Why You’ll Never Catch Me Doing the Whole30 (or any kind of detox)
Published 1/4/2018 • Updated 12/30/2021
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I’ve been wanting to write this post for a long time and I think there is no better time than now. I’m sure you’re thinking that based off the title of this post, I’m about to bash everything about the Whole30. Well, not really…I think it’s great for a number of reasons, HOWEVER, I did want to share with you why it’s not right for me.
As you know, I have a history of food and exercise obsession, an unhealthy one. We’re talking— that’s all I thought about day and night. Every second of my life revolved around what I was going to eat and what I wasn’t going to eat. Oh, and how I was going to burn it off. One thing that fueled this poor relationship was health and fitness trends and fads. I was totally one of those people that wanted a quick weight loss fix and would pretty much try anything in the media that claimed would help you decrease bloating and weight and increase muscle. I cut out milk for a while. I convinced myself I needed to be gluten-free. I tried to be paleo. The list goes on. Well, you know what? None of this helped my relationship with food and exercise, it actually made it worse. Why?
I fixated on what I COULDN’T have. Not what I could have.
Sound familiar?
Insert —> Whole30 (or any kind of “detox.”)
Whenever I follow someone that is doing Whole30, all they talk about is about what they’re going to do when they’re done with the detox. Or, that they made a beautiful meal packed with veggies and protein that DIDN’T have this, this, this, and this in it. I get that people getting amazing results with Whole30, but it’s something that you start and stop, not something that you implement for the rest of your life. I understand that Whole30 can teach you healthy habits, but again, there are so many restrictions involved that I know would set me back into that stage of life where all I did was fixate on what I couldn’t have.
Monique and I created Healthy Glow Co. because we’ve both been there. We’ve been the women that looked in the mirror and hated how we looked. HGG Reset is our newest nutrition program and I am so proud to stand behind this product because we believe in it 100%. The HGG Reset is exactly how we eat when we want to feel our best. It’s a four-week focus on nourishing your body with foods that work in your favor while stripping back what weighs you down. There aren’t any “yes/no” lists, but we’ve intentionally designed this program to help you establish a new, sustainable eating pattern with healthy, satisfying food that tastes as good as it makes you feel!
I’m going to be honest, HGG Reset has a lot of the same principals as Whole30. It promotes…
- Tons of greens
- Protein!
- Low sugar
- Fibrous snacks
The main difference between HGG Reset and Whole30 is that there are no DO/DON’T lists. We get that life is life and you only get one to live. Why would you choose to restrict yourself from certain things especially if they are healthy (like legumes, grains, fruit, and other natural sugars)? The HGG Reset provides you the tools to create healthy habits, forever. PS: the above photo is my meal prep from week 1! It’s not a quick fix meal plan, it’s a forever meal plan. We take comfort foods and make them healthier. The HGG Reset will show you that cooking at home can be fun and enjoyable. The HGG Reset isn’t calorie-focused. It’s about being intuitive with your body, modifying as needed, and using this plan as a GUIDE to fuel your life with foods you love.
Again, I’m not bashing Whole30 or any other detox, I’m simply sharing why it’s not right for me. More power to you if it’s working for you!
Join my FREE Webinar!
With that said, I’d love to invite all of you to join Monique and me to our FREE webinar this Sunday at 8PM CST. Monique and I will be chatting more about why we don’t do detoxes, follow any specific diet, and restrict ourselves from ANYTHING. We’re also going to be answering any questions you have about the HGG Reset if you’re still on the fence. So? Secure your spot HERE!
That’s all I got for you. Again, more power to you if you’re doing the Whole30, I just thought I’d share some of my thoughts on why it’s not a good fit for ME. Remember, we are all different 😀
This is wonderful, thank you so much for sharing!! It really is nice to know other woman experience these thoughts about body image and food. I think you should be a spokesperson for woman!!!!
Awww best comment!
Life long “fad ” diet is fine with me. I don’t care what you do. Not everyone has the mental discipline to change their eating habits. When I receive a compliment or question about my weight reduction I tell people who are serious I cut out sugar alcohol grains legumes and snacks. I usually get blank stares like I’m anti American! People have no clue how much sugar is in our food and don’t care!
