Hi ladies,

Danielle, it seems that Nate has no place in your life. He doesn't even come close to deserving you!

Becky, I think eating a few pieces of fruit immediately after swimming is a good idea. The longer you wait the more hungry you will get!

I went for an awesome trail bike ride today. It was about 25 miles which was hard for me because a) I haven't really biked since this summer and b) I was on a shitty bike and had to work a lot harder to get it moving! It was really fun though!

I ate mostly raw also:
B: Banana, fresh squeezed OJ, a few raw nuts/raisins
Snack during ride: raw nuts/raisins
L: Salad with lettuce, tomato, carrots, cucumber and a few cooked veggies including corn, broccoli, and beets, 2 eggs (yes I eat these too Becky)
Snack: Banana and pineapple chunks (I so wanted a cookie b/c I have my period but I resisted, yay me )
Dinner: about 4 small oranges (these are so good here), one banana, and the rest of my raw nuts/raisins (which was probably too many but it kept me away from the cake my roommate bought, lol)

Ugh, I have to work all weekend. No touring Thailand for me, I'll be at a swim meet both days. I stopped by the store on the way home and bought some bananas to take with me tomorrow.

Amy: It's awesome that you are able to keep up your competitive swimming while you are in Thailand! I am sure it will be a fantastic way to meet people.
Your eating sounds good, and it seems like you have found a really great balance between eating mostly raw, but incorporating a few non-raw things into your diet. I think everyone's body has different needs.

Have you ladies read Natalie Rose's book: The Raw Food Detox Diet? It is FANTASTIC! She has a very logical and holistic approach to raw foodism. She basically talks about how anyone can incorporate raw eating into their lives to varying degrees. It is very different from this other book I read, Nature's First Law: the Raw Food Diet, which calls "all cooked food poison." I definitely like Rose's approach better.

Danielle and Amy, you both inspire me in different ways. Thanks so much for sharing your raw journeys and reading about mine as well. Having this forum online has helped me to speak less and less about raw foodism in real life since I know I have an outlet here to discuss these issues.

I ended up sleeping in until 8am. I was so tired! I think I will try to get home by 5 so that I can do at least 30 min on the elliptical machine. I rode my bike to school (15 minutes each way), so between that and 30 min the the elliptical machine I think I will still manage to get in an hour of cardio today.

So far I had a bowl of melon and pineapple + green tea. I have lunch plans with a friend. I'll just get a salad from the school salad bar. Then for dinner I'll have that big salad I am making (with sprouts), some red wine, and maybe fruit for dessert.

I'll check in tonight or tomorrow am.

Have a great day, ladies!

Well, Shabbat dinner and I managed to eat almost 100% raw.

Here is my day:

-bowl of melon and pineapple
-salad at school: greens, spinach, red and green pepper, cucumber, olive oil vinegar
-2 pink lady apples, 3 dates
-shabbat dinner: big salad (greens, cucumbers, orange pepper, tomatoes, olives, onions, avocado, carrots, flax seeds, olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar), a few wheat crackers, a bit of tabouleh, red wine
-fruit: bowl of fruit (melon, raspberries, strawberries, grapes) + lara bar (rather than cookies or pie, which is what everyone was eating)

kind of a lot, I guess, but I am glad that I managed to stay almost 100% raw. Weekend is off to a good start!

I bought hemp protein and almond milk, so I am going to experiment with raw protein and see how that goes.

Plan for tomorrow:
-smoothie in the morning (raw hemp powder, almond milk, banana, frozen berries)
-lunch and dinner: big salad
-evening: wine (meeting up with a friend)
-maybe a few pink lady apples throughout the day. I love them!

Hi Ladies:
I hope you are both doing well. Just wanted to check in about how my weekend is going. I am excited about this raw hemp powder. I think it might just be the answer that I am looking for. Thanks for suggesting it, Danielle!
Danielle: I was reading your earlier posts just to get some inspiration. It is interesting to see how far you have come since April. One thing that I noticed that you do that I don't is to make changes slowly. Like you started off with sort of a foundation of behaviors and you have slowly made changes to get to where you are today. I think I am going to follow your lead. After all, this is a lifelong journey, not a quick fix. So I am going to try to stick with a plan for a month and then at the first of each month tweak what I have been doing based upon my needs and how I am feeling. Now that I am back into a routine it will be much easier to follow this plan. I think I am going to try to avoid animal protein for now as I really do want to try to be 100% raw vegan. I'll be sure to eat sprouted beans and hemp protein powder each day and see how that goes.
This morning after a spinning class I had a smoothie with raw protein powder and liked it very much! Also, it filled me up for a really long time. 4 hours later I was still full! This is my day so far:

*60 min spinning class
-smoothie (4 tbsp raw hemp protein powder, 1 cup of almond milk, 1 banana, 4 dates, and a cup of frozen berries). Yum! It was even a little too sweet, so I'll just use 2 or 3 dates next time.
-salad (romaine lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, alfalfa sprouts, pickled banana peppers, mushrooms) with evo and red wine vinegar.

I feel really full, even though I don't feel like I ate much today (maybe beccause I ate a lot yesterday?). It is already 4pm. I'll probably just have a piece of fruit or 2 for dinner and then have some red wine with my friend later this evening.

I hope you are both well!

