Here’s what you need to know

Seems like we always start the year with big goals.  Maybe that includes new habits you’ll form, less social media time, finally taking that trip, fitness goals you’ll crush, or maybe even a Whole30 (since it seems the whole world is talking about it).

If part of your planning does includes a Whole30 consideration, look no further. As a Whole30 Certified Coach, I’ve pulled together answers to some of the questions and concerns that most newbies grapple with while sitting on the do it/don’t do it fence.

1. The Whole30 is NOT a “diet”: Sure, there are some rules/guidelines for completing the Whole30 program, but it is not geared towards weight loss. Some people experience weight loss as a happy side effect from reduced inflammation and learning to understand their body better, but it‘s not the primary goal. In fact, one of the Whole30 rules is that you can’t weigh yourself during the 30 days.
2. The primary complaints people have are lack of variety and time spent meal-prepping: Yes, if you do a Whole30, you will have to learn some basic cooking skills (unless, of course, you decide to outsource to a Whole30 approved prepared meal company … like Territory). And more often than not, when you meal prep at home, you batch cook a couple of dishes, and end up eating the same things multiple days in a week. To increase variety, I suggest batch cooking your breakfasts and lunches, and making time to cook something different and fun for dinner. That way, you still get a lot of the benefits of meal prepping, but also have something new to look forward to each day. Or, if you don’t mind leftovers, double your dinner recipe so you have enough to take for lunch the next day. And if you need more variety than that to stay invested and compliant, I’d recommend ordering from a prepared foods company. Territory offers at least 10 different Whole30 Approved meals per week. We rotate our menu every 5 weeks, so you’d never get the same meal twice.
3. It’s significantly easier if you recruit family/friends, but you are also totally capable of rocking a Whole30 solo: I’ll be honest — having someone doing the program with you is incredibly helpful. When you’re feeling tempted by something not approved, or feeling like you need a little extra support, having someone else going through the same thing as you can be a game changer. That said, it’s not necessary, and if you are tackling the program on your own, it would be a good idea to prep the people that you spend the most time with and let them know why you’re doing it. Helping them understand your goals will give them the opportunity to support you and might prevent them from giving you a hard time when you pass on the booze at happy hour.
4. The Whole30 is meant to be short term — the real benefits come after you complete the program: Most diets are geared towards weight loss and a quick fix. The Whole30 is the complete opposite. You can gain a lot of knowledge during the Whole30 about your habits around food and emotional attachments to specific foods or flavors. This is great, and one of the reasons I love the Whole30. However, the primary reason that you remove specific food groups during the Whole30 is so that you can learn how they affect your body. You spend the 30 days getting them out of your system, and then reintroduce the foods systematically so you can gain information about how specific foods affect you. This process, know as Reintroduction takes about 2 weeks, so factor that into your timeline for the program. It’s super important you reintroduce foods correctly so the 30 days of work you put in don’t go to waste.
5. It’s totally worth the work: The Whole30 is a challenge, and I won’t deny that. You’ll either miss out on social events or feel like you can’t fully indulge. The beauty of this is that you’ll learn fun isn’t dependent on alcohol and sugar! Completing a Whole30 is an amazing accomplishment, and a true display of how strong and capable you really are. Anybody can start a Whole30, but not everybody will honor their commitments to themselves by sticking through the entire program. When you successfully complete a Whole30, you’ll feel incredibly empowered. You did something you weren’t sure you would be able to accomplish, you learned a ton about yourself and your relationship to food, and you gained knowledge that you can translate into your life in a sustainable way moving forward. The truly life transformational experience is 100% worth the effort.