If I want to lose weight, can I have plantains & yams?

[cafelover]

So, just as a little forward, I have not started the Whole 30 yet. I have one more event coming up where I don't want to miss out on the celebratory wine drinking. However, for "practice" I am following the plan on a  day to day basis.

 

I grabbed another book, The Paleoista, for more recipe ideas. In her book, she says that to follow a Paleo Diet & lose weight (I have 12 lbs to lose- aka 1 clothes size to lose, which is the more important form of measurement, obviously.)  However, I have read from her book that unless you are training for a marathon or an Ironman, you shouldn't have even one bit of sweet potatoes or plantains.

 

I work out lifting heavy weights 3X per week and run about 20 miles per week. If I really want to lose those last 12 lbs, do I need to stop it with the carbs almost completely?

 

I made these fried plantains this morning, the tostada recipe http://www.eatingforidiots.com/paleo-chicken-tostadas-rancheros/, and they were so delicious that I may just start to train for an Ironman if that's what's necessary so that I can eat these delicious pieces of heaven. 

 

[ABS32013]

If you've poked around on this forum much at all and/or read ISWF, then you know that sweet potatoes and plantains are encouraged.  W30 is 30 days for a reason.  There is a process your body must go through to make the adjustment away from a SAD (Standard American Diet).  Carbs can play a very important role in helping you get through that process.  I dropped at least one size from my W30 experience, and I found I needed starchy carbs (sweet potato or squash).

 

My advice is:

 

1)  If you say you're going to do a W30, then follow the W30 rules.  Adopt recipes from others that aren't necessarily W30-ers (assuming compliant, of course), but stick to the W30 rules!  If you don't follow the W30 rules, then please don't say that W30 didn't work for you.

 

2)  Stick to the meal template, which requires limiting intake of nuts and fruit.  This sounds like a repeat of #1, but I mention it because when I look at what people log for food, it seems like many people get hungry and snack on nuts and fruit because (hopefully you know where this is going) they are not following the meal template.

 

Good luck.

[kaiser179]

Whole 30 is not about limiting carbs, in fact, starchy veggies are important and encouraged.  I ate one small sweet potato every day during my first W30 and still dropped 7.5 pounds (and I don't get regular exercise).  People suggest limiting fruit but from the standpoint of dealing with emotional eating and ensuring that you are not replacing sugar with fruit.

 

Stick to the meal template and make sure you get enough protein, healthy fat, and veggies at each meal.

[JJB]

I also eat sweet potatoes every day, and sometimes spaghetti or butternut squash too. I am able to lose weight (slowly and steadily) when I'm following the meal template; the only time I have trouble is when I overdo the nuts and/or have "cheat" meals (I'm post-W30). Unfortunately those cheat meals are happening often enough that my weight loss is completely stalled...bleh. But anyway, don't fear the sweet potato!

[missmunchie]

I think everyone's different, and you have to experiment to find what works for you. I have a similar workout routine and also want to lose about 10 lbs. On my first W30, I tried to eliminate all fruit and starch, and ended up feeling horrible. It was when I included a starch or fruit in most of my meals that I felt good.

 

You might find more information in the Whole30 for Athletes forum, if you haven't looked there already. Good luck!

[angekfire]

I lost 10lbs in the whole30 (not including reintroduction), but I was regularly active doing resistance training, so I put on quite a bit of muscle too. My girlfriend lost around 17lbs and wasn't active. We both ate sweet potato at least 2 or 3 days a week. She also ate more fruit and other starch than I did, but I was intentionally limiting my carbohydrates.

[Robin Strathdee]

Welcome cafelover! We're glad you're here, and getting a feel for things before you jump in! Preparation is a huge key to success.

 

Everyone is a little different, but here's my opinion:

 

Yes, you can absolutely live without any starchy veg. It might be a faster way to drop weight, if your body is okay with it. However, most folks find themselves profoundly miserable without those starchies, leading to nausea, headaches, crazy fatigue, grumpiness and general malaise. Those things are a stress for your body (in addition to the stress of diet change), and can really mess with your appetite (keeping you from getting the food you DO need). This can completely counteract your progress in the weight loss area.

 

More importantly... Tweaking a diet this way and that for the purposes of weight loss is counter to the spirit of the program. We want you to learn to nourish your body with enjoyable food that makes you healthier, not to manipulate your body into doing what you want it to by restricting even good food choices.  My suggestion is to stick with the template, throw in some starches when you want them (especially post workout), and enjoy your meals. Your body will change as it's ready.

