Hi everyone!!!!!!!!

This thread is for anyone who is interested in trying or reading about a Great Watermelon Feast.

I will begin the feast Thursday morning!

Background: I've been 100% raw for six months. I haven't done any major cleanse since the June of LAST summer (10 day Master Cleanse, in fact)... and I haven't done any cleanse longer than ten days (yes, that same 10 day MC... last summer).

Theory: Watermelon is IN SEASON--it's affordable, it's delicious, it's gigantic. I have mono-eaten other fruits. Coconut water was WONDERFUL, but expensive and cumbersome. Bananas were too dehydrating and starchy, oranges were too pithy and fleshy (I don't like citrus fruits that are too chewy, it's all about juice). I basically got sick of those fruits because of those things--but I've never had an affair with oranges or bananas, the same way I have with mangoes (been eating at least 2 every day for the past year or two), or berries, pomegranates. Watermelon also doesn't make my mouth sore, and it's spectacularly hydrating! Thus, I think watermelon will be a proper candidate.

Goals: I have time off until Canada Day, so I can spend the first few days of the feast (usually the toughest, from my experience) lounging in the sun, three hours away from anywhere I am remotely familiar with--my boyfriend has a lovely getaway camper. >8) I will feast until Canada Day as a bare minimum. I'd like to make 10 days... and I think 30 could be awesome, but that's steep. I'll have to see where things go, and how they go. I'm sure I will pick up momentum if I make it over the initial hurdles.

I've eaten small portions of cooked food a few times, lately--yams or veggies, but a lot of it has been emotionally driven. I've been extremely emotional lately, and seem to be undergoing some kind of paradigm shift, and I need to calm down and contemplate. There's the stress of my cow-murder job... I'm moving out in 5 weeks, but it can't come quickly enough... I think STOPPING (thank you, holiday!) and SIMPLIFYING will help me sort myself out. I need to reach directly inside and grab my inner strength, with as little interruptions as possible. Plus, I know I will also feel awesome if I do this for myself, and it will put me more in tune with myself as well--so, it's a good thing!

I also hope to clear up my skin! I've had acne on my face and chest lately (nothing extreme, but still undesirable).

So, uh, mission statement. Hold me to it. ^.~ I'm sure this will both be entertaining and enlightening. >8)

Good luck! Looking forward to hearing how it goes.

I am in!! I will write more tomorrow, but am looking forward to starting and going for it. I am not even sure yet what my goal will be, although I think in fact, that I will just make my goal
"to listen to my body, check in regularly and take it one day at a time." Can't go wrong there! Tomorrow going to get another huge watermelon!

Awesome, I'm glad to have someone to relate to! =)

I'll have to check out Organic Garage... IF they have the organic melons (they come and go, grr), I'm going to stock up a giant shopping cart... since you never know when they are back. That's going to be some serious exercise! :O

Hey,

I am in too, starting today... It will be so nice to have the support of one another! So far today I've had about 1/3 of a watermelon consumed in one sitting at 12:30pm. Now I am full and chilly and drinking some peppermint tea!

I feel great today!

Phantom where are you in Canada? I'm in Alberta.

I've been raw for over 2 years. I did a 45 day juice feast that ended about 3 months ago... since then I have felt the increasing need to cleanse again!

Sunflower
Raw Food Chef and Writer
Comfortably Raw
[www.comfortablyraw.com]

I am in Ontario, just outside of Toronto.

I started today, too! So far, I've eaten one whole melon. I have to cut another one, though, because I'm still hungry.

I spent most of the day cleaning--my apartment AND my car! :O

I found THE BIGGEST WATERMELONS I HAVE EVER SEEN--seeded, organic!--for $10/each. I bought three, and had to lug them one at a time up to my apartment because I needed two hands to carry them. Wow.

So far, I'm noticing anything that makes me feel even slightly upset or anxious makes me want to eat. But the watermelon feels sooooo good in the heat, especially out in the sun. =)

Well I've eaten a whole watermelon already today too! I'm starting to get hungry again... I will have some tea and see if that helps, besides I'm still cold despite my blanket! Other than that I feel great, but I imagine tomorrow may not be so easy.

$10 for huge organic watermelons!!! Wow, I am so envious! Enjoy, Enjoy, Enjoy! And please let us know how amazing they taste!

