# Anyone done the Whole9 30 day challenge (Paleo diet)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 5, 2011, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836 "2011-05-05T14:46:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836/41 "2011-05-11T20:04:05Z")
If you went whole-hog off the carbs then I’d say it’s somewhat likely that could have contributed to your depression. Anything else in your life that could have triggered it - hubby’s stressed, you’re worried about a job?’ There’s lots of evidence that sugar is addictive and that people physically crave it [(Cite 1)](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/irene-rubaumkeller-/is-sugar-addictive_b_217115.html). Your body could have been craving it. Have you tried weaning yourself off sugar/carbs? I hope you feel better soon. If it’s any help, the first time I had McDonalds in ages was last month. I was so not used to all the preservatives and the white bread that I yacked in my future MIL’s yard. Yep. Years ago I would have eaten two big macs a week without a second thought. Your body is very malleable and once you get the hang of eating well going back to shit food will make you ill. Literally. ETA: [Wisegeek on sugar withdrawl](http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-symptoms-of-sugar-withdrawal.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836/42 "2011-05-11T20:21:39Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > If you went whole-hog off the carbs then I’d say it’s somewhat likely that could have contributed to your depression. Anything else in your life that could have triggered it - hubby’s stressed, you’re worried about a job?’ Yes, there’s a lot going on right now, I have been really stressed between wrapping up school and starting a career. I guess it’s all just coming to a head. But I imagine going off carbs probably made it a little rougher. I’ve been taking anti-depressants prescribed by a GP but haven’t seen a professional in a while. I just made an appointment with a psychologist for CBT/ACT starting tomorrow and hopefully will get linked with a psychiatrist soon. > [@](#): > > Have you tried weaning yourself off sugar/carbs? I may have to do this rather than going cold turkey. The zeal with which I ate that burger was a little frightening. I have read about sugar addiction in _The End of Overeating_ and I definitely believe such a thing exists and I have it. I’ve cut out processed sugars before over a weaning period, but I’ve never just stopped eating bread and grains abruptly like that. Thanks, that was a helpful link. I’ve heard the first few weeks of Paleo are rough, so I’m going to go ahead and assume this is temporary and pursue other avenues (such as therapy) to get things under control in the meantime. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836/43 "2011-05-11T20:51:43Z")
Hey, good luck. Don’t be too hard on yourself now. You’re just a few years older than me and I find that it’s easier for younger people to make radical changes than older ones. Hopefully when you get other stuff under control you can try it again :). ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836/44 "2011-05-11T23:27:58Z")
**olives** , I’ve tried to do without starch entirely, it really does not agree with me. Some people, like **Drain Bead** (and a friend of mine who has been eating VLC paleo for a few weeks now and has never felt better in his life), take to it like a fish to water, but not everyone. I’m stubborn and I had committed to eating this way - plus I saw a ton of positive side-effects before the negative started to kick in - so it took a MONTH of feeling crappy eating VLC, and not cheating, before I realized how effing stupid it was to feel ill and sad for the sake of some ‘paleo’ ideal when I can feel fantastic as long as I don’t cut my carbs down \*too \*low. Yes, it affected my mental stability as well. Dietary carbs affect your seratonin levels and for those of us with a history of depression, it can be serious. I wouldn’t push it. Severe depressive feelings are not a normal part of the low-carb flu, although things might indeed improve with time for you. White potatoes, sweet potatoes, and white rice are widely considered the most ‘safe’ and healthy sources of starch by people who eat this way. Why not try including moderate portions of these with a couple meals per day, at least for a while? See if this sudden depression goes away with some daily starch, and then experiment with bringing total daily carb a little lower and seeing where you feel best. I eat plenty (IMO - about 150g carbs daily, much less than most Americans) of these starches, and yet I never get ‘crashes’ the way I will when I eat bread. Grains also give me a lot of digestive problems. Hope you feel better soon! ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836/45 "2011-05-12T01:18:32Z")
Ew no, that does not sound like any fun at all! I’m more into Dr. Taubes anyway. _:d & r:_ ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836/46 "2011-05-12T02:26:22Z")
