2018: In today’s episode, I’m talking about why I quit Whole30. Spoiler alert: it’s not fixing your relationship with food, it’s making it worse.
Listen to the episode here!
This is not the kind of quitting where people quit halfway through because it was too hard, they didn’t read the rules, or they fell “off the wagon.” This is coming from a former Whole30 coach who knows the ins and outs of the program like the back of her hand, has done her fair share of Whole30’s starting in 2013 (and took them to the extreme), and coached hundreds of people through Whole30’s. So you could say I speak from a little bit of experience here. A bunch of things in 2018 helped me reexamine everything about my life, my business, what I wanted to be putting out in the world and who I wanted to be serving with my work, plus who I believe I can help the most. And in order to help those people, I cannot support Whole30 as part of my business any more, for many reasons (that I will go into detail and explain during the podcast, duh!).
Here are a few of the bones I have to pick with the way *most* people are using Whole30 now: why I quit Whole30.
- I truly believe the way that MOST people (read: not ALL, but most people) are using the program now, is perpetuating the diet cycle and actually making people’s relationship with food worse. And as you guys have been able to tell over the past few months, I am NOT about that life.
- The way many people are using the program is just another excuse to yo-yo diet, binge eat, perpetuate the attachment of morality to food and the shame spiral.
- A lot of whole 30 marketing is circled around “it’s not a diet it’s a lifestyle change” and “it’s a 30 day elimination protocol and is not supposed to be done forever.” I totally agree with the latter. The problem is, it’s turning into a lifestyle change in that people are trying to adhere to the Whole30 rules forever, doing Whole100’s, Whole365’s, or doing a Whole30 multiple times a year (or a reset every other month). Is this not another form of disordered eating?
- If you get this stuck in this cycle, which SO many people do, the Whole30 is not healing your relationship with food – it’s actually making it much much worse.
- Listen to the episode for more…
Listen to the episode here!
You’ll love these episodes too…
27 | Stop doing the Whole30. (or so many of them, anyway)
28 | Listener Questions: Whole3 Yo-Yo Dieting and Food Freedom
42| How to find your Food Freedom
49| The Shame Spiral and why you don’t have to love your body with Noelle Tarr
I have yet to listen to the podcast episode but I 100% agree. I did my first and only Whole30 in August 2018 and I have been struggling with binge eating and yoyo dieting ever since. This is something that was never a problem for me before doing Whole30. I became obsessed with reading ingredients and then felt major shame when I ate sugar or dairy. I regret ever doing the Whole30.
Hi Shanny, thank you for sharing and I’m so sorry to hear that. I would highly recommend you listen to episodes 40, 45, 49, and 53 of the podcast – those are where I dress this issue specifically and how we can start to see the other side of it 🙂
I feel the exact same. I did the Whole30 three times and while I felt great while I was on it, it was extremely hard to maintain since I am a picky eater and have struggled with healthy eating since I was a kid. Ever since I started Whole30, my binge eating and guilt about eating in general has gotten extremely bad. I keep thinking I’m the one that’s failing Whole30, when now I’m starting to think Whole30 is failing me. It may work for some people, but I exactly fit the bill of what’s described here.
Thanks for sharing, Elizabeth! It’s important to bring light to this – you definitely aren’t alone! You wouldn’t believe the number of responses I’ve received from people saying the exact same thing. It’s not you who is failing. There is no one thing that will work for everyone!
Hi! I first “met” you during your whole30 take over on IG. Loved your stories and quickly started following you on your own IG. Then I discovered your podcasts. I couldn’t stop listening to them and talking about them with my fiancé. Then I listened to the ones about whole30 and they made me really think.
I did my first whole30 in March and was doing pretty well in my clean eating food journey and then I crashed after my whole30 ended. I ate all the things. So then thought we should do another one to “Clean up my act”. This was around the time I started really listening to your podcasts and slowly starting to question what I was doing by doing another whole30. Cue many conversations over dinner about this topic. I waited for this podcast after the announcement and was so excited to listen to it this morning! I’m so glad you did it! It came at a perfect time for me as I was starting to feel some pressure to do the Jan Whole30 but was deeply starting to wonder if it was acutally doing me more harm then good.
