This isn't working for me anymore

[Rawbin]

I've been raw for 2 months now and I have started an ugly pattern in my eating. I am raw but binging like crazy in the evenings on fats like seeds, nuts, coconut and nut butter. I'm also falling into the fruit at that time- 6 or 7 bananas, a bag of figs...you get the idea. I eat until I'm bloated and sick and tired. Why si this happening? I am eating enough during the day and frequently sncak so I am never starving. I did not crave cooked foods until this week- I had a ridiculously easy trasition to raw and now I'm craving junk food in a way I never have- I want soy icecream, veggy dogs, Gardenburger riblets, Boca sausage, tofurkey... maybe I need protein? And yes, I've read that article Alissa posted for us on protein,

[dreamrawalwz]

Maybe your body is detoxing and trying to tell you what it needs. Try to tune in and really listen (But continue to eat raw). Have you tried spreading the fats throughout the day instead of all at once? Is it emotional eating? I'm having that problem as well. I'm eating until I'm too full and uncomfortable. I know I'm eating trying to get that high that cooked food will give me to make those bad feelings go away. It just won't work. Raw food is not to numb you, but heal you. Maybe try doing other activities instead?

[Rawkinlocs]

Hoping I don't come across as sounding brash because I really am not intending for it to, sincerely...but what do you want us to tell you? Your title seems to indicate you are giving up..."This isn't working for me anymore"....but your post sounds like a plea for help. So I guess I'm asking for clarity of your thoughts at this time and honestly not trying to be a smart a'

So, do you want us to encourage you to keep going or validate you going back to being a cooked vegan? I'm just not sure how to help you here or if we are supposed to be attempting to help you with something.

I kinda agree with what Dreamraw' said...many times we crave things of the past but not necessarily because we "need" something from those things but simply because old stuff is coming up for us to deal with. We can either deal with it by resisting it until it passes or we can deal with it by stuffing those feelings with those foods only for it to come back up again later.

So again, do you WANT to stay raw and for us to encourage you to do so, or are you throwing in the towel and desiring to be cooked vegan with perhaps raw incorporated. Either way, the choice is yours to make and we (or at least I) won't think any less of you as a person. You have to do what works for you! Sometimes it actually takes going back to our old ways to fully appreciate how far we've come...maybe this is something you need to do and then if/when you decide to be all raw again, it will be a much different and better experience! :)

[Rawbin]

I want to stay raw. I am wondoring why I keep binging at night. I know it is not a boredom thing- I am super busy these days. I do not think it is emotional because /iu have never been an emotional eater- I used to eat of boredom, but emotional eating is not a problem.
I did not mean the title as "I give up." Rather, I meant it "Why now? Why not when I first went raw? Why was trransitioning so easy and all the sudden it si soo hard?"

[rawpriestess]

I've gone 100% raw 5 or 20 times now, and each time I get about 3 weeks to 2 months into it, then I eat something cooked, I just thought it was me, but then I read a post by Alissa, that said we must deal with our "stuff" too, because we are emotionally detoxing also, so we can eat raw for a while but unless we deal with out "stuff" we will never get through it.


this idea really hit home with me, so now when I feel like I can't go one more minute without a veggie burger, or onion rings, I say, "Okay, I can feel this, I can be with this, so what exactly is this feeling?" and I am then able to find the underlying issue, sometimes it is because I am tired, sometimes it is because I don't want to deal with something like an email that was upsetting to me, or a phone call that I don't want to return, or something like that, sometimes, It's something that reminds me of an ex-husband or some such things, but there is always some underlying reason that I feel I must eat cooked, or I can no longer eat raw food, because I just want something, anything to numb me and my pain.

So, pick your self up and dust your self off, and realize that each raw bite you take is one stop closer to your goal, and each time you think of eating cooked and you DON"T, that is one step closer too, and each time you want to eat cooked and don't That is one step closer too.

So, eat raw, live long and prosper.

And if you need more help, take two almonds and call me in the morning.

[Shivananda]

I've been raw for 2 months now and I have started an ugly pattern in my eating. I am raw but binging like crazy in the evenings on fats like seeds, nuts, coconut and nut butter. I'm also falling into the fruit at that time- 6 or 7 bananas, a bag of figs...you get the idea. I eat until I'm bloated and sick and tired. Why si this happening? I am eating enough during the day and frequently sncak so I am never starving. I did not crave cooked foods until this week- I had a ridiculously easy trasition to raw and now I'm craving junk food in a way I never have- I want soy icecream, veggy dogs, Gardenburger riblets, Boca sausage, tofurkey... maybe I need protein? And yes, I've read that article Alissa posted for us on protein,Victoria Boutenko described a similar scenario in her book Green for Life and found that adding a lot more leafy greens made the cravings stop. She recommends green drinks.

Have you got Alissa's book? See her green drink on page 535. It's a great way to get a lot of greens easily.

[Rawkinlocs]

I just wanted to share with you that I went through a time (fairly recently too) where I wanted to eat what I wanted and I DID. I didn't mention it here and didn't feel a need to because it was personal and it was just something I went through and I knew it wouldn't last as being raw was and is in my heart. I ate things...BOY did I eat things...and I found out that while it TASTED good, it did not feel good in my body :( I got all tired and lethargic again, started breaking out, periods got heavy...all the things that eating raw did for me were reversed. After going through that period, I was actually RELIEVED to start back eating more and more raw and now, I may slip up with a bite of something here and there because stuff is here (kids and hubby aren't all raw) but I am MOSTLY raw, most of the time!

