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Hello, i started Whole 30 as a challenge through my yoga studio...30 yoga sessions in 30 days and complete Whole 30. We’re havin* weekly support meetingS and yoga sessions. So far I’m doing well in the program.

Hi! This is my first whole 30; and honestly, the first time trying to be a part of a diet forum too... I've tried sooooo many diets and non-diets and lifestyle changes and cleanses and nothing has ever stuck, and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I can't manage my cravings and I actually have no idea what foods I can and can't tolerate and I get overwhelmed semi-easily -- enter whole 30! My start date is January 2nd. Perhaps part of my non-success with my other attempts have been because I never had a support system in place to encourage me when things get hard. And I know this w30 will be a challenge for me... does anyone want to exchange numbers and be w30 buddies? I really really want to do this right. -KT

I am day 7 on my very first whole 30 and I am wondering if I am eating way too much fat, starch and if my portion sizes are way too big. I just need some help because I really want to succeed. I went into this thinking I hated most veggies but I have realized I actually love them and this has been life changing so far. My eating in a day: Black coffee, 2 eggs fried in olive or coconut oil(I cover the bottom of the pan) sometimes I add spinach to eggs, a potato hash(butternut squash, sweet potato, white potato) previously roasted and warmed up in same pan as eggs. These are always a very generous portion of the hash. Like very. Lunch: some kind of roasted veggies warmed in a pan with oil, roasted chicken with guac or dip Supper: a lot like lunch but maybe with some potato hash. I hardly ever snack maybe a banana at night. And I drink the water I need to. My servings of veggies are always well over half my plate but not sure if I'm eating too much starch (low carb diet recovery) Help!!!

Hello, My name is Shannon and I am a 49 year old mother of 4. I have been experiencing fatigue for years and my doctors have not been helpful. I do have what I presume is Hashimoto's thyroiditis. My doctors have never used those words but from what I have read there are only 3 causes of a hypothyroidism and I definitely don't have 2 of them. Most recently my doctor suggested I needed a psychiatrist. Yikes. Not because he thinks I'm nuts but because I do suffer from some anxiety and depression. I have been on antidepressants but hated them. I would like to treat whatever is going on naturally. I know I already have a few sensitivities to chemical additives so have been avoiding those for years. I do like to cook from scratch at home but mostly dinner. I am not a breakfast person. It looks like I will need to fix that.... I plan to start on Ash Wednesday and make this my lenten discipline. There should be enough time for me to do the reintroduction as well.

Hello everyone! My name is Erin, and I'm excited to announce that yesterday I officially started the Whole 30 Program! Any tips and advice that veteran Whole 30 participants can provide would be appreciated. Happy New Year, and Happy Whole 30-ing to all! - E

Today is my first day of Whole30, and I am nervous to say the least. I have been looking on line for a while trying to find some good breakfast and lunch recipes to use today, but none of them have really intrigued me. Does anyone have any motivation or good recipes they could share to help me out?

Hey everyone, I'm Ceci. I've been prepping since Sunday, and I feel confident that I can officially start tomorrow (November 9). Looking to get (and give) some support as I do my first Whole30. I started a new job a year ago which has way more sitting than my last job. As you may imagine, this has not been good for my health. I used to cook all the time, but I have fallen into the habit of eating take-out extremely quickly in front of a computer screen. My joints are in almost constant pain. I also have bipolar depression, and that got really bad this past summer. In addition to seeing doctors (medicine = awesome), I want to get back into eating a more healthy diet to see if that helps. I heard about Whole30, and I think it will really help me realign my relationship with food. One big issue that I know I am going to have to deal with is that I work really long hours. Any advice for keeping a regular meal schedule and making meals quickly would really help.

My name is Hanna and this will be my first (real) time trying the Whole30! A couple months ago I tentatively decided to start but just skip the alcohol rule... which led to a drunk night of munchies, ending my trial run only five days in. Tomorrow, I'm giving 100% to the program. I had been considering it since my first failure and I decided it's now or never. After finishing college, I moved back home and have been out of control for the past couple months, food-wise. They say there's the "college freshman fifteen" but they should really add that there's the "moving home post-grad and eating all mom's great good and dad's late night treats twenty-five." Don't get me wrong, I am beyond grateful that my parents opened their home up to me while I save money to move away and start paying off student loans, but my diet has been completely off-whack. It's going to be extremely difficult to try to complete this month by myself in a house of four others who, although they are all healthy, don't have the same nutrition problems as I do. I have always struggled with my weight, body image, and relationship with food, and after a weird stomach infection senior year of high school, I developed several food allergies and sensitivities. This forum will be a helpful way to find a community also going through this life changing process. So after that long drawn out introduction, if anyone has any tips for being a single Whole30 go-er in a big household, please respond! Good luck to anyone starting or in the process of the Whole30 this month!!!

