Hi Everyone!

I have been hopping around on these boards for the past month and then finally just decided I need to register and post my own raw diary. I started actively trying to go raw about a month ago, and have done very well so far except for a few slip ups over Thanksgiving break . However, the break is over and I am back and more committed than ever to living a raw lifestyle!

A little about me: I am female, 23 years old, a teacher, originally from upstate NY...I enjoy working out and used to be a serious competitive swimmer. These days I mainly enjoy running and have done a couple 1/2 marathons but have the tendency to overtrain and get injured. My last injury (a hip problem which began a month ago and I am just getting over) was actually a blessing because it threw me into the raw lifestyle. I wanted to feel great even though I was not able to run so I really committed to only eating the best foods. Now as I am still raw and getting back into running, I realize I dont need to run so many miles. Raw makes me feel fabulous on it's own, and any running is just an excellent bonus...so I think I am going to have much more balance in terms of diet/exercise now. Besides that I have already experienced a lot of benefits, including: Rarely being tired, glowing hair and skin, and the overall satisfaction of knowing that I am doing something great for my body and the environment! This transition was not too difficult for me since I already ate an almost entirely vegan diet with a TON of raw foods before.

Wow I feel like I am typing a novel, so thank you to all who read that! I plan on posting my meals often to get suggestions and for accountability. So today was/is (I've only eaten the breakfast so far):

B: 2 bananas with pecan butter, a few grapes, green tea (I know this is not raw but I enjoy it and it has health benefits)
L: I brought a carton of clementines with me to work and will grab one whenever I want, I might end up eating the whole thing!
Workout: going for a run right after work and I cannot wait after being injured for what felt like forever! Then lifting weights.
D: Plan on repeating the salad I had last night: Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, red pepper, onion and the most delicious tahini/apple cider vinegar/garlic dressing. YUM. Will probably have some fruit for dessert as well.

I am so glad I found other people who consumer ridiculous amounts of fruit! I hated feeling like I was a freak, but apparantely I'm pretty normal on these boards

Take care,
Amy



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/2007 04:05PM by apple430.

hiamy!

sounds like you're doing awesome! you're definitely not a freak here.


mmm...pecan butter....where did you find that? i've never had it!


best wishes!
michelle

Hey Michelle!

I found the pecan butter at my local health food store. It has so many kinds of raw nut butters that I never knew existed...pecan, walnut, even macademia cashew. The company name is Artisana, and I also have some of their raw tahini in my fridge.

The pecan butter was great on the banana, but kind of bitter on its own. Not my favorite, but as long as I have bananas I'll be able to finish off the jar.

Just finished my salad which was delicious, and had a mango and some black grapes for dessert. I'm not worried at all about being tired tonight while I study...I love how alive I feel right now!

Amy

hi amy! you sound a lot like me w/ your running and how you've been able to chill out a bit since going raw. i also used to run half marathons and i got injured many times due to overtraining- i was sort of an exercise bulimic and couldn't deal with anything unless i was working out for hours a day! but i feel so at peace w/ my body & mind now since going raw. i don't feel the need to run x miles to burn calories- now i run when i want to, because i enjoy it. it's wonderful, isn't it? i'm so happy that you're experiencing so many of the great benefits of raw! i wish you good luck & vibrant health! i'll be checking in!

Welcome, Amy! Looking forward to reading your blog!

Thanks for the warm welcome, everyone!

Hi all!

I slept like a baby last night and had no problem waking up at 5am, which is good since I have to do it 4x a week to teach my before school class. I was actually hungry when I woke up, which is unusual for me that early. So I've had so far today:

Before class: a few grapes and a banana
Right after class: 5ish clementines and a banana with pecan butter

The rest of the day will be:

Lunch: Either 2 bananas and 2 apples, OR a salad if I sneak home in the middle of the day.

Dinner: Wherever I am it will be a salad, might have to get something to go if I'm still doing work, or if I'm home I will make my rawesome tahini/apple cider vinegar/onion dressing. Might have fruit and a few walnuts with raisins for dessert.

Hi Amy,
You are such a breath of fresh air.......ahh to be so young again!
Nice to see you taking such good care of yourself......wishing you much success.
Looking forward to your experiences raw.

Im at 7 days today, feeling horrible, but staying hopeful. I did a 28 day master cleanse in Sept, and felt much better than i do now. Perhaps my raw food choices need to be adjusted, i think im eating too many nuts/avos......etc...will see.