It took guts to do what you did. Not only did you recognize an issue but you choose to do something about that. And that takes courage. Thank you for voicing what had been going on in my head.
Keep doing what you’re doing and I cant wait to see the direction you take us!
All the best,
Kristi
Thank you so much Kristi, and thanks for sharing your story!! I really appreciate it and you for being a listener 🙂 Don’t let anyone make you feel guilty around your choices – no one knows your body and your needs better than you!
I’m newer than most it seems to Whole30 and have only done it once, pretty recently. I’ll be honest, my main motivation was weight loss. I hoped to be get on track with eating healthier/cleaner in the process but losing a few pounds was the real motivator. It did help me with eating more mindfully, but I was also so scared to reintroduce the no-no items after the 30 days. So yes, I’m sure I’m one of the many you have in mind when you’re talking about viewing Whole30 as a diet — fair enough. Whether or not the Whole30 folks intend it that way, I’m sure you’re right — most view it that way.
Hi Karen, thanks so much for your comment! The program can be used as a great learning tool (which is why I loved it when I first learned about it!) but unfortunately as the program has grown people are not learning as much, or learning that it is intended as written to be a tool used every once in a while – not every other month or a few times a year, which can really promote disordered eating tendencies 🙁
I thought your podcast made perfect sense. You acknowledge that Whole 30 was helpful to you at first, and that it can be a useful tool, but your experience from doing and teaching Whole 30 has given you new perspective. You need to be true to yourself in your business endeavors or your won’t be successful.
I’ve done one Whole 30, and was thinking of doing another, but my food issues are more about the stuff in my head than needing how to read labels, and purchase and cook fresh food. I love all the good for me food, and all the not good for me food, and when I’m stressed….I’m sure you know what happens. That is what I need to work on. I follow you on Instagram, and I love your very real and honest approach. I tend to be just a silent observer, however. I’ll continue to follow you there, and I’m looking forward to more of your informative posts and inspiration going forward.
Thank you, Debbie! It did really help me at first, and I acknowledge that – I’ve just grown out of it. I really appreciate the feedback!
I haven’t had the chance to listen yet but as I am newer to the Whole30 community, I completely get where you are coming from. Whole100, not reintroducing, deciding to eat all the things for two months and then doing a Whole30 seems to be what most people are doing. I don’t think people are necessarily reading the book and doing it as intended. I did two rounds and learned a lot and healed some problems. But the more posts I see and people I talk to about it, many people are doing it to lose weight. Or clean up after eating like crap. So without even listening, I know I’ll agree with many of the points. And I respect your decision. And I say that being a Whole30 supporter because it has worked for me, as a person with some autoimmune things. I appreciate your honesty. I hope you get more positive than hate 🙂
Thanks, Colleen! I completely agree with you – and I’ve been saying for years that one of the main reasons these things are happening is *because* people are not reading the book and doing it as intended.
Dana! This is the most fantastic episode ever!!! This is my first year not doing a whole 30 in January in like 3 years, and that is food feeedom to me!!!! I agree with you 100%!! It’s taken me a long time to get to this point but I finally get it! Your podcasts have been so helpful!!!
Thanks so much, Jennifer!!
I found and started following you during your Whole30 recipes takeover last year, and I’m so glad I did!
I just want to say that while I can see your POV and totally respect your decision (bravo for standing up for yourself and what you believe!), the Whole30 DOES still help some people. I did my first one last summer and it completely changed my outlook and the way I view food. I am doing the January Whole30 because I feel like I need some structured help in finding my focus again after the holidays, but once we reach the end of it I’m looking forward to getting back on my food freedom horse. My first Whole30 and reintro taught me so much about the way certain foods effect my body, and I will forever be grateful for that because I truly had zero idea beforehand.
So, anyway, just wanted to throw that out there! I love your outlook and what you preach and while I’ll miss seeing you around the usual Whole30 haunts, I look forward to seeing what you have up your sleeve moving forward.
