Will I benefit from a less-than-Whole30?

[YoYo]

I was obese from grade school until I decided to "change my life" in high school and lost 70 pounds. I yoyo'd up and down 70 pounds for a few decades, and have managed to restrict my yoyo'ing to 20 pounds every few months or so for the past couple of years. I  typically diet very strictly for a few weeks and then go on out of control binges where I can't help but eat everything I can get my hands on even though I know it directly undermines my effort and sabotages everything I want in life. It's not uncommon for me to gain 10 lbs in a few days and spend the next 3 weeks taking it back off. Sometimes I just can't get back on the horse and swing 20 pounds before I do.

I feel tired/fatigued all the time, often have trouble sleeping, and seem to get sick very often. I heard about the Whole30 and haven't found anyone who can vouch first hand for its supposed life changing impact, but decided to try it anyway because I have nothing to lose.

I thought I was on day 4 of Whole30 today because everything I've eaten since Monday has been Whole30 compliant. However, today I discovered that the Chocolate Sea Salt RXBARs I've been having 3 times a day (between breakfast and lunch, between lunch and dinner, and before bed) aren't approved, and technically I should have restarted Whole30 each time I've eaten one. I don't think I could do Whole30 (or any diet/lifestyle) without my "fix", which begs the question:

While I understand I may not realize the full benefit of Whole30 by eating multiple RXBARs a day, will I still benefit from eating only whole/compliant things/ingredients for 30 days (including the RXBARs)? Or do all of the health benefits and seemingly miraculous relief from afflictions require following Whole30 to the letter?

Thank you for your time and advice,

YoYo

[SugarcubeOD]

25 minutes ago, YoYo said:

I was obese from grade school until I decided to "change my life" in high school and lost 70 pounds. I yoyo'd up and down 70 pounds for a few decades, and have managed to restrict my yoyo'ing to 20 pounds every few months or so for the past couple of years. I  typically diet very strictly for a few weeks and then go on out of control binges where I can't help but eat everything I can get my hands on even though I know it directly undermines my effort and sabotages everything I want in life. It's not uncommon for me to gain 10 lbs in a few days and spend the next 3 weeks taking it back off. Sometimes I just can't get back on the horse and swing 20 pounds before I do.

I feel tired/fatigued all the time, often have trouble sleeping, and seem to get sick very often. I heard about the Whole30 and haven't found anyone who can vouch first hand for its supposed life changing impact, but decided to try it anyway because I have nothing to lose.

I thought I was on day 4 of Whole30 today because everything I've eaten since Monday has been Whole30 compliant. However, today I discovered that the Chocolate Sea Salt RXBARs I've been having 3 times a day (between breakfast and lunch, between lunch and dinner, and before bed) aren't approved, and technically I should have restarted Whole30 each time I've eaten one. I don't think I could do Whole30 (or any diet/lifestyle) without my "fix", which begs the question:

While I understand I may not realize the full benefit of Whole30 by eating multiple RXBARs a day, will I still benefit from eating only whole/compliant things/ingredients for 30 days (including the RXBARs)? Or do all of the health benefits and seemingly miraculous relief from afflictions require following Whole30 to the letter?

Thank you for your time and advice,

YoYo

You need only read the success stories portion of this forum, or the testimonials section to find hundreds and hundreds of people who have changed their lives with Whole30.  It's possible that you don't know anyone personally, but that doesn't negate the reality that it actually CAN change your life.

The fact that you're referring to an emergency food as 'your fix' is quite telling.  The Whole30 is not just about following the rules for 30 days, it's about changing the relationship with food that you have.  And from what you've said, you have an unhealthy relationship with food in the binging/dieting realm.

If you're having to eat between each meal because you're hungry (hungry meaning you could eat steamed fish and broccoli) then you absolutely are not eating enough at each meal and we can help you with that.  If you're eating these to 'get a fix' or because you're bored, lonely, tired, sad, craving, then the only way to stop eating them is to stop eating them.  Trying to hack the Whole30 to be life changing while choosing not to change the way you think about and act around food would in fact be a waste of time.

As far as miraculous relief from afflictions... it doesn't really work like that.  Many medical issues are caused by or exacerbated by inflammation. The Whole30 aims to reduce inflammation in the body by removing all the commonly inflammatory foods and then the subject reintroduces them to see how the food makes them feel.  It may seem like a miracle... but the people who benefit most are those that folllow the rules AND recommendations and insisting on eating RX bars 3 times a day does not fit in the spirit.

[MeadowLily]

If you've read Melissa's manifestos and articles, you know that she has created a shopping list of compliant foods that will fit almost everyone's budget, tastes and levels of nutritional needs. 

I could tell you about the emotional advantages of eating more whole foods but we haven't got the time. Suffice it to say, speaking in general ...

I ask myself and others out of curiousity....If you love your way of eating so much....why O who do you need a "cheat meal" or a fix. 

If it is such a good way of eating, why do you need to STOP and take detours to be able to endure it.

Over-restriction and dieting = the need for many detours and cheat meals. 

If you conduct one compliant Whole 30 and kick all of these props out from underneath yourself, you may find that after you clear the decks, clean the slate... there aren't enough fixes and cheat meals in this world that can ever fill the deep hole of food addiction or binge eating.

The bars may be compliant but they won't give you the lasting 'fix' that you are looking for.