How DO you all do it?

[wtng4amiracle]

Actually be 100% raw? I have been about 75% raw since June 4. I stopped all dairy and red meats. I was doing raw until dinner, then having a light dinner. Just changing that much has been hard for me. Prior to trying raw, I was NOT a vegetarian. I have tried several times to go 100%, but keep failing. The other day I made it until dinner, but I was famished, tired, irritable, and had a headache. I bought a dehydrator and juicer. Almost every recipe I have made in the dehydrator I have not liked. I am not a big nut fan, but I have been trying to incorporate nuts into my daily intake. Since starting raw, I have GAINED 3 pounds. How can this be?

Please help...............what am I doing wrong???? :confused: :confused:

Thanks!

[JennaBoBenna]

It's not an easy journey....I first attempted raw TWO YEARS ago. I had a few hurdles to clamber over, food addictions, getting the mentality of a perfectly healthy diet. In the entire 2 years I've been raw, I was only 100% for 2 months. I'm not even 100% right now! Every day I learn more and more about what my ideal diet and lifestyle is, and every day I make decisions to get there. Get the right idea in your mind and strive towards it. Make little goals (100% raw for a day, for three days, then a week etc). Listen to what your body says, my body tells me what foods it wants to eat, and what not to eat.
Don't set your goals too high, being 100% is hard work!! It's easier to ease into it. I had to eat cooked vegetables and soups in order to overcome my wheat and soy addictions, and because of that I'm finding more raw foods to replace what I would normally eat. Take it slow :) You'll get there

[Rawkinlocs]

I know how you feel...it CAN be challenging. Firstly, do you live alone or with a family? In other words, do you HAVE to have cooked food in your home?

If the latter, it IS very much more challenging when there is cooked food present in the home from other family members. Not to say that it's IMPOSSIBLE...just more of a challenge. Many are doing it, but it can be tough especially if you are still fighting cravings and addictions. It's much easier for those who either live alone or have families who are also raw with them.

Thing is, you need not be so down on yourself because this is a journey...a process and many who are now, currently 100% raw will tell you that it was a struggle for them too at times and that at times they caved in to cooked foods as well. But over time something just..."clicked" and they decided to do 100% raw and never looked back and then one day turned into one week...one week into one month...one month into one year and so on and so on.

Try not to put so much emphasis on the cooked dinner. Look at and consider the fact that, "HEY, I'm eating ALL RAW FOODS all-llll the way up until dinner time!" That is probably something you never imagined yourself doing before, right? So, focus on how much your diet has improved and just keep at it and before long, you may find that you're eating raw ALL day long, even at dinner!

As for the 3 lb. weight gain, it could be a NUMBER of things (stress, water retention, just the time of day that you weighed, etc.) - put the scale away and focus on how you are healing internally...those things that your body may be putting it's focus and attention on that you may not even be aware of...that illness that you may have just been on the brink of discovering right before you decided to incorporate raw and living foods and now your body is taking care of it and nipping it in the bud for ya unbeknown to you!

And as for not having liked much out of the dehydrator...if there are things you liked, even if not much, keep those favorites on hand as staples - we all had our favorites with cooked foods that we rotated...do the same and allow the same with raw. Also keep in mind you don't HAVE to do dehydrated stuff. Make nut burger recipes but instead of dehydrating, eat as a pate' on lettuce or crackers, etc. Eat what YOU like/love even if it's simple stuff out of the food processor, blender or just fresh produce.

Hang in there! A very wise woman once told me that sometimes you need to write down (not just think about, but write it down!) all the reasons you decided to go raw - what ailments or health challenges are you trying to overcome or even avoid from getting in the first place? What made you decide to go raw...write down all the reasons why having better health is important to you and look at that every day, especially when those cravings or desires for cooked food hit (I'm preaching to myself here!) and just do your best each day to reach those goals. If you fall a little short, don't beat yourself up or have a pity party...look forward to the next day being a new day and strive for your goals again. Just DON'T GIVE UP...no matter what!

