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It's my first time doing this diet. In general, I've never been on a diet in my life. I'm thrilled to see the results!

HEY! I am Katie. I am 30 years old. About a year ago this time I bought a copy of Whole 30 and dove into the process right away but I only lasted 5 days.....I ended up putting the book on the shelf and only revisited it when I was looking for a healthy recipe. I was doing it by myself with too many temptations around me. I failed. Looking back at it, my head just wasn't in it. I generally eat pretty well and try to exercise daily. But for some reason over the past 6 months or so I had been eating horribly. I contribute it be feeling super busy and overwhelmed. I have taken on a 2nd part time job in addition to my full time job, I help at my parents business here and there, I have other community commitments, AND I am deep into wedding planning mode as I have my wedding coming up soon on June 2nd. I started having the grab n go mindset and that led me to consuming a lot more fast food than usual. One day I stepped on the scale and was shocked to see the number. I had gained 10 lbs in less than a year. I wasn't sleeping well. I felt so bloated and sluggish. I was down on myself. Then one day, One of my friends mentioned trying out a plant-based diet (Thanks, Rich Roll). I love the idea of a plant-based diet AND I fully supported that decision from him. I want to give it a shot one day. But for me personally, I love having meat incorporated into my meals and I didn't want to cut that out cold turkey (no pun intended). I briefly mentioned, "Have you heard about Whole 30?" I briefly explained what it was and I could tell he was intrigued (mainly because he didn't have to give up meat). All of a sudden I found myself in a deep conversation with him, his girlfriend, and my fiance about Whole 30. I very excitedly grabbed my dusty copy of the book and they started flipping through it. I got excited again. I was excited that I had support. I was excited that someone else was interested in this process. I have always wanted to do this...but my head wasn't in it. But all of a sudden, I had a spark of energy and motivation! We talked about it and all four of us agreed to commit. We spent 2 weeks prepping and we all went grocery shopping together. We have our own private chat where we update each other and complain about our problems . That in itself has helped A LOT. Having the support of others is key. Do not be afraid to let people know what you are doing. We have explained it to our families and close friends. My mom has even agreed to help make an entirely Whole 30 compliant meal for Easter dinner using the book! My friends and fiance are powering through it! I cannot speak for their feelings... but each of them are different in their eating habits prior to Whole 30 so each are experiencing a variety of moods. MY fiance has been super cranky. I do know that, haha. Having those people to talk to is great. Knowing that if you slip up or even give up...it would let the others down. I do not want that to happen. If you are thinking about Whole 30.....find a support system...whether that be your friends, family, or someone online here....it will benefit and motivate you to complete this more than anything else <3. It's Day 8...WE are committed. WE are motivated. and WE WILL conquer this.

For my #January Whole30, I will be doing a SIBO Specific Whole30. Basically, Whole30 + Low FODMAP + SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet). I have done this once before as part of my treatment plan for SIBO. It's very restrictive and a bit of a battle, but doable. I'm both looking for and willing to offer support to anyone who might be in the same boat. Are there others with SIBO who might be doing this?

My boyfriend and I finished our first Whole30. He lost about 15 pounds and lost 0. Even though I lost nothing it seems like my body is changing composition. Although, someone did ask me if I had lost weight. Also, I really didn't need to lose weight, so maybe that is why I didn't. We are in our late 50s. Before the diet, I ate fairly similarly except for dairy and occasional wine. I have never had much of a sweet tooth or a taste for pastries, or cakes, so leaving them out was easy. While on the diet, what I really missed was the cheese! I missed cheese so much! I also missed raw milk and organic honey in my coffee, but I discovered coconut milk, so I was okay. Unfortunately, I love coconut milk in my coffee so maybe that is why I didn't lose weight? Even though at times it was really tough, I am glad we stuck with it because I feel good and I am sleeping great! It is a little scary though what to do after the Whole30? I liked the scientific explanations for not eating dairy, gluten, grains, and legumes. I felt like we were doing something really healthy for our bodies. There was the safety and security of knowing the eating plan had a finite time frame, but what do we do now? I actually want to continue eating this way. The only thing I REALLY miss now are fresh organic English peas, and I plan on adding those back in. Also, bacon. There is no organic bacon without added sugar, so, for now, I will make this an exception too. What saved us were ORGANIC Urban Bruce Chicken and Basil Meatballs and ORGANIC Chicken Italian sausages from Costco.