Happy Saturday! MY STAPLES ARE OUT!!! I feel so much better- it's all in my head, but I feel much more "normal" now. I am so over talking to people about it and answering questions, so now that I look normal again I'll have to deal with that a lot less

I also officially have NO BUTT anymore. I guess I lost weight this week. My jeans just have a bunch of fabric that hangs in the butt area. It's not cool. I need smaller jeans... I have been making an effort to eat more for the past 2 days. My appetite just hasn't been very good, but I did eat a decent amount of food yesterday and today is shaping up to be the same:
-2 big bananas, 1 raw energy bite
*35 mins. arc trainer hills, 30 min. insanely hard abs class, 25 mins. elliptical intervals*
-lara bar, banana, 1 raw brazil nut
-carrots & cauliflower w/ regular (cooked) TJ's hummus, 2 bananas
-2 sm. apples, banana
-planning on a salad w/ romaine, red & yellow peppers, carrots, cucs, cauliflower, tomatoes, raw ACV

I got regular hummus last night b/c I was too wiped to make my own and I still had to cut up meat for the cats. Oh well. It wasn't as good and fresh-tasting as my raw hummus- I plan on making more tomorrow.

I've been laying low today except for the gym and hospital...I'm feeling a lot better than I was 2 days ago, but I'm still pretty wiped out.

Becky, it's nice to know that I inspire you I don't feel like I'm really an example to follow, but hey whatever works! I really admire you for doing what you feel is right for your body. And I'm also secretly happy that you're giving raw veganism another try...lol. See how it goes, and if you feel like you need to add animal protein back in, then go for it. Like you said, this is a life-long journey. It's not a diet or a quick fix. Unfortunately our brains are trained to think in that "instant gratification" American way, but this is something that we need to take slowly, enjoy and look forward to for hopefully the rest of our lives!

Oh and Becky, I am so lost when it comes to spinning classes...do you need special shoes? Why do the bike pedals have no stirrups? I want to take a class but I'm so intimidated and I hate to look like one of the "resolutioners" by asking questions. Any pointers?

Danielle:
I am so glad to hear that you have the staples out of your head. I am sure that physically getting back to normal will also help you to do so emotionally. How are you feeling? Any more police interrogations? Are you frightened, in general, now or do you feel stronger?
One positive thing that came out of this whole fiasco -- now you are working out at the gym, which sounds like a great opportunity for you to cross train. Also, although it was very frightening and traumatic, I am really glad that you are safe and sound and have learned that running outside by yourself just isn't an option.
As far as spinning goes, I am so surprised they don't have stirrups! All of the spinning classes that I have been to have both -- places for ppl with biking shoes that clip in and stirrups for people that just wear regular gym shoes. You should ask the gym manager or spinning instructor about that. They can't actually expect everyone to have clip in shoes! Also, arrive a few minutes early so you can adjust the seat and handle bars to your liking. It makes a huge difference. Also, don't worry about being a newby. Everyone had their first spin class, right? I remember mine -- people were very welcoming and encouraging. If you like the high from running, you will LOVE the high from spinning. Push yourself as much as you can and you will have an amazing endorphin rush!

Yeah, I also secretly want myself to truly be a raw vegan. I actually got my hair cut and noticed that a lot less hair is falling out. I don't know if it is my hair cut, my herbal remedy, or the protein. However, overall I feel better about it. I am going to stick with the hemp protein and see how it goes.

So... grand total for the day:

*60 min spinning class
-smoothie (4 tbsp raw hemp protein powder, 1 cup of almond milk, 1 banana, 4 dates, and a cup of frozen berries). Yum! It was even a little too sweet, so I'll just use 2 or 3 dates next time.
-salad (romaine lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, alfalfa sprouts, pickled banana peppers, mushrooms) with evo and red wine vinegar.
-a few cashews
-salad (mixed greens, yellow pepper, cucumber, carrots, sprouted mung beans, olives) + balsamic vinegar
-2 glasses of red wine

Feeling good. Same plan for tomorrow -- smoothie with raw hemp protein powder, salads for L and D and fruit throughout the day. I think I'll stick with this routine for a month and then reassess March 1. Also, I plan to swim tomorrow morning.

Amy: having fun at the swim meet?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/2008 05:22AM by optimist4life.

Hi ladies!

Danielle, congratulations on getting the staples out! I'm really happy for you!

Becky, I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying the hemp protein powder. I have been interested in buying some for a while now, but never made the commitment to it. Now that I'm in Thailand I don't know where I can find it, but I definitely plan to try it when I get back to the States this summer.

Oh, and I wasn't swimming in the meet this weekend...I am coaching a team here and thats why I had to go. It was tiring managing all the kids and standing out in the sun all day. Plus, not many raw options left me eating mostly bananas during the day, and I didn't feel all that great doing that. It's weird b/c some days I do fine on just fruit and some days I dont. Last night I ended up having some cooked veggies for dinner (I've found that these really dont have an adverse affect on me) but tonight I had delicious watermelon and oranges. So overall not too bad except no raw veggies...I cannot wait for my school's fresh squeezed OJ and the salad bar tomorrow!

It's cool to see how well you all are doing. I have to make it a point to go back to the beginning to see the point(s) you came from... very inspiring to see all your accounts and the beautiful, supportive bond that you've built between each other. Bravo!

Danielle, so glad you got those staples out! Hope you're feeling stronger in every way...

You'd also asked if I had my own blog...no, I don't! I've given fleeting thoughts to the idea but I'd much rather have (the dynamics) of what you've found yourself with here - kind of sharing with at least one other person, you know?

Becky, I'm glad you're enjoying the hemp powder - I've been using it for a while, and I love it! Have you tried using hemp seeds as yet; could be a great addition to your salads...I wished I'd thought to suggest it before but I guess I had too much on my mind for the bells to go off!

