You may have heard a lot of buzz lately about the
Whole30 Diet. I decided to give it a whirl because I had a family member embarking on it and she created a group for support, so I thought I would give my support. Please note- I did the
vegetarian version of the Whole 30 as I do not eat meat. I thought I can do anything for 30 days and it seemed pretty similar to how I eat already. No processed foods, no added sugars, etc.
I planned out meals and meal prepped and was ready to go. The first and second day, I thought "This is pretty easy, no big deal". Then I started to miss things that were a part of my normal eating habits...like quinoa. I still don't think quinoa is bad by any means, but it is not allowed on the Whole30. Then I really started to realize there were a lot of things that weren't on the list....like chia seeds....ahhh my love for chia! I made my daughter lunch one day, spelt noodles, and I wanted some so badly. Since it wasn't Whole30 approved, it was off limits. That act of having to tell myself "no" and deprive myself of something that really wasn't that bad to begin with, really struck a chord with me. I began to feel obsessed with what I could and couldn't eat. I had never had that relationship with food and I didn't like it. I started to really re-assess my goals. Why was I doing this? What is the point? I eat pretty darn healthy by many standards already. I began looking up online for other Whole30 drop outs or people writing about that it wasn't for them, and I kept finding testimonials that it made them feel "the best they've ever felt!" That made me feel worse because, I am really the only one who wants to drop out? Am I really the only one who doesn't think this is right for them? (Edit: when editing this post, I found a great blog by The Poser Mama that basically sums up everything I am trying to say. It's great and read it
here.)
After speaking with a friend, who basically told me, it's okay to quit, I felt that is what I had to do. I am not a quitter, but I didn't like where this was going for me. My friend mentioned that unless you are trying to pinpoint an allergy or an auto-immune response there probably isn't a need for the Whole30. My hope, in addition to supporting my cousin, was to drop the little bit of extra body fat I've been carrying around since I haven't been strength training/doing boot camp. But, I really looked at the whole picture. I know that I could drop that by upping my strength training and cutting down a little on the beer consumption. That seemed like a much better solution for me.
In short, the Whole30 was not for me. I am still not convinced that beans or quinoa are "bad". I think they are a great part of a healthy, well rounded diet. Is Whole30 all bad? No. But, I do think the regular version is a bit Atkins-y with the super low carb and meat heaviness of it. I think the positive side is it will get people to focus on whole foods, ditch processed foods and remove added sugars from their diet. Those are all good things that we should all strive for, Whole30 or not.
I am not writing this to shame those who are doing Whole30, I am writing to make those who feel it is not for them or those who "quit" know that it is okay! As
The Poser Mama wrote in her post, "
I always encourage people to carefully assess their dietary habits and make
changes when necessary. But if that doesn't look like Whole30 to you, I want
you to know one thing:You aren't the only one. "
