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Hey everyone! On the cusp of my 30th birthday, suffering from migraines and asthma, my boyfriend and I have decided to tackle the Whole30 together! We were originally going to do it in November, and after double checking calendars and training schedules (we are both runners with numerous race events we've already paid for, so we didn't want to struggle and feel we had wasted our money), we decided to move our start date up, to September 4th! Little did we know, there'd be a big movement to have as many people as possible participating in the month of September! This will be coming days after our second overnight relay in the month of August (CLR and Hood to Coast), AND my 30th birthday! What better way to start off a new decade than with improving my health?! I am committing to this challenge in hopes of getting my nutrition on point as a runner, to rewire my brain about food and cravings, and to hopefully discover trigger foods for my migraines and asthma! I will be chronicling this journey for us via Instagram - @rundrinknerd - feel free to follow along! We look forward to getting inspired by all of you, sharing our journey, and hopefully inspiring others to take the challenge! Cheers! Alison

So sorry to hear about your pups, @MegT90. That's such a helpless feeling. Things have been relatively easy for me until today. We're at a neighbor's birthday BBQ. Let me explain what this means; the best damn food in California, and MiniMe and I can't have any of it! I marinaded some meat to throw on the grill for us, but the appetizers and desserts couldn't be any more tortuous. Bacon wrapped stuffed jalepenos, stuffed mushrooms, amazing homemade chips and salsa, homemade potato salad, cake, ice cream, and a plethora of drinks that must not touch our lips. MiniMe has perfected my stink eye as she saw the spread of temptation before us. She and I made a plan and discussed what we'd do before we even went over. We were talking about the salsa, and MiniMe came up with the idea of taking romaine lettuce leaves and dipping them instead of chips! That child is so strong and resolute. I came thiiiis close to speaking one of those stuffed jalepenos, but then I thought about everything she has given up this week and I walked away from the platter. We brought a fruit platter full of things we're allowed to have, and we head for that each time we want something else. I know we aren't supposed to snack, but this is helping us through. We brewed some green tea with mint this morning and iced it so the other drinks aren't so interesting to us. We're managing, and it isn't the end of the world. But I made my neighbor promise to make stuffed jalepenos for me on Day 31.

I am 52, mother of four ages 24, 22, 20 and 14. I teach preschool and I am everything creative! I have thought, dealt and been obsessed with weight since I can remember! I joined Weight Watchers after college and have come and gone from it ever since. Mind you, I never really needed to lose weight! I just want to feel good, that's the bottom line!! I have discovered that it isn't about how much I weigh, it is about feeling emotionally happy! That is what I want! This summer my new thing has been listening to podcasts. I love Jen Hatmakers "For the Love" podcasts. She speaks to me on sooooo many levels. It was when I was listening to her (and now Im reading her latest book "Of Mess and Moxie") podcasts that I started to really think about, what do I want in this life?? I am also dealing with someone that is very dear to me, and 6 years younger, that is battling leukemia. You start to reevaluate your life when you are thrown into the thick of life and death. I have decided that I really and truly do NOT want my weight to be what makes me happy or sad. I want to enjoy this life and live it to the very fullest as long as I possibly can. To make my long story shorter, I listened to Jen's podcast featuring Melissa Hartwig and the discussion was about Whole30. I thought to myself, maybe there is a food category out there that is not sitting well in my, for the lack of a better way to say it, head! Maybe if I truly ate foods that nurish me, maybe I'll feel better, my joints won't hurt, my energy level will increase. I joined this forum because I also want more like minded people in my life, people that get me and will help me achieve these goals, people that also want what I want. I'm looking for that tribe (as Jen would say :o) )

Hello, I started today on the whole 30. I started now because I have a dinner on September 30th and would like to have a small glass of wine at that dinner. I am tired of being sick and tired and I could stand to lose a few pounds too. I had mentioned it to my husband but he didn't seem thrilled. Well, when I came home tonight to cook dinner, I cooked chili. For my husband and kids, I purchased the Frito chips they like. I actually wasn't even tempted and was glad that I could make a meal that could be whole 30 compliant for me and still be tweaked to make everyone else happy. Well when it came time to eat, my husband said, 'oh, I am doing this wirh you! That was the best news. I am so glad that he decided to join in. I also have a friend doing it with me too! This is so exciting that we can do it together. The first day was actually easier than I thought it would be. I am choosing to focus on the foods I can have instead of the no's! Also, the chili from the book is sooooo tasty! It has vegetable in it and my husband still ate it and liked it! Looking forward to this journey

Hello all, I am also starting tomorrow Sep 18th, too ! I am excited & nervous but mostly excited. I hope I can stick with it. I am 32 YO female , no children just me. Some of my current struggles I would like to improve are : psoriasis, depression, alopecia, and possibly rhumetoid arthritis. The past year I have gotten them all at once so it has been very hard to accept all this at once at age 32. I try to exercise and eat right and drink my water , but want to take it to the next level with the whole 30. good luck to you all ! Excited for this journey. Xo. Penny

