I Tried The Whole30 Diet For A Month And I’m Not Sure How I Feel About It

Nov. 1, 2017 I started a “dieting” program called the Whole30. I want to give my honest experience and opinion from what I got out of doing the Whole30.

Essentially, you cut out your entire diet: added sugars, legumes, grains, sulfites, MSG, alcohol (yes, I said alcohol) and dairy for 30 days in hopes to see a body transformation, as well as a transformation in a healthier way of going about eating.

You can learn more about the Whole30 here.

Here are some FAQ’s for you about the Whole30:

Is it time consuming?

MAJOR amounts of meal prepping and time spent in grocery stores is required for this program – like, major… when people say “yeah meal prep is so easy, they lie to you. I had to meticulously plan my meal prep and grocery shopping hours (usually on Sunday’s) so I was ready with meals throughout the week – and I’m not particularly a planner, so it was rough.

Is it expensive?

Here is where you need to be a little bit creative. The first week or so is especially hard on the wallet due to some essentials that you need to add to your pantry for the sake of cooking. For example, that Pam you use to grease your pans probably won’t work because it likely has soybean oil or sulfites added. You’ll likely need to pick up a few spices, too, because eating salt and pepper seasoned meat gets old after week two.

Bottom line, being healthy is expensive af.

What was the worst part for you?

No carbs. Hands down. Sure, it was hard for me not to end a rough day with a glass of Pinot Noir, but no carbs? When I felt that carb deficiency kick in, there was a black hole where my heart once sat.

How do you feel?

The first week? Bloody hell. You’re detoxing your body from those foods you mindlessly consume on a daily basis so yeah, it’s hard to adjust to that. For me, I got a couple headaches and felt pretty tired for a few days. A little past midway through the month, you will wake up energized before you get a chance to brew your morning cup of joe.

What about after the 30 days?

After the 30 days were up, I treated myself. I went to Primanti’s, got a sandwich, beer and fried pickles. They say after the 30 days that stuff like Wendy’s, Chick Fil A or any of your guilty pleasures won’t taste good to you anymore.  I did not have this result… like, even a little bit. However, it was the holiday season when I finished, and that 30 days was not enough for my self-control to kick in and enable being thoughtful about the food I ingested.

P.S- Yes, I cheated on Thanksgiving because unfortunately my self-control isn’t made of steel, and I’m not even a little bit sorry about it.

If you are considering starting the Whole30, try it. There are so many great aspects about this “diet,” but as most people would tell you, it is NOT for everyone.

Here is my advice to whomever decides to try it out:

Do research before you start.

I told you that I did a lot of research, but do more. The best research that I did was watching YouTube videos of people doing the Whole30 or reviewing it after they completed it. Pinterest is your best friend, more so than usual. I found myself many times thinking “great, chicken, broccoli and a sweet potato…again” and it’s dragging to cognitively know that you aren’t getting versatility in the food you’re eating. Add different meats, and different ways to prepare your foods so that you aren’t eating the same thing all of the time or else you’ll get discouraged and want to cheat.

Keep a journal.

Documenting the foods that make you feelfuller and the foods that aren’t exactly worth the calories will be worth your while going through the 30 days, and after.

Drink lots of H2O.

Water is your best friend – more than Pinterest. In addition to taking foods out of your diet that your body doesn’t need (but wants), drinking tons of water is going to give you a lot of energy, make you feel full, helps clear your skin, the list goes on and on and on. I made sure to drink a gallon a day or at least close to it.

Give yourself inspiration.

Whether it be to lose weight, get healthier, etc. There are plenty of reasons to take on a healthier journey. I liked to watch success stories to see how effective the program was because it puts it into perspective to see how attainable an end goal is.

Do it with someone else.

I can honestly say, that this program requires a ton of commitment, mental focus and drive. I don’t know if I would have been able to complete the entire 30 days without my two friends doing it with me (shout out Morgan & Taylor). It creates a support system so you can talk about your horrible carb craving days and sane days without sounding annoying to people who aren’t doing it.

If there are any other questions you may have about the Whole30, feel free to shoot me an email or comment!

Hit me up if you have anything you want me to try out or if you have any questions on this diet.

Thanks for stopping by ☆

Liv