Have a great day!

Hi girls! I'm feeling good today- a little tired but I think the gym woke me up!

Becky, I don't actually feel that scared or emotionally upset. I think that if this had happened a few months ago, when I wasn't so positive and feeling so strong, it would have been much more emotionally damaging. It's weird, I was talking to my mom last night and she keeps expecting me to break down or suggesting that I'm lying to her when I tell her I'm doing pretty well...I think having been raw for a few months and experiencing the mental/emotional uplift that it gives a person, I was much better able to deal with this. I don't feel like it's going to have a negative impact on my life at all- In fact, it's actually given me a lot of positive things. Nate is out of my life for good (finally!), I'm exploring new stuff at the gym, I'm closer to my bosses at work and I feel more valued, and I'm also looking into joining the LAPD and becoming a detective or something along those lines. Did I mention that before? Everyone I've encountered on the police force has told me I should apply! It's so weird b/c i NEVER in a million years thought about it, but it's making more & more sense. I tend to think that things happen for a reason, and I beleive I'll only come out stronger after having gone through this, and I can share my story with friends & family and hopefully protect them from going through something similar.

Also thanks for the info about spinning! I have a personal training session on Wednesday- it was free w/ my membership- so I'll ask the woman who trains me about the stirrups! I really want to take spinning classes, it looks right up my alley.

Amy, sounds like they're keeping you busy! I'm the same as you- some days I can eat all fruit all day and it's all my body wants, and other days I need some fat in there. It's so interesting how when you're eating a pure diet, your body will ask for exactly what it needs and you can realize it and give it what it's asking for and see the positive results!

So I wanted to take a power yoga class this morning but couldn't get out of bed in time! I went to the gym for 45 mins. of cardio, and will go back this evening for the power yoga class. It's my first yoga class ever!!! I am super excited b/c one of the things I wanted to do in 2008 was take up yoga, but I didn't know if I'd have the $$ to take classes. Well, now the classes are right in front of me! Kind of cool. Anyway, I am down another pound since Tuesday so I'm trying to keep the calories up or at least back to normal. I had a HUGE brunch after the gym b/c I was actually hungry for once!

-2 bananas, 1 raw brazil nut
*45 mins. arc trainer moderate intensity*
-smoothie w/ 2 bananas, strawberries, mango, splash of OJ; 2 extra bananas on the side. Also snacked on 2 almonds & a handful of raisins before eating this
-probably 2-3 sm. apples
-early dinner before yoga- carrots, cauliflower & cucumber slices w/ raw hummus
*90 mins. power yoga!*
-banana before bed (yoga ends at 8 and I'll probably be in bed by 9:30 so I can get plenty of rest before getting up at 5 AM tomorrow)

I'm feeling really good and back to my usual happy self! I'm so glad this week is behind me- only good things from now on!

Hi Ladies:
Amy, how awesome that you are coaching a swim team! Don't worry about eating cooked vegetables now and then. If they agree with you, and you feel good after eating them, then go for it! I definitely recommend checking out Natalie Rose's book. It sounds perfect for you! In the future in those types of situations, do you think that it would be helpful to cut up veggies to bring with you?

Danielle: I am AMAZED by you! It sounds like you have really come out of that whole situation so unscathed and have such a healthy perspective on things. Guess you decided to tell your parents in the end...I am glad that you did. Even though it was tough for them to hear, not telling them something SO important I think would negatively affect your relationships with them. Glad to hear about the personal trainer and spinning. I KNOW you will love it and I can't wait to hear about your experience. Also, great that you are starting yoga!
Awesome that you want to join the LAPD. What a fantastic goal! Also, having personal experience with the law enforcement system will help you do your job that much better! I am ignorant, how does one go about becoming a police officer or detective?

Soraya: Thanks for your post. Yes, I feel very blessed to have this online support. Interesting to know that others are following along as well :-).

I have been feeling a bit down lately. Winter blues -- I experience them annually. Since I grew up in Phoenix, I never really got used to spending so much time inside and away from the sun in the winter. Ever since college (I went to school in Boston), I have experienced winter blues. I guess I just have to wait it out. In fact, my roommate said to me last night "take your negativity and get outta here!" I think I was complaining about the cold, being overwhelmed, and how I didn't want to go on a date last night (secret is out, my "friend" was a blind date). Her telling me that was a big wake up call. I consider myself to be so positive and optimistic! But for some reason I have been a bit negative lately. I am going to watch the way that I speak and the way that I think to focus on more positive thoughts. Also, I am going to use this forum as a place to write down 3 positive thoughts each day to be sure I stay focused on positivity.

Here is my food/exercise check-in for the day:
-2 apples
*swam a mile
-1/2 of a salad (greens, cucumber, yellow and red pepper, celery, flax seeds, olives, sprouted mung beans, carrots). Yum!

Wasn't feeling very hungry so I only ate half. Will likely eat the other half for dinner and then have an apple at some point.

Today I am feeling a bit tired and out of it. I think I didn't drink enough water last night before I went to sleep and woke up a bit dehydrated.

Okay positive thoughts so far today:
-it is sunny and beautiful outside, despite the cold. The pool on main campus is a mile away from the law school, so I got to walk 2 miles in the sun today. Beautiful!
-I love swimming! It makes me feel alive and I love the way my whole body is engaged
-I tutored a student today (I am a TA for a legal writing class) and always feel great when I do that! I really love working with students.

