Hi, I'm new here.

My name is Sue, I'm 35, and I live on Capitol Hill right next to a Dick's Drive-In. (The smell is indescribable.)

My story:

I used to weigh 250 pounds.

I got a lot of it off by myself. Ever watch Biggest Loser? I think of how they have to fight all day to try to undo the damage they did at the dinner table the night before, over and over and over again, ugh. That's pretty much how I got down to 172 pounds.

And there I stayed! For a long time.

I'd fight off ten or twenty and there it was again, the second I turned my back.

172. Well I'm a girl, and I'm not six feet tall, and I did not like that weight.

I have known about raw food for a long time now, and I finally committed. I decided to go easy on myself at first. David Wolfe says there is no suffering for healing, so I will not tell myself "No." And with this approach, I went to 80% raw. The only thing I found myself unable to avoid was a very powerful, inexplicable urge to get up out of bed every night at midnight and eat bread with mayonnaise. Yes.

So I put the bread in the freezer, and thought, "Now I've got it beat."

But that very night, in a sleep-laced fog, I went to the freezer, and I ate 3 slices of frozen bread. Yes. No! Yes.

So I had a very deep heart-to-heart with myself, and I got myself to *realize* that SINCE there is no suffering for healing, the bread had to go, because the bread was causing my suffering.

What suffering, well when I eat bread I puff up, get acne, and lose NO weight, no matter how much lettuce and good intentions went into my body all day. 80% raw for a month, and I didnt lose a dang pound. Because of the bread. My skin rarely was clear and nice. Because of the bread. And the worst part is the way you feel when you wake up the next morning after eating bread, whoa. Not the best ever, eh. No.

So. TWELVE days ago as of this post, I went 100% raw for good. Ive had enough, thats it, I'm totally raw. I'm committed.

And in twelve days, I have lost 13 pounds. 159 now.

I have had 2 days where I did not lose at least 1 pound. On one of those days, I accidentally drank tea with sugar in it. On the other, I ate some raw pecans that were not actually raw, come to find out.

I have these varicose veins that are so yucky looking, and they're already going away. That makes me super happy.

I wanted a place to share what I go thru as I lose weight, what my basic staples are in the pantry and the fridge, where I go to find what foods, how my body is healing, and of course how much weight I'm losing.

THE MOST CLEVER THING I ATE YESTERDAY:
I chopped up pistachios, pecans (actually raw ones, not the UNraw ones I had to throw out), and almonds.
Then I poured honey on them.
Then I sprinkled it with bee pollen and hemp seeds.
Then I ate it with a fork, and the most amazing thing ever happened: I immediately stopped thinking about food. Which for me is a miracle right there.

Namaste, I am glad to be sharing here!
Sue

That is just fabulous! You have done great! keep on pluggin!

februarygirl

Right on !!!! that is how it is done. You take charge, and then through this prcoess, you will be in charge. People just have to accept that they are in charge of themselves. So keep in mind even the raw nuts can keep you from losing weight each day. I noticed in my heavy weight loss phases that on days when I ate nuts at all, I wouldn't lose any weight. But If I stuck to just fruits veggies and juice and of course green smoothies(weightloss secret). I would lose 1-2 pounds a day in the first few months. A little fat is ok, especially healthy stuff like a few hemp seeds or a little flax oil. or half an avocado. But if i broke out nuts, i usually would eat more than a small handful. then my body didn't need to burn any fat, because there I was eating some it had to deal with. good luck, and feel free to message me if you have questions!!! we are here for you!

The Raw Lion 440 pounds to 225 pounds!

great success !

kinda think the pic with butt hanging out of your mouth tho makes your passion for health seem kinda i dont know ...

i liek your other pics better

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Well you know how one person's awesome stuff is another person's not-so-awesome stuff...

When I go raw (something I've tried about six times), if I watch the fats, and try to go low on fats, I end up quitting because its too hard. I have to enjoy my food. It's a criteria I have that can't be negotiated. I've tried to live without having to enjoy my food, and I can't hack it for long.

