Oh, also, I have an appointment with the endocrynologist on Wednesday, and I am really looking forward to finally finding out what is wrong!!

Becky, I hope you can get some answers at the endocrynologist. Also, I hope a couple days at 100% will help you feel more in balance.

I had another day of eating more cooked food than usual, but again I feel okay. No workout today either - I'm looking forward to a nice run tomorrow morning!

B: 2 bananas and a small papaya
L: fresh squeezed OJ, papaya chunks, then some brown rice, sweet potatoes (my favorite street food in Bangkok besides the fresh fruit - I just had to get some when I walked by a stand selling them because they're not as common as other street foods, like gross meat products, lol), and a couple dried seaweed sheets
Snack: Grapes
Dinner: 2 bananas, then a salad with organic spinach, carrots, yellow peppers, corn, edamame, raw ACV, and a little sesame dressing (I bought my own raw sesame seeds to make my own, but I was too lazy tonight and just used bottled)

Thats a fair amount of food for no workout, but again I really dont mind. I was listening to my body today and it told me it was hungrier than usual and also too lazy to run, lol. I know I've said this before, but I am really happy because this is the most "in balanced" I've felt with my eating/exercise in a while.

Wow, I love to ramble ...Anyway, I hope everyone reading this has a wonderful day!

Amy: I think it is funny how you always say that you "ramble," when your posts are generally shorter than everyone else's. Really, we are happy to listen/read and don't feel like you are rambling! Your writing on this forum is more for your benefit than ours anyway :-). I am really proud of you for finding such a good cooked/raw vegan balance.

Well, hanging out with my uncle in Chicago is always an inspiring experience food/health wise. I am sure I have written about him before. He is my dad's brother -- one of 6 kids. His family teases him about all he wanted to eat when he was a kid were hamburgers. However, as far as I know, he has been super health conscious since his 20s. He looks fantastic -- so much younger than his siblings. Thin, tight skin, hardly any wrinkles, etc. Now, I know for a fact that he hasn't really been 100% raw or 100% vegan ever. However, he is very health conscious, into nutrition, etc. He makes all sorts of healthy shakes, snacks etc. I tasted these amazing raw brownies that he makes that contain: dates, coco powder, coconut, walnuts. And some raw cookies of dried fruit and nuts. Amazing!
I actually lived with him one summer and learned a lot about his eating habits. Here is a summary of his diet roughly (as far as I have picked up from conversations and observations):

early am: frut
mid-morning: smoothie with almond milk, fruit, and protein powder
l & d: salad with various vegetables and chick peas (canned) + usually some sort of cooked grain
snack during the day: either fruit or one of his raw brownies or cookies, or dried fruit and nuts.
I am quite sure he doesn't eat after dinner. He also eats eggs, chicken and fish out, but I don't think he makes it at home.

One other thing he told me, that I found interesting was: "I make sure to always leave a meal still a little bit hungry." I tried doing this when I was in Chicago. Stopped when I was still hungry. It was a good feeling, and after 10-15 min., I felt full even though I normally might have eaten more had I not conscioussly stopped eating earlier. Interesting. How about you ladies, do you eat until you are full, or stop when you are still hungry?

Well, today I slept in a bit, and skipped breakfast. I had a big salad for lunch of: greens, cucumber, celery, carrots, red, green, and yellow pepper, purple onion, mushrooms, parsley, and some seaweed.
I rode my bike around for about 30 min. for some errands. I also plan to go to a spinning class this evening & do some weight lifting.
For dinner I'll have another salad.
Maybe I'll eat a lara bar at some point.

Also, I bought some tempeh. I am going to try to use that as my protein source for the next few days along with hemp protein powder, rather than animal products. I have heard that soy should be counter-balanced with seaweed, so I bought some Dulse. Have you ladies heard that as well?

Well, have a good day :-). I am happy to be back and writing here!!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/2008 06:04PM by optimist4life.

Hi Ladies:
Quick check in for me:

l: salad (greens, cucumber, celery, carrots, red, green, and yellow pepper, purple onion, mushrooms, parsley, and some seaweed)
s: lara bar
*60 min spinning class
d: salad (greens, cucumber, celery, carrots, yellow pepper, tempeh, seaweed, sesame seeds) + lemon juice, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.
s: glass of red wine


I feel great eating raw again! Think I'll stick with this for awhile. Also, tempeh is such a good idea. Why didn't I think of this before?!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/2008 02:13AM by optimist4life.

hey girls. i posted yesterday but it didn't show up oh well. i'm off to bed in a minute so a quick recap of today:

pre-w/o: banana, half T raw almond butter
w/o: 4.5 miles in 39:45
b: smoothie w/ 2 bananas, strawberries, blueberries, tangerine juice; 1 raw energy bite
s: 2 bananas
l: banana, apple, 2 raw energy bites
s: 2 bananas
d: handful of baby carrots; salad w/ the usual veggies & raw ACV; anohter 1.5 raw energy bites & small handful of raisins & half an apple...just random snacking, eeek.

now i don't feel so good! oh well, tomorrow is another day. i am SUPER stressed at work (definitely leaving my job,need to find something else first though) and i crave fats & dense foods when i'm stressed so i think that's where the snacking came from.

