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I gained so much in my 30 days. I gained self control. I gained understanding of nutrition. I gained new culinary skills. I gained self-respect. I gained a new palette. I gained a new perspective on my life. I also lost a few things. Mood swings. Energy lows. Anger. Depression. And around 10 pounds and a gut full of bloat. Thanks so much for this program, the excellent free support, and the inspiration to improve my life, inside and out.

Hi! I am a medical provider who works an interventional pain management clinic. All of my patients struggle with chronic pain most our struggling with depression, weight issues, and other health conditions. I believe that many would benefit from W30 but I struggle to bring it up with patients unlesss they bring up diet themselves because I have found that for many weight and lifestyle choices are a very sensitive subject. I have seen your guys testimonials and know that many can benefit. I figured I would reach out on here to see if you guys had any ideas. Have you had a good experience with providers bring up W30 to you? or was it something you found yourself? Thanks so much

Hi all Its been a long time since I've done a Whole30...TOO LONG!! I am now in a situation where I've put weight back on, I feel like crud and I'm not as strong as I'd like to be. It's been a tough few years with a son who has spent much time in the hospital and me stress eating and putting my own health on the back burner. Now I have hip arthritis and am looking at hip replacement surgery in mid November. I need to get my $&?@ together and get my health in order. My goals: - Slay the sugar dragon - Reduce inflammation - Feel more in control and eliminate the stress eating - Sleep better - Improve overall health - Lose weight (it really does need to happen to help ensure a smooth surgery experience) Glad to have others on the journey with me! Cheers!

I weighed myself for 1st time since I started & lost 8lbs over whole30, that's 2 lbs a week. I did catch accidental glimpses of my mid-section tire deflating over the month. I'm not craving anything to reintroduce, but I thought I'd try corn on the cob. I'm not going back to sugar or artificial sweeteners. I've never eaten so many vegetables & fruit, and I'd like to keep that up. I had no trouble adhering to the plan on the road or in restaurants. I appreciate whole30 for teaching me how to eat sanely. I am a medical doctor, but untrained in nutrition. Thank you.

I am at a loss. I followed the meal template, cooked all my food, never ate out, for 30 freaking days. I upended my pantry, my schedule, turned my life upside down, and devoted so much time and energy to doing this right and after 30 days I have lost 1 pound. One single pound. I can fluctuate 3-4 pounds in a day so frankly I may have lost nothing, or even gained. My pants fit the same. no noticeable energy level difference. I went in to this fully committed to 1) lose weight, 2) combat fatigue. I am normally a healthy eater. I love fruits and veggies. I don't like potatoes, but I generally eat healthy. Except the last year or so, work became stressful and too much take-out, convenient pre-made foods etc. etc. and I put on an additional 15 pounds very quickly on top of already being overweight. I am 5'5" and 183, so I have a lot to lose. 30 pounds to get me out of the obese, overweight category. When I read about w30 I was drawn to it bc it is a total reset. I know it is not for weight loss. And I've read what mods have said about how even 1 or 2 pounds is great, and it's about how you feel, and how your body looks. But my body looks the same. My midsection which has ballooned in the past year has not diminished even an iota. I haven't done reintroductions yet. Not sure if this means I should delay reintros until some actual weight comes off. But I'm starting to doubt that eating this way will lead me to lose any weight at all so why bother? And though I haven't started reintroductions yet, I don't expect food sensitivities, so why bother, I'm ready give it all up, but I've worked so hard. It is demoralizing. Here are my only slip ups: week 2: I weighed myself not once but twice. I saw there was much less bloat in my face, which was very exciting, so i went on the scale and i was down 2 pounds. That was further exciting that it led me to go back on the scale again the next day. But I was back up one pound in a day so then i realized my dependence on the number and the whole reason why we need to put the scale away, and I put the scale away. Day 1- somewhere in the teens: I learned from a mod that I should limit my matcha latte which I made with 1 scoop vital proteins, 1/2 cup of coconut water, 2-3 Tb of nut pods, and 1/2 tsp of matcha green tea. I should also limit chia pudding which I made with almond milk and ate only when my plate lacked a starchy vegetable. I cut out the chia pudding and only allowed myself the matcha green tea 3 more times in the remaining month. And it only comes to a little over 1/2 cup of liquid so it's a pretty small drink. Day 19: I made a crab salad for homemade california hand rolls and accidentally consumed wasabi that contained food starch as one of its ingredients. It was tiny bit of wasabi and after reading and consulting what others would do on this forum, I decided to call it a learning experience and stayed the course. Day 25 in the middle of following a compliant carnitas pork recipe I realized I was missing an orange from my ingredients list so I added 2 TB of triple sec plus a lemon. After it was cooked and I opened the instant pot I could smell a faint trace of alcohol so I decided not to eat the pork, and gave it to my husband (who kept hemming and hawing about joining me to start his w30, then decided he won't bc he won't give up alcohol, and he doesn't like veggies enough to be able to follow the template) . A couple of days later I was out of protein, and had the last remaining half a portion of the carnitas after sautéing it in a pan for over 25 minutes. I am confident there could not have been any alcohol in the palmful of was left of the dry, fried up pork. But that is all. Those are my only slip ups. I ate fruit only with meals, not on its own. and basically followed the rules to a tee. I spent hundreds of $$ on groceries, like it was my full time job. I got compliant sauces to jazz up my meals so that I would stay the course. I spent more on groceries than I would have at the restaurants I didn't go to. My typical day: M1: 3 eggs, sautéed veggies, a fruit, 1/2 avocado M2: meatloaf, sauteed kale or similar greens, with roasted or parsnips roasted in a generous amount of ghee M3: large grilled chicken breast, salad, sweet potato, olives Maybe I ate too much? But I kept reading about how undereating was one of the biggest trouble spots. I followed the template as closely as I could. I went 4-5 hours without eating, and was hungry again for my next meal. I hardly ever snacked. and I enjoyed the rhythm of only sitting down to eat 3 times a day. I'm devastated that 30 days have led to maybe1 pound lost, maybe. I don't want to waste time with reintros if this way of eating isn't going to lead to weight loss. But I feel like not doing it is even more of a waste than it has been so far. Either way seems this was all a waste. continuing to sink costs and time and energy. Or not finishing with the reintros. I started reading about Bright Line Eating today and i'm wondering if anyone on the forums have any thoughts on this program, which is geared toward weightless. It actually sounds very similar to w30 except with a weight loss component, the ultimate goal being food freedom. What do you think of Susan Peirce Thompson's Bright Line Eating? Is it worth the $500 for the bootcamp??

So I keep worrying that I'm not going to lose weight. Honestly I started this to tame my sugar dragon and that guy is in a coma. All of my other goals are already checked. And, I know I'm not as bloated and I've lost a bit. A pair of leggings fit better than they have in months. But... I really wanted to also lose at least 5-6 pounds. And it's not vanity weight. Before the start I was 10 pounds over my ideal. But no matter what I still am so happy to be doing this. Truly life changing for me! Any advice or comfort? How is that aspect going for others? ps- my background. No major health issues but concerned about family history of high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I have a desk job but I jog a bit and I'm on a figure skating team. So I'm semi active. I'm 5'3 and was around 135. I think my eating is pretty solid. Working hard to follow the template with each meal. I start getting hungry within 4 hours but can go a bit past 5 if necessary.

