So, you’ve made the commitment to take charge of your health via The Whole30 Program – or maybe you’re still thinking about starting Whole30? Either way, you may find yourself wondering at one point or another …
Can I really do this?
I’m here to encourage you … Yes, you CAN do it! And not only can you do it, you can THRIVE – not just survive – during your Whole30 Journey.
The key to successfully completing the Whole30 program is not only to maintain a positive can-do mindset, but to also be sure to follow these five simple tips for success!
P.S. You don’t have to fly solo! I’ve put together an incredible collection of free helpful resources and support on my Whole30 resources page to help make your 30-day journey a delicious success!
Tip 1: EAT!
Yes, I know that you’re supposed to work toward eating just three meals a day (plus an extra bonus post-workout meal for those who are exercising). But it may take you a week (or even two) to get to that point. So don’t completely overwhelm and shock your body with just three meals a day the first few days or week of the program, especially if you’ve been a “grazer” your whole life.
Yes, I know some of you want to lose weight. But how many times does the Whole30 team have to tell you to stay off of the scale? So I’m going to remind you too – stop weighing yourself and just eat the healthy foods on the program. If you start starving yourself in an attempt to lose weight, you’re only setting yourself up for failure. So don’t do it! Walking around hungry all day is not going to help you.
When to eat / How much to eat?
If you eat a meal and then find yourself hungry before the next meal, ask yourself this question to determine if you’re truly hungry or just craving:
“Am I hungry enough to eat some grilled fish and veggies right now?” If the answer is yes, you’re truly hungry, go eat a healthy snack. If the answer is no, you’re just having a craving, so go find something else to do to take your mind off of it.
Then, at your next meal increase the amount of food you eat, particularly fat and protein and see how it goes? Are you hungry again before your next meal, then you’ll know that you need to increase the amount of food a bit more. Are you not feeling hungry when your next mealtime arrives, then you need to eat a little less next time. But always make sure to eat the minimum requirements to ensure adequate nutrition. (See “How to Plan a Healthy Whole30 Meal.”) By making simple adjustments as you go, you’ll eventually get to three (or four) meals a day.
What to eat?
You probably already know what to eat (and what not to eat), at least I hope so if you’ve started Whole30. But just incase, be sure to print out these two documents and keep them handy:
• What to Eat/What Not to Eat on Whole30
• How to Plan a Healthy Whole30 Meal
• And if you still have questions about what you can and can’t eat while on Whole30, be sure to check out the “What Can I Have on Whole30 Guide.”
P.S. Don’t miss the incredible collection of free helpful resources and support I’ve put together on my Whole30 resources page. Each of these are provided to help make your 30-day journey a delicious success!
What about snacks?
So I’m basically giving you permission to eat a snack if you’ve determined that you’re truly hungry. But it’s not just my opinion, the Whole30 team agrees. Again, walking around hungry all day is not going to help you.
However, you need to rethink snacks! Here’s what we typically think of when we think “snack” – lots of carbs and empty calories, such as crackers, chips, bars, cheese sticks, commercial fruit yogurts, etc. Wipe those from your memory. You now need to think of snacks as small Whole30 meals.
So think instead about snacks as smaller-sized whole food meals, such as
• Leftovers from dinner,
• A boiled egg and some raw veggies,
• A half of an avocado with cherry tomatoes and drizzle of olive oil and vinegar,
• A spoon of almond butter with some celery sticks,
• A plum with a handful of nuts,
• Apple slices wrapped with sliced turkey meat,
• Raw veggies and homemade guacamole,
• A cup of warm bone broth with a little diced leftover meat (bone broth is a wonderful way to promote a healthy gut)
These are just a few examples of the types of snacks I’ve eaten when I’m truly hungry, and you know what, it’s helped me tremendously to not cheat and actually enjoy the Whole30! So remember to first evaluate if you’re truly hungry, and then choose a healthy whole food snack with a good balance of protein, fat and carbs.