[wtng4amiracle]

Thank you both for responding so quickly. Yes, Rawkinlocs, my family of 4 is not raw. I have a lot of cooked foods in the house. It has just been soooo hard for me. I am a perfectionist and this is the first thing I can't nip in the bud.

Thank you for your encouragement. I will keep going. I really feel this is the healthiest way of living. If I wanted to continue with raw until dinner, what would you suggest I have for dinner? What could help me as I continue my transition to 100% raw?

Thanks again,

[Davylp25]

:D CONGRATS! 75% is an awesome step in the right direction. It's better than 0%. Honor that percentage and it will grow as you become easier on the self and grow into a more %. Some people can't handle 20%. So your doin well.

Also if you ate many cooked food meals, and didn't like them- would you stop eating cooked? hehe I dont think so. You gotta keep truckin. Just make sure you get the basics down in a day, like green smoothiea packed with love and nutrients. Fruits. Get a good daily amount for you... So that way you can get the benefits down easy, digest absorbed, and then you can become a mad scientist in the raw kitchen and search for the things you love... You will get there...

* PROPS TO 75% *

[Rawkinlocs]

Thank you both for responding so quickly. Yes, Rawkinlocs, my family of 4 is not raw. I have a lot of cooked foods in the house. It has just been soooo hard for me. I am a perfectionist and this is the first thing I can't nip in the bud.

Thank you for your encouragement. I will keep going. I really feel this is the healthiest way of living. If I wanted to continue with raw until dinner, what would you suggest I have for dinner? What could help me as I continue my transition to 100% raw?

Thanks again,

You're welcome! As I said, I know where you are as I've been there!!

Well, it's really not expected that we give cooked food suggestions seeing that we're here to support the raw foods portion of your diet. But I would just say to try and make it as healthy as possible and try with all your might to stay away from the things that cause you the most cravings - those things that you are highly addicted to and that you feel are the toughest to give up. Try to eliminate any white products you may be eating (sugar, flour, rice, etc.) and before you have that cooked dinner, eat a salad or some fruit before the meal. Have some of your favorite smoothie (green or otherwise) already made up and have a glass of that before that meal and see how long it is before you look at that cooked food and say, "Ya know what...I don't even WANT this, so why am I eating it?" and then turn it away.

[kristi7mark]

I started trying to eat raw in April this year. I did well and even made 2 weeks at 100% at the end of April. Then my son got married, we had to travel, etc. and I was back to cooked. But I wanted to be raw.

I can relate to the part about being a perfectionist. I finally decided to let go and go with the flow, still keeping my goal of wanting to be 100%. I felt so great those two weeks.

I can also relate to having a family to cook for. I have a family of six here and I am the only one commited to eating 100%.

I transitioned slowly, having green smoothies for breakfast, big salads for lunch, raw snacks during the day and still eating cooked dinners with my family and drinking coffee.

The more I ate raw and "played" with making new raw recipes the less I wanted cooked food. I eventually started making raw renditions for myself of my family's cooked meal or serving huge salads at dinnertime. I finally took the plunge on Monday, July 23 and have been 100% raw for 13 days now. I even completely lost my taste for coffee and haven't had that for weeks. But it took me a few months to get here. I still maked cooked meals for my family at dinner, but offer them fruit or green smoothies for breakfast and salads or wraps for lunch. I, at this time, have no desire for cooked foods and am enjoying experimenting with raw foods.

I can also relate about the dehydrator. I have found very few items I enjoy out of the dehydrator and still have not found a cracker or bread recipe I find satisfying. But I plan to keep trying...... :)

Be gentle and patient with yourself on this journey and you will amazed where it takes you.... Stay focused on the benefits of this lifestyle and the former ways will continue to lose their appeal.

Hope this helps!

