Whole30 before a vacation?

[jodirt]

I've got a vacation coming up next month but am considering doing a Whole30 beforehand.  Is that vacation sabotage?  It's an all-inclusive style vacation and I usually do pretty well with making the best food choices I can but I won't have total control or a way to cook my own meals.  I've been Paleo/Primal/Whole Foods (whatever you want to call it) for the past 20 months so I'm not too worried about finding appropriate things to eat while on vacation.

 

I'm mostly thinking about the alcohol.  I stay away from sugary mixers but I know there will be some fruity Caribbean ocean side & poolside drinks happening frequently!

 

Will my body revolt if I go from a Whole30 diet to one with alcohol, some sugars, probably some dairy, and gross oils that restaurants use for cooking?

[ChickenNoodle]

Personally, I would not put off doing something great for your body just because you are worried about the reintro while on vacation. you can always restart your W30, you may just feel better on it than off.

 

I am on day 24 and went out of town for 4 days to do a triathlon and hang with a giant group of friends. I worked my way thru all the travel (out of state), meals out and even the race itself staying compliant. However the day of the race I had given myself permission to break my W30 and celebrate my accomplishment with a few beers. Let me tell you, I felt like CRAP the next day. I didn't drink a lot, 4 beers over the course of 6 hours or so. I had the worst night's sleep in a long time and I felt lousy for most of the day. 

 

I have found that I just like how I feel on W30. Period. When this round is up I will continue to eat this way. I will not be so strict but my meals at home will all be compliant.

[jent103]

I did my first Whole30 in August and promptly went on a road trip for Labor Day weekend. We stayed at hotels and with friends' families, so I had much less control over what I was eating than I did during the W30. My body did not revolt (no heinous reactions to gluten or anything), but I did realize how not-great I feel when I eat everything I did on the trip.

 

Basically, I think it would be fine. It sounds like you're not planning to go crazy on vacation, just enjoy a cocktail and dessert occasionally.

[jodirt]

Personally, I would not put off doing something great for your body just because you are worried about the reintro while on vacation. 

 

Great point!  Maybe I'll also encourage my travel partner to do a W30 with me so we can make better decisions together!  

 

Thanks for the advice & support!

[Karyna]

I just finished a whole30 while on an all-inclusive holiday and I still had two and a half days of holiday when the whole30 was done so I am letting myself enjoy the alcohol once it's done!

All inclusive is a great place for whole30 because of all the choices you are provided. And having the basis of whole30 will help you make those good choices. I found that I didn't even want the fried foods or desserts while here. The oils are a bit to worry about but you make the best choices with what you're provided.

What days will you be on whole30 while on vacation? I am doing both reintro and having alcohol now that I am finished but back to a proper reintro schedule when back home.

Good luck! Hope it all goes well!!

[praxisproject]

I'd say go for it, but restart your 30 when you get back if you're adding sugar at all.

Only one warning, if you suspect you have any gluten intolerance, cutting it out and then having it may make you sick on vacation. I had never cut it out prior to Whole30 and my "normal" wasn't crash hot. But after Whole30, my "normal" was better and my reaction to gluten is much stronger as my guts aren't used to the abuse anymore. I get reactions to both gluten and corn and it lasts about a week so it could be a serious damper on vacation.

 

If you're at all worried, contact the hotel/restaurant/tour-company and ask if they can accommodate your needs. Lots of hospitality places are very accommodating, but all do better with advance notice.