I'm going to post here what I eat each day as I try to make this month 90% raw 5 days out of 7, and at least 60-75% raw on weekends. Last weekend didn't go so well, but today (as always) I have a fresh start. My goal, ultimately, is to lose 25 pounds and get back to my lowest weight, 115, which at 5'3" I think is quite appropriate. As well I have in the past used raw foods to rid myself of unnatural cravings for junk and overeating. As background, I am and have been an ethical (so, not always healthy) vegan for almost 7 years, and generally keep my home full of healthy foods. I usually cook for myself but in the last few months since I moved back to NYC I have been eating out unusually often. That and long hours led to my recent weight gain, which has pushed me over the edge of comfort.

I may not make many comments as I want to encourage myself to post daily and to be totally honest about what I eat. I believe, though I usually don't act on this belief, that as soon as you honestly look at yourself you will rid yourself of contradictions in behavior which, in turn, can only exist if you are lying to yourself in some way.

To reiterate, the plan monday - friday is to be fully raw except for some rice or steamed veggies for dinner. I'll adjust as needed to accomodate eating with my husband, minimizing cooked in favor of raw as much as possible, but dinner is the only meal affected during the week.

I woke up and had a few sips of cranberry-mix juice and a banana, then a 16 oz organic english breakfast tea with soy milk. Organic coffee with organic soy milk and two "raw" sugars (I don't think this is raw nor do I think my coffee is raw, organic or no. Just keeping tabs on myself).
(almond milk is packaged. smoothies and juices are packaged unless otherwise stated)

At work, am:
Raspberry smoothie, 16 oz.
really nice soaked sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame seeds, about 1/4 cup unsoaked. I have to remember to soak seeds everyday because I love these for breakfast. Suprisingly satisfying.
raw grainless cereal with dried apples and raisins in 1/2 cup almond milk
8 oz. water

Lunch:
16 oz. water
salad of spinach, carrots, cucumber, celery, tomatoes, avocado (1/2), oil, vinegar, salt, pepper.
orange juice, 16 oz.
bluberries, 1 cup (1 small package)

At work, pm:
cantaloupe, 2-3 kiwi, 2 strawberries, 2 slices watermelon
16 oz. water

On train:
finish salad
1 cup papaya

Monday 2/4, I had 3 dates on the way home as well, then rice & stir fry veggies for dinner.

Tuesday 2/5, (weighed 141)
Breakfast: banana, raspberry smoothie, org. coffee
Lunch: huge blueberry-mango-papaya shake (fresh)
On train: bagel with tofu cream cheese (bland!!), then another half bagel
Dinner: can't remember. Did I eat dinner?

Wednesday 2/6,
org. coffee
Strawberry smoothie, almonds, soaked seeds (love them)
Salad with avocado & broccoli sprouts, oil, lemon, sauteed broccoli, rice & lentils
Bagel w. avocado
Banana
Lots of papaya juice and orange juice throuought the day
Sauteed kale and white beans

Today I weigh 139.
Orange juice, banana, raspberry smoothie, almonds, soaked seeds
Org. coffee.

I need to be a lot better about my water consumption today.

AM: Papaya, cantaloupe, watermelon, goji berries
Lunch: salad of arugala, mushrooms, apples, celery, carrots, sundried tomatoes, avocado, oil, lemon.
Apple juice

2/7, on train:
Banana, 4 dates
home: grapefruit juice, mango juice, lichi juice. bagel w. tofu, mesclun lettuce with lemon, olive oil, s+p.
dinner: blanched carrot, zucchini, peppers, mushrooms, with less than one ounce spelt pasta, olive oil.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/08/2008 04:03PM by birch.

139 again.

breakfast: banana, grapefruit juice, almonds, soaked seeds, organic coffee, mango smoothie.

My trip to Bonobo's was delicious.
Napa cabbage "sandwich" with sunflower-dill salad inside, which had cucumbers, celery, etc.; mesclun.
Spinach-banana-blueberry-coconut water/meat smoothie.
Frozen Durian "ice cream".

PM at work:
a little honeydew, pineapple
3 dates, one cup papaya
sprouted cereal (sprouted buckwheat, sprouted sunflower seeds, sprouted quinoa, sprouted pumpkin seeds, sprouted almonds, cinnamon) with almond milk



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/08/2008 10:52PM by birch.

dinner:
wheatgrass shot
fresh smoothie of raspberry, banana, oj, ginko, flax oil
salad of red lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and leftover arugala salad from yesterday with raw dressing from bonobo's
steamed organic broccoli, zucchini, carrot with carrot-ginger dressing

weekend #2 not so good again- lots of changes going on at home means I don't cook for myself like I should. I end up eating bread and almonds to get by, though I try to focus on bananas, juice, apples, and carrots when I have them. I had my soaked seeds, juice, smoothies in the mornings and salads with lunch, but I end up going so long without food while we discuss buying property or a house that by the time I cook something good I don't watch my portions because I'm concerned about nutrition and I'm so happy to eat vegetables instead of bread.

anyway. Monday again. 140 again.

organic coffee, raspberry smoothie, soaked seeds and soaked almonds, 1 cup blueberries.

