I skimmed and read through some of the Whole 30 stuff. I think it's great for anyone who can do it and I bet you feel amazing when doing it....but I can't. It's too constrictive for me. I do better on the cleaning eating paleo-ish 80/20 type of plan. It's working for me b/c I'm down 5 lbs in the last month.
Val - I'm like you. I don't want to feel ostracized or deprived for not joining in on party foods and celebrations. So, my 80/20 type of plan works for that. I have the occasional piece of cake or indulge in some high carb meal here and there but it's a treat not a habit. At home I still try to eat lots of veggies, a little dairy, lean protein and low(ish) carbs (mostly whole grains). But I have the occasional pizza and have popcorn with butter once a week. I've tried so many different plans and I can't sustain them so this time I'm not counting calories, eat when hungry but try to eat smaller meals and snacks and don't eat much after dinner usually (except for popcorn night). So far this is working for me.
We all have to find what works for us, our bodies, metabolism, etc are all different so different plans work for different people. For me, balance was the key. I don't feel deprived anymore. Chris Powell talked about balance, eating a higher carb meal one day and very low carb the next and trying to eat the carbs earlier in the day, in one meal. I am going to read his book soon and will let you all know what I think of it.