Hey Ladies:

Here is my check in for the day:

-2 apples
*swam a mile
-1/2 of a salad (greens, cucumber, yellow and red pepper, celery, flax seeds, olives, sprouted mung beans, carrots).
-apple, some dried fruit and nuts
-other half of my salad
-smoothie (4 tbsp hemp protein powder, 1.5 cups of almond milk, 3 dates, 1/2 cup frozen berries, 1/2 banana)
-a few more dates
-lara bar

woah! too much sugar, I think. Craving sugar! I think I need to just get home, brush my teeth and go to bed...even if I am hungry. If I eat anything when I get home it usually ends up being too much.

I feel good about food all day, except when I got home tonight. I'll plan to eat the same tomorrow, minus eating when I get home.

Have a good nigh, ladies!

Out of curiosity, I looked up how many calories I ate today on Fitday. It was 1232. That's reasonable, right? I know we aren't supposed to count calories, but I wanted to check it out.
Danielle, I know you have checked out calories before. How many do you shoot for each day?

Hey ladies,

Becky, you said a few posts ago that this forum has helped you not talk about raw as much in your daily life - I feel the same way. I love having an outlet to discuss this with people who understand!

Danielle...LAPD! That is really awesome. I can't wait to hear more about it!

Ok so I had a good day. I woke up feeling a little under the weather but now I am fine...I think I was just tired from the long meet this weekend.

B: bowl of orange slices, 1/2 small watermelon, and some pineapple
L: huge salad: lettuce, tomato, onion, carrots, cucumbers, green beans, beets, a little oil and vinegar, then a little bit of brown rice with vegan red curry (my only cooked for the day), 2 bananas for dessert
Workout: 1.3 mile swim...just took it easy because I wasn't feeling 100%
Snack: mango slices and a small handful of sunflower seeds and raisins
Dinner: I bought 2 papayas on the way home so I'll probably have one. I'm not too hungry so hopefully I can save the other one for tomorrow AM.

So I am really happy with the balance I've found. When I was doing 100% raw I was occasionally bingeing and pretty consistently eating too many raw nuts, raisins, etc. I know they say this eventually stops but the bingeing was getting me down. I am feeling very satisfied by incorporating a little bit of healthy, more dense cooked food into my diet. This also allows me the leeway that I want in social situations and helps me stay completely vegan which I like. I have briefly looked at Natalie Rose's book and I definitely want to check it out again - it does seem like it agrees with my approach to raw. Who knows, maybe eventually I will be completely raw...but for right now this is working great for me!

I look forward to hearing from you both soon!

Hi girls!

Soraya, I forgot to add this yesterday- you are welcome to join our group here and journal with us! I’m sure that’s fine with Becky & Amy too! You have given me so much support, and I’d love to be able to do the same for you!

Becky, about calories, I find my needs change daily! When I first went raw I needed around 1600/day, then it dropped to 1200 or below, then went up as I started running more, and now I’m at probably 1200-1700 depending on the day! I’d say just listen to your hunger, that will lead you in the right direction. I’m sorry to hear about the winter blues! I get that, too- or at least I used to when I lived in places that had winter! The sun is a source of energy & happiness for me, too. Where did you go to school in Boston? I went to Emerson College, I love Boston! Such a fun little city!

Amy, I think it’s great that you found something that works for your body and keeps you from binging or eating too many nuts etc. Honestly, I don’t feel that bad when I eat a sprouted grain bagel w/ raw almond butter, b/c I think it keeps me from going crazy on lara bars and I don’t think it causes any harm in the long run.

As for the LAPD, I’m not really sure how to go about becoming a detective… I looked into it last night and it looks like I’d be a high-priority candidate b/c I graduated college and have a BA degree. I’m still a little wary of it, just b/c I don’t know if I’d have to start out as a regular police officer (um, no thanks!), but I’m definitely going to email the recruitment office and ask them to clarify some things for me. I’m kind of excited!

OMG, I went to my first yoga class last night and I loved it! It was so relaxing, and the deep breathing really seemed to help- this morning was the first morning since the attack that I didn’t have a headache! So I am Excedrin-free today! Yaaay! I hope to keep it up- I need to get back to that pure body state that I was in before they pumped me up w/ anesthesia and I started taking half a dose of Excedrin every day. Anyway, I really enjoyed just relaxing and getting in tune w/ my body for 1.5 hours. I thought the class would be too long, but when it ended I wanted to keep going!

Anyway, I’ve been pretty hungry today- finally! I got up early, went to the gym for some cardio, and I may go back tonight for a half-hour abs class. My abs are still sore from Saturday’s class, so I guess I have to see how I feel after work. Is it bad to work your abs again while they’re still sore?

Today:

-banana
*25 mins. biking, 25 mins. elliptical*
-3 bananas, 1 raw energy bite
-banana, 2 raw energy bites
-cut up mango (about 1.5 c.), apple, banana
-2 raw energy bites, another banana if I do take the abs class
-salad w/ romaine, baby romaine, red & yellow peppers, carrots, cucs, cauliflower, tomatoes, raw ACV

And maybe another apple later…I’ll see how hungry I am after dinner.

Soraya, you are definitely welcome to join! The more, the merrier!

Amy: I am so happy to hear that you feel comfortable and happy with the balance that you have found. It is definitely important to be in tune with your body and listen to what it is telling you.

Danielle: I am thrilled that you liked yoga so much, and feel so great from it! Also, I am sure you will be happy to be off of pain killers as soon as possible.