Hi Elle, I appreciate that and totally agree with you! It helped me for a long time and it can be used as a great learning tool (learning to read ingredient labels and find out what’s actually in your food, to figure out which foods make you feel good and which don’t, etc.). I think just the manner in which many people are using that tool has gotten totally out of control and has started to fuel an unhealthy cycle. Thank you again!
I really enjoyed this episode and this is coming from someone who loves the whole 30 because it did and has worked for me. I haven’t done one since last January and have no plans to do it in the future. It taught me a lot, but I can definitely tell that people are abusing it. Also, you have people on the other end of the spectrum that say they are doing the whole 30 and when you see them drinking a coke they tell you they “took the day off”. Can’t stand it. I appreciated this episode and can’t wait to share with my husband who will ask me, “what about X product is not whole 30?”. He needs to quit that. Thank you for this and your vulnerability! I really appreciate it.
Thanks Virginia!! It worked for me in the past too, which is why I made sure to say I’m not bashing the program itself, its creators or intentions – just the way that most people are using it (which goes against the program’s intentions, to be used as a learning tool every once in a while). I totally understand your frustration!!
Thank you for posting this, it’s really interesting! I have an autoimmune disease (Hashimotos) and am trying to heal it holistically. My dietician suggested Paleo, and Whole30 and Paleo seem very closely related, yet Paleo/Autoimmune eating is for life. What is your opinion on Paleo vs Whole30 for someone working on an autoimmune disease? Note that I eat relatively healthy now, a lot of salads, nuts, veggies, green smoothies, I don’t overeat, but I do drink alcohol and indulge moderately in dairy and desserts.
Hey Alexandra! Great question. So what I’m speaking about in the podcast is totally autoimmune and medical conditions aside. Doing a therapeutic elimination diet for autoimmune or medical reasons to find out what foods may be triggering your symptoms can be a really good idea to put some autoimmune symptoms in remission as part of a larger healing plan. I’d highly recommend checking out episode 39 of the podcast where I interviewed Dr. Becky Campbell – she has a 30-day Thyroid Reset Plan book and protocol that is designed to help heal thyroid conditions with food and lifestyle changes like reducing stress, cleaning up your personal care products, and really getting to the root cause of thyroid conditions through examining the liver, the gut, the adrenals, etc. Once you’ve used a tool like that and have figured out what foods are affecting you in particular (because even with Hashimotos, everyone is different), you can design your own food plan to minimize your symptoms while not feeling overly restricted 🙂 https://www.realfoodwithdana.com/39-the-thyroid-leaky-gut-and-adrenals-connection-thyroid-reset-plan-with-dr-becky-campbell/
Thank you so very much for addressing this and taking ch a huge risk with your business. Healthy living is so bio-individual. We have to address underlying issues in our gut and for everyone, that is so very different. I am still learning and working with a functional nutritionist, but what I have learned is we all have to eat wholesome food and figure out what works best for our bodies. I appreciate your transparency.
Hi Haylee, exactly! Bioindividuality isn’t talked about enough, and it’s so essential in achieving optimal health for each person. I love how you brought up addressing the root cause as well! You hit the nail on the head. Thank you!
Thank-you, Thank-you. I have only done 2 Whole 30s, I do like that it made me more aware of the amount of sugar in everything as well as other nasty ingredients. I am one of those lucky few that doesn’t need to diet and over all did eat healthy. I tend to be OCD, so when I learn how bad grains, legumes and dairy are I tried to just go easy on those. But when I did incorporate some of it in my meal, I felt bad and my mind was telling me that it isn’t good. Example. I use to eat bread all the time. No problem. I thought that “gluten intolerance” was made up. Well now I can’t eat bread. I now have IBS. So I have gotten rid of all the foodie/health related emails telling what I should eat or not eat. Paleo vs. Whole 30 vs. Keto. No more. I now will eat what I want, within reason and not in excess. But I won’t stress if I have ketchup that has sugar. I just don’t eat deserts for example. I will try to incorporate bread back in my diet. What I am doing is when I do eat something I bless it and tell my body it is good for me. I am working on the spiritual aspect of enjoying food and knowing my body is where it should be. I work out regularly, for fun, I do endurance riding. I need calories. I also live way out on a ranch so I can’t just run to the store. Also, I have to be on the road a couple times a month. I need to have food at home when I need it, plus I can’t always pick and choose when I eat out. Anyway, I am venting and I usually don’t comment. So glad to hear that the Whole 30 isn’t all.
