i'm definitely going through some detox! i have had a dry patch of skin under my left eye for nearly a week now, and this morning it was all puffy and red! it looks like some kind of rash and i've been hiding in my giant sunglasses b/c i don't want to wear make-up (i think the pores need to stay open to let whatever it is out..plus i'm too lazy to wear make-up when i don't have to go to work!). so there's that, then i've also had a lot of headaches, and i lost more weight despite eating lots more. i don't mind the detox though b/c i know it's just toxins leaving my body forever!

i went to the beach today and it was wonderful. there weren't many people there at all, and it was still warm enough to wear a t-shirt most of the time and get some sunshine/vitamin D. i brought my pastels and drawing pad and sketched the ocean for a bit, then read for a while. it was just bliss. cold toes in warm sand, the sound of the waves crashing, nothing to do but relax...i wish every day could be so peaceful and free!

i think i'll take today off from cardio, my legs/butt are sore! maybe pilates later though. food:

-1 c. oj & 1 brazil nut, then an hour later, 4 bananas (had no food besides oj at home so had to stop at WF on my way to the beach)
-lara bar & apple
-banana on the way home
-getting hungry again, probably another banana & apple
-zucchinagetti- 1-2 zucchinis sliced into thin strips w/ marinara sauce made from tomatoes, half a red pepper, sundried tomatoes, garlic, a tsp. of EVOO, and some basil. this is much more complicated and "gourmet" than i like to eat- the garlic, sundried tomatoes, basil & EVOO aren't foods that i feel i should be eating often- but i've been craving italian food so i'm going for it!
-something...maybe another apple or banana or cup of oj

Hi ladies!

Great to be on the forum again. My bf and I were in San Diego last night visiting my grandparents, and then I had to get up super early to fly back to NY today. I didnt even get much of a chance to walk around the airport, so I'm really looking forward to some physical activity tomorrow. It will also be nice to not be a guest in someones house (my bf and I went to his parents house for Christmas) aka be able to eat all the raw foods I want without weird comments or looks! Dont get me wrong - I had a really great time in Tuscon/San Diego.

Danielle, your Christmas sounds amazing. Relaxing on the beach is heaven. Becky, I am glad to see that you are safely in Israel and having a good time! I agree with Danielle that there is nothing wrong with a little dried fruit and nuts once in a while. I have been able to greatly reduce my consumption of these since I started raw, but I dont want to ban them completely.

So todays meals were:

B: apple and 3 bananas
L: 3 more bananas and another apple - I felt like a monkey today, haha.
D: Steamed Chinese veggies, and a little veggie hot and sour soup (these just looked so much more appealing than the salads in the airport), 2 apples.
Snack when I finally got home: 2 more apples, a few raisins and raw pistacios, and 2 raw cacoa-goji bites

I also stopped by the health food store and picked up some kombucha. Have either of you ever drank this? I really think it makes me feel great, but it could just be in my head!

Apple, I'm scared of kombucha! Does it taste ok? I'm just worried that I'll waste my $$ on it b/c I'll hate the taste! I have heard so many good things about it though, maybe I should suck it up and try it. I did that w/ wheatgrass, and I actually really like wheatgrass.

I bet San Diego was awesome! We've had the best weather lately in SoCal!

I feel fat today which is RIDICULOUS b/c I've been losing weight. It's all in my head and I know this, which is more than I can say for times in the past when I'd feel like this. I need to ignore this feeling and say positive affirmations or something. On a happy note, both today and Wednesday when I was running, I caught glimpses of myself in storefront mirrors & also while running towards bus stops - the windows on the sides are reflective. It's been a while since I saw what I look like while running b/c I don't usually check myself out I was pleasantly surprised! My legs are lean and muscular and I LOOK like a runner! Yay.

Today I ran 4 sucky, slow miles (my legs were stiff and it was windy & cold and I'm a baby when it's not warm out). Still glad I did it though. Now I'm off to go shopping and see what the sales are like!

-smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen mango & blueberries, strawberries, splash of OJ; 2 raw brazil nuts
*4 mile run, squats & lunges, lots of stretching*
-2 bananas
-bringing an apple & lara bar w/ me, and will also pick up bananas @ the grocery- so, apple, lara bar, & probably 2 more bananas during the afternoon
-salad w/ the usual for dinner- romaine, red & yellow peppers, carrots, cucs, tomatoes, cauliflower, raw ACV
-more fruit if I'm hungry (probably either an apple or 2 or OJ)

Hope you both have a great day!

Hi Ladies:
Sounds like you are both doing FANTASTIC! I am really proud of both of you!

I only have a few min. on this comp so I'll just do a quick food check-in. Let's see if I can remember what I ate the past two days!
I am so proud of myself. I have managed to stay 99% raw and nobody has even really commented.

12/26
-breakfast: I skipped at the hotel because I was running late, so I just picked up a mixed salad (lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes). It was kind of bad so I only ate a few bites and threw it out
-lunch: 2 apples
-dinner: went out to dinner and ate a big delicious salad -- lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, and got hummus (not raw, but I needed the protein and ate so little yesterday!)
-2 dates, 3 almonds

12/27 (today)
*30 min hike*
-breakfast: cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, a few tablespoons of plain tuna (needed the protein)
-snack: apple, orange, a few almonds
-lunch: I picked out the raw stuff from our lunchboxes -- (4 pickles, 2 tomatoes) and ate 2 apples that I bought along with a few more almonds
-dinner: we ate out at a restaurant and got served "family style" however there was enough raw food that I could eat with the group and not stand out: green salad - lettuce, tomatoe, cucumber, carrot & pickled vegetable salad, and hummus
-snack: 2 lara bars

guess I was hungry from not eating much yesterday. I am SO happy that I have been staying raw on this trip, and KNOW that I can do it until the end. I am going to try to exercise more. Maybe I'll wake up and go for a long power walk in the am.

Keep up the good work, ladies!

Hi ladies!

