Thought I would post this for folks that may be thinking about starting. I know everyone is different, just my experience. Today was my first week of 100% raw. I was not on a vegan diet or any type of diet when I started. I had no physical problems and was on no medication when I started. I feel pretty much the same, have not noticed any differences with the exception of one thing. I will explain that in a bit. I have not really been hungry, IF I get hungry I just eat some fruit. I did start experimenting with green smoothies at night on the third day. The first 2 were absolutely awful. Last night I added 2 oranges with some spinach and it was doable. I won't say it was delicious, but I did not feel the urge to throw up.
The comment I made about above about any differences occured on monday night(this is Wednesday). I had drank one of those awful smoothies. That evening a couple of hours after I had finished the smoothie. I had a feeling that is hard to explain. There was a high level of self confidence, I felt really good. Felt anything was possible.This only lasted for about a hour though, then things back to normal. I know you could say how do you know it was the diet. I really do not, but I do not think I have ever felt just like that in my life. It was different and my explanation is not a good one of how I actually felt. I personally do feel it had to do with the diet though.
As far as weigh loss I do not know. I never weigh myself so not sure on that point.Think I have loss some but have no idea what I weigh. I have not exercised this week though. I have a bowflex and thought I would get started on that to see how fast I would recover from a workout. Thought that would be interesting thing to find out.
Thanks to everyone that have answered my previous post

Well done. What really made raw possible for me was a delicious lightly cut salad with dressing and herbs. Sun dried tomatoes and Basil are pretty much the taste givers which make it sooooo good...I highly recommend it! It's also fun being in the kitchen and using a knife the way it should.

I remember my first week of raw...Everything went amazingly and then in the second week, I broke out in a huge rash...I don't want to scare you I have heard that most people don't detox the way I do but if you do, don't be discouraged, you are doing your body a world of good. Now my skin is better than ever.

I too never weighed myself but I do now...Not becuase I need to lose weight but it does give a sign of what's going on inside your body. Also look at your tongue, if it gets a white coating, that means your body is detoxing quite powerfully.

Best of luck.

I know what you mean when you say after eating some fresh raw foods you felt good and confident. I get that feeling regularly. The only way I can describe it is that I feel good just "being". Its the food ==> mood connection and is further enhanced by the other aspects of the raw food lifestyle.

give yourself a big hug and kiss jake - very impressive and resourceful, just getting on and doing it. yeah man!

tasty green smoothies are so V easy. just make sure the blender is a third full of freshly squeezed oj, and experiment with berries, pineapple too, then add loadsa leafy greens, or cucumber, tomato, celery, a little avocado.... mmmmmm mmmmmmmmmm:O))))) keep it simple tho with max 4 items to minimise potential for gastric turbulence!

tasty shakes are my thing as have been mostly raw, (100% since 97), via sweet green or fruity cream blending for most of my vegan years, well before the lovely victoria boutenko went smooth and green. get her book though for useful beginner's smoothie tips. a caveat: i am not advocating blending as an optimal way of life...but it's big fun and i'm just a big baby)

love and liberation

ah.. i wouldn't say if your tongue is white that means you're detoxing
look it up

be aware, and certainly don't tag everything as detox

iLIVE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ah.. i wouldn't say if your tongue is white that
> means you're detoxing
> look it up
>
> be aware, and certainly don't tag everything as
> detox


Can you provide a link?

yeah

[health.yahoo.com]

immune-deficient..weak digestion..candida...toxicity...

warm greetings again jake, re a coated tongue, this is ALWAYS a sign that the body is accelerating it's elimination, and increasing one's living food intake for example, will also expedite that process. nothing about which to worry...it might occasionally be uncomfortable, but your body is "having a party")

the body is ALWAYS right.

choose well...be well.

love n liberation

Jake6,
I really can relate to the feelings you describe,about the confidence.I would describe the feeling as opposite of depression,which I do believe SAD can bring on and perpetuate.I dont know how much the better feelings are related to diet,but I would imagine that filling your body with raw live foods brings you much more in contact with what we can the higher realm,or God,with which all things are possible if we set our minds to it.
Just some feedback.
Hope to hear more of your experiences,because this is what fascinates me most about the raw eating....how it affects moods and your spirituality.

Brian