I think what tends to happen also (in some instances) is kinda like this guy I went to beauty college with. He was a teenager when he started going to church and living a life for God. It wasn't a struggle for him and he loved his lifestyle choice. But then when he hit is mid twenties, he felt that he had missed out on a lot such as partying, drinking, strip clubs, etc. and he went BUCK WILD with it!

Sometimes, for some people, going raw too quickly without transitioning does something similar to them. They feel they jumped in too quickly and didn't give themselves time to gradually get there. I think that for some, going for the gusto all at once is needed and for some, a slower transition is needed. It really depends as we're all different.

But in your case, it really just seems like old cravings are just being stirred back up either due to some sort of "detox" or maybe something is going on emotionally that makes you subconsciously reflect back to your old way of eating...I don't know.

But soy products and meat analogues are definitely not the best thing to want to go back to...how are the greens in your diet? Maybe you need more greens.

[Vandy]

You could be eating from emotion. Maybe you should sit down and have a talk with yourself and see if you can identify an underlying issue. Although you have taken a HUUUUGEEE RAW leap (that is AMAZING), maybe the food brought up an emotional issue within you, which it tends to do. Use this as an opportunity to HEAL yourself. I think this is a beautiful thing, b/c we are forced to truly look at our habits, why they effect us, and how they have formed us throughout our lives. I have SOOOO much faith in you that you can stick to this and heal yourself from this emotional pain...if that is in fact what you are going through. I am here if u need anything....

[EastCoastie]

Rawbin,

I feel for you. You've done great...don't let these challenges sidetrack you...

Rawkinlocks and RP, thanks for sharing your truth...Very powerful and definitely worth archiving for a future reality check...

Blessings to all,

EC

[Rawbin]

Thank you everyone for the kind words. I have been pretty stressed out recently...job stress, fighting with a friend stress... maybe that is expressing itself in a jar of almond butter a day. Maybe I can make yoga a priority tommorrow night. :p

[Allison]

I definitely agree with the poster who said you need large quantities of greens, as in green smoothies, everyday. My favorite is 1 c. water, 7 c. parsley, and 4 frozen bananas blended in the Vitamix. It is very satisfying.

Allison

[Punky]

I agree with everyone! Thankful RP and RAWK for sharing your personal experiences.
I am thankful for this thread because it makes me feel not alone in what I go
thru being raw and falling off. I eat more during stressful times for sure; and it's not raw. During stress. emotional upset or extreme business it seems I revert back to cooked because it's ingrained in me and so easy when I 'm so busy.
I do have emotional attachments to cooked food as well, and then there's my family with cooked temptations all around. But I always find myself back to raw because I know it to be true, and I do start feeling bad after eating cooked for awhile. Sluggish,sleepy,.depressed, anxiety, etc.. I've been raw for the last week and I am happy again. It's a process.......
I am reading "Greens For Life" right now, almost done and it is a fantastic book.
It makes so much sense. Drinking my green smoothie right now and will be including this in my families daily diet.
Peace and Blessings

[AmericanMadman]

I used to do the same on prior health quests "binging at night"....

However this time is different.....

I now make sure i eat nuts from 1200pm on. THey provide a steady adundent source of energy. And since i've been doing this no late night munchies... HAve them with most meals after the morning...

Make sure your getting you raw fats early so that you'll have them to keep you steady at night its takes some time for them to get into your system... Try also eating more in the day. Hunger at night is a sign that you didn't eat enough during the day. Or take a nap...

[Rawbin]

So I went back to cooked- I ate a veggy dog, veggy riblets, soy icecream, 3 veggy chicken nuggets, tofurkey, smart bacon. Then I vomited... a lot. Then I cooked all the left over crap I bought and gave it to the homeless who live next to my building. Then I went shopping and bought produce. I made veggy sticks and a green smoothie to have at work tommorow. And the most amazing thing had happened after I got so sick. I craved fruit again! I did not want cooked any more. Weird, huh?
So back to raw. I guess I felt totally unprepared to handle cravings since my transition was so easy. Next time I'll try yoga or talking to a friend or something. I am pretty sure it was stress related.
So for now- I have a plan:
1. green smoothies at least once a day
2. an hour a day for relaxation-yoga, cool bath, reading on the sundeck
3. Buy Green for Life

I really appreciate everyone's support. Thank you.

[Rawkinlocs]

Wow Rawbin!!

I think it's good that you experienced this...as I mentioned, sometimes ya might have to just get it out of your system and you did just that...literally! :D

Glad the end result (you craving raw fruits and no longer having the cravings for cooked) turned out as it did for you!

[rawpriestess]

isn't it great to have a plan? that you can work with?


Looks like your'e doning fine now.

[Rawbin]

Went to yoga and feeling terrific again! It was on the back patio at the gym, where the Zen garden is- to truely envision this you have to know that the gym faces rock creek park, but is located in the heart of DC. To be able to get outside and almost forgot the city for an hour and half is amazing...well except for all those sirens :p .

[honeybee joy]

Originally Posted By rawpriestess
And if you need more help, take two almonds and call me in the morning.

Yes Doctor.

I fully agree with you about what you said about dealing with the "stuff".

I was just today thinking about the same thing.

I will admit it. I have fell off the wagon the past day and a half. BADDD is the only word to describe it. (no meat)

I was thinking the exact same thing, then I came across this post.

By the way, I need you to fax a prescription for those almonds over to my local health food pharmacy... I mean store! :D


but there is always some underlying reason that I feel I must eat cooked, or I can no longer eat raw food, because I just want something, anything to numb me and my pain.
I think fear about things has driven me to SAD.

Tommorow I am starting back a new day. Actually midnight, which is a hour away in my time!