Summer boot camp--ALL RAW!

[racheljj]

This Spring, I was doing Oprah's boot camp with several other raw fooders (some here and some on another board). Most of us got caught up in daily life during of the first round of OprahÂ’s boot camp and now we're ready to get started again! I hope some of you will join me again, and I'm ready to get into it and really DO it this summer! First I got caught up with Spring cleaning and then with watching Alias so I havenÂ’t been exercising consistently. And for some reason I went crazy lately and just stuffed myself with cooked foods. I regained a few pounds and hate it! Even this weekend, I ate way too much. Tonight I feel stuffed, full and heavy. ThatÂ’s not what I want to feel this summer so IÂ’m ready to do something different.

I'm going to make a slight change and use Oprah's idea for a boot camp but make it my own thing. I'm calling it the Summer boot camp! Besides the name change, I'm going to make small changes in the food and exercise parts for myself. Of course, if you join me, you can do it however works for you. I've decided to do all raw whole foods for the three summer months! This is like Alissa's 30 day challenge but just making it a 90 day challenge instead! :)

(I'm sharing this part in case there are others who feel similar and want support to DO it and STICK with it for a few months. This is my LAST attempt to do all raw. If I donÂ’t stick with it for whatever reasons, then IÂ’m getting out of the raw foods community and never doing this again. IÂ’m FINISHED with going back and forth between all raw and all cooked. IÂ’ve wanted to do this for over two years so I want to go all out and DO it. I want to experience it firsthand and see how it works for me. I want to see how I look after three months of all raw. IÂ’m not going to go back and forth again so I might need some support as I try this one last time. ItÂ’s time to actually do this and follow through on it or give up on it and stop messing around. IÂ’m not getting anywhere by not being consistent. And, I love the idea of just eating tons of summer fruits and smoothies for the summer months and doing a lot of mono meals. I want to eat light, feel light and look light.)

Realistically, what Oprah had for exercising is a LOT. I'm going to shoot to abide by what she set up; however, I'm going to have a minimum too. As long as I exercise hard for 30 minutes a day, I'm ok with that. If I work up to doing more, that's great! I'm also going to continue NOT eating after 7:30 at night. So, I'll write up a list of the guidelines and make a list of everyone who wants to join. I'm starting TOMORROW, June first, because I want to eat ONLY fresh fruits and veggies (and maybe a few nuts) during June, July and August, but the official start date for the challenge will be next Monday, June 6th with August 31 as the official end date.

I'm EXCITED! So, who's with me? :)

[VeganVixen]

Im TOTALLY in!!!! right now Im trying to do a liquid fast ,so will only do 30-50 min. THIS WEEK ,but WATCH OUT next week! ,lol!!!!

btw , I did 30 min. this morning , I was all liq. until I went to class and felt light headed -then had 6 figs ,12 dates and two handfuls of lychees ,lol -I TOTALLY BINGED AND FEEL ASHAMED , but the truth hurts ,and pain brings change ;)

[calee]

I'm on day 61 of my own challenge but would like some support. I think this is where it might get more difficult. My current exercise challenge is 3 hours a week so I think I'd like to up it to 4 hours a week minimum. I've been walking 3.5 miles several mornings a week but want to add some gym time to that. I haven't done weight work outs in longer than I can remember.

Rachel, you say you're eating all raw fruits and veggies and maybe a few nuts. What about avocado and a bit of olive oil for salad dressing? Anyone else have comments on the avocado and oil? I like the idea of no eating after 7:30. Tonight I was still finishing dinner at 8 so this will be a challenge.

I'm open to suggestions. I went 60 days and didn't lose weight so now it's time to get down to it!

VV - thank goodness it was a healthy binge!! :)

lee

[raeannasun]

(I'm sharing this part in case there are others who feel similar and want support to DO it and STICK with it for a few months. This is my LAST attempt to do all raw. If I donÂ’t stick with it for whatever reasons, then IÂ’m getting out of the raw foods community and never doing this again.

