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

Hey Joanna -

at least you've had some apples and carrots ; ) hehe

This is your own personal journey - and you can choose exactly how you want to travel.

What would you be more comfortable doing?
Would you be happier introducing more raw foods into your diet.
Going 100% raw over night,
Or eliminating certain substances over a period of time?

My personal experience was taking the latter option.

I first started by taking out dairy out of my diet.
Then Wheat.
Then sugar - I felt that taking out sugar really did me a lot of good.

Then I discovered raw and then went through experimenting with raw, then ate a lot of transitional foods, now I eat low fat raw and I think I am the happiest at where I am now.

My journey from discovering that I wasn't healthy, to today has taken me about 5 years. I've been eating raw for 2 years.

If you want to hurry things up I'd say you already have a lot of information as you understand that raw is a very good route to take towards a healthier life and lifestyle.

I couldn't rush things and I'm happy with my progression.

It sounds as if you are not very happy with where you are at now, so you might feel inclined to jump aboard the fast track to rawville!

But you have to make sure you are ready in your mind.

Once you have arrived in Rawville will you feel bitter and angry?
Will you resent your decision and go running back to where you came from and vow never to leave it's arms again?

You must make the decision yourself and tell yourself how you are going to go about it.

ARe you going to beat yourself up for not being raw? Or are you going to be kind on yourself?

I would say - be kind! Don't fret too much, you are here already - thinking and talking about raw food.
Find out as much as you can about raw food and read read read about the body and about health.
Read The China Study by T. Colin Campbell,
Read books about wheat and dairy and grains in general
Read Leslie Kenton - The New Raw Energy, and The New Ageless Ageing
Great books for learning about the Human Body

We are surrouned by messages that tell us that junk food is proper food, so it's up to us to surround ourselves with messages that tell us the truth, and tell us about raw food. You have to be your own Private Relations guru : )


So good luck to you Joanna - feel free to contact me!

Just take a breath and enjoy the fact that your eyes are being opened and one day you will be very healthy and happy and that may be tomorrow if you are willing to believe and just choose to be happy right now.

You have a lot of power within you, and you can make all sorts of decisions! So I'm sure that you will make some wonderful decisions for your life - enjoy : )x

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[www.azurastorch.blogspot.com]

STOP THE INSANITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Well it sounds like you know what is right!!!! The real you needs to shine through. Just have at least 1 day of being raw eat nothing but fresh raw fruits and veggies. I will guarantee you that you WILL feel better then you ever have. Now go with that emotions you feel that day focus on how you feel!!! Go to bed that night(most likely the best slumber you have had in a long time). The light will shine your journey will begin. It is time!! You will have a lot of ups and downs but do not get discouraged. Remember you deserve this!!!!!

P.S. Do not be so hard on yourself remember YOU ARE NOT PERFECT!!!!!

I agree with azura, go slow with it. I think it is better for your body too, because your digestive system needs time to adjust and clean itself out.

I used to start raw a few times a year and feel bad when I couldn't stick to it for even a day, then I read David Zane Mason's posts about taking a year to transition and tried that and it worked so much better. (Thanks David!)

Going raw is similar to learning a new skill like playing the piano or learning to read, it takes time. It's a lifestyle change not a short-term diet :-)

It took Angela Stokes & Tonya Zavasta 3 years to transition to 100% raw foods, where Matt Monarch did it overnight. So, we all need to go at our own pace.

You should be proud that at least you already eat some fruits and veggies. Some people haven't seen a raw fruit or veggie in ages.

I believe the 2 worst foods are refined sugar & starches. Try to slowly eliminate those and replace them with good things. Maybe switch everything else to grass fed & organic, if you can.

In terms of coffee, a naturopathic doctor said DO NOT switch to decaf as that is worse with more toxic chemicals. First, switch to caffeinated tea and then eventually to herbal and green teas and finally to hot water with lemon.

Anyway, these are just ideas. I'm sure you will find the best path for you!

Karen DeVeaux
[www.healingtype1diabetes.typepad.com]

I hear you Joanna. The above posts are spot on. It did not take you 4 weeks to develop your current eating habits.....and my opinion is to give yourself a gift.....of a generous time frame to make your changes (which are a complete 180 from the way you are comfortable with now! LOL.)

-Start by making an HONEST assessment of the level of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables that you are VERY comfortable eating RIGHT NOW. Set VERY small goals....WITH TIMETABLES.....to make the changes you need. Perhaps a 1-2% change on a weekly basis will get you where you need to be in 6-12 months.

-Remember that there are NO raw food police! No one is judging your progress (no one that can impose sentence anyway!) YOU will be far harder on yourself than ANY of the wonderful/supportive folks on this board will be! That's for sure.

-There are plenty of tips. Try to ease your transition by finding healthier cooked food alternatives for burgers and fries! LOL. Soy burgers and baked potatoes are going to be a lot better for you.

-The whole process is about a desire for more consciousness anyway.....and there's plenty of room to become more conscious and more responsible within a person's diet....no matter what level they eat at!