A couple of days ago I told a friend of mine that I was doing another W30. She was disappointed because she had wanted to ask me out to dinner and drinks with a couple of other friends. She was worried that I wouldn't be able to eat or drink anything. We went out last night and it was totally fine. I had dinner earlier, so I wasn't hungry, and drinking juice and sparkling water wasn't bad. Did I want to grab a french fry off their plates? You betcha! But I realized that it wasn't because I was hungry, I was just doing it out of habit. That made things easier. I did miss having beer, a little bit. But it wasn't a problem. So what did I learn? That I eat a lot out of habit, especially mindless nibbling if things are right in front of me. And, I can totally be social without having to drink (and woke up without a hangover - bonus!) I've also realized how much socializing we do around alcohol and that I could totally cut back and still have a drink occasionally (after the reintroduction of course!)

I also started the Whole30 this morning. So far so good, just drinking my coffee. I did a lot of meal prep last night, following the first week meal plan in the Whole30 book. I made the spinach frittata, which is awesome because I usually burn stuff like this! I'm excited to get home and try my hand at making some compliant coleslaw. Looking forward to doing the 30 days with you all. Hopefully my good mood holds up!

Hi! I am starting tomorrow (Sept 11...I am sucker for Monday start days lol). I once tried Whole30 a couple years ago but was ill prepared, was living with my parents and did not have enough $$ to buy the food. Now, I have the time and resources to commit to the no-excuses kick in the butt I need to meet my health goals: i want to lose inches and pounds, feel less bloated, feel more confident in my appearance (the bloating makes me feel preggers), less oily skin, improve performance in my running plan, get less winded during fitness classes like zumba, have fewer PMS symptoms and just feel better about myself and my ability to manage my cravings. I really hope to find and practice better ways of managing stress that do NOT involve inhaling cookies, fried food, pizza, chocolate, ice cream and the list goes on. I want to get on the journey towards food freedom.

I started today! Made it through barely! I'm doing this for health reasons so I think that will keep me motivated. When you read the labels you quickly find out you can't eat anything or that is how it seems. Had a terrible headache all day. I miss my afternoon latte. The worst part is my doctor wants me to do this for 60 days. It makes me accountable to someone. Day 1 complete and I have tomorrow's food planned out.

It's a tradition each month with my company to celebrate all the monthly birthdays with a big gourmet cake in our management meetings. This cake is so unbelievably good, and I always look forward to that meeting. Today I sat on the 1st chair of one of the outside rows... it was my job to pass all the plates of cake down my row. It was a temptation doing that, but not nearly as bad as all the people around me eating it. I was proud of myself that I abstained and as a result, ended Day 3 successfully! Yay ME!

Hey everyone! (and Happy Birthday, Alison! - Thanks for starting this thread!) I started on September 1st with my very first Whole 30. I have been aware of the program forever, but I've been struggling with weight loss and have "tried everything" but eventually got embarrassed after calorie counting, weight watchers, etc etc didn't last. I just wasn't super committed and came up with excuses to stop restricting myself (since I thought "no one cares but me anyway and I want this _____ (cookie, alcohol, pizza roll, whatever)"). I didn't want to tell anyone that I was doing this (at this point only 4 people in my life know) because I didn't want to fail publicly again to regain control of my health. But, here I am on day 5 and haven't murdered anyone ;). JK, it hasn't been as bad as I thought, but I am kinda short tempered today. I'm proud of all of us for working hard to change our relationships with food and have a healthy lifestyle. I always hated the phrase "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels", but seriously, 5 days in and not being constantly bloated, I haven't had knee pain a single day yet, and my pants feel so much looser that I have to agree, with modification, that "nothing tastes as good as healthy feels". I would love to lose weight, but truly, I don't want to be a slave to food. I don't want to feel controlled by food, use it as my comfort, or feel embarrassed about what/how much I'm eating, or eat in secret. I want more out of life than that and I am hoping that Whole 30 will be healthy path in that direction. The biggest thing I want to work on in the next week is incorporating more veggies (that has been lacking in these first 5 days). I hope that everyone is having an excellent day and if not, I hope that tomorrow is better. I'm here rooting for you!! Ps. feel free to point me in the direction of any websites for recipes or on the go snacks that you love or tips you didn't know when you started that you came to love. Thanks so much!!

I'm technically starting today, instead of September 1st, but I'm looking for people to chat with! My Whole30 will be from Sept. 3rd-Oct. 2nd, just in time for my birthday weekend! This is a restart for me. I attempted my first Whole30 on August 12th. One week in I forgot what I was doing and absentmindedly ate a small muffin... so originally I was going to add 7 extra days to my Whole30, but then 3 weeks in I ate some cashews with peanut oil (didn't read the label first, learned my lesson!), so I realized I just need to start over, give my best effort, and see this through. I'm not disappointed in starting over because I'm happy with my results so far and I'm excited to see what the next 30 days have in store. Cheers everyone! - Catalina

I am starting tomorrow with you guys, too. It will be my third....just need to reset from summer...bad habits creeping back in and I want to get back on track. Excited about this one as I was training for a half marathon during my previous two...and the tiger blood was a bit elusive. I want to see how this goes with my steady regular workout regimen. Actually just realized I have been completely compliant today. Thought about calling it day one, but I think I will have my final glass of wine with our end of summer dinner tonight. Good luck to you all. Get some prep in today? I believe someone should start every Whole30 with......"Ladies and gentlemen....start your dishwashers...."

