Yay for my weekend being here! I am usually wiped out by this time in the week, but I had so much energy I ran after work today even though I didn't get home til 7 PM. It felt so good to run, even if it was just a short one.

It's freezing here! It's going down to -15 to -20 tonight. That's right NEGATIVE 20! That's really cold, even for Vermont. I remember one winter it was -10 one day and I had to walk 3 blocks to get passport photos taken so I could study abroad. It was seriously the most painful thing I ever had to do! It was an epic 3 block walk- I still remember it vividly b/c I wanted to die! So tomorrow I will try to be indoors wrapped in blankets all day- eating raw makes me cold enough already!

OK enough rambling- food today:

-green smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen mango/strawberries/blueberries, kale. SO GOOD today! Also 2-3 bananas (don't remember) and a bite of a Lara Bar to taste it and see if I liked that flavor so I could bring it for lunch- but I hated it (Cocoa Mole- yuck my mom got it for me by accident)
-Lara Bar (had to go get one during lunch), 3 bananas, apple
-2 bananas, 4 raw cashews that my mom had
*3 mile run*
-random- a tomato, some baby carrots, an apple & 2 clementines...All I wanted was some plain romaine lettuce but I had none!

I feel like that's a ton of food! I was really hungry today though. I may have a banana later, too.

I plan on eating only fruits/veggies tomorrow, no overt fats. Since I'm not working I don't need extra energy/calories, and I think my body is really asking for low fat right now.

I'm feeling kind of out of it today...I think it's just the cold. It literally hurts to be outside or driving, and I had to run a bunch of errands today and take my parents' dogs out. The high up in the mountains here was 0 degrees! Eeek.

I wanted to eat just fruits/veggies today but I ended up eating a Lara Bar. I was just gravitating towards dense foods (bananas!) to try to stay warm. And I figured I shouldn't feel guilty for eating something raw and healthy, that's not the point of this lifestyle at all. So today was/will be:

-green smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen mango/strawberries/blueberries, kale. Another 3 bananas.
-banana while out
-another green smoothie w/ 2.5 bananas, frozen mango/strawberries/blueberries, and kale, and the other 1/2 banana plain. Also an apple & 2 clementines
-Lara Bar
*Going to run maybe 3 miles (low energy today) and lift weights if I can stand the cold in the basement*
-got stuff for a big huge salad w/ all the usual veggies! Very excited, I missed having salad yesterday!

I feel like I ate all day long and did nothing productive. Just one of those days I suppose... I have so much trouble just relaxing and letting myself chill out. I need to work on that. It's ok to do nothing some of the time. It's ok to sit down once in a while!

Whew, I just got done with a big cleaning spree. My apartment was pretty disorganized and cluttered with papers, cat toys, unopened mail, etc. and I needed to vacuum desperately so I spent the morning creating a system for my important papers & documents, filing them away, cleaning up the clutter and finally vacuuming. I even whipped out that little piece you put on the end of the vacuum hose to clean in cracks & corners, so my apartment is cleaner than ever! It'll take approximately 3 hours before the cats mess it up, but at least I have a clean slate right now. I still need to do dishes and clean the litterboxes, but that won't take long.

It's still VERY cold out. I kind of wish I wasn't going out tonight- street parking is so hard to find, even here in little old Burlington, and I don't have a winter coat so walking to the bar won't be fun. I'm only planning on staying for an hour or so since my work week starts early tomorrow morning. I decided not to drink since I have no desire for alcohol at all. If I was craving a nice glass of red wine then I'd probably have it, but I could take it or leave it right now, so I'll leave it for another occasion when I'm going to stay later and not work the next day. I'm not against drinking in moderation at all, but I definitely got the drinking/drugs/partying thing out of my system at an earlier age in college and when I was living in Europe. My body usually tells me pretty strongly that it can no longer tolerate any hard liquor and only small amounts of wine! I still love vodka but it's not worth feeling miserable the next day anymore. Sadly I have a bottle of organic vodka that my friend gave me before I left LA that I have only opened to use as a cleaning product! I just can't bring myself to drink it b/c it's too strong for me at this point in my life. When I think back on my wild days I can't believe I'm the same person, but I am much happier now and feel much healthier.

Today's menu:

-5 bananas, 2 clementines
-Lara Bar, apple, banana. Need to buy less Lara Bars...
-Planning on a green smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen mango/strawberries/blueberries and kale before I leave, and possibly another banana
-lemon water at the bar
-I will have a big salad w/ mesclun greens, romaine, carrots, tomatoes, red pepper, cucumber and vinegar waiting for me when I get back around 8:45-9:00 PM. That's later than I like to eat dinner but I do want to get my greens and enough calories in for the day!