Meow - I think Kombucha tastes okay and it really invigorates me. My mom literally cannot stand it,,,she always makes ugly faces at me when i take it out of the fridge, haha.

Optimist - you are doing GREAT. I am really impressed at your ability to stay raw while on a group trip.

Today for me was good:

AM workout: 4 mile run, 1 mile powerwalk, 15 minutes of pilates
B: 2 apples, kombucha, and 3 raw cacoa-goji bites
L: Spinach salad with sliced apples and pears, raw pine nuts, raisins, and ACV (this was really good and I ate a lot of spinach!)
D: Ugh, my sister and brother in law came over to visit which was great...but it meant going out to dinner. I really dont like going out and would much rather do my own thing, but we went to Thai and I had steamed veggies with curry sauce. I wanted to do 100% raw today too!

Becky, I'm so proud of you for staying 99% raw in Israel! It must be really challenging but it's just proving that if you believe in something strongly enough, you can do it despite any obstacles in your way! You are really an inspiration. On a side note, I LOVE hummus (I think I ate my weight in hummus when I was in Greece a few years back...lol). I bet the hummus there is amazing!

Amy, steamed veggies are pretty much the best cooked food you could have eaten! Don't stress too much, you have every single day of the rest of your life to eat 100% raw. Also I think I'm going to pick up some kombucha next time I'm at WF. You have inspired me to try it!

My cats got their raw chicken legs & chicken livers for dinner last night...OMG I seriously almost puked while I was cutting it all up. I decided to cut up as much as they could eat for the next 3 days and then freeze the rest. It took me like 30 mins. to cut the chicken! I had no idea it would be so tough to cut. I am actually pretty concerned about salmonella so I washed everything about 9798737 times and my hands STILL smelled like dead raw chicken for hours afterwards. BUT the cats were happy. They liked salmon better though... they're just a little spoiled But they still ate all the chicken up, which is good b/c they need the dark meat and liver in their diets.

Sorry if that's disgusting...this whole raw meat thing is totally new to me, I think if I'd ever helped my mom prepare meat when I was younger I would have gone vegetarian at a much younger age!

Anyway I am feeling better today...feeling fat when you're not even close to fat is just a waste of mental energy. I'm chilling out at home today for the first time all week. I have to do some research on some things (cheap futons, finding bone meal for the cats, looking at different job options b/c I think I'm leaving my job pretty soon) and I'm going running later as well. Then probably out tonight, or maybe just over to a friend's place for movies. I doubt I'll drink b/c it just makes me fall asleep!

-14 oz. fresh squeezed oj, 3 bananas
-another banana (I can't get enough of them, they are so appetizing to me right now)
-chocolate coconut lara bar & apple
*some kind of run- prob just a quick 3 miler to stretch out my legs- and 10 mins. abs pilates/sit-ups*
-2 bananas & cup of fresh pineapple
-probably carrots, cucumber & red pepper slices, cauliflower & a tomato in raw zucchini hummus
-apple

I'm going to make the raw hummus with less tahini than usual so it's lower in fat, and much less garlic b/c garlic seems too spicy to me lately!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/28/2007 06:33PM by meow.

Another beautiful day in LA! I am liking this place more & more, I am SO not the settling down type and I know I'll move a lot in the future, but I think I'm going to end up staying here for at least another 2 years. For me, that's a LONG time, I'm used to moving around a lot!

Anyway, just posting my tentative plan for the day:

-3 bananas
-2 raw cacao-goji energy bites (need to get more of these!)
-smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen strawberries & blueberries, splash of OJ
*6 mile run, squats & lunges, push-ups & tricep dips*
-umm not sure, probably either 2 bananas and an apple or 2 apples and a banana
-carrots w/ raw zucchini hummus (made it w/ less tahini & garlic and I like it so much better this way!) & a salad w/ romaine, red & yellow peppers, tomatoes, cucs, carrots & raw ACV
-going out w/ friends but I don't think I'll drink- probably an apple later on

My run yesterday was great, ended up being a tempo run. I am really looking forward to running in shorts & sunshine this afternoon, too! I'm going to be so sad when I have to go back to work on Wednesday!

Hey ladies!

Danielle - glad to hear you are enjoying LA. I was actually born there and have family in Santa Monica, San Diego, and San Francisco, so I go out to CA quite a bit. It's so nice to live in a place you really enjoy - I am hoping that will be me while I'm in Thailand!

Becky - Hope you are still enjoying Israel!

Today has been good for me. I had a fairly productive morning getting some stuff done after going shopping all day yesterday with my mom, which was so fun!

B: Smoothie with bananas, frozen raspberries, and frozen blueberries, a little bit of organic grain cereal with soy milk (this truly used to be my favorite food...I hadn't had it in ages though), and 2 cups of green tea...my parents house is still freezing
*Workout: 4 mile run with last 1.2 miles hard, 1.5 mile walk, pilates and yoga stretches*
Lunch: 2 pink lady apples, a handful of raw pistachios and raisins, and some pineapple chunks
Dinner: TBA - hopefully a salad or fruit

Hi ladies: thanks so much for your positive words and encouragement!!

It sounds like you are both doing really well!!

Danielle: it is great that you are so worried about your cats' health and are feeding them raw despite your somewhat digust with their food. i am curious to hear about how it affects their long-term health.
Also, I think what you said about worrying about weight being a waste of mental energy. Keep on telling yourself that, it is important to keep in mind.

Amy: sounds like you are doing great! Don't worry about the occasional steamed vegetable here and there. I think eating raw is all about keeping the ideology in mind, but using it to fit our real lives.

Well, another good report. This evening I did buy a packet of my favorite chocolate waifers and ate them. It was a very conscious decision, however. I told myself that at some point during my 3 weeks I was going to buy and eat them because I can only get them in Israel. I think the occasional treat (especially when I so rarely get them) is okay and in my plan. However, I must say I didn't even really enjoy them. I just don't like junk food at all anymore, especially not sugar. I guess I am just getting over it.

