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I am on day 30, starting April 9th. And the last few days I have had NO appetite and nothing tastes good or satisfying. I am craving nothing. I feel hungry, but then when I sit down to eat I only choke down a few bites. I don't know what in the world is going on and was curious if anyone else has felt this way at the end?

So here I am - on Day 30 of my first Whole30. The sole goal I set was to lower my average blood glucose level (type II diabetic here). That goal has not only been met, but so much more has happened! What worked: - Blood glucose average dropped about 30 points. Still not quite where I'd like it, but an incredible improvement. - 500% increase in energy, from the start of the second week on. - Skin glowing, hair and nail growing like weeds (downside: paying for haircuts more often, lol). - More restful, restorative sleep. - Increased ability to focus at work, particularly through what used to be the "afternoon slump". - Between meal hunger disappeared. - Ankles no longer swell. - Clothes fit much better - in some cases, they no longer fit at all! - Significant weight loss - without really trying, without being hungry all the time, without feeling "deprived". I've not been on the scale :), but I'm guessing about 15 - 20 pounds. Only a couple of downsides: - As a single, I've rarely cooked all three meals a day for more than a couple of days in a row. It's been much too easy to run through a drive through to pick up breakfast or dinner. I'm a good cook, just lazy, lol. Preparing three meals a day for thirty days - yikes, the time it took, especially in the first two weeks as I worked on changing those habits. - Dishpan hands. Seriously. I do have a dishwasher, but don't put the pots and pans and cooking implements in it. Since I generally needed those things again very quickly, a portion of all prep time was immediately washing things so they were ready for the next set of cooking. What I'd do differently: I decided on a Friday to start on Monday, which didn't give a lot of time to prepare. Next time (and I plan to start again the first week of January), I'll be sure to do much more advance cooking and freezing. Compliant soups and burgers, cooked and diced chicken to put on salads, perfect sausage cooked and packaged for breakfast hash. Not to mention hard boiling at least a couple of dozen eggs (thank heaven for InstantPot!). While I'd put the non-compliant pantry food in a box in the back of the pantry, I'd not gone through the spice cupboard to take a look at the ingredients on the blends (ended up mixing my own poultry seasoning at the last minute because my jar had sugar as an ingredient). Time to go through and at least clearly mark which ones are compliant, which are not, and decide whether or not to keep the noncompliant around. So overall... Other than the work involved in planning (and dicing, and cooking, and cleaning...), at which I became more efficient as the days went by, I found the program surprisingly easy. Beginner's luck? The results were certainly worth the work involved. More than that, I think the way I view food, along with my eating habits, have undergone a permanent shift. Here's to healthy eating!

Hi all, Today marks Day 30 for me and I just want to talk about my NSVs before weighing in and measuring tomorrow. I also want to ask some questions about reintroduction but I am quite nervous about it. First, a little about me. I'm a 27 year old female that has struggled with food and weight my entire life. I finally felt like I had taken back control about 6 years ago when I started to really learn about portion control and overall eating "healthier" and when I say "healthier" I mean, counting calories and putting in the lowest amount of calorie foods in my body so I could still eat a large quantity of food,even though it may have not been the best quality of food. Nonetheless, I managed to lose 75 pounds, found a passion for running, and did learn to eat more fruits and vegetables that I otherwise would have passed on. Fast forward 5 years and I find myself 20 pounds heavier (even while still watching my calorie intake) and not having changed my activity levels... I was frustrated, felt like I tried everything to lose those 20 pounds (because I didn't want to go back to where I was) and tired. AND then I got the diagnosis of hypothyroidism (hence the additional 20 pounds without changing my diet or exercise regimen.) In a way, I had hoped that diagnosis would solve all of my problems -- taking my thyroid pill I thought would help the weight would magically come off, my energy levels would return to normal, and I would feel like myself again, but it didn't happen. So I found Whole 30 and decided to give it a try. 30 days later and I'm feeling pretty darn good. My gastrointestinal issues have basically disappeared. (TMI, sorry, but I am still not regular, but I don't have any of the stomach cramping that I would have a couple times a week). I do feel like my energy level is a little more even -- I don't spring out of bed in the morning -- but I do feel like I can make it through the day without crashing and I am still motivated to make dinner and workout after work. My clothes have been fitting better and I even find myself pulling out clothes I haven't worn in months! I have also found a bunch of new foods and recipes that even after Whole 30 I will definitely incorporate into my meal plans (Looking at you, Spaghetti Squash!!) Overall, this process has been wonderful -- minus a mini-meltdown in a grocery store on a weekend away (EVERYTHING HAS ADDED SUGAR!) it was really enlightening and quite easy to follow the rules. But this is where I get concerned about Reintroduction. I read and re-read some advice from Melissa that talks about "taking off the training wheels" and riding the bike on your own, but this scares me. I don't want to go back to feeling crummy and not even realizing how crummy I feel. I am not sure that I have experienced the "Tiger Blood" that the book talks about so that makes me feel like I should extend the program for longer than 30 days, but I cannot tell if I am using that as an excuse to stay in the comfortable confines of the "rules". I have read the "slow roll reintroduction" but I do feel like I would benefit from knowing how each food affects my body and how I feel. I just don't know what to do or how to proceed with Reintroduction. There are foods that I am eager to reincorporate into my diet, but I also feel like it took 25 days for me to finally feel like this program was "working" and I am nervous that reintroduction will make me feel bad again for weeks. I just can't tell if what I feeling is nerves about not having as many rules -- or if this is something that I should continue extending and I am looking for any advice. Thanks in advance and I am sorry about the long story...