Hey, ladies!

I'm still around, and have looked in on your reports occasionally...

But have been really stressed and have just not had the energy to post anything for a while; when I feel overwhelmed I just shut down to an extent - and that includes online communication too!

But I do "look in" when I can and send you all good, lovin' vibes...

Take care, be well, and hope to be fully back in action soon...

Ciao!

Soraya: Nice to hear from you. Hope things go better. We are here to support you as well!

Danielle: Sorry to hear that you are stressed with work :-(. I hope you find another job soon!

Here is a quick check in for me.

b: (pre work out): 4 oz berries, hand full of almonds
*60 min on the elliptical, stretching & abs
s: raw almond milk, raw hemp protein powder (it is actually quite good without any fruit!)
l: salad (spinach, onions, red yellow and green peppers, mushrooms, carrots, parsley, cukes) + 1 serving of tempeh
s: lara bar
d: salad (spinach, onions, red yellow and green peppers, carrots, seaweed, cukes) + 1 serving of tempeh
s: plan to have 1-2 apples before 9 pm

Now that is a lot of raw vegan protein for ya! I notice a big difference -- it really fills me up & I feel good!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/2008 11:06PM by optimist4life.

Hey ladies!

I'm a little tipsy as I write this because I decided to indulge in some light beer tonight . Here was my day:

AM Workout: 4 mile run, a few minutes of abs/stretching
B: 3 bananas, a bowl of organic blue cornflakes with soymilk and TBSP raw black sesame seeds (these are sooo good for you and I use them as a topping, which keeps me from buying and overeating nuts)
L: Simple salad organic greens, mung bean sprouts, and scallions with homemade black sesame seed dressing (EVOO, raw ACV, sea salt, and raw sesame seeds)
Snack: an apple and some dried seaweed sheets
D: Another banana, Huge salad with organic greens, tomatoes (AMAZING cherry tomatoes that were grown locally!), carrots, fresh basil, balsamic, sea salt, and pepper. This salad was seriously amazing with the tomatoes and basil! Also 1-2 light beers (I might have a second one now, lol)

I feel good today! I can't believe I've only had four bananas and one apple, lol...that is low on fruit for me but for most other people it would be a lot of fruit. I had salads for both lunch and dinner so that is why my fruit is lower. I know it seems like a fair amount of cooked food but my portions weren't too big for the cornflakes or seaweed, and I felt fine.

Tomorrow I am going on a long bike ride in the AM. I stocked up on fruit (bananas, papaya, and pineapple) tonight to eat beforehand.

I hope you all have a great day!

Hi Ladies:
I found this resource to helpful and just wanted to share: [www.monkeybargym.com].
Hope you are well!

Hey chicas.

Becky, I wanted to comment earlier about your uncle- it’s so inspiring to me to see older people who have been living very healthy lifestyles and see how much better they look & feel than their peers! OK that sentence was horrible but you know what I mean! That’s so cool to have a family member to sort of guide you. My family thinks I’m crazy (but they respect me and it’s even rubbing off on them). It’s hard to be young and wonder if this is really going to make a difference, so it makes me excited to hear about your uncle’s successes! Does he also work out regularly? To me, that’s just as important as eating well. Also, yay for feeling good eating more raw vegan protein! That’s awesome. This is such a big experiment, sometimes I feel like a little mouse b/c I have no idea how this is all going to turn out, but hey I think we’re onto something here Do you eat raw tempeh? Is there such a thing?

Soraya, I’m sorry you’re stressed and not feeling like yourself lately. I can relate to being so overwhelmed you don’t want to deal with anything else! Take some time for yourself and try to relax! We will still be here to support you when you’re ready to come back 

Amy, have fun on your bike ride tomorrow! It sounds like a fun day! I’ll be thinking of you as I sit in this stuffy office bored to tears!

