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So I wasn't sure what forum to post this in, hopefully this is okay. To give you a little backstory, I've been yo-yo dieting for about 8 years. Always going from healthy/restricting for a few months to bringing and eating anything I want for a few months. I've done 4-5 rounds of Whole30 over the past 2 years and haven't been too bad in between rounds, but this past season for me was pretty stressful and I went back to old ways of binging and eating a lot of crap. I always knew my hormones were kinda off because it's always been so hard for me to lose weight and so easy to gain it. Plus I deal with a lot of depression and anxiety, which eases up when I'm eating healthy, so I think it's gut related. But this past season of eating terribly has showed me how damaged my gut and hormones are right now. I gained about 15lbs in 2-3 months, which is a lot for me. Ive also been feeing really dizzy and have been getting terrible brain fog, to where I feel a little bit drunk all day and can't focus on anything. I've also felt extremely fatigued for the past year, to where I can only leave my house for a few hours before I feel like I need to go home and nap. One more thing is that I've had terrible poops for the past 3 months. Runny/liquid-y poops that make me have stomach cramps and that never feel satisfying. I can't remember the last time I had a satisfying poop, sadly! In the past Whole30 has seemed to help a little bit, but I've never stuck with it strictly for an extended period of time to see if my symptoms completely went away. So, I've decided I need to heal my body and I know that takes time. I'm ready to commit to eating strictly for a long time to give my body time to do that. I guess my main question is how long does it typically take to fully heal your gut and get your hormones balanced? I guess I just want to mentally prepare for how long it'll be. I will mainly stick to a Paleo life after I feel balanced out and back to normal, with the occasional foods I think are worth it. But I feel as if I need to be strict right now and find Food Freedom once I'm better. A second question...is the extreme brain fog and dizziness something I should be worried about or does that seem like a typical gut/hormone problem? I've never experienced this until a few months ago and it just feels so terrible and I'm wondering if that's something I should have checked out or will probably just go away. Thanks! Sorry for the book!

I'm on day 21 of the Whole 30 and I'm itching all over. I've been trying to take out foods I thought suspect like cashews and new supplements but nothing has worked so far. Going to take out coconut next... No red rash or hives. Just feel like my whole body is one big itchy thing. It makes it hard to sleep! Help. Just itching in my head, arms, legs, back, stomach, and privates. Basically every where. Antihistamines don't help much. Heard there was such a thing as a KETO rash. When you don't eat enough carbs. There are carbs on the Whole 30. I eat cherries, blueberries and sweet potatoes. I know vegetables are low and meat has none. Most of my meals are lots of cooked veggies with meat and a little fruit for dessert. I have pre-diabetes so I try and keep my fruit and sweet potatoe content low. Not sure how high I need to keep my carb content to feel my best yet and not affect my blood sugars. Could it be a mild form of that? or a yeast or hormones? I am in Menopause.

Hey everyone! My name is Erica and I live in Maryland, the Western portion, and I am starting the Whole30 because of my hormones. I use to be a competitive body builder and lost my period. It's been three months and I still haven't go it back and I am bloated, fatigued, etc all the time. I am starting a physical therapy program and need to get this fixed pronto! Comment if you want to chat!

I searched and found many topics on eczema but none directly about this, so forgive me if this has been discussed before. I have eczema and I'm certain it is correlated with my hormones. I never had it until I took birth control and within three months it was so bad I would wake up with my eyes swollen nearly shut. I went off the BC and it eased up but I have dealt with eczema ever since. I cut out dairy for three years and it helped me manage but I always had patches that would flare every now and then, always getting worse around my period. When I got pregnant my eczema disappeared completely, ZERO signs of it! I was so happy! I could even eat dairy again (yay cheese!). 6 weeks postpartum it came back, flared and has since been mild while I breastfeed. Well I am on day 9 of whole30 and i can feel it starting to flare in several places I haven't had it in years. I'm sure it has to do with my hormones changing and getting used to a new way of eating but I REALLY don't want to deal with it. I also know it's very common for eczema to flare on w30. so my question is, how can I help my body balance my hormones?? Things I'm already doing: Im going to give up coffee/caffeine tomorrow (already had a few cups today), I follow a pretty regular sleep schedule, I eat within an hour of waking up, I cook with tons of coconut oil, I *typically* eat on a schedule but I do allow myself a snack between meals because I am still breastfeeding. What else can I do?? Thank you!

