How do I not stress about food?

[mad4mangos]

Okay, so today is only my second day on raw, but I have some concerns. I feel like the biggest reason I am going this is to lose weight. Sure, I want to feel good and be healthy, but #1 is weight loss. So my concern is that I won't be able to keep this up forever. I feel like I am going to feel so deprived from eating other food that it may set me up for a big binge. How is this so much better than counting calories and being able to eat other food and not stress so much about what I'm not allowed to eat. I just don't want to be stressed out about food. Maybe this isn't for me. Has anyone else gone through this? I also don't want to become so obsessed and feel like I'm not a normal person that eat in social situations and dates and things like that. Does that make any sense? So I guess my question, along with concerns is "how is this a better weight loss method than counting calories...which seems to be more sustainable to me over a longer period of time."

[PATH301]

Don't freak out!
Have you picked up Alissa's book and or dvd yet? If not, than this is a must because it will help you last for 30 days or more,( because of the proportions per meals, which in my opinion is great, because you'll have left overs! which means you don't have to make something again :D ), which starting out is a good thing.
Also make your food in advance. Some folks on here spend as amuch as 2 days making food, so that it will last for 5 more days. This is a good thing. Because it keeps you from, satisfing those cravings for SAD foods. you just grab something that you've made in advance.
Have you made your weekly food purchase lists yet? this will help you stay focused when you go to buy your grocries. And not get off track while your in the store. AND NEVER GO WHEN YOUR HUNGRY!
I know you can make it :D

[eatyourbroccoli]

because eating raw internally heals you, and because of this internal healing youre able to drop the excess weight. it isnt a weight loss diet, its a healing lifestyle.

along with that comes a reduction in the ailments that accompany excess weight: reduction in cellulite, reduction in veins, smoother and more elastic skin, more energy, a happier state of mind, no grogginess from consuming too little calories, etc.

you can drop weight with calorie counting but because youre still feeding your body crap your body is still going to react in a negative way, resulting in cellulite or veins or wrinkled skin..im a firm believer that its not "oh its just genetic.." but rather "oh my body reacts to unhealthy food the same as my moms does..so when we both eat crap we both get cellulite" or substitute cellulite for veins/acne/whatever

sure youre able to drop weight by watching your caloric intake, but the foods most people eat while taking that approach are FILLED with chemical additives, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, trans fat, etc. all of the aforementioned things are what lead to chronic disease, obesity, and cancer. so calorie counting may work in the short term so far as making you look leaner, but down the road the chances of one getting any chronic ailment or disease are exponentially higher than if they had been feeding themselves organic, whole food.

diet is the number one role in health..there are many many articles floating around the web to help reinforce this idea if youre interested in researching. research isnt always necessary though; all one needs to do is look around at american citizens and their diet and how it correlates to such high rates of chronic disease, and compare that to the diets of europeans or asians and their relatively low rate of chronic disease (keep in mind the americanization of the world is resulting in slowly raising rates in europe and asia, however - thanks to mcdonalds and the like).

in this lifestyle, eat as much as you want, when you want. if youre going to be in a social situation, bring your own food. if youre going to be at a restaurant, kindly ask for a salad with as many fresh veggies as they have topped with olive oil and lemon. use it as an opportunity to seek out Raw Restaurants as a whole new experience.

this lifestyle will not only help you lose weight, but it will help you regain your health. if there are no current health issues, it will help reverse any impending ones, and prevent future ones.

im sure others will have far more information. and purchasing alissas book is a great idea bc its FILLED with answers to these sorts of question in the first half.

:)

[sungoddess]

I find that the most conducive eating style to weightloss longterm is an intuitive eating approach. TO be guided solely by our hungry signals. Believe me, believe me, I know how difficult this can be. It is a mind frame. It takes time and patience and discipline, and I myself have not mastered it. However, I know that it will be the more peaceful and helathful way to sustain longterm weightloss. Intuitive eating can be applied to eating a SAD diet which is where I learned about it first. But I find applying it to a raw diet works well too. Just have things around that you like. Take some time out of your day a couple time a week to prepare some delicious raw things that you really really get excited about to make this transition easier, and so you don't "bore" yourself. As for wanting to feel like a normal person in social situations, this can be challenging. But success comes from a dedication and way of looking at ourselves. I am a college student, and so I definitely understand what you mean. College can be made ALL about social situations, and fitting in, and being unhealthy. I just really know who I am and who I want to be, that makes it so much easier. GOOG LUCK, I know that you will find this very enjoyable and worth-it once you get used to this new way of living.

[Kerilyn]

Thanks eatyourbroccoli and sungoddess- GREAT advice!! I love everything these two had to say and more. My beliefs are side by side to eatyourbroccoli's!! You have to be strong minded on why you are doing this.

I have to be honest, I am 21 yrs old - SAD diet just 2 months ago.. wasn't living the vegetarian/vegan lifestyle before like a lot of people on here, and it was a little challenging for me to switch to 100%. As you can tell in some of my other posts, I've gone off and on for the past few weeks due to family vacations and such, but am TOTALLY ready to go all in for good!

