Wow, the school is a ghost town!! Kind of nice to be able to concentrate with no interruptions, but it is making me want to get outta here!!!

I woke up again super dehydrated. I think it is the heater. I live in kind of an old building where we don't really get to choose the temperature of our heat -- we can basically have it either on or off. So I turn it on when I go to sleep because I can't fall asleep if I am freezing. However, I wake up and my room is really hot and dry. Not sure how to fix this, but maybe I should just put another blanket on my bed and turn off the heat. Oh well -- Apple it sounds like you and I have opposite problems.

So far I ate a 6 oz box of raspberries. I bought a few more pieces of fruit and some grape tomatoes, pre cut carrots and broccoli at the grocery. Was feeling too tired and lazy last night to make one of my usual elaborate salads. I'll probably just munch on random fruits and vegetables until I leave Wednesday morning.

I'll be at school all day and will probably head over to the pool for a mile-long swim at some point for a break.

I think it is time for me to really start looking ahead to my upcoming food challenges:
In Chicago it will be really easy to eat raw. My uncle that I told you about lives there, and everyone is used to accommodating him. Also, my parents are supportive my raw eating so that should be no problem. In Israel for the first two weeks I will be on an organized program. A lot of the people going with me are friends from my law school, who also all know about my raw eating so at least I won't need to deal with telling a whole bunch of new people. Sometimes that can be stressful. I should have no problem getting fresh fruits and vegetables for breakfasts. Israeli hotel breakfasts tend to be HUGE and have a lot of fresh food options. As I said, I can just grab several pieces of whole fruit off of the buffet and put them in my bag. I am also thinking of buying a bunch of Lara bars so I can eat those if I really don't have many options.
After those two weeks, I'll have a week on my own so it should be easy.
Not sure what I am going to do re exercise. I hate running because my left knee kinda gives me problems (hence, I bike and swim to compensate). I think I am going to try to get up really early in the morning before breakfast and go on hour-long power walks and do some core strengthening and stretching. That should be easy. I am staying in a hotel with my friend, Lisa, so I hope she doesn't mind too much if my alarm goes off super early for a morning workout.

I am not sure whether or not to bring a laptop. Part of me wants to so that I can keep up with you (you have no idea how much this helps!!!) and I can download my photos. We shall see. Depending on that, I will continue to log my food and check in with both of you each day. If not, then I guess we will just need to catch up in Jan. I'll let you know.

I know this is far off, but good to think about now. When I get back to DC, I want to do what I was doing last week, which included early morning spinning, mid-day swimming and the following food for the day:

-6 oz of blackberries
-10 soaked almonds
-fruit (apple, orange, banana, grapes, or melon)
-big salad
-fruit (apple, orange, banana, grapes, or melon)
-big salad
-fruit (maybe, if necessary)

Finish eating by 8pm (at the latest, preferably 7).

My body felt best when I did this, and I lost weight most quickly. It took a bit of willpower not to eat at night, but overall I felt really full and satisfied with good food.

Well, that's the plan. I look forward to keeping up with both of you about it :-).

Have a good day!

Good morning girls! Only one more week for me, then I have 11 days off! I’m so excited, I haven’t had so much time off in over a year & a half!

Becky, I think you have a great plan for the holiday break, Israel, and back in DC. Don’t worry what others think of your raw foodism. You’re doing this for you, and it’s your health and your future that you need to take into consideration, not theirs! That said, a few cooked meals will not be a step back if you continue to eat raw and think positively most of the time. And I think you should focus on enjoying and appreciating your time in Israel- that’s a once-in-a-lifetime adventure!- and not let thoughts of food or raw vs. cooked take away from that experience!

Last night was a disappointment, as it usually is with Nate. He started texting me right when he woke up yesterday when I was at the Farmer’s Market, and we were talking for a while, then he just stopped responding and never actually replied about if we were getting together that night or not. We’d made tentative plans earlier in the week so I didn’t know if he just changed his mind or what. But I went about my day normally. He does this all the time. 75% of the time, our plans fall through b/c he either cancels at the last minute or just doesn’t respond to my texts or calls. Sometimes he’ll call like an hour before we’d talked about hanging out to ask me to come over. I need more than an hour’s notice on a Saturday night! Anyway, he didn’t respond at all, not even an apology. I know that it’s never been about me- the only one he’s been deliberately hurting all this time is himself. It’s still difficult at times though. I didn’t let myself get down about it last night though. I feel like I’m sending all this positive energy in his direction, and there’s nothing else I can do. He refuses to let it in. That’s really his choice, and his loss. I can’t take responsibility for it anymore, because I need to surround myself with positive people who are willing to go after what they want and who don’t get in the way of their own happiness.

So that’s that…anyway, I have a feeling I’m going to be super hungry today! I don’t think I ate quite enough after my “long” run yesterday (hahaha, long for me, but not for you, Apple!). I decided I no longer want to count calories, I just want to eat when my body asks for food and let that be my guide. I am also not really counting fat grams at this point b/c I seem to be able to eat lots & lots of fruit, minimal fats, and some greens/veggies and it falls within the parameters of 811 really easily. My plan for the day is:

-“smoothie” that turned out more like a slushie/sherbert w/ 2 bananas, frozen mango, blueberries, & strawberries, and a splash of OJ (all that frozen fruit made it really thick & I was sooooo cold after eating it!)
-2 bananas
-a mango, a cup or so of grapes, and maybe another banana or apple?
-probably a lara bar b/c I’m really hungry, or 2 bananas
*going to go for a walk on my lunch break (for about 45 mins.) and also either run 3 miles or powerwalk for 45 mins. after work, plus 10 mins. abs*
-dinner will be cauliflower dipped in a little raw zucchini hummus, and a salad w/ the usual

I guess that’s actually not much food, I just feel like I’ve eaten so much already but all I had was the smoothie & 2 bananas. I need to just trust my body on this one, I don't know why it's so hard lately but I'm trying to be less weird about food!