I just wanted to post about this in case anyone else is going through what I went through. I couldn't seem to find it on the forum. I didnt have a physical detox because I don't eat much of the non-Whole30 foods to begin with. I didn't have much of an emotional detox because it's not a big deal for me to have any of the foods off the plan. I didn't feel emotionally tied to them. What I did experience was a hormonal detox. For me, it happened day 12-17. It felt like I was PMSing minus any cramps. So I felt exhausted all of the time and kept constantly cycling between wanting to cry and wanting to punch someone in the face. It was extreme and awful. I was grateful I live alone so no one had to deal with that but me. I was convinced I was just experiencing awful PMS. But after five days of this, and nothing, it was evident it wasn't. Personally, I indentified a LOT to the hormone section of It Starts With Food. I believe that I went through a hormonal detox of sorts. My hormones were SO out of whack that I felt an awful manifestation of that turmoil in almost an extreme version of PMS. I am writing this to comfort abyone else who finds themselves experiencing this. It was awful. I didn't even want to be around myself. But it ended. Five days later, I felt a lot better. It's ok. Your body is healing. Stay the course. This will end.

So I'm starting tomorrow (August 17). This time it's not for 'feeling better' or 'general heatlh' but for genuine medical reasons, prescribed by my GP. Could the motivation be any better? lol! I say BOO! to yeast infections I say BOO! to Leaky Gut Syndrome I say BOO! to hormonal disruptions leading to period disappearance I say BOO! to toxic bacteria in my gut I say BOO! to chronic migraines I say WOOOOOH! to life ‪#‎whole94‬ (12 weeks, to start out ) In addition to the Whole30, I also have to keep carbs to a bare minimum and really limit nightshade and nut intake. My posts might therefore be a bit on the 'expressively low-carb' side I had my perfect pre-W30 meal out with my boyfriend, and I have zero regrets and looking super forward to healing myself and thriving on life and all it's great aspects.

Hello my name is Jessica! I am now on day 3 of the Whole 30 and I am experiencing extremely difficult symptoms. Today I felt like I was going to pass out, literally. I went to sleep at 1am woke up at 10am went to chiropractor and came home around noon still without eating anything. As I was making the Spinach Fritatta I felt very light headed and started to eat some strawberries and blueberries to get my blood sugar up. Back story of my eating habits, they are the worst!!!! So as I was eating fruit while cooking in the kitchen I started to have a panic attack feeling as though my sugar was dropping so dramatically and I started to hyperventilate too. I downed a whole box of blueberries and within a few minutes I felt a little better. I kept cooking, thinking i really needed food. I ended up eating the whole fritatta which is a huge meal (6 eggs). I feel no longer faint, its now 2pm. My stomach is so full but my head is saying i need food, I'm hungry!!! After I ate I read more of my whole 30 book and read the next chapter about the time line and the telemundo soap opera I am to expect in regards to sugar withdrawal. I didn't read anything about panic attacks or feeling like passing out. Another side note is that i do have an anxiety problem but i'm on meds and haven't had a panic attack in over a year, so my anxiety is very well managed. No big new stress going on right now that I can think of that could have caused it. I'm also experiencing hot flashes every 30 minutes. I'm 30 years old! Im guessing that my hormones are really jarred at the moment. I literally do feel like a war is waging in my body. Can anyone give me any tips on how to get through this? I probably should eat more meals and regularly too. But are my horrible symptoms normal? Every time in squat down, even for a second when I get up I feel like passing out. Thank you for any help you guys can give me. I am truly inspired to change my eating habits and become whole again. For too many years I have had countless inflammatory symptoms claim my life. I don't want to fail at this. I recently was in a bad accident at work and I have been home now on disability for 4 months due to 3 herniated discs. My chiropractor introduced Whole 30 to me during my care and really implored me to read it. I want to get better so much! I am also getting married in 55 days. Yes I'm counting it down! I want to do anything and everything to get myself through this and to heal my body. So thank you for any help you can give me! -Jessica Johnson