-Remember....that I support you 100% in YOUR goals/dreams. Don't let some guru's idea (or even your own brain) talk you out of doing ANYTHING other than putting one foot directly in front of where you are comfortable with right NOW. That is YOUR path....and is there to be accepted.

-Great questions....I'm sure you'll succeed beyond your wildest wishes!

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

All good advice in above posts. You will find your own way and your own road to a new body and a new life. It can be bumpy, but it's worthwhile. Only thing needed is your determination to want to change, and then work on it. There is some learning as you go thru the different transitions and detoxes you are going to have, so know this in advance.

Number one, dump the soda first. Even if you replace that with some bottled juice for now, ok. Just get rid of the soda, pour it out, don't wait.

Then go ahead and have your cup of coffee with your little cream and sugar, but keep it to your fav. time of day, and only have 1 cup. Savor it, enjoy it, because it won't be long before you will want to dump that one cup of coffee too.

With your coffee have a whole grain (not the fake kind but 100% whole grain) product, like toast, or oatmeal, add a piece of fruit in there too...you can spread on a ripe banana, or ripe pear, some berries..try to get a juicy piece of fruit in the morning.

Apples, dates are very good for snacks as are any other fruit you love. If you feel like eating more than 1 pc. of fruit, go ahead eat what want.

If you are going to eat pizza, make it whole wheat crust with tomatoe sauce and lots of your fav. veggies.

For now, try not to go out to eat. Shop in your produce section of your store, and bring home dinner. If you are at work and need a lunch, try packing one that contains whole food products and cut out anything already processed and prepared. You could start with even the whole grain bread again, some raw almond butter and natural preserves or fresh banana cut up or spread on for sandwich. You can add some alfalfa sprouts to that too..just to give them a try. Don't add many, just a small amt. Add some fresh fruits, a couple celery sticks, a little baggie of nuts or your own made trailmix from the bulk bins. Trailmix could have nuts, raisins, coconut, etc. Don't add chocolate chips, but if you feel like you really need something to satisfy your sweet tooth..don't deprive yourself try carob chips, or put just a few choc. chips into the mix, a few go far and are a treat.

Buy one healthy salad dressing you like, I would suggest Bragg vinegar and oil one, or make your own with Bragg vinegar and olive oil or lemon and olive oil, you can add garlic and onion if you want. Then look for some easy raw recipes for salad dressings, and they will give your usual salad a different taste when you feel like it.

Then 2 more things about foods, I would then get rid of the candy..make some raw nut balls, or buy some Lara Bars instead, or maybe even an Odwalla bar to curb that candy craving. I used to love eating medjool dates with a banana and those are like candy..like caramel candy.

Then try to add in a little fresh green juice or green smoothie, even if you don't make them at home, stop in someplace that makes them and have a small one. Fresh green juice, wheatgrass shot, fresh squeezed orange juice, fruit smoothies..all are better for you then the candy and soda.

Last, visit some raw food websites, look for before and after pictures of people that changed their lives eating raw foods, buy a book or find one at the library for motivation and help with what to eat.

When you are ready to exchange that cup of coffee there are lots of herbal teas to try, I have tried many, many different ones, my fav. is the Peppermint teas. I have one every morning.

Good luck! Oh..and stick around as this is a great support system.

Love,
Prism

I would avoid coffee and canned foods. Also I finally tried a colonic everyone said to try it and WOW I FELT SO SUPER HEALTHY and I am already raw organic! So try a colonic if you can it is really great. I also came out with my new RAW DvD and full color book if you are interested it is on Amazon.com or my website:

[www.RawInTen.com]

Try to transition into RAW slowly you don't have to rush it or do it overnight just do more of it and enjoy the process your body/mind/spirit will gradually detox and want more RAW!

Raw Organic Saving The Planet,
Bryan Au
[www.RawInTen.com]

i recommend getting started with superfoods.

A few supplements will help including digestive enzymes, probiotics, and a green superfood powder

Look into The Best Day Ever program, it is pretty good

Agreed with all the advise, focus on YOUR GOALS

If this means adding 1 vegetable a week or 3 new fruits a week then go for it-- you are making progress

or having 1 raw meal a day

Whatever it is that helps you and what YOU are comfortable with

some people go slow, others overnight. For me I am an all or nothing person.. so I find 100% is best for me. At 90% I was being sucked back into cooked food eating/treats/emotional eating

wheras with 100% I can choose from vibrant living foods..and focus on living,..rather than what I am or AM NOT eating..lol

Anyway all the best to you, feel free to pm if you want some support anytime!

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Raw since March 2007

http://rawveganlondoner.blogspot.com/

Congrats on trying a colonic, rawbryan! Before the first one it can seem like such an unpleasant, scary thing to do. But then afterwards, you realize you were scared of nothing and it was actually pleasant. Did you go to a colonic hydrotherapist?

Karen DeVeaux
[www.healingtype1diabetes.typepad.com]