Hi Sharon, thank you for sharing! I’m sorry to hear you’ve gone through so many struggles with this over the years, but it sounds like you’re heading in the right direction, both physically and mentally with your relationship with food!
I have never thought of the Whole30 as a “relationship with food” solution. I have considered it a way to cleanse my organs and lower inflammation in my joints that have been building up during the end of year festivities. I have done it every January for 4 years now. I am on day 3 and already feeling better and sleeping better. But to each their own. For my wife and I it is purely a reset and gives us a chance to shop together, cook together and eat together. I will admit that I probably wouldn’t survive each year without doing it as a team.
Hi John, thanks for your insight! I’m glad you’ve found something that works for you and makes you feel great. The program guidelines talk about the whole30 as being a tool to help heal your health, habits, and your relationship with food. It can definitely help bring down inflammation and be a great learning tool for your habits, but unfortunately the way that a lot of people are using the program now is making that relationship with food worse (by using it as an on-again, off-again diet, instead of a reset every once in a while as you do)!
I agree with what you said on your podcast. My wish is to eat food that makes me feel good but I still eat the food that doesn’t . I want a right relationship with food but don’t know how to achieve that. I know I weigh more than I ever have, but haven’t stepped on the scale. I really need help cultivating a right relationship with food! I normally eat Whole30 or healthy which is really what it is but my snacking is out of control. It’s so easy to go back to those quick unhealthy foods when you are hungry. Since last January’s whole30 I haven’t been able to eliminate those foods that make me feel icky and I don’t want another diet. I want to just eat right but can’t seem to get off the junk snacks and sugar that are so readily available.
Thank you, Tammy! You’re in the right place – I will be doing a lot more episodes coming up this year on how to help heal our relationship with food and our bodies 🙂
I love this. I’ve done the Whole30 twice (with a couple failed attempts in between) and I felt like it did a lot for me to teach me how to eat properly and fill my plate correctly. However, I know so many people who do the Whole30 to lose weight for a vacation or they modify it so they can still eat cheese and miss the entire point behind it! I’ve made the decision I’m never doing one again because I don’t need it. I stopped following their Instagram early last year so I missed your commentary about how people are using it wrong, but I am so happy somebody has pointed this out to them! P.S.—I loved this podcast. This is the first of yours I have listened to and I sincerely hope in the rest that you sound so comfortable in front of a mic. You have a new follower!
Thanks Laura! You’re right, it can be a great learning tool – but so many people are using it just as a diet and not really learning anything.
I just listened to your podcast episode. I completely agree with your thoughts. Seeing you on the whole 30 takeover was the reason I started following you because I felt a connection with your message, and listening to this episode now clearly explains to me why I connect with your message and philosophy. I did only 1 whole 30 in my life, back in 2016, and I learned so much about cooking and being aware of how foods make me feel. I’m super grateful for that. But ever since then my goal has been how to better learn and improve on intuitive eating. So I’m very excited to continue to follow your blog and podcast and see where you’ll go in the future! Thank you for all your honesty and hard work!
Thank you so much, Angela!! Happy to have you here!
If it hadn’t been for the Whole30 I would never have known how negatively dairy affected me. I knew about Gluten but I was totally blind to the dairy & I chose to ignore the alcohol, so I will always be thankful for that! Having said that, I honestly have never done a reintroduction properly and that speaks to what you are saying here. I actually did really well over the holidays for the first time ever by just listening to my body cues. I am very thankful for all the wonderful recipes & insight you have imparted to us all so I am in on the new journey!