I like this saying:
"If you dont take care of your body......Where will you live?"


Christine

Hi Christine, thanks for the warm welcome! I like that saying as well.

So I got some bad news today...there is a very good chance I will be losing my job after this month. I work for a private company that hires teachers to teach their study skills class all over the world, so I have been traveling and living in different places nearly every month for the past 1.5 years. And today they told me that they have more teachers than locations, so they are going to be letting me go unless they get something else. The most frustrating aspect of all of this is that I am in the middle of my second year with them when most people only do this job for one year (b/c of all the travel). So I am extra committed yet getting canned...

Either way I am grateful for my health and I know I am doing everything I can right now...I had fruit and a little more pecan butter for lunch, and have no appetite for dinner right now (probably due to the circumstances). I'm hoping a good walk or swim will make me feel a little better.

Sorry you had such unexpected news.

Maybe now's the time to think about doing something you have been wanting to do, specializing in your field, or even changing careers.

Having good health is true wealth. Believe me, ive lost my health and my options and quality of life are greatly limited now.

You have your youth, your mind and good health.
You are blessed.

Wishing you success in whatever you do,

C

Thanks Christine.

Sorry to hear that you have lost your health. What happened?

I feel optimistic about my situation. I did yoga last night after my swim and realized it is a great stress reliever, I hope to keep up with it more often!

I wish you the best as well.

Apple, I'm sorry about your job. That doesn't seem fair that someone who's been with them longer than usual should lose her job I said this in my journal as well, but maybe the right path for you is in a different direction? Even if you can't see it yet, it could be something even better is in store for you. Just stay positive and keep your eyes open for signs & opportunities!

Hi everyone and thanks again for your support!

So today I ended up eating a lot of fat. I actually ate a lot more in general. I dont really count cals or fat but I just know it was a lot because of the choices I made. It's weird though...I just really wanted those foods. Some days I can do all fruit, some days I do a lot more fat. I know I am new to raw so I hope the cravings for nuts, etc, diminish a little more as I continue.

Today was:

Bfast: 2 apples and a banana w/ pecan butter (finished my 7 serving jar in 3 days...not too bad)
Snack: Raw Organic Food Bar, Banana
Lunch: Mixed greens with a little Annies Dressing (not raw, I know), Lara Bar, Apple
Workout: 5 mile run with a few walk breaks, free weights and abs
Dinner: Shredded cabbage and carrots topped with Annies Dressing, apple cider vinegar, and a whole avocado, then 2 apples and a few walnuts for dessert

See what I mean about the fat! I'm almost embarrassed to write it all out. Oh well, I was more hungry today than most so perhaps thats what led me to the denser choices. I think it will balance out over the next few days.

Hi everyone!

Well I ate less nuts/fat today. I didn't have my AM class to teach so I treated myself to a full hour of yoga and a 3 mile run, it was divine!

I had for breakfast and lunch (this was all random snacking from around 8am-4pm: 5 bananas, 2 apples, one raw organic food bar, 16 ounces unpasteurized OJ.

Dinner: 2 cups greens and a few grape tomatoes with tahini/apple cider vinegar dressing, one apple, a few walnuts and half a lara bar.

Now I'm drinking herbal tea/studying for my GREs/and trying to figure out my life in general.

i also have days when i seem to want/need more fat & heavy foods than i usually like to eat. i just try to listen to my body on those days. it can be tough though- at this stage in my raw foodism (i'm pretty new to it!) it's hard for me to distinguish a craving for fat from an actual need for fat. i know that when my body is asking for a specific fruit/veggie, i can trust that it needs those certain nutrients, but i can't really trust my body just yet when it asks for/craves fat b/c fat tends to be addictive! i think we'll figure it out as we go along though the good thing about raw fat is your body can process it much more easily than cooked fat, so you don't have to worry too much about having an occasional heavy fat day.

good luck studying or your GREs! that sounds like a mental workout, lol.

Thanks for your post meow. You are right that it is so much easier to process raw fat as compared to cooked. Even when i eat a lot of raw fat I wake up the next morning feeling energized. A lot of cooked fat leave me lethargic!

So today I drove 4 hours to watch my old swim team compete, and I'm so glad I did. It was great seeing old friends and my coach took me out to lunch. We went for mexican and I got the salad with no meat and told the guy I only wanted veggies. I didn't think to specify cooked so I got a beautiful salad but unforuntaely he put some extra fajita veggies on top (ie cooked onions and peppers). Oh well, I ate it anyway and remembered that I've been doing great and a few cooked veggies now isn't too bad...since I'm so new to raw.