So I started today - A first timer on Whole 30. Might not have been the best planning I've ever done, lol. Went to bed last night with a headache that is pounding this morning. Have very limited Whole 30 approved food in the house (enough for today, but I have to get creative with the fats until I have time to clarify some butter) but grocery shopping is the plan for post work day - I'll make a good shopping list starting with the Whole 30 printout at lunchtime. ABOUT ME: Menopausal middle age woman, overweight and activity limited - but trying to address the activity thing, right now working up to 10,000 steps. Stopped smoking - cold turkey a year ago, and put on about 25 pounds since stopping. Arthritic type flare ups and a host of other inflammatory type symptoms led me here. I'm 'allergic' to eggs (supposedly, as my childhood DR. had me eliminate them from my diet when it looked like they could be problematic to me and my father IS allergic to them, but I've never been tested, nor do they smell or taste like 'food' to me so my only exposure to eggs is as an ingredient with lots of other things. WORRY: My food habits do not seem to be similar to most in the Whole 30, so I'm afraid it won't be as much help to me and not sure what to expect over the 30 days. Sugary sweets are just not my weakness (i don't think I've even had ice cream in 10+ years and I've never missed it) - as a matter of fact, when I bake cookies or make fudge (usually for family at holidays) my body sends me a clear signal to stop and not over eat them. I drink my coffee black, prefer carbonated water to a diet soda, and would choose fresh ripe pineapple or cantaloupe over that cookie 9 times out of 10. MY WEAKNESSES, I think, are salty, starchy, cheesy and breads. And a meal that doesn't contain grain food, or starch like potatoes, or at least legumes has never really made me feel "FULL" MY OTHER BIG WORRY: Veggies. How to eat enough veggies when I just despise 'BITTER' taste. I mean this goes beyond 'I don't like' (i.e. I don't like blueberries. I can and will eat them, I just don't care for them.) But lots and lots of veggies have what I think of as this 'BITTER' taste and I literally get dry heaves when I taste a dish that has a lot of, say, green pepper because it tastes, to me, like BITTER poisonous garbage. This BITTER taste seems to overwhelm all other tastes in a dish. Cheese can almost sometimes tame bitter taste to something almost palatable, but no cheese on Whole 30. I mean I can imagine eating 7 meals a week with the veggies that don't taste like that to me (tomato, onion, broccoli, carrots, cooked spinach, iceberg lettuce) but that isn't a very varied diet, and I'm worried it won't satisfy when it is 21 meals a week for which I need to eat a good serving of veggies. With omelettes being on the eggy no-no list for me, I figure I'm going to need to make a lot of hash/soup/stews to get those veggies without torturing myself or inducing dry heaves by including the 'bitters' into my diet. Therefore, breakfast is my biggest worry for including enough veggies, honestly. I don't dare allow myself white potatoes on the Whole 30 because it is a unhealthy eating 'trigger' for me, like a sugar treat or mock ice cream might be for others. HOPEFUL: Aside from a couple of Arthritic flare ups recently, my inflammatory symptoms are just unpleasant, not yet life altering. But they get more and more unpleasant as the days go by and I'd like to nip them in the bud, get healthier, and lose some of these extra pounds. From what I've read, I think the Whole 30 has a good chance of getting me there. I'm doing Whole 30 solo, but given my personality, I think that will be just fine, I just wish to find more folks like me (salt/starch weakness, sugar indifferent) to find out what I might expect. Thanks for reading, - this is kind of an accountability post to me, a post to keep me honest. Good luck and I'll probably update this post for my own benefit as time goes on.