Hey Anna,
Awesome! So glad you were able to figure that out. Reintroduction is definitely the hardest part and many people never do a ‘proper’ elimination-reintroduction, in the sense that they aren’t able to completely figure out what the culprits of their symptoms are, so you’re definitely not alone! So happy to hear you’ve been able to listen to your body more over the holidays as well 🙂 Wishing you the best!
Dana, thank you so much for sharing! I think this is a crucially important point – and as the anecdotes above show, clearly it resonates with many people. Thank you for your work!
Thanks so much Caitlin!!
That was a great podcast and very informative. I love Brené Brown!!! I’ve only done one Whole 30 this past August and it was great. But yes I have been struggling with “food freedom” every since. Because I don’t want to live on a diet but I really like the way I felt when I was eating healthy. So I have been reading and discovering other nutritional ways to find a healthy relationship with food. That’s how I found you. I’ve still been doing a modified version of Whole 30 and I was going to do the January one but life didn’t permit me to. So now I’m just on a journey to eat smaller portions and make healthier choices. Your message confirmed that I’m on the right track! Thank you!
That’s awesome! So happy to hear and so thankful for you sharing your story!
YES DANA! Yes yes yes! Have been having SO MANY of these same thoughts. I made a resolution at the beginning of last year that I WOULD NOT do any rounds of Whole30 in 2018 because I had previously abused the system as a way to ultimately stay in that yo-yo pattern with foods. In all of my 6 rounds of Whole30 (one being a Whole100), I have NEVER done a true reintro….. I see my downfalls in how I’ve used the program in the past (even as someone who “follows the rules”) and it has truly opened my eyes to how these things have set me back, even considering the ways they’ve helped me! So appreciate your thoughts and your bravery in sharing this!!!
Thanks Katie!! Thanks for your honesty and thanks for sharing your story!
Hi Dana, I’ve been following you for 2-3 years because of your gluten-free recipes. I also sought you out when I decided to do my first Whole 30. I completely respect your decision to no longer push, follow, and support Whole 30. I’ve successfully completed one round of Whole 30, and it taught me which foods hurt my body, and for that I am forever thankful for finding Whole 30. I agree with you that people are using it to drop weight fast! I don’t think some of the people doing it this January care about which foods are harmful! I did! In addition to my gluten intolerance, which makes me VERY sick, I realize sugar is my nemesis. It is such an irritant to my system and once it gets back into my diet, it’s hard to get it back out! So, a mini-reset using Whole 30 approaches have helped me remove sugar and the pain it brings! I eat pretty healthy, cooking a lot using real food, but struggle to keep refined sugars out of my diet. I am excited to see where you will go with your blog! Thanks for being there and thanks for stepping out into the “lion’s den” with this news. It needed to be presented and talked about!
Thank you Nancy!
This episode was incredibly insightful – and my FIRST episode listening to Dana. I’ve suffered from immune and GI-related disorders for years (to answer your Q at the end of this epi, more episodes on those topics would be so helpful!) and have stemmed all of my issues to food, specifically, the nutrient-lacking, processed diet I eat. This negative relationship I have with food and the subsequent effects my body is beginning to feel, has ‘woken’ me up, in a sense. I’m CRAVING a new, nutritious, accurate, healthy relationship with food and thought Whole 30 was the way to do that. However, after seeing all of the holiday sugar/eating posts w/ the intention of January Whole 30 to balance it after, it appears to sound more of a binging way of eating that isn’t my true goal here. This episode confirmed my hesitations and I’m so looking forward to listening to more! Again, my vote for topics are GI-related health, autoimmune disorders and diet, and possibly a few plant-based approaches to wellness! Thanks again for a great episode!
Hi Maggie, welcome to the podcast and thank you! Will definitely take those suggestions to heart. I do have a few episodes on leaky gut, autoimmune disorders, food sensitivities and testing, so be sure to check those out while I’m working on new ones too 🙂 Here are the few I would recommend starting with (and you can find all the episodes by topic on my home page!):
11 | Leaky Gut & Intestinal Permeability: what are they? How do you know if you have them, and how can you heal?
12 | Food Intolerance Testing, Food Sensitivities, and Allergies, oh my!