When I eat regular food, I love all the bad foods. Totino's party pizza. Enchiladas. Meat, tatoes, and gravy. Savory, fatty foods. The only thing that keeps me satisfied as a raw food eater is fats. Lots of them. And I do still lose like gangbusters when I eat them.

It can't be all about the weight loss. I am really doing this to get healthy. So that means I have to stay with it. And that for me means eating overt fats, because sometimes I get so hungry for that stuff I used to eat that I just feel like I'm about to unhinge my jaw like a snake and swallow the refrigerator whole. The only thing that keeps me from eating the totino's and toast sometimes is nuts and avocados.

I have found repeatedly that if I go with the fat cravings, they eventually die down, and I go towards craving cruciferous, watery, crispy foods after some time. You can't eat nut butter forever. I have also found that when I prepare myself fatty foods, I think I will be able to eat X amount because I'm so hungry, and every time, I can't finish even half of what I think I can.

MOST CLEVER THING I ATE TODAY:
nothing that clever to report today. I mashed up 2 avocados with red onion, garlic, lemon, and chipotle salsa. I ate them with flax crackers. I did not even get through half the bowl. It was good.


Eating walnuts today, I had the brilliant idea of rolling bananas in honey and chopped walnuts, and then coating them with some kind of chocolate-coconut mixture and putting them in the freezer. I will update with progress on this frozen banana experiment.

Something I like to do is take my about-to-go-off produce and dehydrate it at about 95-100 degrees till it's bone dry and then powder it in the coffee grinder. I have powdered tomato, pineapple, celery & lemon, papaya seed, and concord grape.

I can take the grape and tomato powder and mix it with pureed tomatoes to get that deep marinara taste and to kind of thicken those soupy tomatoes into a richer sauce.

See how I am with my rich sauces and my avocado dinners? I'm like a little french snob with a butter fetish. I could only go 80-10-10 under 24 hour guard. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if I gravitated to that direction naturally with time. But for the time being, there is no one who can stand between me and my pistachios.

My son's birthday happened and I ate some food that was not the best ever. But to my surprise and delight it did not taste the best ever either, so I have no romantic notions of the way cooked food tastes.

Needless to say I have not lost any weight to report due to that little foray, but i am not alarmed, upset, or derailed. I will check back in when I have something fun to report!!

Sue

So I had to quit eating cacao for over a week because I ran out of money to replenish my cacao jar.

Today I got more, and I ate some.

It was good as usual, but unlike before, this time I got an INSTANT headache. It went away fairly quickly, but it was like sharp pangs, ouch!

It was too dense and too rich, i could tell that was where the headache was coming from. Never had that before.

I'm finally to that point after (how many weeks have i been at this now? 2? 4?) however long in my transition where I want cacao sometimes in small amounts (teaspoons not tablespoons) not all the time as a go-to food.

I CANT SLEEP!

I was not ready for this kind of insomnia. Its nice, but this cant be right to be sleeping so little, wow.

I had this little backlash, it was avocados and handsome sleep, now its grapefruits and sleepless nights of immense activity.

more later. having fun.
sue

This is awesome, this is awesome, this is awesome...

*******I LOVE RAW FOOD!********

I
FEEL
*SO*
GOOD
!!!!!

*I ate a bag of grapes! I "don't like grapes". I sure did today!!

*I dealt with a stressful event with grace and charm and SOLUTIONS, yeah!

*I'd say a good 20% of my total day I spent SMILING. And I'm from Seattle, we don't smile around here, that's not what we do. When people in seattle smile at other people in seattle, they think you must be on medication of some kind.

* I took a look at the nasty vein on my leg this morning and just LAUGHED with excitement at how much better it looks, it's PHENOMENAL that it's getting better, I am giddy with glee that I will NOT have to have continual vein-stripping surgeries as I age!!!!