Friends and family will look at you funny for doing this (almost guaranteed) and going out to eat or going to someone's house for dinner the first few times is going to feel really awkward if you don't know the truth behind WHY you are doing this!! I really think you need to take a look around you. Take a look at all these American's and where their diets are leading them!! Do you want to be there? How to do see your life/health after 5 years on the "low calorie DIET" compared to 5 years of the "Raw Food Lifestyle"

YOU have to make this choice for yourself. YOU have to change your life because you WANT to, because you have a CHOICE to!! It's really sad to think how uneducated everyone is these days. Don't fall into the ignorant group of people, you are doing the right thing for yourself!!

So...hang in there. I'm glad to see you decided to do this for yourself and hopefully your friends and family will follow SOON! Good luck with everything, and remember that if you run into a hard day just write in...we are ALL here for you!!!

[mad4mangos]

oh my gosh, thank you so much for your responses. i am going to give this 30 days. 30 small, short days. that is totally doable. 30 days in the grand scheme of my life is nothing. :) and by the end of the 30 days, hopefully i'll feel so great that i will be hooked. today, i'm going to quintessence for dinner. i've been looking up raw resturants here in the city and they look great. i am also going to look into joining a raw food group here so i can meet other raw foodies and get some support. :) i'll let you know how it goes. i just want to feel great and look great. that's not too much to ask. :)

[Rawkinlocs]

Along with the excellent advice already given...here is one more thing to ponder on...

Look around you at the many, many people who at one time could (or thought they could) eat ANYthing they wanted but then, over the years, their health slowly began declining and now, some of those same people are eating a very restricted diet not because they "choose" to, but because they "have" to if they want to add a few more years onto their lives.

Diabetics have to avoid certain foods...kidney dialysis patients have to avoid certain foods (HIGHLY restrictive diet)...people who resort to gastric bypass surgery have to avoid certain foods - all of these instances resulted in a restricted diet.

But with eating raw, you are only restricted to not eating foods cooked. You can still have your pie, cookies, ice cream, brownies, (flat) breads, (nut as opposed to meat or soy) burgers, fajitas, "pasta" dishes, crackers, tacos, nachos...and not to mention all the wonderful, yummy, delicious FRUIT you want!

So, it's all mindset...if you view this as restricted and what you "can't" eat, then yes you may end up reverting back after a while from feeling deprived. But rather you have to tell yourself about all the wonderful foods you CAN eat! You just have to re-learn your approach to making these foods...but once you learn it, it becomes second-nature. Eat plenty of fruit and veggies, learn a few recipes for those times you get bored or feel deprived, drink plenty of water, get sunshine and exercise and watch how things unfold!

Now, if counting calories is what you are accustomed to, you can do that even still with this IF it will keep your own mind at ease and make you feel more in control. But once it becomes a bondage to you, then let it go.

Also, please during your 30 days, get rid of your scale...hide it away and don't even allow yourself to be tempted to get on it until the 30 days are up because weight does and will fluctuate and that might discourage you in the beginning.

Congrats on your decision...the very BEST to you and I hope eating raw brings you everything you desire and MORE!

[Graciebeliever]

I started for weightloss :)

NOW I have the REAL reason why I can stay Raw :)

I FEEL SO GREAT!!!
and I lose weight :)

I started at the Raw Food Bootcamp and worked my way here :)

HURRAH!

[eatyourbroccoli]

I am a college student, and so I definitely understand what you mean. College can be made ALL about social situations, and fitting in, and being unhealthy. I just really know who I am and who I want to be, that makes it so much easier. sungoddess WHY COULDNT YOU HAVE GONE TO MICHIGAN STATE!? :D

[maryonherway]

Okay, so today is only my second day on raw, but I have some concerns. I feel like the biggest reason I am going this is to lose weight. Sure, I want to feel good and be healthy, but #1 is weight loss. So my concern is that I won't be able to keep this up forever. I feel like I am going to feel so deprived from eating other food that it may set me up for a big binge. How is this so much better than counting calories and being able to eat other food and not stress so much about what I'm not allowed to eat. I just don't want to be stressed out about food. Maybe this isn't for me. Has anyone else gone through this? I also don't want to become so obsessed and feel like I'm not a normal person that eat in social situations and dates and things like that. Does that make any sense? So I guess my question, along with concerns is "how is this a better weight loss method than counting calories...which seems to be more sustainable to me over a longer period of time."

I went from 100% SAD to 99% raw overnight on 7/23/06 and am still going strong and loving it! I'm 53 yrs old with multiple health concerns and very overweight (over 120 lbs). It's so easy for me to eat this way and I feel so much better, that I just can't tell you enough to just stick with it. I rarely have cravings (just can't go shopping at 6:00 pm when they take the sourdough bread out of the oven!) and if I do have a craving, it either goes away quickly, or if I give in to it, it's not as wonderful as my mind thought it would be. I'm losing the weight and have stopped taking 4 or 5 of the meds I was on for years. I've been on so many 'diets' in my life - none as easy as this. All I have to do is eat good food every day! No weighing, no measuring (unless I'm making a recipe), no counting, no worrying about if I ate too much or too little. It's perfect! And once you've been doing it long enough to notice the positive changes you'll probably be as excited as most of us are to be eating this way. And keep reading this forum and asking questions - this is a wonderful group of people - so helpful, creative and understanding. Just try to enjoy the wonderful taste of good food and don't think about tomorrow. If you feel a little rocky, take it one day at a time. I suspect you'll be very glad you did. And, if you decide it's not for you, that's OK, too. This may just be 'good practice' for when you do decide to go raw! :)