Exercise today is yoga in the morning and I'm going to run 4 miles later, probably with some intervals. I didn't run yesterday, ended up power walking hills instead. I did lift weights though.

OH! Some exciting changes I've been seeing lately:

I was watching a game show called "Chain Reaction" last night w/ my sister. Contestants are given the first and last word to the chain and have to solve the words in the middle that complete the chain. For example, they are given "Big, ____, _____, _____, Freak" and then they are given the first letter to the words that complete the chain as they go (on the show the chains are longer). Each word forms a phrase or saying with the word under it. So the solution to this chain might be, Big, Shot, Gun, Control, Freak. Anyway I watched the show last Thursday night, too, and couldn't solve any of them. I was in awe of the contestants for figuring out the puzzles. Last night, however, I was on fire! I solved every single one way before the contestants, and solved some entire chains before I even had the first letters to the mystery words! My sister commented on how I'd gotten "more brain power" and I told her the only thing that was different was that this week I'd been 100% raw for 7 days! Maybe it's a coincidence but I always tend to see the big picture more and have mental clarity when I'm eating raw. No more brain fog clouding my mental power!

Another thing is the energy I have. I am never tired anymore, and just 2 weeks ago I was tired ALL THE TIME even eating a healthy, whole food-based vegan diet. I used to pass out in bed by 9 PM and go to bed at or before 10 every night. Now I go to bed later, and I'm not even tired when I turn out the lights. I have a sense of energy buzzing through my body. I am also in such a good mood even when I'm doing stuff I don't enjoy. I feel more diligent at work and more capable of getting through whatever task I'm faced with.

All after just a week! I'm so excited to see what this brings me, especially now that I'm eating more greens and getting all the crucial minerals and power that they have to offer!

I'm not sure what's up, but I've been hungry/wanting to eat constantly for the past 2 days! I can't seem to get full or satisfied. The good news is I'm not craving cooked foods at all- I'm craving bananas & lara bars, which is ok to eat! LOL.

I don't remember what I ate yesterday but the only overt fat was one lara bar- definitely 8-1-1.

Today:

-green smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen mango/strawberries/blueberries, kale. 3 bananas w/ some raw cacao powder.
-4 bananas, 2 clementines, apple
-baby carrots, half a banana
-big amazingly delicious salad w/ romaine, mesclun greens, carrots, red pepper, cucumber, tomato, half an avocado and vinegar. 1.5 bananas w/ raw cacao powder. Apple.

Work was very strenuous today, I cleaned all the dog kennels, walked all day long, basically never stopped moving. Maybe that's why I'm so hungry today! Anyway today was more like 13-14% fat, so not quite 8-1-1. Tomorrow is another day! I just couldn't resist eating half of the avocado!

Quick post today b/c I'm pretty exhausted from work. 5 days in a row of what I do is a lot...and this was only day 3, haha.

I am still VERY hungry almost all the time. But adding up what I'm eating, I'm taking in only about 1800 calories on my really big eating days. So, I think I just feel like I'm eating a lot. According to Fitday I burn about 2300 calories per day average, and often even more, so no wonder I'm hungry. I'm just going to keep reaching for fruit!

Food today:
-green smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen mango, strawberries & blueberries, kale. I am really starting to crave these and love the taste of them even more than I already did. Also 3 more bananas w/ raw crack...I mean cacao...powder
-banana
-2 bananas, Lara bar, 2 clementines
-apple, 2 bananas- 1 w/ raw cacao powder
*ran a mile to warm up & lifted upper body weights*
-handful of baby carrots, big salad w/ the usual veggies (no avocado)
-banana w/ raw cacao, apple

That's about 10% fat or a bit less. Eating so little fat always seemed to be so hard in the past...even in summer. I think I just wasn't eating enough fruit in the past. I need to read the book though b/c even though I'm eating the right ratios of food, I doubt I'm following all the details, and I think it's really such a perfect way to eat and live. I've never been able to find it in a book store so I'll have to see how much $$ is in my bank account and maybe order it on Amazon.

I'm excited for the inauguration tomorrow! I wonder if I'll miss everything being at work til 6:30?

I am home today feeling sick and taking a much-needed "mental health day." I've been feeling like my body's fighting off a cold for the past couple days and really am not up to doing anything physical today. I also think I supressed a lot of emotional stuff this past week. Another dog got put to sleep last Friday, and I've been having nightmares of other animals at the shelter getting euthanized- I've woken up crying a couple times. I didn't allow myself to grieve for this dog b/c it was just so horrible when the other dog was euthanized that I didn't want to go through it again. Instead I tried to just pretend it never happened. I wasn't at work the day it happened, so it was easier to do than last time. Anyway, it always catches up to you...I think the emotional negativity can have as much of an effect on your body as physical ailments. I feel guilty about not being at work but man, I need a break.

