my macros. I'm happy with my weight now, but I feel like my athletic performance has stalled lately. Everyone says "have you tried cleaning up your diet? You should go paleo, dude." (It's CrossFit, we all call each other, "dude".) I'm also kind of at my wits end with my mental health. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder type II a while back, and we've yet to find any medication that makes much of a difference. Exercising regularly made a dramatic difference in evening out my mood, but now whatever benefit I gained from that has levelled off. And it's not good enough, even if it's better than it was before because I'm still cycling and it's still really holding me back in my career, and relationships, and as a mother... Maybe it's the dairy. Though, to be honest, I'll be a little pissed if I've been suffering for all these years and the solution was to stop eating greek yogurt. I starting preparing a couple weeks ago, fo I've already starting sticking up on compliant panty item and have dozen upon dozens of recipes bookmarked. I've convinced my parents to join me and told my son he has no choice. Ten more days!

My husband and I are starting on October 1st as well. First timers! I am most anxious about eliminating sugar and all it's sugary things. I see my sugar addiction and never really gave it any voice but judging but the peanut butter cups I can put away without even thinking about it, I want to get that under control. I worry that with Halloween season upon me, I'll find a way to "slip". Black coffee doesn't sound appealing, but tea does. I don't drink alcohol so that should be easy for me. Last night we purged our pantry and it was so eye opening. A full pantry full of grains in plastic bags that are goddess knows how old, boxed foods and pastas that had expired dates on them, soups with legumes, various forms of sugar (stevia, brown, coconut, plain, agave , maple syrup) you name it, we got rid of it. Looking forward to the purge in the fridge closer to Oct 1.

I'll be starting my second Whole30 on October 1st as well. We did one in July and did reintroductions but we're going on a cruise next week so I want to get another round in after that and before Thanksgiving so I'm in the right mindset when that comes! Hope some others will join in too. I'll be posting pictures on Instagram of food etc just like last time. Helped keep me accountable along with this forum! My challenge will be I won't be able to mealprep the weekend before since we'll still be on the cruise, but some tricks from my first one should help even without the mealprep.

In late January, I set an ambitious weight-loss goal for myself. It was the same one I had set the previous January, and at which I had failed miserably (which pretty much describes almost every weight-loss effort I have made over the past three decades). The goal: lose 55 pounds in a year, which would bring me under 200 pounds for the first time since shortly after I graduated from college in the mid-1980s. Eight months later, I've reset my goals - but for all the right reasons. Last week, I officially hit the 55-pound mark. I still don't believe it, to be honest. I carry an irrational fear that a couple of days off the food "wagon" or away from the gym or yoga studio will result in 20 pounds reappearing around my mid-section overnight. At this point, the mental hurdles are much greater than the physical ones (probably always were), but that fear is dissipating the longer I stick to the plan and the more evidence I compile that this isn't a just happy phase in my life, but a new way of eating and living. The last eight months have included two strict W30 months (February and August) and a half-year of living by the principles to the greatest extent possible. For me that means, as little added sugar as possible, significant limits on grains (and alcohol) and moderation in all other food types on the W30 "no" list. It also means fully embracing an active lifestyle that includes 4-5 formal workout days a week, and more movement in general. When people ask me "what have you done?" here's the short answer: Move more and eat less stuff that my body doesn't need or want. Simple, right? We all know it's a lot more complicated than that, but some days it has helped me to keep it that simple. Focus on what makes me feel better, physically and emotionally, enjoy the success I have had and try not to beat myself up when I'm not "perfect." My next goal is more modest in some ways, but still a challenge given how far I have come: Lose 10 more pounds by the end of this year. After that, another five by late January 2019. That would make 70 pounds in a year and put me at a point where maintenance is a worthy long-term goal. Honestly, I never thought I would be writing this type of post given my history, my age (55) and the fact that I've never taken to forming lifestyle habits (good or bad) much throughout my life. To the extent that any part of my journey is helpful to someone else, I hope it's this: I'm the last guy who expected to be able to take control of his weight, health and relationship with food as I have over the past eight months. If I can do this, there is no reason others who have struggled mightily can't do the same. Thanks, as always, for the continued support from those on this thread, and from the inspirational successes of others in the Whole 30 community. With appreciation, ML

here we go Day 2! i couldn't believe how full i felt all day yesterday! having basically the same brekkie and lunch again. Tonight will be stuffed peppers with moose, mushroom and butternut squash inside. I'm very lucky about our meat as a lot of what we eat is hunted fresh by my DH.