Hi, I started Whole 30 today. I live alone. I just made my first (yum) breakfast. I realize I'm confused. On the one hand the book says for the Spinach Frittata recipe, "Serves 2." (Frankly for ALL the book's recipes it serves 2.) On the other hand the book says to save half for tomorrow's leftover meal. Soooooo, funny question: since I sliced the entire Frittata in half and ate half for breakfast, did I just eat 2 servings or 1? I am unclear if I should 1/2 or 1/4 all the recipes I make, since I am only one person - OR - keep them as is and always eat half of what I cook and save the other half for the left over next day meal. I know and get we are not counting calories etc. I want to ensure that I am not overeating, or eating for two. :-) Clarity is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

I am toward the end of my third Whole30. Every round, I have sleep issues. I can fall asleep just fine but I wake up around 4am - sometimes after only 5-6 hours of sleep. I feel energetic and ready to take on the day when I wake up but I feel that I am not getting ENOUGH sleep (based on the 7-8 hour requirement that I've always heard). There have probably been 2 or 3 nights during this round of Whole30 that I slept 7-8 hours (and honestly, I was more groggy on those mornings). I have tried (individually) Sleepy Tea, melatonin, natural sleep aid from Whole Foods, and magnesium (Natural Calm). Is it possible that my body only requires 5-6 hours of sleep? If so, I am okay with this. I've just always read that "healthy adults require 7-8 hours of sleep per night"... and I am feeling pretty darn healthy these days so what gives? My energy levels remain stable and high throughout the day until I think to myself, "I only got 5 hours of sleep last night" then I start feeling run down (so I know that part is mental). Any advice on the sleep requirement or suggestions on promoting a longer night's sleep are welcome and much appreciated!

I am in day 10 and getting the Flu. Is there any restrictions on over the counter meds, that I can use before I become a snotty, angry mess?

Hey guys! I'm about to start my first ever whole 30 on Tuesday! I'm super excited and anxious! I've never done anything like this before so I'm very hopeful! Ok so, I haven't been exercising lately and I've never done it routinely. I want to start finally though! I'm worried that I might like...overdue it and freak my body out by doing both of these huge changes at once! I was thinking for the first 10 days that maybe I would just go really light on the exercise? What do you guys think? Also if my exercise is planned on being light should my pre-workout food be fairly small? And if I do it first thing in the am, would it be ok for my post workout to just be my breakfast too? Or should I do a post workout meal and then do breakfast like..30 min..or an HR later? I won't always have enough time in the am to do this I think....idk..I'm probably just over thinking this whole thing. But if anyone has any advice or suggestions I'd greatly appreciate it! Thanks!

Hi everyone! Today, I began day 2 of my Whole 30 Journey (I was going to begin on Monday like any sane person, but well.... chicken soup and dumplings were involved). I've done a lot of grunt work... bought a stock of nuts, coconut flakes, cacao nibs, chia seeds, etc. but the one thing I'm not overly familiar with are the chia seeds. Today, I sprinkled them on my massive salad (with a nice piece of salmon on top), but I'm wondering what else they're useful for, other than sprinkling? I saw a chia seed pudding recipe, but - as it's a dessert like item - I don't think that technically counts. Any suggestions?