Anyway, onto my trainwreck of a day… I had a horrible day yesterday- ate more calories & more cooked food than I have in MONTHS! It was a bit much, to say the least. I think the stress from work caught up with me. Not to mention yesterday was the first day in weeks that I was actually able to eat when I was hungry at work- I’ve gotten so used to just ignoring my hunger signals b/c I can never eat, it takes me 2 hours to finish a freaking lara bar so why bother? So the “freedom” may have come into play, too. At any rate, went to bed feeling sick & woke up still nauseous, so food today is sparse. I will list yesterday too b/c it’s pretty amusing. Imagine a tiny little raw foodist eating all this:

B: mango, banana, lara bar
S: apple
L: did a VERY BAD THING and bought “seeded harvest bread” at Trader Joe’s, thinking i could take 2 slices for an almond butter sandwich on Friday & freeze the rest. Um, no way, I ate a slice and a half w/ hummus. Cooked hummus, btw. Then had carrots & cauliflower w/ more hummus.
S: was out and decided to grab a huge vegan choc. chip cookie. Why, I’m not really sure. It was good though and it would’ve been fine except for…
D: came home and had that bread staring at me…made half a sandwich w/ veggies & hummus, then ate 2.5 slices with raw almond butter & strawberry jam!!! Can you say major nausea?!?!

And thus ended my crazy cheat day. owwww. I had my head in the toilet bowl at one point but thankfully didn’t end up getting sick.

In contrast, today has been:

B: nothing…unless TONS of water counts, I am so thirsty!
S: banana
L: mango, cup of strawberries, banana
S: apple

That’s it so far. It’s 4:35 and I’m planning on:
S: banana & maybe half a lara bar before my run
w/o: hoping for 6 miles, lol I’m certainly well-fueled for it
d: SALAD! I need some veggies. w/ everything I always put in. maybe 2 slices of dried mango for something sweet afterwards if I feel like it.

Back to normal tomorrow. Not sure why I did that but hey it was just one day, moving on…

Hey, beautiful ladies!

Becky, I hope you're feeling better and will have some answers soon as to why you're not feeling well...

Amy, I'm drooling at the mention of your fruit - papaya, yummmmm - and it seems like you're managing to maintain a nice balance of food for you right now, which is great to see!

Danielle, I've been there (re. your work situation) and I SO overstand! I hope things resolve themselves soon - I believe something positive will come out of this, so hang in there. I hope you're feeling better today than you did yesterday!

Also - thanks, guys, for the encouragement and well wishes; I really do appreciate them. I don't have a lot of friends or people that I can really confide in, which makes dealing with stress a lot more difficult for me than (maybe for) other people; when I'm overwhelmed I have to really shrink my focus or I shut down, sometimes completely - it's a part of being autistic, but it's something I don't know I'll ever get used to...

I really appreciate being able to come here and that you've been so welcoming and encouraging...you, and this blog, help me to keep some of my sanity at times, quite honestly!

Let me share with you something that contributed to the straw that broke the camel's back in the past week or so. I think I mentioned before that I have a lot of food allergies, and it can be quite frustrating at times when new ones surface. Like a few days ago, I had a craving for a Lara bar, which hasn't happened in a while. One of my two favs is the Ginger Snap one; mind you, the last time I had one was about a week and a half prior to this...

So, I had my Lara bar. A few minutes later my caramel skin turns red and starts to burn, and I feel hives on my back - anaphylaxis! For most of the night the burning would not stop. I was in tears, I was so miserable and frustrated. And because of my Mitral Valve Prolapse I am extremely sensitive to medications - never mind how clean my body is by going raw as well - so I did not want to risk taking an antihistamine... I have NO idea what this reaction was due to, which is absofreakin'lutely GREAT. Then a couple days later I had the same reaction to goodness knows what else. ARRGGHHHHH!!!!! I hatehatehate this!!!

Okay, rant over...

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} to you all AWESOME females! Have a good night...

Danielle: Don't worry about one tiny lapse. In the grand scheme of things, one off day is not going to make a difference. You eat so well 99.9% of the time. that one day shouldn't be anything to fret about. Also, your "bad day" included healthy bread and a vegan cookie! Seriously, your day was way healthier than 90% of the American population on a daily basis.
I hope you find an answer to your work situation soon.

I don't know. Is tempeh raw? I know it is fermented, but I don't know if it is cooked or raw. I heard it is important to counterbalance soy with seaweed, so I have been eating a lot of that too.

As far as my uncle goes, I know that he used to be totally into running. When he was in his late 20s/early 30s he was training for a marathon, but ended up injuring his knee. Then about 4 years ago he got a back problem where he kept on throwing it out. I think he found a chiropractor that pretty much fixed the situation. Now he is back to working out every day. So, to answer your question, I am quite sure he has kept up with exercise his whole life. He also has amazing discipline.

Soraya: Strange that you had such a violent reaction! Was it maybe the Ginger? Some people are allergic to it.
I am really glad to know that this forum provides you with the support that you need!

Amy: I am really proud of you -- you seem to have found a great balance!