Sunflower
Raw Food Chef and Writer
Comfortably Raw
[www.comfortablyraw.com]

HI girls!!

I'm in..thought your start date was Thursday..so I am starting Tomorrow!


Have not bought organic melons..just cannot afford them!!

bought 2 TORPEDO sized watermelons..never seeen anything like them..friggen HUGE.....

Also bought 8 honey dew melons..$1.99 each!!

I have fallen OFF the raw after going 45 days 100%
(

I am hoping with all my might that this will get me back on track!!

Concluding thoughts for the day:

STRESS MAKES ME SO HUNGRY. I want to eat as an emotional response to EVERYTHING.

I did eat... but I ate watermelon. So that's good. I had 1 1/4 melons today, total.

The seeds are also positively delectable! I didn't like them at first...

Whenever I DO get cravings--even just for produce, a pack of MMMM fresh figs!--I had to keep reminding myself of my goals, of my commitment, of how I spent so much time preparing (I cleaned out the fridge), of my investment (in these gigantic watermelons), how this is going to be good for me and I will be proud of myself. The cravings eventually subsided. But man, what a battle.

I'm glad to see everyone on board with us here!! We will generate an awesome watermelon aura!!

Phantom = where are you buying your seeded watermelon??

I love love watermelon..you guys are doing fab!!

I am mono orange juice right now..may switch to melon juice next week om

Rawrnr, I am sure that living on melons for a little while will get you buzzing with the life force of raw. You wont want to go back to sad after that!!

Sunflower
Raw Food Chef and Writer
Comfortably Raw
[www.comfortablyraw.com]

Thanx Rawsun...I have been back and forth for 3 years now...
never been sick....energy levels high raw or cooked
i am a 15 year vegan..

my weakness is breads,,,,

Ijust KNOW that raw is the healiest and I want to be proactive!!

Oh Phantom...I SO HEAR you about the emotional stuff...I could have written that post myself!!!
(

YOU are a 6 month INSPIRATION!!!~!

I cracked open my torpedo watermelon and black seeds everywhere...
tried eating them....no thanx

The white ones are ok though!!

Organic Garage (I FINALLY FOUND IT!!!) on Kerr St. The melons come and go, which is why I have to hawk and sack the place--sometimes they only have conventional, but two days ago they had MONSTROUSLY HUGE seeded organic! They also had seedless organics--about half the size--for $11.

So much better than paying in blood at Whole Foods... and even the organic melons come and go at that place, too. Organic Garage rocks my world... and my wallet.

Day 2:

It usually takes me a few days of proper eating after binging/having a bit of cooked to de-bloat... but I was totally not bloated this morning after one day of strictly melons! (I even had another 1/4 melon at about 11:30 last night.) I feel great!

I even experienced a "watermelon high." I just wanted to keep eating and eating--every bite tasted more sweet, more juicy and wonderful--but I stopped when I got to the end of the melon. I'll cut another one soon. >8)

The watermelon seeds taste exactly like soaked black sesame seeds. I made tahini from them once... That is the taste!

Now, since I have no stressful work for the next 5 days, the only thing that makes me hungry for other foods is this forum. >.< Haha.

Well I had about 1 and 1/4 Watermelons today. The second one I got into was all fleshy and full of black seeds... and I was so not enjoying it, despite being hungry, so I stopped. It reminded me of watermelon when I was a kid, and how much I hated it! Sometimes, sad as it sounds I like GM... at least I know now that I like seedless watermelon better than the fleshy seedy kind! I only have 1 more good watermelon at home. I guess I need to go shopping! I'm going to juice the other one and feed it to my hubby (o:

Tonight I felt like I was losing my taste for watermelon already, I am hoping that was just because I didn't like that particular watermelon. Hopefully tomorrow morning I will enjoy it once again!

I felt awesome this afternoon, and had a good workout.
My eyes are pretty blood shot though, and my PH level is low... I think I am detoxing!!

Sunflower
Raw Food Chef and Writer
Comfortably Raw
[www.comfortablyraw.com]

The rest of yesterday was awesome. Every bite of watermelon continued to taste better than the last (unlike the boredom that settled in with other mono-attempts). I felt great, I had no cravings or desire for anything else.