So today was:

AM workout: 4.25 mile run/walk, 1/2 mile swim
B: Pineapple, grapes, a few raw brazil nuts/walnuts, a few dried figs
L: Salad with avocado, fresh salsa, and cooked veggies
Snack: a few clementines during the swim meet
D: Driving home at midnight and ate 3 apples in my car

Hi everyone! Was 100% raw today! I also studied a ton and got in a nice run and some yoga, so I am feeling great. I love being productive. Today I ate:

B/L/S: (This was all spread out, snacking from 9am to 3pm before I went for my run. I dont like eating this way, I would rather enjoy more substantial meals, but it was fine for today) 2 bananas, 3 apples, around 5 figs, and some raw brazil nuts and peanuts (raw peanuts do not taste good, I need some raisins to mix these with!)

Workout: 40 minute run, 10 minute powerwalk, a few pushups/ab exercises, 30 minutes of yoga

Dinner: Salad with romaine, shredded cabbage and carrots, tomatoes, and raw tahini/ACV/onion dressing. My gosh do I love tahini! 2 more apples and figs for dessert.

I had a great weekend. Not sure how I feel about work tomorrow...

Great Job, Amy! I have an interesting proposal for you...since you and I seem to be pretty much on the same wavelength and similarly new to this whole raw thing, do you want to do a daily count together? Starting with today or tomorrow?
we could blog to one another: day #1 100% raw, day #2 100% raw, etc. to see how far we can each get until we eat something cooked. We could set goals for number of days, sort of compete in a way, but also support each other along the way.
What do you think?

Hi Optimist,

That sounds great about doing a daily count. I am happy to report that I was 100% raw today, but not happy to report that I completely overate. I have some trouble with emotional eating and today I think the stress of my soon to be ending job got to me. So I ate two lara bars, and way too many walnuts and figs. But the amazing thing is that when I overeat on raw I still feel okay. NOTHING like overeating on cooked food. I know my body can process what I ate and it will balance out. I am proud of myself for sticking to raw and not just being like "F this, I'm gonna eat pizza now", haha.

So in addition to the lara bars and walnuts and figs I've had a few bananas and apples and brazil nuts today. No workout either since I had such a long day (and I always take one day off/week anyway. Tomorrow will be better!

Hi Apple:
Sounds like you are doing great so far! Don't worry about the emotional eating -- it is fantastic that you stayed raw despite the stress in your life. What I do sometimes if I feel the need to emotional eat is to just much on a bunch of celery and carrots. I know it is not as much fun as dessert-like things. However, I think the crunching also helps get some aggression out.
Great job staying consistently raw. I think those cooked vegetables from saturday are negligible. Do you want to count from yesterday or when you first started being raw?
Keep up the good work!!

I am finishing up day #1 100% raw:
total count: salad, 2 apples, pear, banana, berries & green tea

I don't count green tea as cooked. I think that the benefits outweigh the costs.

Thanks for the support optimist.

So I have been 100% raw again today, but I continue to eat when I am not hungry. My long term goal is to avoid this but for now I feel like I can still control what I eat even if the amount gets a little out of control

Breakfast (done): 5 small bananas
Lunch (done): 2 handfuls walnuts, about 8 figs, one apple
NO SNACK THIS AFTERNOON, I know I dont need it and want to feel light for my run tonight. I am going to the gym right after work for a treadmill run (it's snowing out, otherwise I much prefer outside) and some weights.
Dinner: Big salad with romaine/shredded cabbage and carrots/tomatoes/tahini dressing. And you know what, I am going to try to not eat any fruit after dinner. Maybe some green tea and then brushing my teeth!

Either way it's day 3 of 100% raw for me!

Great job, Apple. Don't worry about eating when you are not hungry for now (as long as it is raw). I think that once your body gets used to eating raw, you will slowly be able to wean yourself off of this habit. For now, sounds like you are great!

Day #2 is good for me. Just got back from swimming (one nice thing about being a student -- exercise in the middle of the day!), and am going to eat 1/2 of the big salad that I made for myself for today -- greens, cucumber, peppers, sprouted mung beans, flax seeds.