On the bright side, I get to see the inauguration! It's so exciting, and puts me in much better spirits than I woke up in. It's nice to actually feel like maybe the country is going in the right direction now! I can't even imagine what Barack and his family is feeling right now...the whole crowd seems to be alive with joy and hope. What a wonderful and long-anticipated day!

I haven't been very hungry today and I'm out of everything except one apple, lol, but my wonderful mom asked if I needed anything from the store and is picking up some fruit and stuff for me when she goes This is what my day is looking like:

- I had 3 bananas w/ raw cacao powder around 10 AM
- going to have a green smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen mango/strawberries/blueberries and kale later, plus an apple and another banana
*maybe a slow, easy 4 mile run? I'll see if I feel up to it*
- carrots? More fruit?
- Salad w/ the usual veggies and half an avocado
- More fruit?

I've been drinking water w/ lemon all day. Yumm.

I am so happy it's my weekend. I feel so crappy! I'm detoxing like mad and have a headache, fatigue and am craving all sorts of cooked vegan foods as a result. It's awful! I have stuck to 100% raw though...but ooooh man what I wouldn't give for a big thick slice of whole grain bread with peanut butter! I feel like I'm eating so much b/c I'm craving something, but eat something else to squash the cravings...I dunno, it doesn't really matter, I'm losing weight anyway. I am going to sleep forever tomorrow, I can't wait!

Food:

-green smoothie w/ the usual, 3 bananas w/ raw cacao, half lara bar (huge I know...)
-2 bananas, apple, lara bar
-2 bananas
-small bag of baby carrots, 2 bananas w/ raw cacao powder, apple

I was out of greens for a salad tonight! I wasn't really in the mood for anything besides either cooked stuff...or bananas. LOL. So I went with bananas, and the carrots b/c they looked good.

I am going to my favorite cafe for lunch on Friday and I'm probably going to eat a cooked meal. They have the BEST hummus & veggie sandwiches and vegan chocolate chip cookies ever! I am totally ok with eating a single cooked meal very occasionally...as long as it doesn't turn into a cooked food bender. So I need to be careful of that, but also not turn food into a bigger deal than it has to be, you know?

Oh, no workout today. I forced myself to suffer through 4 miles of running yesterday despite feeling like crap so that I could just come home and crash tonight.

Yay for a lazy morning!

I am craving almonds lately so I'm going to splurge money-wise and buy organic, raw almond butter today. Yum. That will be my fat for the day (1-2 T of it on bananas).

It's snowing like crazy out. It's nice to be bundled up in fleeces in my warm apartment and not freezing outside with the dogs at work! Anyway I just wanted to have a plan for the day so I can avoid cooked food temptations, which shouldn't be too hard b/c I'm looking forward to the almond butter and haven't thought about cooked food as a result!

-3 bananas w/ raw cacao powder
-green smoothie w/ 2-3 bananas, frozen mango/strawberries/blueberries, kale
-2 bananas w/ raw almond butter
*4-6 mile run w/ sprint intervals, probably upper body weights/abs too*
-apple, clementines
-big salad w/ romaine, mesclun, carrots, cucumber, red pepper, tomatoes, red onion, vinegar. Another apple or banana.

I have been eating later at night than I'd like to for the past few days just due to cooked food cravings and trying to ward them off. Surprisingly I never feel overly full eating all raw, and I'm definitely still losing body fat which is great. But I do think it's best for my digestive system to stop eating around 8 PM like I'd been doing, so that's the goal for tonight.

Yesterday I ran into a friend from work at the market and she was eating some of my old favorite hummus (they have a sandwich and salad buffet/seating area there). I sat with her for a few minutes to chat and had some hummus with carrots...and it tasted like sawdust. It was not at all what I remember eating just 2 weeks ago. What a weird experience- it also made my stomach feel so heavy for the entire day despite having only a few bites. I had my big salad for dinner and felt so sick and full afterwards I could barely move. Needless to say, I am NOT eating cooked food for lunch today. I don't want it at all. The cafe I'm going to has an awesome salad bar so I'll load up on fresh veggies and may have a few sweet potato chunks, too, but something like plain cooked sweet potatoes has never hurt my stomach in previous times when I was eating raw. Definitely no bread or hummus there though!