*157 pounds today. The lightest I've ever been able to get in my post-adolescence was 154. I have seen 154 on 2 or 3 separate incedences in my life. Never stayed there for long. So in just a few days I'll be able to say "I'm lighter than I've ever been." (Except for when youre a kid but you know what I mean) WAHOOOOOOOOO!!!!

This is all way too easy, like mysteriously easy, I feel like I found an unlimited health-points cheat in a video game. Isnt it just crazy that that's really all there is to it, just DON'T COOK YOUR FOOD.

**************HA!****************

That just flips my burger, man.

UGH! MASTERING THE ART OF CACAO CONSUMPTION

********************************************

I am up, I am down, I am in I am out, I am tired, I am high.

The only ONLY thing that completely follows this wave exactly is my cacao consumption.

lots, or none, lots or none.

I have to kick this cacao problem. For PMS its great, so now I am going to think of it as a powerful herb.And i will take it in HERBAL sized doses, when I feel I need it only, and not for the taste.

will report back later.

probably due to the cacao raving it up in my body and then leaving a giant party day-after mess behind it, I have lost no weight. Nor have I gained, so that's OK, but no more cacao smoothies for me, its messing with my systems way too much.

sue

Yep, I'm with you on that. Although I used to crave cacao, it messes with me too (sleeplessness, headache). The negative effects just aren't worth it.

Loved your Feb 11th post.


My favorite raw vegan

FINALLY GOT MY PLANE TICKET!

After spending the past 8 months with my best friend kickin' it in seattle, I am finally packed and ready to go back home to NY! I am so excited! Cant sleep, cant sleep...

After experiencing the laid-back vibe of the west coast, I will be so happy to get back home and see my peeps!

And I'm so glad to have found raw food while I was in Seattle, now I have something to show when I go back, I'll be way fitter than last time they saw me,and my skin looks incredible!!! IM SO HAPPY IM RAW!

I cant wait to show my sister how much better than vein on my leg is!!!

woohoo!

TRIVE: The headaches! The headaches! And: Thank you!

So caught by what I am reading. Excited and scared. I'm coming up on 64 years on this planet, and I'd like to be down to a reasonable weight (132?) I'm 5'3", and for what I weigh, I think I should be 7 feet tall. I'm concerned about my health, having had a stroke, a stent put in my heart, asthma, and digestive problems. I take a lot of medication, and I'd rather not!
Is it best to "just dive in"? Take it gradually? Where do I begin?
Any suggestion would be welcome. I realize I'm putting it out there to people who've been where I am, and I don't expect anyone to be an expert. Share your experience, strength and hope, please.
Mahalo and aloha
MelinnaMia

Aloha MelinnaMia,

Are you in Hawaii? I'm on the Big Island.

I'm 60, and a raw vegan for 25 years this October. I will try to help if I can. Yes, none of us are experts here, and we have different approaches to being raw.

First, I'd suggest starting your own thread here, so we can find you! Click "New Topic" on the "Go to" bar at the top. We will see the New Topic, with your name.

I would suggest that if possible, you find a vegan registered dietitian in your area or online. Also, since you are on medication, see your doctor often to adjust your medications downward as your markers improve.

For added inspiration toward following a vegan lifestyle, you might like to read "The China Study", by Dr. Colin Campbell.

You can immediately work towards giving up (or totally give up):

-all processed foods, especially all white grains, all foods sweetened with sugar or corn syrup (learn to read labels).

-all meat and dairy products.

-salt. Try replacing salt with Braggs Liquid Aminos. Later on, you won't need that either.

Try adding: lots more fruits and vegetables. At first, it can be helpful to have steamed vegetables in your diet. Make a great big salad and throw some steamed veggies on top.

Add some sea vegetables to your diet - just a little for the iodine, which is crucial for proper thyroid function. Less than 1/8 teaspoon kelp/day will satisfy iodine requirements. You can throw that in your salad too or add it to a smoothie.