[Rawkinlocs]

I started trying to eat raw in April this year. I did well and even made 2 weeks at 100% at the end of April. Then my son got married, we had to travel, etc. and I was back to cooked. But I wanted to be raw.

I can relate to the part about being a perfectionist. I finally decided to let go and go with the flow, still keeping my goal of wanting to be 100%. I felt so great those two weeks.

I can also relate to having a family to cook for. I have a family of six here and I am the only one commited to eating 100%.

I transitioned slowly, having green smoothies for breakfast, big salads for lunch, raw snacks during the day and still eating cooked dinners with my family and drinking coffee.

The more I ate raw and "played" with making new raw recipes the less I wanted cooked food. I eventually started making raw renditions for myself of my family's cooked meal or serving huge salads at dinnertime. I finally took the plunge on Monday, July 23 and have been 100% raw for 13 days now. I even completely lost my taste for coffee and haven't had that for weeks. But it took me a few months to get here. I still maked cooked meals for my family at dinner, but offer them fruit or green smoothies for breakfast and salads or wraps for lunch. I, at this time, have no desire for cooked foods and am enjoying experimenting with raw foods.

I can also relate about the dehydrator. I have found very few items I enjoy out of the dehydrator and still have not found a cracker or bread recipe I find satisfying. But I plan to keep trying...... :)

Be gentle and patient with yourself on this journey and you will amazed where it takes you.... Stay focused on the benefits of this lifestyle and the former ways will continue to lose their appeal.

Hope this helps!

This is BEAUTIFUL Kristi! Thanks for sharing!

[kristi7mark]

Thank you! And you are welcome!

I have learned that I can truly help others by being transparent and sharing my own experiences!

[Revvell]

You might wish to give a listen to Rawkin' Radio (rawcast.rawkinradio.com). Alissa gives all kinds of good info on how to go on and stay on the raw journey. As with any journey there may be obstacles and detours. No fuss, no bother. Just enjoy and trust the process.

Revvellicious :D

[menat]

I just can't be 100% raw. As I become more raw --currently juicing now -- I don't get as hungry as I used to nor crave the bad things. But hell, I do crave some of my comfort foods that there is no substitute for in raw form. I am not going to beat myself up for it. I am eating healthy about 80%. And yeah, I just ordered a pizza tonight and I probably won't have a taste of pizza for another 6 months. I don't have any raw food items in my fridge, since I only have bottles of juice I bought and/or made and I am hungry with huge cooked food cravings right now that I have been surpressing and have done so quite well.

If I want something due to huge cravings, I am going to have it. I just won't eat it all the time like I used to. I used to have bad food once every week. If I can have bad and/or uncooked foods once every several of weeks or months, I am just not going to beat myself up about it.

So anyone that eats 80 to 90% raw is doing great in my opinion.

I know for me from my experience, on a rare occassion my stomach misses warm foods. I don't mean anything like a pizza, or hamburger, but I do miss the feeling of soups creating a nice warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach. And drinking tea just isn't the same. When winter hits, I won't feel guilty by having soup once in a while. However, right now, I am mostly happy juicing and eating almonds.

However, me eating one cooked meal once a week is great for me. And I know that Thankgiving is an important family time for me. I will have grandma's turkey and stuff, because as far as I see it, if I am eating mostly raw, Thankgiving will be the only time during the year that I will have turkey, stuffing and a slice of sweet potato pie.

It is up to you to determine how raw you will want to go. I say, if you are doing two raw meals and one healthy cooked meal then you are doing fine, but see if there are days where you can try 3 raw meals. If you are a meat eater, then try sushi. Once a month maybe have that fried chicken or hamburger as a treat. Just don't make it daily, and test yourself to not to make it weekly. But monthly is okay, in my opinion.

[menat]

I just want to say this. My pizza came about 20 minutes ago. When I order pizza, I always order large. The old pre-raw me felt compelled to eat the whole pizza at once. The raw me now only wants to taste it. It was a Dominos pizza so you know it is not cut in slice but squares. I only ate two squares and I don't want the rest. It is going into the freezer. All I wanted was a taste to get rid of the pizza craving and not to feel as if I am depriving myself of things I love. I probably won't finish the rest of the pizza in over the next 4 to 5 months.