Day 1- Day 15 - day 30 Yup that's right Day 30 today. I survived #whole30. I've gained my lifting confidence back. Deadlifted 202 three times and think I could of did more! I've gained so much energy. I've gained a huge knowledge of cooking from scratch. I've lost the swelling in my hands and feet that I was waking up with in the morning. I'll find out tomorrow if I lost any weight. It's just a number though or I keep trying to tell myself that. I've lost my dependency on artificial sweeteners. Won't even touch gum or protein shakes now. Loving my whole foods lifestyle.

Today is day 30 for me (wow!). I've really enjoyed the program- luckily I didn't have too many bad side effects (I did spend week 2 very emotional and weepy- I would cry for no reason) or major cravings. For me the most difficult part of the program was the social aspect- it was hard to eat out with my boyfriend (I usually ended up with a very pathetic looking plate of pale lettuce. I probably could have ordered more, but just didn't trust that the preparation would be compliant). I also missed a margarita or two sitting outside in the summer weather- I feel like I haven't seen most of my friends in months! Positive results: NO BLOATING!! Clearer skin & my pores look tiny! Post Nasal Drip & sinus issues gone FAR less anxiety- I feel very calm now Stomach/digestion issues FINALLY seem to be calming down- not 100% resolved, but I see huge improvement Clothes are more comfortable 24lbs lost in 30 days (OK, I broke the rules & weighed myself on day 30, instead of waiting for day 31) I wish I had followed the advice and taken measurements and photos before I started. So, while I am very excited to have reached the end of my first W30, I am also terrified about how to manage my new found habits, while easing up a little, but really cementing this as a lifestyle. I'm not sure I have really slain the sugar dragon yet- my brain is still trying to convince I need sugar (iced mocha, in particular) and that I will be able to stop at one. To improve my chances of carrying on, I'm planning on the following: 1. Stick to the strict plan 90% of the time 2. Order on plan in restaurants (i.e- ask for steak cooked with olive oil not butter, but don't stress too much about whether or not they actually do) 3. Try to be vigilant about trigger foods 4. Remember that a 'treat' is far less frequently than most of us have come to think or it- once every two weeks or so, not daily! Any thoughts or suggestions welcome, although really just wanted to share some of my experience!

