Someone please assuage my fears.

[Breanna Smith]

Hello all. I've been in and out of the Whole30 community for ~ a year now, and have yet to successfully complete one. I made it to day 13 with aid of The Whole30 Daily (faaaabulous tool, btw!), but then suffered a break in at my house, during which my computer, purse, camera, and other things of sentimental and monetary value were stolen. I promptly stress ate. Big time. I acted like I was okay to my family, but nope. My feeling of security has been shattered since.

I've been trying to get back on the wagon since then (about 3 weeks ago), and today is Day 1 of the Whole30 Daily all over again, and I'm more than willing to give this a shot, but I have another niggling issue. I am a recovered vegan, during which I was pretty lean. I also felt great after eliminating wheat from my diet.

Then I did ketogenc low carb (with meat) after I discovered yet more food sensitivities (eggs, cow's milk, wheat, soy, peanuts, cashews, bananas). I became the leanest I've ever been, and really enjoyed the huge salads with beef I would eat. I have now been "brain washed" so to speak by the perils of carbohydrate, even whole foods carbs like sweet potato, carrots (and yes, I have read the Carrot Train to crazy town, though maybe I should revisit it), and winter squashes. I have about 15-20 lbs I could afford to lose, and I am terrified (thank you disordered eating!) that re-incorporating these carby, albeit delicious foods in my diet again. When I was a vegan, I would eat a sweet potato a day, easily. Perhaps the high carb content was why I felt so fantastic, but I'm scared nonetheless.

Someone please tell me eating sweet potatoes won't go "straight to my hips" so to speak. I can't afford to buy bigger jeans! (poor college student) Or, can I safely avoid starches during this time, or would that be against the spirit of the program? I have such a history of disordered eating (IF, veganism, low carb, bulimia) that I'm really not sure what is propaganda, truth, and distortion anymore. I need a clear headed person to help me sort this out. Thanks so much.

[befabdaily]

I've been eating sweet potatoes or squash pretty much every day, and very gradually losing weight. So. No, they won't make you blow up like a toy balloon.

[MtnRunner]

I don't know anyone who has gotten fat eating sweet potatoes (as long as they are not in the form of fries) or fruit. As an athlete I am definitely not aiming for low-carb so I eat plenty of these things daily in addition to my proteins and fats. I ate these things before in addition to sugar and grains so just eliminating sugar and grain was a big enough step for me. It may not be completely Whole30 but I feel you have to customize it.

[momto3]

I just want to thank you for writing this as I share your fears of carbs. I have avoided starchy ones so far, but I am only on Day 2. I am looking forward to hearing what others' think.

I am so sorry about your break-in. I can only imagine how nerve-wracking that must have been.

[1Maryann]

Before this I did Atkins. No sweet potatoes, most fruit, or carrots for the first 2 levels. It freaked me out, too, at first. But Atkins allowed dairy and artificial sweeteners. I looked at it as I traded sweet potatoes for all that cheese, and real fruit for a packet of chemicals. And I'm far more satisfied eating a sweet potato with coconut oil and a sprinkle of cinnamon, than I ever was with a block of cheese.

This is my second Whole30. I lost 18 lbs the first time. It was letting my new habits slip that caused me to regain some of it, not the paleo foods I had been eating.