“Over the years I’ve gone from one diet or plan to another. This vicious cycle turned into major body issues and an eating disorder. The Whole30 has been a huge part of my transformation in the fact that it has changed my relationship with food. I no longer struggle with binging and this is no longer a diet to me but just the way I prefer to eat. My nasty sugar tantrums are gone as well! That was probably one of my biggest issues when I struggled with the eating disorder. I had so much trouble with sugar and now I don’t want it at all.”
—Elise H., city/state withheld
The short answer: because a cookie is a cookie, and cookies (or pancakes, bread, or brownies) have no place in the Whole30. The longer answer: The Whole30 is about changing the behaviors that led you to persistent cravings, unhealthy emotional relationships with food, and feeling out of control with your food choices. (We suspect that’s a big part of why you’re here.) Do you really want to spend the entirety of your Whole30 eating the same highly rewarding, nutrient-poor foods-with-no-brakes you’ve been eating all along? If you come out of your program with the same habits, cravings, and food choices you had when you started, your chances for long-term, life-changing success are slim. After all, those very same habits, cravings, and food choices are what got you into trouble in the first place! Use the Whole30 to change your habits, break unhealthy cravings, and create a new, healthy relationship with food. Follow this rule and you won’t be sorry, as the new habits and patterns you create will stay with you for the rest of your life.
Seriously, no pancakes. This is a rule. Please keep reading.
Well, technically, it is. You’re all grown-ups, and we’re not about to come into your kitchen and take away your pancakes. But we created the program rules, and those rules specifically state that certain foods are off-limits, and this is the program to which you committed. Signing up for the Whole30 and then complaining about the rules is like joining a soccer team and getting mad that you can’t use your hands. If you want to reap the psychological and physical benefits of the program, follow it exactly as designed, including avoiding those baked goods or treats that we specifically list as off-limits. Remember, it’s only 30 days. And we’d go so far as to say if you’re getting anxious at the idea of not eating pancakes for a month, there’s something there worth looking at.
✪Tip: The trouble with these foods is that they’re almost-but-not-quite as good as the stuff you used to eat. Pizza with an almond-flour crust and no cheese just isn’t the same as the deep-dish pizza you love, but it’s close enough that it keeps your brain thinking “I want pizza.” If you keep eating these less satisfying knock-offs during your program, your brain will keep craving the reward that comes from junk food and treats. And one day, when you’re stressed, upset, or lonely, you’ll decide these poor recreations aren’t going to cut it, and you’re a grown-up, and if you want real pizza, you should have it . . . and before you know it, your Whole30 is over, and you’re back to the same guilt/shame/reward cycle you’ve been desperate to break. It’s just not worth it . . . and it’s only 30 days.
A few off-limits foods that fall under this rule include: pancakes, bread, tortillas, biscuits, crepes, muffins, cupcakes, cookies, pizza crust, waffles, cereal, potato chips, French fries, and this one recipe where eggs, date paste, and coconut milk are combined with prayers to create a thick, creamy concoction that can once again transform your undrinkable black coffee into sweet, dreamy caffeine. However, while this list is off-limits for everyone (even those who don’t “have a problem” with bread or pancakes), your off-limits list may include other foods.
Not necessarily. These foods are expressly forbidden, but there are other foods that may be in that “gray area,” and we ask that you take some personal responsibility with those. For example, Cashew Cookie Larabars are technically Whole30 Approved, and a great choice for those running a marathon or hiking the Appalachian trail. But if you’re eating them as a substitute for your 3 p.m. candy bar, and find yourself slightly out of control when eating them (or after), we’d encourage you to identify that less healthy habit and say, “This food is not okay for me during my thirty days. It is a trigger food, and if I am trying to change my habits, I need to leave it off my plate.”
The real determining factor here is this: Are you attempting to recreate the exact look, texture, and flavor of the off-limits food? “Paleo” bread is designed to look and taste as much like real bread as possible; same with alternative-flour pancakes, brownies, or muffins. But sweet potato buns, kale chips, or zoodles are just a substitution for the bread, potato chips, or pasta they are replacing, not a recreation. Your brain isn’t going to think it’s still eating bread when it bites into a burger sandwiched between two sweet potatoes—which means you are effectively breaking your bread habit, not feeding it.
First, ask yourself, “Am I trying to duplicate or recreate the exact look, texture, and flavor of something unhealthy I’m craving with approved ingredients, or am I merely looking for a healthier, more nutritious substitution for that food?” If it’s the former, just say no. In addition, if the food in question is something you’d turn to after a hard day at work or stressful event, it’s probably best to leave it out. While commercial mayonnaise isn’t the healthiest choice (because of the vegetable oils and added sugars), rarely does someone come home after a tough day at the office and drown their sorrows in a jar of mayo, which means recreating it probably isn’t an issue. Finally, when in doubt, leave it out. You can survive without this borderline food for 30 days—and if you feel like you can’t or get angry just thinking about it, you may want to take a closer look at your relationship with that food.
Still with the pancakes, huh? Here’s the thing: this is just another rule of the program, like “no grains” or “no added sugar.” You may or may not have problems with all of the foods we eliminate, but until you eliminate them for 30 days, you’ll never know for sure. You also may be surprised at the hold some of these baked goods or treats have on you—something you never would have noticed until you told your brain “no.” So please, just do the program our way for 30 days, and at the end, you can go right back to eating pancakes if you really want to. But we kind of suspect you won’t.