Danielle, get rid of him. It sounds like you are putting way too much emotional energy into someone who is completely inconsiderate of your time. You seem like such a great girl, I am sure there are plenty of guys out there would be so happy to be with you and would treat you much better than Nate. If you end up with someone else, then Nate will either need to fight to win you back, or your suspicions will be confirmed -- that he isn't the right person for you.
Your food sounds good! Glad you aren't counting calories so much anymore. It sounds like you already don't eat many calories, and everything you eat is very nutritious, so I think not focusing on calories is a good idea. Also, congrats on fitting into a size 2, that is amazing!!

Food so far for me today is:
-9:30am 6 oz berries
-noon banana
-2:30 salad from the cafeteria salad bar: mixed greens, romaine, carrots, grape tomatoes, purple onion, cauliflower, broccoli, vinegar and olive oil.

I am currently a size 10 (down from a size 12 last month), and would like to eventually get down to a 6 or 8 (which I think is a good size for someone who is 5'9". I am sure that if I continue to eat raw, not eat at night, and continue to exercise then I will get there!

Danielle, you are right, I shouldn't focus so much on food when I am in Israel -- I should just enjoy my time there. I definitely plan to and am getting more and more excited each day!

I don't know about you girls, but when I eat bad stuff, or even too much cooked food, it actually makes me feel down. Eating 100% raw makes me happy. I don't know if it is a mental thing, a physical thing or both, but I definitely notice a huge difference!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/17/2007 07:55PM by optimist4life.

My most recent posts are not up here. Is this working?

That's weird. I have no idea why my last post didn't go up.

Anyway, turns out the pool was closed, so I ended up going to spinning instead.

So, my grand total for exercise and swimming for the day is:

-9:30am 6 oz berries
-noon banana
-2:30 salad from the cafeteria salad bar: mixed greens, romaine, carrots, grape tomatoes, purple onion, cauliflower, broccoli, vinegar and olive oil.
-5pm: 20 almonds
-6pm: *spinning, core training, and stretching*
-7:30pm -- Big salad: baby romaine, cherry tomatoes, carrots, celery, sprouts, onions, soaked bulgur wheat, sprouted lentils, tahina.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/2007 03:39AM by optimist4life.

Becky, thank you so much for the advice re: Nate. I needed to hear that. You are totally right and it's good to get an outside perspective on it. It's SO HARD to let this go and we have so much history together, but I can't respect him as a person if he's so closed off to receiving anything good and if he doesn't treat me the way I deserve to be treated. I need to not see him anymore. It's funny but going raw really makes me want to stick up for myself b/c I know I deserve more, and I know that he's not the kind of person I want to be around. I'm really going to try to stay away from him.

I also get down and get angry really easily when I eat cooked food. It seems to make my temper flare up and in the past I've noticed I get really short w/ friends, family, coworkers and even my cats! Raw is very balancing and I can always take everything in stride and find the silver lining when I'm eating raw. Just another reason to keep at it!

I wasn't hungry for a salad tonight so I had 2 vine tomatoes, a big chunk of cucumber cut into slices, 2 pieces of cauliflower and a handful of baby carrots. I dipped the cauliflower and some of the carrots in about 1 Tbsp. of raw hummus- the last of it unfortunately! But actually that may be a good thing b/c it's easier to keep my fat % lower when I don't have raw hummus! Lol.

I had a GREAT workout today- I really felt like running, and I ran really fast for 3 miles, then I did some really tough abs moves. I find my strength is increasing lately, which is weird b/c I've never been strong or naturally inclined to build muscle. But over the weekend, I was doing push-ups (the real kind!) and I can usually do 8 before literally collapsing. But 8 was easy, so I kept going and made it to 12! That's 50% more!! On the next set I made it to 11! And today I added at least 2 reps to all my abs exercises b/c they seemed easier! I am really shocked. I'm not sure why this is happening all of a sudden but I really like it, working out feels so good lately and I feel strong!

Becky, your dinner today sounds delish...I LOVE sprouted bulgur wheat, there's this raw tabouli I sometimes get at the Whole Foods in Bev Hills (they don't have it at the other ones!) that's made from sprouted bulgur wheat, parsley, celery, tomatoes and olive oil and it's to die for! May need to get some of that later this week...Lol.

Danielle, happy to be of service. However, I am simply articulating what you already know in you heart. Of course it is difficult to end something that you really wanted to work out, and had so much hope for. However, if he is constantly disappointing you it seems like this situation is causing you more harm than good. Just my two cents.

Well, I am getting SO excited to go to Israel!! I bought a bunch of Lara bars to bring with me, so that I can have a Lara bar handy in case there is no raw food available. I can handle having a Lara bar for lunch or dinner if there are no raw options for me.

I feel wonderfully sore from that really hard core spinning workout last night. He is a great teacher, and makes us really push ourselves. I love it!

Food for today:
-berries
-salad from the school salad bar: romaine and mixed greens, carrots, cukes, broccoli, and cauliflower, oil and vinegar
-lara bar

I am going spinning this evening, finishing packing, and then I am off to Chicago tomorrow!!

Oh, about you getting more angry when you are eating cooked. I totally know what you mean! I rarely get angry, but I have noticed that my moods are very consistently happy and positive when I eat raw. I was, fortunately, born with a pretty high natural happiness level. However, I tend to get sad sometimes in the winter. This winter it hasn't happened at all and I am sure it has a lot to do with eating raw. The benefits are endless! We are SO lucky we discovered raw eating in our 20's -- we have the rest of our lives to enjoy the benefits of eating raw :-).

Becky, I completely agree with you about being lucky to have discovered raw at young ages. It’s really going to impact the rest of our lives, how we age, and how healthy we are throughout our lives. I think that same thing very often! It’s also cool to be part of the raw foods movement when it’s still in its infancy. I think raw is going to go very far in the future, and we will have been some of the first ones to live this way and set examples for others easing into it!