Anyway, here is my update from the past two days:

12/29
b: banana, cucumber, peppers, olives
l: pomegranate juice (they fresh squeeze juice on the street!) and a fruit salad (grapefruit, banana, mango)
s: lara bar
d: salads: lettuice, cukes, peppers, various versions of pickled veggies & hummus (again for protein). The food just coming and coming, but i didn't eat anything beyond the salads. Felt good!

12/30
b: orange, almonds
l: salads: lettuice, cukes, peppers, various versions of pickled veggies & hummus (again for protein).
*2 hour power walk*
s: apple, almonds
d: salads: lettuice, cukes, peppers, various versions of pickled veggies & hummus (again for protein).
s: edimame, red wine,
israeli waifers


so, now that i got the waifers out of my system (and not even enjoying them!!!) i can go back to being raw. there is a wonderful outdoor market right down the street from our hotel, so i plan to stock up on fresh fruit and keep that in the fridge now that we are going to be staying in the same hotel for the rest of our time here, and we have fridges in our rooms.

we were in the south this weekend and it has been aweseom! i have been having a great experience and feel so, so happy about staying raw!! I am also happy I ate those waifers -- got them out of my system and realized that I don't even want sugar at all anymore!! Wonderful feeling of freedom to be over my sugar addiction!!

keep up the good work ladies. i'll continue to keep you updated!

Hi ladies!

Update from yesterday: I had a salad for dinner with raw tahini dressing, yum...and berries with a little dark chocolate for dessert.

Danielle - I also want to thank you for posting that comment about what a waste of energy it is to worry about your weight when you are not fat. I used to weigh myself religiously and feel so much happier and more free now that I have ditched the scale. I can look at my radiant skin, or notice how well I feel while I run and know that I am doing great things for my body eating raw. I don't need a number on the scale to tell me that!

Becky - That is so cool that you did not enjoy the wafers as much as you used to. I have been experiencing the same thing - food in general, especially sweets, just don't have the same sort of power over me that they used to. I eat dark chocolate once in a while but have NO problem stopping after a very small serving, which used to be very difficult for me.

Here is today so far:

B: Smoothie with 2 bananas and frozen blueberries, pineapple chunks on the side
Workout: 6 mile run, the usual pilates and stretching
Post run: 1/2 lara bar (I cut mine up into chunks and put them into a ziploc, so I don't feel like I have to eat the whole lara bar...so this was 2 chunks)
Lunch: Salad with arugula, bell peppers, tomatoes, a sprinkling of raw pistachios and raw cheese drizzled with ACV, another small berry/banana smoothie, and a few more raw mixed nuts and dried berries
Dinner: Lunch was big so this will probably be light...maybe a couple apples? I'm rarely in the mood for 2 salads in one day, but I feel like I can eat 1/2 my weight in fruit!

Hope you both have a great day!

Amy, it sounds like you are doing great!!! Thanks for your feedback about changes in your need for sweet things. It's nice to see that others are going through the same thing.

Well, I am back to 100% raw (except for the hummus again) and feeling great!

Here is today:
-*1 hour speed walk around the city* The YMCA is a 30 min walk from our hotel and has a pool that opens at 5:45am. I am going to try to see if I can walk there, swim, and get back to the hotel in time to start the day
-b: 3 dates, clementine, small cup of fresh squeezed pomegranate juice
-l: lots of different Israeli salads + hummus (I think I am going to stop with the hummus starting tomorrow)
-s: various fruits, about 20 almonds
-d: (they ordered pizza for the group, but luckily I thought to bring food with me) I ate: cucumber, tomato, orange, lara bar
-2 glasses of red wine

Amy- I am trying to do the same as you, focus on how much better I feel and how great my body is responding to raw rather than on my weight. It seems that the more weight I lose, the more I have to be careful not to become obsessed w/ it...It must be part of the mentality that's leftover from my anorexic days, I guess. I also agree about being able to eat half your weight in fruit! I do that, um, every day

Becky- sounds like you're doing great and having a lot of fun! It's interesting that you posted about having the wafers as a planned treat, I've been toying with the idea of having a whole wheat bagel or bread w/ raw almond butter & strawberry jam tomorrow. It's the end of the month and I've been 100% raw for over a month now, so I feel like I could eat some cooked food and then get right back to raw, but I'm also hesitant to do it! Sometimes I think I want something cooked, but when it's in front of me I can't eat it. Either way I'll try not to feel guilty about it if I do eat it! I'm a little worried about how my body might react but at the same time I kind of want to see what happens...

Today:

-2 c. oj
-4 bananas
-apple
-came home at 3 STARVING- probably a little over 1 T raw almond butter (off the knife after I mixed it up...oops), smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen strawberries & blueberries, & oj; 1 raw cacao-goji energy bite
-salad w/ romaine, red & yellow peppers, carrots, cucs, tomatoes, cauliflower, raw ACV...and maybe a few baby carrots/pieces of cauliflower w/ raw zucchini hummus

Didn't do any working out today- I've been running hard the past week and I need a rest day! Back at it tomorrow...I may do 2 3-mile runs tomorrow in the AM & PM b/c I have an appt. for a facial in the middle of the day and won't have time to get in a longer run all at once...we'll see!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/31/2007 01:08AM by meow.

hi girls! i just want to post my meals today b/c i think you'll both get a kick out of my day- it is SO not the usual healthy raw foodist's meal plan!