This morning... I woke up, and my tongue was fuzzier than EVER. White to the tip, all the way to the sides, not just in the back/middle. I felt great... until I ate around 11am. Big mistake. My body didn't want any food. Shortly after, my stomach twisted and I had to run to the washroom, my period started (two weeks early), my arms and shoulders felt stiff and achey... so I napped for about an hour, and feel mostly back to baseline now. It was so apparent the energy my body spent up in 15 minutes of melon-digestion was deeply involved with other jobs in my body. X.X

Uggghhhh. I have to take it easy. I'm not hungry at all. At least my predictions of eating two melons/day and worrying if I needed more proved to be wrong.

My other prediction was that days 2-3 would be roughest. Here's to day 3.

Ok I am a clutz


I washed out my fridge...was restocking when I DROPPED one of my TORPEDO sized watermelons!!

Cracked in a few pieces...

Put it onthe counter and just opened it all the way with my fingers..at one point it started to look like a bleeding dead animal that had been cut it 1/2....I know kinda gross...

BUt I dug in there....

Saved it to some BIG tupperwares, ate the rest..it tasted SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!
I am convinced the only way to eat a wagtermlonis to crack it open on the floor and DIG IN!!!

YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am still not in yet - have been fasting more than anything actually, and eating a ton of watermelon and lots of bananas along with it. Haven't been feeling well at all and no foods are really interesting me. Luckily I haven't lost any weight and am holding on! I think it is because I haven't done anything so to speak. It must be some sort of detox going on with me, but its miserable. So, I am not far behind, and WILL catch up. Today I haven't eaten yet, but think it is going have to be bananas until later on. I can't think about watermelon yet. On top of the cold I have its also my mootime. Draining while detoxing for sure.

So inspired by this thread - ESPECIALLY at the time I was considering soup and a heating pad! I just wrapped up in a blanket and eventually ate a few bananas. For some reason, they are my "comfort" raw food. Keep up the good and hard work!!! Be back later to check in and update.

Hey Veggiefreak, sorry you are not feeling very well. I'm confident mono eating will help bring you back to good health quickly! You keep up the good work looking after yourself!! I hear you about bananas as comfort food. I was mono eating watermelon and Orange Juicing so well last week... and the bananas were calling out to me. I thought I'd just have one... I think I had four, than I had cravings for all sorts of other things... and got into some raw bread and things I hadn't planned on eating. I can't believe bananas could set me off!

Rawrnr, thanks for the lovely description of your watermelon bleeding! Haha! I was eating watermelon when I read that.. It almost turned me off of it, but it was too darn tasty! LOL!

Yesterday I walked to the little grocery store in the little town where I live to check out there watermelon stock. First I went to get the mail, and I had a box of books to carry home! Yippie! Than I picked up two huge watermelon for $5 each, and walking distance to home... can't beat that. I thought I could carry 2 watermelons no problem. It's only about 3-4 blocks. So I had my watermelons in my canvas reusable grocery bags. One watermelon bag in each hand. My bag with my box of books in one hand with a watermelon. My dogs leash in my other hand with the other watermelon. My dog is nearly 70 pounds and stubborn... It was a very challenging walk! When I finally arrived home I decided to skip my upper body weights that I had planned for the day (today I am thankful I skipped it as I am still feeling it from those watermelons!) I carved into my first watermelon... it was heavenly. So juicy, so sweet, perfect. What a reward for my hard work of getting it!

I'm loving living on watermelon. No thirst. No desire. Freedom. Full of energy and life. Last night I was up until 2am finishing an e-book I'm writing. I was getting hungry and starting to feel some out of body feelings. What a trip this watermelon feasting is!

Only negative is that I am thinking of heading to the mountains for some hiking/camping either tomorrow or Monday/Tuesday... For the long Canada weekend. I'm not sure yet how watermelon will work with that. I think I'd be fine energy wise. Just worried about finishing one once it's opened! I would have my hubby with me to help chow down though! Probably better to stay on the watermelon than to break it and switch to something else while traveling?!

Also have some cantalopes and honeydews calling out to me. And a lovely jicama raw "potato" salad I made for my hubby... that was hard to resist today! Oh well.. Back to it!

Hope everyones enjoying the sunshine and watermelon!

