An Intro:

I have been eating more raw the last 2 weeks...My days right now run from 60-100% raw. I have read 3 or 4 raw books and have been thinking about doing this for a long time now. I tried "going raw" about 3 years ago, but didn't stick with it. I've been regretting that for about 6 months and daring myself to "try again".

Next week I'm flying home to mom's for the holiday and won't have as much control over my choices, so I thought by starting this journal here I might feel some accountability to this choice I've made about eating. No definite goals yet except to eat as much raw as I can get and to move towards eating vegan in my choices. I am currently a dairy-holic! Eventually want to go 100% raw after the holidays are over.

I am 38 years old, weigh 268 lbs and am 5 foot 4. I have been on every "diet"
known to lose weight. I have encountered several "warning signs" regarding my health this year. This will be an experiment in weight loss and health--a spiritual journey as well. Just this year I came to an awareness of the choices we make in life, esp when we don't make the concious choice (that, too, is a choice). I want to make my choices with awareness and enjoyment of the journey that is life.

Encouragement and Constructive Comments are welcome and appreciated.
Shann

Today's Menu:
pineapple, melon, & grape salad (out with friends)
fruit smoothie w/blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and wheatgrass
lemon jasmine hot tea
Very large salad w/mixed greens and lentil soup

planned for dinner: apples

Looked so good for yesterday until......

last night I spent the night with a friend. I took over a bunch of bananas in case I got the munchies. Well, I did get the munchies--but the bananas weren't ripe. I tried to eat one and YUCK! Anyway I ended up munching a couple pieces of Christmas Chocolate and then making myself a peanut butter sandwich.

I thought I did so well planning....taking the bananas....I'm kinda bummed with how the evening food situation. I know I have a problem with night eating that I need to conquer...but one thing at a time...for now just moving to all raw is enough without adding in extra "rules" for myself. I wish I'd have just gone to bed instead of eating the sandwich......

Welcome, Shann! I look forward to following your raw journey.

I think a lot of people have problems with night eating -- check out the advice forum for a night eating thread.

Good luck, and feel free to ask any questions. I am newish to this as well, but have learned a lot the past couple of months.

Thanks optimist4life!

Today's Menu:
1/2 mug of coffee w/half-n-half and splenda--I spent the night at a friend's house where I stay frequently. She always makes us coffee first thing in the morning. I have been drinking hot tea in the mornings instead, but I started drinking it before I was fully awake. I have worked myself down to just decaf coffee and that only occasionally.

2 oranges
3 apples
"coleslaw" made with cabbage, broccoli, carrots, 1 apple and dressing made with lemonjuice, water, and tahini
hot peppermint tea
handful of walnuts
tomato and avocado salad
pears (not sure how many yet..this will be my late night snacking)

I'm going to try to post my menus here as often as I can as a kind of accountability.

Shann

Shann: Sounds great! Keep up the good work. I know life transitions are really difficult, but as long as you keep yourself full with good, nutritious food you can handle this one.
Definitely keep on posting. I'll keep up with you and give you positive encouragement along the way :-).

Well...No tomato and avocado salad last night...the avocado was bad and the tomatoes were breaking my tongue out.

Really craving fats last night...dipped raw green beans in cheese sauce. I'm trying to use up my cooked foods/non-vegan foods and not buy anymore. I feel so much better on the raw foods...it's amazing. I'm not committing to try 100% raw until after the holidays though, since I'm going down to my mom's for Christmas starting on Thursday.

It's not just for Christmas though...on Friday she is going to get a complete diagnosis on the cancer they found so I will be with her for that. She has enough to worry about this Christmas without me throwing special eating rules at her.

I used to live where she is and know all the stores etc. Unforunately she lives in the middle of the desert where the nearest decent store is 45 min away. I'm flying into Vegas though and before we leave I will insist on going to a store and picking up some fruits and maybe veggies. Years ago, when I attempted raw, I was the salad queen! This time through all I'm craving fruits, and I'm having to force myself to eat green things. Weird.