Well, I think I have pretty much conquered the night eating monster. I haven't eaten at night in over a week, and I have no desire to do so. The answer? Eat more during the day, be sure that I am eating enough protein, and eat a satisfying dinner that ends between 8 and 9pm. I am back into eating fish, eggs, and even sometimes cheese (don't hate me for it) & I feel really great. I have also incorporated some fruit into my diet, but keep it on the lower side. Also, I have pretty much decided to cut dried fruit and lara bars out of my diet (except for an occasional treat).

I managed to exercise a TON today, ate 3 satisfying meals and 3 reasonable snacks throughout the day. Feeling great overall!

s: 4 oz berries
*45 min spinning
b: 1 c almond milk, 4 tbsp protein powder, 1/4 banana
*35 min biked to the homeless shelter where I used to work, Taught 60 min of Yoga Meets Dance at the homeless shelter
s: handfull of raw cashews, coffee with soy milk, apple
l: salad (greens, peppers, cucumber, celery, carrots, seaweed with vinegar and olive oil) & tempeh
s: apple, 1 pc of string cheese, one other small piece of cheese
d: 5 oz piece of fish, asparagus, salad (greens, pepper, cucumber, celery, carrots, seaweed with vinegar and olive oil) & 1 glass of red wine

Hi ladies: I have not contributed to this forum yet but have been following along. I guess I have not contributed because I am old enough to be your Mother but I wanted to let you know how much you inspire me to continue my journey, albeit not as disciplined as you are. However, I did want to respond to Becky's note regarding her uncle and to Danielle's note regarding her family and whether this is all worth it. I have three children, two daughters who are your ages and a son who is graduating high school. I only wish that they were as concerned with what they ate as you are. They think I am "weird", but I firmly believe that this commitment to health that we are on is worth it. I have always been committed to my health and I am told I look year's younger. I feel fantastic and have never had any major diseases. I work out regularly with weights, walk and do yoga. I can attribute some of it to genes, family, I think my mother was the original health food nut, but much of it is my belief that what I put in my body makes a difference. Also, think of how fortunate your children will be when that time comes. What an example you will be for them. Thank you for letting me be a part of your successes and struggles.

Chica

Hello ladies! Woohoo it's the weekend!

Chica, thank you so much for your post! Like I said earlier, I am so inspired when I see or hear about people who have been following this sort of lifestyle for years and it's paying off! I think you make a great point about what kind of an impact this will have on our future families/children- in the fast food world we live in, most kids don't even have a chance to grow up eating healthy, nutritious foods, and that is so sad and unfortunate. I bet your habits will start to rub off on your kids eventually- mind have rubbed off on my very meat-eating, cheese-loving, fruit-hating italian family, so anything can happen! Congrats to you on your successes and health- sounds like you are light years ahead most of America and that is what I think we all aim for :-)

Soraya, I'm so sorry you had an allergic reaction like that, it sounds really scary. Not to mention frustrating! You had eaten the ginger snap lara bars before with no reaction? That is so strange. Try not to let it get you down though- it's not worth it to let negative thoughts linger! Do you have an allergy doctor who might be able to pinpoint what caused the reaction?

Becky, thank you so much for the reassurance. This week has been tough for me to stick to the % of raw food that I usually eat, and I'm not really sure why... I think it might be PMS, but I skipped my period last month so I don't even know if it's coming on time (or at all) this month. Right now I'm just going with it. If my body is craving bread, then a few days of satisfying that craving in a healthy way won't kill me, right? Also serious props to your uncle for continuing to keep up such a healthy, positive lifestyle. I hope I'm as good about it throughout the course of my life.

Here's my day...Warning: It is not like my usual menus, and I am not sure if I'm ok with that:

1:30 AM: Was starving & had a slice of seed/grain bread w/ almond butter & jam...um yeah
b: 2 bananas, 1/2 T almond butter, 1/2 slice bread w/ hummus...
l: carrots & cauliflower w/ hummus, half a pbj sandwich
w/o: 1 hour arc trainer...not too hard b/c I want to do a long run tomorrow
d: small salad (ran out of lettuce) w/ the usual veggies & raw ACV; an apple

So yeah. I need to stop with the excessive bread. If it was 1 slice, ok whatever, but that was too much. I wasn't even hungry for the pbj. It was just an off day (again). I'm not really sure what my body is trying to tell me. I bet if I ate bananas when I'm craving bread the cravings would go away. Hmm. I think I'll try that, bananas are like my magical superfood.

Planning on a 7-mile run tomorrow morning, since last night's 6 miles was so easy. I am also entertaining the idea of running a half-marathon in early June that's on trails in the mountains up near Mulholland Drive. It sounds beautiful. I just want to be sure my body can handle the training right now. I think it'd be great though, I'm really getting back into running again and feeling good.

Surprisingly, the cooked foods today didn't seem to have any effect on me. I think that means I've been overdoing it w/ cooked stuff lately, but I'm really trying not to care. My body is probably just yelling at me to EAT MORE. lol.

