It’s funny how little things, over time, can creep up on you. I (like many others) had steadily gained “a few” pounds over the years and I found myself around 20 pounds heavier than I had ever been. Work, the building of our house, and becoming parents all contributed to an overwhelming lack of time which left us eating far too many meals at restaurants. Both knew we needed to make some changes to both our weight and how we felt. After scouring the net, for ideas, we decided to try the Whole 30 diet mostly because it seemed like the most shocking and drastic change to what we had been doing previously.
For the uninitiated, the Whole 30 diet revolves around eating whole, unprocessed foods for 30 days (hence the name). Foods on the banned list include bread, grains, seeds, beans, dairy, and alcohol. Foods on the approved list include meats (no deli or sausage) and most vegetables. Most of the typical oils used in cooking are also banned excepts for ghee and olive oil. For the most part, the rules prevent you from eating at restaurants or buying any other kind of prepared meal for that matter. The rules may seem harsh, but it’s important to remember the diet lasts for only 30 days.
Most people will think you’re insane.
As soon as I mentioned not being able to eat bread, most (if not every) person I talked to almost immediately replied with “I could never do that.” Bread, grains, and sugar are deeply embedded in almost every “normal” food we eat in the US. We are addicted and don’t even realize it.
I didn’t prepare enough in advance.
Almost no commercially prepared sauces are kosher. I’m talking about things like ketchup, mayo and salad dressings. It pays to make up the Whole 30 / Paleo approved versions ahead of time.
You may pass out.
It happened to me. About a week into the diet, I jumped out of a chair too fast, felt dizzy and woke up on the floor. Although scary at the time, I now understand why. My body had adjusted to being fueled by simple sugars and I had just cut off the tap. Before I eventually kicked soda for good, I would typically drink 3-4 cans a day. I also consumed large amounts of bread and dairy (all carbs). If you are doing Whole 30 (especially for the first time), your body will need some time to adjust. When just starting out, eat an apple in the afternoon to help regulate your blood sugar.
It helped with my seasonal allergies.
Part of the whole point of the Whole 30 diet is to eliminate trigger foods that your body may react too. Although hard to quantify, my typical fall hay fever seemed much more manageable. I also used to experience a lot of excess gas and bloating (a two-hour marathon of non-stop belching). To my amazement, those symptoms completely disappeared.
I didn’t miss drinking.
I felt so much better overall that I didn’t even mind missing out on the occasional after-dinner drink. Heck, I even began to realize that half the reason I would reach for a bottle of beer after work was because I didn’t feel good and was trying to self medicate in a sense. Having to say “No” at a family gathering was a little disappointing, but I made myself feel better by adding up all of the empty calories I was saving myself!
I actually lost weight.
My wife and I both managed to lose around ten pounds the first time we tried Whole 30. Not bad considering I really did nothing else to lose weight. After two more rounds, we both managed to lose an additional ten pounds for a grand total of 20 pounds lost each. This was over a course of approximately six months (one month on, one month off). I was content to lose the first ten, but after realizing how much better I felt it wasn’t hard to stick to it.
I don’t want to go back.
After the initial 30 days, going back to normal food was horrible. Stomach aches and indigestion ensued and I quickly realized that I no longer wanted to keep eating the same old foods I used to. It became obvious which foods were causing problems and I am learning to avoid them. Although happy with the weight we have lost, we are both still committed to eating healthier and are transitioning to eat more along the lines of the Paleo diet long-term. Perhaps we will do the Whole 30 diet again.