Hello my W30 friends!!! I made it Day 30! I honestly didn't think this day would come & it's here! And as my Topic Title implies, I feel like a rockstar!!! As you can imagine by my tag name 'Skepticallytrying', I delved into this adventure with a skeptical, scientific frame of mind, which I believe the founders of W30 would appreciate. I don't believe in diets of any nature; for me, they imply going without or restricting yourself in a disordered eating way - very 'all-or-nothing' type of mentality, loads of guilt/shame, unrealistic, etc. That's probably because I grew up watching my mother try every single fad-diet known to man in the 80's & 90's. She just wrecked her metabolism & ultimately her health, which she still struggles to maintain to this day. However, being gluten-free, I do believe in elimination 'diets' as way to try and ascertain if any nutritional cause is contributing to a person's chronic health issues; they are strictly short-term, informative & exemplify the power of real food. I knew embarking on my first W30, this was a short-lived situation aimed at finding possible answers to my increasing fatigue & lack of energy. Well, here I am... 30 days later & feeling great! Here are the benefits gained: 1) Long-lasting satiety between meals: easily 5 hours 2) No longer fear extra eggs or healthy fats (avocados) at meals! (leading to #1 benefit ) 3) No more gum inflammation when brushing teeth (can't tell you how awesome that is! ) 4) Less oily scalp (another unexpected aesthetic benefit) 5) Lost width around my waist & clothes fit better (I didn't actually measure, but I took pre/post pictures, see below - there's a difference! I actually 'feel' less full, which is phenomenal!) 6) May have lost a couple of pounds (Pre W30, I averaged 127 (125-130), but today I weighed 123.5 - don't really care, as I feel better & would rather fit better in my clothes) 7) Energy has improved - (I'm not bouncing off the walls, but at least I'm not falling asleep at work at 3pm, then on the couch by 7pm - I've reached equilibrium, which is great! I'm looking forward to more exercise in the near future) 8) Falling asleep much faster & staying asleep (not waking up at 3 am every morning!) 9) Less severe knee & carpal tunnel aches (still present when overworked, but not nearly as intense) 10) Less of an automatic sweat response when stressed (It's strange, but true... In times of stress, during this past month, I noticed I didn't 'pit-out' or sweat as much in my armpits... another unexpected benefit that may be connected to cutting my caffeinated coffee intake in half) No doubt there is more, but these are the biggies!!! I've absolutely adored my veggie-filled meals this past month; I have no doubt I'll continue this eating pattern. But, now in the reintroduction phase, I'll be incorporating the following items in order of preference, to see if I have a reaction: Day 1: Non-gluten grains Corn tortilla wrap at breakfast, quinoa at lunch, corn tortilla chips Day 4: Dairy shredded Mexican cheese at breakfast, milk at lunch, ice-cream at dinner Day 7: Legumes black beans at breakfast, hummus at lunch, peanut butter at dinner I'm gluten-free so I that will not be in my reintroduction phase! I feel soooo accomplished & I couldn't have made it without the support of this forum, W30 site & the ISWF book... Onto, the next W30 adventure: Reintroduction!!!!

YAYYYY!!! I've finally made it to day 30 guys! It was such a great experience. I've learned so much during the process, and this forum definitely helped me a lot. I used to eat Chipotle and Qdoba all the time, and oatmeal + cereal w/ whole milk were my go-to foods every day. While oatmeal and cereal aren't necessarily unhealthy, they definitely didn't give me the nutrients and vitamins I needed. I also ate them all throughout the day (sometimes at 9 PM, midnight, and 2 AM). I've learned that a healthy and balanced meal should have protein + veggies + fat + (sometimes) fruit, and I will definitely adhere to this template as I progress to a 80/20 paleo diet! Here are my results: Waist circumference (measured 1 inch below navel): 32" ---> 30" Weight (will update later, threw out my scale 30 days ago): 120 lbs ---> ? Body fat % (didn't calculate the before percentage): now it's 15.2% Took some pics after dinner today - attached below. I'm so excited and proud of this accomplishment! If you're just starting Whole30 or want some motivation, feel free to visit my blog at http://www.fithealthlifestyle.blogspot.com for support I updated it daily with my food logs and thoughts & feelings during the 30 days.

Today is day 30. I have counted down the days remaining for the last week and a half on facebook. Many friends "liked" my post about it being day 30. I am not sure if they are proud of me or happy that I might stop posting about paleo and healthy foods and what I made for dinner! I think most are proud for me. When my husband passed away from cancer 3 years ago ( and even 3 year before that while we battled cancer) I stopped caring about my health. I ate what I wanted to because it was one more battle that I could not fight. I realized about 40 days ago that my 3 children needed me to be the healthiest that I could be, because I am all that they have on this earth. My youngest child needs me especially because she was born with Down syndrome and she will most likely be my wonderful companion for my/her entire life. I needed to care for me, I need to care ...for them. I had noticed a friends successes and began to ask her questions. I researched the plan, and as a scientist, it made good scientific sense. I have remained on track, to the letter, no stumbles, for a straight 30 days. I have given up diet coke which I have enjoyed since it was invented. I have given up hazelnut creamer in my morning coffee. I do miss a sweetness to my one cup of coffee, but a little coconut milk has helped. I wonder about stevia or honey in my coffee. It would truly help my feelings and my resolve to continue on. I have slayed a sugar dragon that was so large and fierce that it appeared at almost every meal and it fed an grew larger several times a day. It was a family joke that we came from a long line of "sweet tooths". I hope to stop that tradition with me. My oldest daughter was developing one too, but she had been very open to the whole30 foods and she is getting healthier too. My son, 19, doesnt' want too much of the green stuff and he complains that "every since I went on this crazy diet he has nothing to eat." Believe me he does, but not the things he is used to. He also buys his own snack and keeps them in his man cave. I hope that as my results begin to show more and more he too will embrace the lifestyle. I will see what the scale says in the morning, and I hope to not be disappointed with an unrealistic number in my head. I want to appreciate how my clothes are fitting so much better, even more loosely. I want to appreciate how I sleep so soundly. I want to apprecate that at the of the teaching day I don't just collapse on the couch and force myself to do what needs to be done for the home and family. Next I will be adding exercise and I look forward to getting that into my routine. I enjoy being in control of my eating...for once in my life. I truly believe I can now "eat to live" an not "live to eat". Here's to rest of my healthy life with my family!