Today I had so much trouble getting out of bed. I think I was just feeling overwhelmed about everything that I had to do today. I wanted to get up at 5:30 to go to spinning, but I didn't get out of bed until 8:30! I didn't have class until 10:30, so it worked out just fine but I was really surprised at how difficult it was for me to get out of bed! I am going to try to head to that 5:30-7 spinning class tomorrow am since I LOVE it!

Good, mostly raw day today!

-bowl of melon
-big salad (greens, celery, carrots, sprouted mung beans, 20 olives, red pepper, red wine vinegar and olive oil)
-bowl of melon, nuts and raisins
-went to a middle eastern restaurant with a friend and had a salad (cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, onions), hummus and banaganush (not raw).
-a few dates

No exercise today, except for my 10 minute walk to the shuttle. However, I was feeling the need for a day off. I want to try to make it to spinning tomorrow though.

I didn't have any hemp protein powder today so I will plan to have a smoothie with that tomorrow morning.

Have a good night, ladies! Looking forward to hearing your updates tomorrow.

Hey ladies!

Soraya, I agree - you are definitely welcome to post here!

Becky, I had trouble getting out of bed too this morning. I did manage to drag myself out and do a 6 mile run. I am starting to feel stronger and stronger when I run - it really feels great to be building back up after such a long hiatus due to injury! It's important for me to get up early unless I want to run in 95 degree temps. Danielle, I know you asked about the weather here a while back - right now is the "coldest" time of year and it regularly gets into the 90s. Come April it will be in the 100s daily with no breeze - I am not so much looking forward to that!

By my estimations I was over 75% raw today. Non raw foods included a few bites of rice, some soymilk, and a small amount of chocolate. This was no way more than 500 cals worth, and I easily eat 2000 cals/day. RAW foods include:


Pre-Run: Handful of sunflower seeds and raisins.
Workout: 6 mile run, some abs and stretching
B: 2 glasses fresh squeezed OJ (SO good here), 3 bananas
Lunch (spread throughout the day): about 1.5 papayas, 3/4 of a pineapple, one mango, and 2 more handfuls of sunflower seeds/raisins
Dinner: Seaweed salad, one avocado (I broke down and bought this, even though it is totally not local...holy crap it tasted so good though!), and orange slices.

I already brushed my teeth for the night and I am feeling very satisfied today! Hope you all have a great day!

Good afternoon ladies. Another day w/o headaches or Excedrin! I am dying to go back to yoga- there’s not another class I can make it to until Saturday though! I’m also feeling pretty hungry again today- stuck at work w/ no more food, but I’ll be ok til I can leave to get more bananas or something…and almond butter! Mmm…

*60 mins. arc trainer interval program*
-3 bananas, 1 raw energy bite
-banana, 12 oz. OJ
-2 bananas, 1 apple, 2 raw energy bites
-another banana, maybe w/ 1 T raw almond butter?
-carrots, cauliflower & tomatoes w/ raw hummus. Maybe cucumber slices, too, if I have enough left.

That’s actually more fat than I like to have, so I may re-think the almond butter…but may not. LOL.

I am so cold today…I’ve been even colder than usual lately. Maybe my body is using its energy to heal everything, instead of to keep me warm! Who knows, it sucks though. Everyone else is complaining that it’s hot in the office, and I’m wearing 2 sweatshirts!

Good morning ladies!

Danielle: I am so happy to hear how much you are loving yoga! Maybe you could think about getting certified one day!

Amy: I am really glad that you feel happy with your raw/cooked balance. Awesome!


I need to vent/get some advice, if you don't mind.

I am WAY over extended this semester and am kind of hating myself for taking on so many obligations. Here is the list (yes all at the same time), just to give you an idea for how ridiculous I am:
-3 law school classes
-Tutor for a legal writing class
-Research assistant for a professor
-Westlaw (legal research company) student representative
-Barbri (bar review course) student representative
-Editor for a publication at our school
-President of the Jewish Law Students Association
-Board member for the Israel and Law Society
-Board member for Hillel (Jewish campus group on the main campus)
-Research associate for an international non profit law firm
-Still supposedly doing research for the WHO (where I worked last summer)

I know, it is really, really ridiculous. I actually managed to do all of that quite well last semester (and even did decently well in my classes). However, having this long list of commitments basically results in me spending 9am-10pm at school every day just to get everything done. Now, it is doable because each thing isn't a ton of hours. However, keeping that many balls in the air is quite a feat. I am NEVER doing this to myself again. How did it happen? I just can't say "no". Things slowly started piling on over the summer, I only said "no" to one offer and vwalla, I am suddenly incredibly overextended.

Actually, my only really bad days are Monday-Wednesday during which I am fully booked. Thursday I have no tangible obligations until 6pm, Friday and Saturday are totally free, and Sunday I work for Westlaw just for like 2 hours early in the morning. So...I do have almost 4 full days to just do work (i.e. read and take notes for class, work on projects for the international pro bono law firm, and do stuff for WHO), but it is truly crazy. I never have a moment to rest. When I do have free time, I am either exercising or seeing friends.

Anyway, the extremeness of this situation is making me realize that I simply can't do this to myself anymore. I tend to take on a lot, but I just need to chill out and let myself rest every now and then.

So...I can look at this as a great opportunity to multi task and time manage. I have already noticed that I have become incredibly efficient at researching and writing. I can do assignments (that used to take me all day) in a few concentrated hours.