So far I have eaten 2 apples, 4 raw Brazil nuts, and a box of blackberries

hey apple! i agree w/ optimist, don't stress too much about eating more than you'd like, as long as it's all raw. your body can deal with it since it's all natural and simple stuff! i ate a lot more in my early raw days than i do now, too. it'll all balance out!

so you are a runner, too, huh? do you find it's different running raw? i find i don't feel like i "have" to run as much- i just run when i feel like it- and i enjoy my runs so much more! i also seem to run faster and i feel SO much lighter- no cramps or stomachaches anymore!

thanks for your kind words in my thread! it lifted my spirits after a kind of rough day

Hi Optimist and Meow,

Meow: I have not noticed too much of a difference running raw yet, but I am also just getting back into running after about a month off due to injury. Wish I could say I felt lighter, but I know that will come with time!

So today I am trying something new and did not bring any nuts with me to work. Usually I bring some and eat way too many, and when I portion them out I eat them like right away, which as Meow said makes me crave fat for the rest of the day. So today will be all fruit until my usual salad for dinner w/ tahini dressing, and maybe I'll have a few walnuts after dinner. I think I am just too addicted to nuts right now, and need to break the cycle.

Breakfast (done): a few bananas, grapes, one apple, and tea
Lunch: Mono eating of apples - I have a whole bag with me . Perhaps some tea in the afternoon
Workout: either a swim or a run
Dinner: Salad w/ romaine, shredded cabbage and carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, tahini dressing...an apple, and possibly a few walnuts and sundried cherries for dessert. YUM.

I know the day is not done, but I know it will be DAY 4 for me.

Great job, Apple! I think the trick is to identify your weakness and figure out how to avoid that. Beacuse, we are all women of discipline with a few moments of weakness. You -- nuts at work. Me--eating at night. Figuring out how to plan ahead during "trigger" times will nip these little habits in the bud.

Sounds like you are doing great! Keep up the good work.

I'll post my plan for the day on my string of posts.

So I stayed raw today although had a salad w/ avocado instead of apples for lunch. Probably a few too many nuts and dried cherries post dinner as well, but nothing major. I'm actually down a few lbs and I feel great

So I have some exciting job prospects. Things are looking good! I am proud of myself for how well I've handled this whole situation.

Hi Apple:
If you want, we can just both post on your string. No need to write on two different ones. You are right -- it is silly!
I am "committed to RAW" too, so I can just write here if that would be easier. If you wouldn't mind sharing you string, that is :-).

You sound like you are doing great, congrats!! It is okay to alter your food plan -- that is what is great about raw, your body tells you what you need. Today you needed a salad for lunch, not just apples.

Congrats on a successful day #4. I am positive that you will have also a great day #5 tomorrow and beyond...

Day #3 is finishing up well for me.
Here is the grand total for the day:

b: 6 oz box of blackberries
l: less than half of my usual salad, since wasn't so hungry + 1/4 of an avocado
s throughout the afternoon: few bites of an apple (kind of mushy so I threw it away), banana, small bowl of melon (felt like melon instead of an orange).
swam a mile
d: the rest of my salad (was hungry after swimming!) + 1/4 of an avocado
s: apple, orange
green tea and water throughout the day, of course.

I am still at school...that's finals time for ya! But...I am not going to eat ANYTHING when I get home. No more night eating for me. I am determined to give it up once and for all.

My best friend at law school is really critical of my raw diet. He thinks that it is unhealthy and too extreme. That I should be more balanced and incorporate more cooked food into my diet. He will never be convinced, so I will try not to talk about it too much with him. However, it is difficult because we spend a lot of time together and eat many of our meals together so he sees that I eat only raw stuff. Advice?

I am so happy to hear that the job thing seems to be working out well!

Apple -- thank you so much for your support. Seriously, there were several times today that I wanted to eat bad stuff (soy chai from starbucks, these free chocolate covered sunflower seeds that the school provides during finals). However, I thought about how I had to report back to you today and refrained
:-).

Day #3 100% raw -- success! Looking forward to day #4.

Well, not such good news. I ate nuts when I got home. :-(. At least they were raw. Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to be 100% raw AND not eat at night. Wish me luck!

Ok, sounds good about just posting here. It is so much easier!

Dont worry about the nuts. They were raw, the fats in them are good for you, and it is very possible that you needed them. As you said, eating raw lets you know what you need. I know I may be overeating nuts now, but I also think I might just need a bit more fat to stay satisfied than it seems other people need on these boards. Some people just eat fruit, and I think that might turn into bingeing for me. Plus, I have lost weight (as have you) so we cannot be doing too bad!