25 | Cristina of the Castaway Kitchen on AIP & Real Food Keto for Healing Autoimmune Disease
39 | The Thyroid, Leaky Gut and Adrenals Connection with Dr. Becky Campbell
Hi Dana!
I haven’t got the chance to listen completely through the podcast, but I can relate a little . I recently was talking a work about possibly doing another whole30 this January and one of my co workers said ” wait didn’t you just do one of those?” ( which I had in September). It stopped me in my tracks and was a sort of a whoa maybe I dont have a good relationship with this if I feel guilty for enjoying non Whole30 foods and feel I need a “reset” every few months. It changed my goal of doing another whole30 with the same end result to one of just being more present with what and when I eat. Regardless, I am always super excited with your posts, podcasts, and recipes and look forward to what the next stage holds for you!!
Thanks so much for sharing, Laura! I really appreciate it. What an “aha” moment!
Hi Dana,
This was the first time I listened to your podcast, and I really enjoyed it. I have been binge listening to all your podcasts for a few days now. I have done a few W30’s, but didn’t follow the reintroduction rules, quickly undoing any progress. But I am determined to keep working on a healthy way to look at food and exercise.
I wondered if you could address the following issue or point me in the right direction. I am 52 years old. I run and workout regularly, not insanely but enough to be in decent shape. I’ll run 1-2 half marathons a year, and run 3-4 days a week, plus some strength work about 2 days a week. I am heading into menopause but not there yet. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of eating/exercise talk geared towards what our hormones and aging are doing to our bodies (other than grinding our metabolisms to a halt) for active women my age. Any suggestions? I’d be curious to hear your thoughts and feedback. Thanks for a great podcast, I look forward to hearing more.
Hi Mandy, thank you! You’re right – that’s a niche not many people have tapped in to. I know that Dr. Becky Campbell and Magdalena Wszelaki have both spoken (and have books!) about this topic, so I’d highly recommend checking their websites out for resources. I also interviewed both of them for the podcast – episodes 39 and 41 respectively, if you’d like to check those out!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. I am soooooo glad that I found your podcast!!!
Thank YOU, Rebecca!
Hi Dana,
After finishing my first whole30 on nov 30th 2018 I have been struggling with eye migranes, accourding to the doctor, for the last two weeks. Never had any in my life before and now the head pressure on my head won’t go away. It started with loss of and blurry vision for a good 30 minutes two weeks ago and headaches/migrane after the vision became stable again. The blurry vision came back yesterday for about 30 again and headaches became more severe after that. Heard of any similar cases and what to do to get rid of them. Doctor gave me some pills for migrane headaches and normal painkillers that does not make it better. Any food suggestions that may help?
Thanks for your great page and pod cast!
Hi Joe, thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately this is not my area of expertise and I don’t have any training on eye migraines. There are a few foods that may help with vertigo and migraines (aka vestibular migraines), but it sounds like there is something going on a lot deeper than food. I would definitely encourage you to get a second opinion – try finding a naturopathic doctor through the Institute for Functional Medicine (https://www.ifm.org/find-a-practitioner/) who can dig deep into your health history and current symptoms! Sorry I can’t be of more help.
Hi Dana! It’s very coincidental that I came across your blog. I was contemplating starting a Whole30 at the end of January (after my vacation). I was so struggling with why I wanted to do it. I already know what food don’t like me, (or is it my body doesn’t like these foods? Lol) I’ve already done 3 Whole30s in the past. After reading your blog, I think I have ended my struggle and will continue to “eat smart” and work out. Thank you for your insight.
Hi Mindy, props to you for listening to your body and what it truly needs instead of following a set of rules ‘just because’. Keep up the great work!
I am overjoyed to see you going this direction!! My two favorite health & wellness podcasts have always been yours and the Nourishing Women podcast (which focuses on intuitive eating and empowerment). It didn’t always make sense to me that I was drawn to these two podcasts given the fact that the stances were quite different, but I totally see it now! It’s like your tone/vibe was preaching this stuff before the words caught up. Thank you for being true to yourself and choosing what you feel to be the right thing over the easy thing!