-2 bananas, one with maybe 1/2 T raw almond butter
*6 mile run...i am so into running again lately*
-here's where it starts- sprouted sesame whole wheat BAGEL (yes bagel!) w/ raw almond butter & strawberry all-fruit jam
*got a facial! i am cleansed, relaxed, zenned to the max- so nice!*
-went to WF b/c i wanted to go all out on my cheat day and get a giant vegan cookie, but i got side tracked by the fresh mango and wanted that instead. gotta love it. came home and had about 2 c. mango and ANOTHER BAGEL (same kind) w/ raw almond butter & strawberry all-fruit jam
*25 mins. squats, lunges, abs pilates, push-ups, tricep dips*
-going to have a salad w/ romaine, red & yellow peppers, carrots, cucs, tomatoes, cauliflower, raw ACV
-PARTY TIME! 2 glasses organic champagne (yeah they make organic!) and then off to a party at an open bar - def something w/ tequila, vodka or jack daniel's. or maybe a couple "somethings" lol.

that is my day! can you believe it? i am glad it happened b/c it made me realize that cooked foods give me HEADACHES (got a bad one right now) and make me really sleepy and lethargic. it's weird but i felt spacey and like my reaction time was slower while i was driving. other than that, it didn't affect my mood, but i think that's b/c i made the conscious choice to eat cooked and be ok with it. i don't feel guilty AT ALL which is really strange for me.

oh and my facial was awesome! i don't know if either of you has ever had one, but i really recommend it for new raw foodists like us b/c a lot of the toxins/detox stuff exit our bodies through our skin, and a facial is really the only way to clean each individual pore (the woman who gave me mine spent like 15 minutes cleaning my pores out- it was amazing (and kinda painful!)). the spa itself was just completely luxurious and so peaceful. i got to steam for 15 mins. before my facial and i feel so rejuvenated! it was a great start to the new year.

i also weighed myself on the scale at the spa for the first time in months and i need to try to maintain my weight b/c i'm super close to being underweight. i think i look fine, not to skinny, but i don't want to have to deal with gaining weight back later b/c i've been through that and it really sucks.

anyway i will "see" you both tomorrow, i'm sure i'll have the hangover from hell. going to try to stick to 3 drinks...open bars are dangerous things. have a great new year's eve!

I forgot that I wanted to add my New Years Resolutions!!

-Have a raw year, of course
-Get back into 8-1-1 and stay there- I was doing great and then got side-tracked for the past week, but I want to make it a natural thing this year
-Run a half-marathon
-Wear my "sexy" bras & undies just for the hell of it. This is weird but it just makes me feel happier and more confident, plus they're cute!
-Achieve a vibrant & joyful state of living. I'm getting there, and I really feel like 2008 will be the year of positivity!

Do you girls have any?

Happy New Year Ladies!

Yes, it is 12:20am in NY and I am obviously not at any sort of party...I am staying at my parents house right now which is not where I grew up and hence not near any old friends to party with...and due to my traveling/vagabond lifestyle I dont have a stable place where I live right now, and hence no stable friends to party with either...yes it is kind of sad but I had fun hanging out with my mom tonight

Danielle, I am so glad you had a relaxing day...and I'm sure you're out enjoying yourself as I type this. AND I'm glad you dont feel guilty about today - you shouldn't!

I had a great day shopping by myself and eating raw foods!

B: Smoothie with banana and frozen blueberries and raspberries, a few mixed raw nuts and dried berries (complemented the berry smoothie nicely), 1/2 lara bar
L: 2 apples, and a cherry vanilla smoothie (all raw) from a vegan restarant in town...this was so freaking good I went and bought frozen cherries at the store
Pre-Run: a few figs and raisins with raw tahini (sounds weird but it was good)
Run: 4 miles with some sprints in there, plus the usual pilates and stretching
Dinner: Huge salad with romaine, arugula, red and yellow peppers, and scallions...my mom chopped the veggies for me so that was a treat...plus some dark chocolate and berries for dessert.

I should also add that I have not thought of any New Years Resolutions. I dont want to make them just for the sake of making them, and I'm happy with how things are going in my life right now...but if I think of anything I'll let you ladies know.

Hey, its me again

Today was a good day: I went for a swim with my mom(my hip was feeling a little funny after running yesterday) and then a huge Target shopping spree...what a relaxing day!

Meals were:

Breakfast 1: 2 figs with raw almond butter
Workout 1: 20 minute brisk walk and stretching
Breakfast 2: pineapple chunks and a smoothie with frozen cherries, banana, and vanilla extract
Workout 2: 1.8ish mile swim
L: 3 bananas and a few raw cashews
D: I made raw hummus, but it was wayyyyyy to garlicy . I made romaine lettuce wraps with tomato and bell peppers, and put the hummus on top and it just did not taste good to me. I ate it anyway though (I hate wasting food that I spent so long to make) and then had more pineapple chunks, a green apple, a few figs and some dark chocolate. Sounds like a lot but it wasn't too over the top.

Hope your 2008s are off to a great start!

Apple, those cherry/banana/vanilla smoothies sound amazing!!! About how much of each ingredient do you add? I really want to try it!

Oooooh girls. I am feeling like I got run over by a parade of obese elephants. In other words, not so good. I drank last night, more than I should have. 2 glasses of organic champagne (mmmmm) and then, when I was already drunk, 2 jack & diets at the club. They had 1 shot each (I watched her make them, they were mostly ice as usual) but I was trashed. We danced for a while so that was fun...Came home, puked my brains out, and passed out. Woke up this morning to a text from Nate (the ex) saying Happy New Year...long story short, he claims he thought I went home for Xmas which is why he didn't contact me all week. I don't know if I buy it, I think it was his way of getting out of the doghouse. Anyway he picked me up and we went to his place and watched movies & cuddled & other fun stuff all afternoon/evening and he was SO NORMAL. I won't go into detail b/c I know I haven't given backstory about our relationship but he was just so boyfriend-y, which is not like him. He's such a good guy when he lets himself be. We had a great time and now, I have no idea when I'll see him again. I am not stressing over it though. Que sera, sera. I think I'm rubbing off on him though b/c his New Year's Res is to eat more fruit and he had bananas & pineapple in his kitchen. This is a guy that lives off of Wonderbread and old Chinese take-out and beer, so that's nothing short of a miracle!

Anyway food today was sparse & totally lame, I went from 10:30-8:00 w/o eating b/c my stomach was deciding whether or not it wanted to explode...And for me to not eat all day is weird b/c you know I snack all the time! I just had no appetite once I all day. I did just finish a big salad for dinner though. I'm back on the raw wagon and I can't wait to feel like my normal healthy happy self again!