While I'm remembering what I ate this weekend:
as far as meals, Saturday was lunch: brown basmati with organic lentils and sauteed lacinto kale / dinner: half a "homemade" vegan burger from the health food store with whole wheat bread, vegan mayo, etc and a little seaweed salad, organic apple. Sunday was lunch: brown basmati with organic lentils and sauteed broccoli and salad of romaine, org. mesclun, org. avocado, mixed sprouts, olive oil, lemon, salt / dinner: sauteed org. mushrooms with boiled asparagus and soba with olive oil and tamari.

Monday lunch:
fresh carrot juice
salad of romaine and small amounts of the following: sunflower sprouts, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, carrots, red cabbage, cherry tomatoes; non-raw packaged shitake dressing
1 cup various fruit: papaya, honeydew, strawberries, mango, pineapple

work PM:
rest of raspberry smoothie
2 halves dried org. pear
goji berries
dinner:
green soup "pistou" with fava beans
wheatgrass shot
org. coffee again

also had some sugar snap peas and a banana.

why does everything cooked taste bland now?
I was really craving something satisfying, almost ordered a vegan burger with fries, but just the idea of it seemed so heavy and gross. At the same time I don't want to eat more and more nuts. I wanted a raw "preparation/entree" like I had at bonobo's but no luck in midtown, so I settled for the soup, which is sort of creamy from the favas. I got a pleasing thick warm feeling in my belly but the soup tasted so bland, when before I used to like it so much!
thus, the snap peas and banana, which I truthfully preferred.
maybe next time I'll listen to myself and just get a nice smoothie and eat my raw cereal with almond milk.

I am worried about what will happen when I start craving raw foods 24-7 and yet I'm home with my husband who wants rice, lentils, bread, etc., etc.

also last night I had (between 9pm - 1am) (I worked late):
coconut water - which I loved and went searching for more on my way to the train and this morning on my way to work
goji berries
3 bananas
several handfuls of unsoaked sunflower and pumpkin seeds
some mesclun and almonds from H's leftover salad

On the train I read a long article about the miricle of coconut oil. may try adding it to my diet for 2 weeks to see what happens, if it speeds up my matabolism. I know mine is much slower than H's- it seems I have to eat very little and/or exercise a whole lot to lose weight-- who knows, it could have been slow all this time.

This morning I weighed 138.5 even though I ate all that before going to bed at 1:20am waking up at 6:30am! very strange for me. must be that raw is working.

woke up, had papaya juice.
one banana on train
starving when I got to NYC, but I didn't have any soaked seeds!
my sprouted buckwheat cereal saved me, although it is bitter, I had 1/2 cup with 3/4 cup almond milk.
raspberry smoothie
organic coffee.

one apple
salad of spinach, mushroom, lightly steamed broccoli, tomatoes, cucumber, carrot, avocado, olive oil, lemon, salt
3 spoonfuls coconut oil eaten with my raspberry smoothie (forgotten this AM)

I am trying out the coco oil at least 1 T per day for two weeks.

I love coco oil.


Ok- last night on way home/on train:
various dried organic tropical fruits + goji berries, 1/2 cup pomegrante seeds, one everything bagel 'stick'-- which gave me stomach cramps. Must try to remember that experience!

dinner was one bundle soba with blanched broccoli and sauteed white and shiitake mushrooms (lots). the shiitakes were delicious raw (I had one before cooking). Some mango juice.

Today AM:
banana, raspberry smoothie, 3-4 spoonfulls of coco oil, organic coffee

I think I shouldn't mix caffeine and coco oil-- I am a bit wired at the moment.

Will try to eat my soaked seeds and almonds later on this AM.

got very ill Wednesday- coincidentally the coco oil I am sure "cleaned me out" as they say- which I feel stupid for not expecting- and I got a chest cold that came on at the same time. Prior to getting ill I had a little of a spinach salad but not the soaked seeds. Couldn't eat, left work early, had 2 bananas.
Once home, had some rice and lentils, not much else.