OK, time to review the Non-Scale Victories (or flops ). Non-Scale Goals: 1. NO MORE BLOATING Success! I did get a bit bloated for the first time in a long time like two days ago but it has been rare and it was so much less extreme and passed much more quickly than pre-Whole30. 2. Fewer headaches Also a success! The only time they seem to show up now is if I let myself get hungry/go too long between meals, which is tricky because my belly rarely tells me I'm hungry and my energy doesn't really dip due to hunger anymore. How do others navigate this when you're maybe not having a normal scheduled routine day? 3. Control of my Sugar Dragon - I don't think I'm one of those people that will ever shrug him entirely, but when he shows up I want to be able to ignore him with limited effort. I'm the Boss! I'm not really sure about this. He's been a real stinker the last couple days as my brain when into Reintroduction LETSEATALLTHETHINGS rebellion, but as my husband pointed out, I was able to control myself. I am definitely craving something sweet big time, though, so I clearly still have an intense sweet tooth. Not sure what else I can do about this, except practice to find my definition of "worth it." So the Dragon Slaying battle continues. 4. Clearer skin - less dry, improved dandruff and psoriasis symptoms, maybe no pimples during my period? Skin is definitely feeling less dry and my dandruff is gone! I do still have some itchy psoriasis a few days after washing, but no embarrasing flakes! Whoo hoo! I haven't had any pimples since early in the Whole30, so we'll see how that part goes going forward. 5. Regular digestion I'm still not pooping, you guys. Ugh. 6. Improved stamina and continued gains at the gym I am definitely feeling energetic and ready to conquer at the gym, but I didn't see the same kind of gains I saw last time. I think this is more likely related to the fact that last Whole30 I was also starting a new workout routine and getting used to the movements, whereas now it is the normal routine. So I think this is normal. Physique-wise, I'm not seeing the same level of changes, either, which is kind of disappointing, but this round I was much more intentional with the fat part of the meal template and had non-template calories like kombucha more often. I am curious to see how to work that out in my Food Freedom to still reach my fitness and physique goals without getting all obsess-y. 7. Energy and alertness upon waking Again, not quite the same level of change that I saw last time, but I'm not sure what could be causing this. Maybe the Natural Calm is helping me sleep TOO deep? It definitely takes me less time to get up and get going though than pre-Whole30s. I love being a morning person! 8. Increased interest in... intimacy. We're pretty much the same in this department, though my improved energy, digestion, and mood are positives in this general direction. 9. Improved meal packing/planning skills and execution (I want it to be a habit, not a chore). It's still a chore, but seeing the benefits in trying new recipes has renewed my dedication to doing it anyway. Success? 10. And probably the most important: Food Freedom. I listed this as one of my Goals for 2017 at the beginning of the year because I feel like God has been showing me that I have given food too much power - it has become an idol that I let control my feelings, my choices, my mindset, etc. and that is not where food belongs. I've already made significant progress in this area with the other Whole30s I have done this year but I am so grateful that this process has grace built in so I can come back and try to learn more! I think I've continued to gain more and more perspective on where food belongs via this Whole30, so while I am still struggling to find Food Freedom, I feel dedicated to figuring it out and find myself better able to focus on my other blessings, instead of just food. I did have a bit of a meltdown the other day when the idea of deciding what to eat was JUST TOO MUCH but there were a lot of factors and I was aware of what was happening while in the situation, which allowed me to verbalize and ask my husband to be patient. Progress? I also lost 2 pounds and 1% body fat (if you can trust that number, which you probably can't) and feel much better in my clothes. I would like to see more progress in the physical realm but I also need to work internally on facing the truth about if additional physical changes will actually make me healthier, or if this is just what a healthy Emily looks like. The Saga Continues. I'd love to hear updates on how everyone else is feeling!

Hi everyone! I started yesterday as well, and would love to join your group! This is my 2nd Whole30, and I'm excited to feel the good results again. Good luck everyone!

