Whole30 Diet Plan: 50+ Whole30 Approved Recipes You'll Love (2024)

FAQs

What are the hardest days on Whole30? ›

Day 10 & 11 – The Hardest Days

These days are notoriously the hardest days on Whole30 because you've gone through almost two weeks of the program, but haven't seen any of the benefits yet.

I do drink a minimum of 2 liters of water a day. Whole30 is a great way to reset your eating habits and jump start your weight loss journey. While results will vary from person to person, many people report losing 10-15 pounds in the first month.

Since the Whole30 diet is more of a food challenge than a long-term change, there are some hurdles. The Whole30 diet has strict rules. The overall goal is to restrict your eating. So, if you “cheat” on a day of your challenge, they recommend you start again from day one.

Sure enough, I was up 2.6lbs “overnight.” It's water retention and the beginning of the infamous “my pants are tighter” phase of Whole30 as the body continues expelling all the junk and getting used to a new way of eating. Day 8ish is usually a bit of a digestive adventure, so we'll see where things go.

Whole30. If you're used to eating a traditional low-fiber American diet—meaning not many fruits, veggies, and whole grains and lots of sugar and processed carbs—switching to this veggie-heavy diet may trigger diarrhea, Upton said.

It's a fairly large weight loss goal and will require you to stick to a healthier lifestyle for a significant amount of time. Typically, you should aim to lose approximately one to two pounds each week. This means that in about four months or so, you'll be able to lose about 30 pounds.

Your Whole30 isn't over yet! Following the 30-day elimination, you'll enter phase two, a 10-day period (at least) of reintroduction.

Reintroduction is where you get the results of the self-experiment you've been conducting for the last 30 days, and it's the key to your food freedom. That makes it a mission-critical part of the Whole30. So please don't skip it, rush through it, or otherwise short-change it.

Some downsides include Whole30 side effects like digestive problems, worsened food cravings, and reduced nutrient intake. The diet restricts certain foods and food groups, which, if followed long-term, can result in nutrient deficiencies.

Do doctors recommend Whole30? ›

While the competitive crowd might agree, the doctor says Whole30 is probably not a good idea. “At the end of the day, nutritional advice should be individualized," he says. "It's a very restrictive diet, and it can cause some serious problems.

That said, plenty of people who try the Whole30 diet do end up losing some weight. “The benefit of Whole30 is that it encourages eating whole foods, which are foods in their most natural state,” says Sara Haas, RDN, a nutrition expert with formal training in the culinary arts.

No. The Whole30 diet doesn't have a carb limit, so it's not meant to put you in ketosis. However, it tends to be lower in carbohydrates than a standard American diet (SAD) since it cuts out grains, traditional baked foods, and processed items, which are major sources of carbs.

Though diet sodas and sugary beverages are off-limits on the Whole30 diet, you can drink water, herbal teas, coffee, and any other liquids that don't contain any sugar or artificial sweeteners. Fruit juice, when 100% pure, is also acceptable on occasion.

The founders say their Whole30 plan is meant as a "short-term nutrition reset" and not something you do forever. That's unfortunate, because forever diets are the kind that can provide lasting help. Whole30 may work for some people who are just looking for a quick, temporary way to get skinnier.

In the Whole30 book, it's explained that you don't feel good until around day 14, but the beginning is not for the faint of heart; don't think you're going to immediately feel like a million bucks because your eating is better — it takes time.

Days 2-9: Prepare For Tiredness, Crankiness, And Cravings

In the first week or so on the Whole30 diet, your body is adjusting, physically and psychologically, which can lead to needing some major down-time. Around day six is when exhaustion and cravings typically hit their hardest, Hartwig says.

Some downsides include Whole30 side effects like digestive problems, worsened food cravings, and reduced nutrient intake. The diet restricts certain foods and food groups, which, if followed long-term, can result in nutrient deficiencies.

It can take several weeks before you learn to trust the “hungry” and “full” signals your body is sending you—and you may not have been eating enough in the beginning, because you were afraid of all that fat. Many Whole30'ers report that they didn't feel or see “the magic” until day 45, 60, or beyond.