To me that is what Raw is all about. You wanting to eat mostly healthy, but have a little taste of the "bad" stuff on a rare full moon when you crave it. And when you do indulge your cravings, just eat enough to satisfy yourself. Don't feel like you have to eat the whole thing.

You want ice cream? Have it, but only eat a tablespoon to satisfy the craving. Don't go eating two huge scoops (one cup or more). Or try eating a whole pint of ice cream. Just get a taste. You want chocolate cake? Go to a place that sells it by the slice and ask a friend to share it with you.

That is how you do it. Well, that is how I am doing it.

[Riiiya]

I just want to say this. My pizza came about 20 minutes ago. When I order pizza, I always order large. The old pre-raw me felt compelled to eat the whole pizza at once. The raw me now only wants to taste it. It was a Dominos pizza so you know it is not cut in slice but squares. I only ate two squares and I don't want the rest. It is going into the freezer. All I wanted was a taste to get rid of the pizza craving and not to feel as if I am depriving myself of things I love. I probably won't finish the rest of the pizza in over the next 4 to 5 months.

To me that is what Raw is all about. You wanting to eat mostly healthy, but have a little taste of the "bad" stuff on a rare full moon when you crave it. And when you do indulge your cravings, just eat enough to satisfy yourself. Don't feel like you have to eat the whole thing.

You want ice cream? Have it, but only eat a tablespoon to satisfy the craving. Don't go eating two huge scoops (one cup or more). Or try eating a whole pint of ice cream. Just get a taste. You want chocolate cake? Go to a place that sells it by the slice and ask a friend to share it with you.

That is how you do it. Well, that is how I am doing it.

aah yes yes! i agree, much better than beating yourself about it....then overeating...and then being stressed about the whole thing...

[EZ rider]

It was a Dominos pizza ..... It is going into the freezer.
Everybody is different I'm glad that works for you. For me its cold turkey. I find that saving it for later or having a little now is like an alcoholic having another drink to satisfy the thrist and then saving the bottle for another day. Never happen. The alcholic soon has the bottle out and is taking another snort. Thats what addictions are all about. Been there - done that.

[Nurse in the Raw]

I went cold turkey after a juice fast, although I slip up from time to time. A bite here, a bite there but nothing like entire cooked meals. Sometimes I just want the taste in my mouth and then I spit it out.....kinda weird, but then again I never claimed to be normal :D

I find the more I juice fast, the more I crave raw foods.

[Bethanie]

Night before last i went to the store with my husband and i saw jalapeno potato chips and i could not resist and purchased a bag.
I ate some and got over the craving and threw the rest away, ever now and then i find myself satifying a craving but not too often.
I'm leaving that raw is the way to go but if i make a slip i don't beat myself up over it, i just move on with life and get back in the game:)
I usually take an enema to help clean out my system and that really helps.
I'm learning to make raw my new lifestyle and i am starting to crave more raw food as each day goes by.
B.

[Indie]

I agree with the previous speakers ;) - don't beat yourself up about it!

75% raw is absolutely brilliant, and all the more so because you're doing it in a non-raw household!

I guess in terms of percentage I am about 98% raw. When I slip up, it's mainly "healthy" cooked food ("cooked" pesto and hummus usually) and I never have much. In connection with weddings and other social events, people usually have no idea what on earth raw vegan means... Hehehe, the last wedding I went to, the chef boiled a cauliflower and covered it with melted cheese and thought he'd done a superb job. I didn't have the heart not to eat it... ;)

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that whatever your percentage, just having started the journey is the most important thing and with every slip-up you get wiser and choose better the next time. And you will eventually stop craving your old favourites and crave things like nori rolls instead. Trust me! Mmmmm.... nori rolls!!! (Sorry, just having a Homer Simpson moment!)