I hope you've read books on raw and know all the research behind what cook food does. I also feel frustrated with myself when I mess up, but it's more important just to get back up, dust yourself off and try again. Many raw fooders fall off the wagon at the beginning and it takes a year or so to transition. I hope you'll reconsider and be happy with yourself that you want to make changes to better your health. If you've not read a lot of books, I would recommend Victoria Boutenko, Shazzie, Alissa and Tonya Zavasta. I've read their books and I feel that it's so important to put not only raw FOOD in our bodies, but also raw inspiration from people who believe in raw foods and have done research.

There is no failure except in no longer trying.
--Elbert Hubbard Writer and craft colonist

Good luck in your boot camp! :)

[racheljj]

Hi, VeganVixen. I'm glad to have you join me. :)

Hey, Calee. Congrats on going for so long on all raw! The longest I've done all raw is 30 days. Even if you add 8 minutes of resistence training a day, it really helps. Check out Jorge Cruise 8 minutes in the morning books. You can read about him online...just do a google search for him. I love his exercise moves because you can work out all the major muscles each week in only 8 minutes a day. Of course, I still do the aeorbic workout for 30 minutes too. :) About oil...this summer I'm cutting out all condiments so I won't be having oil. I have an awesome recipe for an all raw dressing to use. As for avocadoes, I eat them and think it's fine to eat them. This summer, I will try to keep it down to one avocado a day, though.

BTW, for you two and anyone else who decides to join me. If you want to know exactly what I'm doing, you can email me at johnsonrj@missouri.edu or read my journal here.

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=284

Hi, Raeannasun. Yes, I've read tons of raw food books and researched raw foods online. I've read books by every author you mentioned. I guess I'd like to clarify: what I'd give up on is trying to go all raw. I still plan to always eat a lot of raw foods every day for the rest of my life. I won't go back to eating mostly cooked. But, I think it's very unhealthy for me to keep going back and forth, trying to go all raw and then binging on cooked foods and overeating. I cook for my family, which has made it hard to be all raw. For this summer, I've decided to just make them meat and veggies and have lots of raw foods around. I'll alway have potato products, corn products and rice products around for them to make but I think it will help if I only have to cook meat for them. I'm excited about eating all smoothies and summer fruits for a few months.

Thanks to all of you for responding.

Rachel

[calee]

Hi Rachel,
Can you please post the raw avo dressing that you eat.

Thanks!
lee

[Heather Lynn]

i am all for the boot camp. i too just started a fast (doing a 3 day master cleanse) this is all i can commit to for now. i am planning to get in 45 min of cardio in today. once i am done with the fast i am in girl.
hey don't give up on the raw, i just started but if all of us rawgals can stick together we can move mountains. so if ya fall off the wagon we pick each other up!!!
take care,
heather

[twinyoga]

I'm on again/off again with the raw diet. Always waying the pros and cons of how it works for me. But I love raw! And I love exercise!

So, if no one minds, I'd like to hang out with you guys. I might not be 100% raw, but I'll be majority raw and really work on the exercise (my exercise is a daily 1 hour yoga practice including pranayama and meditation; yoga class once or twice a week; weight training 2-3 days a week, intense cardio 2-3 days a week; and daily walks with my twins (averaging at 2 miles). I would love to take all of this to a new level.

Anyway, good luck to everyone and I'll be 100% supportive to all of you. This will be fun. I need a little excitement this summer. (not that raising one year old twins isn't exciting enough).

[racheljj]

Hi, Lee. I got the recipe from a friend who said that it was in one of Gabriel Cousens books. I'll look it up when I have time. :)

Thanks, Heather. I'm glad you're going to join us.

Hey, Debbie. You don't have to be 100% raw. Glad that you're joining us too.

Rachel

[racheljj]

PS: Don't forget to check out my journal here to see how I'm doing. And, let us know where we can read about how you're doing. :)

My journal:

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=284

Also, if you're interested in joining some of us in a friendly competition to see who can lose the most weight this summer, then email me privately at johnsonrj@missouri.edu

Have a great day!

