So frustrated

[co0kiezgurl]

Hi, I'm new, and just posted an introduction over in that other forum. :) I've been lurking here (and other websites) for a while, trying to learn as much as I can from y'all, and trying to keep on track since I started (about a month ago, when my husband got deployed). I did SUPER great the first few weeks. I loved everything I was eating, I ate plenty, I felt great. Then boom...last week I just didn't want to eat anything but fruit mainly. Greens taste horrible to me suddenly, I have to force them down. Even my fruits are starting to taste awful to me. It's becoming a chore to EAT! I don't even know why. And since that's the case, I'm eating way less, and starting to have zero energy, and have been getting really sick to my stomach, which makes me want to eat even less :/. I don't know what's going on. It's so frustrating because I was really enjoying my transition...I was so incredibly excited about it all. The only thing I can think of is that I was getting bored with my food choices. I ate pretty much the same things every day. But every time I tried something new, it didn't really seem to sit well with me. I tried avocado for the first time, because a lot of people seemed to like them. I hated it. I had to spit out the one bite I had. Kale is incredibly nasty to me. I already disliked coconut, but thought if I had a fresh one (instead of the flakes I was used to) that I might actually like it. Well I tried using the water from the coconut first, in a green smoothie I made. It wasn't the worst I'd made, but it certainly wasn't any good, but I drank it all anyway, and then it just made me sick to my stomach for the rest of the day. I sound like such a downer, but I'm just so frustrated. I know it's good for me, I just don't know what happened. Plus I have had canker sores in my mouth for the past 2 weeks, and swollen tastebuds that just keep moving from one side of my tongue to the other and back. That certainly doesn't make me thrilled to eat. I hope this isn't some delayed detox, because the way I've been feeling is unbearable. I've been practically starving all week and finally had a binge last night on some breaded fish we had in the freezer that I hadn't bothered to throw out yet (I had already emptied the fridge of everything from my SAD diet). It really almost makes me feel like crying because I was doing, and feeling, so great at first. I hope y'all have some words of wisdom...I could definitely use some motivation right now :(.

Thanks for "listening" to me.
Tiffany

[laurabfig]

I'm sorry that it has been so hard for you; it definitely sounds like you are having a rough time. I'm not an expert, but it sounds like you may be detoxing. And don't feel bad about your "binge" on breaded fish- we have all been there where we make mistakes and choose foods that we know will not make us feel great. It is understandable with the frustration you've been feeling.

Some things that may help:
1. do you have support? friends that eat raw? any groups in your area that you could do potlucks with? (try craigslist.com, or meetup.com, or even yahoo groups)

2. do you have a blender? i have times when i don't crave greens and then i usually add some to a shake that is loaded with fruit (so that i can't really taste the greens). my fave is (lots) of pineapple, an orange, a banana, some ice, and a handful of parsley or spinach. this way it is sweet but still gives me some greens.

3. was the avocado ripe that you tried? sometimes if they are still a bit hard they just do NOT taste good. they need to be really soft to be creamy and yummy

4. date brownies were always something that sustained me through times like this: 1 cup walnuts or soaked almonds, 1 c. medjool dates, some carob or cocoa powder, a little agave syrup, and sometimes some shredded coconut OR a dash of peppermint extract. these are easy to take with you and are a good satisfying sweet treat.

I hope this helps a tiny bit. I know others will have good info for you. Best wishes!

[Rawkinlocs]

Yep, it "sounds" like a detox AND because food is currently not appealing to you at all, your body just "may" be leading you into a fast - perhaps there are some internal things that are needing healing and focus taken off of digestion for now.

This is not going to go on forever...your desire for fruit, etc. will come back - but it could just be that your body needs a rest from eating and it's signalling that by nothing tasting good and as you said, even fruit is beginning to taste badly to you. Get some oranges and juice them with a citrus juicer and drink that or if you want, try juicing other fruit/veggies in a juicer or maybe even do lemon water for a day to a few days and see where you are then.

Just a thought!