Thurs.
fresh strawberry smoothie, banana, almonds.
romaine salad, less than 1 oz. whole wheat pasta, some homemade tomato sauce, sauteed broccoli
bread, rice, lentils.

Fri.
org. coffee, mango smoothie, soaked seeds and soaked almonds.

not finishing the mango smoothie - tastes weird and sour. my appetite is nowhere near it is usually,

but I did have a banana and coconut water. trying to drink a lot of fluids.

weigh 135 today. hopefully I did not only lose 'water', but I really don't mind as long as the numbers keep going down

I have no appetite but I will get hungry from time to time. I choaked down about a teaspoon of coconut oil to try and get the metabolism effects from it but I'm thinking it may not be worth the queasy feeling I now get. I did notice my heart beating faster since taking it. I ate it with about a 1/3 cup hummus and a little mesclun and 3 olives (waste of money since it was packaged as a 'no bread' sandwich for carb-watchers). I think I should have had soup but for some reason it seemed like this choice was 'more raw'. and the hummus was suprisingly etible.

all I really want is bananas and coconut water and water. I bought a carrot juice but it, just like the mango smoothie earlier, tastes 'funky', so I threw it out.

had a banana and a pistacio raw food bar (dates, pistacios, cashews)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2008 07:55PM by birch.

Will catch up on the weekend a bit later, just wanted to post today so far.

136.5 this morning. Feeling a lot better, back to my old appetite.

1 cup blueberries
1 org. 'smooshed fruit' apricot (not positive this is raw, I think it's raw enough for me-- it's apple puree, apricot puree, and lemon juice, dried)
2 small org. bananas
2 org. dried pear halves
org. coffee
raspberry smoothie
soaked sunflower, pumpkin, sesame seeds, soaked almonds.

cherry nut raw food bar
pomegranate seeds
vegan burger and "air baked" fries
pomegranate smoothie
more dried org. pears
another smooshed fruit apricot

will be more raw tomorrow. want to see 134 again !

banana on the way home, then homemade sourdough whole wheat pizza for dinner, and some rice, barley, and lentils for snack before bed. I don't think I could have been less raw.

140 in the morning.

Nothing to eat yet, but will have
2 sm. org. bananas
soaked seeds & soaked almonds
organic coffee.

1 cup raspberries
10 oz fresh green juice (spinach, parsley, celery, cucumber)
banana with 1 tsp. coconut oil (this is the best combo I have had so far)
1 cup blueberries

fruit salad of oranges, pineapple, watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe
coconut water

will try to have a big salad for dinner, very little cooked.

3 large strawberries and 2 baby bananas on the way home
2 small pieces homemade ww sd pizza
1 cup boiled kale
1/3 cup homemade giant lima beans

30 minutes on my exercise bike, yay. (10 miles)
I love using the bike because it doesn't matter when I ate/how much is in my stomach, I can always do it (I prefer running but have to plan it).

This morning I weighed 137.5, so yesterday's weight was water, I think I can safely say I lost a few.

AM today:
orange juice
org. coffee
soaked seeds & soaked almonds
org. banana

also yesterday night I forgot I had a salad of green leaf, mesclun, cherry tomatoes, mixed sprouts (including lentil, pea, aduki), cucumber, olive oil, lemon, salt.
I love those sprouts. I would rather eat the lentil sprouts then lentils.
P.S. the pizza my H has been making is as follows: homemade organic tomato sauce, asparagus, mushroom, carrot, shallot. he makes the dough which is whole wheat, 10 grain, and all sourdough (no yeast).

Also today I had
org. banana with coconut oil (1.5 teaspoons I think)
I ate my soaked seeds floating in org. almond milk with chopped strawberries (very nice)
salad of: spinach, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, avocado, apples, olive oil, lemon, salt. I am ready to skip the dressing on all salads I don't have at home now.
fresh fruit shake of: mango, papaya, orange.

on the way home:
sm. org. banana
1 cup raspberries
fresh coconut water
everything 'flat' bread. ug.

dinner:
(mostly org) green leaf, cucumber, cherry tomato, mixed sprouts, carrot, radish, olive oil, lemon, salt
less than 1/2 cup baked butternut
sauteed chard
1/2 cup rice
2 bites bread

orange juice


today:
still 137.5

org. coffee
fresh strawberry/raspberry smoothie

not sure what else I will eat yet, probably soaked seeds/almonds.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/21/2008 03:12PM by birch.

I had my soaked seeds/almonds floating in almond milk with strawberries again.

goji berries

small random salad of: spinach, mesclun, other small random veggies.
fresh smoothie of peach, banana, pineapple, coconut
fruit salad of cantaloupe, blueberries, strawberries with coco oil.