Hello, Most of the posts I'm finding for "older women" are a year old or more. If you are 50-60 and doing the Whole30, any phase, I would love to jump in and post some thoughts. Looking forward to talking soon,

Today was my first struggle getting a filling lunch. I baked salmon fillets and had a small side salad. It was obviously not enough because I still felt very hungry afterwards. I put my plate in the sink and made some celery with homemade 4-nut butter (macadamia, pecan, cashew, almond) and had two small stalks. I finished off my lunch with an almond macadamia coconut ball I made over the weekend. I am not sure I can make it six hours until normal dinner time so it may be an early meal. I have made it to day nine without snacking between meals (huge thing for me) and have only had fruit twice (1/4 apple in a salad and handful of blueberries on a salad). I am really trying to tame the Sugar Dragon and those fruits were so sweet it made me want more. I am trying to go ten days before eating fruit again. The blueberries were Saturday so seven days left My three sons are doing great eating paleo. There are a few Clif bars left in the house but I am saving them for soccer or baseball games. They are better than the Skittles and cosmic brownies handed out recently, which were either refused or thrown away by my boys. They ask me lots of questions about why I can and cannot eat certain things. It is starting a good dialogue with them about nutrition. One confession: I had a really hard time last night making my sons a snack after soccer because I so badly wanted to eat it. My favorite snack is almond butter banana "ice cream" with homemade chocolate (almond butter, bit of maple syrup, coconut oil, and cocoa powder) melted on top. I simply smelled their bowls (they didn't even have chocolate) and went to my room to read. I may have it for breakfast on Day 31.

Hi All, my first day for the Whole30! Nice to see the other 9/18 beginners! Best wishes to all. Peace, DM

@kirbz @DrewMc @Tj V @Tara R @AthenaC @Momo MK @R_Stan06 @3boysandagirl @Mike5858 @AH117 @PennyJane @Nancy61 @kitkat90 @tayrex03 LET'S GOOO!!!!!!! We can do this! Woke up a little hungry, and still feeling a little hungry and foggy after breakfast. Walked into the faculty room and there on the table was a box of donut holes...just calling my name. But I walked right past. I was going to go back -- but then I came on here, and realized that I am not alone! Gonna persevere through whatever I go through these next few days, so that I can feel good like @AthenaC mentioned. Hang tough through the headaches, the fatigue, the sniffles, the cravings, etc. everyone -- WE CAN DO THIS!!!! "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"...

Glad to see so many people starting today. I'm Mike and my wife Joanne and I are starting our first Whole 30 today. I hope to learn and get support from all of you! We are both 58 and we've decided that our lack of energy and weight gain needed some action. I'm also interested in seeing if some of our unexplained aches and pains go away. We both seem to have some sinus issues that might benefit from cleaner eating as well. My wife uses thyroid medication, but thankfully I have no prescriptions at all. We started our day off by having scrambled eggs with spinach, onion and red peppers. It was very nice to sit and have breakfast with each other on a weekday for maybe the first time (we are chronic breakfast "skippers"! We did have a cup of coffee before we ate (a habit that will be hard to break), but we did eat breakfast, so I will consider that a victory. One thing we have going for us, is that we both drink our coffee black. One challenge we will have for a bit is that we are between homes. We sold our house a month ago, and have been living in a furnished apartment while our new condo is being remodeled. We don't move in until Oct. 7th. What makes it interesting is that almost all our stuff (especially kitchen stuff) is in storage! There are pots and pans here, but not a lot. i found out yesterday that we have no measuring cups. We have measuring spoons though (did you know there are 12 tablespoons in 3/4 of a cup? I found that out making vinagrette last night.) I did bring our BBQ grill and the weather has been nice in St. Louis, so I plan on doing a lot of grilling the next few weeks. No food processor, slow cooker etc, so some of the recipes in the Whole 30 books I bought may have to wait, but we'll figure it out. I think the biggest challenge/reward for us will be breaking the "sugar monster". We both enjoy cookies, cakes, pies,etc to excess, so losing our nightly routine of a cup of decaf and dessert will be a big deal. Reading labels, although eye opening, isn't that big a deal for me, and i do most of the shopping. In any event. I look forward to hearing your stories, challenges, successes, and (hopefully not many) set backs. Let's do this together! Thanks for letting me join in the group! Mike

HI all, thanks @MegT90 for the cheery words! Made my day!. Day 2 for me (14 Sept). I've got headaches and some aches plus feel a little spaced out. I actually think I overate yesterday! I was "craving" sweet after dinner and had a tablespoon of pine nuts and 2 dried figs. I know that has to go cos I'm obviously feeding a sugar dragon in a W30 way. I definitely wasn't hungry! I did Melissa's trick of wanting/craving vs real hunger... as in could I eat steamed fish and broccoli now? Well heck no I wanted sugar sugar sugar and crunch crunch crunch - so figs n nuts it was. I'll work on it folks I promise. I wasn't hungry at all during the day which was nice. I have my par cooked veges (two containers of different ones) so it will be a mix and match day for me today. Hopefully the headaches will go soon. Even tho I'm feeling the physical stuff it is so good knowing that it is a healing process and a gift I'm giving myself. Anywho....let day 2 rock on!

