Hi all,
Well i'm very new at this and right now am soooo unhealthy... i'm so embarrased to even post this but i really am confused. i'm hoping that some of you can give me your opinions...i'm trying to stay motivated but i feel, honestly, like @#$%&. i'm 36 years old, and have pretty much eaten cooked foods all my life... i am trying to transition to all raw.... my goal is to eat all raw and vegan. i only just started, but here is my sad- but honest- food intake -- wow i am soooo embarrased to even write this but i need help.. i don't want to give up.

I have terrible addiction to caffeine as you all can see- and, of course, i am trying to decrease slowly and ultimately stop all caffiene.

I started last Thurs.- and here is my food journal since then.. also i know i am not eating enough calories but being new at this i'm having a hard time eating enough- trying to get my taste buds to enjoy more raw veggies and fruits.

so here goes:

Dec. 7 - Thursday "first day"

meal 1:
2 cups coffee(w/ cream, sugar)
1 cheese croissant (dunkin doughnuts)
1 16 oz mountain dew

meal 2:
1 apple
2 dates

meal 3:
2 pieces cheese pizza

December 8 - Friday

meal 1:
1 16 oz mountain dew
1 cup coffe (w/cream,sugar)
1 cheese croissant

meal 2:
1 lg. apple

meal 3:
romaine lettuce
4 lg. carrots
1 sm. tomato
newman's own ranch dressing

meal 4:
1 med arby's roast beef sandwich
16 oz water
1 20 oz sunkist

meal 5:
6 townhouse crackers


December 9 - Saturday

meal 1:
1 16 oz mountain dew
1 cup coffee(cream,sugar)
3/4 cheese croissant

meal 2:
1 lg. apple
4 dates

meal 3:
1 cup chili (beef)
1 1/2 slice of cornbread
33 oz water

meal 4:
romaine lettuce
1 lg. carrot
1/2 tomato
newman's own creamy italian dressing

meal 5:
caramel candies(5)


December 9 - Sunday

meal 1:
1 1/2 cup coffee (cream, sugar)
10 oz sunkist

meal 2:
4 apple slices
2 dates
1 banana
17 oz water

meal 3:
baby ruth
1 choc. biscotti
1/2 peanut bar
1/2 fanta

meal 4:
Olive Garden:
salad
1 breadstick
2 stuffed mushrooms
3 fried zuchini slices
2 fried ravioli
6 oz sweet tea
1/4 cup cofee (cream, sugar)

meal 5:
1/2 twix
20 oz sunkist
33 oz water

December 10- Monday

meal 1:
1/2 cup coffee(cream, sugar)
apple
20 oz sunkist

meal 2:
romaine lettuce
carrot
tomato
creamy italian dressing

meal 3:
1/2 twix
1/2 roll of rollos (choc, caramel)


December 11 - Tuesday

meal 1:
1 cup coffee(cream, sugar)
20 oz mountain dew
8 oz sunkist
cheese croissant

meal 2:
lg. apple
1/4 cup pecans
a few walnuts

meal 3:
romaine lettuce
tomato
carrot
green pepper (1/4)
creamy italian dressing
ginger dressing
8 townhouse crackers
ony ate half of salad

meal 4:
4 townhouse crackers

meal 5:
1/2 roll of rollos (choc., caramel)

DRANK MORE WATER BUT FORGOT TO PUT IT ALL DOWN- however, still not enough i think!

See isn't this awful!!!!! I know - but, by reading this don't you feel good about how well all of you are doing! i'm on here reading everyday and being here has really helped me... even though it doesn't look like it from my meals-- if that is what you could call some of them!!

Anyway, as you can imagine-- i have felt terrible all week- headaches, (believe it or not- i used to drink alot more caffeine than what's listed above) i have had stomach aches all week- feel stopped up! going once a day, if that- and feeling heavy, and lathargic...

I'm really sorry this post is so rediculously long but i wanted you to get the full picture... the main question i have here is --- am i detoxing already? and should i go 100% raw now? i have read so many posts from people who are 100% raw and feel great and are working out--- honestly i feel like crap-- if i go 100% now will i feel better or worse (more detox?) or should i keep it slow.

