Published: March 27, 2018Last Updated: April 16, 2018
It's time to feel satisfied from the inside out. The Whole30 has you covered.
The health word to remember is “whole.” Long gone are unrealistic fad diets, and in their place are a variety of plans that focus on cutting out the junk and optimizing the good stuff. If the idea of giving up on diets and introducing healthier choices sounds way more your speed, then we have you covered. This is how the Whole30 Diet will help you lose weight.
The Whole30 Diet is a 30-day Paleo-style elimination diet that focuses on eating whole, minimally processed foods. There’s no sugar, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, grains, dairy, or legumes. This means even foods that are healthy — that we love — like hummus and quinoa, are out.
But before you think, “This sounds pretty diet-centric to me!” just hear us out.
The 30-day plan isn’t meant to deprive you, but reset you. You’re not counting calories and carbs. You’re not stepping on the scale every day (besides a first-day and last-day weigh in). Whole30 is an elimination diet that is meant to make you feel whole every single day for the rest of your life.
By eliminating the criteria it does, the diet seeks to rid you of inflammation and gut damage, as well as avoid destabilized blood sugar and cravings, so you can feel your very best. So what can you eat?
Though you’re saying sayonara to sugar, dairy, grains, and legumes, there’s still a whole lot of yummy thing you can eat — “whole” being the operative word. Fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, eggs, healthy fats like avocado, and nut and nut butters are all A-okay. Yay!
The program calls for 30 days because, according to the founders, that’s the amount of time your body needs to reset and kickstart the healing process, while giving you just enough time to shift your taste buds’ desires. While you’ll feel better, you’ll also notice you look better too — slimming down a very healthy, approachable way.
There are a few tips to help you get started. This is how the Whole30 Diet will help you lose weight.
Get rid of the junk
First thing’s first: clean out your kitchen to eliminate any temptations. You can’t really enjoy the Whole30 with a bag of Doritos staring you down every time you open the pantry. If you get rid of everything that the Whole30 is against, your only option is to fill your kitchen back up with the good stuff.
Shop
Now that your kitchen is looking barren, you’ve got to stock up! But where to start? The best way to not get overwhelmed or tempted in the grocery store is to plan a menu for your first week and go from there.
Think of new ways to fill up your tummy for breakfast, lunch dinner, and remember to allow yourself snacks and even dessert.
Make your meals
You can’t win at Whole30 if you don’t have recipe inspo, right?!
Here’s an idea of how your first week menu might look:
Give into your sweet tooth with these healthy coconut hava balls.
Plan ahead
By plan ahead, we mean BE REAL. This is how the Whole30 Diet will help you lose weight, because you have to know that, no matter how many of these recipes inspire you, sometimes life will get in the way.
You’ll get stuck at a business lunch, pressured into a happy hour, invited over to that dinner at your dear friend’s house. Going all-in on the Whole30 doesn’t really permit going with the flow, so try and be proactive.
Tell your friend what’s going on, and either try to reschedule, or see if they’ll be willing to whip up something that works with your game plan. The recipes featured here may be “Whole30,” but they’re for everyone!
If you have to go to that happy hour, do some digging and check out your options on the menu prior to arriving by scoping it out online. Order up a seltzer with lime, and when asked, tell your co-workers you’re keeping it clean. Everyone can respect that!
Accept that you’re not perfect
If you have a slip up, just accept it, let it go, and by any means don’t give up. Keep in mind, day 1 starts over if and when there is a slip up.
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Give us your thoughts on this post, and on the content you’d like to see in the future, in our comments section!
The SkinnyMs. team believes that all people, regardless of age, size, and fitness level, have the power to transform their lives — they just need the resources to do so. The SkinnyMs. method promotes healthy living through a combination of clean eating and regular exercise. We offer everything you need to be successful.
It’s really inappropriate to tell people that it “OK” if they “Gave in at that dinner party” and had a bite of mashed potatoes or a glass of wine … “it makes them human … don’t give up just keep going the next day” The next day would be DAY ONE and that wine and mashed potatoes would ruin everything they have worked to rest in their body. If you are doing Whole30 for the reasons it was intended, which is to reserve your body and rid it of the foods that cause inflammation, cravings and variety of other unhealthy effects, then you have to follow it EXACTLY .. it does make a difference. When sharing your “opinion” of Whole30 please make sure you state that’s exactly what it is, your opinion NOT the facts on how he program works. You aren’t doing anyone any favors by telling them things that are just not true and in essence causing them to fail at something they have been working very hard to be successful at.
It’s really inappropriate to tell people that it “OK” if they “Gave in at that dinner party” and had a bite of mashed potatoes or a glass of wine … “it makes them human … don’t give up just keep going the next day” The next day would be DAY ONE and that wine and mashed potatoes would ruin everything they have worked to rest in their body. If you are doing Whole30 for the reasons it was intended, which is to reserve your body and rid it of the foods that cause inflammation, cravings and variety of other unhealthy effects, then you have to follow it EXACTLY .. it does make a difference. When sharing your “opinion” of Whole30 please make sure you state that’s exactly what it is, your opinion NOT the facts on how he program works. You aren’t doing anyone any favors by telling them things that are just not true and in essence causing them to fail at something they have been working very hard to be successful at.
Kelly, Thanks for you feedback. The paragraph you mentioned has been updated to reflect the Whole30 philosophy. 🙂