Day 3 is in the books, and dinner was challenging because we have to all eat at different times. But I made some coconut chicken curry that was pretty bomb-diggety (if I do say so myself) and portioned it out over rice for Daddy and Sissy and riced cauliflower for MiniMe and me, and we ate when we needed to. Sissy isn't a fan of curry, but she took one for the team yesterday. It's so motivating to read about everyone's struggles and achievements, and a couple of people have posted some nice meal ideas. I also love that we have everything from new moms to empty nesters and couch potatoes <raises hand> to marathon runners. My biggest issue is information overload. So many rules, so many things to read, and oh don't get me started on the shopping. I almost cried a couple of days ago as I sat in the aisle of the grocery store surrounded by cans of coconut milk and various soup stocks trying to read the teensie weensie writing and getting so frustrated. Why oh why is there so much added sugar, sulfites, etc?????? I finally found what I needed, but I came to the realization that I can never again send my husband to the store to pick something up for me. His head will explode. And I absolutely can't make my own stock because I'm totally grossed out by bones. I eat meat, but only boneless cuts. Watching someone eat ribs off the bone is thoroughly disgusting to me, so yeah ... no homemade chicken or beef stock is coming from this girl's kitchen! On the other hand, I'm finding that the homemade sauces, dips, and condiments are really quite tasty, and I enjoy making them. Here's to another day of healthy eating. Hopefully the tired bug will leave you alone. It hasn't caught up to me yet ... fingers crossed anyway. Stay strong!!

Day 3 started out making paleo banana pancakes for my sons followed by a fried egg hamburger patty salad for me. I am slowly switching the kids over to paleo during my Whole30 so it will be easier to stay that way afterwards. Last night they all went through the Whole30 Cookbook picking out recipes I should make. Lunch is supposed to be Twice Baked Mexican Potatoes but I just realized we are out of ground beef. I may have to load the kids up and run to town real fast since they had their hearts set on that meal.... Yep, going to town. I hope all your days go smoothly!

This is day 4 for me. I've been really tired, but sleeping better already. The big thing I've noticed is that today my knees stopped hurting while walking up and down the stairs! I've also noticed that when I have to do something, instead of sitting on the couch trying to think of ways to get out of it, I just get up and do it! (Laundry, I'm talking to you!) Good luck today everyone!

So I started the program yesterday and the forum today. So many new things. I really want a cookie but I think I will go get on the treadmill. Making good choices

Just started today, 9/12, so I am right behind you. I am in Florida and could not start due to hurricane, too emotional. I didn't realize yesterday was my last drink. Have bought 3 books and finished reading It Starts with Food by flashlight due to hurricane Irma. My major issue is just plain fatigue. I exercise a lot, at least 5-6 times a week. I just want some energy. I have done similar programs and know I felt better and looked better (flatter stomach, brighter skin) but then I go back to eating the crap. Not really looking to lose weight, but 10 pounds would be an added plus. Good luck. ANd I would love to hear about any great, easy, not spicy recipes, especially for breakfast.

My husband and I started Sept 11. Both looking to curb some bad habits with alcohol and sugar. Day two and still feeling good! Good luck to us!!!

@Lady49er, I understand the 7 year old on Whole30! Mine is rail thin and already has a limited palate (hates most meat...), so her dad has been pretty forcefully reluctant to try her on strict Whole30. She has chronic stomach aches...but they come and go on months-long cycles. Right now, she isn't having them. They stopped right about the time I started this round of Whole30! But she is still getting compliant breakfast and dinner 90% of the time. She *does* eat eggs, but not every day. Have you read through the tips for kids? You can relax a lot of the suggestions (not the RULES). For instance, she can have paleo-ified foods like "pancakes" and such. There's a banana+egg pancake recipe that both my kids (including the 5 year old egg hater) will scarf down. I also made almond flour crackers for them to take to school for snack. Hmm...just realized both the lunches I packed this morning were 100% compliant. Not the sugary almond bar I sent for snack though... Also, try her favorite dinner foods for breakfast! It's fast and easy to heat up leftovers. My 5 year old will stuff herself with roasted cauliflower and meatballs for breakfast. One of the few meats my 7 yr old consistently likes is medium rare steak. It's not unusual for me to be cooking steak in the morning for her to dip into homemade mayo! EDIT: Have you tried kale chips? My 7 yr old begs for them...you may be pleasantly surprised and she might even eat them for breakfast!

Hi All! I've read your posts and I'm glad theres quite a few of you who started yesterday! To LAdy49er, you're inspiring. That is truly the definition of mom. The only way to help your daughter succeed is by YOU leading by example! WAY TO GO! I'm wishing you both much success!! A bit about me....I'm currently on Mat Leave with my 9 month old son. My husband and I are very active people and for the most part eat clean, but we've derailed over the summer. Patio drinks, BBQ's, family vacation...isn't helping the post baby, post school weight, energy levels, skin, hormones etc. My husband has psoriasis so we're doing the autoimmune protocol and I must say, its seems A LOT harder then the Whole 30, especially because my husband has a physical job and plays sports, so simple proteins like eggs and nuts aren't compliant with the autoimmune protocol . However, I subscribed to the "RealPlan" to help assist me in meal planning and ideas. BEST $15 spent. Especially when you're following the autoimmune diet. Since I'm introducing my son to solids I thought Whole30 was the perfect way to do it. He can eat with us, plus it forces me to sit down and eat with him. I'm a runner and I am a little worried about an upcoming half marathon race in October. Typically on a long run I take a gel (basically sugar) to help performance, but obviously I won't be able too. This will be a good test to see how I can come up with alternatives to give me that energy. Day 1 was pretty successful, my husband, mom, aunt and sister are all doing it, so we've got great support. My husband and I both had a major headache last night (detox much?! haha) and since he can't have aspirin (part of the autoimmune protocol) I used a blend of essential oils and it was successful! On that note, does anyone know if you can have Green Tea?