Please help, i don't want to give up on this -- I AM DETERMINED TO GET HEALTHY!!
i just need some advice on what to do now--

THANK YOU, to anyone who took their time to read this lonnnnnggg post--- again i'm really sorry its so long.

feeling lathargic, frustrated, etc,
joanna

Joanna, you are on the right track. I know that it may not feel like it right now, you are somewhere between contemplation/plan/action stages of a behavior change model. First of all, don't beat yourself up over this. Changing behavior is one of the most difficult things that a person can do. Behaviors become ingrained into your neuropathways, so changing behavior is actually a physiological change in addition to actually changing your actions.
The fact that you have been reading this website every day and have written everything down! That is fantastic! Now you can really look at your patterns and figure out ways that you can change.
Just from a cursory glance at your food each day -- you are definitely not eating enough!
For example, December 10 of course you ate chocolate! Your body was dying for some calories. All you ate the entire day was a piece of fruit, some juice, and a salad. I would be ravenous at night if that is all I ate the entire day. Instead of depriving yourself throughout the day and then eating chocolate at night, plan ahead and be sure you have some healthy foods on hand when you get hungry.

Regarding whether you should go 100% raw or do it more slowly: It is really up to you. Are you ready for a 100% transformation or do you prefer a more gradual change? I would say that the first thing you should do is change your breakfast. Starting the day with coffee, cream, sugar, and carbs with lots of fat and no nutrition sets you up for bad eating all day. I would say maybe for the first week just focus on changing your breakfast. After that, I bet everything else will fall into place. My recommendation for breakfast could be as follows:
-green tea instead of coffee (with honey if you need the sweetness)
-fruit and raw nuts (almonds are delicious if you soak them in water overnight)
-a smoothie with several different fruts
Eat as much fruit as you want -- until you feel full.
It may be tough at first but, believe me, you will be surprised at how easy it will be to eat fruit in the morning after only a week.

At night, cut up a bunch of different vegetables so that you can reach for those when you are hungry the next day. Regarding not liking the taste of raw food, get really creative with spices, raw vinegars, olive oils, etc. You will be amazed at how delicious raw food can taste if you get creative!

Maybe consider replacing your chocolate with a lara bar. These are AMAZING and 100% raw!

Finally, eat as much as you want, as long as it is raw! You will find that it will be tough to eat a roastbeef sandwich if you already have a mouthful of salad!

You definitely have the potential to make the transformation that you desire. Take it day by day, and keep on writing down what you eat. Good for you for your determination! Please do keep posting here, everyone is very supportive and we all want you to succeed!

Thank you optimist4life, i really appreciate your advice--

yes, i think you are right on many accounts--- will begin by changing my breakfast-- i do have one question regarding fruits--- i do love many different fruits but have noticed that alot "feel" very acidic on my stomach, sort of citricy- like grapes, berries, pineapple, even apples... it helped when i ate nuts with my apple the other day.. do you feel this too or did you when you first started eating raw? i can't eat right away when i wake, and usually wait an hour or so... but i worry that the fruit will make my stomach feel "acidy". any advice on that?

Also, knowing what you know about raw and transitioning.... if this had been you (my last week of my diet)--- knowing what you know now, would you have slowed up, stayed on the same path as i'm going, or transitioned to 100% raw.... i know me and i know i can go 100% if i will start feeling better from doing 100%. want to feel lighter, more energy, "regular" if you know what i mean-- haha! i don't mind that i am detoxing some but would be nice to feel these things atleast a little, while i'm doing it! what do you think-- i'm leaning towards just doing it!! goin 100% raw-- instead of confusing my body every other mean it seems... thanks again and hope to hear from you and others soon!
sincerely,
joanna

I hear you regarding the acidic feeling. Have you tried melon or banana? That might be a little less acidic for you? I also like to eat a few nuts with fruit -- seems to balance it out well.

As far as transitioning. The only way that I can do raw is 100%. I am an all or nothing kinda girl when it comes to food, so even if I take one bite of cooked food I get into a really bad downward spiral. I kind of equate it to quitting smoking: either you smoke or you don't. Either you eat raw or you don't. It just makes everything easier and more simple to say that I don't eat ANYTHING cooked. Black and white is the name of the game for me. Maybe some day I will be able to eat a bit of cooked food here and there, but as a novice I must do 100%. Go for it! I think you are ready for the change.

Oh regarding the "regular" feeling. I go several times a day. Like food just can't stay in my body for too long. I love it! This may be tmi, but sometimes my @#$%& is even green from all of the salads that I eat. Makes me feel really clean when I realize that toxins are just pushed out of my body by what I eat.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/2007 05:05PM by optimist4life.

Funny you should mention the smoking... I am also a smoker (i wanted to go raw first and then quit) wow ,am i the epitomy of health or what!!! anyway, i think i am just going to jump! I hate feeling like crap and i am so envious of these posts of how great people feel... i want to feel great too! so, again, thank you for your advice, i really needed that push! i've always been an all or nothing gal too... sometimes, for me, it has been a great things, other times it has not been too great! oh, and i've hated banana all my life, but now i am started to like them... shall try that for breakfast!
thanks again!
joanna