Rachel

[VeganVixen]

my bootcamp journal is here http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=1199&sort=1&cat=500&page=1

This was such a GREAT idea!

[twinyoga]

I think I'll try a boot camp journal. I'm going to work on it now.

(I don't have much time on the computer these days)

ten minutes later...forget it, I can't figure out how to get a new picture for a new journal. I'll just add on to the journal I already heave.

Deb

[Jodi]

Hi...I'm fairly new to Raw Food and am starting off very slow. But, I'm really into exercise and fitness...could I possibly join you all?


Jodi

[VeganVixen]

uhh ,yeah!!!!! of course you can join us :D

[Jodi]

Great! Thanks!

[racheljj]

VeganVixen, I love your fairy photo! Way cool. Thanks for providing a link to your journal.

Hey, Deb. Did you figure out the photo thing? I don't remember how I did it but I think I just followed the directions? What's the link to your journal now?

Sure, Jodi! I'm glad you've joined us.

Hope everyone's doing well!

Rachel

[Jodi]

Hi...I was just wondering how I do this. Do we start a journal...or post our workouts and diet? I did drag my butt up this morning at 4:30 for a cardio workout!





Jodi

[calee]

Good Morning,
I just wanted to wave hi to anyone who's new. Jodi, I'm so impressed that you got up at 4:30! I've been feeling sorry for myself all week because I have to get up at 5:30 to get in my walk before work. I guess I can quit feeling sorry for myself now! :D I just finished my 6th walk this week. That's 3.5 miles a morning. I have never ever ever exercised 6 times in one week before. I already have tomorrow's walk planned so I'm going to finish an awesome week of exercise. Thanks to everyone for all the inspiration!

lee

[twinyoga]

Nah, didn't figure the picture thing out. Just don't feel like trying to! But I started adding to my previous journal. Anyone know how to do the link on my threads/messages?

I'll go post in my journal for today right now.

[Jane Claire]

I would like to join you, also. My life sounds a bit like Twin's, except here I'm swim team mom for my 7 year old son. Look forward to spending the next 30 days with you, Raw!

[Jodi]

Just testing to see if the link to my journal shows up below. Haven't posted anything in it yet, tho....

Edited: yeah...it worked!

[calee]

Hey Jodi,
Your link works just fine, and Rudy is adorable! I'll look forward to reading your journal.

lee

[maraw]

Hey, I could really use some accountability when it comes to excercise. Can I join in? I am having no problems with the foods - loving it, really (I'm on day 22 of 100% raw). But I can't seem to get in gear to excercise. I guess I need to get up before all my kids do and MAKE time for it and for me.

Thanks for setting this up Racheljj. It's just what I needed!

[Jodi]

I slept in until 5 this morning and got up and did upper-body weights. Tomorrow I plan to do Lower Body and am going to try and fit a couple walks in sometime. We just had a drywaller finish fixing the ceiling in our living room (old house...built in 1910). We had some plumbing problems over the winter, so my front living room and dining room are a dusty disaster. Going to be totally cleaning those to rooms and putting them back together...so that's exercise in itself.

Now that the drywaller is done...we will have to start painting....I hate painting.

[racheljj]

Hey, Jodi. I'm impressed with you getting up so early to exercise! I was able to go to your journal area so you're ready to go! Nice lab...we have a black one. He's still a puppy--not even six months old yet, but we love him!

Debbie, The only thing I know how to do is go to your journal area and copy the link and then paste it in a message. :)

Hi, Jane Claire. Nice to have you join us!

Maraw, Glad you're joining us too. I tell myself that I have to exercise before eating breakfast. When I stick to that (and exercise before my kids get up), I tend to exercise more often. I try to make it part of my normal morning routine, like brushing my teeth. :) BTW, that's a beautiful photo of you and your baby!