It will pass...hang in there and hope you're feeling better than ever soon!

[Veganforlife]

Oh, I agree. Don't be so hard on yourself. AND it does sound like detoxing. A month isn't a very long time to be raw and expect everything to be peachy.
Green smoothies would be the way for you to go for a while. At least replace one meal with a GS. I too prefer them on the fruitier side. You DON'T taste the greens that way.
You bit the avo? Just flat out bit it? I prefer mine mashed with tomato, sprouts, lemon juice and onion. Sometimes I'll do it w/lettuce and sometimes just without. I don't care to eat just a plain big bit of avo either! :p
I don't care for young coconuts either. I gave them a shot and I don't care for them, so I don't eat them. No biggie.
Also, do you have Alissa's book? She really explains a lot of things in there. Things that you are questioning. THAT is a terrific support system there. And this forum too.
You can make this as complex as you want or keep it simple. I suggest keeping it simple until you get a handle on it.
The best thing you can do is not give up. I truly feel from what you've described that you are detoxing.
I repeat - THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS NOT GIVE UP.
Hang in there. This WILL pass. Honest.

[Rawzula]

Purchasing Alissa's book is a worthy investment, indeed. I've learned so much from reading it. I constantly refer to it, and I once took it with me to the supermarket (:D).

Like Veganforlife has suggested, keep things simple. It'll make being raw a whole lot easier.

http://www.ketoforum.de/diet-ticker/pic/weight_loss/11810/.png (http://www.diaet-ticker.de)

[spicyfull]

Hang in there, it will only get better....RAW.......

[magglepie]

Yep, I agree that it sounds like you are detoxing. The people in this thread have offered some great advice, and since they have all been raw, they know what it's like! Just know that if you stick to it and make it through the detox, you will come out feeling fantastic!

[chilove]

Hello there,

Canker sores, lethargy, and loss of appetite are all signs of detox. I know it can be frustrating but your body is doing exactly what it needs to do. :-)

Don't worry about forcing yourself to eat things that don't appeal to you at the time. Focus on eating whatever sounds good. You will do fine. You won't become deficient in anything in short amount of time. You can definitely do great on all fruit if thats all that appeals to you. If you are not feeling well and don't feel like eating at all, listen to your body. Get lots of rest and stay in bed until you feel better. Fasting is the best thing to do when you aren't well.

Stick with it, the detox shouldn't last too long. YOu are getting healthier everyday!!

Wishing you all the best,

Audrey
www.rawhealing.com

[co0kiezgurl]

Thank y'all so much for the advice.

I actually didn't eat all day Sunday, but felt 100% better on Monday, so maybe that kind of...set me right or something. I guess I had a little mini fast :).

I tell you what though...detox SUCKS! No wonder it's so hard to go raw. Now any more detoxing I go through, I'll be sure to try a little harder just dealing with it. Cause if it's just detox, then at least I know that once I'm all cleaned out, I won't have to deal with it anymore...right?

I definitely need Alissa's book though. The only book I have, the one that got me into eating raw in the first place, is Eat to Live, by Joel Fuhrman. I love it, but I definitely think something actually written for the raw lifestyle would help more. It's been on my list of random things to get once a few more bills are paid down ;).

Oh, and I'm so glad I'm not the only one that doesn't like coconut or avocados! I'll have to actually try the avo in a recipe or something though. After I took a taste of it, I didn't really give it much of a chance...just tossed it...yeah I was that repulsed. I think it might have been bad too. I wasn't exactly sure though since it's the first one I'd ever bought...I don't really know how to pick a fresh one :D

[Pierre]

Get one avo when it's hard and leave it on the counter. When it is just slightly soft (you push hard and it gives half a millimeter), cut it in half on a plane through the stem end. Twist it apart. It should be uniformly beige, except for the seed. (I'm not sure if that's the right name for the color.) You should be able to scoop it out of the peel with a spoon. If there are dark spots just under the skin, the spots are bad.

If you buy several avos at once, feel them every day. When one starts to get soft, eat it that day or put it in the fridge.