I think the detox is over for now, I feel much better. I got my delicious raw almond butter yesterday! It's SO good, I need to seriously try not to eat it all in 4 days though b/c it's so expensive. I've had my share for today and that's it! I was really craving almonds so I'm happy to have that now. Today's plan is:

-4 bananas w/ 2 T raw almond butter & some raw cacao powder (HEAVEN)
-2 really good clementines
-salad at lunch- usually with romaine, baby greens, spinach, onions, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, sprouts, broccoli, cucumber...any other raw veggies they have that I'm forgetting...and ACV (it's so cool that most healthy restaurants and salad bars have it here!) with maybe 2 chunks of sweet potato, not too much
-apple, banana
*3 mile tempo run OR half hour super hilly power walk*
-green smoothie for dinner, maybe another apple or clementines too

I ate too much for breakfast, but I think it was just the novelty of having raw almond butter again. My stomach feels a bit heavy though. I prefer not to eat so much fat first thing in the morning.

I need to seriously decide where I want to move next fall and get a second job so I can afford to move. I'm thinking the Portland area, or maybe Bend, OR, or somewhere near Boulder, CO. I've lived in the suburbs of NYC, Atlanta, Vermont, Boston, the Netherlands and Los Angeles and I am definitely done with the East Coast for now. There are still so many places to explore, even in this country. I definitely want to live in Europe again some day (probably Amsterdam) but I looked into that last year and at this point in my life it would be nearly impossible to get a work permit unless I went over to teach English. I'm not interested in leaving the animal sheltering world so I'll wait to see how that plays out. I've never been to Oregon but for some reason I'm drawn to the Pacific Northwest. I LOVE Colorado but it may be too snowy for me...? I have to do some research. I love, love, love moving somewhere I barely know and starting fresh- it's such an adventure.

I used to love moving to different states too. It is definitely an adventure and I feel my personal growth accelerates with each new place. The only downside is leaving friends and having to make new ones all over again. After spending more time in Southern California this past week I would love to live there someday, or maybe move back to Tucson.

Did you find out the brand of that almond butter? I saw a couple brands at the market today but decided not to get any. There was also some raw coconut butter that looked interesting. There were 3 different flavors- goji, cocao, and acai. Have you ever tried that?

SoCal is a really fun place to live- very very expensive, but you really can't beat the weather, the nightlife or the geography. I hear you re: having to leave your friends- I guess I've gotten used to it since I moved so much growing up, but it kind of sucks not to have any childhood friends! There are so many great places to experience though.

The brand of raw almond butter I buy here is MaraNatha. It's worth the money every now & then! I've never tried coconut butter but I bet the cocoa flavor would be amazing!

So I was pretty psyched this morning when I tried on my favorite pair of jeans I bought last year when I lost a lot of weight eating raw, and they fit! Last time I tried them on 2 weeks ago I had a good inch before they even buttoned. They're a bit tighter than I like to wear jeans though but I hope by the end of this coming week they'll be just perfect. I feel like I've been stuffing myself and eating too much fat lately...but I swear it never makes a difference in my weight as long as it's raw. That's not a good reason to eat too much fat though- need to get back to near 811 again. I had my fun with the almond butter for the past 3 days, now I need to go back to eating fat just once a day, or twice if it's minimal amounts each time. 2 T of almond butter AND a whole Lara Bar just makes me feel sluggish.

Today:

-green smoothie w/ the usual. 2 more bananas w/ 2 T raw a.b. and raw cacao powder
-3 bananas, Lara Bar
-2 bananas w/ a little raw cacao when I got home
*3 mile easy run- legs are so tired from the crazy work day!*
-handful of carrots, large salad w/ romaine, mesclun, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper & vinegar
-2 clementines, apple

I didn't work out yesterday b/c I got home so late and had stuff to do. I was also kind of tempted to eat a cooked meal for lunch b/c I was starving by the time we ate, but one look at the salad bar and I was back on the raw track! It was so good yesterday, they even had sprouted lentils! It's like they knew I was coming ;-)

Well the cats are all over the keyboard and I keep having to re-type, so that's my cue to get off the computer!

Congrats on the pants downsizing! I recently lost 2 pants sizes as well and it feels really great except now I have nothing to wear. :/

I would like to try the 811 sometime as well. Did you read the book? I have not, but I like what Dr. Graham says on his website. When I did the Raw Divas detox I think I was doing close to 811 and it was a very positive experience both in terms of energy and attitude. Maybe we could do a challenge together and try to stick with it for a set period of time? What do you think of that?

I am envious of your good workouts! I'm actually joining the YWCA tomorrow because I found out they dropped the joiners fee. So hopefully I can get back to a gym routine until the weather improves.

Elaa, I haven't read the 811 Diet book either! I've heard a lot about it from raw food forums, blogs and research. I think a challenge together is just what I need to actually stick to it for longer than a couple of days! How long would you like to go for? 2 weeks? A month? I'm up for anything!

Good luck with the gym! I don't know what I'd do w/o the treadmill and weight machine in my basement. It's way too cold to work out outside here in winter!

Today was a little better than I have been lately as far as eating too much fat...not great but hopefully Elaa & I will both be eating low fat now!