Happy 2008 to both of you, I think it's going to be awesome for all of us!

Happy Wednesday! I feel SO much better today and I’m so happy to be back to 100% raw and getting that crap out of my body! I’ve been eating tons of bananas today…having a “hungry” day probably b/c I barely ate yesterday.

I am sooooo happy all b/c of how great yesterday was w/ Nate. I seriously leaped out of bed at 5:40 this morning and was singing and dancing around my apartment while I was getting ready for work! No one else can make me that happy. When it’s good, it’s really good. But when it’s bad, it’s horrible. I hope maybe he’s changing or at least realizing how great things are when he chills out and lets it happen. At any rate it was the PERFECT day, not a single thing I would change! It’s amazing to find someone who you just never want to be apart from. I missed him so much after I went home (had to feed the cats so I couldn’t stay).

Enough gushing! Onto my day!

Pre-run: banana
*3 mile run, pretty fast- felt so good!*
-banana & glass of OJ (maybe 14 oz.)
-2 bananas
-3 bananas, apple
-banana & apple
*3 mile run, abs, squats, lunges* (yeah I skipped my workout yesterday so I’m making it up today since I’m building up my mileage again)
*carrots, cucs, red & yellow pepper, tomatoes & cauliflower, some w/ raw zucchini hummus, some plain

May add another banana in there before my next run, since I’m getting hungry for my snack and it’s only 2:30! My body is still in vacation mode!

Hello!

Meow, I still haven't perfected the cherry vanilla smoothie. The first time I tried I did one banana, about 1/2 small bag of frozen cherries, and some vanilla (which I didn't measure). It was way too vanilla-y! Today I added 3 small bananas, the other 1/2 of the bag of cherries, and 1 tbsp vanilla, and it was better but not quite as creamy as I would have liked. The one I had at the vegan restaurant was soooo good, I want to replicate it!
I hope you are starting to feel better. I hate being hungover. I dont drink that much but I have definitely felt the way you did today! I'm glad you're not stressing over Nate as well, and that he is eating more fruit. I too have converted my boyfriend to eating more fruit/salads..but I think he still has a LOT of room for improvement, lol.

Becky, I hope you are having a good time!

Today was good for me. I went for a nice 4.5 mile run, plus about a mile of walking and 30 minutes of the usual pilates and stretching. My meals were random and unplanned but in total I had:

Cherry Vanilla Smoothie (3 bananas, 1/2 bag frozen cherries, tbsp vanilla extract)
Berry Smoothie (banana and frozen strawberries and blueberries)
2 figs with raw almond butter
1 serving of raw walnuts and cashews with a few raisins
mango slices
a small serving of my moms veg soup (the only cooked thing I had today)
pineapple chunks

That really is not that much food for me but I am so full right now. It's a welcome change from the days where I cant seem to stop eating!

Hello hello. Oh my god girls, I feel SO happy to be back to raw, I just feel so much more positive and energetic! It’s amazing how one horrible day really threw my moods off and made me feel so crummy.

Amy, do you use vanilla beans, or vanilla in liquid form in your smoothies? Sounds like you had a good day today! I’m the same way, some days I’m super hungry and other days, not so much. I’m learning to just go with it and not think so much about it.

Anyway only one more day til the weekend! I am so happy, this week has been pretty rough and I’ve only been back at work for 2 days! You will not believe how many idiots I’ve encountered though. I spent all morning yelling at this moron at United Airlines on the phone, then I had to yell at our AT&T guy b/c he overcharged us $1800 for the third time in the past 4 mos…so yeah, I was ready to kill someone. I was able to take a late lunch break and go shopping to blow off some steam! I probably spent too much but I got 3 pairs of flats (which, even though I’m short, I adore- I hate heels!) for $12 each, which is good, then I stopped in at VS for the second time during the semi-annual sale and got even more stuff…oops, but it was fun!

Anyway for some reason I can barely keep my eyes open today. My phone turned off in the night and I overslept by half an hour…which is probably good b/c I still got to work on time and I haven’t been sleeping well for the past 2 nights (thinking about Nate too much! But in a good way I guess). Just trying to make it to the weekend…

Today’s plan:

-4 bananas and 2 c. OJ throughout the morning
-4 raw cacao-goji energy bites & an apple & banana for lunch
-2 bananas & apple during the afternoon
*4 mile run, maybe arms/butt exercises while I watch “Walk The Line” later (yay Netflix)*
-probably a smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen strawberries & blueberries and some OJ for dinner…or a salad if I feel more like eating veggies

I read an article in Newsweek today that said that potassium is one of the best (and most overlooked) nutrients for heart health, and that, unless you have kidney problems, it’s virtually impossible to get too much of it! That made me happy b/c over the weekend someone was telling me I was going to “die of a potassium overdose.” I was just like, ha, yeah thanks for worrying about my health as you chow down on your second In & Out Burger of the day..

Hey ladies!

Becky - we miss you!

Danielle - that is really interesting about the potassium, I sometimes wonder if I'm overdoing it when I eat tons of bananas - it's nice to have a reason to not worry about that!

So today was a complete learning experience for me. It was the most "cooked" day I've had in a while, and I felt completely exhausted for the better part of the day. Coincidence? Highly unlikely. I got back from my run in 10 degree weather and could not fathom having my usual cold smoothie so I made egg whites and oatmeal. A relatively healthy breakfast by most standards, right? In the past I would have felt fine eating this but I seriously had to lie down for 2 hours and take a nap afterwards! How crazy is that?? I also had some cereal after my salad for dinner and again right now I feel very sluggish and tired.

I am actually really grateful for today. It's not like I binged or anything, which would obviously make me feel awful. I just ate normal portions of cooked food and still noticed a major difference between that and how I feel eating raw. As a result I cannot wait to get back to raw, and especially to continue while I'm in Thailand (I leave on Sunday!). It will be nice to get there and not have anyone know my background, so I wont have to explain why I'm suddenly eating all raw - I can just act like I've been doing it all along!