If anyone dealing with SIBO/IBS issues would like to offer/receive support and solutions to ongoing issues, please join! I'm on day 3 of the Whole 30 program and am tired and disgruntled, bloaty, poopy. But it's been only 3 days so give it time. I've been diagnosed with SIBO and am looking for others who are dealing with the same issues. I also have IBS and have recently learned that people with IBS commonly have SIBO. Healing the gut is tricky because you can't just put it in a cast and stop using it for a while like a broken arm. My gut feels as if it really does need a break though and I'm thinking of taking a day to not eat anything but chicken broth and maybe some blanched kale. I'm considering doing that tomorrow for just a day. Any suggestions? Is that not cool on Whole 30? SIBO = small intestinal bacteria overgrowth. You can read more about it here. My doc put me on two weeks of antibiotics - an herbal remedy is also avail, but the antibiotics were actually less expensive with insurance. She also suggested following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), which is similar to Whole 30 but there are some glaring differences as well. I have a friend who was also diagnosed with SIBO and she did the Whole 30 program and raved about it. That's why I'm here. I'm integrating both SCD and Whole 30. Staying compliant on Whole 30 and SCD isn't too hard since Whole 30 restricts more foods - so I'm following the Whole 30 program with a couple MORE restrictions (SCD allows for honey, yoghurt, etc but since I'm doing the Whole 30 I'm not eating those right now). There are a couple-three food items I've found that Whole 30 allows that SCD restricts for SIBO peeps. They are: Potatoes Yams and sweet potatoes Water chestnuts In a nutshell, these above food items are complex carbs that sit in our guts longer and feed harmful bacteria in our small intestines, which then multiply and produce byproducts that inflame the intestinal wall. Other more simple carbs are single molecules and much more easily absorbed by the intestine wall. I can handle no yams/potatoes/water chestnuts as well for 30 days. It's a bit sucky because I LOVE yams. But I'm willing to go to any lengths to heal my gut. Please reply if you are experiencing same or have a testimonial to share or solution to SIBO/IBS issues. And/or you just need to rant. And/or you find other foods allowed on Whole 30 that are restricted on SCD!

Hello, I have started my whole 30, 13 days ago, as far as I know I am doing everything correct, and I know this program takes time, but I have not noticed any difference in my weight or how I feel. The only thing I have noticed was I have more stable energy levels, just bc I am not having sugar, so I don't have the crash which is a huge plus! I used to eat fast food and junk food and sneak out to go buy candy at 9pm, and to now be eating all whole, clean, unprocessed foods. I feel like I should notice something. Here is a sample of what I eat in a day. (It's pretty much the same everyday) breakfast: one tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, some chopped onion, and green pepper, 2 eggs, and 1/2 avocado on top. (I eat this everyday) lunch: bowl of fruit, usually 1/2 pineapple, handful of strawberries, or cantaloupe. Baked Chicken (breast or thighs) I rub with olive oil and add sea salt and black pepper and add Braggs organic spices no salt added. Snacks: 1/2 cup almonds, 2 bananas, 3-6 non gmo cuties mandarin oranges (snacks are spread throughout the day, I keep them in my bag) dinner: same baked chicken or pork, (seasoned the same as above) sometimes more eggs if I don't have meat already made. drink: I only drink water! No coffee, no tea, no juice, no anything else. Like I said this is pretty much what I have been eating every single day. Idk if I am eating too much or my macros are off, but I haven't been tracking those things bc I know this program is about resetting. My main goal is weight loss. I am 5'3" when I started whole 30 my weight was 207, I haven't weighed myself since I started. My goal weight is 150. Also I haven't worked out at all bc I am in college and work 30 hours a week so I just haven't had time, but I walk around campus lol. My diet history is very poor, I have done every yo yo diet known to man, HCG, Atkins, Southbeach, Master cleanse, weight watchers, my fitness pal, veganism, freelee the banana girl diet, 80/10/10, raw veganism, and many more, I ALWAYS end up going back to the SAD diet (Standard American Diet) fast food, junk food, alcohol etc, my weight goes up and down and they either don't work or I hate the diet or I don't lose weight. Maybe I just need to be patient. Can anyone help?!?!?!

Hello! This is my first post. I am starting my first Whole 30 on 9/11, and I am trying to get everything organized and planned as well as I can ahead of time. I plan to make a few condiments and dressings before I get started. I want to know - besides basic mayo, which I plan to make - What are you 2 MUST HAVE condiments/dips/dressings? The ones that helped you get through Whole 30. Thanks! Heather

Howdy! I'm starting again on Wednesday. Woohoo! This will be my er fourth? Technically my third as my third lasted something like 27 days. Took summer off but basically was doing the whole foods paleo diet plan throughot - just not for 30 days at a time. One thing I've noticed is that I'm eating way too many eggs. So my hope is this time around, I'll reduce the eggs and up the veggies and fresh fish/meat. I'm roasting a chicken with ginger tonight and making jello as that is so good for my gut. I just use Vital Proteins unflavored collagen with a little lemon juice or homemade kombucha for flavor. Decided to start this Wednesday instead of tomorrow (MOnday the 26th) because I still have some goat cheese in the fridge and red wine in a bottle and am going to allow myself to enjoy that first. Want to get this going before Halloween party, which would lure me in with all those desserts and candy, which would only leave me feeling really sucky and sick. I would welcome anyone who wants to join me on or around this date for a Whole30. Let's doooo iiiiit!

