6 months raw and I'm amazed!!!

[lissomllama]

I'm a little over 6 months raw now and I've gladly released about 40 pounds of toxic, junk and fat that was covering up my true self. I'm 5 foot 3 inches and healthy 112 pounds now. I feel so healthy and alive. My entire life has changed. I'm never going back. I can't even imagine my life any other way now. I had a tough detox but it was worth it for how awesome I feel. So here's my rawsome list of improvements (and this is just so far!):

*Wonderful, healthy and quite effortless weight loss. I eat whenever I'm hungry as much raw vegan food as I want to feel satisfied and the weight has just melted off. I feel so fit and vibrant. I could climb a mountain on bare feet, I swear!

*I have completely conquered anorexia, bulimia, compulsive overeating and depression in one fell swoop. I have self confidence, happiness and I love to eat and I feel good about it afterward!

*I used to get sick at least once every season. I haven't had a single cold yet since after my detox. I also haven't had a single tummy ache or felt grossly full or guilty even once!

*New hair is sprouting all over my head. My hairline has actually been extending further forward. I've got new little hairs all over my head. Also, my hair grew a full inch last month! For the last 2 months my hair was shedding like crazy (we're talking huge chunks each day) and I began to worry but I kept having faith and sure enough, the shedding has stopped and now I've got all this fresh new growth everywhere. It's also shinier and more 'flippy' and soft. I'm so happy!

*I used to have acne and now my skin is like fresh honey dew melon. The only time i get a few zits is when I have another mini detox episode and I always feel it coming on.

*I no longer have any menstrual cramps and I bleed for only 4 days where I used to bleed for 10 and had pain and blood loss so horrible I've had to be hospitalized. Now It's a total breeze.

*My love life is even more wonderful than before. I'm confident and more physicall fit for it. This is how people are meant to live!

*My bowel movements are easy, quick and frequent. I am clean and have no intestinal build up.

*I have no body odor whatsoever and I don't need deoderant or soap at all. Just clean water and I've begun to naturally smell a bit like fruit!

*I have no pain anywhere on my body.

*My body has become shapely and lean and my skin is soft, hydrated and supple.

*While I still sleep 8 hours (because I can), I only require 6-7 to feel completely rested and I have boundless energy all day. Even after a long day at work.
*I'm more spiritually enlightened than ever and my art has never been this good. I've been painting up a storm. My entire outlook on life has improved

I'm sure there are more but I can't think of them right now.... anyway, I feel wonderful and it is more than worth giving up some dumb junk food to feel this good. I'm 19 and I already feel like a new person in a new body! I can't wait for the 1 year mark!

thanks for reading, you're all great and what an inspiration, wow!

[Raw Jewelrylady]

Wow-What a great testimonial for Raw!

It is so fun to read all the improvements in all aspects of life.

I am so happy for you.

Thanks for sharing. :)

Lana

[Rawkinlocs]

Lady Llama, you are a TRUE inspiration to me honey...I love reading your posts and I am always so inspired by you and your dedication! Earlier today, I was gonna email you and tell you this, but since you started this thread...I'll just do it here.

Thank you for sharing your wonderful results and always having such a buzzing, raw vibe about you! Congrats on your 6 months raw and all that you've been blessed with since you started!

[Larue]

This is so inspiring. Thank you SO much!

[rawyogi80]

Thanks for sharing your inspiring testimonia! Go raw, live long =).

[misslinda]

WOW WOW WOW, you said it all in a nut shell !!!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE TRULY SENSATIONAL AND INSPIRING.............I AM SO IN AWE AND HAPPY FOR YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[thevoyager]

awesome! i'm 19 and hope to be where you are by the time i hit 20! :)

[Mona]

It is great to hear about this lissomllama! I´m still only dreaming about going raw, trying it out for 3 days and then quit because it feels to hard. One of the reasons for me to go raw is that I suspect that the menstruation cramps might go away, and it´s just fantastic to hear that its working for you! Some years ago I ate a lot of raw food and the same thing happened to me. When I started to eat coocked food the menstruation cramps came back.

