By Shanna Keller, who faced down that “I want to quit my Whole30 NOW” feeling and has an increased sense of self-efficacy and confidence to show for it.
My first Whole30 was in the fall of 2013. It was a different Whole30 landscape back then. We made our own bone broth and mayo; carried hard-boiled eggs around as emergency food; drank our coffee black; and walked uphill in the snow both ways.
Just kidding about the walking, but when it came to black coffee, I wasn’t laughing. I dearly loved my morning brew with a generous splash of half-and-half. It was the greatest challenge during the first half of my Whole30. Around Day 7 or 8, I stood in my kitchen, hand on the refrigerator door handle, arguing with myself: This Whole30 thing is too hard. Why did I ever think I could do this? I should just put the half-and-half in my coffee, right?
It was a good five minutes of internal conflict circling around one thought: when the Whole30 going gets rough, am I going ditch out on my commitment to myself, or will I rise to the challenge? In the end, my desire to finish what I started won out over the craving. (And by Day 30, that experience had morphed into my favorite NSV: self-efficacy.)
No matter how committed you are to Whole30 success, you’ll likely hit a point where you’ll think about quitting. Many face this on Days 10 and 11, which are known as The Hardest Days for a reason. Others are tempted to bail due to meal boredom in Week 3. Still others think, “Isn’t 28 just as good as 30?” in the home stretch.
If you refocus your attention, address the underlying issues (like stressors, challenges, boredom, peer pressure), and recommit to your Whole30, you will successfully cruise on to Day 30, reintroduction, and straight on through to food freedom.
Over the years, I’ve observed that the tactics that help Whole30ers rise to the challenge and succeed fall into four broad strategies.
1 | Renew your inspiration
Remember how excited (and maybe a little scared) you were on Day 1? Get back in touch with the things that inspired you to start the Whole30 program in the first place. You probably had a list of reasons (your “why”) that led you to the Whole30. Review that “why” and reflect on early successes you’ve had so far. Be generous, and give yourself credit for all of your wins! Cooking meals from scratch; saying “no thank you” to donuts in the break room; or learning how to label-read are all worth celebrating.
Inspiration resources:
- The Whole30 Foundations video course. It’s never too late to join our self-guided course! It’s led by Melissa, and full of inspiration, motivation, and detailed guidance for each phase of the program.
- Get inspired by our Whole30 testimonials, as shared by people just like you
2 | Phone-a-friend
Changing your diet, how you handle stress, and your relationship with food is hard. Don’t try to tough it out alone! If you have a Whole30 buddy, call them or send a “help” text message. If you’re doing the Whole30 on your own, lean on friends and family for support. Let them know exactly how you’re struggling, so they can give you the support, encouragement, cheerleading, or help you need.
Support resources:
- Our Whole30 Daily Texts offer motivation, encouragement, and accountability for every day of your Whole30. Melissa’s twice-a-day messages may be just what you need to kick you out of a funk and see you through this challenge.
- The Whole30 community on Reddit is a lively, welcoming, and knowledgable source of information and support. Join the chat if you just need someone to tell you, “I know how it is, and you’re doing great.”
3 | Make meal planning and cooking easier
Meal planning can pose a significant Whole30 pain point. Researching compatible meals, compiling recipes, making a shopping list, and prepping your food are skills that take time and effort to develop. Cooking three meals a day and keeping your kitchen clean is also a big effort. Sometimes, all it takes to get back into your Whole30 groove is taking the night off. Skipping the meal prep for ingredient meals, leftovers, or a Whole30-compatible salad at Chipotle can restore and renew you for another bright Whole30 day.
Whole30 meal resources:
- Make meal planning easy with Real Plans, the official meal planning app of Whole30. Real Plans is easy to customize, and features more than a thousand Whole30 recipes. Plan a week at a time, or all 30 days of elimination in just five minutes; it’ll even give you a customized shopping list.
- Keep a box of Made By Whole30 meals on hand for those “I just can’t even” moments. Our fresh, chef-created meals rotate weekly (so you’ll never get bored) and are delivered straight to your door.
4 | Focus on something other than food
You’re laser-focused on what you’re eating during the Whole30, but life is about so much more than food. Give your brain a break by doing something unrelated to the Whole30. Call a friend to catch up, try a new exercise or yoga class, start a new book or puzzle, treat yourself to flowers or a manicure, go for a walk or hike, or visit a museum or art gallery.
After an afternoon of interacting with new ideas, concentrating on art and nature, developing a new skill, taking care of yourself, or connecting with another person, you’ll feel renewed, refreshed, and ready to tackle the rest of your Whole30 week with excitement.
Not-food resources:
- Read this Dear Melissa article, which outlines 28 self-care practices that aren’t pedicures or massages.
- Take inspiration from the Whole30 HQ team, and how they embrace the simple joys of life.
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