Last night for dinner we had the Mexican twice baked potatoes for dinner, and everyone loved them! Even my 2 kids, who can be quite picky, loved them. We are also loving the cider chipotle sausage. The tuna waldorf salad from Well Fed has also been great for my husband and I. Tonight for dinner we are having the chicken with caramelized pears and shallots, which sounds so good! Good luck today everyone!

Yay for all if you starting today! MiniMe and I started yesterday, and it was ahhhh-MAZING!!! Breakfast is easy because both of us love banana and almond milk smoothies, and we added cocoa powder yesterday and strawberries today. Lunch was some really yummy chicken apple sausage eaten cold with sweet peppers and pistachios. I set it up like a charcuterie tray (minus cheese, of course!), so it was more interesting. She and I were able to have "football snacks" while Daddy and Sissy ate their junk. But guess what ... they wanted what we were having! What???? Healthy family eating?? Whoa! Dinner was the most amazing Whole30 compliant Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana. Daddy and Sissy also had small plates of pasta, but MiniMe and I stuck to our guns. Neither of us got hungry all day. Proud Momma moment: MiniMe and her sister were over at a friend's house most of the day. They were making YouTube videos and decided to do a candy challenge. The mom took them to the dollar store for candy, and MiniMe politely declined everything. The mom knew about her diet and was texting and asking me if she could have gum or anything, but of course that's out. She bought her a little toy instead since she's couldn't have candy. Yay for fellow mom support!!! Super proud of my little one being so dedicated to this.

Breakfast went well - last night I prepped, so it made it so much easier and faster. I am lucky I don't drink milk or coffee, so it was the usual beautiful morning of green tea (no additives or flavoring) for me. Hubs does drink coffee, so he had it black. He says, "It's alright. It's not killing me." A note - my husband hunts (for food, not for sport) and we eat venison (deer). Well, he took some of it to the meat processor to be made into sausage which I thought would be amazing with his eggs (I don't eat eggs), our avocado and sweet potato; like a hash. Well, last night I was slicing the sausage and I saw it had spices. It smelled amazing, of course, but I was thinking, "Hmmm this seems like SUMMER sausage." Summer sausage has sugar in it and the spices they use - I don't know if they're Whole 30 compliant. Had a total, "OH NO!" moment. Hubs called the place this morning and confirmed - they add sugar. So these beautiful sausages are out for our Whole 30. I'm so bummed. A word to everyone - we usually process our own meat, but this one time it was easier to have the processor do sausages. If you hunt/forage - indicate to your processor NO SUGAR or anything else in what they make for you. I'll be using venison steaks and chopping them finely for some of our breakfasts going forward. Pictured is hubs' first Whole30 - for myself I fried an egg really, really hard and ate, aka choked down the white (I HATE eggs). Adjustments being made going forward. Hope everyone is having a great start to the morning!

I am with you all. I tried starting last week, thinking Incould do a "relaxed" approach....you know, just a little bit of goat cheese in the salad....etc. DOES NOT WORK FOR ME, at least not until I have finished 30 or longer...I am at the top of my weight range and feel tired a lot of the time. I want to lose the pounds, but mostly want to just FEEL BETTER....those famous NSVs! My husband likes to eat cleanly also, but he has enormous discipline, grrrrr...so he won't protest when I work the program, although I will make some slight changes for his dishes....like adding cheese at the end...but not on mine. My biggest challenges are the hour or so when I get home from work. Hubs pours wine (I do kombucha on my 30) but I am also inclined to snack on nuts then....which is another thing that did me in last week....cashews from Costco are roasted in peanut oil...non compliant!! so, need to go buy ghee and a crap ton of veggies to make this work. LAdy49er, your post really touched my heart. How great that you are in it for your daughter and giving her a shot at a better relationship with her body and well being. BRAVO to both of her. Tell her I think she ROCKS!!! let.s go, Margot, Sytera and Lady....this will be a GREAT chance to learn and be strong.

Hello, All, Starting Day 8 and feeling good, but anxious. Glad you were able to get your mother to safety @ShellyM! I live in Jacksonville, FL and it looks like we are going to be hit by Irma as a Cat 2 hurricane. I'm actually more concerned about sticking to this plan than I am about my house! I've stocked up on everything I can think of and have plenty of meals prepared, but the thought of eating something comforting during this time has been tempting. I went to the beach this morning to get a nice sunrise picture, but Mother Nature wasn't cooperating. Focusing on how good I've done this past week and looking at this entire weekend as a challenge. If I can get through a hurricane and stay compliant, a dinner out with friends or family is nothing! Have a great Friday!