Sunflower
Raw Food Chef and Writer
Comfortably Raw
[www.comfortablyraw.com]

Thanks for the support Rawsun, I hope you have a great time on your camping trip. Today was bananas and watermelon - mono eating at meals, and tomorrow I am hoping to be on track with all watermelon. We'll see how it goes.

I would love to get the recipe to the jicama raw salad at some point - probably not here, but on the list? Or the recipe section? Would you mind posting it? I love jicama. Thanks! VF

HI everyone!!

Jicama raw salad...yum!!
Pass that recipe to me too please

AHh yes honewydew melon..had 3 today..along with Watermelon!

THis may be a bad mix...I am bloated??!

I have HUGE raspberry bushes FULL of them..they are all turning a LOVELY red!!
I am going to eat them!!
ah yes..

I missed raspberry season at my house last year as I was in Vancouver..

I an NOT missing it this year..

so I guess I am out of mono watermelon...

I have 4 inmy frigde as well as 6 honew dews

Will definatey enjoy them WITH my raspberries!!

YUM

How goes it for everyone!?

Just got back from three days of (NO INTERNET HAHAHA) camping at my boyfriend's trailer!

I decided to take three torpedo-sized melons with me, since I doubted I could find anything organic/seeded/cheap where we were going. We strapped them into the back seats of his brother's car like small children. It was fantastic.

Well, I felt like crap and slept most of the time (12+ hours/day). I was soooooo tired. I felt very light, dizzy, spacey, slightly off "channel normal"--but I was in the perfect place to rest and sleep. Three hours away from anything familiar, out in the country away from noise, none of my temptations for takeout remotely available.

After eating breakfast in the mornings, maybe 5-10 minutes after being done, I have been consistently getting these pains in my shoulders, neck, and especially between my chest and my solar plexus. I have to lie down and just let my body do whatever it's doing... and then it passes.

I haven't drank a single thing since I started!

My sense of smell is above and beyond what it normally has been on raw... so that's cool! I've been averaging about 1.5 melons/day. I only have one medium-sized melon tomorrow for Canada Day, all the stores are closed. Maybe I will find a watermelon blackmarket.

Now, THE IRONY. I was feeling like UUURRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHMMMMFFFFP for my entire camping trip... until about 9PM tonight!! I got my first INSANE wind of energy from fasting! I feel like I ate an entire pound of raw cacao. Now vacation's over and I have to sleep, oh well. There's lots of business to tend to in the real world which will put the energy to good use...

Anyway... Day 7 tomorrow. Feeling pretty good. I've slept a ton, so I know some deep healing has been going on. My skin is a little clearer. It will be cool if I get some kind of visual confirmation of the internal stuff going on. I'll do 10 days for sure, I want to shoot for 14... and anything beyond that, who knows! As long as the melons are ripe...

Glad to hear about everyone still doing this with me!!!!! <3 <3 <3

What are the rest of you up to? >8)

Day 8:

Feeling very calm, even-keeled. No excessive energy or lethargy. Happy and playful.

More significantly than my eighth day of watermelon, this is my EIGHTH DAY of NO overt fats!! :O

I went back to Organic Garage today to refresh my torpedo supply. I stocked a shopping cart full of four giant melons, and all the people in line around me were like, "Oooh, so many melons!"

The cashier looked at me and asked, "Are you going to a picnic?"

I burst out laughing and replied, "Yeah, with MYSELF!" ^.~

She seemed disgruntled, didn't respond to that, and was like, "HAVE A NICE DAY."

Day 9:

I look good. Feel good. Woke up a little earlier than usual--maybe my need to sleep 12 hours/night has passed, for now. Heheh.

Especially last night, and into this morning, I want to laugh at EVERYTHING. I feel SO playful and silly. I really smashed through some kind of wall after the 6th day--all good feelings now. And my silliness is very openly expressed--reminds me of myself when I was younger, much less jaded and bitter. =)

My sex drive has disappeared. This is also a first.