Hello! I need some advice or a swift kick in the behind :-) I am on Day 12! Woo hoo! I have been feeling good, following the program and have been dedicated in my approach. The last few days though I felt old, bad habits creeping in- and I didn't go off the Whole 30 but felt I was over eating- even if it was good food. I am doing the Whole 30, besides to lose some weight, to understand how food affects my body and to break the stress eating I typically do. Here is a log of what I have been eating so far: http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/24426-whole-30-start-1122015-day-one/ Any suggestions or thoughts- as I go into Week 3 I want to change anything that looks like bad habits. My 4th week of Whole 30 I will be traveling for work 3 days so I really want to arm myself with good habits, Thanks so much! This is a great community and has really been so helpful!

I'm starting on Wednesday, January 7th. In 2014, I committed to not eating any processed, refined, or packaged foods. It served me well and I lost 40 pounds over the year. For the last 3 months of 2014 I took way too many liberties in choosing treats and unhealthy items. I feel it....and am ready to re-set myself up for success. After researching the Whole30, I choose to do this to help meet my goal. I appreciate being able to come here and read everyone else's struggles and successes. It helps a lot.

I just want a little clarification, why is coffee allowed? For a program that's dedicated to healthy choices and "resetting" your nutritional clock etc. Why would a narcotic like caffeine be allowed? It just doesn't make sense. Can someone explain this to me please?

I am hoping someone may have a suggestion. I have had mild hives infrequentiy. 4 days ago I had hives all over my body that were super itchy. It was so uncomfotable I ended up going to the Dr. He gave me a cortisone shot. I had relief for maybe 3 hours then it came back with a vengence. I ended up going to Urgent Care that same night. I still have them 4 days later. I am on day 17 of the Whole30. I have not eaten anything I haven't eaten before. Could this be my body detoxing? Any suggestions would be helpful. i am kinda at my wits end.

I'm on day 13 of my first Autoimmune Whole 30. I started because I have crohn's disease and have been really ill / 50% bedridden for the past year. I've been 100% compliant food-wise, been doing some gentle yoga and walking when I feel up to it. I was tired before I started, but would have patches of energy, especially in the morning. But the past couple of days I feel tired to my bones, like my body is too heavy to hold up. I haven't been sleeping that well (because my tummy gets me up several times a night) and I might have eaten a bit less because I feel too tired to eat. Just getting out of bed feels like the hugest effort. Is this normal? Is this what the "tired" stage in the whole 30 timeline is supposed to feel like? Has anyone else had this? I've felt like this on days when my illness has been really bad, so I'd like to be reassured! I'm not having any other recurrences of crohn's symptoms, just this lethargy. Help please!

I commit to starting my 30 days on July 30. Currently I am reading the book It Starts with Food so I completely understand the program. I also ordered the cookbook Well Fed, which is beautiful and filled with great tips. I am trying out meals and will follow her suggestions for the Sunday meal prep. Purchased my containers in anticipation. My greatest concern is my coffee, I know it sounds silly but I during a triple grande nonfat latte everyday, that is my vice. I know I can do it! Why July 30? Well, I turn 50 on July 25 and have a vacation planned, in the tips section of the Whole. 30 page it suggested waiting until this is over. I will spend all my time up to that point preparing my house and my mind for success. I am very excited! So,as suggested in the tips, I am putting myself out there in a public forum with my start date. I have discussed my plan with my husband and am looking forward to the results! I will weigh and post a before picture on July 30.

Hey everyone, I'm exploring the program still and haven't set a start date yet. I still need to clear our my cabinet of all those bad foods. I would love to start a support group for people grocery shopping on a tight budget, or for those college kids, or for people just scraping by financially. I just moved to a new place and got a new job so money is tight for me. However I want to try the Whole 30 program and be able to buy healthy foods on a tight budget.