-green smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen mango/blueberries/strawberries, a leaf of kale & some romaine- ran out of kale, wasn't as tasty, a bit too sweet. Also 3 more bananas w/ raw cacao powder. Soooo good.
-banana
-2 bananas, Lara Bar, apple, 2 clementines
-1.5 bananas
*lifted upper body weights & did some abs exercises*
-salad w/ spinach, romaine, mesclun greens, carrots, cucumber, tomato, red pepper, red onions & ACV. 2 bananas w/ 1 T raw almond butter & raw cacao powder.

I definitely felt better and more alert all morning eating no overt fats- going to keep that up! I am thinking my one fat allowance per day will be during lunch since I have to go for a long time w/o food after lunch. That's what seems to work for me, on work day at least. I also need to have bananas on hand at all times b/c they are my staple food when I get overly hungry, and I need to make sure I'm eating greens at least twice a day!

That's all for now, I'm going to go chill w/ my furbabies.

Ugh, I feel like crap today. I look like crap too. I felt ok when I went into work but it hit me as I was cleaning one of the cat rooms. My throat is killing me and I have to train a new hire tomorrow, so I'll be talking all day! I should have eaten more clementines today for Vitamin C, but I didn't really have a taste for them (or anything besides bananas).

I'm not sure why my immune system seems so sucky lately. Last week was definitely detox, but it's very rare for me to get sick eating so many fruits/veggies! The only thing I can think is that I'm detoxing all the smog I breathed in in LA. I ran outside pretty much all the time there, which probably wasn't that good for me. Maybe that's why my throat hurts? I don't even know if that makes any sense.

Anyway, aside from breakfast I wasn't very hungry today and couldn't really taste anything. But here's my day!

-green smoothie w/ lots of kale, 2.5 bananas, frozen mango/strawberries/blueberries. Another 3.5 bananas w/ raw cacao powder and one had about half a T of raw almond butter.
-2 bananas, apple, clementine
-handful of baby carrots, salad w/ spinach/romaine/baby greens, carrots, a tomato, some cukes and red peppers and ACV. Banana w/ raw cacao powder and about 1 T raw almond butter.

That might be more than 10% fat since my overall calorie intake is pretty low.

The plan is to go to bed early and get lots of Vit. C tomorrow! I have Thursday & Friday off from work so I can rest and hopefully get better.

I wore my skinny jeans today :-) Haven't been able to fit into them since last March/April! I feel really great, not only for that reason but just b/c eating raw makes me so happy and positive. It makes me see the good in the world and myself, instead of being overwhelmed with the negative. Or at the very least, it makes me better able to deal with the negative stuff.

The weight loss was definitely surprising b/c I have been eating a lot, probably too much. I am still working on following my hunger signals instead of sometimes eating b/c I feel like it or to relax after the work day. I also ate way too much fat almost every day last week. Just goes to show that you can't really go wrong with any raw food! I am focusing on eating less fat and getting back to 811 this week though- first step was not buying almond butter at the store! That should help! I am addicted to that stuff.

Today I did eat some cooked hummus, I figure I can have one day a week to eat it if I want to. It really doesn't taste as good as I remember it tasting, so I didn't eat too much of it. I really do miss cauliflower though and only like it raw w/ hummus (or steamed plain) so I got my cauliflower fix today!

Food:
-2 bananas w/ raw cacao powder, then went back to bed for 1.5 hours
-2 more bananas w/ raw cacao and 1/2 T raw almond butter- the last of it!- and 2 clementines and half a Lara Bar
-carrots/cauliflower w/ hummus, banana- half plain, half dipped in raw cacao powder
*going to power walk hills on the treadmill for half an hour, and lift upper body weights & do abs exercises. Not well enough for running yet, sore throat*
-hmm, an apple and/or clementines after the workout if hungry and either a green smoothie or a big salad, probably salad, for dinner, and more apples/clementines later on

I wanted a green smoothie earlier but had no bananas that were ripe enough. But I got TONS of them at the store today, they were all so perfect I got waaaay too many! I can't stand bananas that are even slightly green so when they're ripe I have to stock up! I hate having a day w/o a green smoothie- thought I'd have one for a snack later today but lunch ended up being pretty late. Oh well, we'll see what I feel like having later.

You are doing so well! I am glad you would like to do a 811 challenge because I need it bad. I just started a new job on Monday and this week has been crazy and I am rapidly sliding back into old habits. I had coffee today for the first time in over a month. And it was delicious. A few hours later though, I felt feverish and sick. I still have been eating mostly raw so it could be worse but I know I'll feel my best eating 811. Want to start on Monday? I have an avocado and some other grocery items I would like to use up. Maybe we could go a week and analyze and then continue on from there. Let me know if that works for you. I'm excited!

