Hi all,
I'm hoping that regular posting will add one more motive for staying "on program." My goal is to be no less than 80% living/raw food on any given day and to have two to three 100% days each week. The 80% days should give me enough freedom to enjoy social meals and to enjoy the cooked vegan dinners my wife makes.

I have a major struggle with nighttime snacking that I will "log" as well.

For your info: I have struggled with obesity for most of my adult life (I'm 67), topping the scales at one time at 293. I'm now 208, most recently down from 228 (April) when I went to the Creative Health Institute and learned Living and Raw Food preparation. Prior to that, I was a (mostly) vegan for 17 years. I am currently doing wheat grass and energy soups daily. I probably eat too many nuts. I have a coffee addiction which I am "controlling" (never more than 2 cups a day, usually one). I know makes me more acidic, but I hold on to this "last guilty pleasure."

Your support, encouragement and suggestions will be appreciated.
David

Raw4Life

Hello David,

Sounds like you are well on your way, good luck.

Kit

hi david,

i am new on the raw lifestyle. i am shooting for 100% raw but like you struggle at night.

i will keep a watch on your log!

~karriebean

Thanks kit and kerriebean for your support. Today has been pretty good, and knowing that I was going to log my meals helped me through a couple of tough spots:

Breakfast: Apple and pear
Lunch(Cafe stop on a club cycling ride): Salad, almonds, dates and dried apricots.
Snack1: Pumpkin seed burger (dehydrated) and apple
Snack2: Apple
Dinner (Vietnamese Restuarant): Fresh sping rolls, Mango Salad, Tofu & Veggie stirfry.
Snack: Banana, a few nuts.

So the day has been at least 80% Raw. The cafe stop would often have included a muffin and I passed on it (remembering I would have to log it). Also a plus for the day: my ride was 60 kilometers (36 miles). I cycled for nearly 3 hours.

On the negative side, I did have a coffee with lunch and green tea with dinner.

Thanks for this site.
David

Raw4Life

Forgot to mention that I started my day with a couple ounces of wheatgrass juice. That's my usual routine: Wheatgrass juice, walk the dog, then breakfast.
David

Raw4Life

Sunday Food:
Wheatgrass juice
Breakfast: Apple, Pear, Banana, grnd flax seed, sesame seed and Hemp Mylk
Snack: small handful of nuts and an orange
Lunch: Energy Soup, Salad and pumpkin seed burger
Snack: Apple
Dinner (Chinese Restaurant) veggie and tofu soup. Stirfried veggies, tofu and mushrooms
Snack: Too Many nuts and raisins and I'm probably going to have a glass of wine before the night is out.

I've noticed that my tendency to overeat at night seems increased when I have cooked food at dinner. Anyone else find this?

Thanks
David

Raw4Life

hello David,
what led you to your highest weight range? did you suffer from food struggles as a child?

In answer to your question, yourmakingmeitchy:

I was quite underweight and sickly as child. My parents rewarded me when I ate and I was often "inticed" with sweets etc. I established a healthy weight during high school, eating heartily and playing lots of sports. At university, an injury curtailed my sports participation. I became quite inactive physically, but kept eating as if I was active. The weight simply kept on coming until I was seriously obese. Then started the yo-yo pattern of dieting and regaining. I've done them all. Protein fasts, Weight-Watchers (3 times) and Dr. Bernstein. Once I became vegan, I managed to lose and keep off about 60 pounds, but still yo-yo between 200 and 230. I really think I should be under 190 and want to achieve that naturally through the living foods life style (not diet).

Hope that answers your question.
David

Raw4Life

Tuesday:
First a note on Sunday/Monday. After I posted Sunday, my glass of wine turned into 3! and I "absorbed" the alcohol with crackers and hummus (cooked).
Monday I got back on track with a good 80+% day.

Today I've been 99% raw but slipped at the bridge club and ate a couple not very special cookies.

My plan is to have two 100% days, tomorrow and Thursday.
David

Raw4Life

yum!

pumpkin seed burger!! sounds fantastic!

you are doing really well david. had to laugh at your glass of wine turning into three! funny how it tends to do that. i don't indulge often but when i do, i enjoy a wine buzz....

~karrie

Hi David, sounds like you're doing great. For me, the caffeine is less problem than coffee - my body hates coffee, but for now I still drink caffeinated things - green tea chai or erva mate.

I just want to say that several years ago I went raw on a similar diet to yours and crashed terribly after about a year and only came back to raw (Natural Hygiene-style) about a year ago. The rejuvelac and fermented and dehydrated foods did not make me feel good!

So if you find your diet too great a struggle, you might want to try the 80-10-10, which is more like NH - this has been way better and easier for me. I don't struggle nearly as much with cravings or moods and it's much cheaper and easier to prepare my food.

As Bryan and others have pointed out repeatedly, eating too much fat and oil seems to destin people to fail on raw.

I used to believe I needed the same amount of protein and good oils on raw, that I needed on cooked, but after I took Bryan's advice and reduced the nuts and seeds to a very small amount, I immediately felt better!...so the last few months have been easier to be 95% raw.

wishing you lots of success....!

Thanks to all for your comments and suggestions.

Karrie, the Pumpkin Seed Patties are from "Dining in the Raw" by Rita Romano, a book I use a lot.

