- The Whole30 Plan is designed to cut all inflammatory foods out of your diet, reset your gut, and help you figure out what's been causing your ailments.
- Foods on the off-limits list include soy, legumes, added sugar — real or artificial — grains, dairy, baked goods, junk foods, carrageenan, MSG, and sulfates.
- Eating treats or snacks made with approved foods — like coconut flour pancakes — is "totally missing the point of the Whole30 and will compromise your life-changing results," according to the rule book.
- Celebrities like Emmy Rossum and Busy Philipps have given the plan a try, using social media to document their experiences.
- Before trying Whole30, I had never gone on any sort of diet. I really enjoy food, and I really don't enjoy a program telling me what I can and can't eat.
- The Whole30 hasn't been thoroughly tested and several members of the scientific community have questioned its long-term sustainability.
- While I did see some of the promised results — like weight loss and decreased levels of anxiety and depression — I wouldn't necessarily recommend the plan.
- Here's my entire journey in photos — from start to a few months post-finish.
- Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.
Before trying Whole30, I had never been on a structured diet. I like all types of food too much, and I loathe being told what I can and can't eat.
My New York-native, Jewish/Mediterranean/Middle-Eastern family loves food, too. It's part of who we are both socially and culturally, and it's always the center of attention at a gathering. Yes, we're those people who talk about what we're having for dinner while we're sitting at the breakfast table.
With seemingly everyone on the internet talking about how cutting out certain foods can clear your skin or make you feel like a brand new, superhuman version of yourself, I started to pay more attention to trendy diets. Can they actually work?
Once I saw "Shameless" star, Emmy Rossum, was conquering the Whole30 program, I was especially intrigued.
Source: Well + Good
In an interview with SELF, she said the program gave her a "better holistic idea of what food does to me." That sounded pretty cool to me! I decided to dig a little deeper, and found out that dieters weren't just affected physically, but mentally as well. I've lived with anxiety and depression for as long as I can remember, so I wanted to see if it would have any effect on my mood or other symptoms, was this program something I should be trying, too?
Source: SHAPE
I found out that the Whole30 is a meal plan devised by Melissa Hartwig Urban and Dallas Hartwig that asks participants to "let us change your life." Melissa is a certified sports nutritionist, and she and her ex-husband first tested out the plan in 2009 when Dallas was struggling with chronic shoulder pain.
They decided to cut out all inflammatory foods for 30 days, and then slowly incorporate them back into their diet to try and figure out what type of food, if any, was causing discomfort. Inflammation is our body's way of protecting us from things like infection, but if it continues for too long it can cause a variety of issues instead.
Source: Whole30, Harvard Medical School
On the off-limits list are legumes — which means I couldn't enjoy my usual snack of peanut butter. Dairy and grains are also no-gos, which proved particularly difficult since I love cheese and used to make rice as a side for almost every meal.
Off-limits ingredients like soy and added sugar were super tricky to avoid — I found out they're hiding in so many of the foods I eat.
Alcohol is also off-limits for this challenge, which meant I was sticking to water at the company happy hour.
Lastly, I couldn't consume anything that's not a "real, whole food" — basically, if you can't pronounce the ingredient or recognize it right away as something you've physically seen as a stand-alone food, then it's a hard no for Whole30. Almost all packaged or canned foods that I looked at had some ingredient, like sulfites, that fell into this category.
After Melissa and Dallas shared the program with friends and family — and the extended family that is their social media network — the couple published a book, partnered with recipe-makers, and generated a following of 797,000 on Instagram to date.
Source: Whole30 Instagram
Even though Whole30 developed a cultish following, there are some members of the scientific community who denounce the program. It's even been dubbed one of the worst diets by experts.
Source: US News, Cosmopolitan
US News reported that although it's not particularly "unsafe," one expert called it “the antithesis of a long-term healthy dietary pattern." Nutrition experts told Business Insider our bodies need more than 30 days "to perform a truly complete nutrition re-set if you want to reduce inflammation."
Source: US News, Business Insider
Regardless of scientific reviews, I was still intrigued by testimonials on the Whole30 website that said the plan "cured" dieters of their mental health disorders — the quoted word "cure" has since been removed from this paragraph on the website.