So far I have been great at Whole 4's. Anyone else? I have toyed with Primal/Paleo since last fall but I'm really easy on myself so I'll see some progress, feel wonderful, and then give in to a sweet treat. The only one who seems to notice that that's not good for me is my 9 year old son: "Um, mom. That's not primal, is it?" A little history: I've always been fairly slender. And hypoglycemic. So a long, long time ago I received a list of approved and banned foods so that I would need a nap and feel grouchy every day at noon. Basically...low carb/real foods. So Paleo, Primal, Whole30, etc come as no surprise to me. Not hard to grasp. Hard to maintain. So, who really cares about a little grouchiness when your main concern is fat and you don't have much? Not me, apparently. 2 babies and 5 years past my 30th birthday have changed my body. I'm still slender by most people's standards (5'7", 135 lbs) but I don't feel or look fit. And even though I've lost some fat since starting the 21 day primal blue print and keeping it up 4 out of 7 days a week, my belly still bulges. And it really bugs me. And you know, I'm just not okay with gaining 1-1.5 lbs a year for the rest of my life. As far as I'm concerned, this stops now. One day I accidentally walked in on a client's elderly mom while she was changing her clothes. And I thought: "No." That was 2 years ago and I completed the 12 week Body for Life challenge. I looked great but certainly didn't have the energy I've had when I'm eating Paleo. Then I took a desk job, came home exhausted every day, stopped exercising, and started eating yucky "food". So here I am, over 2 years later, 2 years older and starting something new. I don't have any major health issues, that I can see. But I'm 1/2 way through ISWF and am certain that I have chronic systemic inflammation that is causing my abdominal fat and the bloated feeling I constantly have. I really like having a partner for things like this. I can talk myself out of pretty much anything if it feels uncomfortable. So, since none of my friends are sold on this yet, I'm hoping some of you guys will be my partners in health. Yes? I start tomorrow: July 1, 2012 Erin

So, I had tried to do this on my own about a month ago, writing pithy little blog comments on Facebook for my friends and family and then I got tired of exposing so much raw emotion and I quit, I went right back to the sugar, it wasn't like amazing, it was good, but it wasn't super fabulous, just okay. But then sugar lead to bread, and bread let to McDonalds and Jack in the Box and Taco Time and dun dun dah COKE, canned Coke, McDonalds Coke, Mexican Coke in those awesome class bottles and before I knew my ankles were the size of baby elephant ankles and the swirling mass of moodiness and despair that follows binge eating was back and I knew that was not good! So I have come back to this eating plan, I felt great for the first 10 days that I did it, I felt righteous and smart, and proud of eating a healthy veggie filled diet that surprisingly enough my "I am "Preservative MAN" husband also enjoyed. I think he was secretly a little sad to see the sugar back in the house. And I also decided to get some help, not just help from my friends and family (love them, but they have their own stuff) but from others who get it and who are in the fight, so I joined this forum and signed up for my daily emails. And so, day one begins in a house filled with the smell of broccoli, 4 20oz water classes lined up like little soldiers on my counter and the NomNom Paolo crockpot chicken recipe open on the iPad. Let's do this thing!

Hey Whole 30'ers Say, questions for you: Does anyone suffer from anxiety and or depression and can share helpful lifestyle tweaks that have helped aleviate or benefitted them? I struggle with anxiety and have found the following to be helpful: Whole 30: no dairy, no grains Meditation Yoga Running Lighting Candles Good nights sleep deep breathing journaling

Hi! So due to the nature of my husband's work we usually spend the whole summer camping. I have access to a small fridge/freezer and a bbq at dinner time and I am kind of running out of ideas for what to make! Help!

I know this is kind of overdone on other forums but I am always curious to know the 10 foods that you cannot survive without in your whole 30 journey:) Here's my list in no special order: grassfed beef short ribs grassfed beef shanks eggs bell peppers spring mix/salad greens carrots broccoli organic whole turkey tomatoes jicama Things that almost made my list include ham hocks, beef heart, beef liver, kale, and mackerel