I've done one successful Whole30 and learned that dairy and added sugar are causing me to have painful, cystic acne. Ever since I've finished the Whole30, I still eat compliant foods most of the time. However, lately I can't stop binge-eating foods that I know are bad for me, followed by shame and guilt. I know it leads to stomach discomfort and painful acne, but I binge anyways? I sincerely care about my health and want to improve my skin. Any advice on how to control these binge-eating episodes?

I can' find the paper/notebook that I wrote all my starting symptoms down on but I do remember that the biggest was I HURT. everywhere, like the flu, every morning when I woke up. I wasn't sure what it was, but I do know I'm not living my life that way. Also, I do yoga 3-4 times a week and I had muscle but it was hidden. Results: I don't hurt most of the time. I am sleeping better. (still not perfect) I identified anxiety and am working to be gentle and relax and heal this. My skin is amazing. - every where. Less cellulite, while I'm not as happy as I was a year ago, I'm happier than I was 30 days ago and I have less of the crazy mood swings (cry, everyone hates me) that I have been having. my energy while not what it was a year ago, is better than it was 30 days ago. my depression is better. much better. I have to wear a uniform for work, I had gained enough that it was very tight. (and it's not flattering on a good day). It now fits, and is comfortable. That's an all over unmeasureable visible difference. I've lost an inch or more on hips and waist. but more than that, I've lost "back fat" (that roll underneath your bra) and my stomach as seen from the side is a lot smaller. My waist/curves are back, I was becoming dumpy, now I'm curvy again. I'd wear a bikini. And you can see my muscles, everywhere, I'm still overweight, so just being able to see the muscle is so nice for me. I'm down 7 pounds, and 2-3 body fat percentages. (10 pounds of FAT according to body fat analysis) I could choose to whine about how "it's only seven pounds" but I feel like It's healing from the last year's health issues. which we are still testing to see if it was adrenal fatigue, and I think the more women who navigate paleo and hormone flow during middle age, the more real good knowledge we will have about how to make transitions easier and without drugs or surgery. (really life changes are supposed to be natural and normal)

I'm on day 25 and have noticed this week that I really haven't been hungry when I wake up in the mornings. Weeks 1, 2, and 3 my stomach was generally a little grumbly in the morning and that obviously made me ready to eat breakfast. This week, not so much. I've still been having a "Meal 1" but is there a point when I should listen to my body and instead eat when I'm hungry? Especially since I'm coming toward the end of my Whole 30...I'd really appreciate some advice and input from anyone who might have experienced this. Thanks!

so ive pretty much completed my whole 60. im still experiencing acne like crazy! im also noticing my hair falling out more than usual. I have symptoms of pcos. im just wondering if anyone has done the autoimmune protocol and if it has helped with either acne or hair loss. I am eating enough. I lift weights about 4 times a week to gain weight, which I have been! I eat the whole 30 meal template four to five times a day, depending on if im still hungry. However, I still have acne and hair loss has gotten worse! Has anyone tried the autoimmune protocol for this and had any success with it? im losing hope:/

