Hard to be compliant b/c food allergies, work and travel -- can I still be Whole?

[WholeRitu]

I wish I was one of those Whole30 Wunderkinds. But I've got numerous challenges piling on and I'm wondering if it's even realistic for me to live Whole30 and experience the benefits, which I really want and need!

I'm on Day 12 and it's been a rough ride. I've been consuming lots more eggs than ever, and feeling really horrible these last 12 days (except for 1 day). I have various food allergies (esp. to yeast, grains, dairy, etc. etc.), so the Whole30 lifestyle is somewhat familiar to me. After eating a breakfast of a small piece of steak and broccoli, and feeling good, I added an egg, and BAM! Felt like my muscles weighed a TON and my head was going to fall off. So I'm pretty sure I'm reacting to eggs, which may explain why I haven't been feeling that Whole30 magic.

I have to eat out a lot for work (business lunches/dinners) and I can't whip out my own grilled chicken breast or garlic lemon dressing in the restaurant. I have been careful to choose only compliant foods and ask for them to be prepared Paleo, but I know I'm ingesting pollutants regularly.

I also travel a lot and my egg protein bombs were my savior, as well as nuts and fruits (easy to pack). I see on the forum that I need to cut the nuts and fruits almost all the way out or my results might be disappointing. Any ideas for travel foods? My go-to's are out. I can't afford the "Paleo Packs."

So...I'm wondering at this point, is it even realistic for me to reap the benefits of Whole30 if I'm getting bits of poison in restaurant foods (e.g. plain vinegar might have sulfites, get butter when I've asked for meat cooked in olive oil, etc.)?

Should I try the Whole30 when I can plan a month close to home?

Or is it possible to feel the magic with some unintentional off-roading?

I'm so discouraged at this point.

Any help is much appreciated!!

Thanks!

[Tom Denham]

I think you can improve your health by following Whole30 guidelines as much as you can while traveling and eating out a lot. I am not sure you can achieve the best possible results eating out as much as a road warrior must because you are probably taking in some irritants unknowingly.

The big problem is that it sounds like eggs may be a problem for you. That cuts into what you can get on the road easily that is Whole30-compliant. It sounds like you need to remove eggs from your diet for a few days and see how you feel. You might want to test yourself by eating egg again, but if I felt better, I might postpone that for a long time.

[WholeRitu]

Thanks so much for your response Tom. I think what I'll do is try to be as compliant as possible while I'm traveling, and double down for a real true Whole30 when I can be close to home for those 30 days. I think I might have that window coming up soon.

[Kirsteen]

That sounds like a perfect plan to me. When you do the 'real true Whole30' think what a head start you'll have good luck