The idea of leaving the cut and paste rules of Whole30 is really intimidating to me…and I’m sure I’m not the only one. While I have done multiple Whole30s, I’ve also slipped up when it comes to reintroduction. I hope by writing out a clean cut reintroduction plan (and re-reading the whole30 chapter on reintroduction), I hope to be prepared for this time around.

Reintroduction refresher

Before starting my Whole30, I decided to do some more research, learn some more about it and get a bit of a refresher. Here are some links to some great articles I found about Whole30 reintroduction:

Whole30 101: Reintroduction 

Step two: Reintroduction

Whole30 Reintroduction: How and why you should do it

The Whole30 book shares two types of reintroduction. A slow rollout and a fast track roll out. After rereading the chapter and looking at my February schedule – I’ve decided a slow roll will work for me and allow me more time to listen to my body.

Writing out your reintroduction

I truly believe in putting pen to paper to help create a long-lasting plan. If I tell myself I’m going to do something…I probably won’t follow through. But if I write it out and spend time thinking about it, I’m more likely to follow through. Below is my reintroduction plan. Yes, this might change, but it’s a good start for me.

I think it helps create my plan by thinking the things I really want back into my diet. I really miss hummus, cider and some chocolate every now and then. These are the items I want to try out first and really listen to how I’ve feeling. I also think it’ll be important to take notes during my reintro so I can really learn more about what foods made me feel blah. 

Day 1 – Legumes. 

I’ve been craving hummus, so I’ll start off with legumes. I’ll try hummus, peanut butter, and Banza pasta.  After trying legumes, I’ll return to eating Whole30 for a few days. I’m not sure how many days – it’ll depend on how I’m feeling, but I’m thinking a good rule will be 3 days. 

Day 2-3 Continue to eat Whole30

Day 4 – Gluten free alcohol.

Like I mentioned, I’ve been craving cider and a dry Austin Eastcider is calling my name. I will continue to keep all other foods Whole30.

Day 5-6 Continue to eat Whole30

Day 7 – Non-gluten grains

Bring on the corn tacos, popcorn and maybe some sushi. I will not add any other noncompliant foods. This is important to see specifically how one food group is making you react.

Day 8-9 Continue to eat Whole30

Day 10 – Dairy

All I’m really craving dairy wise is some yogurt and maybe a bite of cheese. This will be a really important day to see how I feel. I’ll keep all other foods compliant.

Day 11-12 Continue to eat Whole30

Day 13 – Grains

I think this will be the hardest for me. But i’ll enjoy a slice of sourdough or pita and see how I react. I have a feeling the bloat will be real. I’ll keep all other foods compliant to really focus on grains specifically and how they impact me.

After these 13 (or so) days, I’ll take what I’ve learned and apply to my everyday life. If dairy makes me bloated and uncomfortable, maybe it’s not worth having every day but saving for a special occasion. 

What things should I be looking for during reintroduction?

The Whole30 book (on page 135) goes over this really really well. It talks about every little think. Some things it mentions are digestion, sleep, skin and energy levels.

Food Freedom Forever

Melissa Urban also wrote Food Freedom Forever, which is a fantastic book to read as you’re reintroducing or about to reintroduce new foods. It goes into greater detail about reintroduction and life post whole30. For me, I always start off strong. Feeling good and like I have food freedom, but then I start to slip. I have a reese’s here or there and then it turns into a daily thing. My stomach is unhappy, I’m unhappy and I just feel sluggish. This time around, I want to think about it different. I don’t deserve a reese’s because I got out of bed..but maybe on Valentine’s I’ll split one with Steven because that’s how we decided to treat ourselves for Valentines. It really is a mindset change and I’m hoping by properly doing reintroduction, I can learn what’s sometimes worth it, what’s never worth it and what I can add back into my diet why still feeling my best. 

Steps for Reintroduction

• Reread the Whole30 reintroduction chapter (starts on page 42 of the Whole30 book and the FAQ is on 132) and read the Whole30 Reintroduction website.
• Decide if a slow or faster reintroduction is right for you
• After doing your research – write out your reintroduction plan
• Implement the plan and KEEP NOTES! It’s so important to keep notes and remind yourself how you feel each day