Also, Becky, great job on conquering the night eating! I know you've been working on that for a while, so it's really a big accomplishment & you should be proud! I'm glad you've figured out what works best for you :-) How did the appt. w/ the endocrinologist go?

Chica - thanks for your inspirational message. I agree with Danielle: You must be a wonderful example of healthy living for your kids!

Danielle - you are absolutely right: Satisfying your bread cravings wont kill you at all. I honestly feel better now than I felt when I was trying to be 100% raw because I respond to my cravings regularly without guilt. Also I am eating a lot less fat now. This doesn't apply to you though since you don't eat a high fat raw diet, but that is what I was doing before.

Soraya - sorry to hear about your allergic reaction. I can only imagine how frustrating that must be!

Becky - you sound like you're doing really well. It is always great to hear from you!

Well I ate a lot of food both yesterday and today. I believe this is because my body got thrown off by that 3 hour bike ride I went on. It was three very intense hours in which I was struggling to keep up with people because I'm out of shape for biking! This is way different from my normal reduced exercise schedule that I'd been doing so well on. Ugh - I do enjoy long bike rides like that but hate the way I feel afterwards and how much I eat to make up for the calories burned. Any advice?

Anyway, I won't even post yesterday because it was a huge amount of food and I'm having trouble remembering it all - it was all vegan but definitely NOT all raw, lol. It included a ton of fruit, a huge salad, some veggie sushi, edamame, sweet potatoes, and crackers, all in portions that did not make me feel good about myself!

I worked 12 hours at a swim meet today. I'm not complaining because in reality my work hours are not bad at all, but today happened to be very long. Here is what I ate:

-6 apples
-2 bananas
-watermelon chunks
-two 12oz all fruit (raw) smoothies
-a huge salad with organic greens, tomatoes, carrots and sesame dressing (not raw)
-a sweet potato, two slices of wheat bread, and some pasta with tomato sauce (catered at the meet)

-No workout today either except about 20 minutes of pilates on my own. Tomorrow I set my alarm early to run before the swim meet. I have to work another 1/2 day there tomorrow. Hopefully I'm not too tired so I can get up for my run!

Amy- I'm the opposite of you, I LOVE how I can feel my metabolism working & my body repairing itself after a long, challenging workout! That is pretty much the only time I'm totally ok with eating tons of food. My advice is to really just go with what your body is asking for. You definitely burned tons of calories, not to mention your body gets shocked by intense workouts and it needs extra food to repair muscles and replenish glycogen stores. So eat up and enjoy! For me, I'm usually super hungry the day after a long workout. Your appetite sounds dead-on to me! Plus look at how healthy and nutritious your food choices are- perfect for refueling!

I had a great day today- started off with my usual Saturday morning abs class, then went for a 7-mile run. The weather was perfect and it felt so good to be running outside again. I've been working on my resume & cover letter and looking for jobs to apply for since this afternoon, and it's going so well. I'm just happy I finally had the motivation to do this, instead of just saying I'd do it "some day." I really want to be done with my current job and onto something in the nonprofit area by June and so I'm going to do all I can to make it happen!

I am also back on track today. I put this past week behind me and now I'm focusing on moving forward, fueling up with lots of fruit, and not eating any more bread products for a while b/c they seem to make my achilles tendonitis flare up and that is not ok!

Here's my day:

w/o: 30 mins. abs class
B: 3 bananas, 1/2 T raw almond butter (this is like my perfect pre-long run fuel, I finally got the amounts of everything just right!)
w/o: 7 miles
L: Smoothie w/ 2 bananas, half a mango, 1 c. strawberries, 2 handfuls of blueberries and a splash of fresh tangerine juice; 3 slices dried mango
S: lara bar, apple
S: couple of carrots & half a bag of cauliflower w/ hummus- still craving cauliflower like mad!
D: salad w/ romaine, baby romaine, red & yellow peppers, cucs, tomatoes, carrots and raw ACV; 1 small raw energy bite

I think I'm done for the day, I can't possibly fit anything else in my stomach after that huge salad! Back to job searching...

Hello, ladies!

Danielle, I wish you all the best with your job search... and you javen't been the only one fighting the dreaded "bread monster"! I had my own battle over the past two - three days (made my own gluten-free bread), but have conquered beast and moved on; I wasn't overtly sick or anything but I know I can't touch the thing anymore...grains don't sit well with me...

Becky, we would definitely not hate you just because of something you ate / are eating! Don't feel guilty about your choices for yourself, okay?

Amy, I hope you're doing well!

For some reason I don'r feel the ginger in the Lara bar was the problem for me...I actually have a gut feeling that it was the cinnamon (the ginger snap lara bar has cinnamon and cloves in it). I have had problems with spices since going raw - one reason why I can't do raw gourmet or any "fancy" recipes - but the amounts in the bars never bothered me until now...