My husband and I tackled Whole30 together as a way to get back on track after the arrival of our first son. We were way off the rails while juggling work and the baby and were not doing the right things for our bodies. My husband had a health scare and we decided it was time for a change. That was 30 days ago! NOW: My husband lost 20lbs, he has more energy, is sleeping better (less snoring means I sleep better too) and has stared to get active again. I notice a radical change in his mood. Instead of being frustrated and stressed he is loving, happy and supportive. I lost 12lbs, my clothes are fitting better, I can wear some of my pre-pregnancy jeans. Despite middle of the night feedings I actually have energy during my day. I am more focused at work and have more energy spend time with my family at home. We are so thankful that we found this program and ready to move into reintroduction with confidence that we are in control and on the right track!

I finished my Whole30 a few days ago, and I lost 8 pounds. I went from 155 to 147. I'm a 5'4" female in my early 30's. BUT, *more importantly* it became obvious to me that my relationship with food and my scale isn't serving me. Here are some of my Whole30 discoveries... Realization: One of the hardest parts of Whole30 was not weighing myself which made me realize how much I let the scale define me. I used to weigh myself every morning and the number would lead to a cascade of feelings (good or bad depending on the number). This is such a limited way to view myself. To put it in perspective, if a friend judged me every morning based on my weight, I would kick that person out of my life. So why wasn't I treating myself with the same respect? New Commitment: I've decided to weigh myself far less (like 1X a month, if that). And instead, I'm now starting my days with a spiritual text - usually something about treating myself and others with kindness & compassion. I read articles that refocus my mind on the most important parts of life - human connection, nature, and simple, healthy living. I like starting the day on a positive note. It helps me live more mindfully. Realization: When I go to the grocery store, I can really only shop in 2 out of the 12 grocery isles because the majority have unhealthy choices. This was a very clear sad realization about how our grocery stores are focused on shelf stable foods with preservatives and additives that prevent them from going bad. The majority of foods in stores do not support our health. I already knew this, but this fact became glaringly REAL during my Whole30. New Commitment: Eat whole, healthy foods. Continue learning to cook. I don't need to be compliant 100% of the time since my Whole30 is over, but I'd like to respect my body and put healthy foods in it most of the time. I actually think it's healthy to eat "treats" once in awhile (for me personally, everyone is different). I think being too stringent can lead to a mentality where I'm chasing perfection...which doesn't exist. I like riding my bike. I'm in a reflective place, so I will try to come back and update this post after I've thought more about my experience. - J

I'm in the midst of my 2nd Whole 30. Day 13! #yayme I lost a few pounds the first go and gained them back... lots of emotional eating, etc. I'm divorced now (see: emotional eating) and working to take charge of my health! So.... I can tell I"m losing weight by the way my clothes fit. I know that Whole 30 is about improving overall health, and I'm a good bit over weight, which I see as part of my overall health picture. I don't have any noticeable food sensitivies. The main benefit I perceive is studying my psychological relationship to food. So... I'm trying to figure out how to use the Whole 30 program and Food Freedom Forever to keep the momentum going, but I can't find any guidelines. I welcome your comments/advice.

Living “Whole” for a Whole Year. I’ve always been “tall for my age” and was never the thinnest girl in class. I’d say I was “normal” size, although through high school I slowly gained weight until my senior year when I worked out a lot and got down to my smallest size (a 10/12 and when you’re 5’11’’, that’s pretty thin!). In college I was able to keep off the freshman 15 for the first semester, but then once I got tired of the deli and salad bar at the dorms and started having the hot food (mostly fried) and going out to eat a lot then the weight started piling on and continued on that way all through college. During my junior of college, my best friend told me she had an extremely rare form of cancer and she needed a liver transplant. Her mother was able to donate half her liver and my friend was in remission for another year or so. Then during my master’s I was stressed to the max studying for my master’s exams and then found out my friend’s cancer was back with a vengeance. Food was my solace. I ate and ate and ate. I got up to my highest but was able to lose quite a bit just by “cutting back” and working out a little bit. I still hadn’t gone below about a size 18. Then I moved to Italy for a year to teach English. I enjoyed it immensely of course but was sometimes lonely and again I sought comfort in food and gained some weight back. When I got back from Italy I was able to lose enough to get back to the size 18s. But then my best friend passed away that summer, in July of 2005 and the immense grief I felt over it stayed with me for years. In 2006 I met the love of my life and we were married in 2008. I lost some weight leading up to my wedding, getting down to about a 14/16, and felt great. However, the happy newlywed weight slowly crept on, and then by our 1st anniversary I was pregnant and gaining quickly. After the birth of our first son, it took me a year and a half to even contemplate losing the baby weight. That was when I discovered Jon Gabriel and his meditations and visualization techniques for weight loss. His book also helped me release the immense grief that I was still carrying around after the death of my best friend. I lost about 45 pounds by working out and eating 5 small meals a day, but then I stopped working out, the weight stayed stagnant, and then I got pregnant with my second and gained everything back again. After my second son, I started the weight loss battle yet again, when he was about 7 or 8 months old. In June of 2013, I was able to lose about 8 or 9 lbs just by eating less and walking a little more. Then someone posted something on Facebook on June 29th about the Whole30 and I decided to give it a go after reading the program rules. I was particularly inspired by the tough love section, “This is for the people who have tried this before, but who “slipped” or “fell off the wagon” or “just HAD to eat (fill in food here) because of this (fill in event here).” This is for you. It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Birthing a baby is hard. Losing a parent is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard.” I started my first Whole 30 on July 1, 2013. During my first Whole 30 I spent 2 weeks “down the shore” (at the beach in New Jersey) with my family. I made it a point to pack compliant lunches in a cooler for the beach and when my sons were enjoying ice cream on the boardwalk, I used a napkin to clean up all the drips instead of licking it clean myself. I learned to be more aware of what I was eating and why. I got a lot of support from and made friendships with other Whole 30ers in the forum. I started to win the battle against food and I began to have control over food rather than food having control over me. I lost 9 lbs and 8 inches around my waist (!) during my first Whole 30. I did reintroduction to see how I would react to things (who knew that I was pretty much dairy intolerant!) but I decided to stay Paleo and keep using the Whole 30 meal planning template with an occasional indulgence here and there (corn chips at the Mexican restaurant, ONE slice of pizza with salad, dark chocolate, etc.) Even though I wasn’t working out, I continued to lose weight. I hit a long plateau in the winter and stayed at the same weight from mid-December to mid-February. I blame the million snow days, the lack of Vitamin D and one too many indulgences. I did my second Whole 30 in February and since I was an old hand by then, my new goal was to start working out at least once a week and the weight started coming off again. I added a second weekly workout later in the spring and the weight continued to come off. On June 1st, I started my third Whole30 so I could finish off my (first) year of Whole 9 living. Now it’s July 1st, 2014, exactly 1 year after I started this journey of Whole 30/ Whole 9/ Paleo living. I have lost 80lbs and gained so much in the ways of confidence, knowledge of how food affects my body and most of all control over what I eat and when I eat it. I no longer have that left out feeling at family or friend gatherings if I’m not partaking in pasta and bread and sweets. I make the decisions now. I’m fully satisfied after meals and not hungry in between. I have inspired 8 friends and family members to give the Whole 30 a try and they are finding success in it as well. I plan to keep eating this way forever. I never thought I’d be someone who would say that I’ve changed my lifestyle, but I have and I’m not going back. In the words of a great quote I saw in the forums in June “I already know what giving up feels like. I want to see what happens if I don’t.” THANK YOU WHOLE 30!!!! Edited to add: In one year I've lost 13 inches at my waist, 10 inches at my hips, 5 inches off my upper arm, 6 inches off thigh and 7 inches off my bust/rib cage/back. :-)

