I feel like a failure!

[growinhealth]

:( Hi everyone! I am a big failure at raw! I do pretty well for a couple days then boom...a craving hits and I give into it with all my heart...I hate that. I love this way of eating it is so easy you don't have to worry about what to cook for dinner or any meal just grab a nice piece of fruit, or make a gorgeous salad. But what about the times when there is no time? When you are so tired and fatigued that only a soda or latte will help get your motor running? I need help I screwed up today and if anyone has any tips, or just some ideas for fast filling meals on the go (literally running out the door) and anything to give me energy I'd glady accept it. Thanks

[sachis2112]

Aw, hon. Don't be discouraged. Screwing up doesn't make you bad. It just means you need to do some planning. You need to take a little extra time to make sure you've always got something on hand. Apples are good and so are carrots. Always take them with you or make sure that there's a grocery store nearby.

A soda and latte are NOT the only things that can get you going. I learned that very early. Try pineapple or mango. And don't forget about bananas! Bananas actually have been proven to help depression too. Are the perfect... maybe not. But neither are we. If you deserve a chance, so do they!

I've found that grazing all day and then having a formal dinner has really done the trick for me. I'm full most of the day and it helps me keep my mind of smoking too. The whole hand-to-mouth thing.

The key here is making sure you are never without. This helps you resist the temptation to stop somewhere to just pick up junk. I had a serious chip/crunchy temptation the other day while in Whole Foods. I bought some apples and some raw honey, a bag of carrots and a Lara bar. I looked at my basket and said to myself, "See! You've got all this lovely stuff. You don't NEED anything else!" That did it! But I ran out and bought a cheap dehydrator tonight so that I could take care of that cruchy and starch craving I've been having the last few days.

[VeganVixen]

ditto ,latte and soda may seem to get you "running" ~but what they are REALLY doing is RUNNING YOU DOWN!

GREEN SMOOTHIE ARE GREAT
FIGS AND DATES ARE A GREAT ENERGY BOOST!
BANANAS ARE GREAT TOO!

YOU SAID THIS:you don't have to worry about what to cook for dinner or any meal just grab a nice piece of fruit, or make a gorgeous salad. But what about the times when there is no time?

Thats a bit contradictory ,ya think?

Fruit is VERY portable,"prewrapped" and salads are just about everywhere~next time you feel in the mood for a toxic ,body taxing soda or latte -get fresh juice (hopefully there is a smoothie shop or juice bar close) or grab some figs and dates,and ALSO larabars or raw nuts.............the options are there-just look!

hope I helped!

[Revvell]

Yanno, it's taken me years to get where I am today. I was introduced to raw about 4-5 years ago. Did about 3 months before slowly going back to cooked. No big thing unless you've got a health challenge.

My suggestion would be to organized better. Set priorities. See how much time you spend on the internet or wasting time doing stuff that's not necessary in your life and see if that time could be better spent creating some really good raw dishes.

I've said in a couple of other posts what I do, so wont repeat it here again yet, I'll say what I did yesterday ~

I got all the ingredients for 3 raw meals and one salsa and one tapenade. I keep raw crackers on hand at all times. The onion bread is very quick and simple. So!

Yesterday, I made the enchiladas. Today, broccoli and cheese and tomorrow chili rellenos. I get up early, put them together and put them in the dehydrator. When I get home today, the broccoli and cheese will be ready. Just making these will give Bo and I enough food for Sun. when we will be vending from early in the a.m. until 6:30 in the evening.

As others have said, green smoothies are nourshing and quick. We purchased a whole BUNCH of bananas yesterday also. Some to freeze for ice cream, some for crepes (forgot those) and some for smoothies AND to just eat if we don't seem to find we have enough food. (yeah, right).

What I've found is, it doesn't take long to choose a few recipes, get the ingredients and make on luscious thing a day ~ which will last 3 days if one is alone. That means food for a week if one keeps it that long.

Injoy ~

Revvell

[haresmum]

Planning is absolutely key! What helps me is to have a lot of my favorite, quick to grab and take with me foods like bananas, almonds, oranges, apples, sliced carrots and celery, stuff like that. Maybe make up a huge batch of dehydrated crackers or cookies for when you are tired and dont feel like making anything. And go ahead and cut up a bunch of veggies to hav eon hand and can grab when in a hurry.

I also have a very quick recipe that is so good and filling on so many levels that I use in these times....it is basically mashed bananas and then I add whatever nuts/chopped fruits I have on hand. It is very much a comfort food for me and only takes a minute to make. It almost always consists of 2-4 mashed bananas, chopped pecans or walnuts and chopped coconut. Then I eat it like that or I add more chopped fruit if I have it and the time....anything goes, mango, pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, apples, grapes. Maybe it is just me....things like pudding, mashed potatoes, etc are major comfort foods for me and this satisfies me on that level!!

Anyway, love yourself where you are today, you've come a long way! Just keep on looking forward.

Allison

[joy]

I think raw is always more difficult when you're weaning yourself off caffeine or some other substance. That might be the most difficult thing initially. Everyone is right about getting rid of the lattes and soda. If you can focus on substituting those drinks with a fresh juice, you'll have made lots of progress.