Well done Azgirl :-) I found drinking water helps to banish the detox aches and pains, though I have been lucky as I've not had too many of them. I read in one of the paleo books, to focus on what we can eat rather than what we can't eat which has made it easier for me but initially of course we need to learn what is not ok as that's been our downfall over the years. I miss the wine as I'm prepping dinner but I manage to refocus and all is well.

Let's check in here for motivation I need it too!

Hi Everyone, I am on day 15 and happily eating my giant protein salad (leftover chicken) for lunch. Had roasted squash, stir-fried kale and scrambled eggs for brekkie. Before this program that would have sounded completely unappetizing to eat. I cannot believe I'm half done. I think I will eat like this on some days even after re-introduction i complete. It's just been a rather shocking reset of my previous food biases. Good luck, Mo

California is a glorious place to be when you're doing Whole30. People. Restaurant menus & servers. Grocery stores. They are way ahead of the rest of the country as far as food and nutrition (and accommodating those of us on Whoel30). People...I told you all I'd report back on the meaty marinara sauce that was posted on instagram.....IT WAS A SUCCESS! The whole family loved it. And leftovers have been even more delicious than the first day! Here's the post if you're interested.

Hello, All, Finishing up Day 5 and feel pretty good. Didn't need a nap today, so that was a bonus. Sorry to hear about your weekend @alisonmae I hope the weather cooperates with you all! I'm in Florida and would gladly send you some of our rain! I spent the day driving around to different grocery stores to stock up on water and supplies...my patience was truly tested, but I managed to not punch anyone. Just coming onto this board and seeing how some of you are struggling, but still keeping on the plan is really inspiring. Hang in there @hefreeman and @NoneOtherThanAmy! Someone mentioned a NSV, so I'll share one. Today, I was so proud of myself for grilling up 4 chicken breasts. I put them on the grill and then signed into Instagram to look for a recipe from the Whole30 board to go with it. Naturally, I ended up looking at numerous cat videos and other very important pictures. Fast forward 1 hour....OH, CRAP, MY CHICKEN! Normally, I would have thrown out the chicken, opened up a bottle of wine and asked my husband to pick up Panda Express, but tonight that thought never even entered my mind. I cut off the burnt parts, chopped up the rest and mixed it with the Basic Mayo and some lemon juice and made chicken salad instead. I roasted some broccoli and sweet potatoes and then tossed in a handful of cashews, too. I call this recipe A Big Hot Mess, but it wasn't too bad and it checked all of the food boxes needed. Hope everyone has a great day tomorrow!

oh how this rings true for me....I was a carb addict before I found Whole30 and felt so depressed and miserable most of the time. I was constantly needing more carbs to keep my blood sugar stable and it was a vicious cycle that I couldn't break. My first Whole30 was brutal..."the carb flu" knocked me on my a$$ for the first week. I could barely work out and had no energy as my body was adjusting to no sugar and no processed carbs. I added in lots of starchy veggies to get through, but it was still so tough. My point here is that the food I was eating CONTROLLED me! Now....I control my food. It's such a great feeling. I'm still far from perfect and struggle with my food freedom and adding sugar back in, but I have come so far since that first Whole30. Best of luck to you on your journey. HANG. IN. THERE. It does get better. And I AM making the Slow Cooker Meaty Marinara Sauce RIGHT NOW! If you're close to Wheaton, IL, stop by and I'll give you a plate with some zucchini noodles and some leftover wedge salad from last night. So sorry to hear about this. Sending hopes for rain and safety for all the firefighters and families affected by this.

Here is one for you, I'm not sure how to be part of an online forum. If I venture from this page, you guys may never hear from me again. I've looked through so many tabs on the Whole30 website, but so many of the comments are sometimes years old. Finding this group, and actually finding the spot to type the reply was sheer luck. Day 5, I am still dealing with night time hunger, I actually asked myself if fish and broccoli sounded good at 8pm last night and the answer was YES! I cooked some chicken breast and ate it. I think my biggest issue is planning FULL meals and eating them spaced at appropriate meal times. I just retired a couple months ago, and I am still trying to find balance in my days with a rigid schedule like I was used too. I'm dealing with stress over an adult daughter, 15hrs away, going through some major life complications. That usually triggers eating for me. However, I told myself, life-happens, I've got to stay true to myself or what good am I to anyone else. So, I think day 5 will be fine. I am planning and shopping today to get me through the weekend. It's all a journey, we learn as we go!

Hi all, I'm starting my 2nd round tomorrow. I did my 1st round a few months ago due to chronic IBS. I had some benefits like sleeping better, strong nails etc but not much relief from my stomach issues so switched to the low FODMAP version for the last 10 days which gave some relief. So this time I'm doing completely low FODMAP and am hoping for some tiger blood this time Super excited to be starting again as the food freedom was the biggest benefit I got and I've slightly fallen off the wagon lately. Hope you're all getting on well whatever day you are on!

