ShannonM816

You had the body aches and joint soreness before you started? Is it worse, or just about the same? Is there something you're eating now you didn't eat before, or that you ate occasionally before but are eating a lot more of now? Maybe there's something that is whole30 compliant that just doesn't work for you. For instance, eggs or nightshade vegetables cause pain like this for some people, especially in large quantities, and many people find they consume a lot more of them on whole30 than when they're not. Are you keeping a food diary? Do you notice that it's better or worse on certain days, and can you see any pattern in foods you eat or don't eat on those days? Is it possible it's not food-related at all? Like, if you live somewhere that in the last 18 days has gotten colder, do you think maybe the joint pain is worse due to cold? Or maybe you've been more or less active, and that's affecting your pain levels?

If all the ingredients are whole30 compliant, you technically can. We really don't encourage you to drink a lot of your calories, and nuts and nut-based products are not necessarily something you want to have a lot of, so probably it isn't something you should be drinking big glasses of every day, but it could be fine to use in your coffee in place of creamer or something like that.

You'd need to confirm what was used in the naruto roll, but if it's all fresh vegetables and fresh fish, you should be fine. Watch for anything that uses crab, and ask to be sure it's fresh, not imitation. You'll probably have to skip the wasabi paste and pickled ginger, those usually have non-whole30 ingredients.

Sure.

I'm not sure exactly what they have to label as added sugar for the nutrition information, it might be the coconut syrup or the dates. The requirements for how things are labeled are set by the FDA. For whole30 purposes, the number in the nutrition information doesn't matter, all that matters is the ingredients.

Yes, this is fine. You need to look at the actual list of ingredients, not the nutrition info. The numbers in the nutrition info will show sugar content from fruits or vegetables, but all whole30 is concerned with is whether they added sugar or other sweeteners, which would be listed as ingredients.

Probably the milk, yes. Go back to whole30 eating for at least two days, or until you're feeling good again and the bloat is gone if it takes a little longer than that, then you can add an extra reintro day of either just milk or just maple syrup to confirm. I would be very surprised if that tiny amount of maple syrup caused that kind of bloating, but it's a fairly common reaction to dairy.

This was a very recent change, which is why the book is different than the website. Vanilla extract is now allowed. The explanation is here: https://whole30.com/whole30-extracts/

There's some discussion of this here: https://whole30.com/future/ For any item, new flavors can be made and recipes can change, so it is always important to read the ingredients at the time you're purchasing or eating them, to be sure it is still compliant.

The reintroduction as whole30 describes it is good for learning about major, immediate reactions. It's also quick and easy to follow. It's basically a good basic reintro for most people. You are absolutely welcome to do more in-depth reintroductions, many people do, but since what each individual is looking for is different, it could be hard to describe a plan that would cover everything everyone might want to test.

The recommendation is to do two full days of whole30 between each reintroduction, in case there is a delayed reaction, and to be sure the reintroduced food is completely out of your system before you add another.

Raw vegetables would actually be more likely to cause stomach issues for most people, and when people mention bloating or gas, we usually suggest they go for just well-cooked vegetables for a few days to see if that helps. If you're going hungry, that could indicate you might not be eating enough in general, or perhaps that you aren't eating quite the right mix of protein, fat, and vegetables. Not eating enough could contribute to being tired as well. It's hard to say for sure, not knowing more about what you're eating, but it is a possibility. Skin stuff can be harder to figure out. Maybe you're right that you aren't eating enough vegetables, or maybe there's something you're eating that just doesn't work for you (for instance, eggs, coconut products, nuts, or nightshade vegetables can cause skin issues for some people). Not drinking enough water can contribute sometimes as well.

These look like they'd fall under the "No commercially-prepared chips (potato, tortilla, plantain, etc.) or French fries either" part of the rules to me.