Hey everyone! I'm starting my FIRST Whole30 tomorrow morning and I'm super excited! I feel motivated butttt also feeling very nervous. I definitely do not have the best eating habits as of right now. I love me some sweets and carbs - so I know my withdrawal phase is going to be insane. But in my quest to be better to my body, I'm giving the Whole30 a go. Anyway, one of the things I'm most nervous about is that I work in a restaurant that has amazing (but not always healthy) food, which we get a lot of...for free...so the temptation will be there and it will be strong...for all 30 days... Any tips (especially from people who also work in restaurants as well) for staying resolute when temptation is staring you in the face?? Also, if anyone has websites they can recommend me to find fabulous Whole30 compliant recipes I would appreciate it. I love to cook, luckily, so send anything my way! I've found a few recipes on Pinterest but I'm sure you all will have better/faster recommendations for me. Thanks, everyone! Looking forward to conquering this!

April has 30 days, so it seemed like a perfect fit! Plus, starting on the weekend will allow me to prep and get used to everything before a dreaded Monday hits

Hi all, I came across this plan in an article I was reading a week ago or so. I'm starting this March 20th. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. For someone who has lived with much disregard for the healthy-ness of the foods I ate my entire life...I look forward to this being a way to start changing that. I have no false pretense of this being easy but from what I have read I fully expect it to be very rewarding and after with reintro very informative.

Hello, I am posting this on my day 3. So far, so good, I think I eat less then I used to. Are there any other people on the program living in UAE? Best in health, Michal

Hello everyone, I have been stalking for awhile now - and I am so grateful to this board and everyone who shares their experiences and knowledge so freely. Thank you! I recently graduated from graduate school and after several years of putting myself through dire stress, on top of being a divorced mother with three kids - I came across Whole30 and dove in. (It's what I tend to do) and while I'm job hunting this is a perfect time. I've been extremely compliant to the program and have read It Starts With Food (waiting for the second book to come available at my library). This is a LOT of work and expense BUT I'm not complaining and have genuinely come to enjoy cooking, spending time in my kitchen, playing Mad Scientist while I'm cooking, and putting healthy foods into my body. By default, my boyfriend is also partaking in the Whole30 challenge. He's struggling a bit more with digestive issues but I'm guessing it has to do with either uncontrollable stress of being a small business owner or the repair of years of horrible eating and food habits. I'm on Day 12 and for the first time since the first week, I am feeling sluggish And I hate it! When I look at the official "timeline" this was supposed to be the days of boundless energy I have been looking forward to. I ate all healthy meals yesterday and slept well; nothing really out of the ordinary. My youngest didn't even wake me up at an absurdly early hour. Anyway, happy to be here!

I didn't see this specifically asked or answered. Are there any commercially prepared salad dressings that are compliant? I have already started ordering olive oil and vinegar (on the side) when dining out, but, want to know if there are any other options out there when you are unable to make your own.

Hello! I am starting this Whole 30 program on Monday, June 1st. I was just wondering if anyone else was going to be starting monday as well. Any pros with tips on the first week meals? Also, Im not a big fan of dinner for breakfast, so what are your favorite breakfasty foods? Thanks!

I've done mostly Paleo for awhile (80/20) but things got off track since moving from Colorado to Turkey in September. I've tried all the yummy Turkish food (baklava is one of my favs) and now I'm ready for a reset. I'm definitely nervous/excited!

Hello all! Today I am beginning the Whole30 for the first time. I am quite nervous about it, but determined to stick with it for health reasons--I have been breaking out in hives on my legs and cannot figure out what is triggering it. My goals include: Proving to myself that I have the self-discipline to stick with this program. (Self-discipline is something I have lacked for the majority of my life) Keeping track of how I feel every day for the duration of the Whole30. (Like I mentioned before, I have hives on my legs that have been leaving scars. I also suffer from migraines fairly regularly.) Remaining positive. If I feel negative about this program at any point, I will remind myself of countless nights spent frustrated by itchy legs, hives, and a lack of explanation for them. Like most anyone, I would like to lose weight, but that is absolutely not my main goal. I read the blog about "Breaking Up with Your Scale" and felt liberated! I did weigh myself this morning (203lbs--gosh, how embarrassing!), but I WILL NOT weigh myself again until the end of the 30 days. I forgot to take measurements this morning, but will do that as soon as I get home today. To make healthier, wiser decisions regarding what I put into my body. Now, for those of you who have experience with the Whole30, or even just cooking in general, do you have any suggestions for a beginner like me? I think that is what I am most nervous about--the fact that I am SO inexperienced in the kitchen. Unfortunately, fast food and eating out has been my lifestyle for literally years now. I'm ashamed to even type that, but I'm taking in pride in trying to turn my lifestyle around. So, any good, easy and simple Whole30 recipes I could start off with that are pretty sure-fire and will only encourage me to dive further into being creative in the kitchen? Any suggestions would be helpful! (Seriously, I cannot over-emphasize JUST how inexperienced I am when it comes to cooking). I'm excited to be here! -CPS