I know this must have been scary as hell because Whole30 is a marketing powerhouse – I’ve done a few rounds and always thought I was doing it for the “right” reasons until my most recent round. I gained a pound and a half that month, and the way I felt about that revealed to me that I was clinging to the weight loss and body composition changes as my motivation. As someone who has struggled for years with eating disorders, I’m still learning to step back from big promises of life-changing results and evaluate them objectively. I can’t express enough how much I appreciate you using your platform and voice to speak out on this!!! Thank you for all the amazing knowledge you’re putting out into the world 🙂
Hi Courtney, thank you!! I really appreciate that. Also love the Nourishing Women podcast! That’s awesome you were able to be so insightful and really listen to those inner cues for what your WHY was behind the Whole30’s. Thank you again!
THANK. YOU.
I feel like this was really important for someone to put out into the universe and I am glad you did.
While I recognize the benefits for people who actually ARE trying to figure out what bothers them, for people treating or branding their whole30s as “resets” its EXACTLY THE SAME AS CRASH DIETS THAT ARE BRANDED AS “DETOXES” maybe like physiologically better but mentally exactly the same. I was one of those people, and i recognized that so I stopped.
anyway yeah proud of you thnx again!!!
Thank YOU, Mal! Exactly.
I seriously was just about to do the whole 30 again but I’ve been hesitating for the same reasons you mentioned on yout pod cast. This just reassured me of the things my body had been trying to tell me. To cut so much out only makes for binge eating after the whole 30. Thank you
Jen
Hi Jen! My only advice is to listen to your body, because no one else can do that for you 🙂 And then stick up for what your body is telling you. Thanks for writing!
Hey, I’m reading the Whole30 book right now and the book discusses all of the same things you have issues with, the writer has the same issues to say about how NOT to use Whole30. It’s seems the thing that bothers you is the people who are using Whole30 inappropriately. We can’t change what others choose to do with the information and instructions they’re given..
the way you describe people using the Whole30 is not the way it’s intended to be used, so what if there’s a way to help people use it correctly, the way it’s intended, instead of throwing it out completely? By writing it off like this, it’s hard to really believe that you’re not trying to deface the program and writers.
Hi Cassie,
I hear you and agree! That’s what I was explaining in the podcast. We know that this isn’t the way it’s intended to be used, and people are definitely using it in a way that’s actually going against the intentions of the program. I did try for the past year with all 3 groups I ran to try and change that as best I could, but there’s only so much you can do as one person. I made the decision not to coach any more not because I was giving up on hoping that people could change, but because I want to be working with people who have disordered eating and are caught in the diet cycle get out of these patterns. And I cannot promote a program that promotes those same patterns that I am trying to help people get out of, no matter how it was intended or how people are using it. Really appreciate your feedback!
I am on day 28 of my first Whole30 and i feel like you are correct in your intention of the way it is portrayed. When I look for more information on the way to get back to the “way i can nourish me” in the long run, it comes with anxiety about how I go back to just eating. I did find great insights into my habits. I do feel better and want to keep up with this feeling I have with a loss of weight and more energy but I felt anxiety on how this transition would go. Your talk helped me to feel better with the transition to go toward a healthier way I can be. Thanks Again! J
You’re so welcome! So glad I could help in any small way 🙂
I hear what you are saying but there is the flipside. I have never felt better than I have since I started eating whole 30..Why do I keep eating this way…because it is my choice to feel good. I love knowing what is in my food, I love experimenting with recipes and making/trying different sauces and spices. My head feels great, my body feels better. If I never went on whole 30 or needed something like it but chose not to eat certain things as I thought they were unhealthy or didn’t make me feel good…that does not equate to a poor relationship with food. I feel like mine has never been more functional. Just my two cents. Wishing all well.
Hi Ira, as I mentioned in the episode – this isn’t the case for 100% of people. This experience I described was a lot of what I was seeing in my own clinical practice and the majority of people reaching out to me about their experiences on social media. I’m glad you’re feeling good!