Anyway..more later.

Thanks again optimist4life!

Today's menu:

1 pear
1 green pepper
leftover slaw from yesterday
2 apples
2 bananas

not sure what I'm having for dinner yet....trying to use up what is at the house as I'm leaving in 2 days and will be away for a week.

Last night's dinner was 2 baked potatoes, a really large salad w/ mixed greens and a whole red bell pepper. Also, a handful of mixed raw nuts.

Today's menu:

3 pears
mixed green salad w/carrots
3 bananas

not sure about dinner...not good, I am in "pigout" frame of mind and I am going to a friends to do laundry. I have apples and oranges to take with me, but I just want to eat, eat, eat...and I do mean cooked foods. I'm not sure emotionally what it is all about??? I cannot think of anything raw that will satisfy me right now.

Maybe I'll stop by the local coffee shop on the way home and pickup a smoothie. See if that stops the nonsense!!!
Shann

Well...I pigged out on pasta. Since I'm not 100%, a little pasta would have been okay...but I ate way too much.

Getting right back on track this morning though!
More later or tomorrow--I have to get ready to catch a plane!
Shann

I'm back from my mom's..she had no internet access.
I ate as much raw as I could down there...they are having more financial problems then they let on. I made sure there was salad or fresh veggies/fruits at each meal, but was in no way "raw".

Back home though the first thing I did was stop at the grocery and stock up on raw food! More later,
Shann

Why is it so hard to get started back up? I hung out with my friends this weekend and ended up eating SAD....a lot of pasta and sweets. I feel awful. I have plenty of healthy good stuff (fruits and veggies) at my apartment...??????

I feel so energetic when eating mostly raw and know this is a good way to lose weight, get healthier, etc. Yet when faced with a bowl of pasta or chocolates the last couple days I just pigged out....I know alot of it is emotional eating and I get that way after time with my mom.

I need to accept responsibility for my own choices regarding food. Sounds easy, but......!

Today started out with 2 bananas and some peach herbal tea. I brought a banana and an orange to work if I get hungry. And my lunch plan is a really big salad.

I need to stick with this!!!!!
Shann

Today's menu

Smoothie w/pears and celery
grapefruit
mixed greens salad w/avocado
bananas

Plan smoothie for dinner and some nuts.

Hi
I feel your pain, i really do. I love food and its really hard to just stop having all the things your body believes its entitled to have. I have only been on my raw diet for 9 days so im less than a novice here but i just thought i'd make an observation.. i feel that you are not eating enough. As i said its really hard to give this stuff up so for the first few weeks i would advise you to eat like a little pig. stuff yourself with lots and lots of food, just make sure its raw. I believe that you cant eat too much when what you are eating are things like spinach,cauliflower, broccoli, ect there are tons of wonderful veggies out there. Make veg juices, fruit smoothies, salads and "soups". Its hard enough to give up something you have been doing for so long, to try and 'diet' at the same time is madness in my opinion. And the funny thing is that even if you stuff yourself, you will still lose weight because trust me, you have to eat a truck full of veggies to come anywhere near the calorie intake of pizza, cake, pasta and all the other delicious things out there..

something that is very filling for me and work for night time cravings is Gazpatcho. I make a big jug and i have a glass of it and then the rest i put in the fridge to have from supper time to bed time, whenever i feel like snacking. Im not sure why but i promose you, it makes you so full you dont want to even look at anything else. Here is whats in it..

6-7 plum tomatoes (nice and ripe)
2 small sweet red peppers
a few sun dried tomatoes
half a large cucumber
a large handful of fresh basil
2-3 cloves of garlic - crushed
a big avo (makes it creamy and delicious, very important ingredient)
juice of half a lemon
a good splash of worstershire sauce
salt/pepper/cayenne pepper
big handful of baby spinach (optional but good for making you full)

bliz in the food processor, add a bit of water if too thick and taste for seasoning.