Jacqueline, give yourself grace. Planning is so important to this lifestyle, and it takes time to adapt.

Here's a quick breakfast idea. If you use water instead of nutmilk, it is very inexpensive. If you don't have some of the ingredients, omit them, or substitute with other spices.

Chai Banana Smoothie (makes 2 big servings; you can freeze some into popsicles for later)

Combine in a blender:
2 frozen bananas (I keep these on hand at all times)
2 cups nutmilk, fresh orange juice, or water
1-2 cups ice cubes
1 tablespoon raw honey, raw agave, or a date
1 teaspoon cinnamon or allspice
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, or 1/4 teaspoon ground
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash cloves
dash ground pepper

This gives great energy in the morning, and fulfills those sweet cravings associated with soda or latte.

Bless you!

[sweetgoddess]

growinhealth~
I have been raw for 3 months. In that time I have struggled here and there, gving in to my minds habitual desires and eating cooked. What has helped me is changing my perspective on this.
When I thought "I screwed up" then I felt guilty, doubted my ability to do this, angry at myself, may as well eat the kitchen sink and on and on...and that created an even bigger struggle to stay focused on raw. That is a mind pattern.
When I realized this, and thought instead " wow how interesting I chose to do that, why, what contributed to it, how can that be reshaped" then it was able to stay in that moment and not carry forward, and I was able to get right back to raw without beating myself up for it.
I had to keep working through the struggle, watch my mind, find ways to reshape its patterns-I still do.
Rawpriestess said something fantastic just recently--we are not cooked foodists trying to be raw, we are raw foodists who chose to eat cooked. ( or something along that line) That stuck with me.
My mind has been the BIGGEST challenge, and I just keep workig through that. It gets easier and easier as long as you keep heading toward your goal no matter what you did or do in any one moment.
I think that talking about it and trying to understand it will get you there.
My very best wishes~

[khackett]

It's really hard when your goal is neverending.

I don't know if this will help, but maybe allow yourself one nonraw food item a month. Then, when cravings hit, just think to yourself "3 wks and I can have ____".

And then, maybe?, slowly phase that out too, depending on how raw you want to be.

[Punky]

wow so much good advice already!

Please don't beat yourself up with guilt. Sweetgoddess' post is so
true. Believe me i've stumbled alot...it's a process...i have been examining
my triggers and trying to go forward and learn from them.
I've been making 2 steps forward and a 1/2 step back...so I am still going
forward! That's what counts for me.
Planning and time are the key to staying raw and my biggest challenges.
I am extremely unorganized.
I actually do what Kate suggested (depending on how raw your goals are).
Every 30 days raw I let myself have a favorite "cooked" meal...that way I didn't feel like I could NEVER eat it again, and it helped me stay on course.
Of course you have to find what will work for you and your raw goals.
I'm not 100%, although I strive to be. I usual fall along 95%-100%
depending on the day. It's a process for me and everyone is different.

I think it was Catherine the Great who totes a small cooler wherever she goes
that she keeps stocked...what a great idea.
Dates, Banana's, almond butter are all great foods to have stocked and ward off hunger. I stocked my frig with baby carrots an grab a bag whenever I go anywhere for me and my boys. A new favorite is raw pistachio's i've been getting from my coop. Avocado's are heavon. A quick and favorite dinner
of mine is 1 cucumber, tomato, and 1 avocado diced in a bowl.
I mix in apple cider vinager, celtic sea salt and a small dollup of raw honey
or agave syrup and mix it all up and eat. Takes me about 10min. is all.
Oh, I just made a quick green smoothie that only took me 10min. max.
If in a hurry, drink in the car. Ok, I know some of my suggestions were already mentioned, but I had to 2nd them because they work well for me.

[growinhealth]

You are all bright blessings in my life, during the bleak guilt strinken self condemning moments, I receive such wonderful encouragement and recipes! You all are so true...I have been reflecting on my eating "failures" this week and realized that a lot of it was because I feel like i have no moment to find pleasure or peace for myself. I get up go to work, get home do homework get up go drive an hour to school stay all day drive an hour back home do homework, get up go to work ect. All I want is a little something to enjoy so I give into something sweet or filling to make me happy. And because of this over loaded schedule I am exhausted and I think to myself "go ahead you deserve this" though my waistline and pants are telling me, keep this up girl and you will be more depressed about your weight than anything else and then boom...I start to binge and purge all over again, and this is exactly what i am trying to get away from. But I am so thankful I am not alone in this, I have both the raw foodist in you all and my precious Savior, thanks all for the encouragement!

[Rawkinlocs]

Growinhealth,

As you can see, we are/were in the same boat! But you have received WONDERFUL advice here (I should have been reading THIS thread to help me!). Know that you are NOT a failure!

We will get through this and beat those craving monsters!!

[FEELIN'GOOD]

Keep your head up- it is a huge adjustment- any RAW is better than NO raw- Just being here and being aware of how important raw food is for our bodies and minds is awesome!

Sweetie, you are doing wonderful- it is not how many times we fall, but how many times we get up that makes all the difference... keep on keeping on!

Melissa