Hi Elaa! Congrats on your new job! And yes, let's start 811 Monday! I've been transitioning back to less than 15% fat so by Monday I will be ready to rock (hopefully). We can still eat overt fats, just as long as the total calories from fat make up 10% or less of our diets, right? I'll post that question in your journal as well incase you don't see this! I do best eating some overt fat halfway through the work day due to being very active at work.

I finally feel like I'm getting over this cold or whatever it is. I'm definitely detoxing a little right now. I've noticed over the last 1.5 years that I detox a little at a time, for a few months. It sucks. But I guess it's better than feeling like absolute crap for a whole week or two...it just seems to take so long though!

Today was pretty good, I felt like I ate too much but that almost always happens on days when I'm just bumming around at home.

-green smoothie w/ 3 bananas, frozen mango/strawberries/blueberries, TONS of kale and some water. 3 more bananas w/ a little raw cacao powder.
-half a lara bar, couple baby carrots
-3 more bananas w/ some raw cacao, apple
*walked killer hills on the treadmill at 4.0 pace- 4 miles total in 1 hour 1 minute. Then I did some lunges. Can you tell I'm a little scared that my butt is disappearing?!?
-ate some more carrots
-dinner is going to be a big salad w/ all the usual veggies plus half an avocado, with some clementines after dinner

That's 14-15% total fat, including the trace fats in the fruit/veggies.

I hope to be well enough to run after work tomorrow. I miss running...well, not treadmill running really...what I miss is just lacing up those sneakers and heading outside for an easy 10 miles in the woods and dirt roads on a sunny, cloudless day. That is my idea of heaven. I can't wait for spring!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2009 09:42PM by meow.

Monday for 811 it is then! I can't wait. Yes, I do believe overt fats are okay on 811 as long as it is 10%, but I know for me it is nearly impossible to keep it low fat if overt fats are involved.

I will do a better job posting my daily menus starting Monday too.

Have a great weekend!

Thanks Elaa! I'm looking forward to actually doing 811 for a whole week instead of just talking about it, I always start and then end up eating way too much fat after a few days!

Yesterday ended up being about 11% fat b/c I didn't have the half avocado or salad, I had a stomachache and then had fruit later instead. I woke up feeling so much more energized and rested this morning. I've noticed that only happens when I'm eating very low fat. That was enough encouragement to keep sticking to 811 today, since getting out of bed is usually so hard for me!

Lately I've been really wondering if I made the right decision in leaving LA and moving back "home" to Vermont. I've been thinking about where I'm going to go next since I'm not staying another winter here, and not really coming up with any solid plans that feel right. So I've been waiting for a while for the universe to show me the right path. Today my best friend, who's still near LA, called to tell me she and her bf are definitely moving to Denver this May, and she really wants me to consider moving there, too. I need to look into it, but when she said that I felt like it was a sign that maybe that's where I am supposed to go next. We've gone through so much together since we met in college, moved to LA together and braved that whole world, and we really just miss each other. It would be so, so nice to have someone who feels like family who's there for me wherever I go next. So I'm going to do some research. I've been to Colorado and LOVE IT there. The other places I've been considering are Bend and Portland, OR and the Boulder, CO area.

OK, onto today:

-green smoothie w/ 2.5 bananas, frozen mango/strawberries/blueberries, tons of kale. 3.5 bananas w/ raw cacao powder. This is so the best breakfast ever.
-4 bananas, apple, 2 clementines
-a banana
*awesome fast 4 mile run- much faster than usual, yay. Also did a cool ab workout from this month's Runner's World magazine. Feelin' strong today!*
-salad w/ romaine, mixed greens, carrots, red pepper, cucumber, tomato, red onion, half an avo and raw ACV. Sooooo good. Also another banana w/ raw cacao powder. I'll have an apple later, too, probably.

I'm watching "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe." I love this movie, I'm such a 7 year old!

Whew, what a day. Work was one really long workout today! I call Sundays my "marathon days" b/c I clean every dog kennel, clean a couple cat rooms, and then spend the afternoon doing the usual running around letting dogs in/out, feeding, doing dishes/laundry, etc. Despite that I still worked out when I got home. I ran 2 easy miles to warm up, then lifted upper body weights and did single-leg squats & lunges. Felt pretty good, but it feels even better to be sitting down right now!

Food:

-green smoothie w/ 2.5 bananas, frozen mango/strawberries/blueberries, lots of kale. 3.5 bananas w/ raw cacao powder. Been putting more kale in my smoothies lately b/c when there's not enough I don't like them nearly enough- they have totally changed my taste buds!
-banana after the dog cleaning
-Lara Bar, 2 bananas, apple, 2 clementines
-2 bananas w/ raw cacao powder
*workout*
-salad w/ mixed greens, romaine, carrots, red pepper, cukes, tomatoes, vinegar. 2 bananas, one w/ raw cacao. Apple.

