Health and Wellness

From Whole30 to Dry January: why 30-day challenges are so popular

Embarking on a 30-day challenge like Whole30 or Dry January? You're not alone. These month-long commitments have surged in popularity, but what's the driving force behind this trend? Let's delve into the psychology and benefits of these self-imposed challenges.

The Whole30 Diet

An elimination diet program created by a husband-and-wife team, Whole30 encourages people to give up alcohol, dairy, grains, legumes, and sugar for exactly 30 days.

Toward the end of the 30 days, you’re supposed to slowly reintroduce these foods into your diet, to identify which ones work for you.

Do 30-day challenges actually work?

Generally speaking, short-term weight loss and dietary challenges “can be effective to help teach better, sustainable eating habits,” says Cassandra Forsythe, a nutrition scientist based in Manchester, Connecticut.

But if they are too restrictive, they can also backfire.”
Short-term diets do little to help keep weight off in the long run, and can even serve to slow down your metabolism.

What are 30-day challenges, and where do they come from?

Longer, more hashtag-optimized versions of New Year’s resolutions

Popularized by “Try something new for 30 days,” a 2011 TED talk by Matt Cutts
Research shows that resolutions are largely ineffective when it comes to establishing long-term behavior
Only 8 percent of people achieve their resolutions in the long term

Why 30 days?

The idea is that doing something consistently for 30 days will help you establish a healthier attitude toward indulgences (food, alcohol, Paris Hilton memes on Instagram, etc.) in the long run.

Drynuary, a month-long period of sobriety that’s probably the most popular 30-day challenge on social media, is another example of this
Another number that’s frequently tossed around in behavioral psychology circles is 21 days, or three weeks, which stemmed from plastic surgeon Dr. Maxwell Maltz’s observations of how long it took for his patients to become accustomed to their new faces.

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