Actually, as I am sitting here typing I'm realising that I'm itching and scratching again...oh, jeez...what NOW???!!

I am going to breathe...

Have a great night...I'm aiming to be back here more starting this week; looking forward to that!

Soraya, your allergies sound awful I hope you get things cleared up soon. And it's actually strangely comforting to know I'm not the only one who battled the bread demons! I'm glad we are both moving on now.

Good day today- yoga was really challenging and I loved it! I'm so sore though (from the longer run yesterday and now from yoga) and I think tomorrow will have to be a rest day. I'm also dead tired so I'm going to lay down after I feed the cats.

I found a really great job for an Operations Manager in a dog rescue organization!!! I applied and I'm really really hoping to hear back soon.

B: 3 bananas, 1 c. tangerine juice
S: apple w/ 1 T or so of raw almond butter
w/o: 3 mile easy run, 1.5 hours power yoga
L: carrots, cauliflower & half a red pepper w/ hummus; banana
s: banana, apple, 2 slices dried mango, 1 raw energy bite (suddenly got very hungry!)
D: handful of baby carrots, salad w/ all the usual veggies & raw ACV

I am feeling so much better about going back to work tomorrow now that I know my resume is out there and I'm taking the steps towards finding a better job. Cross your fingers for me that this dog rescue group contacts me!

Danielle, I am so excited for your new job prospect! That sounds perfect for you. I absolutely love dogs so I think I would enjoy that kind of job too. Thanks for talking some sense into me about eating after long workouts. I should just enjoy refueling my body and not worry about it! I used to be that way - I was a competitive swimmer and I've run 1/2 marathons so it's not like I'm not used to pushing my body!

Soraya, I look forward to having you back this week!

Becky, I hope you are doing well!

Well it is HOT season in Bangkok. When I got here it was in the low 90s daily and now it's creeping up towards 100 with high humidity. No escape to AC for me either, since I am coaching outside during the hottest part of the day! At least this weather will make it easier for me to go home in June - I know I wont miss it!

Eating was pretty good for me today, and I also got a nice run in:

B: 4 bananas and a small soy latte (this made my heart race afterwards because I hadn't had caffeine in so long)
L: strawberries, then a salad with red oak leaf lettuce, yellow peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, a little dressing, and brown rice
Snack: banana
Workout: 4 mile run
Dinner: bowl of orange slices, then a salad with organic greens, carrots, tomatoes, and sesame dressing, a few squares of dark chocolate

I can't wait to sleep in tomorrow! I've had to get up really early the past 3 days.

Have a great day everyone!

Looks like it's just me again! Here was my day:

Workout: 50 minute powerwalk
-8 small dates
-4 bananas
-bowl of organic blue cornflakes with soymilk and raw black sesame seeds
Workout: 1.3 mile swim
-red grapes
-huge salad with organic arugula, cherry tomatoes, yellow pepper, diced apple, corn, scallion, a few chickpeas, and homemade lemon dressing (raw)
-a light beer and a few pieces of dark chocolate

I feel good today, although I'm hoping to be more raw tomorrow. I finished my cereal and chocolate today so I'll go without it tomorrow. If I miss it I can buy more, but it's worth trying to go without it at least!

Have a great day everyone!

Nope, Amy, I'm actually in here, too!

Let me just say that I'm so proud of you guys...well, I should say "all of us" ...what you (we) are doing is not easy - significant transformations are never easy, but we are all persisting in our pursuit of what is best for each of us. Kudos to you all! A day or two ago I was told that I was going to end up with an eating disorder, and that if I keep this up I'll end up in the hospital...There is one person who seems to have made it their mission to attack my way of eating, which has always been different than hers, and it's hard sometimes not to get royally ticked off!!! Grrrrrr!!! Why don't people mind their own business, and evaluate what THEY are doing (rhetorical question; I already know that answer to that one)?

I think what I was reacting to when I last posted was sunflower seeds...allergies can really be annoying but then I realised that, you know what, at least I know now what to avoid,and it wasn't anywhere near life threatening, like a few of the other reactions I've had in the past.

I have also realised in the past few days that I need to focus not so much on what I am eating, but what is also important is what I am NOT eating: also my wellbeing as regards to exercise, meditation and so on. I've been battling some serious insomnia for the longest time, now, and though I can get some exercise in here and there it's not been anything consistant for a while, now - I'm just too fuzzed most of the time. But if I'm going to put the energy - and so much money - into feedng my body correctly I'd better focus more on those other aspects as well... one of my main goals this year is to love and accept myself more and be truly comfortable in my own skin, and then maybe comments like the previous one will just roll right off my back

I'm off today, so I'm grabbing some extra resting time here and there...so off I go to have some more!