I am soooo ready for this week to be over. Work is INSANE lately, I’m using up all my gas running stupid personal errands for my bosses, and I won’t get reimbursed for gas til January. And I’m just over work. I don’t want to be here anymore!

Sorry for complaining. It’s rainy out and that always makes me feel less peppy/happy than usual!

FOOD!

-banana
-2 c. fresh-squeezed OJ, banana
-3 bananas and an apple (omg this filled me up sooo much! I was so hungry I thought I might pass out though- I was literally running around carrying heavy packages all morning!)
-I have an apple, a banana and a cup or so of grapes- probably won’t eat all of that, but definitely will have the grapes
*Some kind of workout as long as the rain stops- probably a walk, maybe a run though, and arm exercises. If it keeps raining, I’ll just do pilates in my apartment (abs, butt & thighs, and arm exercises).
-salad w/ romaine, mixed greens, red & yellow peppers, carrots, cucs, tomato, cauliflower, raw ACV. Maybe 2 raw energy bites while I watch “Knocked Up”

Well, that’s it for me today…

Hi ladies!

Sorry I didnt check in yesterday - I was running around NYC, and then had to go back in today to pick up my Visa. I ate mostly raw, although its hard to remember what exactly I ate so I wont post that, haha. Today was good. Meals were:

B: 1/2 banana, 2 sliced oranges, red grapes (YUM)
L: Mixed fruit salad with melon, mango, pineapple, kiwi, all fruit smoothie (so completely raw) and a piece of tofu (not raw).
D: My mom wanted to take me to an authentic Thai restaurant - obviously not the best type of cuisine if you want to eat raw - but I had a lot of steamed veggies with curry sauce and a little salmon (I hope this doesnt offend anyone, I know how many people are very strict vegans, which I really respect).

No workouts for the past 2 days except walking around NYC. I did a fair amount of walking but I am dying for my run tomorrow!

Amy, I eat fish from time to time too. Hope to completely give it up some day as well, but sometimes I just want to eat fish. Everyone says it is really healthy too, but I try to compensate for not eating it much with flax seeds.

Well, I had a tiny chocolate binge tonight. I think it is anticipation for my upcoming trip, during which I plan to stay strong and not give into any of the cooked food around me. I plan to stick to it 100% though when I am gone and when I get back, never turn back and never have one of those non-raw-food episodes. I think that now that I am getting the hang of eating raw most of the time, and seeing my weak times when I want to eat bad food, I will be able to return with a newfound discipline in which I can power through the times that I want to eat bad stuff. The rest of the day was good though.

-berries
-lara bar
-salad from the school salad bar
-apple
-carrots with tahina
-*kick ass spinning class*
-big salad -- tomatoes, sprouts, romaine, parsley, bulgur wheat, carrots, raw tahina
-chocolate (maybe the last of my life! well, I don't know if I will go that far -- but the last for a long, long time).

I am going to try to check in with you both every day because I really, really want to eat raw 100% of the time that I am gone in Chicago and Israel. It will help me stay honest.

I am not going to weigh myself now but I know I weigh somewhere between 160-165. I am really excited to weigh myself when I get back from Israel after eating 100% raw and seeing what the result is.

hey girls. i'm having a crazy morning. first i got a parking ticket in the mail for being parked on a street i've never heard of in my life during street sweeping! it's in compton for crying out loud (which is a place i'd most likely get shot & killed in if i ever went). then my cat started limping last night so i'm taking her to the vet this morning and my mini-boss is really pissed at me, i can tell. it's so annoying b/c she's ALWAYS late (sleeps past her alarm) and takes sick days at least 3 times a month, but i have taken ONE sick day in the past year and she can't just pick up the slack for one morning b/c my cat hurt her leg? anyway we have our company holiday lunch today which i REALLY don't want to go to but have no choice. why do we do things we don't want to do? isn't life too short for that? i don't like my coworkers and they'll all be trashed. i don't even want to drink but i know i'll end up having one glass of red wine that probably won't be organic (or raw, obviously). i'm kind of mad that i have to even go!

i'm pretty hungry today so i'll probably be eating more in the morning. here's the plan:

b: smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen strawberries, mango & blueberries, splash of oj & water; extra banana
s/l 1: cashew cookie lara bar
l 2 @ Ago: garden salad w/o dressing; glass of red wine
s: apple & banana
w/o: 3-4 mile run
d: more fruit- grapes, a plum & a banana maybe?

ok i'm off to get this day over with already!

Hi ladies,

Optimist - your meals sound great. Also sounds like you have good ambitions for raw eating while in Chicago and Israel. I wouldn't put too much pressure on yourself though. For me it is almost easier to eat raw when I am relaxed about it and make those choices because they make me feel good, rather than because I "have to" stay 100%.

Meow - Hope your day gets better! I totally understand about not enjoying company holiday parties...I hate that kind of thing.

Speaking of holiday parties, my bf won an IPOD at his last night and he's giving it to me...woohoo! My old one bit the dust a year ago and I've been too lazy/cheap to get a new one. Now I can download my Thai language tapes onto it.

So meals today have already included some non-raw food. I hope you girls dont get annoyed with me posting like this! I guess I am just okay being around 75% raw until I get to Thailand. Then it will be so easy with warm temps and tropical fruits.