Thank you for sharing your story. I do feel like you’re missing the point of what the Whole 30 is about though. It’s an elimination diet yes but it’s focus is to identify your personal allergies and food sensitivities. It’s not really just 30 days either because you reintroduce foods slowly. What you do with that info is up to you. My boyfriend found he’s definitely lactose intolerant and I found out how much GD sugar is in everything!
Hi! That’s so great that your boyfriend discovered that! I did want to note that my title clearly says why you’ll never find ME doing the Whole30. I can totally see why it works for many, but this post was simply explaining why it isn’t right for me!
Whole30, when followed correctly IS for 30 days only. READ THE BOOK along with doing the lifestyle change.. I followed it Feb. 2017, then from March 2017 until presently, have been following the Paleo lifestyle. Should people ENJOY eating processed foods GO RIGHT AHEAD. Besides coconut sugar IS FANTASTIC; except in ice tea, so I I drink it plain. I DON’T MISS PROCESSED FOODS, PASTA, OR GRAINS
Like I said it’s a LIFESTYLE CHANGE.
Dorothy
I love this! Many of these restrictive diets are quick fixes, but we don’t need quick fixes. We need to build healthy habits that will last us not weeks or months but years! I’m not a big fan of “no”, so I try to build healthy habits that say “yes” to what will make me feel good and is sustainable.
This is a great post, and I think a lot of people probably fit into the category of food/fitness obsessive, and probably *shouldn’t* do the whole30. And I agree it’s too restrictive to be a lifestyle (and it really isn’t meant to be). But, for me (on my third round!) the mental awareness that comes with w30 really works. I struggle with the “slide”…like once I say yes to one food that doesn’t make me feel great, I say yes to everything and feel like garbage. And maybe it’s my friend/family group but there is crap around ALL the time. Like processed foods, fried everything…it’s a slippery slope. I also struggle with portion sizes of sweet stuff. So cutting out all the crap at once is helpful for me. It’s easier for me to say no when there are rules. And after I do it for awhile, I am able to make better choices again. I have found that one round a year is working pretty well.
I’ll also say that both my husband and I feel freaking fantastic on w30. We’ve learned some mental/emotional triggers that we have (when tired or stressed I go for sugar and he goes for beer). Another biggie for us is it forces us to eat at home, which we always say we will do but then “slide” on. My bff also learned that beans make her miserable- she never knew before she cut them out. So, pros and cons, I think.
I will say I think some of the w30 rules are just stupid…like no vanilla extract. What? And I’d rather eat local, pastured bacon processed with sugar than searching out factory farmed meat just to avoid sugar.
Anyways, didn’t mean to write a novel. I see both sides! 🙂
Love this so much! I too feel my best when I don’t eat processed foods and can see why you feel amazing on the Whole30!
Yes! I realized this morning that I’m so tired of all the advertising this time of the year that tells me what NOT to do/eat. I want to live in freedom, eating what makes my life feel full and better, so lots of the time that’s veggies and whole grains and sometimes it’s a cookie my mom made. I can’t deal with all the restriction. It just makes me feel sad and I don’t want to start another year feeling that way. Does that make sense? Anyway, I resonated with this post so much and just feel so thankful for it.
<3 So glad you loved this post!
I absolutely get where you’re coming from and applaud you. As you stated, here’s why it won’t work for Y-O-U. But I disagree on one point. MANY people don’t quit embracing Whole 30 principles after the 30 days. Some embrace them for quite some time, even life. Sure, they might loosen it up a bit. But many people are able to embrace Whole30/Paleo/Primal as a long-term way of eating and living.
Totally see where you are coming from. No hate on anyone who does Whole30!
I can’t do really restrictive programs either, despite their best intentions to educate about healthy food. I get it and applaud those who do it but all it dies for me is make me obsess over what I can’t have and that spells trouble for me. Thanks for the post!
YES to everything in this post Lee! I could not agree more. When I let go of those Do and Don’t lists, my relationship with food improved a ton. I am excited for your webinar on Sunday! Whoop!
YAY!! Happy to see you there, too 🙂