That's 2025 calories eaten, 2625 burned according to Fitday, and 10.2% fat. Nice. I feel like I could keep eating bananas but I have to conserve them- I only have 5 left and I need them all tomorrow morning! I'll have to go to the store on my lunch break.

I cleaned the litterboxes FIVE TIMES since I got home tonight and here I go again...it's one of those days where I feel like all I did was scoop @#$%&. Maybe b/c that's basically all I did do...

Ugh I feel like crap today. I have no energy and I've had a bad headache for a couple hours. I'm also really bloated and I have no idea why! Detox perhaps? Sometimes I think I blame everything on that, lol. I felt ok most of the morning, but I noticed right when the alarm went off at 6 AM that I had less energy than I typically do eating 811. I was also so hungry by 11 AM that I was shaking, but I didn't bring anything to work since I'm out of everything. I bolted out of work at lunch time to get tons of bananas, only to find that there were no ripe ones! So I got a bag of carrots and some salsa w/ avocado- not quite guacamole though, more tomatoes etc. than avocado. I had tons of that w/ 2 clementines, an apple and a banana (had to try one to see how they were- underripe but not too horrible). After that I was overly full and bloated and it's been over 6 hours and I'm still not hungry, which is really strange for a work day.

Anyway, here's the food:

-green smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen mango/strawberries/blueberries, lots of kale. 4 bananas, some plain, some w/ raw cacao powder.
-about 3/4 bag of baby carrots w/ avocado salsa. Apple, banana, 2 clementines
-I guess a salad w/ the usual? Who knows, not hungry. Should have more fruit later, too.

I am definitely not working out today. I really worked out hard for the past 2 days. A day off is much needed!

I feel the same way! Definitely tired and headachy. Yuck. Hopefully its just a Monday thing and we will feel better tomorrow.

Aww, elaa, I'm sorry you're feeling crappy too! I hope it passes soon. I tell myself it's actually good for me in the long run...it makes it a little easier, but not much!

Today was a lot better for me. Just a quick post though since it's late, for me at least. I didn't get home til nearly 7:00, then ran, then got sucked into how adorable my furbabies are, so I haven't really gotten much done tonight!

Food:
-green smoothie w/ the usual fruits/kale, 3 more bananas w/ raw cacao powder
-lara bar, 2 clementines, 2 bananas
-apple & banana w/ raw cacao powder
*ran 3 miles w/ hard intervals, felt great today*
-salad w/ romaine, baby greens, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, red pepper & vinegar. 1.5 bananas w/ raw cacao. 2 clementines.

That's not much food but I wasn't as hungry as usual today...probably b/c I stuffed my face yesterday! Haha. So today = about 1580 calories and 11% fat. Calories burned = 2395 according to Fitday, so I'll probably be starving tomorrow.

Now time to sleeeep...that is one of my favorite things to do lately!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2009 03:21AM by meow.

Brrr, it's cold here! My feet are numb- I need another pair of socks on top of the ones I'm wearing!

Today was a great day, I just felt really happy and light-hearted all day. I feel like some things in my life that I'd been questioning are coming together.

I did not eat enough greens today b/c this morning the only bananas I had were underripe. Yuck, those are bad enough to eat plain, and totally unpalatable in a smoothie. So I had them with raw cacao powder but they weren't good. I did find PERFECT overripe bananas on my lunch break and have been pigging out on them! Spotty overripe bananas are my favorite food. Here's my day:

-5 bananas w/ raw cacao powder, 2 clementines
-apple, Lara Bar, 2 clementines, 2 bananas
-banana
-handful of baby carrots, salad w/ romaine and red leaf lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, red pepper & vinegar. 3 bananas w/ raw cacao.
Day off from working out today

That's 1820 calories and 10.4% fat. Good enough. I might eat some more fruit later, I don't like to make a habit of eating late at night but it's my Friday night so I may as well go wild ;-) I'm getting pretty thin too so eating more definitely won't hurt...

It's my weekend! I need to look for a second job...blah.

Today's been pretty exciting, my parents agreed to letting me bring one of the dogs from work home to try to work with her on her stranger/strange place anxiety issues, so I get to bring her home for a couple overnights and then weekend visits! I live in my own apartment, but it's attached to my parents' house, so they would hear any barking and our family dogs would also have to adjust to having another dog around. The dog's name is Misty and she's a beige colored beagle mix. She's really sweet once she gets to know people, but she was abused and passed around a lot in the past and needs someone who can work with her consistently and work up to taking her out into the community to learn that strangers and new places aren't bad. She LOVES stuffed toys so I got her a couple really fun ones today while I was picking up cat food so she'll have toys here at my house :-) I'm honored that our dog supervisor trusts me enough to let me train and be responsible for a dog with these issues. And I also applied for a second job at a local gym. Hopefully I'll get a call about that soon!