Today was so far:

AM Workout: 6 mile run, some pilates/stretching
BFast: 2 veggie burgers (hence the non raw), banana, kiwi, and 2 oranges.
Lunch: Veggies dipped in some of my moms peanut dressing (again not completely raw but really really good).
Dinner: Big salad and some fruit that I'll pick up when my mom and I go to the health food store today. Dinner will definitely be raw, and I plan on making banana ice cream for dessert, yum!

apple, i would never be annoyed by you posting non-raw meals! we are all doing the best we can with the hands we are dealt on a daily basis, right? there are no raw police- even when we eat cooked food we are still eating about a zillion times healthier than most people

so my morning didn't get much better. my poor cat had an ingrown toe nail in her paw pad! it was extremely traumatic (for her AND me...maybe more so for me!) and she had to get it extracted and was bleeding. i felt horrible. it's hard for me to clip their nails now that i live alone and no one can hold them for me. i must have missed one of her nails when i last clipped them anyway she's got her foot bandaged and i need to stay home to help her walk, get to her food, and make sure she doesn't take the bandage off. my boss was a total bitch when i called her to tell her that i was sorry but i had to put my cat before the holiday party. she barely said 2 words to me. how could a party be higher on my priority list than taking care of my cat who had just had one of the most traumatic experiences of her life? i felt so awful after that, i called my mom in tears. of course, my mom made me feel better and i know that i made the right choice to stay home- the vet said i had to moniter her anyway. she's sleeping now and tomorrow the bandage can come off

anyway i had such a weird experience at the vet. i've been thinking about/researching raw foods for my cats for quite a while, i just don't know about the logistics of it b/c my freezer is smaller than the size of a shoe box (not kidding) and i don't know where i'd put their raw food, and i really really don't think i could deal w/ buying and preparing raw meat for them. so anyway i walked into the vet room and there was a framed hippocrates quote on the wall, "let food be your medicine." i was like, wow, that's cool, b/c that's a popular thing w/ raw foodists. most vets know NOTHING about nutrition and advocate feeding crap to pets so i thought that was interesting. then later after shima had her paw bandaged, he was asking me what i feed her. i feed them top-quality canned & dry food and vets are usually impressed. this vet was like, well, that's good, but maybe try this- and he hands me a flyer for raw pet food!!! the vets that i've talked to about raw pet food have DISCOURAGED me from trying it in the past! i really think it was a sign- i'm going to check out the stuff he suggested i try and see how they like it. i told him i was a raw foodist and he was so receptive to it! it was just weird in a really cool way.

wow sorry to have rambled, if either of you read through all that, i'll be impressed!

sooo... food today has changed, i came home at 1 (finally) and after shima got settled i had an apple, a banana and 1.5ish cups of grapes. if shima sleeps, i'm going to run to the nearest store (whole foods, thankfully) to get bananas and a lara bar b/c i have no food! i'll have a lara bar, then run 4 miles if i think shima will be ok. i'll make another big salad for dinner.

i'm actually a little relieved that i won't have to explain to my coworkers why i'm only eating a plain salad (they think i'm anorexic already...) and i won't have to drink wine either. weird how things work out. if shima had hurt her foot any other day in the past month, i would have REALLY gotten in trouble for taking the day off to care for her b/c we have been crazy busy. so missing a party is the least of my worries!

ok..sorry for writing so much. have a good wednesday and stay warm both of you!

Meow - Thanks for your support! Give Shima my best wishes as well. My step-dad has two cats and I absolutely love them. I hope she is doing better today!

So I went to this all-organic health food store yesterday and picked up some raw cacao-goji energy bites, after seeing them in your meals Meow. They are really good, a lot better than lara bars actually! I also got some kombucha - this stuff is intense but really makes me feel good. I am drinking it right now for breakfast. I figured I'd write out my meals now so I can remind myself how much raw food I have available. It's easy to get distracted by all the cooked food in the house.

B: 2 cocao-goji bites and 16oz mango kombucha
L: FRUIT - I bought a bunch of bananas so I might mono on those, or add in an apple or two if I feel like it.
D: Who knows, I am driving upstate because I have an early flight to Tuscon (to visit my bf) tomorrow and I live 2 hrs from the airport. Might pick up a salad from the grocery store salad bar or go out for Japanese, where I can get a regular salad and I believe the seaweed salad is raw as well.

Hi to both of you! It’s Thursday! 1.5 more days for me (counting the half of today that’s left…lol). I am SO EXCITED and my bosses gave me a GIFT CERTIFICATE TO THE FOUR SEASONS SPA!!!! It’s enough to get anything I want- facial, massage, body wrap- OMG I AM SO EXCITED! I’ve never had anything besides a mani-pedi (which was a gift from my bosses for Admin Day) so I am just so looking forward to being pampered! They are really very generous guys, especially b/c I also got a holiday bonus. And my mini-boss also got me champagne and a novel that I’d been wanting to read, so I guess she doesn’t hate me after all! Man, I thought I wasn’t getting presents this year…lol.

Anyway, Shima is doing a lot better! The bandage is off, there’s no more bleeding and she’s barely limping. She can get around just fine, her appetite is normal, and she’s just being a big mush Yay.

Today’s plan:

B: 3 bananas
S: 2 c. oj and a banana
L: 2 bananas & an apple or grapes (or both?)
S: apple & banana
*50 min. power walk, abs*
D: probably a salad or if I’m lazy, just sliced veggies. Probably the salad though.

I may have a glass of organic red wine, or may not, have to see. I never drink b/c of stress or anything like that anymore, and it’s great- I usually meditate now when I feel stressed! But a glass of wine might be nice now that I’m really feeling the holiday spirit. I am SO impressed with my coworkers- it’s so nice that they came through after I was so upset yesterday, and I can tell that my main bosses definitely understand why I stayed home with my cat and my mini-boss seems to have more or less forgiven me.

Something I want to work on in the next few days is appreciating those around me for what they add to my life. I was really feeling negative yesterday and then I was surprised by the goodness in the people I felt hurt by. Everyone has good qualities. I want to focus on this and not let anything negative affect me. I will appreciate people for their flaws & differences in opinion. I will not wish that they’d change- instead, I’ll focus on what I can do to grow as a person so I can work with them.

I hope you both have wonderful days with your families!