I hope this helps you

Wow!

You have made so much change in such a shor period of time!

I have had such similair experiences, a few good days raw, followed perhaps by some cooked binging. I used to feel very "bad" as I knew how much I wanted to follow a healthy path.

It comes down to behaviour in some regards,what changes can you make now, what changes are for the future.

Transition is a reality for some, small steps to your larger, higher being. You deserve huge kudos for alterning your reality so radically - keep up the good work.

Wow....I totally went off the Raw Path and dived into "I don't care what I eat" land....YIKES!

Not only that, but I started smoking again too.....Yucko!

My goal right now...to introduce and increase living foods into my diet...I have so been eating CRAP...fast food, TV Dinners, etc.

I made my first green smoothie in at least a month this morning!

More later,

Shann

shann, I want encourage you. I started last year at a wopping 360 pounds and my blood preasure is sky high. I went directly from smoking , drinking coffee and all else non vegan to eating raw foods in June of last year. I really bombed out during the holidays and have struggled to regain a raw lifestyle once again. I started to gain some of the weight back and have really been haveing a hard time getting back to raw. I think there are other factors besides what we eat that affect our lives. Take one step at a time and think positive. Feed yourself positive thoughts. I have been raw now for three days, besides drinking coffee, You can do it one step at a time. I think it is a very benificial thing to eat all raw foods.

Thanks Pampam for the encouragement.

I have been eating more fresh fruits and veggies. Starting off each day with fruit or a green smoothie. But my evenings are erratic and full of non-raw over-eating. I've cut back to 1-2 cigarettes a day and am still drinking my coffee...but have cut back.

My first goal is to be off the cigs by this coming weekend (15/16). I know from experience that I can quit them if I slow down before stopping.

My next goal is to be 75% or higher raw by the next weekend (21/22).

Here's hoping I make both goals

Yesterday I had my first all-RAW day in forever. No coffee or even tea yesterday.

Bananas and Oranges for Breakfast
Green smoothie for lunch
Oranges for snack
Salad w/homemade fresh guacamole for dinner.

If it wasn't for my morning cigarette......

Anyway, today will not be completely raw as I needed caffeine of some kind this morning to get going (hot tea).

Fighting a cold...experiencing slight detox symptoms.

Doing well with RAW...eating 50-75% raw...Lots of smoothies.

Today's Smoothie made with 1 banana, strawberries, 1 pear, celery, sprouted lentils..tastes "earthy" and good.

Raw foods are really hitting the spot for me right now...in a big way. Mostly cooked foods are coffee, tea, or soup (trying to stay warm)

Detox symptoms include: Cold symptoms (cough, runny nose, sneezing), slight queasiness in the stomach, and headache (cut way back on caffeine and I am a drink coffee all day person).

I am determined to quit smoking Saturday...I've just been having my "morning smoke" and eliminating that Saturday morning when I can sleep in sounds like a great plan.

My life has been hectic busy so I'm trying to calm myself down some. Although busy, I have not had the energy to do what I need to do. But RAW is taking care of that...I have more focus, and am not falling asleep by afternoon on RAW.

Shan, When I quit smoking last year I drink wheat grass juice. I read that the wheat grass cleans out the nickoteen in your body. I also read to not fight the bad habit but to replace the habit with something else. I decided to replace smoking with breathing so everytime I wanted to smoke I would take several deep breaths of fresh air. After three days it became easier to not smoke and the breathing became a habit because when I saw someone smoking I began to automatically take a deep breath of air. In the past when I would quit smoking I actually enjoyed smelling smoke but now I can't stand the smell, it nausiates me. I love the fact I don't smoke any longer.
I quit drinking coffee and had a headache for three days. I am a all day coffee drinker. Unfortunately I have backslid fronm the coffee thing. I do hope to stop drinking the coffee again.
Keep up the good things it sounds like you are on the road to good health