Hi, all: My name is Jeanie and my boyfriend and I are starting the W3 today. The kick in the pants was the outcome of a doctor's visit, so this is a perfect time. We live in the Indianapolis area. Just bought a fixer-upper by the lake. We are both in our mid-40s and need to make some serious changes. A friend has had fantastic results from the program, so I wanted to give it a shot. Thanks

Since starting eating the Whole30 way, many of my friends have asked questions, and for advice as they consider it too. Here's a getting started summary, based solely on my own experience. First, you are considering this for any number of reasons... for some it's the hope of weight-loss, for others, health issues such as allergies, inflammatory responses and other ailments that might be addressed by learning through the process which foods your body does not do well with. I can tell you that I don't think I have any allergies to foods and didn't have any digestive issues plaguing me. But I have terrible eating habits. I love healthy food, but also ate way too many snacks and foods that were just empty, very tasty, but empty calories. I have been successful with Weight Watchers in the past, several times. Get that? SEVERAL times. So, I was tired of the yo-yo weight issue I lived with as a result of not changing my HABITS, and that was my real motivator for trying the Whole30. I didn't want to count calories or points all my life, but understood that weight was a direct result of too many calories in and not enough burned off. What I didn't understand is the way a healthy body burns calories, and mine was way off wack from a lifetime of splurging and self-denial. The process is that the body goes first to sugars for fuel, and I had plenty of those coursing through my system! Some of it, it turns out, I wasn't responsible for, or even aware. It wasn't just the sweets I chose to eat, but I've learned that sugar is added to the craziest things you'd never dream of, and as a result, we ingest way more of it than we should, all day long. I wasn't choosing all of that, but it was going in my body every day! So, the short of it is, our body uses those sugars and leaves the rest of it, until needed. And the way I was eating, the rest was never needed, staying on as extra pounds unless I deprived myself for a period of time - in a DIET. After that time, of course, it would all come back because I was going back to eating the way I'd known for all my life. So, for ME, and for my husband Dan too, we lost weight just by eating compliant to the Whole30 Plan of healthy proteins, vegetables, healthy fats and some fruit three times a day, and being sure that we were not leaving the table hungry. I'm talking measurable, significant amounts of weight. Also, I lost some of the hip, knee and foot pain that was pretty much with me all the time. Is it just that the lower body mass was easier on my joints, or was I eating in a way that kept those areas inflamed? I don't know. But I know I'm eating compliant still most of the time, with small indulgences here and there, and I don't miss the weight OR the pains!! (lol) It's not a once and done, either. I was looking for something I can live with, forever. And I think I found it. Eating well, feeling satisfied, and never having to DIET again. It's a learning process of eating mindfully, sliding back into old habits, and bringing yourself into check again when you see it happening. I think of it as a re-structuring of a lifetime of habits and way of thinking about foods as "good or bad", or worse yet, yourself for eating them! I am still learning, and it will take many cycles before I can achieve what Whole30 calls "Food Freedom Forever", but I am closer now than I've ever been in my life, and I feel great too along the way! OK, some tips to make it easier: BUY these books and read them. They will HELP YOU on this journey. 1) 'It Starts with Food', 2) 'Whole30 - 30 Day Guide to TOTAL HEALTH and FOOD FREEDOM', and 3) 'Food Freedom Forever'. You CAN do this without the books, but they are great resources, and isn't your health worth a little investment? NO, I am not a spokesperson for them and I don't get any commission if you buy. Book #2 has a sample week's menu that I used as my base when I started new. It also has many recipes, some for some things I've never done before, like making my own mayonnaise! Participate in this Whole30 online forum. There are many there who are more experienced than me, who are very generous with their knowledge, get you through some tough moments, and, most of your questions have probably been asked and answered there. It's a great resource and source of support! PLAN your meals. Failure to plan = a "screw it" attitude when your belly is talking to you and you don't know what you are going to put on your plate. Consider utilizing a meal planner. I subscribed to RealPlans.com, which integrates with Whole30. This has a shopping list feature that is fantastic, tied to the menus selected for the upcoming week, has a supported facebook page/forum, and it lets me import my own favorite recipes too. PRE-COOK as much as you can, weekly or bi-weekly. This is especially important for those that really hate to cook. I don't hate it, but I hate to use my time cooking. Some, really HATE it. But we've got to eat. Might as well make it as easy on yourself as possible. You've got to have 3 good meals x 7 days/week... in my mind...forever, which means I wanted to learn as much from this first 30 days experience as possible. But only concern yourself about the next 30 days for now. Some of what you are eating for dinner can be in breakfast tomorrow, or lunch the next day, or a full meal that you cooked double or triple of and froze for dinners next week, or weeks from now! Cook large portions of protein, parcel them to servings, and freeze. You can change up the menu by serving them as part of another grouping of vegetables and whole different set of spices, and it won't have to be the same-old, same-old. Speaking of spices - there are many good sources online for mixing up new combinations to keep your tastebuds VERY happy. I'm loving this part. I rely on what I call "skillet meals" a lot - I love bringing raw or pre-cooked proteins and veg's, even fruit sometimes, together in layers in a pan on the stove, cooking in a healthy fat. I never get tired of them, and Dan loves them too. Fritattas, started on the stove and finished up with the eggs on top and browning under the broiler - YUM!!!! This recipe is SO versatile - anything goes!! TRY NEW FOODS that you thought you didn't like. Be open-minded. Once you start eating un-processed foods, you will be surprised at what fills you up, and what tastes good together, and you want to have as much variety of healthy, satisfying foods as you can get your hands on, so you won't ever get hungry or bored. PLAN your meals... and don't think of them as breakfast, lunch and dinner. They are meal #1, #2 & #3, and all foods are good at every hour of the day, not only the way you've been thinking of them your whole life. Yes, even salmon (for me anyway)... great left-over in an egg frittata first thing in the morning! Don't give in and snack while on the Whole30 - just don't do it. Eat to fullness at each meal, and you won't. Plan and serve foods that you like at each meal, and you won't. Try not to snack AFTER the 30 days too - keep that bad habit from coming back. Let your body work to process in a balanced nourishment cycle rather than peaks and valleys of too much/too little food intake. Staples in my pantry - reading labels to be sure anything packaged, canned or bottled is compliant to Whole30: Coconut Aminos Chicken and Beef Broth Coconut Oil Olive Oil Coconut Milk Sweet Potatoes Russet Potatoes Canned Sliced Potatoes Shredded frozen Potatoes Unsweetened Apple Sauce Canned Diced Tomatoes Salsa Canned Tuna Vinegars Nuts! (Yum!! Great, & healthy in recipes!) Vegetables of all kinds - fresh when possible, canned and frozen also though! Spiralized vegs - yes - it makes a difference - these are GREAT sauteed in a skillet! Riced Cauliflower - I've bought mine frozen from Whole Foods - usually 10-12 bags at a time, because I'm not there often. Onions Mushrooms Peppers Avocados (didn't know just how much I loved these!! Yum!!) Eggs Spinach (fresh baby spinach - great nutrients and cook down from a big pile into tasty bites in your meal - I use it in fritattas, always) Squashes Turnip Poultry, Pork, Beef, Fish, Frozen Shrimp Some becomes smoked and shredded, some cooked fast in pressure cooker, some cooked in slow cookers, some pre-assembled in patties, often with portions frozen for many, MANY future meals. Bananas Grapes Clementines Melons Berries Apples, and any other fruit in season!! Have an open mind. This is not a punishment, but a gift that you are giving to yourself. Anything worth having takes a little work, and so does this - at first. Until it becomes second nature. If you are doing the Whole30 - it is only 30 days, and you can do THAT, right? Of course you can! Embrace it, and decide later whether you have learned anything useful about foods and your body, then use what you've learned to work towards a lifetime of good eating that keeps you healthy. Hope this helps. Good luck my friends!