Hi Girls:
Sorry that I have been MIA the past couple of days. I got to Chicago tomorrow morning and am stying with my grandmother. She only has super slow dial-up internet and i was happy to be away from a computer anyway so that's why I didn't write.

Danielle: So sorry to hear about your cat. I know how sad it can be to see a pet suffer! However, she is really lucky to have such a great owner that takes such good care of her! I think it is awesome that your vet encouraged you to feed her raw food. How awesome! I definitely want to hear how that goes. My friend pampers her cat too, but feeds her canned and dry food and cheese. This cat is super chubby! I bet a cat would be happier eating raw as well :-). I remember my cats used to eat grass. My mom told me it was because they wanted something fresh to eat! See, it is natural to need some greens in your diet :-). Also, I am glad to hear that you were able to miss the holiday party since you didn't feel like going anyway.

Amy: you are so silly! Of course we wouldn't be annoyed with you for logging non-raw foods. No judgement here! everyone takes their raw journey at different rates and for different reasons. You should definitely read Natalie Rose's book, the Raw Food Detox Diet. She is very healthy-minded about raw food eating and discusses ways that you can integrate various levels of raw food. You can do 100% like what Danielle is doing (and I am aiming for), or you can do any other variation. I think it sounds like you are doing great! And getting prepared for your upcoming trip. Have fun in AZ with your boyfriend! I am from Phoenix :-).

So far things in Chicago are great! It is wonderful to see my family, and everyone is really supportive about my raw foodism. The first question that I get from everyone is "do you get enough protein?" How do you both answer that question?
My uncle who is super health conscious and I were talking about it for awhile and I think that I am re-inspiring him to think about eating raw again. It was really fun to share notes!

Let's see if I can remember all that I ate the past two days.

Yesterday was:
-apple and orange at the crack of dawn at the airport
-a big, delicious salad at my uncle's house: lettuce, cucumber, red pepper, avocado, carrots, raw tahina, brags amino acids. Delicious!!
-a few grapes and an apple
-indian salad (we went to an indian restaurant, which I was kind of stressing about. My dad told the waiter that I don't eat anything cooked, so the waiter had the kitchen make me a special indian salad, it was great!) -- onion, tomatoes, curumbers, indian spices
-apple

Today:
-1 bite of a lara bar
-*1.5 hour power walk in the cold (refresing and tons of fun!)*
-apple, green tea, the rest of my lara bar
-salad at a corner bakery at a museum: greens & tomatoes
-banana
-30ish almonds
-big salad: spinach, cucumbers, green, red, and yellow peppers, scalions, carrots, celery, olive oil & vinegar (I made it for my family, which everyone ate in addition to their pizza -- I just ate the salad)
-apple
-banana
-a few more almonds

I am really pleased with how it is going so far, and know that I can keep this 100% raw trend up for the rest of my time in Chicago, well through my visit to Israel.

Great catching up! I'll try to catch up with you both pretty often but don't know if I will be able to every day.

keep up the great work, both of you!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2007 02:47AM by optimist4life.

Hola chicas!

Becky, I’m glad you’re having a great time in Chicago! It’s good to have the support of your family on your raw foods journey, too. That’s so cool that your dad told the waiter about your raw foodism at the Indian restaurant so you were able to get a delicious raw meal! As for the protein questions, I get those often as well. I usually say that I personally have found that I don’t need much protein, and that carbs from fruits and veggies and healthy fats from raw sources are what make me feel best. This way I’m not arguing with them that people in general don’t need a lot of protein (even though I think people DON’T need much protein!) and they can’t really argue back! Sometimes if someone starts mentioning the importance of protein, especially animal products, I’ll say that this country’s economy is heavily dependent on the meat & dairy industries, so of course they’re going to tell us we need to eat lots & lots of meat & dairy! That usually makes people think…

I feel SO GOOD today. Just so happy and glowing. I always feel like this after a day with lots of fruit and minimal fat! Although I did end up having 2 raw cacao goji energy bites last night with my salad (Apple, I know, I love these too!). I also had a glass of organic red wine! It had been at least 3 weeks, maybe 4, since I last had any alcohol, but my body reacted ok to it. I’m sure I’ll have some next week at parties & whatnot, but not much. One glass left me kind of tipsy!

My plan for today is:

-smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen mango, thawed frozen strawberries (not in microwave though!), splash of OJ (I was out of blueberries and really missed them!)
-banana & cup or so of OJ
-3-4 bananas
-apple & banana
*3 mile run*
-salad from W.F. w/ lots of greens- kale, romaine, mixed greens, spinach- lots of veggies, and half an avo dressed with raw ACV

Hey ladies!

I didn't post yesterday because I was flying most of the day, but I am finally in Tuscon. Did a pretty good job of staying raw yesterday. I just had bananas, apples, and almonds on the plane, more fruit when I got to my bf's parents house, and a salad for dinner. I did not eat the giant beef and cheese filled lasagna that accompanied the salad - yuck.

Today so far I've had:

B: 2 bananas, 1/2 lara bar, orange slices, and grapes. So glad I brought some lara bars with me.

I am going for a swim with my bf and I should be able to stay raw all day except maybe during dinner, but I'll try my best.

I have to run b/c I dont want anyone to see me typing this, haha, but I hope you both have a great day!

hey amy, i'm glad you're in tuscon with your bf! good job staying raw yesterday! do they know you're eating raw or are you just going to do your thing and not say anything about it?

i didn't end up working out yesterday b/c my body felt like it just needed a break. i'll probably run today. i feel a little run-down but i'm sure a few days of just relaxing will cure me! i'm also planning a juice fast starting either tomorrow or monday (depends on whether or not i can use up the rest of my food by tomorrow, lol). i'm not setting any goals for how long i want to go- i think i trust my body to tell me when it's had enough. i'm hoping this will help get out any additional toxins in my body and also give me the mental clarity to think through some issues that i'm in the middle of right now. i've never done a juice fast before but OJ is relatively inexpensive at trader joe's, so... why not?!

today i think i'll have:
-apple & banana
-lara bar
-smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen mango, strawberries & blueberries, splash of OJ
*3-4 mile run, abs, arms, squats/lunges (my butt is starting to disappear, which is NOT COOL! so i'm adding these exercises in!)
-fruity dinner- maybe OJ &/or apples/bananas...
-1-2 glasses organic red wine w/ friends later

i'm introducing my cats to raw cat food today! eeek i'm a little sketched out by the raw meat...but i feel like this is what's missing from their diets.