Hello Whole9 Community and fellow newbies to the Whole30! My name is Mary Beth and this is my first time doing a Whole30. Until two weeks ago, I knew absolutely nothing about the paleo diet, never heard of Melissa or Dallas, and never visited the Whole9 website. After stumbling upon their website, I spent several hours and days reading through all of the content, articles, blogs, success stories, and more, and couldn't get enough! I ordererd their book, It Starts With Food, and read it in two days. I was convinced. I was going to wait to start my Whole30 until March 18th (since being an Irish Catholic girl means St. Patty's Day is practically a holy day of obligation, filled with beer, whiskey, and irish soda bread!) but then I read the line in the book that said, "Start now. Today. This minute. If you give yourself excuses to delay, you may never begin." So that was it. I set my alarm 30 minutes earlier than I normally do and went to sleep last night with the intent of waking up today and beginning the journey. A little background on me - I am 26 years old, work full time as a financial analyst, and consider myself to be healthy and active. I am a runner and completed my first two half marathons last year with a goal of running my first full marathon this year. I am studying to take and pass the CPA exam. I am a busy person, but not too busy to change my eating habits and get into an even more active and healthy lifestyle. I considered myself a healthy eater (until I read their book) and have never been able to get myself to the 'lean & toned' physique that I desire, always losing and gaining the same 10 lbs (tummy pooch) over the last few years. I will not lie - weight loss was my primary motivatation. But after reading all of the healthy benefits that come from eating a clean diet, this Whole30 challenge means so much more to me, and I am ready to take it on! My boyfriend and I live together and we both really enjoy cooking. He is supportive in my endeavor with the Whole30 but unfortunately is not really on-board with me (translation: he will eat whatever I cook but will continue to eat hummus, wheat thins, wraps, and drink wine). He is not very sensitive about what this lifestyle change means to me and I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that he is tall, lean, muscular, works out every day, has less than 5% bodyfat (he lovingly reminds me) and has the metabolism of a 14 year old boy. Basically, he thinks he is super healthy and in shape and doesn't want to be told otherwise. That's when I realized that I might need the support of other like-minded people who could be less judgemental, more open-minded, and just a good sounding board and helpful throughout this process. Thanks (P.S. - So far Day 1 is off to a good start! Cooked a delicious egg, onion, asparagus, avocado frittata for meal 1 and had a lemon pepper chicken breast over greens with a side of kiwi for meal 2...no sugar dragon cravings yet!)

Hello. I'm Anna, and I'm severely unhealthy. Hi Anna... Because that's what it feels like: an addiction. A comforting crutch of an addiction, and a big scary hard thing to break it. I've given it half-hearted attempts before, and then gotten discouraged when my less-than-stellar efforts weren't giving me the results I wanted. I'm brand new to Paleo and this will be my first Whole30. Two of the things I'm most excited about as I jump into this new lifestyle are the focus on substance over numbers, and sustainability. No more lackluster tries. I'm really ready for a change this time. Let's see. Introductions. I'm 23, 5'6", ~205lb. A long list of health problems, as well as chronic pain. I've been overweight my whole life, but generally stayed at least decently fit and athletic. For the last three or so years I've devolved into an almost completely sedentary lifestyle, though. If Whole30 can clear up even a little bit of the health issues I have, relieve even a little of my pain, it's worth it. Bonus points if it helps me drop to a healthier weight. I'm pretty clueless about exercise, and would have to start very, very slowly. Have I mentioned how embarrassingly out of shape I am now? Crossfit/regular gym memberships are not currently an option. I have a couple Pilates DvDs and a workout DvD I'll attempt to stick with, but if anyone can suggest schedules, specific exercises, programs, etc. I would really love the advice. Also, if anyone is interested in a "buddy system" that would be really helpful for me. I do a lot better when I have to be accountable to someone else--it's easier to justify little cheats here and there if no one's asking. Living with three (male) roommates, none of whom would be interested in or supportive of my doing Whole30 if I talked to them about it, so I haven't, and I'm just relying on willpower and the strength of my desperation for a life change to keep me away from all the snacks and awful temptations they keep around. So: Did my grocery shopping for the next week today, ISWF just shipped from Amazon, and my steaks are thawing in the fridge for breakfast and lunch. Tomorrow morning, 7 March 2013, is the first day of the rest of my life. ...Wish me luck!