Anyway, this morning I had breakfast at 6am because I was hungry - an apple and a handful of walnuts and dried cherries. I'm not hungry now but am enjoying my third cup of green tea on this chilly day. I may go out for lunch with a friend, and have enough stuff for a dinner salad, although I'm out of tahini . I will update later!


I agree that our mutual support really helps. I, too, thought about how I would have to report to you!

I dont know what to say about your friend. I have experienced this as well. I am actually in a long distance relationship and my boyfriend was very critical of my food choices in the past when I wasn't even 100% raw, so I have no idea how I can talk to him about this now. I almost wish I could flash forward to my 40s when I am going to look SO DAMN GOOD people will finally take raw foods seriously. Haha, I know that was completely vain but it is true. Anyway, I guess what we could do is just really know our facts - ie the nutrition and science behind the benefits of raw foodism - so we can give people honest information about why we do what we do.

Thanks, Apple. I totally agree with you! We are going to look AMAZING! People already tell me that they think that I look 23 or 24 even though I am 28. I know that isn't such a big difference, but if my physical age continues to stay behind my chronological age at this rate, then I will just look younger and younger than I actually am (we are all vain, don't worry about it! others are too -- they will just plan on getting plastic surgery). I think one of the reasons that some people are critical is that it makes them feel bad about what they are eating. It is easy to criticize someone that intimidates you! Do people actually think that stake, eggs and coffee for breakfast is better for them than fruit, nuts and green tea?! We are very fortunate to be starting our raw habits in our 20s (easier to change and earlier benefits of our raw eating). Actually, I have a case study for you. My uncle (dad's brother) has been eating basically raw since his 20's. Not 100% raw, mind you, but I would guess 90-95% raw, he sprouts stuff, makes almond milk, buys organic, etc. He is 4 years younger than my father, who is 61. My uncle seriously looks no older than 40. He is thin and seems to have very little body fat and barely any wrinkles. I actually lived with him for a summer and observed what he eats -- basically organic whole grain cereal with soy or rice milk in the morning, fruit, salad with some sort of whole grain for lunch and dinner. Watching the way that he eats and the way that he looks as a result motivates me to stick to it. Now, I think people like my uncle in that generation are hard to come by because that was the meat and potatoes era. However, for the people that we manage to find, just observing their youthful appearances speaks for itself.

Anyway...Your plan for the day sounds good. What do you think you will eat with your friend for lunch?

I am excited about day #4. I jumped out of bed this morning feeling AMAZING! I seriously can't remember the last time I felt this GREAT! I am usually quite healthy, energetic, etc. However today I felt so much better than I ever remember feeling! Maybe it has been the swimming, the 8 hours of sleep, the eating raw, or the beautiful new blanket of snow outside. Maybe it is a combo of all of these things. Whatever it is -- I AM NOT GOING TO CHANGE ANYTHING THAT I HAVE BEEN DOING! I am so excited! Also, the scale said 164.2 today. I don't know if it is possible to actually lose 1.8 pounds in 24 hours, but I'll take it :-). We will see how this trend goes...

There is a grocery store right next door to the law school. I have gotten into a habit of buying all of my fruits in the morning before school. I have started to buy: apple, orange, banana, avocado, box of blackberries, and a box of baby romaine (if I am out). I also at night pack my big salad with all of the cut-up stuff (carrots, pepper, etc.). Then I stick all of my food in the law school fridge in the am. I eat blackberries and drink green tea for breakfast before I spend the rest of the day studying. I think the key to sticking to a raw food habit is to just have your routine, know exactly what you plan to eat every day, etc.

As far as eating nuts at night -- I am not going to fight it so much. If this is what my body needs in my early stages of eating raw and I am still feeling good and losing weight then I see no reason to torture myself. Thank you for your empathy with this, as it is my biggest hurdle to overcome food-wise.

So, the plan for today: I already ate my 6oz box of blackberries and am sitting here with a cup of green tea. For the rest of the day: l & d will be my usual big salad (with no olive oil -- trying to stop with the oil and instead eat an avocado -- 1/2 for l and 1/2 for d). Then throughout the day: apple, orange, and banana. Maybe melon if the mood strikes me. Tonight: raw nuts or not, depending on how I feel.

Water and green tea throughout the day as usual.

I have no doubt that you will complete day #5 and I will complete day #4 100% raw successfully! Thanks for sharing your string, and for your support!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/06/2007 03:30PM by optimist4life.