Have a great day, guys!

hi girls! no time to post today...just a quick update. yesterday was good, don't remember what i ate but there was definitely NO bread, haha. i'm still eating cooked hummus b/c i've been too busy/lazy to make raw hummus, but i'm fine with that. no workout yesterday- much needed rest day.

today i had to go to court for a preliminary trial of the first attack suspect, but his lawyer asked to push the date back to mid to late april so i didn't have to do anything! after that i went straight to this big park we have in the mountains and went for a very challenging, super hilly 5 mile trail run. it was so much fun! i am definitely up for the half marathon on the trails in early june. i surprised myself by going faster than i thought i'd be able to, and i could've kept going after the 5 miles were up but i know from past experiences that just b/c i feel like i can push myself further doesn't mean i should! i don't want any injuries! anyway had to go into work after that even though i was supposed to have the day off, but it wasn't that bad, it's not like i even had the trial so i was totally fine to go into work. here's my day:

B: smoothie w/ 2.5 bananas, strawberries, mango, blueberries, fresh tangerine juice; half a lara bar
s: lara bar, banana
w/o: 5 mile trail run
s: 2 bananas
s: apple & banana
s: 2 bananas
d: half a bag of cauliflower, 3/4 small bag of baby carrots, and half a red pepper w/ hummus; 2 slices dried mango; 1 raw brazil nut
s: apple...and still hungry but don't really have anything else to eat! i'm going to bed in an hour though so i'll just wait til tomorrow!

Soraya- only you know what is right for you. If raw feels good to you, then keep it up! I get those comments, too...people don't understand anything that isn't "normal." Just keep doing what you know is best and listen to your body and be kind to yourself. The people who mind don't matter, and the people who matter don't mind

Thanks for the kind words, Soraya. I fully understand how frustrating it is when people criticize your eating choices. I get that a fair amount (as I'm sure we all do) and try to just let it roll off my back. That is not always easy though!

Danielle, that is great that you are doing the 1/2 marathon! Also, your smoothies are making me drool, lol. I wish I had a blender here...I suppose I could just buy one, but I'm only going to be here another 1.5 months so I'm not sure it's worth the money.

I swam in lieu of running again today...I enjoy that so much more after a long day of coaching in 100 degree temps! The water felt great but I do hope to wake up early for a run tomorrow AM.

I am really enjoying eating vegan. It took me a long time to transition to this point, so I fully understand why some people might feel better eating some eggs, fish, etc...but for me this feels completely right. I think that is also why I am enjoying cooked food daily too...it sounds silly but before I became vegan I hardly ever ate certain foods that I really enjoy now (like chickpeas, edamame, etc). Anyway, here was my day:

Workout: 2 mile swim
-honeydew chunks
-green grapes
-banana (only one, can you even imagine that Danielle? lol)
-salad with organic greens, shredded carrots, and sesame dressing
-a few bites of seaweed salad
-another huge salad for dinner with organic greens, shredded carrots, cherry tomatoes, red and yellow peppers, chickpeas, and a little balsamic vinegar
-a few rice crackers with PB, then a few sips of rice milk (I wish they sold raw almond butter here, I could so easily replace PB with that, but I have to admit the PB tasted damn good!)

Hello again...

Well I managed to get up and go for a 5 mile run this morning. It felt so good, my legs were completely fresh after 2 days of swimming!

I hope everyone is doing well! Here was my day:

AM Workout: 5 mile run followed by a few minutes of pilates and stretching
B: fresh squeezed OJ, green grapes, 2 bananas, and 2 apples
Snack: a few dates
Lunch: salad with organic greens, shredded carrots, tomatoes, and a little Japanese soy dressing, then a banana with a PB and a few sips of rice milk
Dinner (was really hungry!): three apples, then huge salad with organic greens, shredded carrots, chickpeas, and Japanese soy dressing mixed with balsamic vinegar, followed by a few rice crackers with PB

I am full and satisfied now. I've already brushed my teeth so no more eating tonight...I've had a bad habit lately of night eating while watching TV...so tonight I am reading a book (trying to switch up my whole routine).

Hi Ladies:
Just wanted to say a quick hello. I still think about you, and am glad to see that you are doing well.
Danielle: it sounds like you are really getting strong. That is awesome!!
Amy: I know night eating can get to be a bad habit that is tough to break. I have been managing my night eating really well. My advice...plan ahead. Eat a filling dinner lateish (7:30-8) so you won't get hungry before bed.

I am doing GREAT with my south beach/raw mix. I have been eating a lot more protein. Losing weight each week, and my clothes are starting to fit looser. I am really happy to have found a balance.

Keeping up with exercise as well. I'll keep you posted on my triathlon training.

I hope you don't mind my sporadic check-ins. I do think about you a lot, and am supporting you all from afar :-).

