did anyone have a rough time getting started with the raw lifestyle???

[kellibelli]

I joined this site I guess about a year ago...lost my motivation rather quickly and then gained momentum late this summer and came back. I have been reading more and doing more research on eating raw and while I know this is the truly the best way to go for long term health yet I still struggle. I hate struggling. Can anyone share with me their struggles???

[rawpriestess]

There is no need to struggle, either you are eating 100% raw or you are not, the struggle comes when you THINK you SHOULD be doing something you are not.


so, eat raw, or don't it's all okay, if you eat cooked food, look at your choices, and then make better choices next time, it's all a process.

I've eaten cooked/raw/ cooked/raw/cooked/raw, and each time I eat raw for longer periods of time, and I eat cooked for shorter periods of time

in 2001 I started out 100% raw for 3 weeks, went back to cooked for 5 years,

2005 -- 100% raw for 4 monhts, cooked for 4 months,
raw 1 month, cooked 2 months, raw 1 month, cooked 2 months, raw 7 months, cooked 1 day, etc.

so just know that it is all a process of progress, and allow it to be just that.

IF you do eat cooked food, be okay with it, and get back to eating raw, it's okay, it doesn't have to consume your entire life.

you are fine, raw food is great, you will survive this, and you will end up being a raw foodie just like me.

who once in a blue moon, or even longer time, eats a cooked bite of food, it's all good, life is too short to worry, just eat as much raw as you can, then eat more. LOL

you can do this.

[kellibelli]

My problems are that I am impatient and I want to be 100% NOW...I know how good this lifestyle is and how better I will feel, which is what really creates motivation for me. Every morning I wake up and say today is the day...most of the time I do terrific throughout the day and then in the evening while I work at the computer and my kids are asleep my mind wanders to cooked food...or worse, fast food! Sometimes I indulge and sometimes I dont, but last night I got up around 2 a.m. and ate half a bag of stupid Cheetos! STUPID CHEETOS!!! IT WASNT EVEN CHOCOLATE!!! I screwed up for stupid Cheetos that I dont even like!!! Ug, here's the thing, I dont want to be 50 or 60 or 70 and be dealing with serious health issues that are brought on by my own stupid eating habits. My main motivation is wanting to take good care of myself so that when my girls are grown they can take their kids to grandma (me) and I will be healthy enough to watch them and run around and have fun with them. I dont want to become a burden when I am older and this is my main reason for wanting to change my lifestyle. I think it is a WONDERFUL jumping off point as far as motivation goes, yet I cave in to foods that taste wonderful while I eat them but are the exact opposite of what I truly want to have in my body. Can you perhaps share with me your motivating factors for eating raw? Perhaps I will be able to pull more motivation from you...I appreciate your help.

[rawpriestess]

toss all of that cooked food out the window, or down the toilet, or to the food bank, but get it out of your house.


NOW, if you have children at home-- they don't need to eat cheetos, if you have a spouse at home--he doens't need to eat cheetos, so get that stuff outta' there.

make it really difficult for you to get your addiction of choice, which is cooked food.

get rid of all of it, even the old food colorings, the old spices, the old nutri sweet packets, all of it, toss it, get it out of your sight, and at night, lock up your car keys, put them in the garage, in a locked cabinet if you have to, and lock up those keys too, make it really difficult to get your substance, it will give you a few more seconds to reconsider your actions, when you are running around at 2am, trying to find some cooked food, and you have to find the keys to the lock box, which is in the garage, to find your car keys to drive to the store to buy something cooked to eat, it will give you much needed time to rethink what you are doing, trust me, this helps. LOL I know from experience.

[kellibelli]

Hey, youre totally right. I just need to make it super hard for myself. As I was reading your post I got a good laugh. I envisioned myself running around looking for food, looking for my car keys, getting so pissed off and finally sitting down with some guacamole (my current raw addiction). I talked with my 10-year-old this weekend and told her about my raw aspirations and asked her what she thought and would she be interested in being my support system and my partner in going raw. She actually said yes...I need to use her more as my support system. Please, if you have any other tips for me, I very much welcome them. I know you are a busy, busy person, but my email is sssmm@cox.net if you ever have the inclination to email me with mor ideas. Again, thank you so much for your help. :)

[Conscious Midwife]

RP

You are quite the former crack head I mean cooked head. how hilarious and how true.

I struggle day to day with both vegan and raw.

It's a behavior modificatio thing for me definately.

Most cooked/ highly processed food literally hurts me on some noticeable level within 2 days.

Meats... joint pain, constipation
Milk products... Digestion issues, gas and sinus mucus
refined sugar... Poor Circulation and irregular blood sugar levels, major lows w/ short lived highs
Fake foods... fatigue, irritability and blood sugar issues, decreased libido

All this above crap... rapid weight gain, as in 3-4 per day.

:D I've managed a maximum 8 days straight RAW with no "transitional moments", known or unknown and have lost over 11 lbs. at once. I've gained it all back within 3-4 days of daily SAD intake. :eek:

[misslinda]

toss all of that cooked food out the window, or down the toilet, or to the food bank, but get it out of your house.


get rid of all of it, even the old food colorings, the old spices, the old nutri sweet packets, all of it, toss it, get it out of your sight, and at night, lock up your car keys, put them in the garage, in a locked cabinet if you have to, and lock up those keys too, make it really difficult to get your substance, it will give you a few more seconds to reconsider your actions, when you are running around at 2am, trying to find some cooked food, and you have to find the keys to the lock box, which is in the garage, to find your car keys to drive to the store to buy something cooked to eat, it will give you much needed time to rethink what you are doing, trust me, this helps. LOL I know from experience.