Hey everyone! I finished my second whole 30 yesterday. I did my first round this past January and loved it! I lost about 5lbs the first round and had tons of other NSV's. I had the same NSV s this past round and love how I feel while on whole 30. However, this time I gained 1.8 lbs! I ate pretty much the same things as the first time. Lots of eggs, veggies, sweet potatoes, healthy oils, and protein. I feel great and even thought I was starting to lean out the last week or so. I weighed myself this morning and saw that I gained. I was so disappointed. I took my measurements before and after and they stayed exactly the same. Any thoughts as to why this happened or advice?

Hello I just wrote a huge story and the system crashed:(. So I will keep this brief. I am 12-15 lbs overweight, 5'10 and 46 yrs old female. I am a classic low fat high carb dieter. Prior to whole 30 I was restricting 1600-1700 calories and not losing any weight. I was having snacks all day long (yogurt, low fat popcorn, apples) and now I see why it didn't work. I am on Day 17 and disappointed to discover I am very puffy and heavier. I only eat 3 meals, zero snacks. I had a very upset stomach end week 1 and all through week 2 so I my normal exercise was limited (normally bootcamp 2/week, running 2/week for 30-45 min). How long does the 'fat adaptation' process take for someone like me who was calorie cutting immediately prior? I'm worried I'm actually eating MORE calories on this program, causing weight gain. Also, maybe the fact that I lessened my workouts during week 1 and 2 have contributed? Meals are Whole30: 3 fried eggs/sweet potatoe/onion hash, or I do 3 eggs scrambled with tomatoes and paleo muffin (I know, SWYPO) but my friend lost weight eating them every day on her Whole 30 so I wasn't concerned as I was only eating them at bfast with protein and veggies. Lunch salad with avocado/apple/chicken and Dinner I follow Whole30 Cook book. No snacks. Last week twice I was not feeling well due to upset stomach, so I did have a lara bar and a few almonds. Please help! Tks Megan

Hi, I’m writing this because the Whole30 book and emails told me to, and I’ve done everything else by the book the last 30 days so I feel like I almost needed to. I also have seen some complaining from forum members that people don’t post before/after pictures and just claim they lost all this weight, so I thought I’d post my pictures for you. The main reason I wanted to do Whole30 was to lose weight. I am 28 years old and I had gained about 50 extra pounds over the last 3 years and while working out and trying to diet I just couldn’t lose the weight. I was also addicted to eating out and the convenience of fast food. I found the Whole30 after one of my facebook acquaintances posted that they lost 25 lbs on the diet. I thought, why not? Week 1 I felt like I wasn’t getting enough food. I was always hungry at night and was eating 2-3 portions of nuts or fruit every night so I wouldn’t go to bed hungry. After the first 4-5 days, I stopped needing snacks at night and was completely satisfied (if not overly full) with every meal I ate. During week 2 I was surprised at how long I remained satiated by my breakfast every day. I sometimes had to force myself to eat lunch because I knew if I waited any longer I wouldn’t be hungry for dinner when my girlfriend got home. The hardest part (but I think the most rewarding) was meal planning. I plan my meals about 4 days in advance and try to rotate between beef, chicken, pork, and seafood. That keeps things different and I love going shopping less often (prior to this I would wait until the day of the meal to decide what to buy and cook, which led me to eating out because it was easier). The first two times I tried to plan out meals it took me hours and then even longer to shop because I was looking for things I’ve never bought before. Now meal planning for a 4 day stretch takes about 30 minutes and shopping is a breeze! You only have to go to the meat and produce sections of the grocery store! I went from 264.6 lbs to 237.4 lbs, a total weight loss of 27.2 lbs. I feel thinner and all my clothes are baggier. Whole30 worked very well for me. Oh, and my girlfriend lost about 7.5 lbs on the Whole30, which means we both lost about ½ of what we said we needed to lose to get to our goal weight. A great start to our new lifestyle!

Hey guys, So I am doing this with my wife, and it's the first dietary change I have made, so this is all new to me. I am 5'11" slim / athletic build. In high school when I ran cross country, I weighed about 140 pounds. After high school I put on some muscle when I stopped running and started riding and racing downhill mountain bikes more. Due to injury late one season, I sat around and drank a lot of beer one winter causing me to gain a few pounds and get from 160 to 165. I have never been concerned about watching I ate due to my already slim build. Chips, burgers, pizza, the usual not so healthy for you kind of stuff. I stopped drinking 3 years ago and since my wife and I got together a few years ago, I have improved my diet quite a bit, cutting out most of the garbage I was eating, but still not terribly concerned with the details. Due to strest this last winter at work, my eating habits suffered and I lost more weight, getting me down to about 150. My concern is that since the beginning of the whole 30, I have been low energy, been getting dizzy spells, and have been loosing even more weight. I am down to 146 and not feeling strong, energetic, or very motivated. I have an extremely high metabolism and tend to burn every last calorie I take in. We have been eating a lot of meat and potatoes, eggs, avacado, fruits and veggies and such. Do I just eat more even though the program tells you not to overeat? Do I just need to add something else in there too? Is there something I am missing? I hate feeling like I am wasting away with this program. Help! Thanks guys!

I started this thinking that I needed a change. My health has not been great. I had so much pain in my body it hurt to move some days. I had high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and two torn meniscus. I was a mess. When my daughter got engaged in January, I decided I had to change. The first 3 days of my whole30 were the toughest. I had been treating my body so poorly for so long that the detox hit me like a freight train. It was as if I was experiencing a three-day hangover but I never even enjoyed the party. I was told it would pass and I prayed that it would. I endured periods of fatigue and dreams of cupcakes but I persisted. I set my will against a deluge of previously purchased Girl Scout cookies and other temptations. I was determined. Around day 18 I started feeling truly amazing! The pain in my body, that was such a normal part of my daily existence was gone. I could move easily. I didn’t have tension and pain in my shoulders. My knees didn’t hurt and my feet felt great. I was sleeping soundly without my apnea machine. Most of all I was happy and full of energy! Then I went on a trip, two years in the making, to Savannah with my husband. Here I was in the middle of the south with no real understanding of just how hard it would be for me to stick to my whole30. I tried and succeeded for about a day. After facing menu after menu of limited or non-existent Whole30 compliant food choices, I caved. I figured what is the big deal. I will enjoy my vacation and start over when I get back. Day three of “what’s the big deal” sent me straight back to my old normal of aches and pain. Nobody needed to convince me to start over. I wanted to. I was desperate to feel better. So here I am on day 19 of my second Whole30 and I am feeling good again. I figured, except for, 3 days I have completed about 39 days of clean eating and complete adherence to the Whole30. So today I decided to weigh in. I have lost 22lbs. I sleep better, I feel better and I am happier. My blood pressure has dropped dramatically over the last month. My resting heart rate has come down 10 points. I cook delicious healthy Whole30 complaint meals with the help of the “Real Plans” application making it all relatively easy. I still have a few more days to go before I truly finish a Whole30 without interruption, and I am excited to see just what has been causing me problems when I reintroduce foods into my diet but I like my new normal. I don’t ever want to go back.