Yesterday, I had an amazing meditation in the forest. I went on a nature walk (more of an appreciate-nature walk, spent a lot of time flirting with unripe wild blackberries and dragonflies, etc.), and always make my way to the top of this totally majestic hill. I felt invited to sit and stay, so I just plopped on the ground (eventually laid down), closed my eyes, and listened. Immediately, I was transported to a light closed-eye visual state I can get to with much effort after lots of sweaty yoga... but a little bit of wilderness and watermelon, and I was instantly there. I heard music in the wind, the stream babbling from REALLY far away, birds, squirrels, rustling of leaves. I think my senses are heightened subtly, and with having happy feelings and a clear system, it was easy to go to (realize myself in?) a really nice place. My mind stilled instantly... I don't have that luxury often.

Next time you're mono-eating, be sure to get outside when you have some time and really enjoy it. It felt sooooo good. =)

When I have to cut my watermelon to go to work, I can dice it into little cubes and fill at LEAST three gallon containers--so I ran 48 cups of diced raw watermelon through fitday (mind you, I'm eating seeded organic, so it's probably better!):

Amount Per 48 cup, diced
Calories 2334.7
Calories from Fat 282.36
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 31.37g 48%
Saturated Fat 3.5g 18%
Polyunsaturated Fat 10.65g
Monounsaturated Fat 7.81g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 145.92mg 6%
Potassium 8463.4mg 242%
Total Carbohydrate 523.85g 175%
Dietary Fiber 36.48g 146%
Protein 45.24g 90%
Alcohol 0g

Vitamin A 534 %
Vitamin C 1167 %
Calcium 58 %
Iron 69 %
Vitamin D 0 %
Vitamin E 24 %
Thiamin 292 %
Riboflavin 73 %
Niacin 73 %
Folate 40 %
Vitamin B-6 525 %
Vitamin B-12 0 %
Phosphorus 66 %
Magnesium 201 %
Zinc 34 %
Copper 117 %

That's 12% calories from fat. Some days I eat more than a melon, too--I have to say, I had no idea there was this much going on inside a melon! Maybe the B-vitamins are contributing to my calmness and good feelings? =D

Day 10:

Had a hilarious exchange with a guy at work last night who was GENUINELY OFFENDED that I would bring watermelon to work. I had about 1/4 of my torpedo left, so I just covered the top with foil, and busted it out of the fridge when I was ready to eat, using a spoon.

*glare* "I've never seen someone bring a WHOLE WATERMELON to work before."
*gesturing with my hands to indicate the size of the melon* "This is actually only about a quarter of the melon... It was a really giant one!"
"I can't believe you'd bring a HALF A WATERMELON TO WORK..."
*smiling, eating*
"Have you ever heard of CHIPS???"
"Have you ever heard of HEART ATTACKS?" >8)

Ah, it made me laugh!

I've been feeling very emotional in the mornings... and very hilarious in the evenings. My energy is still great, with nothing too wild happening inside my body.

This morning I wondered if I should break the fast over my morning melon--but it tasted so sweet, and so good, the melon was like, "No! Keep eating me. I love you!"
So I was like, "Okay, melon! I love you, too." And we had a wonderful morning together.

I think I am feeling more CONFIDENT... which is what's making me more outspoken/publicly indulgent in my sense of humor. It's great to have a clear head. =)

Weird thing happened tonight... I started experiencing MAD cravings for greens, or at least I thought I did--so, after having made it past the 10 day mark (of which I am very proud!), I broke the fast with an organic mango, some mixed greens with lemon juice, and a small avocado.

I still should have probably broken it a little more prudently, but the portions, constraint, and items I chose to eat were MUCH MUCH better than any of my previous fast-breakings.

All in all, it was a very loving, gentle ride, that worked much on my mind for the better. I may yet have another watermelon trip before the summer is over... It's literally simple and sweet! =D

I've also never mono-eaten for longer than three days, so that was cool.

Oh, about the salad. Strangely, while and after eating, I think the green craving ended up being more psychological, and I didn't madly desire them the way I supposed (I was bored and thinking a lot about eating today, sigh).

Ten days off was enough to conquer whatever relapse into cooked I was fighting: now the thought of ANYTHING cooked, even a baked potato, doesn't appeal to me at all. I just don't want it. Coconut butter, don't want it. Larabars, don't want them. Maybe I could nibble a spoonful of cacao, but not in the amounts I was previously eating... Those whole, fresh watermelons, seeds and all, were perfect.

