Whole30: Getting Started

 Hello, my name is Shelby and I am a Whole30 alumni. Currently finishing up my masters program in Whole30, approaching round 9. Let me disclaim by stating I am not a certified coach nor am I a nutritionist. My journey was supervised by my doctor and based off of my own dietary allowances. What works for me may not work for others but that’s okay. We need all sorts to make the world go round. C:

 My Whole30 journey started when I graduated college and my parents gifted me a pair of Tiffany sunglasses and the “30 Day Guide to Food Freedom” (2015) I was absolutely embarrassed. I had packed on 40lbs in less that 6 months and everyone noticed. I had gone to college and played the game of weight loss, from losing 25lbs then gaining that back plus 40lbs. I had weighed myself 2 weeks before graduating and watched the scale land on 242lbs. I felt as though the scale and world was laughing at me. I was in tears and I didn’t want to believe this impossible number. When I moved to the fabulous and over the top Chicago, IL I stuffed my face with deep dish pizzas and burgers. I didn’t want to confront the reality I had created for myself, but then I faced a wakeup call. I had lived in Chicago for one month, put on more weight (probably another 10lbs), my pants were tight, and I didn’t want to take the stair from the L to the exit. I was looking for an elevator. That was when I knew I had to change my habits. I was only 24 years old and I was experiencing shortness of breath, pain in my limbs and strain on my heart from a single flight of stairs. That saturday afternoon I absorbed the “30 Day Guide to Food Freedom” and on July 10th, 2017 I started my first round of Whole30.

Graduation 2017 (me in my two forms)

  That is my embarrassed answer to “why did you start Whole30?” Even though it makes my stomach turn to think that I was 75lbs heavier than I currently am and unable to climb a flight of stairs without gasping for air, that is what I became in a short amount of time. I can write up a list full of excuses as to why I packed on the weight and how I was always trying to lose the weight. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter. I use to explore the internet looking for success stories and what triggered the start to weight loss success stories. The response was always the same “it just clicked one day.” Honestly my experience wasn’t a lightning bolt of “I have to do this now” it was more of a “I don’t want to have a heart attack while living downtown in the loop of Chicago. Love you Mama Cass but your death was ultimately not worth that ham sandwich.”

1/2019 & 2/2019
(186-174lbs)

 Before I start describing my journey and offering up tips for a successful round of Whole30, I have a few questions for you. Have you read the whole30 book? Have you meal prepped any of your meals? Are you ready to face the fact that you can’t have dairy, bread, sugar, or ‘healthy’ mock meals? If you’re not ready to be 110% honest with yourself then this isn’t the program or lifestyle for you. I didn’t start my w30r1 thinking I was going to lose 75lbs in 2 and a half years. All I wanted to do was stop my heart from racing when I walked up stairs and understand why I kept breaking out in painful rashes. When I began to read the book I began to understand food and why I needed to avoid certain ingredients. That saturday I decided I was ready to stop reading and to start living. I used the week planner that was in the book to start my journey. I love that the author’s Melissa Hartwig and Dallas Hartwig liked to indicate that this meal planner is nothing but a tool to get started. The entire book is a tool. In additions to this resource, I started searching for Whole30 success stories to gain an understanding of different struggles, successes and even obtain new recipes that aren’t in the book.
When people find out I’ve managed to complete a total of 8 rounds on the 30 day W30 cleanse in the past 2 and half year I’m typically bombarded with questions. Usually these questions include “how did you start?” and a “how do you keep going?” My answers are simple, “I was sick of feeling ashamed about what I did to my body and feeling like I ran a mile when all I did was climbed 10 steps,” and “I want tomorrow to be day _ not day 1.” That last answer really helps me push through a slump if I’m in one. It may not work for everyone but putting my progress in terms of “days to go” vs “days to start over” prevents me from eating that one normal fry that I’m going to find mediocre.
Alright! So the research is done and we are ready to start LIVING!  Here are my secrets that caused me to lose 75lbs.

On W30 30 day cleanse

• No dairy
• No gluten/grains
• No peanuts
• No white potato
• No mock meals/desserts/sauces
  
• No ‘sugar-free’
  
• No legumas
  
• No added sugar
  
• No ‘junk food’
  
• No alcohol
  
• No soda
  
• No added salts
• No MSG
• Eat 3 meals a day
• Eat meat!
• Eat veggies!
• Eat minimal fruit!
• Drink water!
• Drink black coffee!
• Sleep!

Off W30 30 day cleanse

• No dairy
• No gluten/grains
• No peanuts
• No mock meals/desserts/sauces
  
• No ‘sugar-free’
  
• No added sugar
  
• No ‘junk food’
  
• No alcohol
  
• No soda
  
• No added salts
• No MSG
• Eat 3 meals a day
• Eat meat!
• Eat veggies!
• Eat minimal fruit!
• Drink water!
• Drink black coffee!
• Sleep!

I’m sure by looking at what I listed above that it feels impossible but it isn’t. Honestly when I saw this list for the first time I felt defeated without even trying. But I had to remind myself the W30 wasn’t a diet, it’s a lifestyle that I wanted to live every single day. The first round of W30 wasn’t a 30 day cleanse it turned into a 62 day cleanse because I was feeling that good once I understood all of my food freedoms. My mood was sky high, my anxiety levels were down, I was smiling all the times, extreme food craving no longer existed and my rashes went away. OH and my clothes were like giant trash bags on me because I was losing weight so quickly. I lost 30lbs on my W62 in the summer of 2017. I’ve kept that off and have lost even more weight over the next few years. I want to offer up some menu ideas that I found from the W30 book that kept me on track!