Hi, Just completed my second Whole30 and extending it for 2 more weeks just because I want to. I have tried asking this question in several ways, but I haven't gotten a direct answer. I FULLY UNDERSTAND AND SUPPORT he fact that the WHOLE30 IS NOT a weight-loss diet. My question is has anyone found a way to adapt it so that it can be used as a weight loss diet? Something like Whole30 Plus for example... I think there would be a lot of people VERY INTERESTED in this adaptation! Thank you Whole30 for changing my life, malamusa

Warning! Go grab some protein, veg and a thumb of fat, and then prepare to hunker down. This could take a while. This is Day 31 for me, so I it's time to tally up, and — wow! — I've gained a lot. And it's all good. Here are my non-scale victories, or at least the ones I've noticed along the way... Asthma: I only used my inhaler a couple of times during the first week, and I haven't used my nebulizer at all during my W30. I'm literally breathing easier. Bumps: I used to have small bumps on my inner arms. I had for many years. They were sort of like pre-hives; they only needed a scratch to instantly turn red, angry and itchy. But they're gone now. Inflammation: This one is big. Usually (due to Lupus, arthritis, benign tumors in my spine and other issues), a day of extreme activity would require days of rest and recovery. I just did a 13-hour visit to Disney last weekend, complete with 7.5 miles of walking. My feet and shins were sore, as almost anyone's would be, but I was able to get out a do the shopping and all of the prepping and cooking in the kitchen the next day just fine. I know! Headaches: Other than a few days of headaches in the first week, which included one migraine, I've been headache-free. Lupus: I experienced one intense flare during my W30 (brought on by a very stressful external event). It was awful, but ... OK? I didn't expect any miraculous elimination of flares, but it was days shorter than I expected. I'll take it. Mental outlook: I’m in a much better mood most of the time and somewhat less anxious. I was dealing with increased depression and ongoing anxiety issues when I started. I credit the improvement to W30 and to the addition of a cup of Natural Calm + chamomile tea every day (which I call my hot cup of Calm the F*** Down). I started the Natural Calm about a week into the program to keep my magnesium and calcium up, after reading recommendations for it here. Energy: While I still struggle in this area in general, I've had moments of Tiger Blood, a bit of kitten juice and fewer cat naps. I feel like I'm ready to start incorporating more regular exercise in my routine, and that's a biggie. Kitchen: Hey, NSVs extend beyond the body, so this counts! Despite the fact that I'm prepping and cooking constantly, my kitchen has never been cleaner or looked better. I found that reorganizing it and keeping it really tidy as I go was the only way to maintain sanity during this W30. Appliances: I'm actually using all of those appliances that just gathered dust on a shelf. My Vitamix and Instant Pot, for instance, both get near-daily workouts now and are finally justifying the money spent on them. Cooking: I love to cook. Sure, I'd love not to cook quite as much as I have over the past 30 days, but I still. Having new restrictions sparked a new wave of creativity in the kitchen for me. No matter where my eating habits go from here, I've created some meals that will definitely stay in the permanent rotation. Inspiring my husband: He isn't doing W30, and he still loads up on junk food at work. But he's happy to eat any W30 food I make at home and really enjoys it. At least I know half his fuel is good fuel. He's even considering going paleo soon. And he's helping out a lot more around the house, since he sees how busy I've been in the kitchen these last few weeks (and plan to continue to be). He's actually doing more than his share. A sense of pride: I'm proud that I did this. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't the hardest thing I've ever done. I doubted the process at times, but I never doubted that I would see it through. I mean, I made it through a family tragedy, a painful flare, a brunch with girlfriends, a visit to my favorite greasy-spoon diner, a trip to the state fair and freakin' Disney World without caving in to cravings! Now, about that scale... I had a victory there, too. I lost 18 pounds. (And for those of you currently doubting your own mid-W30 progress, I'd like to point out that around the middle of Week 2, I was convinced I was gaining weight.) I have no idea about inches, since I didn't measure beforehand, but I look leaner and feel leaner. And this isn't over! Both the W30 book and the site mention that those living with chronic illness and autoimmune diseases are likely to benefit by going beyond 30 days, since it may take longer to get the full effect of this reboot. I'm not going to walk away from the opportunity to gain more benefits from this. I've got so much room for improvement still. So, for now, I'm not calling it a W45 or W60 or W-hatever. I'm just going to keep going until it feels right to start my slow-roll reintroductions, and then that will eventually evolve into my new normal. Now, here's my completely unsolicited advice to anyone who might read this while considering starting their own Whole30 adventure: Don’t try to do a Whole30. Don't attempt a Whole30. Don't give it shot or see what happens and definitely don't hope you can do it. Commit! Make an absolute vow to yourself. You *will* do a Whole30. Acknowledge that it will be tough at times, rewarding at others. Take comfort in all of those pesky rules, because they take away the guesswork. And do it! Bring it on! Honestly, I think that's 90% of the key to succeeding at this — making that real commitment. Then when you face the inevitable difficult moments and temptations, it won't be made harder by struggling with that decision. You've already made the decision. Good luck everyone! And good luck to me as I keep going!

After my third consecutive Whole30.... I have lost 33 pounds (down to 188), I feel amazing, I am not hungry and I do not miss any of the foods that I have cut out. I do not see an end date to this because I have learned that the trade-offs of the plan are well worth it. If you are thinking about it, don't think twice and do it!

I am almost 36 years old. I have always been very into nutrition and exercise. Reading about the healthiest foods and working out almost every day. Problem was, I thought whole grain toast with natural peanut butter was healthy and that fat-free Greek yogurt with fresh fruit was the perfect breakfast. I never could get as skinny as I wanted unless I starved myself. Yes, I want to be healthy, but I mostly want to be skinny! Five months ago a friend and I were talking about food/diet and she brought up the Wheat Belly book which I had heard about, but thought it must be wrong since everything I had studied stated that whole grains were extremely healthy. Then she brought up Paleo and told me of the results she had with it. I got home and downloaded It Starts with Food and Wheat Belly. I started the Paleo diet in the morning. A month before, I had been to the Orthopedic doctor to find a solution for my extremely painful knees. I have had three knee surgeries and as a former college athlete, years of jump training had left me with stiff and sore knees which had started to affect my workouts more and more. He only said the pain was a result of “Overuse.†I couldn't stop working out! Within three days of Paleo, my crippling knee pain was gone. I dropped weight instantly and the cellulite on the back of my legs went away. Amazing. I have continued to follow Paleo with a few indulgences… mainly wine or corn chips while out for Mexican food or gummy bears on a road trip. This month I decided to do the Whole 30 mainly because I want to challenge myself to go without wine! I signed up for the Daily Newsletter and can't wait to wake up in the mornings to read it :-) So far so good, and after 10 days I know I can make it the Whole 30.