(Olives, honestly, I am undecided about. )

Mono-eating rocks! This was such a nice experience. =)

I loved reading about this!! I have been MIA from the computer for a while, and have missed this thread. I have been wondering how it was going for you phantom! It sounds amazing! So, what else did you notice? Was there a weight gain or loss? What about your skin? Any difference? Energy was good right...once you got past the camping trip? So many questions!! And, the 48 cups was what you ate daily, sometimes more? I was so amazed to see it all written out in the fitday format, you are so right when you say that there is a ton going on in a melon! I had no idea either.

On Day 10 I was totally cracking up at the conversation with that guy, HILARIOUS!!! And what kind of comment is that - haven't you ever heard of CHIPS!!?!?!? NUTS!! And, not the kind you eat! Anyway, thanks for sharing, it was great to read. I would love to hear more when you have a chance. VF

After the first meal I ate to break the fast, I actually felt very dehydrated and odd... my body was like, "WHERE'S THE MELON?!?!?!?!" So, I'm still eating at least half a melon every day. They taste soooo good. I sort of wonder if I should have stuck with it longer. I might do it again soon... but the forest behind my apartment is teeming with berries, and watching them slowly ripen everyday on my walks was a huge temptation. Maybe August? It felt so awesome!

I'm also NOT adding oils back into my diet (maybe if I go out for raw gourmet next month...). I'm reintroducing foods very slowly. The only overt fats I've eaten since was that small avocado, and a little bit of cacao, today (which was yummy). As long as I'm still mono-eating, my cravings stay pretty quiet. I haven't reintroduced any spices or salt... just fresh fruit and alfalfa sprouts. This way, I can gauge how I feel when I add these things back in. No starches yet, either.

Toward the end, I was down to one melon exactly. Less was starting to feel like more.

My skin improved slightly. I think part of the problem with my face right now, is that (oh my god would you actually believe) I've had to sleep with INDUSTRIAL GRADE LAWNMOWER EARMUFFS in order to get any sleep before 2-3 AM with my current roommate. It may have cleared up more if I stayed on the melons for longer--it's worst around the sides of my face where the muffs are. But I'm moving out in three weeks... Woooo hoooo! So there are environmental variables at play, too.

My energy was constantly in the stars after I smashed through that wall on the 6th day. That's very encouraging for me, because I've never had that breakthrough while fasting. Now that I know it's possible, I'll be much less inclined to quit/not fast.

I didn't have a scale, but my stomach is still awesomely flat. I fit into some pants I couldn't quite squeeze back into earlier this summer... so that's another very visible effect of mono-eating for me.

So much of what happened for me was psychological. Once I broke the energy barrier, every day, my confidence just mounted. It made me so calm, free, playful--very out of the closet with my dry sense of humor, I felt a lot more like I did while I was in high school. All kinds of entertaining ideas flowed from my lips, and I found humor and non-threateningness in everything. Even other people's petty arguments just made me burst out laughing, but in a completely loving way, like, "Come on, guys, don't you see this is just an outrageous ego contest and we're all still friends just the same?" The vibe was strong enough to suck other people in and get THEM laughing, too. It let me rediscover parts of my mind (or helped me peel away the crap) that was keeping me from remembering and enjoying who I really am.

I spent a lot of 06-07 being SEVERELY depressed, to the point where I felt there was no point in expressing anything. I didn't understand why I should bother to speak at all. I felt so transparent, empty, inconsequential... and became extremely withdrawn. I never quite found the confidence or felt the purpose in being so openly playful since I moved away from home (all of my friends scattered across the globe for college shortly before)--and for the first time since then, really, I found myself able to relax, like I was when I was with them a couple of years ago. Very happy, clear, alert.

And there was also the awesome meditation in the forest. My senses were definitely sharpened for the foraging.

I don't know if I learned them all, but one of the secrets of the watermelon is PLAYFULNESS. =) Another one is that watermelon loves you. Two very important truths!

P.S. On the 12th day, the day after I officially broke the fast, I came to work, and there was a GIANT, anonymous plate of watermelon that people had been snacking on during the lunch shift. Contagious! >8)

OMG!!!
I WILL respond more to your post, loved it, kids have to get to bed. So, more later tonight or tomorrow - totally cracking up over the headphones. HAHAHA! well, not really that you have to be in that position, but glad that you are moving out! More in a bit. VF