Source: Whole30
Along with hoping to see mental health results, I had a few other goals for the end of this trial ...
I wanted to snack less on things with processed sugar — before I started I craved candy, sour gummies, and lots of chocolate.
I was hoping to see my skin clear up, too — while I have fairly clear skin on my face, my chest and upper back can get littered with acne from time to time.
I was really hoping to have higher energy levels by the end of the day. Higher energy levels is something that the Whole30 method says is a likely outcome — although they're careful not to use any definitive wording. So technically, this is kind of an arbitrary metric and essentially un-provable.
Lastly, I hoped my muscles would become more defined as I continued to exercise. I wanted to gain at least five pounds of muscle, but I knew that was probably wishful thinking.
With these goals in mind I recruited celebrity nutritionist, and founder and CEO of Nutritious Life, Keri Glassman, to help me digest this whole thing — pun intended.
Source: Nutritious Life
As a registered dietitian, Glassman helped me take apart and rearrange my typical diet. She told me what I should use to replace certain staples like grains, and she gave me some quick and easy recipe ideas. The most helpful thing she did, though, was agreeing to check in with me weekly via a video call — I don't know what I would have done without those.
One of the first steps of the Whole30 plan is to purge your home of all not-compliant food. But, I hate wasting food, so I gave some to my roommates and coworkers, kept some things like rice and fresh peanut butter that I had just bought in a closed bin out of sight, and then ate everything else in the days leading up to day one.
After committing to the program, participants are supposed to set up a support network. My roommates were definitely on board with keeping me on track, and my coworker was starting a 10-day no sugar, no carb challenge made popular by Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez, so we encouraged each other along the way. But not everyone was so supportive.
Source: INSIDER
Another important part of Whole30 prep — and, according to the site, a major key to success — is preparation. The program suggests creating a physical "if/then list" — meaning participants should write out a list of actions we should take if we're, say, out with coworkers who give us a hard time about not ordering a drink.
Source: Whole30
Next, I was supposed to get rid of all body scales in the house. The site says stepping on the scale mid-program would blind me to other benefits of the program. But the prep outline also says we should take before measurements and photos of our bodies so we can attach a number to our progress at the end — this seems kind of counterintuitive to the "toss the scale" mantra to me.
Taking before measurements builds up this whole moment on day 31 when you finally get to take those after measurements.
After I took all the steps toward prep, it was time to really get started. That meant it was time to grocery shop. My first grocery shopping extravaganza was a journey.
I usually stock up on dry pasta, canned beans, corn tortillas, meats and fish, and peanut butter — I had to adjust my grocery list.
First stop: Trader Joe's. The good part was that I got to skip all the middle aisles because that's where all the pre-packaged, prepared, frozen foods are. Usually, I'll stock up on frozen rice and some ice cream sandwiches, but not this time!
I got frazzled trying to read all the labels in the dry goods section. Thankfully, Keri was available via text and helped me through a few close calls like rice vinegar — she said it was approved even though it contains the word "rice."
I was going to get some red meat, but they had no grass-fed options — on Whole30, I was supposed to eat the purest form of all foods possible. I decided to postpone that purchase.
With my sad, basically empty cart of coconut milk, vinegar, and seeds, I checked out and headed for destination number two: Whole Foods.
I had an agenda for Whole Foods: I was going to load up on my protein and get out. Of course, it wasn't that easy. I needed meat and fish, but to get there, I had to make it past the cheese counter — if this sounds like the makings of a mid-evil quest, that's because it seriously felt like one.
I fought the urge monster, pushed through the cases and cases of international dairy, made it past the craft beer refrigerator, past the deli counter, and finally to the butcher station. Alas, the chicken sausages I planned on getting all contained soy.
After reading just about every label on the wall, I found this option. All ingredients listed were real foods that I could pronounce. That's a go for W30!
After grabbing some Whole30 approved snacks like unsweetened dried mango, it was time to head out to my last stop, Eataly — a specialty Italian food store in Manhattan — for fresh produce.
Then came the meal prep stage of this game. I spent the rest of my Sunday preparing meals for the week. I made salads, a whole slew of hard boiled eggs, and pre-grilled some sausages.