Hey Ladies:
Sounds like you are both doing great!
Amy, glad to hear you have been able to eat mostly raw despite your trip.
Danielle, what does your cat think of the raw meat?

Things are going well with me. I didn't get a chance to exercise today, but I went on another power walk yesterday morning.

I have managed to stay almost 100% raw! This evening I ate a little bit of chinese food (a small amount of tofu and a few cooked vegetables) because the salad they gave me was really meager and I was still really hungry. Let's see if I can remember what I ate the past 2 days..

Yesterday:
-*1.5 mile power walk*
-apple, banana
-some grapes, carrots with almond butter
-big salad for dinner: lettuce, peppers, cucmbers, cherry tomatoes, flax seeds, raw tahina, carrots
-lara bar

Today:
-banana
-carrots with raw almond butter
-salad: lettuce, peppers, cucmbers, cherry tomatoes, flax seeds, raw tahina, carrots
-meager salad: iceberg, tomatoes, cucumbers
chinese food: a bit of steamed tofu and a few cooked vegetables
-lara bar
-a few figs

I bought 3 apples, 3 bananas, and some raw figs for the plane. I am looking forward to the planeride, during which I plan to just eat my fruit and maybe a salad (if there is one on the meals that they give us). I am not going to eat any of the cooked plane food.

I am so excited to go to Israel! And am feeling really good about how I was able to manage to eat almost 100% raw despite our frequent outings, ordering in, etc.
It is a bit stressful, even with my supportive family, to answer all of their questions about my eating habits. I am really not looking forward to explaining it to a bunch of people who might not be as supportive. We shall see...

Keep up the good work, ladies!

hey girls! my cats LOVE the raw meat! it's so disgustingly cool, lol. i have 3 cats, and 2 of them just gobbled it up when i put it down for dinner last night (i mixed it in with their normal food). the other one wasn't quite as ready to accept it and mostly ate around it, then 15 mins. later she was whining for more food, so i put it down again and all of a sudden she tried a piece, then ate it like she's never eaten anything before, and went and ate the leftovers out of the other 2 bowls! it was crazy! this morning they were all begging for it! i really feel like this is the right food for them even if it's hard for me to buy & prepare it.

yesterday i just felt like eating all day. it was SO weird. i've felt like that for the last couple days. i think my body weight has gotten to that point where my body doesn't want to lose any more weight so it's trying to get me to eat all the time! i've eaten between 1400-1500 calories for the last few days, which i know isn't a lot but it's more than i usually eat and it feels like a lot. i guess i just have to go with it. i am doing a juice fast really soon (starting tomorrow) so maybe that'll just get things back in gear. i am also going through a little more detox. ugh. yesterday i had low energy, was headachey and smelled like chocolate! i also ended up eating 4 of those cacao-goji energy bites. it's not like me to feel like i have no control over my eating so i'm hoping the juice fast/simple eating will help me feel more balanced.

plan for today:

-smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen mango, strawberries & blueberries, splash of oj; extra banana on the side (won't be eating for a while probably)
-planning to get a jamba juice OJ - either the small or medium
-2 bananas, apple
*some kind of workout...i hope i feel like running but otherwise just a walk*
-more OJ, apple if needed

i'm off to go furniture shopping w/ my best friend! she just moved into a new place and i just got my holiday bonus ($500!!!) so i have money to buy a FUTON!!!! you girls will not believe this, but i've been sleeping on one of those little kid sleepover type foamy chairs that unfolds into a bed for the past 10 months. it is painful. i need a bed! i'm so excited to have that, and i also need some shelves or a bookshelf and a TV stand or small table for my TV. my place will finally look furnished! it's about time!

Becky, have a safe flight and GREAT JOB for staying 99% raw! i think you have proven to yourself that you'll be able to be as raw as you want to be in israel. don't worry what others think. just try not to make it an issue. there is MUCH more to us than the food we eat!

Danielle:
That's cool your cats are so into the raw meat. All of my respect to you for preparing it for them. I don't know if I could do it!
Maybe if you are hungry your body is telling you to eat! Why are you so hard on yourself for eating a reasonable amount of raw food? Is this a weight thing? Remember, focus on your health! Listening to your body is an important part of focusing on your health.
Congrats on getting the futon! V exciting. I am sure your back will thank you.

Well, my flight from Chicago to NY was delayed, so I missed my connection to Israel with my group. Now I am sitting here in the airport hoping to get on standby on the flight that leaves in a couple of hours. Ugh!

I went to the airport with my parents really early in the morning and was really hungry!
I ordered eggs with salsa and ate that. I think I am REALLY craving protein, so I had some fish for lunch. I think that eating 100% raw deprives me of protein that I feel like my body really needs. I am not sure what to do about that though. I am thinking that maybe the 4 days raw in Chicago were too protein deprived. Usually I eat a lot of sprouts and nuts, but I had very few of these the past few days. I think I will try to stick to my 100% raw plan, but if I need some protein I can have some eggs or fish. If everything other than that is 100% raw, I will feel ok about eating a bit of cooked fish or eggs.
So my food for the day is:

-eggs & salsa
-2 bananas
-salad from au bon pain: mixed greens, olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, tuna, balsamic vinagrette salad dressing
-a few nuts.