Natalie Rose talks about detoxing your life while you are detoxing your body. I want to focus on detoxing my life by only engaging in activities that I like and find truly meaningful in order not to take on too much. In addition, I would like to clean my living space and electronic space more. My apartment is pretty organized, but I always have some papers laying on my desk. I also try to stay on top of my personal and professional email. However, if I don't answer and file things immediately, my inbox is piled up within days. Do you ladies have some ideas about how to detox your space?

Finally, I have been feeling really dehydrated lately. So my goal is to drink a large green tea and at least 1L of water in the morning before I eat anything.

I haven't eaten anything today and will most likely wait until lunch. Now I am drinking tea and water. I plan to eat a big salad and some melon throughout the afternoon and evening.

Yesterday I was kinda craving sugar (I think I need to wean myself off since I have been eating dates and lara bars lately), so I had an Odwala bar. The guy at the checkout of the law school cafeteria said "What is this? I am used to only seeing you eat fruit!" I thought it was really funny that he noticed! He went on to say how he likes the way that I eat -- that he sees so many law students eating crap, so it is refreshing to see someone who eats only fruit. I was happy that he noticed and it gave me a wakeup call to avoid those Odwalla bars! I like to call them "junk food in disguise" just like Luna bars, Power bars, and the like.

Thanks for letting me vent :-). Looking forward to hearing about how you are both doing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2008 03:22PM by optimist4life.

Hey Ladies:
Quick food and exercise check in before I go to bed. I ate very little today -- wasn't so hungry.

-green tea and 1L of water
*swam a mile
-salad (greens, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers) + balsamic vinagrette
-salad (greens, mushrooms, carrots, cucumbers, red and green peppers)
-banana

I am EXHAUSTED and am going to try to go to spinning tomorrow am.

Good night!

Hey ladies,

So as you now I have found a great balance for myself between raw and cooked and I am really happy. So happy, in fact, that I think it would be better for me if I stopped posting here. I am finally in a place where I can eat healthfully without having food on my mind all the time. For someone with an ED background this is a huge accomplishment.

A little more about my ED: Right when I graduated from college (May 2006) I suddenly got the idea that I wanted to lose some weight. I was already at a healthy weight, but I figured I did not need to eat so much anymore because I was no longer a competitive swimmer...AND I thought "toning up" would be nice. I tried a normal, portion controlled type diet and it didnt really work, so I got the idea that I would only eat fruits and vegetables and see what happened. I ate TONS and TONS of food and was losing weight extremely rapidly. Within a couple months my body had completely changed, and I thought it was great because I wasn't starving myself since I always got full on vegetables. I looked similar to a supermodel and got a lot of attention at my new weight. I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me happy. However, it became clear that this was not the weight I was designed to be at because I started bingeing. When I binged I would eat any type of junk food and feel completely out of control and miserable. I kept convincing myself that was the last time I would do that, and wouldn't take any steps to make my diet more balanced to stop the bingeing. This put a great stress on my relationship with my boyfriend and made me very unhappy in general. Needless to say I gained all the weight back and now weigh what I did in college (which is still healthy and pretty slim actually). I want more than anything to just be done with that whole episode of my life, and I truly feel that I am now. I don't want to put pressure on myself to stay any percentage of raw. I just dont want to THINK about food that much anymore. Don't get me wrong, I am still going to eat very healthfully (with a lot of raw) because those are the foods that make me feel best. But for me right now it is more important to be able to eat things like organic cereal and brown rice not feel guilty for them being cooked. If I didn't the bingeing would probably start again...and I finally feel free from this!

Wow, that was a very long post. I dont expect you to have even read it all; it just felt very therapuetic to type it out. I wish you girls the absolute best in everything!

hi girls!

i feel so bad that you both wrote long venting posts and i have no time to comment! i am so tired, i just got back from my PT session and i have a million things to do but i will comment tomorrow!

PT was good- we did free weights, stuff on the BOSU and this other balancing type thing, and i realized that i have ZERO upper body strength...like seriously. it's pathetic. i managed to get to the gym early so i did 30 mins. of elliptical before the training session, and 15 on the arc trainer after in between training and an abs class. the abs class was not as killer as the one that's taught by the guy i usually have, but omg he made us use these weighted bars and my arms were already dying from the strength training and i thought i might die. so my arms got a killer workout today even if my abs didn't get as good a workout as i expected! i was at the gym from 6:30-9:15 which is insane and now i just want to sleeeeeep.

food:

-2 bananas, apple, 1.5 T raw almond butter
-banana
-2 bananas, 2 apples (then i was so full i got nauseous)
-lara bar (then the nausea came back...)
*workout*- banana in between PT session and arc trainer/abs class
-apple, banana

i am not going to be able to walk or lift my arm to answer the phone tomorrow. i have not done weights in forever...over a year actually. and i thought i was in shape...sure i can run 8 miles, but strength wise my legs are the only strong part of my body! this was a good wake-up call.

ok have a good night, i will read and respond tomorrow!

Hi Ladies:

Amy -- we will miss you! But if you feel as though this is the right decision for you, then I understand. Feel free to come back anytime, I plan to stay here indefinitely :-). I am glad to hear that you feel good with your decision and are finding a healthy place to be. Also, even if you want to check in now and then (instead of every day), that is fine as well. Good luck with everything!

Danielle -- Great that you have started lifting. That is really awesome!!

I decided to stay home this morning and do work instead of going to school as per usual. I don't have to be at school until 6pm, so I am just going to enjoy doing work at home. I have lunch plans with a friend at 2pm on the main campus, so I'll probably head over there to swim before I meet up with her.

