Advice please! How do you keep on the road to good health after your Whole-30 is done?

[jtellier]

Hi,

I am finishing up my first whole-30 this week. While I understand that the whole-30 is meant to help me figure out my relationship with food, the truth is that I started this program for two reasons: One was to get rid of some very annoying hives, the other was to lose weight. The hives were gone after the 8^th day, and happily my pants aren't as tight so I know that I've lost weight.

I understand the idea of bringing foods back in to my diet slowly and one at a time. I think this will make it clear to me how my body reacts to food, and will certainly make it more obvious what is the real cause of my hives.

But I am very concerned about going back to eating anything that is not whole-30 compliant, for fear that I might stall – or worse, reverse – my weight loss progress. I still have a significant amount to lose (80lbs), and while I understand that the whole-30 isn't about weight loss, I know that I need to get rid of the weight for my health. I have pain in my foot/knee that goes away when I am lighter; the pain limits the amount of activity I can comfortably do, and with 2 little kids it means that I miss out on play time.   

My question: Is there anyone out there that managed to continue a healthy weight-loss journey after the whole-30? What advice do you have to offer?

And perhaps more importantly – how do you learn to trust yourself again with respect to food? If I'm asking that question, maybe I am not ready to be done, and should continue to do a whole-45, 60, etc., until I have my faith in my own abilities restored? 

[jent103]

There are tons of people who have continued a weight loss journey! You might check out the post-W30 log section to see some of them.

 

I did not lose a ton of weight on my Whole30 (I did not have a ton to lose, though I do have some). But I felt great and have PCOS, so wanted to keep going for those reasons. The way I tackle it is that I generally cook Whole30-style at home, with the exceptions of the occasional added sweetener, dark chocolate or Paleo muffin. When I'm eating out, I'm more lenient with dairy and sometimes white potatoes, but usually avoid grains and legumes unless it's really worth it to me. I know what's worth it and what's not because when you reintro things after eating Whole30 style, you are much more attuned to how your body feels at its best, and you're starting from a clean slate, so you can see how things really affect you. For example, I had a latte from a local coffee place last week. (I am not on a Whole30!) It was absolutely worth it. But an hour or so after I finished it, my stomach was hurting - not a huge amount, and honestly, nothing I would probably have paid much attention to pre-Whole30. But now I know, and that's a sign that my body doesn't want me putting 8oz of milk in it on a regular basis! Another example - I went to visit family in January, and ate pretty much what they ate the whole long weekend, which was muffins for breakfast, fried seafood, etc. In addition to not feeling my best while I was there, my skin broke out after I got back. For me, these are little reminders of what makes me feel best, and it helps me keep on track.

 

So I'd suggest doing the reintros the best you can, then you'll have a lot of great information! And yes, if you're really nervous, continuing for awhile might be the best thing. You have to ride your own bike at some point, but not necessarily on day 31.

[pjena]

I think it takes time and trial and error to figure out how to trust yourself.  If you do a proper reintro (stick to the template but reintro one food at a time in a controlled way), I wouldn't expect it to stop your weight loss.  You'll learn how you react to each food so you can decide in the future which are worth adding back regularily or occasionally.  You may fall off the wagon and need another W30 to get back on.  Or, you may find that you can just keep on as you are now with the occasional worth it off road.  You'll probably have bumps along the way, but if you find eating like this works for you, at least you always know what to do to get back on track. 

 

For me, I didn't find any food during reintros that caused any obvious immediate effects.  But, over the past year, I did find that when I eat mostly W30ish, I don't get cold sores and when I have a major offroad (i.e. tons of sugar and alcohol and dairy and wheat in the week between Christmas and New Years) I do get them.  I also know that a small offroad can lead to a big one.  So, I have to think hard before I indulge to determine whether or not it's worth it. 

I think that's where you are trying to get to.  You may find that one particular food causes the hives and then you know what to avoid.  Or, you may find that it's not one particular food but all of them adding up in your body.  That knowledge will help you decide when you're faced with off plan foods whether or not it is worth it.  You may find that certain foods are FWNB and not worth it.  Not because they cause hives or other side effects but because they cause you to overeat, derailing your weight loss efforts.  Nuts and trail mix are that for me.  A handful won't cause any side effect, but a handful will cause strong desire for many more handfuls, so it's better to not have that first handful. 

 

Sorry to ramble.  My point, I think, is just that it will take time and you have to be patient and pay attention and keep trying and you'll get there.  The first step is a proper reintro while still following the template.  Good luck!

[CRCBN]

I continued to lose after my Whole30 - the reintro showed me what foods were just not worth eating on a regular basis because they made me feel awful. 

 

After I figured that out, I just jumped back in and ate the template every meal - totally compliant foods - with the knowledge that, if I chose to eat something that wasn't Whole30 compliant, I could - because I wasn't commited to a Whole30 at that time.

 

It's amazing how easy it is to turn down crap food when you know it's going to make you feel bad. This way of eating really is not a weight loss plan, it is a whole new way of looking at food.

[Tina R]

Hi,

I am finishing up my first whole-30 this week. While I understand that the whole-30 is meant to help me figure out my relationship with food, the truth is that I started this program for two reasons: One was to get rid of some very annoying hives, the other was to lose weight. The hives were gone after the 8^th day, and happily my pants aren't as tight so I know that I've lost weight.