Dairy was a big one for me! I didn’t want to admit it, because yogurt and cottage cheese were my go-to’s for protein. Honestly, I’ve eaten very little dairy since my first round. I noticed a huge difference in my belly, the bloat just went away! I have some cheese here and there, so I don’t feel super deprived. Good luck!

Day 1 has been pretty good! Wasn't here over the weekend to prep, but I made it to the store this afternoon (made due with plain eggs and fruit for breakfast) and have all week planned out! Dinner tonight is taco salad - Newman's Own mild salsa is compliant!

Started today, all is well so far!

Starting from today. Fingers crossed to get through the whole thing this time!

@Betsie_n that looks good!! It's becoming pumpkin spice season there right? we don't really have that flavor here but it's al over the internet when It's october, so funny. @bambinamamma sounds like a great first day. Good job. I survived my first day, but it's not really my first day because my darling husband put lemonade in my (not see trough) water bottle and I took a big sip this morning. Kind of a bummer, but I decided to make the rest of my day compliant and to just add a day at the end. Kind of proud of myself for not derailing completely and just start tomorrow. Had eggs for breakfast (my fave, I always have eggs for breakfast (since my first whole30 3 years ago) so this is not a change), salad as lunch and for diner steak with avocado and vegetables. Feel exited that I started again.

how's it going everyone? I had almond milk in my chai tea this morning and i added cinnamon. tasted much better than i thought! then i ate one of my prepared egg bites and a banana for brekkie. Work lunch so far a mini can of tuna and carrots,green peppers with Primal Kitchen green goddess dressing as dip. still have pistachios and apple with almond butter here in my lunch bag for later. so far i feel really full surprisingly

There aren't really any official meal plans, other than the one-week one in the Whole30 book. There are a ton of bloggers out there who have done Whole30 who offer recipes and meal plans, just be sure you know the rules and check that everything they list is Whole30 compliant, and hopefully that the meals are meeting the meal template (remember that pancakes, even if they're made with compliant ingredients, are never okay, and things like chia pudding or monkey salad on their own do not meet the meal template recommendation). Here are a few good places to start: https://nomnompaleo.com/post/42057515329/the-round-up-30-days-of-whole30-recipes (recipes, not so much a meal plan), https://meljoulwan.com/category/recipes/whole30/ (again, recipes, not really a meal plan), https://www.ourpaleolife.com/whole30-meal-plan-grocery-list/ (actual meal plan). Also remember that you do not have to make a bunch of new recipes all the time. They can definitely be useful to fight food boredom and to get you to try new things, but it is absolutely okay to have a burger patty topped with guacamole, some roasted potato or sweet potato chunks, and salad, or to find a whole30-compliant taco seasoning and use it to season a pound of ground beef, which you can then put on top of a pile of lettuce, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, and grated carrots with a big dollop of guacamole, some sliced onions, and some compliant salad dressing. Keep it simple as much as you can so you don't end up burned out on all the cooking. And always cook extra so you have leftovers for another meal. You can download the meal template here: https://whole30.com/pdf-downloads/

Hi Everyone - I am also starting on October 1st and so glad that I will have company! I did my first Whole 30 in April and was mostly successful. However, I feel much more prepared now and have collected so many Whole 30 approved recipes that I can't wait to try. Also - I didn't use the Forum in the past so looking forward to having a "support" group and doing this together. Enjoy the weekend and let's do this!

There used to be a place on here you could subscribe to a daily email. But the book is pretty much what the emails were so if you already have that, I'd recommend you just stick with it. I enjoyed the emails but there is a small fee to subscribe. (BTW: I'm starting my 2nd Whole30 on October 1st as well.)

Well made for one week. It got a little crazy on the weekend. I held on:) Hope everyone had a good week. Here is two week 2.

Good for you, Murraygold! Personally, I think it is more dangerous to get tied up with doing something perfectly than to do the best I can. I would hate that someone in the future might miss out on the amazing benefits of this program because they can't weigh themselves. That said, I am a hard-core rule follower and did NOT weigh. I have years of food "issues" (to say the least) and I am happiest when I don't weigh AT ALL. I figure if I do what's right for my body, my weight and shape are none of my business. This is so freeing! My husband, on the other hand, weighs daily and is completely normal. All the rules aside, you did an amazing job and should be very proud of yourself. Congratulations!

I really enjoyed reading the original as well and it sounds like you did a fabulous job. Congratulations!