I wanted to share my story as well. I wrote my success story following the whole9 guidelines on my blog, but I wanted to copy it here to hopefully inspire others. My Life Before the Whole30… I decided to get my health and weight under control in December of last year. It started when a few friends at work challenged me to a 15 day juice cleanse in order to prepare for all the holiday treats/parties. It was that 15 days that changed my life. I was blinded before that with out unhealthy I really was. I was out of shape, had put on about 30 extra pounds, was eating horribly and drinking way to often. I really had no idea this had happened and it was during that juice cleanse that I was able to open my eyes. I lost around 35lbs, my body and mind changed. I was excited by these changes and decided to keep it up. I decided to go vegetarian with small amounts of fish on occasion. I kept juicing every day for months and eating a very nutritious, mostly plant diet. I also signed up to run in the NYC marathon and started my journey of training and getting marathon ready. By the time summer approached, I really had things under control. I was working out regularly, eating really healthy and people had noticed how much I had changed. During the summer, I slacked off. Drinking more, eating out a lot, not focusing as much on clean eating. my runs were suffering and I was feeling like my routine was completely off. I put back on a few pounds and realized that through the last 6 months I was doing a good job at just maintaining, but not really making a difference. This is how I found the whole30… After thoroughly enjoying my birthday week and the end of summer. I knew it was crunch time to training for the marathon at the beginning of the September and knew it was time to get focused with only 3 months left to go. My boss and a few of the other runners were also looking for something to get them back on track. We considered another juice cleanse, but knew it would be impossible to do a juice cleanse while running. That's when I stumbled upon the whole30 through one of the many fitness inspirations I follow on instagram. Someone had posted a picture that they were starting it and I got intrigued so I went on the website read through the basics and decided it was the perfect thing we needed to do to in preparation for the marathon and to get back into a routine. I sent all the info to my boss and other co-workers, we bought the book and decided to do it. During My Whole30 Experience… I found my passion for cooking again. I've learned how to meal plan and doing weekly grocery shopping. I've cooked a ton of new recipes and played with new seasoning blends. I've learned a lot about food, fitness, nutrition. I've been able to extend my network of food blogs I follow and share my experience with other fellow whole30er's. I've cooked 95% of my meals. I struggled through cravings, sugar demons, SWYPO foods, felt the magic, learned how to snack less, eat 3 times a day. My workouts and runs have gotten stronger. I'm sleeping through the whole night. Though I have no idea if I've dropped weight or gained weight, my body has gone through some transformations. I have muscle in my abs that I've been trying to get for a year now and haven't even been doing that many ab work outs to get them. They just appeared one morning. I've become fat-adapted. I can enjoy meat again now that I know understand what I need to be healthy. Now That I've Finished My Whole30… I will continue to cook 95% of my meals at home. I will continue to work out 5-6 days a week. I will continue to look good and feel good every day. I will continue to eat clean. I now understand what my body wants and needs to be healthy and I can maintain that every day. I have exactly 1 month until the marathon and have decided it's no time to stop all of this good feeling and even tempt myself with failure and cycling back into my old ways. I'm going to stay strictly paleo until Nov. 4th when I cross the finish line. I won't be as strict as the whole30 because I'm really excited about pumpkin pancakes, but I was continue to eat no gluten/grains, no dairy and no processed sugars. I decided to join healthy 365 Aquatober Challenge of just drinking water and decaf tea and also joined Kate's 30 day Fitness Challenge. Between these 3 things I should be able to stay focused and be the healthiest, happiest, best I can be when I run my first marathon.

Ok so the whole 30 is complete. No slips. I still felt slugggish right til the end though. I can't argue with 11 pounds lost. I had a couple of "cheat snacks" yesterday and now I am doing another whole 30 starting today. Very excited.