Hi there, My brother's lovely girlfriend gave me "It Starts With Food" a few months back and I just finished it after inching my way through, kind of dreading my future life changes that awaited me at its completion. So now I'm here and I've been dropping things out of my diet and putting new things in slowly but steadily. I have given myself until February 1st to work out the kinks and then I'll OFFICIALLY begin my Whole30. But man, there are some temptations staring me down big time and I'm entirely annoyed that I can't have what I want to have. My inner toddler is raging and the program hasn't even started. But it's worth a shot and I trust my brother's girlfriend when she says it's a "game changer." I have some tests I'll be doing on myself throughout and if these areas are positively affected than I will be a believer for life and sing my praise from the mountaintops. 1. Weightloss will be a welcome result, especially my clothes fitting differently. 2. My whole life I have had Keretosis Pilaris, otherwise known as little bumps all over my arms. I'm SURE this has something to do with some sort of inflammation, so if that goes away even a little bit I will be thrilled. 3. At 32, I have awesomely started developing Malasma, which affects my skin by giving me brown spots on my face, which I've been told has to do with hormones. If doing the Whole 30 effects that, I will be in a state of disbelief. 4. My energy levels are all over the place. My sleep patterns are out of whack and I sometimes dip into little depressions. I would LOVE to find myself with more energy, balance and better sleep. Depression is annoying, and I'd love to put that behind me to just live happy and healthy. That's what I'm bringing to my Whole30. I'm excited. Slightly resigned. Untrusting of myself and my willpower, but I'm going forward! Any positive feedback, encouragement or advice would be most welcome. Jaime

Hi, I'm a nineteen year old girl starting the whole 30 tomorrow. I'm already lean, but I'd like to get rid of some nasty sugar cravings I have almost daily. Even though I no longer eat refined sugar I'm still drawn to fruit of all types, especially dried fruit and often overeat it. This usually happens later in the day, making me anxious, restless and leaving me with a throbbing headache. Just wondering if I should cut fruit all together as some other whole 30 poster's have said that the fructose in fruit is very addictive. I certainly find it addictive. Any thoughts? Thanks! -Sinead P.S. I can't find any grassfed meat in my area. Will hormone and antibiotic free suffice?

Well, I've read It Starts with Food, and I'm ready to try. It seems a bit confusing, but I think it is a lifestyle change I am ready to make. I am tired of making such horrible decisions, and if I don't do something, I will pass along my habits and lifestyle to my son, who is almost 2. I don't want him to have to go through the pain, suffering, and humiliation that I've endured my entire life. I am 400 pounds with a 66" waistline. I can't even run and play with my son. I have tried "diets," and it just didn't work. Maybe because diets just don't work. I want a new me. I want a new life. I envision myself running and playing with my son. I want him to be proud of me. I've drafted my wife into the new lifestyle because I don't think I can do this alone. I am 27 years old, but I feel like I am 40. My hopes for this lifestyle are so high, and I know I can do this. A 27 years worth of bad habits and unhealthy lifestyle end right now, at this very moment. If I can't do this, then my child will lose his father at an early age, and I cannot let that happen. Cheers to all that read this. Wish me luck.

I just started Whole 30 last Thursday though I've been Paleoesque for a few months. I'm starting this having lost 17 pounds over the last four months and have many more to lose. For now I'm pretty darned good with the food. My interest in Whole 30 is about increasing energy, lowering creeping blood sugar, losing a considerable amount of weight and making sleep apnea a thing of the past -- just for starters. I tend to sequence big changes when I make them so am thinking about adding exercise to my Whole 30 now that my food feels secure. It seemed like a good thing to ask athletes and the athletically inclined how you might suggest I do that starting from zero. Current props: No health club, have some three pound weights around, have an excellent rebounder available and a dog. I bought (and have read about half so far) It Starts With Food, have read tons else about food and now want to turn my attention to Whole 30 movement. Any suggestions? Thank you.