Reason to stop?

[NikayaSmith]

I’m sure this is covered somewhere and I have missed it. I’m sorry. I tried searching the forum and the internet before posting. 

Is there a dietary reason to stop doing whole30? 

Every time I eat anything off plan I get very ill and I’m thinking I will just stay Whole 30. 

I just want to make sure I didn’t miss something somewhere that’s says it’s bad to just keep going. I don’t eat or don’t know how to cook a lot of the foods on whole 30 so my diet is restricted beyond that of what whole 30 suggest. Ground turkey, ground beef, and vegetables only. Occasionally I make a baked chicken breast but they are so horrible that I can only make myself do that once or twice a month. I just want to make sure I didn’t miss a resource. I’ve not read the books and only have the website as a source. Also, I’m on a phone and I know there’s some things not available on phones so I’m sorry about that too.

I realize I’m not speaking with doctors and dietitians. I’m not asking anyone to tell me what to do. I’m just asking if there is a resource that says it’s bad to not stop. 

Thank you so much. And I hope that made sense. 

[ShannonM816]

The main reason to not stop is more psychological -- you don't want to get so hung up on rules that it starts to interfere with your life so that you stop socializing or place unnecessary limits on yourself. And in your case, since you're more limited than even Whole30 suggests, if you can't change what types of things you eat, you would probably want to work with a doctor to ensure you don't end up with any vitamin deficiencies (this is unlikely to happen usually, but especially if you don't eat many different vegetables, it's something you'd want to keep an eye on). In general, eating lots of vegetables with protein and healthy fats is a healthy way to eat, so  as long as you feel good, it's fine to keep eating this way.

It's probably not a bad idea to look for some resources to help you learn to prepare different foods.  For chicken there are a few options -- this is one of my favorites, and while it says to grill the chicken, if you don't have a grill, she does answer a question in the comments about cooking it in the oven:  http://meljoulwan.com/2009/06/09/the-best-chicken-you-will-ever-eat-ever/ Or you could look for some of the "breaded" chicken recipes if that helps with the texture, or recipes that you make in a skillet on the stove or on the grill tend to look more appetizing to me than baked chicken, which somehow just looks sort of sad to me, even in recipes that taste good. Or you could try using chicken thighs or legs rather than breast.

If there are other issues you have with certain foods -- like texture issues, for instance -- you can work to change those if you want to, though it's not always easy. Depending on what issues you have and how limited you are as far as what you'll eat, it might be worth finding a therapist who could help you to work on that.

As far as everything non-Whole30 making you sick, did you do reintroductions of individual types of food, and each individual thing (like legumes, or dairy, or grain) caused problems on their own? That would really suck. 

 

[slc_melissa]

And, in reality, once you've done re intros, it's nice to be able to, say, put store bought ketchup on your otherwise compliant burger patty. Or use some marinade that has honey in it. Or mustard that has wine in it. 

Are you eating any fats?

[NikayaSmith]

Whenever I eat anything that is not whole30 compliant I get very sick so I’m just sticking to my regular meals. I’m just trying to figure out if I should eat the food anyway. I don’t think I’m saying it right. 

@slc_melissa I haven’t found any fat options that work for me. That’s why I only eat ground meat.  It’s not an issue any more I don’t miss foods I’m just trying to make sure it’s okay  keep going and not eat noncompliant foods.  Like, is there a reason to eat grains or potatoes or dairy or beans? When I get tired of th ground meat all it takes is one baked chicken breast  and I’m thankful for the ground meat again. Lol

I’m not complaining about th program AT ALL. I have definitely found a place to work from. I’m just trying to make sure i didn’t miss anything. 

[slc_melissa]

I'm no expert, but fats are important from a body biochemistry standpoint. Some vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants are fat soluble, fats is important for the nervous system and brain, etc. I remember you saying that you used to love cooking in butter. Have you re-intro'd that and had a negative reaction?

What kind of "very sick" are you getting? (Nausea, diarrhea, rashes, headaches?) Did you re intro groups one at a time with several days in between? What exactly have you tried adding back in?

[NikayaSmith]

Cooking in butter is the only way I learned how to cook. So everything I ate before doing Whole30 wasn’t an option for me.  I know fat  is an important part of whole30 but I can’t find a whole30 option that I can eat. Olive oil, avocados, and coconut are all foods I can’t tolerate. Nuts are crazy expensive and I remember someone saying that they are really only a sometimes food. 

Any time I eat off foods I get stomach cramps so badly I can’t work. That’s why I’ve only tried cheese, milk, gluten free bread and once potatoes. I eat it at one meal. Get so sick I don’t eat for a couple of meals then go back to eating whole 30. 

 I’m really not complaining or anything. I just know somewhere (that I can’t find though I have looked) I think I read something about not going over 100 days or something. 

My whole 30 hasn’t been successful, but at this point I don’t think coming off is an option and I was just wondering if there was literature about that. 

I don’t think I’m explaining myself very well. I’m sorry. 

[slc_melissa]

Melissa wrote about it here: https://whole30.com/2014/01/whole30-forever/

I feel like it could be argued that the re intros are basically the point of the program. It's the way to know what is affecting you. If you like cooking in butter or bacon grease, why not re intro those and see how you feel? Although I understand being nervous if you've been having a tough time so far.

Also for future reference and other readers, all potatoes are allowed on the program (commercially prepared chips are not.)

I'm also wondering if something like a digestive enzyme might help you, if you've been eating a limited diet, it does change your gut.  Some people (off whole 30, I'm not analyzing the ingredients) use something like https://www.nowfoods.com/supplements/super-enzymes-capsules

[NikayaSmith]

THANK YOU!!! That link is what I meant.  Though there was a lot of information in there that I don’t understand it answered the question I was wondering. There’s no need for me to stop!!  Thank you.

I have heard that enzymes help some people. I haven’t been able to find them here. When I ask at stores, people don’t even know what I’m talking about. It’s like that with most whole30 things here. It’s all good. 

[NikayaSmith]

Oh, i forgot to say, I never meant to say that potatoes weren’t allowed. I just can’t eat a plain potato.  so that means they weren’t an option for me!! Sorry if I messed that up. 

[slc_melissa]

I'm more than a little baffled why you want to keep on with a program that hasn't been successful for you and not at least try to return to foods you found easier to cook with bacon grease or butter, but I wish you the best and hope you find something that works for you.

[NikayaSmith]

I have tried to add foods back in. They make me too sick to work. Potatoes were one of the foods I missed most during my first 30 days so I tried eating some fried potatoes I made for my family. I was up most of the night with stomach cramps and couldn’t work the next day. Same when I added milk to my morning coffee and some cheese to my salad. All of these were days apart-not in the same day.

I felt my choices were to stay on whole 30 or start strategically planning on eating off foods on Friday’s and days before days off so that I get what I needed but only got sick on days I was off work.  Now I feel better about just always eating whole30!

You found me the exact answer to question I was asking but couldn’t find on my own. THANK YOU. 

[KA11]

Do you still have your gall bladder?  If so - go have it checked.   There is a reason you need to have fat in your diet.