It does not bother me when sarcastic and/or ignorant people are asking me: "you lost so much weight, are you sick?" or making all kind of faces (puking like) looking at me when I eat or drink my purees or green smoothies.

5 years ago, I realized that I have to change my unhealthy lifestyle, (my weight was 264 pounds, BMI=36.8) and I had lots of "technical" problems.

Now, after almost 6 months of raw, when finally I reached a normal weight (BMI=24.7) and I feel excellent (I lost about 47-49 pounds after I started raw - a total of up to 92 pounds weight loss) what really makes me suffer is looking to all my overweight/obese colleagues, friends and relatives, most of them on pills and going constantly to doctors.

Most of them are taking prescription drugs on a daily basis, most of them (knowing or not) are addicted to sugar, nicotine, caffeine, alcohol.

Drinkers, junk food eaters, doing nothing but playing computer games and leaving their houses only for going to work or shopping.
People being tired and sleepy all the time, some of them not capable to stand or walk couple of steps (without pain).
For some of them there is no (much) pleasure to be alive because all their life is a continuous pain.

I feel like screaming, showing and telling them how good I feel having a healthy lifestyle and explaining them how benefic is for me to eat raw.

I answer to all their questions, giving them as many details thay want, inviting them to take a look to Inet and learn some about how thay can achieve a better health.

Some of them they really need help.

You know what the result is? NOTHING.

They don't want to change nothing. Its like they want to go for self-destruction.

I explain how easy was for me to do what I did and how I lost my "extra" weight
without any pills, any exercises, without ANY discomfort, eating HOW MUCH I WANT, not starving or dehydrating myself.

That is: doing nothing but eating raw fruits and vegetables. No pills, no doctors.

There is any easier way to lose weight and get a better health?

Sad reality.

Pls. excuse my English - foreigner.

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Medicine, Food Industry and Commerce are businesses.
Is their goal to make/keep me healthy or to make more profit?
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Raw foodists should get all together and write a book called 'Listen to Fanatics' or 'All The Nuts In The Tree Are Right' or something.

I feel your pain. I have to lie about vegetarianism to my Nonno and Nonna all the time to avoid lectures and arguments, then eat food that I don't want to and feel sick about it. I don't like confrontations. :/ Sigh.

I agree...What a world we live in where we are the fanatics and the fast food, pill popping alcoholic lazy consumers are the norm...

Sort of sad, but never give up on people!!
many reach a point where they want to learn and change and you could easily become someone's saviour, literally, if you can help them to discover the simple "cures" that raw food provides.

By cures, I guess I also mean prevention.

fanatically yours,

xxpeisi

~I've tasted of the fruit,
it's opened up my eyes...~
-Infected Mushroom

After finally understanding NH a bit more, I realize that the fanatics are actually people who aren't moving towards a healthy sustainable lifestyle.

I'm happy for you Erik, it's always fascinating to know about large weight losses through natural diets.

Isn't it odd..... each of the Raw Vegan 'fanatics' is surrounded by unhealthy friends and family? We're scattered around like wind-blown seeds. It's interesting that Shazzie has a coterie of rawfoodies; it could be the allure of the stimulating foods that draws them together....... raw cacao confections say "party!" louder than whole raw mangos and lettuce leaves.

SAD foodists have no problem finding others to hang out and eat with, but I definitely feel alone regarding my dietary lifestyle here in my village of 3,000.

I've gotten over feeling sorry for myself about not having a raw support network, but the facts are that I do feel lonely about it.

I am totally new to raw foods but have experimented with veganism in the past. However, I am writing to say that I really appreciate reading these posts. I can relate completely to your frustration because I spent many years with horrifying, debilitating back pain. When I try to tell people about the help I received from a particular kind of non-invasive treatment, they just don't listen. I have all these people around me complaining about how much pain they are in, and I feel compassion and empathy for them and try to provide as much information as I can, but they do NOTHING. It is very sad and frustrating. So anyway, although it is related to something completely different, I can definitely see where everyone here is coming from. Personally, I think the thing to remember is that I can't expect people to do something just because it's good for them. There are complex interactions between emotional and physical problems and sometimes people just don't want to feel better. Anyway, thank you SO MUCH for your posts. You have inspired me to incorporate raw foods into my eating and strive for better health. Thank you all.

