My name is Erin (Hi Erin) and I'm here because I'm totally addicted to junk food. Well...addicted to food, period. Once upon a time (about 4 years ago) I was in good control of my diet, although it consisted of meat and veggies mainly. I lost a bunch of weight and my husband and I toned up quite a lot with our weight-lifting routine. I would have loved to run for cardio, but I could only do that sparingly as I have arthritis and my knees bother me.

Then one day our life siituation changed and my husband started working shift work again. We both hated it and it set off a domino effect on our health. High cortisol levels from stress, lack of sleep and lack of exercise (he was too exhausted after a 14 hour shift and I quit working out when my partner did) plus a haywire meal-time routine caused us to both crave all the wrong foods and put on all the fat in all the wrong places. We felt like crap, and we looked like crap, too. My skin started breaking out again. I've developed wrinkles and gray hair (I'm 32), my skin is saggy and wracked with cellulite, and my energy level is zip.

I've read about raw foods and the benefits sound almost too good to be true. I have realized though that I can't go on living this way. In the words of Garth Brooks, I'm much too young to feel this damned old. My kids are both slowly putting on more weight than they should, they're lethargic couch potatoes who have a "whatever" attitude toward life. My husband is a skeptic who only believes a thing once he's seen it for himself. I won't get any support from him on this venture I don't think until I start showing some actual results. I went on the Master Cleanse fast for 5 days in August just to recharge my system a bit, and he was very skeptical to start, but by the end became somewhat curious. I think if I try this out on myself as a guinea pig and show some good results, he may be tempted to try it. But he's a die-hard meat and potatoes guy who believes that you can't thrive without "good healthy home-cooked meals, 3 squares a day". I was brought up by a neo-hippie, vitamin-pushing, back to nature kind of Mom and he was brought up...well...in a family where the doctor's word was final. None of that flaky psycho-babble BS there! So, two different worlds now melded into one household.

My whole family is out of control with their eating habits. I know for myself, I use food as an emotional crutch. It's my escape from boredom or the other unpleasantries of life. It's my drug. I numb myself with it. I soothe away the "bad" feelings by flooding mysellf with "good" ones. But like any drug, it's becoming harder and harder to get my "high". I need more and more food, or food that packs a bigger punch. Sheesh. What I need is an exercise addiction. Now if I could become a workout junkie, that would be just great!

I guess what I'm looking for is not just information, but stories from people like myself. I have always gagged at the thought of eating spinach, brussels sprouts, cabbage, squash, turnip, yams, or other such veggies in any state...cooked or otherwise! And onion? only in salsa or stir-fry. Put raw onion on my burger and I send it back. They smell like an armpit. I am THE pickiest eater I know...next to my 10 year old. I don't know if it's even possible for me to be on a raw diet considering my aversion to "green stuff". Seriously, will I need to vomit a few times before I get over the revulsion? Is it just in my head? Or is there actually something wrong with my taste buds? I've been this way since childhood.

I'm hoping I can adopt the raw lifestyle eventually and maybe pass it along to others who need it even more than I do. My Mom is diabetic (non-insulin dependent, but is starting to think about going on the needle), stressed out and has heart disease. She has already had quintuple by-pass surgery. After that, the doctors said there was nothing more they could do. They just bought her maybe 10 years. I'd like to see her around longer than that. Nothing says can-do like seeing someone else do it first. So...I guess that's me.

Any tips or advice for a complete noob would be welcome...Thanks for reading.

Hi Erin, thanks for posting on my thread.

What can I say, thats quite a story. I can give you some advice, but keep in mind im young and also a raw food newb. It seems like your stressed out right now, which, I know form my own experience, can be a downward spiral. You need to decide and commit to a healthy lifestyle. Start by eating more fruits and vegetables even if its just one extra serving per day. Dont force yourself to eat any veggies you don't like. Take it slow, over time you'll prefer to eat more F&V. Don't be afraid of carbs, especially those found in fruits. In my experience I found, a couple years ago, when I first started eating better, switching to less processed foods helped me be healthier. (Even if your not eating vegan). For instance butter is better than margerine, brown rice is better than white rice, roast chicken is preferable to chicken fingers. Take it one step at a time, consider giving up one unhealthy food and/or trying a new healthy food like a new lettuce variety. Try adding a salad every day, even if you have to use cheese and salad dressing. Making a small commitment in the right direction will help to reduce the stress your feeling about your health. Read the books "The China Study" and "The Detox Miracle Sourcebook". Working out is always good, but for some people who are depleted, it can be detrimental. Learn to like working out. It can be like self therapy to some. Also consider reading the book "Total Body Transformation" by Steve Ilg.

Remember everything will be ok. If you look for the answers, you'll find them. Lead by example, is probably the best way to approach your family. When you do become healthy, don't lecture your family (this will only piss them off, trust me I know). They will see youve improved and this may help motivate them. A good diet can help correct many diseases. Know in your heart that your helth will return!

Falling off the wagon alot hurts, try to keep it up as best as possible once you start.

Thanks for your words of encouragement. I do have a plan. It's not exactly a "master plan" just yet. Just a pile of goals that haven't been prioritized or set in motion yet. Among them...

-Get at least 8 hours of sleep per night
-Go to bed at the same time, get up at the same time
-Don't eat anything solid after 7 pm
-F & V only before noon
-Drink a minimum of 2 litres of water per day
-Aim for "clean" food:
Lots of F & V
Some grains, nuts & Legumes
A little meat
-Meats: Fish, Chicken, Free-Range Eggs, Venison, Organic Lean Beef, & other wild game
-SWEAT! Purge those toxins!
Sauna
(hot) yoga
Run/hike
-Invest in spa therapies
exfoliating scrubs
detoxing body wraps
massage therapy
Quantum-Touch or reiki
-Take up other hobbies to cure boredom
writing
my artwork
my horses
reading
meditation
learn to play an instrument
start a business?
...something, anything but anaesthetizing myself with food!

I hate falling off the wagon, too. It hurts so much more because you know how good it felt like to be on it!

Thanks again.

areilla,

i can relate to your story. i posted mine over on workout mans thread.

i am sick of the cycle that i am on. i want to remember the fantasitc feeling i had when i was taking car of myself and my body. when i was treating it with respect, not like a junkie. i have been using food to feel good too. but after the fact i always feel so bad. it's such a crappy way to live. and i am tired of it. i remember when i got high off of treating my body good. when i loved to be out on a run and i feeling like i could run forever! when working out was the drug. i never regretted a workout but i always regret a pig-out.

just by knowing i can do it is half the battle. i am going to go for it. eat as much raw as i can. i would love a coach and a guide, but even without one i am still going to make this work for me. i am ready for health and energy and vitality again. even more so, because when i was working out before, i couldn't get rid of the last of the weight i wanted to get rid of. i think raw living is the answer.

i am excited to hear how you and workout man do!!

xoxo

~karriebean