The amount of carbs each person needs is very individualized, so it's hard for us to say what will be right for you. If you feel good and your workouts are good, that is a really good sign. It sounds like you're pretty active, so you may need more carbs than someone who is sedentary. For most people we recommend starting with a fist-sized serving each day, but that's just a starting point, and you can absolutely try different amounts and see what works best for you. You can try cutting back on them, but if you find you feel better with some at each meal, that is fine. Also keep in mind that your needs can change over time. This is especially true for people who menstruate, as during the week or so before their period they often need more food in general and more carbs in particular, but even for non-menstruating people, things like stress, hours of sleep, and activity level can affect how many carbs they need. So you may feel you need more one week and less another week, and that's totally fine, just try to pay attention to how you're feeling.

You're probably going to want to call them before you go there, during a time they won't be too busy, and ask some questions. The bistro salad looks like a good option, just be sure you can get it with no cheese or croutons, you may need to take your own dressing or ask for just olive oil and either vinegar or lemon juice. Ask about the meat add-ons, which ones you could get cooked dry, no butter or sauces. Ask about seasonings, be sure there's no sugar added. There was a steak listed, that might be a good option, you'll just need to confirm they don't cook it in butter or add butter, you'd probably have to leave off any sauces, they'll probably have dairy and/or alcohol. You'll want to ask about any vegetables or sides too, to see if you can get like plain grilled vegetables. Another option is to eat before you go and just have coffee or tea, or eat your protein before you go and just order salad.

One way would be to think about the total amount of meat you put in the sauce, and how many servings that would make on its own. So say you bought a one-pound package of ground turkey to put in the sauce. If you'd bought a one-pound package of turkey and divided it into patties, how many patties would you get? That's how many servings of sauce you'll get from the same amount of meat. That amount will be different for everyone -- most people probably get 3-4 servings (quarter or third pound burger patties, or roughly 4-6 oz each) but some may only get two (half pound or 8 oz burgers). Your servings still may not divide up exactly evenly as you dish out portions, but it should be close.

That may be enough. If you look at the template, it mentions a range of serving sizes, because different people have different needs. The best way to know if you've gotten your servings about right is really how you feel, both right after your meal and a few hours later. Right after a meal you should feel satisfied, but not overly stuffed, and then you should go 4-5 hours between meals pretty easily. If that's happening, you've probably got everything right. If you are hungry two hours after you ate, you may need a little more fat, or possibly a bigger meal in general. If you're regularly going six or seven hours between meals during the day without feeling hungry, you may need to cut back a little bit.

Here's the official guidance on starting over: https://whole30.com/start-over/. It's really up to you.

We would really recommend eating three meals a day, and making them match the meal template. (You can download the meal template here: https://whole30.com/pdf-downloads/) This probably should include a meal before work, within an hour of waking up for the day, and then try to space your meals out every 4-5 hours after that. When you get the meal size and timing worked out, it should help you avoid blood sugar highs and lows. When you do something like chicken salad, or if you ever make soup, if you make it in big batches it can be hard to tell how much protein you're getting in each serving. Be sure you're getting enough chicken that if you piled up just the chicken, it would be at least as big as the palm of your hand. If you're not sure, try to add some extra -- maybe a hard boiled egg. Be sure that each of your meals includes some fat. This may be harder to do if you can't have oils, but if mayo works for you, that's a good option. Avocado or olives are also good. Your meals will probably be more filling if you include some starchy vegetables. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are the most popular options, but beets, carrots, turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, pumpkin and other winter squashes like butternut or acorn squash, or plantains would also work. Stick to about a fist-sized serving at a time, most people do well with a serving a day, but you can have more if you need it. If you do need to eat between meals, try to have a mini meal with protein, vegetables, and fat, or at least two of the three. Avoid having fruit on its own, it's more likely to mess with your blood sugar levels. If any of the issues you have had in the past are stomach/digestive stuff, keep in mind that many people find nuts and nut butters can cause problems in that area, so you may want to look for other fat sources that work for you and kind of rotate through them so you're not having a lot of nuts every day.

Neither of these is ok because of the sugar and the molasses. Always read labels, even if someone tells you something is ok. Recipes change, people make mistakes, it's always best to verify for yourself before purchasing and definitely before eating any product. The only products we can definitely say are whole30 compliant are the ones in the Whole30 Approved program (https://whole30.com/whole30-approved/). Obviously there are other products that are also compliant, but you'll just have to read labels to determine which items at your local stores are.