Has anybody else noticed cramps dissapearing? It can´t be natures wish that all women should suffer this way every month?

Thank you for sharing and encouraging!

[5mks]

This is truly inspiring! I am nearly one week raw after a 12 day juice fast. I feel great! I am looking forward to all of the results that you listed!

One bad thing---I need to go shopping for new clothes. I enjoy the new clothes, but I HATE shopping :D

[Nenyath]

I'm so happy for you Lissomllama! This list seems almost too good to be true, what an amazing journey you are on! 100% raw right? Rock on!

Fly forever free..

[Missrawdiva]

Your such an inspiration!! I wish I would have started raw at your age, I would not have gained 80 lbs!!
You go girl!!

[Mango]

Oh, thank you so much for posting this. I am trying to convince my 15year old to go raw. She suffers from severe depression and it comes and goes by what she eats. I printed this out in hopes that it will inspire her. Thanks!

[auroral]

You are such an inspiration to me! I am also 19, and I'm trying to transition to 100% raw. Thank you for giving me the extra boost I needed! :)

[chilove]

COngratulations!!! That is awesome!!!! Raw is so wonderful!!! :-)


All the best,

Audrey

[trinity082482]

Hi!
Wow! Love, love, love this thread! :D Gives me such a good hopes about the future. I would love to loose weight too. I am more concered about some health things but I could stand to loose 10lbs or so. :rolleyes:
Im so happy your happy, that makes me happy. Such a good day :D

[swingbolder]

lissomllama, that is fantastic!!! Congratulations!


Has anybody else noticed cramps dissapearing? It can´t be natures wish that all women should suffer this way every month?


Yes, this has happened to me too. No more cramps, and no more PMS.

[Veganforlife]

Congrads! It is the way to be. Isn't it?
Raw baby! Raw!!! :D

[rande]

its incredibly inspirational to see other people around my age (i'm 20) trying this and seeing these kinds of results! thank you and keep it up! :)

[Ireland]

Way to go!!!! You're such a good example to so many.

Okay, someone's gotta ask ya know...got any before and afters? :D

[Morn]

Wow congratulations. Your list of benefits is amazing. I would love to see your pictures as well.

[luckitri]

Excellent! Now I want to see your paintings! I want to see before raw painting and after raw painting!

[livingatthetop]

You are my hero thanks for that!

[lissomllama]

Wow, thanks you guys for all your encouragement and sweet compliments, I'll check back in like this at the one year mark! You're all so rawsome!

Nenya, yeah, I've been 100% raw with no slip ups since June 1st 2006. The year before that I dabbled back and forth and it only got me feeling worse. I determined that the only way for me to make progress and be heappy and healthy was to JUST DO IT, no excuses, no exceptions and I was right in my case. I'm an all or nothing kind of person.

Walkin'onwater, I don't really have great before and afters because I used to be so self conscious that when I looke bad I refused to have pictures taken of me. And actually I don't have any photos of me yet since going raw. Looks like I need to remedy that soon though :) . For something though: The first photo is of me when I was bulimic and just becoming anorexic I didn't have acne yet but I was unhealthy, sick and depressed. (even in this photo though, I wasn't at my thinnest. I weigh about the same now as I did in this first photo, only I look way healthier now). I don't have any photos of me when I was slightly heavy but at my wedding I weighed a bit more as you can see in the middle photo. I really don't have any photos that show me at my worst. I had pretty bad skin for a while and at my heaviest I was 155 pounds on a 5 foot 3 inch petite frame so for me that was heavy. My lowest weight was 99 pounds and I have no photos of that either. I'll get some good photos as soon as I get a digital camera that actually works and a computer that isn't slowly trying to drive me mad. :p
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a43/lissomllama/2001.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a43/lissomllama/scan00042.jpg

[lissomllama]

Ooh, ok well I do have a difference in art to show: These are just a couple of examples but here goes (and these aren't even my best examples, just of what I have photos I can readily access right now)-


before-IMG]
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a43/lissomllama/paintings0052.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a43/lissomllama/Image0463.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a43/lissomllama/woo0442.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a43/lissomllama/Image0093.jpg