[ABS32013]

Hi, again.  First, forgive me if I was a bit snarky yesterday.  Second, I thought I'd refer you to the very helpful shopping list provided by Melissa and Dallas.  If you go to http://whole9life.com/2012/08/the-whole30-program/, you can just read through and find the link to the shopping list (for some reason I couldn't post the link).  It provides lots of suggestions for protein, veggies, fruit and fats to help you choose a variety.

[TCrab]

I am so glad to see this discussion!  I am on day 6 and have had 1 sweet potato (maybe day 2...) and then tonight I had a purple yam and it tasted so sweet to me that I just felt, as I was eating, that there was no way this could be part of the plan.  I think I have just had a hard time ridding myself of the ghosts of diets past.  Also, perhaps my palette has shifted so that this yam tasted incredibly sweet to me.

[angekfire]

If I'm in a rush I usually microwave my sweet potatoes, then sautee them, or I bake them. I tried foil-wrapping them and throwing them on a BBQ, and they ended up being super sweet, almost too sweet. I usually sprinkle it with cinnamon, nutmeg & ginger, or maybe drizzle olive oil, but on the BBQ it didn't need anything extra. Had plenty of flavour on it's own.

[1Maryann]

I eat about a half a sweet potato every morning in my sweet potato hash and eggs.  I also have a second one with dinner several nights a week.  And I've been known to eat tostones with a hamburger, or with steak and eggs on Sunday.  I lost 10 lb on W30 in January and didn't exercise once. 

Could I lose weight faster without them?  Maybe.  But I never feel deprived, I have plenty of energy, and I'm not hungry between meals.

I'm now convinced that eating this way I will reach my ideal weight without trying.  That will be a nice switch from WW, or Atkins, where I had to track and weigh and measure and log every single bite.

[melbournegirl]

I read on here somewhere - probably one of Robyn's posts -" don't overthink this?"! That the whole30 is not a punishment plan, that is it okay to have foods that really taste wonderful to you anytime unless they are creating unhealthy habits (creating a need for dessert every night, pushing meat and veg off your plate, increasing your cravings etc)

[Roadchickie]

Cafelover - thank you for posting the link to the tostadas recipe!  Those look amazing.

 

I don't like sweet potatoes, but I forced myself to eat them at least twice during the first week.  Otherwise, I've just eaten fresh bananas (but generally only one/day).  I didn't think of plantains (or purple sweet potatoes) - will have to try them.

 

I'm on Day 9 now and feeling great (big improvement from day 4 & 5 when all I wanted to do was climb into bed and fall asleep).  I definitely need a full balance of foods, though, at least I did for the first week.  I'll be curious to see how the next three weeks unfold.

 

I want to drop weight for sure, but I absolutely am not doing the Whole30 with that as the end goal on Day 30.  I'm doing it to get rid of bad habits.  I then hope to rebalance myself to where I eat whole foods going forward with occasional cheats (and by that, I mean a glass of wine or piece of gouda).

[LadyM]

I wanted to lose weight on W30 and didn't, but I made all kinds of health gains that are harder to measure. Now that I've done the equivalent of a W63 with one day of offroading on day 47, I've started to tweak the template to help my body shrink. One of those tweaks is to pay closer attention to carbs. But I think had I not simply done the W30 in the full spirit of the thing--and with the intention of nourishing and healing rather than just losing weight--I would have missed out on a lot.

 

Listen to Robin; she's a wise woman. Pay attention to others' experiences, but know that you're a unique snowflake and will have to figure it out for yourself. This is not primarily a weight loss plan. It may or may not help you lose those 12 pounds. I felt misled by the wild success stories and talk of magic and tiger blood; but happily I've found my own gold coins that I believe will lead to a pot of gold eventually because I've stayed committed and am open to the positive changes besides weight.

[mrslynch1963]

What they said! 

The Whole30 really did change my life! 

 

Read the book (if you haven't already) and DO IT! You won't be sorry, even if you don't lose 12 lbs, because the gains you'll make in term of your relationship with food and your health will be AMAZING!

[SweetieBsMom]

I finished my first W30 on June 1st.  I had sweet potato hash every day for breakfast (with all compliant ingredients).  There were some days I also had sweet potatoes at dinner.  I lost 19.1lbs and 20 inches.  I did not work out once (I wanted to get my diet/sleep dialed in before adding exercise) during my W30. 

 

As everyone said, if you are doing a W30, ISWF is the bible.