You should be proud of yourself, you've done so well! 29 days of healthy meals is a great thing! And you know that it's been good for you, because you've seen results. Ultimately, it's up to you whether to restart or not. (Here's the article that explains the reasons for starting over if you need it: https://whole30.com/start-over/). Unfortunately your body doesn't know the difference between something you ate accidentally versus something you ate on purpose, it reacts the same either way. And none of us can really say how much difference one more day of whole30 eating could make. Whatever you do, don't throw away the last month of healthy habits over this. Go back to whole30 eating while you sort out how you want to proceed.

Hi, Nancy! It sounds like you've got a lot going on that you need to work around. I'm not sure I'd try to start in November or December if I had that much on my plate, but of course if you want to and feel prepared, go for it. Thanksgiving is not too bad to modify recipes for to fit into Whole30 eating, though you would need to avoid stuffing, pies, rolls, and wine for sure. But you can make whole30 compliant turkey, potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, and salad, if you do choose to start in November. The idea of trying recipes and doing a pantry clean out and starting in January is really not bad. Maybe pick one or two things you know will be a challenge for you and start doing them now, like if you sweeten your coffee wean yourself off of it, or start incorporating vegetables at breakfast. As far as your allergies, eggs are probably the biggest issue of those listed, because they are a cheap, easy protein that many depend on, and they're used to make mayo which is one of the most popular fat sources people use, but lots of people do whole30 without them. Almonds, almond butter, and almond milk are called for in a lot of recipes, but feel free to sub versions made from other nuts and seeds, or from coconut. Fruit is not really necessary for whole30, if you do want some, just pick ones that you can have. And kidney beans aren't allowed anyway (no legumes), so that one definitely won't be a problem.

It's always ultimately up to you whether to restart or not, here's the guidance over when to start over: https://whole30.com/start-over/

First, know that you're not alone in finding your second whole30 more challenging than the first, there's even an article about it: https://whole30.com/second-whole30/ Since you're not enjoying food right now, you're probably not eating enough, so you're hungry, which is not helping with the cravings, so you really need to find something that you will eat. Have you tried some of the recipes you enjoyed last time around? If those are not working for you, maybe find a recipe that looks really good and set aside time this weekend to make it. For everyday type meals, if you don't want very time-consuming recipes, maybe do something simple, but make a flavorful sauce to go on it -- a pesto or chimichurri to drizzle over steak or chicken, a new salad dressing for your vegetables, stir fry or "peanut" sauces for Asian flavors. Just Google whole30 plus whatever type of sauce you want, there's probably recipes out there. Or browse Meljoulwan.com or nomnompaleo.com or other recipe sites for ideas.

What I would suggest is to take a few days or a week and do some planning and reflection. There are lots of planning tips here: https://whole30.com/prepare/ -- pay attention especially to the part about coming up with if/then statements. It can also be helpful to write down why you are doing whole30. This could include very specific things, like a particular pain you have, some acne or eczema or psoriasis you hope may clear up, or it could be things like having more energy, improved workouts, or even a sense of accomplishment for making a commitment to yourself and following through on it. Keep this list somewhere that you can refer to it when you're tired or frustrated or thinking about stopping so you can remember why you're doing this. In addition, think about why you have stopped in the past and what could have prevented that. When you stopped whole30, was there a reason? Were you hungry? Review the meal planning template and be sure you were eating enough. Were you bored with your food? Find some recipes to try, or even take extra time before you really get started again to try some recipes with a goal of finding some you know you like so you're not just trying new recipes the whole time and hoping you like them. Were you overwhelmed by all the cooking? Find some easy meals to fall back on -- scrambled eggs with spinach or zucchini or peppers and onions with a side of avocado; a can of tuna mixed with mayo or avocado or olive oil, dumped on a big pile of salad vegetables; or a burger patty or two (I keep frozen ones one hand all the time) with a bag of frozen steamable vegetables cooked and mixed with whatever salad dressing or sauce you have on hand. Figure out why you stopped before, and plan how to deal with that.