Congrats on your completion of Whole30! What a great success story! I have enjoyed reading about your great results that included crushing your cravings, lowering your weight and blood pressure, and feeling happier overall. I, like you, disagree with Tom's post. It also goes against studies that show that people who weigh themselves more often are less likely to gain weight back in the long run. I can understand Tom's point if you were doing this just for weight loss, but it was obvious from your post that you gained so much more from whole30 than just some weight loss. Congrats! I don't see how weighing is any different than looking in a mirror and seeing obvious results, or checking your blood pressure, or putting on a pair of pants that you hadn't been able to fit into for awhile because you realize your others have become to big. All of these are tangibles signs of the health benefits of whole30, and they should be celebrated IMO, not shunned. So again I say congrats! Continue to live healthy and reap the benefits of it. Don't let others bring you down.

The nicotine ban is not going to be lifted like the potato one was. There is a nutritional benefit to the potatoes for a large segment of people (fast metabolism, intense exercising etc) but there is no health benefit whatsoever to smoking. Just in case you were going to wait for that amendment, it's not coming. As a former smoker and former very overweight person, I quit smoking (over a pack a day) and lost weight at the same time. It sucked. It was 3 pretty miserable days. Yep....days. And then it was about 3 mildly uncomfortable weeks. And then? Freedom! From food and nicotine. I just told myself over and over again (sometimes 60 times an hour) that I deserved better, it was never going to get easier and that I was done giving my health & hard earned money to mega-corporations that didn't give a sh*t about me. I also reminded myself that regardless of the discomfort I might feel while quitting, I wouldn't actually die. I highly recommend reading the book "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" by Allen Carr. I also believe strongly that if you make the decision...the real, heartfelt decision to improve your life and reduce your reliance on the chemicals in both smoke products and foods, you are strong enough to fight through it. I don't think people who smoke should avoid a Whole30....I think they should come at it HIGHLY prepared in the food department and HIGHLY prepared in the "this is going to feel like absolute sh*t" department. More prepared than the average person. I might even recommend that a person who is going to tackle both at the same time start working up to the food part. Eliminate dairy for a week or two and then eliminate wheat for a week or two and then limit snacking/use proper Whole30 templates etc, until they are almost at a Whole30. Going from pack a day + pizza, pop, pasta, sugar every day is going to hurt. Harder than it needs to if you make the choice to change and then work into it. Plus, it might help to know that you aren't the first and you won't be the last.

Welcome to the Whole30 Forum! We are happy you are here, and think you will find this new format ideal for questions, answers and support during your Whole30 program and beyond. Below are the general rules for this forum. We ask that you read them through at least once, and abide by them at all times. General Forum Rules We run a family-friendly show around here. Please keep language, links and images PG-13; no "f-bombs," links to adult content or any other such things you would not say, read or watch around your kids Keep discussions respectful. We appreciate differing opinions and relish open dialogue, but we ask that you maintain your temper and your respect for others at all times. Do not spam or grossly self-promote in these forums. If you have a blog to share, by all means, link to it in your signature. If you wrote an article appropriate to a particular topic, go ahead and let us know. But keep it tasteful, and please do not use this venue to drum up business for your goods or services. Respect the Copyright! Do not post recipes, articles, excerpts, or images from copyrighted materials. That means no copying recipes from The Whole30 or Well Fed into a post, no posting entire paragraphs from It Starts With Food, or posting links to PDFs of e-books you've purchased. These posts violate people's copyright (which is illegal), and it's just a generally disrespectful thing to do. If the item in question is posted freely online, you may copy the recipe or an excerpt from the post, but ONLY IF you provide a link back to the originating website. Posts found to be in violation of these rules will be immediately deleted, and the poster will be warned. Repeat offenders will be banned from the forum. We take this seriously, so please respect people's hard work and original material. Posting Rules Before you submit a new question, SEARCH! We aim to keep forum material as streamlined as possible, and chances are your question has been asked (and answered) before. Do not cross-post across categories. Please choose the best category for your query, and post only once. Stay on topic! This forum is currently only for Whole30-related topics. Again, do not post, upload or attach copyright-infringing material which you are not free to redistribute (subject to the licensing terms of the specific item). If you are found to be in violation of these rules, you will either be warned or banned. A ban of your user account may either be temporary or permanent. The administrators and moderators also have the right to edit, delete, move or close any thread or post as they see necessary, without prior warning. General Recommendations Use a descriptive topic name, so we can answer your questions faster and more effectively. ("Help!" tells us nothing - "Headaches on Day 2, is this normal?" gives us a clearer picture of your issue.) Do not ask for (or expect) personal consulting via this forum. Should we feel your request requires more attention than we can provide in this setting, we will direct you to our consulting options. Welcome new members. Help new folks "learn the ropes" about how to find information and resources, and how to get involved in our Whole30 community. Thank you for your support, and best of luck on your Whole30 program.