{"id":22958,"date":"2026-10-13T21:10:07","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T21:10:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=22958"},"modified":"2026-10-13T21:10:07","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T21:10:07","slug":"dear-melissa-can-i-do-the-whole30-during-the-holidays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=22958","title":{"rendered":"Dear Melissa: Can I do the Whole30 during the holidays?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 300px 160px; gap: 2px; width: 460px; background: #eee; padding: 2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u6574\u884c\u5bbd\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876674\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 90px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876676\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u5de6\u4fa7\u7ad6\u6392 -->\r\n  <div style=\"height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876672\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"height: 500px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876680\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u53f3\u4fa7\u6469\u5929\u697c\uff08\u548c\u5de6\u4fa7\u5b8c\u5168\u5bf9\u9f50\uff09 -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-row: 3\/5; height: 750px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876678\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e6\" data-zoneid=\"5876682\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dear Melissa,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>I\u2019ve done the Whole30 once before, with amazing results. It was seriously life-changing! But my habits slipped, and right now I feel awful. I\u2019m constantly bloated, I\u2019m tired ALL the time, and my cravings are out of control. I <em>really<\/em> need a change, and I\u2019m ready to do the Whole30 again. But the holidays are coming up, and I\u2019m worried it will be too hard t<\/strong>o<strong> stick with it. Should I start the Whole30 with Thanksgiving coming up? <em>Ruth, Dayton, OH\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dear Ruth,<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We generally <em>discourage<\/em> people from doing the Whole30 during the holiday season (celebrations like U.S. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa). There are a few reasons why this is an especially challenging time to take on an elimination program like the Whole30:<\/p>\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Temptation. <\/strong>In December especially, you\u2019ll likely be faced with holiday parties, office gatherings, and other events featuring foods and drinks that aren\u2019t compatible with the Whole30 elimination phase. <\/li>\n<li><strong>Stress.<\/strong> The holidays can be intensely stressful for many reasons. It may prove challenging to navigate the stress, anxiety, or negative emotions the holidays can bring up <em>without<\/em> your usual comfort foods. <\/li>\n<li><strong>Special foods. <\/strong>The holidays may be the one time a year you get to eat your dad\u2019s lasagna, your gram\u2019s baklava, or your mom\u2019s challa. If these foods are special <em>and<\/em> worth it, I\u2019d hate for you to miss out.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Peer pressure. <\/strong>Your family and friends may not understand why you\u2019re choosing to give up these foods during the holidays. You may be pressured to eat traditional family dishes, have a glass of wine, or partake in holiday desserts.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All of these factors will likely make it extra-hard to stick to your Whole30 commitment. This is especially true if this is your first Whole30, or if you haven\u2019t done the program in quite some time. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, I can understand feeling terrible and not wanting to wait until January to make changes. Still, making no changes and committing to the full Whole30 are not your only options! There are smaller changes you can make now to soft launch the January Whole30 and help you sleep better, have more energy, and reduce cravings during the holidays.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h-option-1-add-things\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Option 1: Add things<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you think about improving your diet, most people immediately gravitate to <em>giving up<\/em> foods. That is a viable strategy, but so is <em>adding<\/em> foods to your plate. If you focus on adding more nutrient-dense whole foods to meals and snacks, you\u2019ll accomplish your goals in a similar fashion without restriction. <\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Add vegetables or fruit to every meal<\/li>\n<li>Make sure each meal and snack contains a dense source of protein<\/li>\n<li>Add healthy fats to your plate for satiety<\/li>\n<li>Choose more whole-food ingredients (corn instead of tortilla chips, roasted potatoes instead of potato chips)<\/li>\n<li>Drink more water throughout the day<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All of these changes will add more nutrition to your day, keep you full and satisfied between meals, and reduce cravings driven by under-eating or thirst.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h-option-2-limit-or-remove-things\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Option 2: Limit or remove things<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are an Abstainer, you may find this strategy the easiest. Identify one or two types or categories of foods or drinks that are holding you back the most. Maybe it\u2019s high-sugar items like cookies and candy, which exacerbate cravings. Perhaps it\u2019s alcohol, which impacts everything from your energy to your mental health. Maybe it\u2019s snacking late at night, as it disrupts your sleep. Commit to a limit or complete removal of one or more of these items through January 1st.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Eliminate cookies, ice cream, and chocolate at home, which still enjoying at parties, family dinners, or other gatherings<\/li>\n<li>Limit \u201cdessert\u201d after meals to fruit (outside of special events)<\/li>\n<li>Limit yourself to one glass of alcohol per event<\/li>\n<li>Tell yourself, \u201cAfter dinner, the kitchen is closed.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Small changes can bring huge rewards when it comes to energy, sleep, cravings, digestion, and mental health. The key is making a plan you\u2019ll actually stick to, given the challenges of the season.