Hi everybody! My first month on whole 30, I lose 14 lbs. I got down to 104 lbs. I felt like I looked unhealthy, so therefore, I decided that I wanted to start lifting heavy so that way I can gain weight again. At first, my skin was clearing up, and my hair looked a lot healthier. Trying to bulk, I decided to get most of my calories from sweet potatoes and bananas. My macros were at about 40%carb, 30%fat, 30% protein. This was going well for me, however, my acne came back and im losing quite a bit of hair! For others that are trying to gain, are u getting more fats or more carbs? The whole30 plate diagram makes it seem like the majority of your meals should consist of protein, healthy fats and low carb veggies. Should I follow this even though im trying to gain muscle? About how many grams of monounsatirated fats should I be getting? Do you eat a high carb such as sweet potatoes or bananas pre or postworkout? On average how many grams should someone as myself be getting? I think high carbs are no longer working for me. I have a feeling I have carb sensitivity. That or my hormones are messed up now from eating such high carbs and low fats. How do I fix this?? I want my skin to get better, and my hair to stop falling out. I also want to gain more muscle! I hope this all makes sense. Thank you!

Okay, weird question. I've noticed that since I've actually retrained myself to distinguish hunger from cravings, when I eat and I am genuinely hungry, I take a bite or two of my meal and I get shivers. Not cold shivers, but like a little shiver of delight. It doesn't seem to matter if the meal is made of delicious, or just moderately tasty. It's like my nervous system does a little cartwheel and then settles down. I think it's likely a dopamine response, mostly because it's a quick rush and then it's gone. But does anyone else experience anything like that?

I've searched a few different places and can't find anything about PMS before in the forums, so hopefully I don't duplicate! And sorry guys, this one needs more of a woman's advice. I'm on day 10 of the W30, about 3-4 days out from getting my cycle, and I'm raging irritible. My husband texted me this morning, and I nearly blew up in his face! It hasn't been a super stressful day, but lots of little things keep piling on... texts and emails from clients that would be fine any other time, but today the words seem to have an accusing tone. I reached for my "stress relief" tea, and found it had stevia leaf in it, so I put it back in a huff. I should NOT be so upset over silly tea. !! As a little precursor, I've eaten mostly Paleo for the past year, but was curious to see how I reacted with these restrictions. I've not had a whole lot of mental PMS over the years, just cramping,etc, so this is kind of new. I'm about 5'5" and around the 150 mark, I think. I'm on a strength program now and have been hungry a lot, so my meals have been decently sized, but I've leaned out. I'm determined not to think about portion sizes, since I had been doing that for the last 12 months. For example, today looked like: Breakfast: sauteed carrots and coconut flakes with 2 eggs; frozen berries with coconut oil/cream; coffee with coconut oil light cardio workout PWO: turkey breast filet, whole sweet potato Lunch: 1/2 avocado, sauteed veggies, ground beef (I usually make a panful and eat most of it); a few more berries with coconut oil/cream Supper: 3 eggs with sauteed onions and cabbage and fresh chopped basil (no, that doesn't go very well, if you were wondering. hah!); 2 bowls of squash-coconut soup And any time I saute, I use closer to 2 thumbs of coconut oil rather than one. And I usually eat meat for the supper meal too, I just wanted some runny eggs with my carmelized onions. So, all the basic information aside, has anyone else dealt with horrible PMS on the whole 30? Any ways to combat it?? Leave the computer and all my work right now to go make up for only getting 6 hours of sleep last night??

When I started my W30, i didnt need to shop at all so today, I did my first trip, in search of only the "best" for my meat sources. Ummm, Hello?!?! I knew organic, hormone-free, grain-fed meat was gonna be more expensive, but HOLY COW! It wiped out my entire grocery budget in less than one weeks worth of meat (@3 meals/day.) It has made me feel really discouraged for some reason... not like I'm gonna "cheat" or quit, I'm just not all "happy-whole-30" like I was before I went out for groceries. So, obviously, this has really upset me! And, I'm trying to figure out if I'm really peeved by the high prices of good food choices OR if I am over-reacting because (may be TMI, but) my hormones are all whacky from the way I used to eat? Is anyone else on day 5 and noticing their hormones are funkdified? Any suggestions for maintaining my W30+ on a budget? I really wanna eat the best stuff for me, but cant afford it HELP!