After-
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a43/lissomllama/neww0653.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a43/lissomllama/neww0613.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a43/lissomllama/neww0623.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a43/lissomllama/woo0412.jpg

[lllouisa]

Many people have said you've inspired them, but this really does inspire me. I've been battling anorexia and bulimia for 4 and a half years. I've tried so many times to recover on my own, but I always end up binge eating and then returning back to my old ways. I've always wanted to go raw, but with my parents it's really hard because they just think I'm doing it to cut the calories, when really I just want to do it so I can have a healthy outlook on life and eating and never have to deal with an eating disorder again. I want to go raw so badly and never even think about fasting, puring, restricting or any of that crap that I've been thinking about daily since I was 13. Thanks for this. It's nice to see that going raw has helped a fellow eating disorder sufferer get better. Thanks a lot, it gives me hope.

[lissomllama]

llouisa, you can do this and trust me it will work. You can say goodbye to eating disorders forever and still be thin and actually look vibrant and attractive instead of frail and half dead.

Parents can be tough. Luckily I was 19, married and moved out since I started this but I still got problems from them at first. Notice I said AT FIRST. My parents are as supportive as ever of me now that they have truly seen the difference. Do your best to explain it to them logically and tell them that you can understand why they would be suspicious due to past behavior, but they just have to trust you on this one and ride through the storm of detox. Educate them, show them the website and the info and they will slowly get it.

At the bottom line though, this is YOUR body, YOUR life and YOUR health so YOU make the decisions, no one else can rightfully decide these things for you. If raw feels right to you, go and be raw!

I can't wait to see your progress. You can rise above eating disorders forever and live your life freely, eating with joy and self love.

[KombuchaCHIC]

That is so awesome! This is exactly how I felt when I was 6 months raw. You now remind me to stay on track and try to go for another 6 months to get back to where I used to be. Thanks for the inspiration. I love both periods of your art, but I really do like the raw art. I love how organic it feels. I dig the abstract mushrooms. :)

[fikustree]

your story is really inspiring thank you so much for sharing. I have never heard the mentraul cramps thing before but I thought it would eventually have a good effect.

I wanted to thank you also for including your art. It really shows how far you have come and I love love love your newer stuff. You are so talented! Thank you.

[girlsmiley]

lissomllama - beautiful artwork (before and after) ... the before seems kind of dark and the after feels so light and free ... beautiful! And congratulations on being 100% raw for 6 months! What an awesome testimony for those struggling with eating disorders.

[D'vorah]

Wow, the difference in your art is dramatic. The "after" is so warm, so inviting. I would look at it and want to meet the artist. It's so alive, so you must be as well.

Thank you for the inspiration,

Deborah

[SedonaSun]

Wow, the difference in your art is dramatic. The "after" is so warm, so inviting. I would look at it and want to meet the artist. It's so alive, so you must be as well.

Yes, a change from death and despair to life and blossoming... what a change food can make in all areas of our lives! :D

[tinystrawberry]

i love your art! the third mushroom is my favorite ;)

[RowanC]

Hi Nikki and congratulations!
I tried to add you as my friend. I just joined the network.. but it wouldn't let me :confused:

I'll try later. Anyway.. awesome post!

[Vegan Princess]

I love your art! Beautiful. Good job turning your life around. You are truly inspirational. I can sympathise with the eating disorder. I have been working on recovery and still used to have the occassional slip up, but when I eat raw, I don't ever feel full or gross or guilty (like you said) and I never ever think about binging or purging...and I'm losing the weight that would never budge no matter how much I tried.

[lissomllama]

Thanks for the awesome compliments, you lovely peoples. :)

[dewraw]

WOW! This is a wonderful entry, you make someone like me who is battling omitting dairy, and fish, go straight to raw food. I think i'm going to try January 1st 2007. Thanks, keep it up!

[lil fairy z girl]

what an inspiration :)
i love your artwork. i especially like the 3rd before raw pic. it reminds me of klimt :)
beautiful

best wishes
sal
~*~*~*