10 Facts about the Whole30 diet

If you’ve been wandering around health blogs or social media, the term Whole30 might be familiar to you. The first thing that pops up is the mind-boggling before and after photos. If you look at it that way, it almost seems like a no-brainer to try, right? It’s not a diet – it’s a way of life. Calories aren’t counted, and you should only step on the scale before you begin the program and after you end it. What makes it different from other diets is that it teaches you how to live healthier. Habits gained from this diet will end up being the basis of your life for a long time. There are no strict timetables, macro counting or similar calculations. It’s plain old changing your life from top to bottom.

It Requires Commitment Straight Away

Whole30 is not so different from other diets, but it requires planning way more seriously. While most diets only need you to buy new food and prepare them, Whole30 wants you to do more. Because of this, it’s becoming harder and harder to call Whole30 a diet – it’s more of a way of life. Cleaning your kitchen should be the first thing on the list. That cleanup must be thorough and detailed. Everything that’s processed, sweet or alcoholic must go. We all have moments of weakness and temptation. By removing risky foods, you remove the risk of you breaking the diet.

Eating Out is a Thing of the Past

Home cooking should be the future. If you’ve had a habit of eating out or on the go, it’s time to end that chapter. Added sugar is a no-no in the Whole30 diet. The best thing you can do to avoid it is completely converted to home cooking and crafting your own meals.

Be careful while shopping

Unlike most diets that only need a fraction of your time, the Whole30 diet needs your undivided attention. It requires you to change some deeply-rooted habits, and that takes effort. Don’t worry; you can do it. The first step to changing for the better is developing a clear plan and shopping is the best way to start. All those midnight runs to the store when you crave sweets are long gone. Instead of that, plan out a list of needed groceries and do one visit to the supermarket per week. That way, you will save money by buying only the necessities and save valuable time.

Meal Preparation is in Order

The Whole30 diet teaches you to live a healthier and better life holistically. It also requires you to plan. Meal prep can be a lifesaver. Imagine going on a work trip with no prepared meals with you and no Whole30-approved foods around. To avoid such situations, invest time in preparation. Once or twice per week, take a whole afternoon to sort and plan meals. Slice veggies, make dressings, cook meat – everything! That way, you can take a ready meal with you and not have to worry about finding alternatives.

Snacks Should Always be by Your Side

Snacking is one of the most common factors of diet breaking. While you may control yourself during meals, the cravings in-between can be an issue. Most diets miss this section and you are left at the mercy of your own appetite. That’s why the Whole30 diet leaves nothing to chance and gives you a plethora of healthy snacks to choose from. Plantain chips, fruit, and celery sticks are options for the occasional bite between meals. The first week of giving up sweets and other unhealthy snacks can be tough. So having healthy ones by your side can be a lifesaver.

You Must Prepare for Every Possible Situation

People who follow the Whole30 diet are sometimes trapped in unknown situations. Client dinners, meetings, cocktail parties, and other occasions come to mind. When you realize you don’t have an available option than first the Whole30 regime, you tend to give up. Don’t do that and don’t think that you don’t have anything to eat. You must be well prepared. If your client books a dinner, don’t hesitate to ask him or the restaurant about your diet. Ask if they have suitable meals. Don’t be shy or ashamed to ask for some healthy options. If you don’t have a choice, simply fill yourself with Whole30 goodies before venturing out.

Some Social Changes Must be Done

Tell your friends about your diet changes and ask them to support you and help you if you have sudden cravings. If they laugh or make fun of you, it may be time to rethink your social choices. You can always suggest something else to do, aside from food. Going for a hike, coffee or tea are even better alternatives than simply grabbing a burger or an ice cream. It may be tough at first, but you will be more and more proud of yourself as you continue following your decision. You can do it!

Failing is okay

Many popular or online diet programs act like the Spanish Inquisition at a time. It’s like they want to feel bad and admonish you if you had a slip-up. So what? Failing and making mistakes is a crucial part of any process. The Whole30 diet is a long way to change your life and failure is a real option! Accept that cookie that you ate at lunch break. Don’t sweat over that Snickers you munched up in the morning. Focus on the next meal and its nutrients. It’s okay! Life goes on.

Makeshift Snacks with Healthier Ingredients Never Work

We get it; you want pizza. Heck, sometimes even we have an impossible craving to pick up the phone and order a big one. You may have these cravings forever, but the point is not to lose them but to be a warrior and fight them off. That’s the first step. If it works, you’ll try substituting pizza and cookies with healthier versions of the same snacks. Don’t. Cauliflower pizza and sugar-free brownies taste awful; it will only ruin the process. Don’t try it, keep going. The point is not to substitute for unhealthy food, but to view only healthy food as necessary. Relax and forget about the pizzas.

Reward yourself

Yes, you heard us! Sometimes, having a beer or a slice of pizza will do more good than harm. It will function as a reward, and you will love it more than ever. Aside from the reward system, you will realize out of the blue that you might not need it anymore. If you didn’t have a burger in more than a month, do you need it? That kind of pondering is precisely what leads to improvement, and that’s what the Whole30 diet is all about. You can do it.