Just focus on all the health benefits you are experiencing from being 75% raw, and in time you will eat better and better. I don't strive for 100%, as it can be a bit of a mental block, you know: "can't have this, can't have that". That just makes the diet limiting instead of liberating. So I'm just eating as raw as I can, and I try to improve my diet every day. Just keep at it, and you'll get there!

Oh, and btw, if you want a suggestion for a semi-raw dinner, I can recommend blending up cauliflower (I use it instead of rice) and mixing it with the healthiest bits of what your family is eating.

[Raw Mom]

I just take it day by day, emotion by emotion, feeling by feeling..... It's a process. Sometimes fast and sometimes slow. Uphills and downhills. I just had a very sad week. A friend's 13 yr old granddaughter was killed in a car accident. It used to be a time like that would send me over to eating cooked and sugar. I kept my cool. Felt a ton of sadness around the whole event. More than I've ever felt in my life (I'm 45). And actually felt myself needing raw instead of cooked to keep me balanced. Just keep plugging along.....it gets easier in a way, and sometimes harder in the emotional sense. Keep love and laughter in your life....:cool:

[ChaiLife]

Oh I can so relate. It is hard. You have been eating cooked food most of your life and all of a sudden you are expecting a complete and total change.

For me, and this is like my 3rd time to go all raw (starting today!), there are a lot of emotions and memories attached to cooked food. It's not just about the taste but the feeling. Raw makes you go through a lot of emotional detox and sometimes we are just not ready to face all of those things. And you know, sometimes you don't even realize it's emotional. You might not realize it until after you've already made it through.

But everytime (every day, every week, or every month) you decide to recommit to raw and try your best, it's a step in the right direction. you are not giving up... you are trying and you are learning. With each time I have committed (again and again), I have learned so much from my previous experiences. I think that each time it is a step to being where I want to be.

Life is a journey. If you see that you are on the wrong road, turn around and get right back on the correct path. I am not looking back at falling off the raw wagon and saying "I can't believe I failed again." That's a negative attitude. I am looking ahead to the great feeling that I miss from being on raw and the health benefits. I am looking at clothes catalogs and picturing myself in the cutest dresses. :)

And oh dear sometimes there are going to be struggles but I am determined. It's not always going to be easy. It just isn't. That's life. But I will not and CAN NOT be a prisoner to my stomach. I am not a slave to my taste buds. I will be free!!! Being 100%, to me at least, is a sign of my freedom and will power.

Just keep trying!!!!! Above all else, don't give up.;)

Kelly

[VeroP]

I agree with the concept of it being a journey. When I first heard about raw it sounded extreme and only for the eccentric. I did not even consider it to be feasible.

When it did have the ring of truth to it, I was already on a nutrition journey and was vegan, so it was no longer extreme and it suddenly made sense. For my daughter and I, we went cold turkey (is that an acceptable expression on a raw food board?). My daughter at first would get angry when the rest of the family would eat out and there would be only salad options for us, if that. So a couple of times, she would eat cooked vegan to cope with that. Over time, she realized that she no longer needed that and she no longer gets angry about going out.

For myself, I have found that reading materials on raw is helpful. There is conflicting advice out there, but still, the more I learn the more educated choices I can make about my nutrition.

We also disliked several of the dehydrated crackers - it seemed like they fermented or something and had a funny taste to them. I did enjoy marinated mushrooms very much and we found that pizza bread is really good - it did not get that funny taste to it and it was bursting with flavor. We also enjoyed the pizzas made out of eggplant as the crust. I think they were better when we used the regular recipes for pizza toppings instead of the specific topping recipe for the eggplant style. I believe we used the marinara sauce topped with the cheddar cheese recipe.

I think life in general is a journey and it is not the end that we are to wait for to enjoy it. It is the journey itself that should be enjoyed. All my best to you as we travel together in rawness!

VeroP