Spinning out of control

[my_sunshine]

Oh, where do I start? I'm obessing. Big time. Over my diet. Over what to do,what not to do. I did raw for 11 days and felt great. I told myself I'd let myself one day of binge, and it's turned into 5. I react horribly. I react so badly to chocolate. I have a huge crash- my eyes are bloodshot, I'm exhausted and super irritable. Yet I keep doing this. I feel so out of control. I don't know what to do. I want to plan things, and obsess over it, but if I slip up I feel like a failure, and I give up and binge. Then I want to say, hey I'll just take it day by day,but then I feel like I won't accomplish anything without a plan. So I go back and forth. A million times. I drive myself nuts- to the point where I just want to lay in bed and be miserable. I drive everyone around me nuts. I don't know what to do. I think gee, I should do 10 days raw to get back on track, then I panic- what happens after the 10 days. Then I think 'each day I will be as raw as possible- whether it's 100, 90, 80 or 50%' and just don't binge. But then I think w/out a plan I won't stick to anything. So I'm anxious over this, I'm panicking, I'm irritable. I don't know what to do. I need help. Please help :(

[adrienne]

I cannot express how strongly I relate to your post. I wish I had an answer or something really helpful to say. All I can say is, keep trying, keep posting and keep knowing you are not alone on this journey. It is hard and someday it will just be second nature.
Big cyber hug to you.
Adrienne

[raw-siobhan]

Same here...you are not alone. I think it is a personality thing because I do the very same thing...in all aspects of my life not just with the eating unfortunately. Boy, I sure wish there was a "cure" or the "answer", but I think that that is one of our "challenges" in life to deal with and hopefully get beyond, you know? :(

[rawfigure]

How long have you been Raw ? If it is a fairly new for you you may want to do a Transition for a period of time. After a period of time, you will desire to be more (if not 100%) raw ! I know that worked for me. I think I transitioned for a few months, then wanted to be Raw w/o obsessing to much about it ! :D

[mschele]

I do exactly the same thing. I completely understand. I have reached a point of not discussing my diet with anyone, b/c it changes daily. One day I am 100% raw, then I binge and decide I will eat one cooked vegan meal at the end of the day, then I cook meat for my family and say I will eat with them twice a week. I can't think straight, I plan my menu (mentally) each day and if I mess up I loose control.

With that said, I have found the best way for me to be in control is to eat simply (smoothies, fruit, some nuts) during the day. No preparing difficult things and eating a salad and steamed vegetables with rice or quinoa (if needed) at the end of the day. This seems to be doing the trick so far.

Good luck.

[Sharon in Colorado]

You can try getting out a calendar and planning what you will eat for the next week. Think of a back-up plan in case you don't feel like eating one thing. Then when a craving hits, list the foods you can eat, in priority.

If you face this with a solid plan, there'll be less room for panic and dissapointment. Tell yourself that you'll do this, and if there's a slip just get back on that plan for the week.

[JinxieKat]

I can very much relate to this. I did the 30 day challenge at the begining of the year and did very well. After that though.. OUCH. I fell off and fell off bad, ate worse than I ever did before. Ick! I battled back and forth and then decided after reading a post here about someone that transitioned from SAD to RAW that I was simply driving myself crazy by trying to do it all at once. So right now I am not eating meat, and eating a raw breakfast. I am working on removing dairy from my diet so by the end of the year I will be vegan. Then I will add raw into my diet over a couple of months and be RAW by spring. I've felt alot better about this than I have in a while. And it is working. I went on vacation to Disney world for a week and I slipped up once the entire time. One small appatizer that had meat in it, other than that.. no meat! It was great.

Hope that helps!

Jinx

[Shmoopie]

Good for you Jinxie. Sounds like a good plan.


Sunshine...I'm not raw myself, but I just wanted to say that maybe you might wanna work on forgiving yourself when you do eat something you weren't planning on eating. I doubt there's even one person anywhere who went from a SAD diet to a raw diet, 100%, without any slips ever. It's going to happen. No big deal. But if you could be calm about it, and just realize that it was just a momentary lapse and doesn't mean that everything is ruined, then maybe you'd be able to just let it go and continue on your path. It sounds like your attitude about it has just been 'all or nothing', so no wonder you'd get all upset and go on such extremes as far as eating, ya know? If you've been raw for some time and then one day, you wind up eating something cooked or some chocolate, then just try to see it as..."ok I ate this. I'm done. I'm going to stay on track with my diet now for the rest of the day".
I'm sure it's easier said than done. Just be nice to yourself. Take care.

[Missrawdiva]

If you are like me, and love chocolate, then why not buy some raw coca nibs (they have them online and at Whole Foods) and ground them up with some raw agave nector. That way you get to eat raw chocolate that is good for you, plus the raw agave nector will not raise or lower your sugar level giving you that crazy feeling. I used to feel the same way when I ate conventional store bought chocolate candy bars. I would get a major sugar high then low. You will not feel that with raw cocoa and agave nector. This is coming from someone who puts raw chocolate in her smoothies, makes raw coconut and chocolate pies and every night eats raw chocolate ice cream!

[garden granny]

I think everyone can relate to this especially in the beginning. What worked for me was to clean out my refrigerator and cabinets of everything bad for me and fill it up with fresh veggies, fruit, nuts, carob powder instead of chocolate. I organized my kitchen and gave away all my pots, pans except for 1 pot and 1 pan. So having only the stuff I know I want to eat and getting rid of the other food, I'm not tempted (most of the time) so much. I also don't like restaurants now and hardly ever go to one - so that helps. Hang in there - it will get easier for you too.

[protea]

Oh, I am EXACTLY the same!! Why don't you join us in the mini 3-day challenge. I can also highly recommend Victoria Boutenko's book: '12 Steps to Raw Foods'. It is packed with practical advice how to go from SA to RAW!!! I'm currently studying it again for motivation :p

[greeninloanageles1]

For me tantra "I am craving raw foods" many times a day said loud, sung or even said in my head helps a lot. And for me it is easier not to take even a bit cooked than to have alittle and stop. I fell off twice in almost a year raw, and both times it took me 2-3 weeks to get back to raw, even though I tried from the very next day. Don't keep blaming yourself - concentate on victory. Keep trying and trying- don't give up!