Meals today:

-green smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen mango/strawberries/blueberries, tons of kale. 4 bananas w/ raw cacao powder.
*lifted heavy upper body weights, did squats and lunges, and 15 mins. abs workout*
-salad w/ spinach and mixed greens, carrots, onions, raw mushrooms, green pepper, tomatoes, beets, raw peas, raw corn and vinegar. Lara Bar.
-2 bananas w/ raw cacao
-baby carrots, and either another salad w/ all my usual veggies or some lightly steamed broccoli and purple cauliflower (my mom's making it today or tomorrow).
-apple, 2-4 clementines, banana

I might run a quick 3 miles later, too. I'm so cold it's hard to imagine changing into shorts...but I really should run since I have some time.

EEEE I'm so excited! Misty gets to come home with me tomorrow for an overnight visit! The dog supervisor just called to tell me. I have her toys all ready and I just found the dog leash & collar I'd been saving for my "future dog" (who knows if Misty will end up being mine, right now I'm just trying to get her ready to be adopted, by me or someone else lol). They're from Victoria's Secret Pink so they're really cute, and they say "My dog barks louder than your dog" :-) Anyway her first visit will be short and simple, but hopefully after 2 overnights she can stay with me for a few days in a row and we can go running or on long walks and she can meet my family dogs and human family members. That would be great for her!

OK I am feeling motivated to go run now. This has nothing to do with raw foods...I just feel like telling everyone I possibly can b/c I'm so excited!

That's wonderful, Meow! Have a wonderful time with her. I love animals and wish I could have a dog or cat here in our apartment building, but it's not allowed, so I enjoy everybody's pet stories. Jodi (JGunn) just recently adopted a beautiful little poodle who had been abused, too.

Sharrhan:


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Thanks, kwan! I love animals, too, and it's hard for animal people to live w/o them! Maybe in the future you'll be able to have animals.

I'm leaving to pick Misty up in half an hour, so I figured I'd post now incase there's no time later. I went for a run outside today b/c I needed to de-stress about some things. It was 18 degrees up here in the mountains which is the warmest it's been in a couple days, so I was lucky! I could not have done the treadmill thing again today! It felt great to be out on the mountain roads again- quiet and solitary. I'm still freezing though!

Anyway here's today's food:

-5 bananas w/ raw cacao, 2 clementines
-lara bar, banana
-apple, half banana
*5ish mile run*
-salad w/ romaine, mesclun greens, carrots, red pepper, tomatoes, mushrooms and vinegar. I am craving raw mushrooms like crazy lately, but I have no idea why! Also the other half banana w/ raw cacao powder
-dinner will be lightly steamed broccoli & purple cauliflower! I love the different colored cauliflowers! We didn't eat this last night. I'll probably have a green smoothie later on, too.

Everything with Misty went great, I loved having her around! My cats didn't appreciate it (she got a little riled up when they ran and that scared them and made them run even more...I think Misty needs to burn off some energy next time before I bring her in the apartment!). The cats spent the time in my bedroom/hallway/closet while Misty got the kitchen/living area. I stayed with Misty til bed time, then put her to bed on my futon and slept in my room w/ the cats. I figured it's only fair, the cats are my children and Misty is used to being alone from 6 PM til 8 AM. She was great- very happy when I got up to check on her a couple times, and then settled right back down when I left. She is so cuddly too! And an angel- she didn't get into anything overnight. What an awesome dog! I hope she and the cats can learn to get along. They are my first priority and I can't keep bringing a dog here unless they are ok with it and it doesn't disturb them.

OK so food today:

-green smoothie w/ the usual (2 bananas, frozen mango/strawberries/blueberries, kale); 4 bananas w/ raw cacao powder
-4 bananas, 2 clementines, apple
-banana
*lifted upper body weights & did 15 mins. abs again. No cardio, legs needed a day off!*
-baby carrots, salad w/ romaine, mesclun greens, carrots, red pepper, tomatoes, raw mushrooms, red onion & vinegar. Still CRAZY about mushrooms. Also 2 bananas w/ raw cacao powder.

So no overt fats today- Saturdays I only work til 4 (well, 4:30 most of the time, haha) so I'm fine w/o "staying power" foods. The tally comes to 1740 calories with 5-6% fat.

I'm really tired tonight and sleep sounds so amazing- going to bed early for sure!

awesome Meow i am sure Misty is loving your company .. and the cats ! Im sure the cats will settle down and accept her (once they come down off the ceiling lol) and once misty starts takin it easy shes probably just so excited to have family

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist