My success in First Whole 30

[ThomasE]

I am now on my third Whole 30...day 6. I completed my first one in August of 2012. I intended to post my results after I completed number one but just never got around to it. Part of the reason I am posting this morning is out of frustration. Let me explain.

On the Whole 30 I started 6 days ago I took on this new one with my 17 year old daughter to teach her about eating healthy and to help her understand her relationship with food. I have watched her go from a little girl to young woman...with young woman issues. Fighting addictions of any kind are hard and I believe the earlier we equip our kids with the tools to fight back the better. Food isn't a hobby...it isn't a friend...it isn't your refuge in trouble...it is what you put in your body to nourish it. We sat down last weekend and went through the things I did in my first Whole 30 that led to my success. We discussed reseting our bodies. She was and is completely onboard. We are six, tough days in but I can already tell in a week in her complexion and body the healthy eating is working. So can she...with a smile.

So this leads me to my dilemma...as I sit here this morning drinking my black coffee and scrolling through the Whole 30 forum "Can I have?" section I see a post on Applegate Sunday Bacon. After reading through the posts have come to the conclusion the item is possibly not compliant. Both my wife and myself have had amazing results in our Whole 30 experiences (she completed her first in Oct 2012 after seeing my results)...with Applegate Sunday Bacon right by our side. My seventeen year old has never been a breakfast person until this week...with Bacon and fruit.

So do I worry about being compliant to Whole 30 and potentially discouraging her? Or should my focus be on Whole365 for me and my family?

I say all this to encourage everyone the Whole 30 experience is a journey about change...changing bad habits into good habits. Good habits that result is healthier happier people. I am proof. Fat, Miserable and overwhelmed by what to do I stumbled across this website. I had been going to Crossfit and flirted with Paleo but never could commit. My dosage for Lipitor just kept increasing to keep my cholesterol in check. I was teetering back and forth with anxiety meds to relax me. So I decided to try Whole 30...actually I committed to complete Whole 30. By the way, I signed up for the Whole 30 Daily and it really helped me. I started my initial Whole 30 at 207 pounds. After 30 days I weighed in at 182. Before I started Whole 30 I slept terrible...in the end I was sleeping like a baby. My wife said my skin had a glow. And after completing the Whole 30 I had my blood work done without cholesterol medication and my blood work was normal. And NO anxiety meds!!! My wife's success was just as amazing. She completed her first Whole 30 and lost 13 lbs (140 to 127). Both of us are believers. I actually could continue on about our success but you all probably get the point. Whole 30 works. It is an amazing tool to be used to reset or restart healthy living.

My concern is we become

so

involved

in

the

compliance

of

Whole 30

that

some

can

't

see

the

forest

for

the

trees;

this is about change. Good luck to all of you getting ready to start your first Whole 30...if you stay committed you will be changed forever.

[missmary]

I don't see the huge issue here. Applegate Sunday bacon is definitely not compliant. Bacon and fruit for breakfast definitely doesn't fit the meal template. You've made huge improvements and now you got to the point where you can see it can be refined further. That seems like an excellent thing, to me. You didn't notice the sugar in the bacon before, so you did the whole30 to the best of your ability at that time. Now, you have a choice: Is it important to you to complete the whole30 as written? Is it more important to "ride your own bike" and do a close approximation that includes a touch of sugar here and there? That's up to you. Either one could be the right one depending on your goals and your state of mind.

Personally, I think it is worth it to make it all the way through following the rules rigorously...but that's just me. With huge improvements eating bacon and fruit for breakfast, imagine how good you might feel eating greens and sweet potatoes and eggs instead?

[almcc]

taosetig -

As a parent of an 18 year old I understand your concerns about compliance/noncompliance and keeping the teen on board.

I am no whole30 expert - just on day 4. I know that I have to be rigorous in order to reap the benefits. It's a choice I can make.

My 18year old is not ready to commit to W30. First she doesn't feel like she has the time and second she has a strong aversion to most veggies. So kudos to your daughter for committing to W30.

When summer rolls around my daughter agreed to try w30. After reading what you wrote I started thinking. As a parent of a teen I think I need to be accepting if she is not strict. Just as I cannot force my husband to do it - I cannot force her. I do believe that she can modify it and see benefits. And - as a parent- I want to leave the door open for a fully compliant W30 in the future. If she were 8 or 28 I would parent differently!

As for the bacon. I would switch to bacon without sugar. And carry on.

Congratulations on your family's success.