1. I am on day 25 and about two weeks ago I got sick with what I now know is walking pneumonia. My coughing with constant so I took a tincture which was glycerin based and I also took cough drops regularly for several days. Just as I was feeling better it started all over again. And now I am on antibiotics. I am not happy to have had to eat sugar during my whole 30. But I also don't want to start it all over. I'm also really bummed to have taken antibiotics which I know will mess with my gut. I know Dr.'s orders come before whole 30 but it's disappointing and I'm not sure how these small amounts of sugar might have affected me. And I never get sick but I've been sick for at least two weeks of my whole 30. So tiger blood? Not so much. Honestly the first several days I felt like I had Tiger blood but that's unlikely I know. Before I got sick I did feel that I had better energy. 2. I have seborrheic dermatitis, other autoimmune issues, muscle and tendon and ligament aches and pains, and migraines. And I'm also a bit overweight. Besides maybe losing 5 pounds or so none of these other issues seem to have changed at all. I'm wondering if I need to cut out nuts for the migraines and Cut out eggs, nightshades and citrus for the autoimmune issues. I guess at this point I am going to finish to day 30 and then cut out these additional things and add in one or two other things I would like to try eating again such as brown rice. But overall I'm going to try to keep my diet the same. 3. I'm really wondering why I haven't lost more weight. Here are a few things I'm wondering about. For the first couple of weeks I did sort of have for meals a day instead of three. I would eat a small breakfast at around 745 and then at 10 have a larger lunch. Then at around 2 o'clock have another small meal because often I can't eat dinner until around six or so. Also in the first week or two if I was really hungry and couldn't eat dinner until later I would have some nuts and maybe one piece or so of dried fruit. I have stopped all of that for the most part. I also have trouble letting go of the idea of dessert. So I will eat some fruit but I will do it right after I finished eating dinner. Like immediately so that I'm digesting it together. But I might eat something sweet like pineapple. Or half of a banana. And if I'm really hungry when I'm cooking dinner I might have a bit of fruit then as well. I am also eating a lot of that. Lots of avocados, some olives, etc. If I want to continue losing weight or any of these things contributing to me not being able to do it?

1) I'm on day 21 of my first Whole30. I haven't experienced much change. I was hoping my skin would get better but I've gotten more acne on my face, as well as a bunch of tiny mysterious red spots on the upper abdomen area. I was hoping to lose weight/fat and haven't weighed or measured myself but feel that I haven't changed, or if anything, may have gained weight. I haven't eaten any non-compliant foods/drinks and have been eating protein/carb/fat in every meal and done my best to follow the meal template, although I do eat/snack in between the meals. Help?! 2) I really want to lose weight/fat and improve my body composition from Whole30, prior to my bachelorette party in ~1.5 months and for my wedding in ~3 months, and am worried that I'm not going to get to where I want to be or may even worsen (gain weight). Also, I am wondering how to plan out my Whole30 timelines from now until the wedding? I'd like to maximize the benefits and lose weight while being able to eat during a couple of special events between now and the wedding, as well as eat at my wedding and during my honeymoon. I also read that a lot of people experience negative effects when they introduce unhealthy foods after Whole30, and I want to be able to enjoy my wedding and honeymoon (and eat whatever I want during those times) without experiencing negative effects. Any suggestions on how to plan for this? As I mentioned, I'm on day 21. Should I do the following or does anyone have suggestions on how to best plan my timeline? Day 21-30: Complete my first Whole 30 Day 31-40: 10 day reintroduction phase Day 41-53: Go back to Whole 30 Day 54-56: Special travel trip that I want to eat/drink whatever I want Day 57-73: Go back to Whole 30 Day 74-77: Special travel trip that I want to eat/drink whatever I want Next ~3 weeks: Go back to Whole 30 Last 10 days before wedding: 10 day reintroduction phase Wedding & leaving for honeymoon right after: eat/drink whatever I want 3) I've also read that Intermittent Fasting is really effective for fat loss, but that Melissa does not recommend doing it on your first Whole 30. I was thinking of doing it occasionally during the periods mentioned above when I "go back to Whole 30" so that I can lose weight prior to my bachelorette party and wedding. Thoughts?

