Should I just start over?

[WillsonMN]

I started my first Whole30 on Monday, March 18th! I've already been eating mostly paleo, but never quite sticking to it. I did great all week, even took my own food to my niece's birthday party and passed up two potlucks at work. But yesterday I went to lunch with a friend, chinese-my pick- without really thinking it through. I was just thinking, don't get the rice or noodles, just the meat and veggies. Well, as soon as I got my food I realized this was NOT going to be compliant.

It did give me an upset belly and the yuck, so of course I wish I hadn't eaten it (and it wasn't as yummy as I was thinking it would be). So, now with ONE meal out of the whole week, should I be starting my 30 days over? It seems daunting, but necessary. I guess I'm just looking for some feedback to tell me what I probably already know.....

[Guest]

It often depends on what you were exposed to (soy?) and if it was intentional or unintentional. Another piece is what you want to get out of your Whole30.

So, a little sugar, which you probably had, is something you are getting anyway. Some of the bigger foods like soy, dairy, and gluten are the things we want to avoid for the full 30 days to give our gut a break so that we can have a proper reintro. That gives us the best idea of how our own bodies respond to those foods (and to their absence).

If you want to be clean for 30 days, you will need to add some days or start over. On the other hand, you probably have time to develop better habits when socializing and choosing meals out.

One option is to keep going and decide if you need more time at the end.

Good luck with the rest of your journey.

[Tom Denham]

That upset belly is a strong sign that the reset you had begun was interrupted in a big way. Maybe it was MSG, maybe it was gluten, maybe it was something else. Chinese food can be complex and include lots of ingredients and it sure sounds like some of them were trouble. You might feel the magic with 24 clean days, but you need 30 to give yourself the best chance.