This morning I was feeling pretty hungry from not eating much yesterday. I was out of almond milk, so I stole a bit of my roommate's apple juice to make a smoothie. It consisted of: 1c of apple juice, 1/2 banana, 1/2 c berries, 4 tbsp of raw hemp protein powder. It was delicious, but a bit too sweet from the apple juice. I definitely like it better with almond milk.

I'll check in later today.

Have a good day!!

Becky, you really sound insanely busy. I know some people thrive on that kind of thing (I am not one of them!) but really, if you’re unhappy and have no free time, you need to let some of the lower-priority things go. Do you really need to be on half a dozen boards or committees on top of everything else? Do you need to be a research asst. for 2 people? I guess if it was me, I’d pick the top 5 or 6 things, let the others go, and that way I’d be able to give my all to my favorite things/the ones that meant the most to me, rather than giving 25% to everything. Make sense? Also, that’s really cute that the cashier noticed you are such a fruity eater, and that he admires you for it! I love getting random comments like that, they can make your day!

Amy, I’m sad to hear that you’re not going to post with us anymore, but I am very happy for you that you’ve achieved the mind-body connection and balance that everyone (especially those with previous EDs) strives for! That’s great, and I completely support your decision to stop posting and stop focusing on food if that’s what is best for you! It sounds like you have found a very healthy way of eating & living and that’s really wonderful! Definitely feel free to check in and come back whenever you want!

Anyway, I was also really hungry today from not eating enough and working out too much yesterday (yes, too much- my dizziness from the concussion came back last night, I felt like I was drunk b/c my head was spinning so much. Ooops). I have been an eating machine today, or at least I feel like I have been. Today will most likely be a rest day unless I'm dying for some cardio later.

-banana w/ 1-1.5 T almond butter (I never measure it, just eyeball it), 2ish c. OJ
-banana
-4 (!!!) bananas, about 2 c. mango (was so dizzy I could barely walk through the grocery store, eeek)
-planning on a choc. coconut lara bar, yum
-salad w/ romaine, baby romaine, red & yellow peppers, carrots, cucs, cauliflower, tomatoes, raw ACV
-apple if needed

That is some good eating! I wanted to have veggies w/ raw hummus for dinner but it’ll have to wait til tomorrow b/c I had fat w/ breakfast and I really want that Lara bar later. Oh well!

Oh, and I’m not nearly as sore as I feel like I should be today! My arms are a little sore, and so is my butt, but my abs aren’t sore at all. I’m also thinking of calling in sick tomorrow b/c I know I came back from the attack/concussion/injuries way too fast and I haven’t fully recovered. I need an extra day of rest before the craziness of the weekend. I’ll see how I feel about it- it’s dead at work lately.

I have a sort of interesting question for you girls (well, plural if Amy’s still reading!). Have you heard of or researched Calorie Restriction for Optimal Nutrition, aka CRON? It’s a way of eating/living where followers restrict their caloric intake to about 20-40% less than “average” while making sure to get as much nutrition as possible b/c calorie restriction has been shown to increase your lifespan by slowing down aging on a cellular level. It’s really interesting to me and I think that it could tie into raw foodism easily (and raw food diets also seem to slow cellular aging, too). Most CRON followers measure their food, count every gram, and use computer programs to make sure they’re getting all their nutrients for little calories. However, raw foodists tend to be more easy-going b/c they KNOW they’re getting tons of vitamins & minerals in every bite. I looked into CRON and found that I’m already eating about 15-25% less than “average” for someone of my age, height, weight & activity level without even trying, thanks to raw (between about 1200 and 1600/day). That’s why I’m asking if you’ve heard of it or have any thoughts!

Anyway if you’re interested, the official site is here: [calorierestriction.org]

The article that sparked my curiosity is here: [nymag.com]

And the Wikepedia blurb is here: [en.wikipedia.org]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/2008 09:55PM by meow.

Hi Danielle:
Yes, I have heard of CRON. I read about it in the book entitled, "the 120 year diet." Fascinating stuff. It seems to me like you are already basically doing it. No? If not, you are basically almost there.

Well, I decided that February is going to be 100% raw vegan. I have had episodes of cooked food here and there, so for one month I am going to nip it in the bud. Actually, I haven't gone an entire month 100% raw yet and I am pretty excited about the prospect. Now that I have pretty much figured out what works for my body and found the Hemp protein powder, I know I am ready for it!!
I must admit I had a tiny cooked food feast for dinner since it will be my last cooked food for at least a month. Overall my day was good though:

-smoothie: 1c apple juice, 1/2 banana, 1/2 c berries, 4 tbsp hemp protein powder
*swam a mile
-handfull of fruit and nuts
-1/2 salad (sprouted mung beans, flax seeds, greens orange pepper, carrots, cucumber, celery, balsalmic vinegar & olive oil)
-bowl of melon and pineapple
-other half of my salad
-lara bar
-mini cooked food feast from Whole Foods salad bar (1 triangle of teriaki tofu, wheatberry salad, quinoa salad, taboule) -- at least it was healty cooked food!
-glass of red wine

i have noticed that when I have a smoothie for breakfast I am much more hungry throughout the day. I think it is due to the fact that it is so high carb. Spiking my bloodsugar first thing in the morning is a bad idea, I think. So I am going to stick to my plan of only having green tea and water until noon. Yesterday was a breeze!

Tomorrow I am going to a friend's for shabbat dinner. I asked her if I can bring a salad and she said yes. So my plan is to eat a salad before I go over there to feel full and then just maybe pick at my salad once I am there. I'll stick to the salad and maybe some red wine. Should be easy.