Health Tip: If you’re experiencing sugar withdrawal, you will find yourself feeling especially “hungry” – but again, not for something healthy like a piece of grilled fish and veggies. So what can you do? A healthy way I’ve found to beat intense sugar cravings is to sip a cup of warm tea. My personal favorite is Rooibos Tea because it’s soothing vanilla scent and flavor calms cravings. Rooibos, also called “red bush tea,” is naturally caffeine-free, and provides many health benefits since it’s rich in antioxidants, minerals and flavonoids, which help to reduce inflammation.
Tip 2: DRINK a lot of water!
There is no magic formula for how much water you should drink! As a general guideline, some suggest about half your bodyweight in ounces a day. So if you weight 120 pounds, that would be 60 ounces of water. Again, this is a guideline and should be treated as such since this may not be accurate for every person. There are many factors that determine how much fluid a person should consume a day in order to stay well hydrated. (For example, individuals who are exercising, nursing, living at altitude or in hot temperatures may require more fluids to maintain proper hydration.)
The point is, you want to avoid becoming dehydrated, since dehydration leads to headaches, fatigue, constipation, and other uncomfortable symptoms. Plus, you want to help your body flush out the toxins it’s releasing due to your pure whole food diet.
But don’t go crazy and start forcing yourself to drink excessive amounts of water, as that can lead to extremely low sodium levels in the blood and cause a dangerous condition called hyponatremia. Fact is – most of us could benefit from drinking more water, just be sensible about it!
Health Tip: Create “spa water” by adding slices of lemon, cucumbers and berries to your water. This will not only naturally flavor your water, but also provide added nutrients and enyzmes to aid digestion and help flush out toxins.
Tip 3: SLEEP!
You’re body is being put through the wringer – toxins are being released due to your new pure whole food diet, your brain is reeling trying to figure out what happened to its emotional and physiological comfort foods, and you’re therefore suffering both physically and mentally, especially if your diet previous to the Whole30 wasn’t very close to how you’re eating now.
So get to bed early and get some sleep – at least 7-8 hours a night, if possible. Sleep helps the body heal and it will provide you with more energy for the energy drain you may be feeling (especially during weeks 1-2) as your body learns how to properly fuel itself without the bad carbs and sugar it may have been accustomed to previously.
Tip 4: EXERCISE!
But go easy the first week. See number 3 above and cut yourself some slack, especially if you’re one of those ultimate-exerciser types. And if you haven’t been exercising at all, taking a daily brisk walk will get your body moving, which will help you feel more energized (counter-intuitive but true), and get your blood pumping to better help your body flush out those toxins.
Tip 5: PRAY/MEDITATE!
Slow down and take time to pray and meditate on God’s Word. Studies have shown over and over again that meditation relaxes the body and reduces stress.
And by the way, meditation doesn’t just refer to sitting around chanting a word or phrase over and over, the word “meditate” simply means “to think on.” So think on why you’re doing this and even more important express your thoughts to God and ask Him for help and guidance. You’ll be much more successful in everything you do as you seek the Lord first and His will for your life.
Bonus Tip: KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT!
Knowing what to expect during your Whole30 journey can be a source of great comfort, validation and encouragement to keep moving forward. So be sure to print out this document and keep it handy. It can be very helpful to remind yourself “I’m not the only one.” Hang in there! You CAN do this!
• What to Expect on Whole30
Let’s THRIVE together!
So, there you have it … my five tips for not just surviving the first week of Whole30, but THRIVING during the entire 30-day program.
I’m so happy we’re doing this together! Be sure to share your thoughts as well (in the comment section below) on how to not only survive, but thrive on Whole30!
Build Your Own Custom Whole30 Meal Plans!
Exciting news! … Of course you always have access to my free Whole30 meal plans and resources. But now, our friends at Whole30 have teamed up with Real Plans to offer you the option of totally customizable Whole30 meal plans that you can create based on your own unique tastes, preferences and schedule. How cool is that?
Plus, some of my own personal Whole30 recipes are included in their custom meal planning database of over 500 delicious Whole30 recipes! Woot! [Click here to learn more about this brand new customizable Whole30 meal planning resource.]
Let’s look at the advice about water again. You suggest half your body weight in water. I weigh about 180 (yes, too much, I know!). If I followed that advice I would need to drink 90 pounds of water. This amounts to about 22 quarts. A pint is a pound the world around, so 90 pints divided by four.