I am totally LMFAO RP !!!!!!!!!!!!! That's sounds like my mother's cupboard--old food coloring :p .

I agree, seems extremely theatrical BUT it does work.....GREAT POST! :D

[Raine]

Have you considered a juice fast? If you can tackle a 5 day - 30 day fast that would probably help immensely with the detox, shrinking the stomach and cleansing your palate to better appreciate natural tastes.

I'm on day 15 of 30 and feel great!

[kellibelli]

Its late, I am working on the computer, thinking about all of the wonderful advice given earlier...and then I remembered...my order from Raw Food online came today! I tried the raw essene bread...I forgot what flavor - I think it was bell pepper and something. I had a "slice" of that with some guacamole. Holy freakin' cow! That really hit the spot! What an awesome snack. :)

[swingbolder]

Starting out with a fast is a good idea, it'll get you jumpstarted. I like oj myself.

Also, I don't know how old your kids are, but my boy is ten. I was struggling a few weeks ago, yo-yo-ing from raw to cooked, I tried to analyze my weakspots. . . one of them was having to prepare cooked meals for my family.

So I announced to them that until further notice, they are on their own when it comes to preparing any cooked food. Of course I will keep feeding them healthy raw stuff, they can always eat with me, but if they want cooked they have to make it themselves. We went to the grocery store and got a bunch of things my ten-year old can make on his own (my husband is away sometimes for work), and bought them, made a menu. So far so good. He's been making sandwiches, baked beans, scrambled eggs, stuff like that. It's making him feel very grown up and proud of himself, and it's made it MUCH easier for me to stay raw. I have not had any slipups since I implemented this system. Perhaps you could get pencil and paper and strategize a plan for yourself as well. Your motivation is there, now you need a system!!!

[MangoMommy]

the advice I always give is to stay "prepared"....cravings happen, they just do. Keeping yourself prepared with yummy treats, desserts, ice cream, pie..all those things help you stay on the right track.

[kellibelli]

Swingbolder...we must be thinking alike because my 10-year-old daughter is in charge of the cooked stuff, too. In fact, I just sat down with my 10 and 6-year-old and had them write down all of the fruits and veggies and nuts they like. I havent had a chance to talk with my 4-year-old about this, but once I get her favorites we will go shopping and I will have each of them pick out the stuff they like to get them more involved in the process and to have them take some ownership in the food that they choose. They will eat that most of the time and then my oldest will do the cooking, which is what she normally does since I am working in the evenings upstairs on the computer.

Mangomommy...I am working on being more prepared with good foods on hand when I get cravings. :)

[Faithfullyfit]

RP,
You are always so wise :D

IF you do eat cooked food, be okay with it, and get back to eating raw, it's okay, it doesn't have to consume your entire life.

I believe RP also said in many post's before that she always said she was RAW even in the times you slipped....I have tried this and it has an amazing power to keep me from slipping entirely from RAW goodness! If I keep trying to label what percentage RAW I was everyday- I would get discouraged and quit (+ I am not that good with math-haha!)! So, forgive your self and just try to nourish your body and soul ;)

I think those cheeto's were a "forbidden fruit" if you will.....like how we want what we can't have it is such a psychological issue- Just let go and tell yourself you can have the cheeto's if you want but they are so awful and do nothing to heal and nourish your body- read the ingredients- shocking!

Have a wonderful day!

FF

[ShelShel]

This is an interesting topic. I respect everything said too.
This is a lifestyle. Not a diet. It's not meant to be a torture device until you reach a goal and can go back to "normal". :rolleyes: So, start trying to look at raw food the way you do cooked. If you want an extra special treat...make yourself one. Make yourself raw ice cream. (my personal fav is frozen banana blended with the juice of one whole lime...it's more like lime sherbert!) Or if you are hankering for something salty...make olive tapenade and stuff some celery. This is my latest craving. :p If you need to splurge...make something rich like Fettuccini Alfredo...make it. Enjoy. You can have what you want...just have raw. Figure out what it is you are craving...and make a raw version. Don't consider it denying yourself cooked....you are chosing raw! ;) Raw Rawks...and so do you! Keep it up...it will come...don't be too hard on yourself! Raw (((HUGS)))

[rawpriestess]

everyone has such sage advice,


Just KNOW that eating raw is gaining health
and eating cooked is losing health

so IF you do eat some cooked, then go out and eat some raw, as much raw as you can, better yet, eat the raw first, before you allow the cooked in, and hopefully, it will fill you up, now THAT would be a good thing.

[JinxieKat]

I used to struggle with this too, very much so. I did the 30 day challenge in February, sailed right through it. Then everything went down hill, then up hill, then down.. well you get the idea. At times I was eating worse food than I did before I ever tried raw.. YIkes! After reading about how others transitioned into it that is what I'm doing for myself. I find that it is a kinder way to go from a typical SAD junk diet to a raw one. Right now my goal is to not eat meat and limit other animal products. Then I will go vegan, then I will go raw. I still find myself eating raw, today I've eaten more raw than cooked, and that is a good thing. I am more at peace with myself since I've made this decision. Nothing is a must, it is simply a journey towards a goal. I'm going to enjoy the journey and celebrate my victory when I get there!

Jinx