Becky, great to see you and glad that you've found a balance that works for you; I always wonder how you're doing, so it's great to have your occasional updates. Congrats on being able to release the weight you have so far!

Amy, I'm confident you'll defeat the night eating monster. It definitely works to have a plan or two of how you'll approach things in order to be successful.

Danielle, thanks for your encouragement, especially that last line...classic! I'm stealing that! I try not to let people bug me too much, but I just had to vent that time!!! And I hope you get great news about that job...it sounds great!

I've been maintaining my high-raw eating - I'll very occasionally throw a baked sweet potato in there, but that's about it. If I crave anything else I have it, hate how it tastes / makes me feel, and that's the end of it - what a relief to get to this point! Raw just fits me best; that's my story, and I'm sticking to it! I need to get back to posting my lists again but am being a tad lazy about that...please forgive me!

Continue to have a great day!

Hey ladies,

I didn't post for a few days because I went away for the weekend on a whim. I went to a beach a few hours south of Bangkok and it was really relaxing. The funny thing is that I hardly spent any time on the beach - it is just too hot here for me now! I read a whole book today in the town's air conditioned coffee house though - even though thats the kind of thing I could have done in Bangkok it was still so much more relaxing when I was in a smaller town/close to the water.

I went alone which was nice because I got to eat whatever I wanted without taking someone else into consideration. I had two smoothies today - they make them raw here as long as I specify no sugar and watch them like a hawk, lol. One was a guava, pineapple, cucumber, green tea smoothie which was fantastic. I've decided that I really need to buy a blender for the remainder of my time here - I can't handle not being able to make smoothies at home! Besides those I had a TON of fresh fruit (pineapple, papaya, mango, cantaloupe), and today I treated myself to a roasted veggie sandwich with olive oil (no cheese) and a glass of white wine. Anyway, I'm not going to post my meals but that was basically it - tomorrow I have a ton of fruit in my kitchen to eat up. I bought it not knowing I would be away all weekend!

Have a great day ladies! Seems like everyone was busy this weekend!

Amy, your weekend trip / treat sounds absolutely divine! I would love to something like this myself,so I'm practically drooling at the prospect - plus you mentioned guava, something I haven't had in over 10 years!!! I hope you're able to get a nice blender of your own to have fun with making your own delectable smoothies...that way you won't ever have to be careful about what's actually in them...

I am SO looking forward to warmer weather and more varieties of fruit coming into season!

I hope all you ladies are doing well today!

I'm still having a little struggle within myself of how (much) I actually eat versus what I "feel" I should be eating, variety and amount-wise. I know everyone's different, but sometimes the "shoulds" kinda knaw away at me; I regularly eat under 2000 cals but I feel fine with that...as warmer weather comes I'll be more active but then I'll be eating a lot more fruit as well. I don't eat a great variety of foods either as there are many things I just don't like or can't eat at all, and since I can't stomache green smoothies anymore that cuts my options down (variety of greens / amount of greens ingested) a lot. I would actually consider taking a multi but have the hardest time finding one with nothing 'dangerous' to me in it...sigh...

If I try to significantly eat more than normal, I feel like a sick, bloated pig and am horribly miserable...

I have to keep in mind what I'm comfortable with and what is working for me...it's just not so easy sometimes to do the comparison game, but I'm learning...

Looking forward to hearing from you guys, and seeing what you have been up to!

Wow...I've not seen this blog so "quiet" before! Ladies, I hope this means that you're busy doing wonderful things, and are doing well!

Well, I've been having fun re-discovering my body...I've not released a ton of weight per se - I've maintained a 10lb loss for a few months, now ( I'm 5"1') - but my measurements are markedly different,and it's taken my losing weight to get my hourglass curves much more defined (I have a WAIST again!)...isn't that funny! I will have to spend some money on buying new clothes - not something I do every year - and not just for the spring/summer, either...

I went browsing yesterday. I just wanted to look aroound and try some things on, since I had no idea what size I am now; I'm still a little confused, actually, but in a good way. Even some size 6 clothes I tried on were too big on me, and my jaw dropped...I've got curves! What the heck...?!? I'll have to solve that puzzle on another expedition next week...was too chicken to find out then and there; plus I was too tired from trying stuff on, putting it back and getting smaller things...

This was one (good!) expense I wasn't bargaining for as a result of going raw - you know, having to factor in the cost of more food, etc...

I've also treated myself to the pair of athletic shoes that I've been lusting after for over a year, now - miles of walking ahead! Nope, I don't "do" running; I'll race you speedwalking / hiking, though! I ordered then today and I can't wait to break them in... Time to get this body back into fighting shape, and get even more toned!

Take care, you guys, and I hope to see you back soon; hope you're having a great day!