So, it took until the end of day 3, and I’m starting to feel - not very good. I’m going to finish out the week, and I think I will try eat fewer carbs, but I don’t think this is going to be the eating style for me. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836/47 "2011-05-12T06:24:14Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > Ew no, that does not sound like any fun at all! > > I’m more into Dr. Taubes anyway. > > _:d & r:_ Nitpick: Not a Dr. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836/48 "2011-05-12T19:41:51Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > The thing is, other than sugary desserts, I’m not giving up my favorite things at all–and I’d have to give up the desserts on any diet. I don’t eat burgers for the bun. Bread, pasta, and rice are boring empty calories. Yep. Also those boring empty calories provide a blank slate to offset the intensity of the primary food. Not including them increases palate fatigue - I can eat twice as much corned beef paired with potatoes or as a sandwich than I can when it is paired with just cabbage or eggs. > [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > Also, egg cups–take a dozen eggs beaten with 1/3 cup milk, a half-pound of whatever meat you want (bacon, chorizo, breakfast sausage, whatever) cooked and crumbled, and whatever veggies you want. Cheese if you can handle it, or skip it if you can’t. Put them in well-greased muffin tins and bake at 325 for about 28-32 minutes. This recipe makes 12 of them–I usually double it and make 24 so we can have them throughout the week. Two of them make a very filling breakfast. They freeze nicely, too. If you are a cheese eater, a fantastic portable food is farmhouse tortes: 1 pound ricotta, 2 eggs, lots of freshly grated parmesan (3-4 ounces), kosher salt, ground pepper, and 5-10 fresh sage leaves, chopped. Spoon into baking rings (muffin tins if you have to, rings placed on parchment are better), bake at 375 until puffy and browned. Let cool before eating. Delicious. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836/49 "2011-05-12T20:37:37Z")
3-4 days is right around the time that the [low-carb flu](http://www.marksdailyapple.com/low-carb-flu/) hits. It’s perfectly normal and it does get better after a few days to a couple of weeks. Your body is learning how to adapt to a different fuel source. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836/50 "2011-05-13T02:06:01Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Nitpick: Not a Dr. Ah, sorry.I honestly had no idea who he was at all except from this board. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836/51 "2011-05-13T07:00:41Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > If you are a cheese eater, a fantastic portable food is farmhouse tortes: 1 pound ricotta, 2 eggs, lots of freshly grated parmesan (3-4 ounces), kosher salt, ground pepper, and 5-10 fresh sage leaves, chopped. > > Spoon into baking rings (muffin tins if you have to, rings placed on parchment are better), bake at 375 until puffy and browned. Let cool before eating. Delicious. This looks delicious. Basically the cheese layer in lasagne, all on its own. ---
**Author:** ![dada2fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ccd318/32.png) [@dada2fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dada2fish)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836/52 "2011-05-17T01:15:56Z")
Anyone still doing this or a lighter version of? I just started my first day today. Because of my schedule, breakfast is difficult to plan and prepare, but I’ll figure things out. Carbs are definitely my big weakness and I don’t want to go too low. I’ve had that backfire just like Olives did, with the burger, fries & shake inhaled in record time. I need to change my eating style for life and I hope this will help me find what’s best for me. Unless this thread zombifies, I’ll keep you updated. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836/53 "2011-05-17T02:01:03Z")
Lots of people on the board maintain a relatively low-carb lifestyle; if you search low-carb or diet or just plain old “carb” or “sugar” you’ll find a bunch of old threads that can help you as far as ideas for meals go. As for breakfast, try hardboiling eggs the night before and having them cold in the AM sprinkled with salt and/or pepper. Cottage cheese is also excellent. If you’re looking to incorporate more whole grains before tapering off with them, look for crock pot oatmeal recipes you can do the night before. My own biggest tip is don’t consider this diet, consider this a change in lifestyle. I had a much easier go of it than the average Western (American/Canadian/Australian etc) person because my nanny when I was young was a super healthy diabetic (and relatively low carb as a result) and my parents’ diet was not very Westernized either so I never grew up that way. Also consider seeing your doctor so s/he can monitor your blood pressure, sugar levels and cholesterol. It will be heartening to see those numbers improve. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836/54 "2011-09-25T07:01:41Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > So, it took until the end of day 3, and I’m starting to feel - not very good. > I’m going to finish out the week, and I think I will try eat fewer carbs, but I don’t think this is going to be the eating style for me. I was interested in this diet so I thought I’d give it a bump to see how it worked out for those participating. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836/55 "2011-09-25T14:41:01Z")
I tried it. I didn’t last long. It seems to have triggered a major depressive episode that affected my ability to work. I think I went about a week and a half. I know most people report a difficult transition, but this was verging on not safe territory for me, so I set it aside for a while. (I don’t think most people will have this problem, but if you do have a mood disorder, I think a slow transition is better than an abrupt change like this.) I decided to try veganism instead, with an emphasis on nutrient-dense foods. That seems to be working much better for me (about three weeks in.) ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836/56 "2011-09-25T16:40:30Z")
My husband and I both switched to a modified paleo diet about 6 months ago, and we’re really loving it. We include white and sweet potatoes and white rice in our diets, and don’t avoid dairy or nuts, and we’ve still lost a lot of weight and feel fantastic. The first month was rough for me, though, even though I was coming from what I thought was a healthy diet (lower fat, with whole grains, zero fast food and minimal processed food, etc, basically what the general consensus of the perfect diet is, but I struggled with my weight and carb cravings constantly.) I _really_ got the carb flu, and it didn’t improve until I allowed more starches in my diet. In 10 weeks I went from a size 8 to a 4, my skin cleared up, and my energy improved dramatically. Currently, both of us are at our ideal weights and maintaining them pretty much effortlessly. We eat the most awesome food ever. It’s easily the most satisfying way of eating, in my opinion, and I don’t even miss bread or pasta anymore, which surprises the hell out of me. One unexpected benefit is that when I get hungry now, it doesn’t feel especially urgent. More: “oh, hey, I should eat sometime in the next couple of hours,” rather than “OMG I’m fucking starving, I don’t care what I eat, but I need something _right now_.” It’s pleasant. Also, despite eating less fiber than I used to, my digestion is much, much better. And, no gas. There is no farting on this diet. It’s strange. So, yeah, I don’t see ever going back to eating grains. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836/57 "2011-09-25T21:17:38Z")
I’ll never go back either. I have little choice though - I get an IBS flare or break out in hives, rashes or acne whenever I eat off plan. Not worth it. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836/58 "2011-09-26T15:08:06Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > I was interested in this diet so I thought I’d give it a bump to see how it worked out for those participating. As mentioned above, I started to feel sick around day 3 and continued for the week. I heard from other people that if you can get through the first month of that, you’ll start to feel better. Also, I found it inconvenient. The weekend was fine. But for me, this did not lend itself well to a busy morning/busy afternoon/late evening schedule. Bread and pasta were boring empty calories, but they’re easier to fit into my schedule sometimes than some of the meals listed below. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836/59 "2011-09-29T05:14:55Z")
It appears to me after reading over the restrictions and the discipline this diet takes, it seems any good diet might work if you had the willpower to adhere to it like the paleo diet requires. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836/60 "2011-09-29T15:17:03Z")
The difference for me, not being a high-willpower individual, is that once you get used to not eating the “bad” foods at all, they become very unappealing. A couple of days ago, my family was eating pizza, and it just doesn’t even seem like food to me. I had zero desire to eat any of it, even though it had been several hours since I’d eaten last. Before, I would never had had the willpower to resist it, and now it takes no effort at all. It’s very strange, and I never thought I’d be the kind of person who has a plate of cookies in front of her and just doesn’t even want one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-done-the-whole9-30-day-challenge-paleo-diet/580836.md?page=4)