How about just tell him that you're doing an elimination diet to see how food affects you and one of the big things you have to avoid is grains and that you appreciate the offer (assuming you do) but you don't want the amazing food to go to waste so you'll politely decline. Don't beat around the bush, just be polite and firm about it. And if he keeps offering daily, tell him that you again appreciate the offer but you're going to say no for the next 30 days and you'd be happy to use a roll or other day old item on day 31 to test grains but could he please stop asking because youre going to keep saying no and you don't want to fail so he can help you be successful by stopping offering. And to put it in perspective for when days get hard (cause they will), your health is worth more than a day old roll... you sell them for what, 95 cents? Half price for day old would be 50 cents... on that hard day, please don't sell out your health for 50 cents

"documentary"

@JanellaR - FB is the wild-west, those groups can become their own beast. The forum is moderated by people selected by Melissa Hartwig who are extremely familiar with the program, rules, recommendations etc. Not all facebook groups are incorrect but your safest bet is to get your information here or on any of the Whole30 social media channels.

Hey yall started yesterday too! Day 2 has so far been good, still trying to adjust my meals so I just eat 3 times per day. Honestly I have been eating 5 meals a day for over 3 years. I feel SO MUCH BETTER without dairy I just have never had the gall to kick it, Melissa Hartwig is such an inspo on IG and I have all the Whole 30 books lol so excited for this journey!!!

How about you consider not drinking and finishing this program (incuding the reintroductions) as the best 30th birthday gift you could ever give to yourself - an investment in your longterm health! Man, that's worth SO MUCH MORE than a drink!

@Lunarose and @Alisha Alexander, I have been thinking about my "first meal" a lot too! I can't decide what to eat first, but it probably won't be anything too exciting until Day 41 when we are allowed to blend all the "troublesome" ingredients together!! As I get closer to reintroduction and figure out exactly what I am going to do, I'll let you know. I have been looking up a lot of "Paleo" recipes and will most likely adopt that type of eating...I also like the idea of staying "clean" by only buying stuff with minimal ingredients. I got a Paleo desserts cookbook and all the recipes in it look amazing! As excited I am about some of those bad foods, I feel so good about my progress on the Whole30 that I have no urges to eat something that will mess it up. In terms on non-scale victories, I have a steady amount of energy all day (which is a big deal for me and the main reason I went on the Whole30 in the first place), my gut problems are very minimal and I have experienced food freedom for the first time in my entire life! Dinner tonight was a bunch of stuff thrown together and it tasted really good...shredded cabbage, carrots and zucchini sautéed in coconut aminos and olive oil and mixed with ground beef flavored with various seasonings. Sarah

Hi Alison, I'm also going to participate in the September Whole30! I'm an aspiring runner and have my first 5k race on September 9th and then start training for an 8k the week after the 5k. I'll have to follow along on your running and Whole30-ing adventures on Instagram. This will be my 2nd Whole30 and I'm doing it for several reasons: 1) I can feel my bad habits slowly sneaking back in. Time to get back to eating the way that makes me feel good. 2) I'm a grad student hoping to graduate by the end of the semester, so I'll be writing my dissertation pretty hard all fall. Writing is stressful for me and I can tell this semester has the potential for me to slip back into the snacking all day long trap to deal with the stress of writing. I think being on a Whole30 will help me learn to deal with the stress in better and healthier ways. 3) Reintroduction. I want to do a proper reintroduction this time. Last Whole30, I was on a tight schedule and couldn't reintroduce everything I wanted to. I'd love to take about a month to do specific reintroductions of certain foods. 4) Tiger blood. I'd love to get there this time. I have much more stable energy levels than I did before the Whole30, but I don't have tons of energy to burn either. 5) Keep up my NSVs - My skin is clearer, my GI system functions much better, I feel better about myself, I'm not reliant on the scale, I've changed my relationship with food and really cut down on emotional eating, and I'm better at planning and making healthy food for myself even when I'm tired. Who else is joining the September Whole30?

Hello Day 17 friends. Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Trust me, I've been in the kitchen or at Whole Foods or our food co-op shopping. I share three thoughts with some of the recent posts . . . 1.) I'm NOT giving up! 2.) I am sick of the kitchen . . . I feel like I'm in there all the time either chopping, prepping, cooking, or cleaning and then the cycle starts over. And, I know folks are finding batch prepping works for them but I can't stomach the idea of even longer periods in the kitchen making even more food and giving up even more of the weekend. I'm not bitching (well, not really) but I do hope the food prep part gets easier. And, 3.) not feeling the Tiger Blood yet. I do have a number of positive changes but I have been living for that morning - or moment - when I feel it. Like, really feel it. Maybe I'm expecting too much. Anyway, I've missed you guys but I'm reading everything!!! We're doing this!!! I can honestly say we will. Just now need some reasonable expectation that the work around this lifestyle gets easier the more familiar you get with the program. We need a Whole30 commune where we can go live with our families and share the cooking! lol.