I still have a banana, 3 apples, and lara bars for the airplane, so I do plan to still eat 100% raw on the plane. Since I had quite a bit of animal protein today, I should be good for the next couple of days.
I'll re-asses the raw food and protein situation once I am settled and see what food they are giving us. But for now, I'll plan to stick as close to 100% raw as possible.
I was thinking of maybe doing 100% raw for a month, ignoring my protein cravings and then re-assessing with possibly adding weekly fish or eggs into my otherwise 100% raw vegan diet. I guess I am at the point now where I am experimenting to see how it goes and how I feel.

Will keep you updated!!

Hi ladies!

Quick post again - you both sound like you're doing well!

Today I've had:

B: grapes, 2 bananas, an apple, and a few raw almonds
L: diced mango, and some raw cheese (optimist, this is something I think I'm going to be including in my diet. As of right now, I do feel like I get a bit protein deprived being 100% vegan...that may change, but as of now raw cheese every few days agrees w/ me...and we have some at home that is locally made and very cow-friendly)
Workout: Short swim with my bf...my foot is hurting a bit so I cant run
D: We are having a huge buffet type dinner at my bf's house and I am making a large salad to be part of that...so I will have mostly salad and maybe an apple for dessert.

Becky, I'm so sorry about your flight! I hate delays. I hope you're well on your way to Israel by now! Oh, and about the protein- I don't think we actually need much protein, since we were designed to eat fruits & veggies and not so much to eat meats (or milk/other animal protein sources). I think if you just eat more fruit you'll be more satisfied, but maybe you could try sprouted lentils/beans/chickpeas for protein if you think you really need more? I don't really like these but a lot of people eat them in salads and they have probably the most protein of any raw (vegan) food. greens are good for protein, too, but you seem to be doing great eating lots of greens.

You're right, I am really hard on myself. I tend to freak out if I eat what I deem "too much," and it just doesn't feel right to be eating so much even though I know I'm still not eating a lot. It's something I've dealt with for years and years... I had severe anorexia when I was 15 and nearly died, and those thoughts don't just go away even if you gain weight and start living healthily. I do still struggle from time to time and I need to try to let this go and eat what my body is asking for. It's also hard b/c I haven't worked out as much as usual lately. I'm trying to be ok with it though!

I got furniture today!!! My apartment looks super cute! I still haven't gotten a futon b/c they don't sell them at the Target store near me, but I'm comparing prices and seeing about ordering online right now. Now that I've got my mind set on getting an actual bed, I really want it here ASAP!

I posted my planned fod for the day, but it differed a bit so my actual food was/will be:
-smoothie w/ the usual (same as above), extra banana
-apple
-16 oz fresh-squeezed OJ and a single wheatgrass shot @ Jamba..YUM
-2 bananas & an apple
-going to have carrots & 2 tomatoes w/ raw hummus for dinner...I really felt like I needed/wanted a "real" meal as opposed to more fruit. Don't know why but I'm going with it. Oh, and maybe an apple later if I need it.

I do plan on starting my juice fast tomorrow morning! I'm kind of excited and I've been detoxing a little the past few days, so I think it's good timing. Who knows if I'll even make it through 2 days, but I'll see what happens!

My cats just had their dinners and GOBBLED them up! Noelle even jumped up onto the counter and ate a chunk of the meat before I could get it in her bowl! My babies are such carnivores...lol. I feel SO good about feeding them this way! I think I'll treat them to some kind of fresh fish tomorrow for Christmas

hi again! i'm sure you girls are both busy w/ your travels (becky) and holiday celebrations (amy). have fun both of you!

i ended up getting really hungry last night after dinner and eating 4 cacao-goji energy bites (the equivalent of one lara bar). i think that was EXACTLY what i needed- MORE FOOD. i felt totally satisfied after that, not full but not hungry anymore, and today i woke up feeling much better & less focused on food.

let the juice fast begin! lol.

i'm going hiking in griffith park today- i'm so excited. it's really mountainous and steep and gorgeous. the weather's been amazing lately so i'm excited to get some sun! after that i'm picking up some pastels and a sketch pad at the art store and then getting more OJ for me and some kind of meat for my cats for their xmas eve & xmas meals! weird that i'm excited (well, kind of) to get meat... anyway have a great day, girls! becky, i can't wait to hear about your adventures in israel!

Hi Ladies:
Sounds like you are both doing great! Happy holidays!!!

Well, I arrived safe and sound in Israel. My friend picked me up at the airport and brought me to Jerusalem. He is one of my best friends here, and it was fantastic to see him!

It was actually kind of nice to travel alone. Everyone in my group was very welcoming and sweet once I arrived. I have also been able to talk to most of my Israeli friends on the phone since I have arrived (I have lived in Israel for almost 2.5 years total, so I know lots of people here) and I am really excited to meet up with everyone!

It is actually 5:45am right now Israel time. I woke up at 4am and after tossing and turning for an hour I finally decided to get out of bed. I plan to check out the gym at a local hotel and, if that doesn't work out, to take a power walk. We don't need to be on the bus until 9:15, so I have plenty of time.

I am so discombobulated, but I'll try to remember my food for the past (2 days? -- not sure how much time but roughly 2 days)

airport (I think I wrote about this the last time I posted):
-eggs & salsa
-2 bananas
-salad from au bon pain: mixed greens, olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, tuna, balsamic vinagrette salad dressing
-a few nuts.

airplane:
-d: banana, a few figs (which I brought), small salad (lettuce, cherry tomatoes) & a bit of hummus (this was cooked, I am pretty sure)
-b: small salad, mixed fruit, omlette (I was starving and the apples I bought were awful!)

once I arrived in Israel:
-lara bar
-big salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, red pepper & olives) at a bar/restaurant.

I heard that the hotel breakfast has a lot of fruit and veggies so I am excited about that. Also, I am SO excited to work out. I haven't exercised in over 2 days and I feel like a blob.

