anyone cold turkey?

[Fragola]

I wonder if anyone is been able to go 100% raw without transitioning, maybe even simple raw without gourmet foods?
I know that taste buds get used to the new foods after a while, but I worry that going almost mono eating raw could be quite thraumatic at the beginning. I am asking this because a dear friend want to try this way of living, she feels very positive and strong, and surely I don't want to discourage her, but she eats quite badly now, and she is an emotional eater. I believe that she should transition, and that she will find the salads quite boring and miserable at the beginning, and I just want her to be successful, so if you have been able to jump from a SAD diet to an almost pure raw vegan diet, would you mind sharing your experience?
Maybe this could help my friend when/if she will feel discouraged!
thank you so much!

[Dimond]

I didn't have a problem transitioning. But for me it's probably because I progressively was eating healthier & healthier so by the time I switched to 100% raw I was already enjoying eating healthy & didn't feel like I was missing out on anything. I think to convince others it's usually best to have them gradually make changes because most won't stick with it otherwise. I started out giving up soda (yrs ago), then red meat, dairy, sugar, flour, etc. You can also share with your friend all the wonderful recipes on here & elsewhere.

[Vandy]

One day I decided to to it, and I did. No looking back. But I am like Gilmore girl. I was progressively eating healthier and healthier up to that point. I wanted to give it a try and I wanted to feel better from so many things.

[BDraw]

I did it -- 1 1/2 years ago -- But I too, was eating pretty heathily prior to this. . . vegitarian and no diary or wheat (allergies). Also gave up sodas years prior to this.

My suggestion -- get her Alissa's book!

Where there is a will there is a way -- don't discourage her. Yes, she may suffer detox, but it is not that bad. And she will be so much more healthy, so much faster. Let her follow her intuition.

Blessings!

[Blu]

I went cold turkey when I went raw. I had been eating cookies & ice cream & meat & bread & pasta the week, year, years before I went raw. I even stopped caffiene the same time. I was pretty out of it a few days, headaches & such, but I looked at it like I was getting healthy & it was almost good that I felt/saw the change, it showed me that I was doing the right thing. I didn't have any gourmet foods. I didn't have any recipe books or a dehydrator. I ate fruit & salads & a lot of avocados. Reading the boards for recipes also helped. So did the raw cheescake recipe. I found that the raw goodies were just as sweet & better tasting that store bought crap.

I just ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it. Some days I had 6 avocados. One day I ate half a raw cheesecake. I also made green smoothies, fresh juices, green soup & dehydrated sweet potato chips in my oven. Tell her not to worry about how much she is eating or fats/carbs/proteins/calories. If its raw, its better than sad food.

[Fragola]

thank you for your responses!!!
I will surely encourage my friend as much as I can.
Wow Blu, you are very inspirational!!!

Grazie!

Sara

[PhoeniX]

I went 100% cold turkey. I was eating lots of meat with every meal. Very few cooked or fresh veggies and no fruit. Lots of chocolate every day. Lots of coffee and frappucino's and I felt absolutely terrible. Tired and low energy.

Initially I just trying it for one day to give my body a bit of a rest from cooked foods. No cooked foods and no coffee. That day was pretty easy so I extended it to 2 days. I then signed up for a day seminar on raw food for the next weekend so I stayed raw until then because I found it pretty easy. From then on there was really no looking back!

I will say that I had some withdrawal/detox at the beginning where I was really tired with some headaches (which I never get). I slept alot (12-13 hours a day) Also, I had some muscle stiffness/soreness. The overt pain things went away in a week or so. The tiredness lasted for over 3 weeks, but then that was my initial complaint and the reason that I tried raw.

Initially I didn't have a dehydrator or a blender and didn't use my juicer. I am not really a fan of salads so I rarely eat them. I started by just buying different fruits that appealed to me. A typical meal would be a banada, a sliced tomato, half an avocado, an orange, a pear and some nuts.

Even though I don't eat salads I do think that leafy greens are really important so I now sneak a few big handfuls into my morning fruit smoothie every day, but that kind of thing came later. At the beginning I only ate what I wanted and had as much as I wanted so long as it was raw.

To tell you the truth, I eat a bit differently from that now, but I think of it exactly the same way now. I eat whatever I want and as much as I want now. I just seem to want slightly different things. Also, although I am 100% raw I don't think of it as though I will never have cooked food or meat again. It is still an option that I keep open if I want it and I am sure there will be times in the future where I will have it, but I haven't actually used that option since I went raw.

I don't know if that distinction is important, but I find that when I restrict myself (even mentally with some RULE!) then that seems to chafe at me whereas this way the world is my oyster and I am just choosing to eat raw.

I would say to your friend to go for it. I have heard a number of people on this board saying that transitioning can be really difficult. I guess it is just to each their own!

Good luck either way,
J

[BrookeDuck]

... I find that when I restrict myself (even mentally with some RULE!) then that seems to chafe at me whereas this way the world is my oyster and I am just choosing to eat raw.

I apsolutly LOVE you perspective PhoeniX! I totally agree. I was struggling so hard at first with being raw and I really think it was because I kept telling myself "No Brooke, you can NOT eat that!"

Eventually I changed my mindset to question myself instead: "Brooke, do you even really want to eat that?" and it became so much easier as a choice instead of a restriction in my mind.

I definitely have still had my slips, but I find that having a choice makes me feel more in control and helps to build more confidence in myself.

<3

[PhoeniX]

Thanks! I am really glad to hear it!

[Zena]

I did! Really simple raw too, I hadn't uncooked ANYTHING until I joined here. :p

[Fragola]

Phoenix, thank you very much!!
I loved to read your experience!

And Brooke, I think that you are right when you say that the key is in the mind perspective.
Very interesting point!

[dreamrawalwz]

I had to go 100% cold turkey. Any amount of cooked food sends me into a tail spin. I'm addicted and that first bite will cause me to fall off the wagon for months.

[gatorgrrl]

Hey, I used to be 100%, but quit for about 2 yrs. I tried starting back several times, but the commitment wasn't there. A week ago I said I got to do it. I have been completly raw for 2 days now, I have a headache, but I think I will live. It's the best way for me. I need this to live.

[karenisraw]

I did it 4 months ago. I felt great. I had detox after the second day for a day or two but after that it was smooth sailing.

k
:)