I also had to come up with a new plan for breakfast. Before Whole30, my weekday breakfast usually looked like this. Kind of sad, but it does the job — and it's provided by my office, so it's free!
This bar I ate almost every day is filled with unpronounceable ingredients that are on the Whole30 guide to practicing label reading.
I found substitutes for weekday breakfast like hard-boiled eggs and mixed nuts, but my satisfaction with the meal didn't last too long. I was back on the coffee-and-banana-for-breakfast regimen pretty quickly, which didn't give me the protein I think I needed to start the day.
I'm also a pretty big snacker. You never really know a girl until you've seen her snack drawer — welcome to mine! Before I started Whole30, it was filled with dark chocolate covered almonds, chips, granola, peanut butter, gummies, and candy.
I kept bringing a bag of mixed nuts with me to fill that 3 p.m. chocolate covered almond void but it didn't work. Instead of filling the craving it just made me pissed off that I wasn't eating something I genuinely enjoy and know isn't that bad for me.
Before starting Whole30, I ate something different for lunch every day of the week — Monday might mean a salad and Tuesday might be leftovers from Monday's dinner. But on Whole30 I bulk-prepared lunches, which I learned is not for me — I can only eat an egg frittata so many days in a row.
Dinners on Whole30 were a little more exciting than lunch. A typical dinner for me before Whole30 included some sort of protein— I eat fish, chicken, and all sorts of red meat — something green, and some sort of grain, so I only had to ditch the grain.
Before Whole30, I'd get cod and reasonably-priced salmon from Whole Foods. But in sticking to the purest form of food rule of Whole30, I splurged on the wild-caught fish. After finishing the program, I find that I've been sticking with wild-caught fish — but I usually get it from Trader Joe's because it's less expensive there.
My go-to lazy dinner pre-Whole30 was tacos. I always have corn tortillas in my freezer, and I always find something to put in them. Whether that's chicken, steak, eggs, or leftovers from another night that week, throw it in a warm corn tortilla and I'm there. But, no tortillas allowed on Whole30!
I tried to make deconstructed versions of tacos throughout the month. I had half a sweet potato and half an avocado as well to try and fill me up the way grains usually do — it didn't really work.
Another thing I was missing from this meal and a lot of meals that followed was a sauce component. After speaking with Keri, she suggested making my own sauces like tahini and a pico de gallo. I ended up making the pico, which stayed fresh in the refrigerator, and I used it throughout the rest of the Whole30. Now, it's something I continue to make and keep on hand.
One of my biggest challenges was a family pizza making class I forgot I had on the schedule. Pro-tip: If you're going to try Whole30 pick a stretch of 30 days when you have the least amount of food-focused commitments.
Of course, I wasn't going to skip the class, but I did plan on going prepared. I was going to eat a big breakfast before and take fruit-infused water so I wouldn't arrive at the class hungry or feel tempted to eat something just for the sake of eating.
But I was rushing in the morning and didn't do any of the prep work. So I decided to "cheat" a little bit, but in the Whole30-ist way possible: By making my pizza dough without sugar, and only using the cheese that we hand-made. Nothing I put on my pie was heavily processed.
This party came halfway through the 30 days, I had one bite of the pizza and honestly didn't want any more — that was the first sign of progress I had really seen.
Apart from the class, It was hardest to stay on track when I was with my family.
I went out for meals with my parents several times over the course of the 30 days, and each time I ordered they were embarrassed that I was asking so many questions, and they'd follow it up with a snarky variation of, "She's doing this weird diet. *Insert eye roll here.*"
Every time I ate with my family — especially after the pizza class — I was worried I'd crack and undo all the hard work I was putting into the program. But that wasn't the case. I left the class and various dinner tables, and I went right back to dairy-, soy-, wheat-, everything-free. It felt good to see that I was able to say no.
Going to bars with friends wasn't as difficult as going to dinner with family. The fact that I couldn't have any alcohol in my system wasn't the challenge here ...
... it was the fact that I couldn't participate in the bond-building act of drinking with people. One friend told me to just order a mocktail, but those are often made with sugary liquids. I stuck to water everywhere and I don't think I've ever been so hydrated.