I look forward to feeling much better tomorrow!

Hi Ladies:
I miss you too! It has been CRAZY and I haven't had a chance to jump onto the computer in a few days.

Danielle: I like your comment about sexy underwear. I also love to wear them. Even if nobody else sees them, it is really nice to know that I am wearing them.
Also, I am really excited to hear how things are going with Nate!

Amy: Sounds like you are doing great. Sometimes it is good to eat cooked to remind ourselves how bad we feel when we eat that way.

My New Years was fun -- too fun. It was wonderful -- I went to a house party in Tel Aviv and saw a bunch of friends that I haven't seen in awhile. I had a couple of glasses of wine, and even did a couple of shots with a friend (something I HATE and so not raw!) then I went out to a dance club. I danced on the bar, managed to fall off because it was sticky and landed with bare feet on the cement floor. I was in HORRIBLE pain the rest of the night and the whole next day. Thought I broke my foot, which was really upsetting because I love to exercise! I went to the dr. the other day and luckily it wasn't broken. I ended up buying ankle braces and am feeling better now. We went to the Dead Sea, and I even managed to go on a hike with the group.

I have been having an AMAZING trip, and have managed to stay almost 100% raw! I haven't managed to give up the hummus as I crave protein if I don't eat any. My group has been so supportive, kind of tease me about it, but very supportive about the raw thing nonetheless. There is no way I can remember everything I have eaten these past few days, but suffice it to say that it has been 100% raw except for hummus. We had a barbecue the other day by the Dead Sea. Luckily there was a lot of fruit, so I had bunch of apples and plums. Then on the bus ride back to Jerusalem, we stopped at a rest stop, and I bought a salad with hummus to eat since I was still hungry.
This morning I was dying for protein and didn't feel like eating fruit (again) for breakfast, so I had a small amount of scrambled eggs with olives and cucumbers. I felt really good, and am thinking of incorporating a small amout of cooked protein into my mostly raw diet. Meaning, from time to time eat eggs and fish. I am also thinking of making smoothies with raw egg whites. Have you heard about this? What do you think?

I unfortunately haven't been able to exercise much because of my foot and the fact that we have such long days that I don't have the energy to exercise in the morning after only 4-5 hours of sleep. My offical program is over tomorrow night and then I will have a week on my own to see friends and travel. I definitely plan to exercise every day during this time, and will even try to get some sprouts.

I am now at my family's house. My "grandmother" makes the most amazing Iraqui feasts. I think I might eat a small amount of that cooked food, even though I also made a BIG salad!

Feeling great overall that I have managed to stay almost all raw. However, I feel like I might have gained weight on this trip due to lack of exercise and hummus being my only source of protein. It is okay though. I am going to maintain what I have been doing, and get back into the normal swing of things when I return.

As far as new years resolutions go. I am going to count from January 14th, instead of January 1 because that is when I return to the States.

1. I plan to stay 100% raw, however may have some raw eggs or raw fish from time to time.
2. My goal is to get down to 140 (or 130 if I am really ambitious) by the end of the year.
3. Exercise like I did during finals -- at least 1 spinning class or a mile each day, maybe both.

Basically, I am happy with the way I was eating during finals, so I plan to continue to do so. I'll update you about more specific goals once I return to DC.

Great to catch up, I look forward to getting back into the daily journaling groove when I get back to the States (if not before)

Keep up the good work, ladies!

Amy, I had the same experience as you when I had my cooked food day on New Year's Eve- I had to lie down for an hour after eating the bagels and I also had a killer headache for the entire rest of the day. It was just SO not worth it and while the food was good, it wasn't as good as my fruits, veggies & nuts/seeds! It is a kind of cool learning experience though!

Becky, sounds like you are having tons of fun! I am really impressed with your ability to eat 90+% raw! As for the protein, if that's what your body's asking for then there's a reason for it and it's probably best to listen. When you get back to the US, you may want to check out hemp protein. I bought Nutiva hemp protein powder a few months back (they have different flavors as well as unflavored) and it's a really great source of amino acids as well as EFAs. I got the unflavored kind and added it to smoothies and sprinkled it on salads. It doesn't have a taste in smoothies, and in the salads it tastes a little nutty like flaxseeds. That might help I'm glad your foot's not broken! Haha New Year's Eve can be a little too much fun, huh?

My stomach is feeling really heavy this morning so I'm waiting to eat anything else (I had half a T of raw almond butter, I think this probably made me feel kinda gross b/c my body's used to getting fruit first thing in the morning). I just wanted to say that my run last night was AMAZING!!! I was a little worried b/c I was feeling kinda sore from my 2 3-milers on Weds and from doing too many squats (owww!) but it felt SO GOOD! I really felt like I could have kept going for another 4 miles or so! I ran about 4.5 I think, then I stopped b/c I had a ton of cleaning to do in my apt. Lol. I hope my 7-miler tomorrow is that effortless!

I'll check in w/ food and exercise later once my stomach is settled and I know what I'll be eating. Happy Friday!

well...let's just say today turned out quite differently than i expected. first my car broke down (dead battery) and i had to be towed to fix the battery and replace the alternator -$400 gone then the weather turned into a torrential downpour and i couldn't go on my run- OMG i am DYING, i NEED to get out some stress! i don't belong to a gym for financial reasons and while i don't mind a little rain, i'd be soaked after being out for 1 minute in this weather and don't have any raingear, so i can't go running. all i can do is put this energy into my 7-miler tomorrow (it's supposed to only be drizzly in the AM so i'm going to go then). i'm mad though, unless i make up the run tomorrow, which would mean running 10-11 miles total tomorrow, i will only get in 23 miles for the week. not cool. i wanted to be closer to 26-27. that's life, right? lots of curveballs all at once!

tonight i'm going to do 20 mins. abs pilates and then some push ups and tricep dips and maybe squats/lunges. honestly i hate rest days lately. all i want to do is run & run & run! running has been very therapeutic and after this stressful week and my car troubles and all the thoughts i have about what's going on with Nate, i really NEED my runs. oh well.

food-

morning: 1/2 T raw almond butter, 4 bananas, 12 oz. oj
lunch: lara bar, apple
afternoon: banana, 2 apples, Tish of raw almond butter (oops but i really don't care)
dinner: salad w/ the usual romaine, veggies & raw ACV
snack: maybe a banana, or nothing

early to bed tonight i'm guessing. i haven't been sleeping lately.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/2008 02:41AM by meow.

