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Are the risks worth it?


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Just because you felt okay before, doesn't mean that food hasn't been doing you some serious damage.

 

I ate wheat and gluten all my life, had a bunch of weird health issues doctors were unable to identify/resolve, but I never considered myself to be a "sick" person.

 

After my first Whole30 I was astonished to find out that gluten makes me sick, really sick!

 

I could have kept eating it my whole life, but it also might have killed me. One of the unresolved symptoms I had was an irregular heart beat which can induce a heart attack (gluten induced ataxia). Cardiologists said my heart was fine, which it was, but it might not have been if I continued to eat gluten my whole life. As we get older, our bodies don't always bounce back from abuse the way they did when we were younger.

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I understand that it is not healthy to eat things that are not good for your body, short term and long term! I just want to be able to eat those foods if I choose to without the horrible effects like I could before whole30. That is why I am scared to do more whole30's.

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I guess the thing I'm trying to get across is, there are no guarantees with anything in life.

 

If you continue to eat the things you know can damage your health, there is no guarantee that you will be able to do that forever. You could eventually (whether that be soon, or much later in life) develop a real life-changing disease as a result - one that would also prevent you from eating the foods that you are reluctant to give up.

 

Or you might not. It's all dependent on your genetics and your context.

 

Everyone has their own personal threshold for what they are willing to do for health and what they're going to chalk up to "not worth living without." For some, it's the occasional indulgence in the bread basket at their favorite fancy restaurant. For others, it's daily beer, pizza, ice cream or cigarettes.

 

For me, the sound sleep, boundless energy and happy as a pig in ....! makes eating this way most of the time totally worth it.

 

Maybe you have already found your balance after a couple of Whole30s - you want to eat this way most of the time but still indulge in some old favorites.

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My thinking is this, and I am neither a scientist nor a mod, so take it with a grain of salt: If you've already done two Whole30s and haven't noticed anything that, say, makes you need to stay away from gluten or dairy forever due to the dire consequences, the likelihood that you will suddenly do another Whole30 and find yourself completely unable to tolerate a latte after is pretty low. That's not to say that for your entire life you'll be able to do that. Bodies change, and so do our awarenesses, but I doubt it would happen that dramatically.

 

If you're scared to tell your friends to do a Whole30 because something like that might happen to them, well, a) if that does happen, it probably means it's something that's better for their health, and b ) their decision to do a Whole30 is on them. Not you. You can share your experience, point them to ISWF or this web site, but it's their decision. If they're actually angry at you if it turns out pizza makes them sick, that seems like a different issue.

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I've done 3+ Whole 30s, most of which extended far beyond 30 days each, and can easily eat anything that I ate before without terrible immediate consequence. But I generally choose not to because I feel so much better eating Whole 30-style. I have been doing so for nearly two years.

 

I have a very hard time believing that continuously feeding yourself the most nourishing possible foods for stretches of time is a bad thing.

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I used to love beer. Thick, creamy beers (and ales, lagers, etc...) were my jam. I switched to Paleo, but did not give up my tasty beer. I've never had any severe health issues, but digestive troubles were a regular thing. Then I decided to try a Whole30 during my first 1/2 marathon training, wanting to be at optimal health and a fat-burning beast by the time I raced. I never once thought I wouldn't be able to go back to my lovely brews after those 30 days. 

However, once I reintroduced one of those beers, I had severe stomach issues. Lighter beer are less troublesome, but I'm not a huge fan of them. Basically, I can't really drink beer at all now. But you know what, it's okay! If you would have asked me pre-W30 if I would ever consider giving up beer for good, the answer would be a big, resounding NO! That would have been crazy talk. 

 

I am on my 3rd W30 now, and I just can't imagine stopping W30s or this lifestyle just so I could drink some of my favorite beer. First, for something to have that great of a psychological hold-- to be afraid to do something amazing for my one and only body just so I can indulge in something I love, but isn't good for me-- isn't okay. I do not want to be held hostage my food/beverage choices. Secondly, as it turns out, I have discovered other things that I absolutely love to the point where I don't even miss beer. Not only have I discovered new foods I love in this process, but I have found new activities I love. Change is possible in every way in our lives... it's just a matter of allowing that change to occur instead of fighting to hold onto things we are probably better off letting go of. 

 

I still indulge in certain foods from time to time (like my grandmas fried chicken and biscuits with sorghum!), but only because those things don't create extreme discomfort for me. However, if they ever do, I feel like I could let them go in favor of something muuuuuch better (my health!).

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I actually understand the question you are asking as I certainly see the effects of this in my situation. I did an extended stretch of w30(100 days) then transitioned to 99% compliant. Did great, loved it and felt like I could live like this forever. Still do. However, 2014 was not a good one and I was not able,for many reasons, to stay compliant. I still am shocked at how fast I gained all the weight back and how fast I bloat after I eat grains and sugar even today.