I understand the idea of bringing foods back in to my diet slowly and one at a time. I think this will make it clear to me how my body reacts to food, and will certainly make it more obvious what is the real cause of my hives.

But I am very concerned about going back to eating anything that is not whole-30 compliant, for fear that I might stall – or worse, reverse – my weight loss progress. I still have a significant amount to lose (80lbs), and while I understand that the whole-30 isn't about weight loss, I know that I need to get rid of the weight for my health. I have pain in my foot/knee that goes away when I am lighter; the pain limits the amount of activity I can comfortably do, and with 2 little kids it means that I miss out on play time.   

My question: Is there anyone out there that managed to continue a healthy weight-loss journey after the whole-30? What advice do you have to offer?

And perhaps more importantly – how do you learn to trust yourself again with respect to food? If I'm asking that question, maybe I am not ready to be done, and should continue to do a whole-45, 60, etc., until I have my faith in my own abilities restored? 

Congratulations! Have you checked out this post for after your whole30? Maybe you can find some answers. http://whole30.com/finished/.  Good Luck!

[Tom Denham]

I lost 2 pounds per month when I did my first Whole30. I was so pleased with the results, I just kept eating Whole30-style almost perfectly and kept losing 2 pounds per month for 15 months. That got me down to genuinely trim and I stopped losing weight. Since then, I have added some muscle and weigh a few pounds more than I did, but it is easy to maintain the trimness now.

 

Where I see people go off track is failing to realize that if you want the benefits of Whole30-style eating, you have to keep eating Whole30-style most of the time. It is impossible to go back to eating more than trace amounts of sugar, alcohol, grains, and dairy. You can eat pie occasionally. You can drink a glass of wine occasionally. You can have cream in your coffee occasionally. But if you start eating oatmeal for breakfast, subway sandwiches for lunch, Taco Bell for supper, and a glass of wine every night, there will not be any benefits left. 

 

My approach is to eat Whole30-style perfectly inside my home and to eat as close to Whole30-style as I can when I am out. I tend to order steak and grilled broccoli when I can, but don't worry about dairy or sugar in sauces. I was in a Thai restaurant today for lunch and had salmon with Panang curry over broccoli and rice. The curry certainly had sugar in it and rice is an empty carb, but that off-plan meal might be the only off-road experience I have for another week. 

[AllyB]

I second Tom's advice above.  I'm done with my whole30.  It's been 1.5 months since I finished and I still eat very close to whole30 rules.  Fortunately, I don't have any health issues other than a horrible sugar addiction.  I lost 10 pounds and feel great. But I still avoid non-compliant foods for the most part (95% I'm guessing.)

 

The week after I finished my whole 30, I went off track pretty good and put 6.5 pounds back on and felt bloated and yucky.  So I resolved to go back to eating very strict.  The weight came back off quickly (probably mostly water gain due to inflammation?)  

 

I realized that whole 30 is not a destination.  You can't 'arrrive' and then go back to eating crappy and expect to still look like you eat whole30.  That's the reality of it.

 

I do better with the rules.  I can't trust myself to moderate.  So I just say no.

[jtellier]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. It's really nice to know that there are others out there who have figured out how to navigate eating without derailing themselves. And jent103 is right - I didn't really think about it, but I don't have to ride my own bike on day one. 

 

I finally got around to purchasing "it starts with food" last night (I know, I'm a little backwards!). Hopefully reading it during my re-introduction phase will remind me how important that can be for learning about how my body reacts to things.

 

I do have one more question, though, for those of you who successfully kept on losing weight. I've tried to avoid the scale for 30 days - and haven't been particularly perfect on that front. Was just too curious... But how do you navigate the scale post-whole-30? I know that it can easily rule my life, if I let it - sometimes I think it's a worse factor to my weight gain than the food I eat. Do you weigh in once a week? On a whim? Never again? 

[jent103]

I got rid of mine and haven't regret it (unless I'm trying to make sure my suitcase is under a limit ). Some people weigh once a month or something along those lines. The number really doesn't matter (I know it's hard to let go of, but it's true) - my old trainer weighed 20 pounds more than I do, but she's mainly muscle. Take measurements, or just go by how your clothes fit and how you feel!

[Midlyfechrysalis]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. It's really nice to know that there are others out there who have figured out how to navigate eating without derailing themselves. And jent103 is right - I didn't really think about it, but I don't have to ride my own bike on day one. 

 

I finally got around to purchasing "it starts with food" last night (I know, I'm a little backwards!). Hopefully reading it during my re-introduction phase will remind me how important that can be for learning about how my body reacts to things.

 

I do have one more question, though, for those of you who successfully kept on losing weight. I've tried to avoid the scale for 30 days - and haven't been particularly perfect on that front. Was just too curious... But how do you navigate the scale post-whole-30? I know that it can easily rule my life, if I let it - sometimes I think it's a worse factor to my weight gain than the food I eat. Do you weigh in once a week? On a whim? Never again? 

 

 

This is my first whole 30, but not my first diet change rodeo. It's not "navigating the scale" that is the issue. There are mentally healthy people who weigh every day, and mentally healthy people who never weigh. It is about how much self-worth and value you tie to the number and to what extent it drives attitude or behavior. Some people "shouldn't" weigh until they can separate their PERSON from the scale.

 

The scale lies (google for a few good articles). Don't reintroduce its use until the number is only one part of your evaluation of your overall health.