Ouch Meow. Sorry about your day. First of all, I absolutely hate when anything interferes with my running/workout schedule! I completely depend on exercise to reduce stress and make me feel good and I am just not fun to be around when that doesn't happen! Also, car troubles stress me out a ton as well. Sounds like you have a good attitude though...life definitely does throw curveballs at you!

Becky, your last message sounded so positive and happy! I am really happy for you. I think Meow gave you good advice about listening to your body if it is asking for more protein, but also giving the hemp protein a try as a non-animal source. I have been meaning to try hemp protein myself. Of course, the most important thing right now is that you continue to enjoy your trip - travel is an amazing opportunity that should not be taken for granted!

I had a good day today. It was my last day at my mom and step-dads house. Tomorrow I am going to my sisters apartment in NYC because I fly out of there early Sunday morning. I really had a great time at home. My mom and I are so close. It's funny but when I was in college I never got too sad about leaving home, and now that I'm 23 I almost cry every time I leave - it is so weird! Anyway, meals were:

B: Cherry vanilla smoothie, 2 dried pineapple slices, and some raw cashews and raisins
Pre-Swim: a few dried peaches and 1/2 lara bar
Workout: 1.8ish mile swim and the usual pilates/stretching
Dinner: Again it was so freaking cold here that I could not fathom a salad. So I had my moms veggie soup, 2 honeycrisp apples, and a bit of dark chocolate. I find that cooked veggies dont really bother me (thats all that was in the soup), so I ate this with no problem today. I'm really happy that I'm listening to my body and going at my own pace with my raw transition. Today was lower in fresh fruits than I usually like, but I know it will balance out.

Also, I went to the local organic food store and picked up a ton of apples and bananas for my long flight, as well as a bunch of lara bars for my first few days in Thailand. I figure that I don't know how soon I'll be able to get to a store, and I don't want to be reliant on anyone else's non-raw food! And of course I had to get some Kombucha for tomorrow AM, lol.

Hi Ladies:
Thanks for your support and feedback.

Amy, I know exactly what you mean. Not getting exercise when you are used to getting it can be awful! I am feeling the same way. Have you ever tried running in the rain? It can actually be a really invigorating experience, as long as it is not too cool.

Danielle, wow I can't belive your very exciting trip is nearly here! You must be so excited!!!

This weekend was VERY tough food-wise. Friday afternoon I ate some of my grandmother's cooked Iraqi food, but made sure to eat a lot of the raw salad that I made beforehand. My aunt asked me, "Don't they have food in Washington, DC?" I guess I lost weight -- she said I look much thinner than last time she saw me. She also told me that my skin looks amazing and wanted to know what I have been doing :-). I told her about eating raw, and she was very impressed! It was so wonderful to get that kind of encouragement from someone who knows me well and hasn't seen me in a year.

Friday night we were hosted by families in the old city of Jerusalem. I was trying to figure out what I could do to try to stay raw and not be rude. They served various salads (cooked cold vegetables), hummus, halla at the beginning. Then the main course was a big salad, some meat thing, cooked broccoli, and a cooked vegetable soufle thingy. I ate a few of the cooked salads at the beginning, as well as the broccoli and cooked soufle (sp?) and OF COURSE a lot of the green raw salad. I didn't feel fabulous about it, but I figured it was a good compromise. That evening the whole group met back in the hotel and had an "oneg," which included beer, cookies, chips, and other delicious Israeli junk food. I didn't touch a drop, which I felt really good about.

2nd and 3rd meals (of shabbat) were in the old city again, but with the group. I managed to eat mostly salad, but also had some hummus and halla. Not so fantastic
This evening a group of my friends went out for Ethiopian food. I hadn't eaten it a long time, so I decided to partake. I immediately had a terrible stomach ache. I think that was a bad idea.

Oh well, the group is leaving tomorrow morning and I will be free to see friend and family for the next week. I am SO EXCITED!! I will have much better access to internet, so I will be sure to journal with you girls the rest of my time here. I plan to go back to 100% raw again (which I will have much more control over now), and plan to get in a good work out (or at least a long walk) each day. I can't wait for my freedom and to see everyone.

When I get back to DC, I'll re-assess my goals and will write them down to share with you.

Ladies, you are both doing great! Keep up the good work.

Danielle -- nesia tova (have a safe trip!)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/2008 09:27PM by optimist4life.

Hey girls! Yay Saturday is here. This week was short but seemed longer than usual!

Amy, wow tomorrow at this time you'll either be on your way or in Thailand already!! That's so exciting! Have a safe trip and a fabulous first day!

Becky, I think you got Amy & I confused, but no worries! Anyway it sounds like you have had an exciting past few days! I think you did the right thing by eating some cooked veggies & whatnot at the meal w/ the host family. You don't want to be rude, especially when you're in another country/culture! Also, that's great that your aunt saw positive changes in you! Raw is amazing! Oh and about running in the rain- yeah, and I don't mind it, but we actually had flood & wind warnings last night, that's how bad it was! There was a HUGE storm in NorCal that was affecting my area as well.