I just finished Round 1 of my first Whole 30 and I liked it so much that I'm converting it into a Whole90. I lost 9.6 pounds in 30 days, y'all. I haven’t lost this much weight in a single month… ever. I’ve lost 7.5 (!) combined inches from my hips, waist, chest. I’m down at least one full clothing size. My migraines are almost entirely gone. My mood is like I'm a different person. After about 15 months of counting calories, an over 60 pound weight loss, and a 384-day MyFitnessPal logging streak (RIP), I was stuck in a 2.5 month stall and nothing I tried would shift it. Following an offhand comment from a coworker, I decided to take a break from logging and try the Whole30 program. As a historically BIG TIME proponent of calorie counting (I lost over 60 pounds that way, after all), I had previously been pretty sure that a program like this would NOT work for me. I was sure that I’d overeat and gain weight just like every other time I’ve tried to eat “healthy” or “intuitively." (How can someone eat “intuitively” when her intuition is telling her to order three double cheeseburgers and an oreo McFlurry in the drive-thru at McDonald’s?) But I was fresh out of answers, so I tried to be open minded. I read “It Starts With Food” and Melissa and Dallas convinced me that there MIGHT be something to the idea that the reason I overeat and gain weight when I’m not tracking is that the kinds of foods I eat are foods with no brakes — foods that are designed (often literally in a lab but sometimes in nature) to make me want to eat more and more even if I'm not hungry. Hello, tortilla chips, my old friend. I was still super suspicious and pretty sure this was all going to end in tears, but I was feeling so jaded over my 2.5-month weight loss stall (I still had 65-75 lbs I wanted to lose), I decided it was worth a try. I mean, how much damage could I really do in 30 days? What am I going to do, eat too much broccoli? So I tried it. Letting go of that MyFitnessPal streak was surprisingly hard. I had been holding onto that streak as the One Last Thing I was still doing right. Sure, I had completely stopped losing weight. Sure, I was back to ordering delivery pizza and eating my weight in mint chocolate chip ice cream. But I was still logging! I still had my streak! It gave me a sense of (false) control. My fear was that I'd eventually fall off the Whole30 wagon but having lost my calorie tracking mojo in the process. Then I would have nothing at all! I know one of the things we really stress on the Whole30 is that it’s NOT a weight loss plan. Sure, if you google it you’ll find hundreds of people online claiming to have lost seemingly impossible amounts of weight on it, but the gentle recommendation is that you chuck your scale in the dumpster. My reaction was: maybe you can have my food log, but you will pry that scale out of my cold, dead hands. Here I am 30 days later and while I’m not quite ready to chuck it in the dumpster, I’m actually starting to see a glimmer of understanding as to why I should put less emphasis on the scale (and perhaps even none at all). One of the things we push on the Whole30 is to pay attention to your measurements and not your weight. I rolled my eyes at that initially because duh, your measurements and your weight are the same thing. At least they always have been for me since I'm pretty sedentary. It's hard to cling to the idea that muscle weighs more than fat when you don't actually have much muscle. But I can't ignore the hard numbers here - the number of inches I lost in a single month is the same number of inches it previously took me seven months to lose (even though I exercised more in the previous seven months than I did during the month of W30), despite losing more pounds on the scale during those seven months! In other words, the inches dropped faster on the W30 than the pounds did, even without exercise. Also, for the first time I really noticed how minor weight fluctuations would harsh my chill (you’re not allowed to weigh yourself during the Whole30 but I did a few times because I’m a REBEL and also I make poor life choices). I would be in a great mood, noticing how light I felt, how much energy I had, how my clothes were fitting better — and then I’d step on the scale, looking for that extra boost from seeing a lower number... and I’d be disappointed when it wasn’t quite low enough. It stole my joy. And ultimately… for what? In 30 days, my weight went from 190 lbs to 180.4 lbs. Sure it’s cool to break into the next “decade” of weight, but would I really be healthier at 179 than I am at 180? Would I look better? Would I feel different? The answer is honestly no, but that half a pound made me feel irrationally disappointed after a month that is clearly an unqualified success. The scale is only one metric of progress and it’s not even an exceptionally reliable one. Lesson learned for the next 60 days! That scale has nothing for me. Repeat: that scale has nothing for me. So, in the spirit of the Whole30, I’ll stop talking about my weight loss. Another great success of this month is that I normally have a migraine 6-12 days per month (so many days!) and that's been happening now for several years (I even track them in an app). But this month I had a migraine only ONE day of the entire month and it only lasted a few hours! That is truly remarkable and tells me that diet is most likely a major trigger for me, something I had not previously believed. Even if I had experienced zero other benefits on the Whole30, this one alone is life changing. Another major benefit was the full 180 effect on my mood. Prior to starting this way of eating, I was depressed and anxious basically all the time. I struggled sometimes to leave my house due to anxiety (I work from home). I often felt hopeless about the future and the past. I ruminated endlessly over things that didn’t matter. Though I actually have a wonderful job, I would get set off by small irritations at work and go into an emotional spiral for the rest of the day, devoting half my energy to talking myself out of rage-quitting. Almost immediately after starting the Whole30, that changed. I found myself ending the day and when someone would ask “how was your day at work,” I would be surprised to hear myself say “pretty good, actually!” I noticed that I wasn’t getting angry about stupid things. I wasn’t reactive, responding with a snippy email over the slightest perceived insult or inconvenience. I wasn’t getting wound up and anxious about things that don’t even have much to do with me. I was, dare I say… chill? I am not, historically, “chill.” Where before I had barely had the strength to hang on by my own thread, I now had the emotional space to be compassionate, generous, supportive, patient, helpful. Not every second or as often as I would like, but noticeably more often than before. Could it be that for me, like for many people, there are dietary triggers that actually make me a jerk? Now I’m not implying that swapping pop tarts with zucchini will cure major psychiatric disorders or that I will never have a crappy day again. I did have one or two less-than-stellar days and there were definitely a few instances when I experienced a negative emotion in reaction to something that happened. The difference is that those reactions felt proportionate to the cause, like any person might experience, and the feelings passed in a reasonable amount of time. I didn’t fly into an uncontrollable rage or sink into an endless pit of despair. I just felt my feelings and then they passed. Before, my mood issues were suffocating me; now it feels like a fog has lifted. I feel more resilient – even while PMSing, which was the real test. A few things that the Whole30 didn’t cure for me (yet): my occasional acid reflux (I have a few suspects left in mind: tomatoes, alliums, coffee, eggs - PLEASE DON’T LET IT BE COFFEE (it’s probably coffee)) my keratosis pilaris (a common and benign but annoying skin condition that is often triggered by dairy - I guess not in my case!) my self-diagnosed carpal tunnel syndrome (nice try though) my poor sleep (which sucks because that's one of the most common benefits other people experience on this program - I'm guessing coffee again) dry hair / brittle nails (people often comment on stronger nails and thick, shiny hair after this program, but I noticed neither) If there was any downside to this program, it might have been these two: My grocery bill! Grassfed beef? Organic kale? Smoked salmon? COCONUT AMINOS WHATEVER THOSE ARE? Hope you’re the CEO of a multinational corporation or you get an employee discount at Whole Foods! (On the other hand: zero beer budget, no frappuccinos, no temptation to order stuffed crust pepperoni pizza.) That said, in defense of the program, there are certainly ways to be more budget-minded than I was,* I just happen to be CEO of a multinational corporation AND have an employee discount at Whole Foods,** so I made it rain in the produce aisle every week. Lucky me!* shopping at less expensive grocery stores, coupon-clipping, taking advantage of sales, pre-cooking meals in bulk, skipping the organic/pastured labels ** neither of these are true Good luck to you if you travel a lot or have any sort of social life. Lucky for me, I work from home and have zero social life where I’m living right now and I just happened to not have any business trips during this month. I feel for people who have to navigate those situations while on this program (I know it's possible). I only had to navigate ONE social event the entire month and it was a little challenging but I learned some tricks for next time.*** If I’d had to travel, I would have had to really think ahead (I even had a stress dream one night about trying to find Whole30-compliant foods in the food court at JFK), but I did find some Whole30-approved convenience foods I could stash in my bag for my next trip.*** bring a healthy snack to share while you wait for mealtime, eat before you go, try to convince people to migrate away from the kitchen for socializing Those were really the only two downsides I observed. My daily experiences didn't really track with the Whole30 timeline - I did have strong cravings the first several days (I literally smelled chocolate chip cookies baking everywhere I went like my mind was hallucinating them) but I never went into "kill all the things mode." I wouldn't say I ever got full on "Tiger Blood" either. In fact, my energy was up and down throughout the month - very low at first, then perked up after I realized I should eat more carbs (and more food in general), but was never like SUPER POWERED. Exercise probably would have helped as I spend a lot of my day sitting at a computer (which probably affects my energy, sleep, and of course aches and pains). The thing I thought would be most challenging about the Whole30 was all the cooking. Before starting the program, my idea of “cooking” was putting a Lean Cuisine in the microwave. I would even get annoyed by those frozen dinners that required setting the microwave to 50% power or pausing to stir in the middle of the cook time. I thought this was supposed to be convenience food, not The Great British Bake Off! I was also pretty attached to my processed food and fast food. And by “pretty attached,” I mean “pry it out of my aforementioned dead hands.” Ice cream was a nightly ritual. The baristas at Starbucks would see me coming and start unwrapping the plastic on my ham and cheese foldover. Frozen meals or delivery were pretty much the only thing I ate for dinner. Or lunch. Or breakfast. It wasn’t just that I liked processed foods, it’s that I didn’t feel I had time for anything else. I’d buy fresh produce at the grocery store to make my cart look a little more balanced, but then it would wilt shamefully in my refrigerator. I don’t have kids, but I have a demanding job (working past midnight is not unusual and I'm convinced the concept of "weekends" is a mass hallucination) so I was convinced that I didn’t have time to chop vegetables, wash dishes, etc. Not to mention the fact that I self-identified as a terrible cook. Plus, I was weighing and logging every bite I ate for over a year and packaged foods had calories on the package so they were easy to track! This was crucial. Crafting meals from scratch required advanced calculus if I wanted to attempt to log a serving size. And god help me if my scale zeroed out when I wasn't looking. The most surprising thing about this experience was learning how easy it actually was for me to throw together delicious meals with healthy whole foods and still lose weight. A staple breakfast for me now is to fry a couple slices of compliant bacon, then sauté kale in the bacon fat with a splash of coconut aminos, sometimes adding some shredded sweet potato (pre-shredded in a food processor on the weekend), then top it all with two runny fried eggs and a few shakes of iodized salt and crushed red pepper. It’s AMAZING and only takes a few minutes! Dirty dishes: one pan, one bowl, a spatula and a fork. That’s it! And it’s so filling that it doesn’t even cross my mind to snack until I eat lunch about five hours later. An easy, frequent lunch for me is a GIANT bowl of romaine lettuce with a homemade lime vinaigrette (pre-made and stored in a mason jar in the fridge) with a crumbled plantain-crusted pork burger (pre-made in a big batch on the weekend, then frozen or stored in the fridge). Takes just a couple minutes to throw together (if the burger isn't frozen), is unbelievably delicious and is so filling that eating again doesn’t occur to me until dinner five hours later. A dinner I made frequently this month was a Thai green curry with coconut milk, green curry paste, shrimp, zucchini noodles (purchased pre-spiralized from Whole Foods) and a crapton of frozen vegetables, served over riced cauliflower (bought pre-riced and frozen). Tastes exactly like a Thai restaurant to me! Even my family thought it was good (they aren't doing this program). It only takes maybe 20 minutes, is SO simple, and I have leftovers for 2-3 days. I ate delicious, high fat foods like that, measured nothing, counted nothing, didn’t exercise at ALL and still somehow lost almost ten pounds in 30 days. That’s like... magic. Snacking is pretty rare for me at this point, which I’m realizing is probably the biggest key to my weight loss this month. It’s not that I’m being so virtuous and disciplined; snacking just doesn’t occur to me because I’m eating so much fat at meals and I'm not eating sugar or any other foods that trigger cravings. Sidebar: I want to echo what the founders/moderators say a lot - watch out for Larabar, that foul temptress. I ate four of them over the course of the month, none in a true "emergency" as advocated in the program but more as a dessert. In each case, I could literally feel my sugar dragon sleepily opening its eyes. Though they are exceptionally delicious, I've learned I have to steer clear. Gee, it's almost like there's a recurring theme where I disregard the rules and guidelines of the program and then realize why those rules and guidelines are there. Anyway, I don’t want to imply by this INCREDIBLY LONG blog post that I am somehow “cured” of anything. I’m a sugar addict, a food addict, a binge eater. That behavior has historically been an ongoing, recurring part of my life. I would be surprised if those tendencies never rise again. In fact, in Melissa’s latest book “Food Freedom Forever,” she says pretty bluntly that they absolutely will. Success is not “curing” myself of those things; it’s finding tools to help me put them into extended remission, and then manage them when they flare back up. For the first time, I actually feel the confidence that I might be able to do that. To learn to do that. To practice doing that. Another cool benefit of this month is that I really slowed down. I actually would occasionally eat meals not in front of the computer. I started setting boundaries on my work day. I read a book about meditation. I started making my coffee in a Chemex instead of my Mr. Coffee because I wanted to learn to enjoy it black. Do you know how long it takes to make coffee in a Chemex? Like FREAKING FOREVER. I’ve taken a break from some violent TV shows I was watching and am surprised how much clearer my mind feels. I’m not saying I’ll never watch those shows again, but eating better inspired me to want to bring that lightness to other areas of my life as well. Free up some space. Breathe. I’ve been more grateful, more mindful. I feel closer to my family than I have in decades. I feel closer to my colleagues and more valued at work. I'm actually thinking of taking a yoga class. I signed up for a volunteer opportunity doing something I’ve been dreaming of doing for years but had been too scared to try. Things aren't perfect, but I feel more at peace with my life, both where I want to be and where I am right now, and all the uncertainty in between. What I’ve learned this month is that changing my diet = changing my life. I’ve learned that it IS possible for me to cook my own meals from whole foods, even with a hectic schedule. It IS possible for me to not eat sugar and grains (and more) for an extended period of time and not even miss it that much. It IS possible for me to lose weight without counting calories or weighing my food or over-exercising or going hungry. Lastly, eating a more nutritious diet DOES improve my mood and my migraines - dramatically! In light of all of that, I’ve decided to extend this program into a Whole90, which means no pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, none of my aunt’s famous chocolate chip cookies at Christmas, and no champagne on New Year’s Eve. Those things will be waiting for me on the other side if I decide I still want them. I’m hoping 90 days will help me cement these healthy new habits and continue to shift my tastes and my body. Will my weight loss stall again? It might! Will my migraines and mood problems return? I hope not! Or will these new healthy habits further solidify, fortifying me for when I eventually reintroduce the foods I’ve eliminated to learn which are my triggers and which are safe to enjoy? I’m hoping for the latter obviously. I’m also REALLLLLY hoping that my migraines aren’t caused by cheese. PLEASE IF THERE IS A GOD.

