Reaching the halfway mark of your Whole30 is a big accomplishment and a reason to celebrate! You’ve likely already learned a lot about how your body responds to food, how to efficiently grocery shop, meal prep, and stay compliant … even when the sugar dragon roars. 

That being said, you still have halfway to go! In my experience as a former Whole30 Certified Coach, a lot of Whole30ers struggle with that halfway point and find themselves in a bit of a slump on the food front. Luckily, there are some tips and tricks for getting through the halfway hump that can help you to continue moving forward with your Whole30.

1. Treat yourself … but not with food

I’m a big proponent of finding non-food methods of celebration along the way of your Whole30 journey. I encourage you to treat yourself in a way that has nothing to do with food – taking yourself to the movies, getting a manicure, going for a massage, or meeting up for tea with a friend are great ways to treat yourself that won’t compromise your Whole30. 

2. Try a fun new recipe

Oftentimes, we find simple meals that work and aren’t super time consuming in the first couple weeks of a Whole30, and then continue making those meals the entire month because it’s easy. 

However, by the second half of the month, eating the same few meals over and over again can become boring, which makes it harder to stay motivated to complete the course. Invest a little extra time and energy into finding and creating a fun new Whole30-compliant recipe to give yourself a burst of something new. This can help you keep moving forward with less boredom.

If you need inspo, our friend Alex from @defineddish just released her first cookbook – which is Whole30 endorsed. She hit it out of the park, and she’s already sitting on the New York Times Bestseller list! Not an ad, we’re just big fans. You can snag it here. 

Or, tag in some professional Whole30 Approved help, like Territory. You can select from our weekly menu stacked high with Whole30 Approved options. It’ll not only allow you to stay excited about your food, but it’ll give you that break from the kitchen you so deserve!

3. Write down a list of changes you have noticed in the first 2 weeks

A few of the benefits people experience throughout their month of Whole30 are very noticeable, such as better sleep, body recomposition, energy levels, and improved digestion. There are many, however, that can be quite subtle: 

• Clearer skin
• Reduced allergy symptoms
• Fewer cravings
• Clothes fitting better
• Less muscle/joint pain
• Improved health biomarkers
• Better mental health
• And more! 

Many of these benefits sneak up on us throughout our Whole30 without us taking true note of them until the end. A great way to stay motivated in any type of program you are doing is to notice (and write down) the benefits as you go. 

4. Set some small new goals to work towards

By the halfway point of your Whole30, you’ve got the food thing down. You have the hang of food prep, you know what foods are off limits, and you’re a label-reading pro. 

To keep propelling yourself forward with your health, this might be a great time to consider some new goals that take your Whole30 and your healthy habits even further. 

Here are a few suggestions: 

• Set a water goal of ½ your bodyweight (in pounds) in ounces per day – for example, a 150lb person would aim for 75 oz of water per day.
• Create a movement goal to increase your fitness and cardiovascular health. You could set a goal to aim for 8-10k steps per day, add a 15 minute yoga practice a few days a week, or incorporate some strength training into your routine. Improving your fitness has been shown to help you live longer and healthier. 
• Give yourself a few more zzz’s. If you’ve been following the Whole30 as prescribed, you’ve likely seen improved sleep quality. If you haven’t been getting 7+ hours of sleep per day, you could try to add an extra half hour of sleep per night to help you manage stress and recover more efficiently from workouts/the stresses of life. 

5. Find a Whole30 buddy

If you haven’t already, now might be a fantastic time to find a friend or a group who are also in the middle of their Whole30. Having a little extra support can be more helpful during the last half of your Whole30, when motivation is running low and your mind starts racing with all the reasons why “2 weeks is good enough.” 

There are lots of forums online you can join that can help boost your inspiration, or community support groups. Figure out what you need in order to succeed, and then go find it. 

6. Write down why you started your whole30 in the first place (if you haven’t documented it already) and what you are looking to gain throughout the 30 days.

Chances are, you started a Whole30 for a reason. Whatever it is you are looking to accomplish has to be stronger than the reasons you tell yourself it’s ok to stop early. 

Whether you are trying to regulate your digestive system or use diet to help you manage an illness, your reason for completing the program needs to be strong. Writing down your initial goals can help you keep going when it feels like the last fifteen days are going to take forever. Use them to propel you forward towards completing the whole 30 days. 

Use one or more of these strategies to give you an edge during the last half of your Whole30. Remember, the more you put into the program, the more you get out of it, so adding a few of these into your last two weeks can help you get the most out of all the work you’ve put in so far!