Going out to eat and celebrate with friends was a bit of a bummer — especially since two of the times I went out, tacos were on the table. But I was determined to make it through the whole 30 days with as few hiccups as possible, so I ordered accordingly.
In general, I tried to avoid talking about my experience out of sheer self-consciousness — I personally get annoyed when people who are on a diet talk about it all the time. I did shout it from the Instagram rooftop, though!
I was so surprised how interested everyone was in my trial, though. Everywhere I went, it would inevitably come up in some small conversation, and then the next thing I knew everyone was asking me about it — strangers and friends alike.
I think I went out with friends more during Whole30 — when I couldn't drink alcohol — than I have in a consecutive 30 days ever before, or at least since I graduated from college. But after speaking with professionals, I don't think that's a coincidence.
I find that more often than not, I'd rather stay in by myself than go out to bars or a party with friends. It's behavior often associated with depression, and I wonder if the fact that I was feeling more open to opportunity had to do with the lack of inflammatory foods I was feeding my nervous system. Both professionals I spoke to said it's a possibility.
Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information, Psychology Today, Kelly Brogan MD
Even though I didn't conduct a full scientific study, after talking with both Keri and Dr. Lana Butner, a naturopathic doctor and licensed acupuncturist, I think the lack of anxiety, depressive behaviors, and shaking in the hands — I have a genetic essential tremor — were somehow tied to my new diet.
Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information, Psychology Today, Kelly Brogan MD
Some other positive effects I noticed at the end of the program were decreased facial puffiness in the morning and more well-defined abdominal muscles, which were also a result of continuing my yoga practice four times per week.
My body definitely did change ...
... but I wouldn't trade the ability to eat rice for a semi-developing four-pack ever again.
I lost exactly five pounds by the end of the 30 days.
Weight-loss was an expected result that, yes, actually did come to fruition. But there were other areas where I didn't see results at all, like my skin.
Increased energy levels and decreased cravings also didn't happen for me. I was still tired throughout the day — sometimes even more than usual – and I would have dreams at night about bread and pies and whipped cream.
I was also hungry all the time. There were some days when I'd eat so much protein — two hard boiled eggs, then steak and eggs and potatoes for brunch, then mixed nuts for a snack, and two large pork chops with veggies for dinner — but never feel full.
I also craved things I don't usually eat, like pork and duck. I generally don't like the taste of duck, but I saw it on a menu one night and it just looked so amazing that I ordered it and licked the plate clean.
Keri agreed that there really isn't ever a reason to cut out healthy grains and legumes from someone's diet, like Whole30 suggests, unless medically they can't consume them. That's why she typically hesitates to recommend Whole30 to her patients and recommends a modified version when necessary.
On the flip side, she doesn't see any reason anyone would need processed sugar in their diet — again, barring any medical requirement. So she encouraged me to keep these sugars out of my body after the program was over.
Three months later, I'm doing pretty well on that front. Yes, I'm back to eating all my beloved dark chocolate and sometimes a gummy or two ...
... but I do look at the bars and processed foods in my office through a different lens. The bars I once ate every day for breakfast just don't appeal to me anymore. If I'm going to eat something processed, I want it to be something I really want, not just something I want because it's in front of me.
Somewhere between three days and a week after day 30 I had gained back the five pounds I lost. Granted, I completely binged on day 31 and then stopped restricting myself from day 32 on. On day 32, I started by re-incorporating rice into my diet — bread and all the other yummy things followed in the weeks after.
I've seen a return to my pre-Whole30 mental health state, which makes me want to keep certain aspects of the meal plan in my diet currently.
Ultimately, I found the program too restrictive for no medically-supported reason. As Keri mentioned in a check-in, everyone's body needs different amounts of foods to function, and I couldn't function without the carbs I get from bread and rice. It didn't make sense for me that I had to keep those things out of my body for 30 days.
I also found the time limit to be counterintuitive. The fact that I knew the diet would be over after a set period of time made me approach it as more of a race to the finish line than an attempt at a lifestyle change.
That said, I do see some positive changes in the way I look at food even four months after finishing. There are Oreos sitting next to me right now, and while I would typically have eaten them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner pre-diet regardless of cravings, I haven't really touched them — I just don't want any. But ultimately, the positives weren't compelling enough for me to try Whole30 round two.
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