Because I definitely do not want to cause any confusion or misunderstanding. I went back to this point and reworked it to make it as clear as possible. Hopefully this helps to clarify that I am not advocating this guideline as a set-in-stone rule to live by, and also I made it clear that its OUNCES – not pounds – of water that nutritionists are referring to. Thank you for taking the time to leave a note as hopefully your question about my intention has helped me to write it out much more clearly. 🙂
90 oz., not lbs.
Thank you for all your helpful tips for the Whole 30, this is my 3rd attempt at a whole 30. The first time I quit at day 4 because I thought i couldnt be a good mom to my girls, Ages 3, 5, and 7, and they didn’t really understand why I was irritable. The second one I made it to day 17 and my husband helped convince me we had learned enough but it was too hard to keep track of everything and so we quit. This time I refuse to quit, I will complete at least one whole 30. Every time I have attempted one it has caused us to change a food habit for a healthier one so it wasn’t a complete waste but I want to experience the “Tiger Blood” week. I have a better plan this time and also a lot less crazy of a schedule so I know I will be successful. By the way. I made the Veggie Hashbrown Quiche and loved it.
You are so welcome, Amanda. It’s a joy and honor to be able to serve precious women and families like yours. I’m so happy to hear your commitment to sticking with Whole30 this time around. I have to share that the best part of sticking to the program is the confidence that it gives you. It’s very empowering to reach the 30-day mark and realize that you are in control of what you eat. You can say “no” to unhealthy cravings and you can make wise choices for the benefit of your health. I don’t mean this to sound like we can’t enjoy “treat” foods ever again, that’s not true. But instead after completing Whole30, we realize that we can weigh a situation and decide when we want to enjoy something not so healthy rather than getting into a habit of continually eating unhealthy foods and feeling like we don’t have control. Hopefully I’m making sense? Anyway, I am so proud of you for making this commitment to your health. Please know we’re here to help. If you haven’t joined us at The Nourishing Home Community on FB yet, I hope you will. We provide lots of daily support to help make the Whole30 journey easier and more fun. Here’s the link incase you’d like to join us: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheNourishingHomeCommunity/ Blessings, Kelly 🙂
I’m on day #5 of Whole30 and I’m finding it so easy!! Never thought I’d say that!!!! But, we’re going out of town next week and will be facing a family dinner in which pasta, cheese, bread and dessert will be served and absolutely NOTHING on the plan will be offered. Any suggestions on how to handle it?
Congrats on having a smooth start to your Whole30! That’s great. But don’t be discouraged if some bumps occur along the way and you are faced with challenges not only like the one you’ve described here, but with cravings and willpower, those are normal but you CAN stick to the plan and do this! Your health is worth it. I always recommend keeping the whole30 timeline handy so you can see the various phases that people go through while on this program:
As far as what to do about the family dinner? The great thing is, you know in advance that this situation is coming up. I would recommend calling your family ahead of time and explaining that you’re on a strict elimination diet for your health, and that you can’t wait to participate in the family gathering and spend time together, but unfortunately, you’re going to have to pass on the food because you are taking time to get a handle on your health. You might get a little kick back, but I find that most families love each other enough to respect and support each other. If fact, I recommend letting them know you could really use their support, because this is hard and you would love to participate in the family meal, but you need to say no right now.
As far as what to eat, since you’re with family, I’d request someone to take me to the market so I can pick up some compliant foods and I’d offer to make a side dish for the family meal that everyone can enjoy, and also grab some easy foods you can put together to get you through this visit without compromising your whole30. You’re not the only one to have to travel during whole30, it’s actually common since this is a 30-day program. Our friends at whole30 have a great quick reference guide that I recommend: http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-travel.pdf to help you think of simple meals you can grab to get your through your time away from home.
I hope this helps! I pray your family gives you their full support and perhaps your determination to make a difference in your health will inspire others in your family to do the same! Blessings, Kelly
Oops, I forgot the whole30 timeline: http://whole30.com/2013/08/revised-timeline/ 🙂
Hi Kelly,
I joined your recent Whole30 you are starting and had a question. I know I am over weight because I eat to much at a meal and then snack here and there with the kids. So knowing while on the Whole 30 how much at a meal I should. What should our portion size be. Is there a certain measurement or some way to regulate how much I am eating a a given meal? I am just so not able to be trusted to eat just what I need. I just don’t know when to stop. Does that make sense?