Rachel

[racheljj]

I'll be out of town for the weekend so I'll check back in with you next week. Have a great weekend everyone!

Rachel

[Cinnamon]

I'd also like to join everyone if that is okay! I am always high raw, usually 100% (especially last summer with the sunny weather and awesome fresh produce!) and do exercise every day. I'd like to turn it up a few notches, adding more time, classes, and more variety so this will be great motivation for me!

Yesterday I did a 1 hour step aerobics class, 1 hour Yoga class, and 1 hour on the treadmill at 3 to 3.5 mph plus an incline that I varied. I try to get to the health club 5 days a week and then usually on the weekend do my own thing at home although this morning I am heading out for another hour Yoga class and then I'll do some cardio. I also do strength training classes 3 days a week, really want to work on my upper body and not have such skinny arms!

I've been a fan of Dr. Ruth Heidrich for many years, she has been a vegan for over 20 years (breast cancer survivor) and a raw food vegan for the past 4 years. She is now 70 years old and still doing races each week including triathlons. I just so admire her, I will never even be close to her level of fitness but she is such motivation to me to continue as I am approaching 50 years old in a few years! I wrote a letter to her as I'd just bought her new book "Senior Fitness" and she emailed back to me with such a lovely letter!

So... count me in! I will be mainly working on increasing my endurance and strength through longer and harder workouts. Also cutting down on nuts (eat WAY too many of them and get a tummy ache far too often from them) and don't use oil anyway so I will be eating light which my body says "thank you" for!

Good luck to everyone and I appreciate being a part of this motivational group!

[calee]

YEAH! How great to get through the work week raw and have this beautiful weekend to enjoy. I love how I feel going to bed at night knowing that I ate well and got in some exercise. I have to say that I've never ever exercised 6 days in one week before. This group is great motivation for me to get up and walk before work. I was really tired by Thursday but kept it going through Friday. I'm taking today off to rest my knee that's been hurting. I'm still nursing the injury from falling down the stairs and don't want to it to flair up again.

I'm so happy to see so many people joining! I've been really silent on this board except for doing my raw journal since April 1st. This will be a great way for me to get to know some of you and I look forward to it. Today I'm going to the San Francisco gathering at Cafe Gratitude to meet people from this forum.

Rachel - have a great weekend

Cinnamon - you rock in the exercise dept - i'm going to use you for inspiration if that's ok! I've cut my nuts to 1 oz a day and so far that's worked ok this week. I definitely like to eat more than that but this makes me very aware of chewing and enjoying every single one. Maybe later I'll be able to up it to 2 o but for now getting some weight loss is more important to me.

Jodi - good luck cleaning your house. It sounds like a big job! You'll have a great living space when you're done. Enjoy those walks this weekend.

Maraw - welcome, i need the motivation to exercise too. The longer i'm raw, the more energy I seem to get. Last year I was walking or doing tai chi daily but really lost my motivation once December came. I'm really happy to have refound my desire to exercise last month. Now keeping it up is going to be my challenge.

Hi Jane Claire - welcome! Can you walk while you son is swimming? I look forward to getting to know you.

Hi Twinyoga - i used the sticky thread in the journal section and followed the directions there when doing my signature. It took me a long time but I finally figured out how to do a new signature last night.

Heather Lynn - hows the fast going? Did you finish it yesterday or still going?

Hi VV!