Keep up the good work, ladies. I am really excited to start the new year raw, healthy & active!

glad that you made it to israel, becky! what's the time difference there? are you with a school program or something else?

i didn't juice fast today, i needed solid food/energy b/c i went hiking for a long time. i don't know if my body is ready for a juice fast. i guess if/when it is, i'll know. anyway i also ate about 1600 calories today which is more than usual (again) but i'm ok with it. i don't know what's going on with my body lately but i guess if it's asking for more food, i'll eat more!

-2 c. oj
-3 bananas
*hiked up & down mountains (seriously!) for 1 hour 40 mins.*
-2 c. oj, banana, 2ish raw cacao-goji energy bites
*20 mins. abs pilates & arm exercises*
-2 apples, banana
-a few carrots & pieces of cauliflower w/ raw hummus; salad w/ romaine, red pepper, carrots, cucs, tomatoes, cauliflower & raw ACV; half a raw cacao-goji energy bite
-banana

i could seriously eat MORE now but i don't like eating at night and am going to bed. i have to admit eating this much kind of scares me b/c i don't want to gain back any of the weight i've lost. i guess i have to trust my body and see what's going on... it's weird for me to be so hungry eating raw so something is definitely up.

it's so weird to be alone on xmas eve! oh well. my friends are all out of town and obviously i'm not spending the holiday w/ my family this year. but it was nice to get to do what i wanted today! tomorrow will be kind of lonely but i'm planning to distract myself with running, rearranging my room and looking for a futon online.

Hi Danielle:

Don't worry about eating more. It sounds like what you are eating is very healthy, and you are being quite active as well! Maybe add a bit more protein to your diet? I bet you will be less hungry if you do that.
Also, I am sure it has been difficult for you to struggle with an eating disorder so much. However, focusing on your health is better than worrying about your weight.

It is a school program -- Israel/Law. Going great so far! Lots of lectures today, but tomorrow will be good -- we will be visiting the north.

Food today was kind of weird for me. I am going to need to figure out a schedule. I ate very little at meals and sort of grazed on dried fruit and nuts, which I think is a very bad idea if I want to lose weight. Here is what I ate:

-*1.5 hour walk*
-6 raw dates (they are AMAZING in Israel!)
-small glass of fresh carrot juice (I found a place that fresh squeezes juices near our hotel when I was on my walk)
-a few cut up vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell peppers) and some olives
-a few small slices of fruit that they provided (apples, pears, and plums)
-a plate of various different salads & hummus (this was the only realish meal I ate all day)
-3 dates, about 20 almonds, cucumber
-a few small pieces of vegetables -- carrots, hikima (sp?) that I snatched from a friend's plate
-2 glasses of red wine
-4 dates, lara bar, and about 10 almonds

I think between the dates, lara bar, and almonds, I probably ate more calories than I would have if I had just eaten a big salad. I am seriously thinking of banning myself from dried fruit, nuts and lara bars, hiding them deep in my suitcase, or throwing them away. The problem is, I was simply HUNGRY! Although I sort of grazed on random (mostly raw) food all day, I didn't have a chance to really eat a big salad like I am accustomed to and there was no raw fruit, so I felt really hungry. I am going to try to eat a TON of raw vegetables at breakfast tomorrow and maybe buy a few pieces of fresh fruit so I can eat this instead of dates and nuts.

this has been the weirdest & most relaxing christmas ever- it's so nice & warm here! it was about 65+ degrees today and it didn't feel like christmas at all, but hey, it's snowing and freezing back "home" in VT so i'm not complaining! unfortunately my friends are all out of town today (most are gone for the whole week) so i was kind of bored, but i gave my cats their presents from me & my parents, went for a great long run, napped a little and just relaxed. it was kind of nice.

becky, thanks for your support & advice. i know you are totally correct that i need to just chill out and not worry about eating "too much." that is the exact advice that i would give to someone else in my situation. it's hard for me to step back and see that this is NOT a big deal or anything to worry about. i've been having wonderful workouts lately, i'm LOSING weight (which i don't even need to do), i'm still following 8-1-1 and i feel good. all i need to do is relax and let my body guide me.

also, i think it's totally fine to eat dates, nuts, lara bars & dried fruit in moderation. if the bulk of your diet is fresh raw fruits & veggies, then i think it's fine to pick one or two "other" things like laras, nuts, dried fruit, etc. to eat each day. omg i bet the dates are out of this world in israel! there is definitely something to be said for local produce- maybe eating a couple fresh dates from a farm 2 miles away would be a better choice than eating a couple oranges that traveled 4000 miles to get to your grocery, you know? i think it is a great idea to stock up on fruit to carry with you. whenever i leave the house for more than an hour or 2, i bring apples & bananas with me. actually you should see the back seat of my car, there's almost always a bunch or 2 of bananas sitting back there!

anyway my food today:

-just less than 2 c. fresh-squeezed oj, banana
-4 bananas, 1 raw cacao-goji energy bite
-5.75ish mile run
-apple, brazil nut, half a banana (starving but had to wait for frozen strawberries to un-freeze, lol)
-smoothie w/ 1.5 bananas, frozen mango, blueberries & thawed strawberries
-a few carrots, red pepper slices, cucumber slices & pieces of cauliflower w/ the last of my raw hummus, and a "christmas salad" w/ romaine, red pepper, cucs, tomatoes & cauliflower w/ a very little bit of raw ACV. it was red, white & green...no i did not plan it that way, i was just out of carrots & yellow peppers! i also had one cacao-goji energy bite afterwards.
-definitely having an apple later

i'm feeling headachey today which is weird b/c i don't feel detoxy otherwise (no breakouts, not tired, etc.). i'm definitely looking forward to relaxing w/ a movie later though. tomorrow is beach day!!!

amy, i hope you had a merry christmas!