I love this plan, and plan to stay this clean eating. I found out that before w30,I could lose weight traditionally, slowly. I now can't lose anything,I actually gain, if I have any grain,sugar at all!

So, like the others, you have to decide if it is worth it. The Mexican meal I had on Friday so not worth it(I did not want to go but got outvoted).

So,I am back to 95% compliant as I don't wish to do strict anymore.....been there,done that.

It has changed(brought to my awareness) my ability to tolerate processed foods. Does that suck??? Yes!!!! Before, I didn't gain 5 pounds of water after 1 non compliant meal. Now it does. And that weight takes 1-2 weeks to remove. PITA.

So I spend lots of time considering what I eat and planning a lot.

I am getting back to the idea that I am worth it. Daily struggle.

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This is post is going to be a bit TMI.  

 

Since the age of 14 (I am 38 now) I suffered having painful boils along my bikini line.  Walking or just plain sitting was painful.  Later on they escalated getting bigger (ping pong ball size) and then they arrived under my armpits and breasts.  Dr's didn't know what caused them.  Creams that didn't help (helped with healing a bit) and lancing.  But that's all that they would do.  I gave up and assumed that they were just a miserable part of my life.

 

In August of 2012 I did my first whole 30.  By day 10 all the boils had cleared and no new ones were forming.  By day 30 I had only one come up the entire time. (They were chronically there)  My triggers after re-intros - dairy and pork. (Note I can only eat pork that has been extremely over cooked - think shoe leather or extra crispy bacon - which I like)  The boils that I get from pork pass quickly 2 -3 days at most.  The ones I get from dairy happen within hours of consumption and they last for 2 weeks.  So yeah I consumed dairy (and I loved dairy) for years but I also suffered for years too.  So dairy in my book - so not worth it.  

 

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Carla, have you heard of hidradenitis supurativa? I too have the same issue, though probably still in a less severe state. A doctor mentioned it to me after my third or fourth occurrence of staph/boils on my inner thighs/button in the course of a few months. The book "The Hidden Plague" by Tara Grant pretty much changed my life, and is a big reason why I w30.
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I don't know of anyone who can give me an accurate definition of what  80/20  or 90/10 Paleo really means.   I do know what an imaginary Whole 30 is...thank you, Tom Denham.

 

I've read many posts from those who've completed a compliant Whole 30...then return to binge eating on Day 31.   If it goes on for weeks, months - there is price.  The rebound gain is at warp speed.  The fat cells are sitting there, waiting for anything to latch back onto.   The fat cells are in conflict with our heads.   They scream for attention...feed me, feed me.

 

I've read rationalizations that the Whole 30 causes every problem under the sun.   It doesn't cause problems.  It reveals problems that were there all along.   It is a food reset but the head reset is the best part of a Whole 30.

 

How many months can go by or have gone by before getting back into the groove?   The number of times we fall back into bowls of pasta and bread, other people's bread, stale bread because it reminds us of croutons or triggers -   Falling into much pasta and bread can be life...but climbing out and pulling ourselves away from the brink is transcendent.

 

The Whole 30 is a successful strategy if you pay attention to the gentle or outstanding changes.   Gentle permanent change for the Win.

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I've read rationalizations that the Whole 30 causes every problem under the sun.   It doesn't cause problems.  It reveals problems that were there all along.   It is a food reset but the head reset is the best part of a Whole 30.

 

 

This.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I've read some of your other posts here and it appears to me that you are a sensible person trying to do what you think is right for you.  Well, Whole30 is NOT the only possible solution.  If Whole30 isn't working for you simply do something else.  Nothing wrong with that; as a matter of fact "something else" may be the right answer.

 

Concerning this post...

 

 

A. This also scares me of doing any more whole30's because I don't want that to happen to myself. 

 

What, I think, you're talking about is fear.  There are acronyms that describe it (such as: False Emotions Appearing Real) and that may be true.  However, if you think about it, most fear (like mine of ocean swimming) is something that we create all on our own.  There are myriad ways in which those created fears are acquired.  One of them is exactly what you reference...

 

 

So I know of someone who...

 

 

"So I know of someone who..." You're perfectly describing a fear [if I may be so bold to say: "that you now have"] that was acquired through an experience someone else had.  Nothing wrong with this, it just happens.  Everybody has these types of fears, including me.  But where, I think, the problem arises is when we use other people's experiences as justification for our action or inaction.

 

What your "friends" experience was/is may or may not be your experience.  Only you will know.

 

Good luck!

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  • 3 years later...
On January 7, 2015 at 11:33 AM, Laketon79 said:

kirkor,

 

The thing about it is, she did not have these problems before the whole30. I think she would rather choose to just eat healthy now and still be able to eat occasionally without the horrible side effects. Any of my friends/family who hear of this really scares them away from the whole30 because they don't want that to happen to them, and I don't want it to happen to me!

The whole30 is a health improving move. I would really think over if this is a commitment you would like to make or not. 

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