I am on Day 16 and I am wondering if you all could analyze what I am eating and tell me if I am doing this right. My main goal is weight loss. I had stomach cramps for the first week but now feel fine. The only improvement I feel is less bloating after I eat but it's not enough to make my pants fit differently. I also did what I wasn't supposed to do and weighed myself this morning and there hasn't been an ounce difference in my weight. I'm concerned I'm doing something wrong. I feel like I should feel skinnier or see improvements to my body composition but I don't. I am sleeping 8-9 hours a night (I'm a good sleeper and haven't seen improvement here as improvement wasn't needed really). If i had to diagnose myself I would say I need to drink more water (that's a chronic thing for me - I never drink enough but I'm not dehydrated) and I need to eat more veggies (though eating more would be hard, I'm quite full and satisfied as is with what I am eating). What do you all think? Here is what I am eating (pictures included): Note: I use coconut oil in the pan to scramble eggs; ghee with mashed sweet potatoes and when roasting veggies. Sample Day 1 M1: 2 eggs scrambled with a palm-size amount of carnitas made in crock pot with 2 tablespoons of homemade avocado aioli on top; handful of raspberries Mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack (which I only really had for the first 10 days); a cup of compliant dried fruit (raisins, apricots, or mango) M2: Palm-size amount of carnitas with aioli; 1 cup of roasted carrots; 1 cup of roasted beets; 1 plum M3: 3 eggs and 2 stalks of celery made into egg salad with homemade mayo, eaten with sliced cucumbers that I pretended were chips; squeezable 50 calorie apple strawberry fruit by Nature's Promise Sample Day 2 M1: 2 eggs scrambled with a handful of spinach; 1 Aidells chicken/apple sausage; handful of raspberries M2: palm-sized serving of cashew beef recipe from book (minus the green peppers so it was beef, celery, and cashews only) with cauliflower rice; squeezable fruit M3: palm and a half serving of cashew beef; mashed sweet potato; asparagus wrapped in prosciutto; squeezable fruit Sample Day 3 M1: 2 eggs scrambled with a handful of spinach; 1 Aidells chicken/apple sausage; half of an avocado; cup of fruit (melon; raspberries; blueberries) M2: 10 chicken meatballs; grilled asparagus with homemade lemon aioli; half cup of fruit (melon and raspberries) M3: palm-size amount of grilled rib-eye, grilled asparagus with aioli; mashed sweet potatoes Current mood: =( I just want to be skinnier...sigh.