My plan for the whole day tomorrow is:
-water and tea until noon
-salad for lunch (I am meeting up with a friend, but will probably just eat my usual salad that I bring from home)
-salad at home for an early dinner (or maybe fruit if that is what strikes me)
-pick at my salad at her place
-a glass or 2 of red wine

So...wish me luck on 100% raw for February!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/01/2008 03:55AM by optimist4life.

I am feeling awful today. I am so dizzy and nauseous! I felt fine when i got up at 5 AM, and for the first 35 mins. of my workout. Then I just started to get so dizzy and spacey, I cut my workout short (did 45 mins. instead of an hour). I thought I might pass out while I was getting ready for work, but it sort of passed. It's back though. I just laid down on my boss's couch for 5 mins., but now everyone is out at lunch so I have to keep an eye on the phones and stay here. I'm planning on leaving when they get back, I am a little worried that I feel this bad. I made progress in my recovery and now I feel worse than I did when I came back to work last week. I am going to call the ER and get their advice (I have no primary care physician to call here so I don't know who else to get advice from!).

Becky, yes, I think I am doing CRON and didn't even realize it til yesterday. I wonder if any CRON'ers do raw foodism? They seem to measure and count and all that stuff that we get to avoid I read a few CRON blogs and they eat processed stuff that you wouldn't think someone interested in health and longevity would put into his/her body. But to each his own, right? It's kind of cool, I don't know if I have any interest in living that long, but everyone wants to slow down the aging process! Oh, and I am super hungry when I have smoothies for breakfast, too. Even more so than if I just have bananas or something like that. Weird.

Also, I'm excited for you to experience a month of 100% raw! I did that, too, and it was really fulfilling to get to the end of the month and know that I accomplished that goal. I'm glad that the hemp powder is working so well for you. I think it's so cool how your body said, "I need more protein," and you totally solved the problem and things are going well! Our bodies are so smart, the trick is learning to listen to them!

Food today:
*45 mins. arc trainer*
-3 bananas, 2 T raw almond butter...mmmm
-banana that my boss forced me to eat b/c I nearly passed out
-lara bar & apple (I'm eating this as I type and it's helping me feel less dizzy!)
-apple & banana
-salad w/ romaine & baby romaine, red & yellow peppers, carrots, cucs, tomatoes, cauliflower, raw ACV

Tonight I am relaxing, staying in and going to sleep really early. I think my body is in need of more like 9-10 hours of sleep a night at this point in recovery, and I'm getting more like 7-8. Usually that's plenty but it's not cutting it right now. I can't wait to get out of here and lie down!
-

Hi Danielle: Gosh, sorry to hear that you are feeling so awful! I hope that you get a chance to rest this weekend and take care of yourself. Maybe take a couple of days off from the gym? I'll send you healing thoughts.

I am sure some CRON eaters are raw. It seems to me as though you are already eating the CRON way and it is working well for you. Why change anything?

I am feeling so tired today! Maybe the cooked food last night? Well I am excited to have started the first day of my month-long raw food kick.

Today so far:
-fruit bowl (pineapple, cantaloupe, a few grapes)
-big salad (greens, carrots, red and yellow peppers, cucumbers, celery, olives, vinegar). BTW, is vinegar raw?

I am going swimming in about 10 minutes and plan to swim a mile. Then I am going to my friend's for dinner. Made a salad for everyone so I will just eat that. Maybe some red wine.

Feel better!

Well, I just finished swimming a mile and ate a big apple because I was HUNGRY! Always very hungry after swimming.

I am now on my way to my friend's place for shabbat dinner. Wish me luck -- shabbat dinner is always the most challenging time of the week for me food wise.

I am going to eat some carrots on the way over there and then eat 100% raw when I am there. I'll report back when I get home just to keep me honest.

I am DETERMINED that February will be 100% raw vegan.

Well, I ate 100% raw today yay! February is off to a good start.

Grand total:

-fruit bowl (pineapple, cantaloupe, a few grapes)
-big salad (greens, carrots, red and yellow peppers, cucumbers, celery, olives, vinegar). BTW, is vinegar raw?
*swam a mile
-apple, bag of small baby carrots
-Shabbat dinner: salad (greens, carrots, red and yellow peppers, cucumbers, celery, vinegar & olive oil), mashed and dried banana, glass of white wine
-glass of red wine
-a few olives & a few raw chickpeas

It was a bit of a challenge because it was a small group, so I couldn't really "blend" in. I ended up just telling them that I am a raw vegan. It was fine and nobody seemed to judge. Feeling good and am ready to be 100% raw again tomorrow! Should be a breeze. I am just meeting up with a friend for a movie in the evening, but food-wise I will be on my own.

Spinning in the am and then raw again all day...

Good morning! Quick check in before I head off to school.

Spinning this morning. It smelled like something was burning in the spinning room, so I left for the last 15 min and did the elliptical machine.

*45 min spinning class, 15 min elliptical machine, stretches and abs
-smoothie (4 tbsp raw hemp protein 3/4 cup of apple juice, banana, 1/2 c berries)
-a few carrots and celery with raw tahina when I was packing my lunch/dinner for the day.

For the rest of the day I just plan to eat the big salad I made with a few random vegetables I had in the fridge, as I really need to go grocery shopping (raw kale, red pepper, celery, carrots, sprouts, raw tahina) and a banana. Maybe some wine later tonight when I am out with my friend.