Aquadecoco, is there a particular book that describes your approach? I'm at least curious... (cheaper and easier sound good), although I do okay with rejuvalac and dehydrated foods.

Today's food:
Wheatgrass juice
Pomegranit and apple with flax, sesame and hemp seed and hemp mylk.
Dates
Energy soup--sunflower greens, kale, romain and rejuvelac
Apple
more wheatgrass juice
Large salad
raw humus and dehydrated crackers
Nut mix and dried apricots.

David

Raw4Life

hi david

how did u make your rejuvelac?

i think i saw a recipe once but it looked so complicated

does it taste good?

the energy soup sounds deelish though

happy biking !!

and dog must be happy

your doing greeeeeeaaaatttttt!!!!

Le Veronique,

I make my rejuvelac as follows:
I rinse, then soak one-quarter cup each of soft wheat and rye. You can use a half-cup of either, but I like the mix.
Soak for 12 hours, in a 1 quart or litre jar, then drain.
Sprout for 12 hours. don't rinse.
Add filtered water to fill the jar, cover with a soft cloth held with a rubber band.
Let sit at room temperature, in a dark place, for 3-4 days
When it is ready, it will look quite cloudy, have a bit of an odor and taste lemony.
Strain into another jar and refrigerate.
Use the sprouts another time or two to make more. The fermentation process will be faster on the second and third time ( 2 to 3 days).
I keep a constant supply going, one jar in the frigde and another fermenting in the pantry. I start sprouts for a new batch about once every six days.

Hope this helps. Several books on sprouting have other recipes for rejuvelac too.
David.

Raw4Life

Friday food:
Mangos and Blueberries with the usual ground seeds and hemp mylk. (the fruit was frozen |-()
Energy soup
apple
Company dinner:
Cooked vegan lasagne
salad with mandarin oranges
wine
Soy "ice cream" with peanuts.

On a caloric basis, this day does not meet my 80/20 target. |-(

Tomorrow is another day.
David

Raw4Life

Saturday:

Again, really on track until dinner. Invited to friends' house. Cooked vegan food. And I over ate and ate and ate....

Tomorrow will be a similar challenge. Out to a friend's house for dinner.
I'd like to be able to enjoy the cooked food without overdoing it. That's my goal for tomorrow night.

David

Raw4Life

Struggling....
Besides the inflation of "tomorrow," the following rationalizations get me into trouble:
Well, I've already blown it today, I might as well have.....
Well, I rode 'x' kilometres today, I could have this ......
I'll do a fast _____________, so until then, I'll be "flexible."

Yesterday was another meal at friends in the evening and I overdid it. Earlier in the day I was on target.
Today ... it's 11:00 am, I will stay on target!!!!
David

Raw4Life

Not doing well... Rationalizations are "winning." I'm losing. Bread keeps calling me. At least I put raw almond butter on it. |-(
Tomorrow..... NO! the rest of today, I will do raw.
David

Hey David:
Maybe you could have some sprouted grain bread. It is really heavy (fills you up), and is relatively healthy (for bread standards). Maybe instead of forcing yourself not to eat it, just limit yourself or slowly wean yourself off of it. 2 pieces today, 1.5 tomorrow, 1 the next day, etc. Or think of a good raw replacement that fills that craving.
Best of luck!

optimist,
Thanks for the suggestion. I will give it a try.

I have had a better day. At least met my 80% target.

David

Raw4Life

Have been managing the 80% most days, but no 100% days for more than a week. Also overeating nuts and dried fruit, especially at night. I'm going to try brushing my teeth early in the evening and then "no eating after brushing!""
Anyone out there try this? Does it help?
David

Raw4Life

I posted an "eating at night" forum question, you might want to check it out. I got some good responses.

Thanks, Optimist. Indeed, many good responses to your query about night eating.
David

Raw4Life

I'm at it again. After "falling off the (raw) wagon" for nearly a year. For the past three weeks I've met my target of 3 days each week of 100% raw/living foods. The other days, I have usually been raw until dinner and then eat a cooked vegan dinner with my wife. On non raw days, I allow 1 coffee and/or 1 alcoholic drink. I have 'slipped' with respect to night-time snaking on some of the non 100% days, but, for the most part, I am very pleased with my commitment and success to date.

Support and encouragement...comment are welcome.

David

Raw4Life

Had an "okay" week. Nighttime snacking got out of hand again on Friday. I'm changing my monitoring so that "time of night" as well as quantity will be penalized. Too much and too late will both count negatively in my daily total. I will also try to got to bed if I head for the pantry.
David

Raw4Life

Hi David,

Hope you're still around. Just found your diary and want you to know raw is the right path to go. But if you fall off the wagon, just get back on and keep going. That's what I do.

Have you heard of Angela Stokes? She was obese and has stayed raw for several years now and very big in the Raw Food Movement. Here's her web site:
[www.rawreform.com]

Also, the name of your thread caught my eye because I live one day at a time. The important thing I learned is to live in the moment, too. Transitioning into raw takes time. I was only 70 percent when I started. Now I'm between 80% and 100%, depending on whether or not the nuts I eat are really raw or not of if I eat an artichoke.

Anyway, hope you're still around and can check out Angela's site. As for me, I would love to keep hearing about your progress through raw food.

Peace and serenity,

Mona

Thoughts are not things and feelings are not facts; they only have the power we give them.
H O P E = Honesty, Open-mindedness, Patience, Effort.