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h-option-3-do-the-whole30\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Option 3: Do the Whole30<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If neither of the first two options feel impactful enough, you <em>can<\/em> start the Whole30 any time you choose. However, I\u2019d recommend extra planning and prep if elimination or reintroduction falls on a holiday.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Have a strong \u201cwhy\u201d and recruit support from key friends or family (your spouse, roommate, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>Let family know ahead of time, and request modifications where possible (like dressing on the side for salads)<\/li>\n<li>Offer to bring a dish or two you know you can eat to gatherings<\/li>\n<li>Eat before holiday parties, in case there are limited compatible offerings<\/li>\n<li>Bring your own beverage, whether that\u2019s a case of sparkling water or a pitcher of compatible mocktails<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It may be challenging to turn down a favorite dish or dessert, but if <em>this<\/em> is the holiday gift you want to give to yourself, stay committed! (And freeze a slice of dad\u2019s lasagna for later.)<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h-trust-yourself\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trust yourself<\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If despite all of your best efforts you find yourself <em>still<\/em> feeling bloated, tired, and craving the day after Christmas, the January Whole30 is right around the corner! Join our free Weekly Check-In email series, start with us on Whole30 Day 1, and get all the support, encouragement, and resources you need to succeed.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Happy holidays,<br \/>Melissa<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- \u603b\u5bb9\u5668\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u5bbd908px Grid\u7d27\u51d1\u5e03\u5c40 -->\r\n<div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 728px 160px; gap:2px; width:908px; background:#eee; padding:2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u901a\u680f\u9876\u90e8\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u6a2a\u5e45 908x258 \u8de8\u6574\u884c -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column:1\/-1; height:258px; background:#ff6b6b; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n    <!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114307\" data-width=\"908\" data-height=\"258\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114307});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u7b2c\u4e8c\u901a\u680f\uff1a728\u00d790 \u901a\u680f -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column:1\/-1; 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background:#ffe066; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n\t<!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114299\" data-width=\"300\" data-height=\"250\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114299});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n    <div style=\"height:250px; background:#ff9ecd; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n\t<!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114305\" data-width=\"250\" data-height=\"250\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114305});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n    <div style=\"height:139px; background:#c792ea; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n\t<!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114302\" data-width=\"133\" data-height=\"139\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114302});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n    <div style=\"height:125px; background:#91e7ac; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n\t\r\n<!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114303\" data-width=\"125\" data-height=\"125\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114303});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u53f3\u4fa7\u7ad6\u680f\uff1a160\u00d7600 \u6574\u5217\u9ad8\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-row:3\/8; height:600px;  display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n    <!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114301\" data-width=\"160\" data-height=\"600\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114301});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/whole30.com\/article\/dear-melissa-whole30-holiday-strategy\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dear Melissa, I\u2019ve done the Whole30 once before, with amazing results. It was seriously life-changing!&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1723,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[891,8685,892,742],"class_list":["post-22958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-dear","tag-holidays","tag-melissa","tag-whole30"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Dear-Melissa-blog-header-2024-update.png",660,330,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Dear-Melissa-blog-header-2024-update-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Dear-Melissa-blog-header-2024-update-300x150.png",300,150,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Dear-Melissa-blog-header-2024-update.png",640,320,false],"large":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Dear-Melissa-blog-header-2024-update.png",640,320,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Dear-Melissa-blog-header-2024-update.png",660,330,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Dear-Melissa-blog-header-2024-update.png",660,330,false],"covernews-slider-full":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Dear-Melissa-blog-header-2024-update.png",660,330,false],"covernews-slider-center":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Dear-Melissa-blog-header-2024-update.png",660,330,false],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Dear-Melissa-blog-header-2024-update.png",660,330,false],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Dear-Melissa-blog-header-2024-update-540x330.png",540,330,true],"covernews-medium-square":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Dear-Melissa-blog-header-2024-update-400x250.png",400,250,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?author=1"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?cat=3\" rel=\"category\">Health<\/a>","tag_info":"Health","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22958"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22958\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1723"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}