I had a great 7 mile run this morning...I really really needed a run! I didn't take my ipod b/c there was a 70% chance of rain, but it was nice to just have my own thoughts & no music for once. The run literally flew by, I really enjoyed it and it seemed effortless. I think it helped that I had a banana & some more almond butter last night before bed- I always run better in the morning after fueling up more at night. I thought about doing another 3-miler this afternoon but I don't think that'd be the smart thing to do considering my past overuse injuries. Today I shopped (got tons of Dylan CD's on sale, I can't get enough of him lately) and I hope to see Nate later but I'm not even sure if he's in town- it's been so crazy the past few days we haven't touched base! If he's not in town I'll probably just hang out w/ friends.

food:
-2 bananas w/ 1 T raw almond butter (this was a good pre-run meal but I need to try less almond butter next time b/c it gave me cramps for the last mile or so)
*7 mile run, stretching like crazy*
-smoothie w/ 2 bananas, frozen strawberries & blueberries, splash of OJ
-chocolate coconut lara bar
-banana that wasn't ripe enough about 2 c. cut-up mango & 2 apples (starving!)
-planning on a salad w/ romaine, baby lettuce mix, red & yellow peppers, carrots, tomatoes, cucs, cauliflower, raw ACV
-hoping for a glass of wine but not sure...otherwise more fruit I'm sure since my calories are probably too low for a 7-mile day

And now I'm off to take a nap...Oh I love weekends!

Hi Ladies: SO sorry for mixing you up. Silly me! I guess I was just rushing at the internet cafe and wasn't thinking.

Well, I dropped the group off at the airport this morning and am now at my friend's apartment in Tel Aviv. He is at work, and I have the place to myself. All I really want to do is go down to the beach since it is so sunny and beautiful outside. However, I need to work on a project that is due today.

All set to be 100% raw again. However, one problem...I have a yeast infection (sorry for TMI). They don't sell over the counter treatment here and I can't go to the doctor because my travel insurance expired. So...I unfortunately bought some yogurt drinks to try to fix the problem myself. I hate dairy, and feel disgusting that I drank it. However, I didn't have much of an alternative. So I'll just stick to raw as much as I can, and consider yogurt my medical treatment. Do you ladies have any other ideas for me?

One thing I am excited about, I reserved a spot in the 7pm spinning class at my old gym, which is pretty close to where I am staying and is the place where I first fell in love with spinning! I am super excited and am wondering if I will see anyone I know there.

So far today I have had:

-1 cucumber
-2 small apples
-20 almonds
-yogurt drink

I plan to eat big salads for lunch and dinner, and drink yogurt throughout the day in hopes of getting rid of the yeast infection.

Danielle, I still think that Nate deserves the boot. Sounds like he sure is stringing you along!

Amy, have a safe trip!

Hello again! Well my body is NOT HAPPY with the yogurt. I usually have no digestive problems, but today has been not fun at all. I am sure it was from the yogurt since my body isn't used to dairy (it is SOOOO bad for us!!!). I finished my project and emailed it into my senior research associates. Now I am free, free! It was kinda hanging over my head since I didn't get a chance to work on it these past 2 weeks. Anyway, I am going to spinning at my old gym at 7pm. In the meantime I am going to walk around, pick up a herbal remedy that I can only get here, and try to find some soy yogurt at a grocery store (still not raw, but way better than dairy!). I haven't eaten anything since I last wrote this morning. I think I will just drink water until spinning and then have a big salad. I have tentative plans to meet up with various friends this evening, so depending on that I will either eat a big salad at my friend's place or get one out at a restaurant with people that I have plans with. It is so nice not to be over-scheduled.

Now that I am away from the group and am alone, I can really sit down and think about my new year's resolutions. Now, clearly they are beginning slightly after January 1, 2008, but this was out of necessity rather than lack of desire. Anyway, I have had many, many thoughts and introspections since I got here 2 weeks ago. I feel as though I am on a spiritual journey, so my new years resolutions are going to include mind, body, and spirit. I'll start with body since that is easiest:

Despite toying with the idea of eating eggs and fish, I really do want to give 100% raw vegan a try. I have been doing mostly raw vegan since October, but 100% is truly a level above that, which I want to strive for. Those days during finals when I was eating so well and exercising so much, I simply felt AMAZING! The best of my life!! So, my new years plan for my body is:
-exercise: spinning or swimming each day (or both -- that's my ultimate goal to do both, but one is sufficient).
Food:
-b: box of berries & 20 soaked almonds
-l: big salad like I always have: greens, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, sprouts, bulgar, flax seeds, olives, lemon juice and raw vinegar, etc.
-s: piece of fruit
-d: same salad as above or cut-up veggies with raw hummus
-s: piece of fruit
I have lived the above menu before, so I have no doubt that I can effortlessly stick with it and feel fantastic. During challenging times (dinners out with friends or shabbats at people's houses), I am not going to be shy any longer. I am going to be loud and proud about being raw vegan -- bringing my own food when necessary and requesting to only go to restaurants where I can eat something. If I have no control over which restaurant, I will plan to eat at home and just order water, tea, or red wine.
-I also am determined to take vitamins and calcium supplements more consistently.

Organization
-I am typically quite organized, but I would like to step up my organization by always putting everything away the moment that I am finished with it to avoid allowing a mess to build up
-I plan to read, answer, and then delete or file email immediately after I receive it to avoid a clutterd inbox
-I plan to download photos each day (when necessary), so I won't put it off

Friends and Family:
-I plan to call my grandmother, parents, sister, relatives, and friends more often. I am usually good at it, but sometimes a week will pass and I won't speak to my grandmother.

Attitude:
-I am (fortunately) naturally happy and optimistic. However, I want to continue to think and speak as an optimist. For example, we went on a tour of the old city yesterday. It was SO COLD and I was miserable. Instead of complaining I said, "at least it isn't raining"! A girl on the trip complemented my optimism :-). As we walked up and down all of those steps and down the narrow passageways of the old city I thought to myself, "I am so lucky that I can walk! If I couldn't walk then I wouldn't be able to come here!"

Free time: I would like to play piano or guitar at least 30 min a day & read at least 1 chapter of a non-law school book before I go to bed. I plan to journal to myself more often. Even for just 10 min a day. Otherwise, life might pass me by and I will forget what I experienced or thought on a particular day.

That's all for now, but I am sure that I will come up with more later! Do you ladies have any other new years resolutions?