Breakfast 

• Fritatte w/ veggies
  
• Eggs w/ veggies
• Omelets w/ veggies

Main meals 

• Taco salad
• Steak and sweet potato
• Riceless sushi
• Poke
• W30 Meatloaf
• Lettuce wrap burger and baked sweet potato fries
• Avocado and baked sweet potato fries
• Salmon Avocado Spread

Go to drinks

• Soda water and lime
• Water
• La croix
• Black coffee (limited 2 before 2pm)

I would love list every single recipe for all of these meals but half of them are located in the W30 book or on pinterest! (If interested please leave a comment below.) I mostly ate red meat, seafood (excluding my allergies), veggies, sweet potatoes and minimal fruit. My life saver was soda water and lime. When it came to reintroduction I couldn’t believe how many reactions I had to all of these restricted foods. One by one I found that if I consume dairy I break out in hives, itch from head to toe and my nose drips like a faucet while my throat fills with loogies. When I have gluten based foods my body feels like it’s on fire, from inside of my ears to the bottom of my feet and my joints aches. Salt gives me pounding headaches, sugar make me irritable and feel like Edina Monsoon. MSG causes me to stay in bed as I feel like I have the flu. Even just today I found that I may have an intolerance to sulfites in wine! Huzzah! Even though this looks pretty bad I don’t mind not having these foods in my diet any longer. I was so sick of food controlling my life that it’s a relief to have an actual reason to not consume something. Most people roll their eyes when they ask why I can’t have something but at the end of the day it isn’t about them. It’s about me and what’s best for my body. Everyone is different and just because when I’m off W30 and not consuming dairy, that has to be other W30 reinteroductioners. But if reintroduction dairy causes any sort of discomfort then yeah, dairy and your body may not get along.

Me (face shape changes) 8/2018
(185lbs)

 So I’m not an vegan, not a vegetarian, not even a pescatarian. I eat what I want as long as it fits into the W30 plan. Just today I also had sushi and my nose was dripping! I haven’t had rice awhile and yesterday and today I had rice. I woke up with a dripping nose this morning, then I had it again and the same thing started to happen. Rice might be out of my diet but if that means not feeling like crap then that’s fine. Food is meant to be used as energy. Remember that!
Some tips I’d love to offer to whomever this may concern:

1. You’re doing this for you and no one else.
2. Clean out your kitchen, if you live alone take everything out of your fridge, pantry and cupboards. Assess what you have and only keep W30 compliant foods, spices, and canned foods (NO SALTS!). Throw out anything that is tempting to you, if that’s chocolate then throw it out! You can always buy a new bar after 30 days if that’s the first thing you want to introduce into your diet. When I went through this I knew myself and I knew if I kept candy, chocolate, mocha mixes, cheese, ect I would dump my cleanse and binge. Think of yourself and be kind to yourself future self. You’re going to be trying your best and sometimes we aren’t always in the best head space to make the best decisions. To prevent of a slip up at home throw out anything tempting! Your home should be your sanctuary during your cleanse!
3. If you are worried about incorporating a workout plan then push that aside for now and worry about what you eat. 80-90% of your weight loss will be due to your diet. If you can only concentration on what you eat, that is okay! Figure out what works for you then incorporate cardio or whatever your workout plan is. I walked everywhere on my r1w62 my daily cardio was incorporated into my lifestyle at the time. Now I live in an entirely different place and have to find different ways to workout. I still struggle with working out but I lose weight due to my food intake.
4. You’re going to become the best cook in your friends circle. W30 doesn’t only teach you how to become self reliable with food intake but also how to become a independent meal prepper and cook. Again, the W30 book gives many recipes but it’s pretty flexible when it comes to ingredients. Don’t eat bird like me? Use ground beef! It’s that simple! Hate spinach but need the iron? Cut the spinach up into finer piece and add it into your frittata.
5. Don’t clothes shop until you’re off your cleanse. This will help prevent discouragement if you’re not seeing results right away.
6. Remove your scale from it’s normal area so you don’t see it everyday. Only weigh yourself when you’re about to start a cleanse and when you get off a cleanse. I use to weigh myself 2 times a day and now I may weigh myself maybe twice a month. The number doesn’t matter, that size 18+ pants to a size 12 with room is what’s important.
7. Portion control is important but restrict yourself to the point of starvation. Make sure you’re eating 3 meals a day and if you ever feel light headed then you’re not eating enough! This program only works if you do it properly and starving ourselves isn’t apart of the program.
8.  Remember that you AREN’T the W30. The W30 is AMAZING, when you find out it works you’ll want to tell everyone what you know, how you’re feeling, ect. Just remember you aren’t a number and you aren’t what you use to be. You are more than a number on the scale. Share your success but remember you are more than weight loss!

1/2019 & 2/2019
(186-174lbs)

Since I’ve been doing this for so long I know I’ve missed out on a ton of stuff but please feel free to connect with me down in the comments. If there is a meal that sounds interesting let me know! I can write up a recipe. The W30 community is amazing and throughout the years there have been a ton of changes to the program. I follow the “30 Day Guide to Food Freedom” (2015) so restrictions and food allowances are different. Example, white potato is allowed on W30, I personally don’t allow white potato to be on my day to day allowance list because I find that I gain weight when I consume it. Again, everyone’s experiences will be different but that’s part of the fun! I’d love to hear from the community and other’s experiences. Please leave a comment below!

Thanks for reading about my journey!

Wishing you the best of luck,
Shelby