Transition Time: Experience Requested

[Shanti]

Okay, so could others please share with me perhaps the time that they decided to go RAW and how long it took to really stick with the lifestyle? Did you initially "fall of the wagon" as I've termed it? Did you stay raw, eat SAD, go raw for longer? I need some inspiriation that I WILL eventually get it!

[Judy]

I started eating raw 14 months ago and dived head in...
But I couldn't keep that up. After short periods of fully eating raw I would just binge on cooked -and often junk- food, then start eating raw again etc. so I decided to let the whole idea of: 'I want to be 100% raw like... yesterday' go and take a more relaxed approach to it, because it was giving me só much stress and also, at times I really had to force myself eating raw all day and I would feel very deprived. I figured: I do what I can, if it's only one smoothie a day, it's better than nothing, and it's better eating balanced overall than a binging pattern because I'd like to follow a 100% raw vegan ideal. So I build it from there and it was a lot healthier for me. I also had to figure out what worked best for me, high fruits low fat vegan, high fruits high fat vegan, vegetarian, more greens, no vegetarian, part cooked food or not...
I guess you could say I was for about 50% raw, and did a lot of experimenting. But I never gave on the idea, because I noticed that it díd make a difference.
At the moment I'm eating like 75, 80% raw, and some days even 100%, without much effort, because I'm relaxed about it I think. I grew kind of into it this way, instead of fórcing myself into it and then bailing out, because I don't like to be forced, not even by myself. Nowadays my whole eating pattern looks a lot different from when I just started more than a year ago. I started to cráve greens instead of 'learning to love them'. I ate lots of fruit and fats in the beginning, but that doesn't work for me in the long run. Fruits then appealed to me more though, and now greens appeal to me more, which is a miracle in itself. I'm constantly learning more about foods and bettering my food choices, however, withóut the stress.
In the end, I will get there, or maybe I won't, but what's important to me is that I feel good and balanced here and now. It's just a period of growing and learning and what will work best for you personally, not about a dogmatic 'I've got to be 100% raw and vegan or nothing else'. There are lots of colorful areas in between. And a lot of forgiving yourself and laughing about it when you dó fall of the raw food wagon and that will happen, lots of time, to lots of people -dare I say it: most of the people-, the point is to just get back on again.

This may be nice to know:
Karen Knowler, a famous raw food coach from the UK, once said it took her five years to become a full time raw foodist.
And Lisa Jeans, another famous coach (from the stars amongst others), who leads a raw food retreat in Spain, once said in an interview that there are only a few people who are able to transition right away. 'Many people take three years to get to the point where they can consistently eat a healthy, high-raw diet,' she says. That really taught me about patience and not pushing myself beyond my own limits all the time. If I have been eating a cooked and mostly omnivorous diet for almost thirty years in my life, it's a bit unrealistic and harsh to expect of myself that I will be a 100% raw plus vegan foodist in just one day. Every little step is a good one.
Mind you, I have been a strict vegetarian, almost vegan, for about 9 years, and did lots of dabling in ayurvedics, fit 4 life, macrobiotics, organic food, blood group diet etc, so I have been very health conscious all my life, and still this wasn't easy for me (and since I'm not from America, I never ate SAD, and can only imagine how hard it might be for some of the most fervent SAD eaters to learn to eat in a whole different manner). I applaud the people who can do it just like that, unfortunately, I'm not one of those people.

[Turbolift]

Thank you for sharing, Judy!

I'm not 100% and don't see myself realistically doing so in the near future. I am trying to keep all eating up to supper Raw, though. I want to experience the benefits of 100% raw but know in my heart that it won't come quickly due to 'outside' influences such as a spouse who thinks I need a cooked meal and isn't shy about expressing himself! It's going to take me awhile to bring him on board.

I do find myself wanting raw food instead of cooked more often than not. So, maybe I will eventually be able to cross over! Hope so!

[Rawmommie]

November 1st, 2004 I went raw. I was 100% for 2 months, until christmas when I slipped. My first 2 years were like this. I would go for long periods and then slip a bit, maybe even for a few days, but always go right back to raw. Each time, I stayed raw longer and saw more clearly the benefits to raw.

It's definitely a journey! I'll have 3 years on November 1st and this year I have been 100% almost completely. It's easier now than it has ever been, just a lifestyle now. :)

[Shanti]

Thanks SO much for the responses...... keep em' coming! The three of you have really really inspired me....


:p

[Revvell]

Good question...

So far for me.. approx. 6-7 year.
Alissa, from what she's said, about 10.
Jinjee... oh, I dunno... long enough to have at least 3 children.

You might wish to listen to my interviews with Jinjee and Alissa at: rawfood.revvell.com. Those may inspire you to not concern yourself with taking detours on your journey.

Revvellicious

[rawsurfer]

i just jumped right into it. im like 6.5 months raw now. whenever i get a craving i just make a huge amount of icecream or some nut heavy dessert. that usually does the trick. it would prbly be healthier to have some rice and beans than a pint of nut butter but id rather just stay to the 100 perc ideal in which i can eat anything as long as its raw. i know myself to well; if i started to eat cooked food then i would just eat more and more of it and before i knew it i would be eating the same stuff again.