We live in a world of addicts (addicted to cooked foods, among other substances) and addicts do not want to admit they have a problem. We are recovering addicts. ;-)

I remember one doctor telling us how people can be so acidic that they are emotionally addicted to the acidic foods. He will just suggest they add some steamed veggies to their diet (baby steps) and some would actually get angry and turn their backs on him in the doctor's office.

This discussion also reminds me about Victoria Boutenko talks about how when she first went on raw foods and lost a lot of weight, that she was so excited about it that she was following obese people around in the grocery store and trying to tell them how easy it was to lose weight on raw foods. Now, she has learned to only talk about it if asked. They even met a diabetic on their hike up the west coast who had lost a leg to diabetes and was on crutches who graciously gave them a bunch of food bars. Victoria said thank you, took them, and then later gave them away to someone else. He didn't ask, so she didn't pester him...

But, I agree, I find it lonely and isolating at times - even in my own family of cooked food eaters.

Opinion: We can only help others by being successful and happy and providing a good example (or unless some one ASKS for your help). People have bodies commensurate with their goals and dreams.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

Agreed David!
"Be the change you want to see in the world" -ghandi

~I've tasted of the fruit,
it's opened up my eyes...~
-Infected Mushroom

smilebig Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SAD foodists have no problem finding others to
> hang out and eat with, but I definitely feel alone
> regarding my dietary lifestyle here in my village
> of 3,000.
>
> I've gotten over feeling sorry for myself about
> not having a raw support network, but the facts
> are that I do feel lonely about it.

Where is your self esteem?
If you believe in what u are doing and if you also have + results, if u feel good and u r healthy, I don't think that u need support.
U have our company in this cyber world, this should help. You can live into a big city and still be very lonely.

U can post and ask here everything u want, the ppl here r v. nice and always helpful.

No room for depression here.

Pls. excuse my English - foreigner.

=============================================================
Medicine, Food Industry and Commerce are businesses.
Is their goal to make/keep me healthy or to make more profit?
=============================================================

Aloha Erik,

I've had similar experiences as you and others have described. I just turned 41 and for most of my life i was a SAD eater with bouts of vegetarian junk food (tofu cold-cuts, "power bars" etc). I've lost almost 50 lbs in the last 6 months. My last 2 months have been almost 100% raw and I now do yoga/cardio/weights 5-6 days/week. I look and feel better than I ever have.

What is really interesting to me is when I see someone who I haven't seen since I've made this transformation. I can watch the reaction change in their faces as I explain what I'm doing. Always, the first words out of their mouths are... "holy %#$@!!, you look great... I can't believe it... how much weight have you lost? You're absolutely glowing. You look 10 years younger than the last time I saw you?...really... i can't believe how incredible you look" and then finally the question that ends their enthusiasm... "How did you do it?"...

At that point I can watch their smile turn to disbelief... then bewilderment... then serious confusion.... then judgemental concern for my health. It always seems to end with the person explaining to me that a raw vegan diet is not healthy and that no one can live like that. This, from the same person who 5 minutes earlier couldn't believe how healthy I looked! Now they're lecturing me about what I should be doing. People get so disappointed when they learn that I'm not doing the "south beach diet" or "atkins" or buying Wieght Watchers food... that I lost weight and am achieving greater health by activly taking control of my life and my habits.

It's bizarre to me, to watch the energy shift in most of these conversations... to go from all smiles and praise to judgement and sometimes outright anger with me for having such an "un-natural diet".

I think most people are too afraid or just won't let themselves acknowledge that their bodies/souls are desperate for renewal.

Personally, i've been learning to embrace this shift... to keep doing what I'm doing... inspiring those who want inspiration... and becoming a living rebuttle to all the doubters. Becoming raw has made me so much more aware of everything I introduce into my body/soul, whether it be food or energy. Now I'm much more sensitive to toxins... either from food or other peoples negative energy. i will take neither into my new body.

...on the other hand, the positive energy from everyone on this site is a delicious banquet of nourishment!!! Everyone here rocks!!