In the short term, yes. Eating this way is still new, so this is more an increase in awareness than an unhealthy obsession. You’ve jumped into a program that requires planning and preparation, detailed label reviews, and adherence to specific (unfamiliar) guidelines. It’s natural to spend the first week or so thinking a lot about food, considering you have to eat three times a day, and your menus probably look a lot different than they used to. To combat this, meal plan (see Plan some meals ) and batch-prep your food twice a week so that you don’t have to spend every day thinking about what you’re going to eat; familiarize yourself with the rules to easily identify what’s compliant and what isn’t; and buy simple foods with few ingredients on the label—or no label at all. With this approach, you’ll be cruising through your food choices with ease by Day 8.
Yes, yes, 100 percent yes. Sometimes program participants find that giving up brownies or pasta isn’t as hard as they think, then find themselves elbow-deep in a jar of almond butter every night after dinner. Those compliant foods that cause you to binge eat, excessively crave, or eat when you’re not hungry should be excluded from the program.
Junk food benders happen after many restrictive diets, but it’s not common on the Whole30. First, our plan doesn’t restrict calories—a common cause of the bounce-back effect of crash diets. Because you are full and satisfied every day of your Whole30, you’re far less likely to actually feel restricted. Second, our plan focuses on changing your tastes and breaking cravings, so by the time the Whole30 is over, the junk foods you used to love are suddenly far less appealing. Finally, you came into this for the long haul, not a quick fix. You want to change your habits, so you won’t spend all 30 days obsessing about what you’re not eating—which means even if you think you’ll be knee-deep in pizza, beer, and ice cream when your Whole30 is over, 76 percent of people* say they don’t even want that stuff when Day 31 actually rolls around.
*Per a 2014 survey of more than 1,300 Whole30 participants. BACK
The Whole30 isn’t a weight-loss diet. The program is designed to jump start optimal health for the rest of your life. The number on the scale says nothing about your overall health, and it’s part of what is holding you hostage to your unhealthy relationship with food. So give yourself a long-overdue, well-deserved break from your preoccupation with body weight. You deserve it. At the end of 30 days, if the number on the scale is smaller, bonus! But during your Whole30, focus on getting healthier, not reducing the pull of gravity on your body mass.
It does, but our research and experience shows that the scale is more likely to encourage our participants to second-guess the program, and renders them blind to their non-scale progress. One simple digital read-out can cause folks to shrink their meals to unhealthy portions, spend more time in the gym than their energy levels will support, beat themselves up with negative self-talk, or give up the program because “it’s just not working.” If you find motivation in seeing continual progress, that’s fine—but let’s find a non-weight-related motivator for you to track each day. Try your sleep quality, energy levels, mood, or self-esteem—things that actually make a difference for your health! (And if you happen to notice that your clothes are fitting better, you’re allowed to give yourself a high-five.)
Our nutrition plan will improve your overall health, and that is almost always reflected in an improvement in body composition. Meaning, if you focus on eating better, sleeping better, and making yourself healthier, your body composition will fall into line. So trust us, and be patient. We’ll get you there the healthy way—the right way—in a manner that you’ll be able to maintain for the rest of your life. Now, we’ll actually answer your question. In a survey of over 1,600 Whole30 participants, 96 percent reported they lost weight and/or improved their body composition during their program. The majority lost between 6 and 15 pounds in 30 days. So, there you go—proof that weight loss is built right into the program, without you having to think about it.
Well, that’s a tricky one. You see, our program guidelines are pretty darn clear. This is a big-picture, wide-reaching program designed to change many things at once. The goal is to increase your awareness of what you’re eating and the habits that surround your food life, and change those that are detrimental to your body and brain. If you break a rule, we always recommend a full Whole30 restart. (Think about going all the way back to Day 1 the next time the scale calls your name! Is it worth it? Heck, no!) However, you’re still a grown-up, and get to decide these things for yourself. We’ll just ask you to be honest with yourself and work hard to break your dependence on the scale for validation.
For most people, weight loss happens effortlessly with improved health, so we encourage you to look for better health markers to make sure you’re on track. A few things to notice: Are your cravings improving? Do you feel like you’re more in control of your food choices? Are you able to better trust your body’s “hungry” signal? Is your energy better, or steadier? Is your digestion improved, or have you lost some bloat? Are your symptoms decreasing? Are you happier, more self-confident, or better able to focus? Is your performance in the gym improving, or are you recovering faster? These are all signs that you’re on the right track to changing your life and building new, healthy habits.
Focus on your accomplishments each day—what we call the “small wins.” Did you make it through the day compliant? Great! Did you resist temptation, even though it was hard? Good for you! Did you make it through 3 p.m. without needing that extra coffee? Wonderful. Did you find a way to reward yourself without food? Amazing! Those are the victories we want you to celebrate throughout this process—and if you take the time to notice these small wins, you’ll be amazed at how much you are actually accomplishing every day.
Technically, the admonition to avoid tracking calories or macronutrients is just a recommendation, not a rule. However, we’d caution you against it for the same reasons we caution against the scale. Your body knows how much you should be eating better than any calculator you’ll find on the internet, and once you’re eating Good Food, you’ll be able to trust the signals your body is sending you. In addition, some of you have been so conditioned to restrict calories or macronutrients that even though you feel amazing eating as much as you are, you may still be tempted to cut back once you see the numbers add up. Don’t let numbers on a spreadsheet mess with your head, or your Whole30 results. For now, just follow our meal template and let your body’s own cues (hunger, energy, cravings, mood, athletic performance, and recovery) be your guide to eating more or less.