When does it officially begin? Do we get emails throughout? or should we more visit your blog or facebook frequently. I have 5 small children ageing between 2-8.5 myself and my husband do you think if I double your recipes that would be enough for us for a meal? CAn I use other recipes from your blog to replace any that we can’t eat from your meal plan kit you sent over? We dont eat pork for religious reasons.
Thanks for any help or input you may have. I am so sick of being over weight and just need to make a change. When the whole30 is over can we keep doing the same thing? Like repeat your meal plans or something like that. Thanks again and I look forward to hearing back from you.
Blessings,
Siobhan
Hi, Siobhan. Thank you for your kind note. I’m happy to help. It’s terrific that you’re wanting to take charge of your health and although losing weight is obviously important, you always want to accomplish this goal by eating a healthy balanced, whole food based diet that is sustainable (something you will do for life). The quick fix diet approach is definitely not the way to go, which is why I appreciate the Whole30. The focus is on cleaning up our diet, and personalizing a whole food diet that we can stick to for the long-term. (Of course, we all have set backs, but hopefully you know what I mean.)
As far as portion sizes, please check this document out on the Whole30 website: http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-meal-planning.pdf Also, please be sure to read through each of the resources about the Whole30 in my article here: http://thenourishinghome.com/2014/10/day-zero-getting-ready-whole30/ This will give you a clear idea of the program, how it works, what you should and should not be eating, etc. As far as the recipes on my site, the servings are listed for the recipes and in general my recipes serve 4 adults. So you can double the recipe if needed to meet the needs of your family or if you want to have leftovers. I hope this helps clarify! With blessings, Kelly 🙂
I forgot to mention I already eat like Weston A. Price way. I am not coming off the SAD, if you know what I mean. Thanks again.
Siobhan
Are home made dehydrated fruits and veggies, w/o sugar, compliant? (IE, apples, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, zucchini, strawberries, etc)
Hi, Marianne. Yes, dehydrated fruits and veggies without added sugar or other non-compliant ingredients are fine. You just want to be careful with dried fruit consumption if it’s contributing to sugar cravings. This article on whole30 explains about fruit, particularly dried: http://whole30.com/2015/06/dear-melissa-fruit/ I hope you’re joining us for our October Whole30. If you’d like access to my free meal plans, check out this article here on the blog: http://thenourishinghome.com/2014/09/whole30-challenge/ With blessings, Kelly 🙂
Thanks for all your info! I’m doing the Whole30 for the first time and very nervous but excited.Are Lara bars compliant with the program?
Hi, Susan. You’ll need to read the ingredients on the package as some LaraBars contain ingredients that are not compliant. Also, you do want to limit snacks like this since they’re made with dates which will contribute to feeding sugar cravings rather than kicking them to the curb. 🙂
Are Lara bars compliant with the whole 30?
Thank you.
Are Lara Bars compliant with the Whole 30?
Thank you!
Hi, Susan. You’ll need to read the ingredients on the package as some LaraBars contain ingredients that are not compliant. Also, you do want to limit snacks like this since they’re made with dates which will contribute to feeding sugar cravings rather than kicking them to the curb. 🙂
I am on Day 4 and feeling great. I have been experiencing bowel movements (pretty loose) with uncomfortable cramping at 9:30/10 pm. Is this normal? Could it be all the vegetables this week?
Thanks..
Hi, Michelle. Bowel changes are a normal part of a big change to diet. Increasing veggies can definitely cause digestive issues until your body adjusts. One thing you can do is to eat your veggies steamed/cooked until your bowels adjust and then try small amounts of raw until you’re comfortable and can increase from there. In addition, making sure you’re taking a good probiotic supplement is key, and you may also want to include digestive enzymes. You can find some other tips for gut health here: http://thenourishinghome.com/tips-for-healing-your-gut-on-whole30/ Great job sticking with this! 🙂 Blessings, Kelly