To help you begin to phase out the cooked grains, you can learn to sprout whole grains like quinoa and kamut. You can throw those into your salads too, or you can follow raw food recipes using a dehydrator to make fancy raw crackers and flatbreads (like tortillas). Later on, you may find you have less appetite for any kind of grains.

I'm personally not an EXTREMELY low-fat advocate. I like a little salad dressing on my salads, and a little fat in the diet helps with the bioavailabity of some vitamins. Plant oils are OK. Avocado is probably somewhat better because it's a whole, unprocessed food. You can try cold-pressed olive oil or hemp oil (hemp oil has a great flavor on salads and is a good source of omega-3). Just sprinkle a little oil over your salad, or chop up some avocado, and then squeeze lemon over the top. No need to mix before adding.

Start experimenting with adding a small quantity of ORGANIC raw nuts and seeds to your diet. It's important that they are ORGANIC. Eat at least 1 brazil nut/day for selenium. Soaking seeds can make them easier to digest. I like sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds. Chia seeds are a great source of omega-3 and calcium, and a complete source of protein. Read up on how to prepare chia.

Eat lots of fruit. Eat lots of oranges. Oranges are a very good calcium source (surprisingly).

Check an online nutrient calculator and learn how to read a nutrient chart. If it's difficult, have a dietition/doctor help you. I like [nutritiondata.self.com]. Vitamins are easy enough to obtain on a raw food/vegan diet, but it's helped me a lot to be aware of mineral intake. Try to get at least 50% of the RDA for all the minerals you need. (The RDAs are calculated to fulfill needs for 98% of the population, so it's not necessary to hit 100% for everything). At our age though, calcium is important. Try to hit 100% for calcium if you can. Good sources are oranges, kale, collards, bok choy, chia seeds, whole (brown) sesame seeds.

You can also experiment with different "superfoods" that will add minerals to your diet, like spirulina or chlorella. These don't seem to be necessary for the most part, but they can be helpful.

I realize that's a lot of information. I will try to keep any future posts shorter!

Have a great day! Good luck, and very nice to meet you.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/2011 07:55PM by suncloud.

suncloud- No, I'm no longer in Hawai'i. Lived there from birth until March, 1973. Lived on Hilo for the last five years of that. Lived not far from the Boiling Pots. I MISS THE BIG ISLAND!!
You could email me, if you like. Tell me how to send you a private message, and I'll send you my email. Love to hear from you!

Aloha ke Akua nui loa,
MelinnaMia

Oh! Chicken Skin!

I hope you come back to visit us. I wasn't born here. I've lived here since July 4, 1984 (tomorrow will be 27 years). Where are you now?

Yes, please send me a PM. You can go to the bottom of this post, and you will see a bar that says Options. One of the options on the bar is PM. Click PM and you will get a window for writing a message. My post will already be in the message window. You can just add your message into that same window. At the top of the message window, it should already say, "from MelinaMia...to suncloud". Go to the lower right hand corner of the message window, and click "send PM".

If I don't hear from you in a few days, I'll send you a PM with my email.

Have a very happy day,

Aloha ke Akua nui loa.

Hi Melinna,
We are about the same age. I'll be 64 in October. I've flirted with raw foods off and on over the years, but this year I got serious about it. Started transitioning in January and I'm now 90-95% raw. I have just about totally healed a painful, swollen arthritic knee and have lost 35 pounds. I'm back at the weight I was in my 20's and I'm wearing a size 4. Have so much energy and sleep so much better than I have in years. The thing that worked for me this time was taking it slow and gradually adding more raw foods to my diet. Wishing you success with the raw life. I'm convinced that it can help us to reverse the aging process or, at the very least, slow it way down. I have good genes going for me, but the raw foods enhance every level of my life.
I live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We are lucky to have several health food stores and a thriving farmers market. Right now the fresh local produce is heavenly. I'll miss it in the winter.
Catherine