Let's all make it a RAW weekend and remember to get in those 48 oz of water.

lee

[VeganVixen]

Hey ,thursday night was HORRIBLE ,I was up ALL night ,I had horrible stomach aches then threw up the rest of the night !!! I only ate a tomato ,some carrots and a peach - then the whole morning I was so nauscios that I couldnt stand up for more than a few minutes before falling down!!!

after thatm mom had to drive me to houston on Friday (An hour away) for my s.a.t. and find a hotel since I had to be there at seven in the morn. SO I get some kombucha -which helps! BUT THEN when we get to the hotel I lock the keys in the door , so THAT takes an hour to resolve ,then I have to get it jump startes which takes another hour (no one could find a cable) so after I feel well enough I drive over and get the miso (very relaxing) I drive back to the hotel and cant see well in the parking lot and park to close to the next car- leaving the other side with too much room) ,and notice I cant get out without knocking off the other cars side mirrors ( I was parked facing a different way than him ) and freak out b/c of my 7 a.m. test --- well the car moved later that night but it was STRESSFULL!!!!!! After the S.A.T. I rewarded myelf with yummy japanese food ( veg. sushi w/rice and roasted terriaki eggplant ,I felt sick but hungry and didnt feel like raw food since thats the last thing I ate before throwing up-sorry it WASNT THE RAW FOOD -JUST MY MIND ;) ) -YUM ,I deserved it after going to the test sick , and after all that stuff I had to do!!!!

tomorow Ill get back on the bootcamp ,ok?

[Jodi]

Wow, VV...sorry you were sick...and right before your SAT"s! And all the other stress with parking and the hotel! I hope the test went well for you, though!

And I hope everyone else is having a nice weekend. We are finally experiencing our first temps and humidty for summer. Up till now it has been really cool in Indiana. Today it's suppose to be 90 with high humidity. I don't like it, but my garden loves it!

I caved and ordered an Excalibur Food Dehydrator. I never imagined I'd spend that much on a food dehydrator, but I really wanted the one I can make sprouted bread in. My hubby asked me where I was going to put it. I really haven't a clue!

Today I got up and did Lower Body weights, then 20 minutes on my abs. My mom and I got my front living room cleaned up from the drywall guy. The whole room needs to be painted now, but I think we're going to wait and do that in the Fall. It's not a room we use a lot....kind of a formal type living room. My home was built in 1910, but about 20 years ago someone built an addition on the back and that is the family/tv room. (we have lived here one year) Never got my walk in yesterday, but oh well.....

I ate one full Raw meal yesterday and all my snacks were raw. And I didn't eat any meat yesterday.

Jodi

[racheljj]

Welcome to the group, Cinnamon. Sounds like you're doing lots of great exercising!

Veganvixen, so sorry that you got sick. I hope you're feeling better now! Just get ready to go for the official start date which is Monday!

Wow, Jodi. You even exercised today? Personally, I take off one day a week and that usually ends up being Sunday. No exercise for me today. Maybe I ought to do a short walk or something on Sundays but I really like having ONE day where I don't have to do anything in the morning. :)

I'm back in town and gearing up for our official start date--tomorrow!

Rachel

[racheljj]

Tomorrow is our official start date for the summer boot camp! I hope every one is ready and excited! I am!

Rachel

[calee]

I'm doing great here. Last week I exercised 6x. Not the 8 that Oprah requires, but this was great for me! For some reason my lower back started hurting me yesterday afternoon so I'm really taking it easy today with house work and shopping being my most strenuous activties. Hmmm... I wonder how many calories I can burn pushing a mop and hauling sacks of fruit and veggies! My food has been all raw. Last week I managed to keep my nut consumption to 1 oz a day. I have to say I was hungry a lot! I've been eating very simply with the exception of yesterday when I ate at Cafe Gratitude with people from this website. I can't believe I've actually been raw for over 2 months. Now I want all this exercise to kick in and help me jump start a weight loss for the next 3 months.

I'm glad to see so many people doing this. I hope others feel free to join in and set their own summer challenge. I don't think we all need to be the same to offer good support and humor.

Good luck to us all!

[Jodi]

Oprahs program requires exercising 8 times in a week??? Not sure I can do that, but I do try and exercise for at least 45 minutes everyday. I am more then ready to start tomorrow. I'm also going to strive to increase my intake of Raw foods. It will be easier once my Oat groats arrive and some other bulk grains for sprouting....I ordered some as I can't find them in my town.

I would really like to lose 20 pounds. Earlier this year, I did lose 20 pounds, but then got sidetracked and never finished losing the other 20. (but, at least I didn't gain any back)

This is great having so many involved!

Jodi

[racheljj]

Quotes to inspire the beginning of the summer boot camp!

...and then the day came when the risk

to remain tight in a bud was more painful

than the risk it took to blossom. -Anais Nin



Creativity involves breaking out

of established patterns

to look at things

in a different way.


–Edward De Bono

[VeganVixen]

yeay!!!! Im SO ready :D , here is one "today is the tomorow that you worried about yesterday" ,so set your eyes on the goal b/c exercise wears well the next day!

[Cinnamon]

Just checking in this morning!

Lee-Thank you so much for your compliment! I love my exercise time each day and really feel soooo much better by keeping up on it. I would give up eating before I'd give up my daily exercise!

Exercise for today-30 minutes elliptical, 30 minutes treadmill, and 1 hour strength/endurance training class. I aim for 2 hours each day Monday through Friday and am more flexible on the weekends depending on what is going on in the family!

I am off to Seattle for the day and will be at Pike's Place Market (a beautiful ferry ride away from Bainbridge Island) and will hopefully bring home lots of wonderful fresh produce! Just had a nice bowl of fresh strawberries and blueberries with a sprinkle of walnuts on top so I am ready to go for the day!

My 2 main goals I will be working on and are motivation for me joining this awesome group... sticking to NOT eating after 7:30 in the evening. Oh how hard for me, I am an evening binge eater regardless of whether it is raw food or cooked vegan so this will be a challenge for me but I bet I will sleep a lot better without having that full tummy hurting me so much each evening. Amazing what we do to ourselves, even knowing how awful I am going to feel I still eat too much in the evenings?!

So this goes hand in hand with my other goal or I should say my mantra! DO NOT OVEREAT! DO NOT OVEREAT! DO NOT OVEREAT! Regardless of the time of day or type of food... DO NOT OVEREAT!

Have a great day everyone!

[twinyoga]

Testing, testing. I hope my journal is attached!

Going to take a nap, now. I'm posting everything in the journal for now.

Taking raw baby steps. Have a great day. I'll try to check in later.

Bye, from hot and humid Cleveland!

[twinyoga]

(it worked)!

[VeganVixen]

hey !

I did well today , Isnt it great when you take your health into your own hands :)

keep it up girls!!!!! :D

[Jodi]

I'm having a good day, too! Got up early, worked out for about 45 minutes, all cardio. My diet is going fairly well. I'm going to a big health food store tomorrow that is about a 45 minute drive from me to do a stock up. Then, hopefully I can start doing some new recipes!


Jodi

[racheljj]

I'm glad you guys had a good day yesterday! My day was a little hard because I was too tired. You can read about it at my journal here:

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=329&size=big&sort=1&cat=500

Debbie, congrats on figuring out how to link to your journal. I don't know how to do it yet. I just copy and paste. LOL

I got eight hours of sleep last night so I'm feeling much better this morning!

Rachel

[racheljj]

HereÂ’s an interesting checklist that some of us might want to use this summer (I met Victoria Moran last summer, and she is a wonderful person. IÂ’m getting ready to read her books this summer):

http://www.victoriamoran.com/youngerchecklist.html

[calee]

Hi Rachel,
I checked out her website. I remembered her name and went to my bookshelf to find two of her earlier books.... Love yourself Thin and The Love Powered Diet. I think it's interesting that she doesn't have those books on her website. I guess she's changing how she thinks and doesn't find the earlier books relevant. Makes me wonder how long the current ones will stay relevant.

[Jodi]

Good Morning, everyone! I hope you all have a good day! Rachel, I'm glad you got a good night's sleep!

I did 45 minutes of cardio this morning, but now I'm at work and a bit bored!

Later!

Jodi

[racheljj]

Anyone else have this problem? When IÂ’m only eating raw, I donÂ’t want to share my raw food! I fixed breakfast for the kids, and they got to eat their nice cooked food. Then, I started preparing a strawberry-banana smoothie for me. Well, they all wanted some of MY smoothie! I made extra and gave them a little bit but very begrudgingly. :) The smoothie was delicious with our fresh strawberries.

Rachel

[tracyinfo]

racheljj, I do understand. When I first started my raw food journey, I made enough only for myself. It took a couple of weeks, to realize, I needed to make more. That way, I am throwing out excellent examples of healthy foods for my 3 children. Right now, at least one of my children prefers to have a fruit smoothie in the morning, instead of cereal (whole wheat, organically grown, etc.. but cooked!). Another child, is choosing to have the fruit smoothie in the a.m. about half the time. The third one is a tougher nut to crack, but she will occasionally have the juice. All of this smoothie stuff in only because I made extra one morning and poured them all a cupful.

So, be excited. They may choose more raw dishes, without them knowing that it is any kind of raw food! You can point that out later, whenever the subject of healthy food comes up.

Blessings.

[twinyoga]

Good afternoon.

I figured out how to do the "my journal" link through a thread that was posted a while ago.

Racheljj: I'm selfish too when it comes to my tasty raw treats. But I agree, enjoy the fact that your family wants the raw foods. That'sgreat.

I'm off to take a nap while the babies are napping.

My journal has all the details about my exercise and food....

[VeganVixen]

sorry about your rough day , but were here to support :)

as for the raw hogging , im also guilty , but honestly try to get your kids interested , then you can have smoothie mornings and they can get a bit of raw!!!:D

BTW ,I did an hour today , yeay!!!! :) :)

[Jodi]

I don't have to worry about sharing my raw food. It's just hubby and I and he is approaching my new-found interest in raw food with some hesitation. I think he is assuming it is a passing fad for me and that it will be over soon. But, I don't think so.

I went to that health food store today and stocked up on things I can't get near me. Namely bulk bags of wheat berries, oat groats, flax seed and some sesame and sunflower seeds. I also bought one jar of Almond Butter. WOW...expensive. I'm going to post a separate thread on that to see if anyone has a reasonably priced on-line source for it.

Also bought my first juicer! Yeah...can't wait to try it.

Jodi

[twinyoga]

Had a raw night time snack! (instead of some cookies or cereal). And my dinner was steamed veggies and tofu. So it was a pretty strong raw day for me. Everything was a whole food.

It feels good to eat this way and this challenge is fun. Puts a little excitement into the routine.

[racheljj]

I know it's good that my girls love fruit and eat a lot of it. I'm glad about that. But when we already spend so much money on a gluten and dairy free diet (not to mention buying organic meats), it just makes for little money left over for raw foods. It's hard to buy two separate "diets" for one family. :)

I had a good day yesterday and am looking forward to today!

Have a good one!

Rachel

[twinyoga]

I had the munchies both at 1am and at 3am. I was up all night and ate healthy but not raw. OH well.

Today has been all raw. I made the most amazing waldorf salad. Yum. I'd be happy to share. I'm trying not to eat all of it myself before dinner.

Did my yoga practice this morning.

It is HOT today. Phew!

[tracyinfo]

Twin yoga, what is your delicious Waldorf Salad recipe?

[VeganVixen]

rachel have you thought of asking your girls if they would like to give up a food (like yogurt , pasta ,or cereal) and get theyre own little stash of fruit ,that no one can touch and in that case they can ONLY have theyre fruit-not yours! (whole foods as organic kids apple and orange bags - theyre tasty ,small and inexpensive?)

I did well today I woke up early and did an hour of arobics and calithenics! :)

[twinyoga]

Just had my usual non raw munchies (pre-bedtime). Well, it was partly raw.

The waldorf salad was this:
Salad:
raisins
apples, diced
celery, diced
walnuts, chopped
pepper, diced (I used a yellow pepper)

Dressing:
banana (I used three small)
1 Tablespoon honey
2 Tablespoon nuts (your choice)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Directions: mix or blend the dressing and let sit for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, put together the salad. Add the dressing. That's it. And very good.

Note: there were no amounts listed on the salad part and I'm sure the ingredients are flexible.

[tracyinfo]

Thanks for the salad recipe! It looks good.

[racheljj]

I havenÂ’t mentioned this because I want to be as positive as possible with this summer boot camp, but IÂ’ve been having some challenges with eating all raw. IÂ’ve been really hungry still unless I eat a lot of nuts, which I didnÂ’t want to do. Plus, I feel like IÂ’m eating too much sugar (I crave salty things and protein), and my body doesnÂ’t have the energy that I want. Also, my stomach feels so empty. Finally, itÂ’s still hard to prepare meals for others and watch them eat cooked in front of me (the smell makes me want it!). So, anyone else have any of these challenges? Any ideas on how to work through these things? I want to stick with all raw, but IÂ’m finding it difficult to do so. I thought IÂ’d be ok if I just made it a week, but IÂ’m still going through all of this stuff.


Also, be sure to mention if you have other challenges. We're here to support each other!

Rachel

[tracyinfo]

Rachel, are you limiting your nuts? If so, why are you? Have you tried a nut/seed milk? Do you like mushrooms? If so, they are a popular filling choice. Especially marinated portobellas!

For salty things, try pickling some cucumbers Try dulse. Try throwing an extra pinch of salt on your salads.

You also mentioned preparing cooked food and then watching other people eat the cooked food. Do you have one thing in common on everyone's plate? Maybe by placing an emphasis on a big green salad that is raw (they do not have to know this), and then a small soup and a roll or something like that, you won't have to prepare as much cooked food. Then after a little bit of time has passed, throw in a small side of raw marinated green beans to go along with the salad. Slowly reduce what you are cooking. My three kids now, eat a raw dinner with me at least half of the time! The other half, I will only have one cooked item on their plate, and rest is raw. This has helped me, immensely.

Hope this helps.


I havenÂ’t mentioned this because I want to be as positive as possible with this summer boot camp, but IÂ’ve been having some challenges with eating all raw. IÂ’ve been really hungry still unless I eat a lot of nuts, which I didnÂ’t want to do. Plus, I feel like IÂ’m eating too much sugar (I crave salty things and protein), and my body doesnÂ’t have the energy that I want. Also, my stomach feels so empty. Finally, itÂ’s still hard to prepare meals for others and watch them eat cooked in front of me (the smell makes me want it!). So, anyone else have any of these challenges? Any ideas on how to work through these things? I want to stick with all raw, but IÂ’m finding it difficult to do so. I thought IÂ’d be ok if I just made it a week, but IÂ’m still going through all of this stuff.


Also, be sure to mention if you have other challenges. We're here to support each other!

Rachel

[VeganVixen]

A good option might be miso soup , you can "fill up " on it and it beats my cravings (Ive only had cooked 3 times within the last 6 months) and that was only because I wanted sushi with rice!! So miso is definatley helpfull when staying "all living" it isnt raw ,but its living!

[Jodi]

Rachel, I can totally relate to the feeling of being hungry, or my stomache feeling empty. I find myself eating small little snacks all throughout the day when I get days like that. A handful of almonds, one kiwi, small banana. Anything to fill the empty feeling in the stomach.

I've been doind OK. I do struggle with eating Raw. I would say I'm at about 75%. My first attempt at sprouting isn't going well, and I thought it was suppose to be simple. I am trying to sprout some mung beans and after 5 days, they just don't seem to be doing anything. They started to sprout, but then kind of stopped. Only about half actually began sprouting.....I'll try again.

Have been working out everyday. Today was cardio. Breakfast will be a fruit smoothie. I can't wait for my Oat Flaker to arrive so I can have some raw oatmeal.


Jodi

[VeganVixen]

I did another 6 am hour workout!!!! yeay!!!! My sleep pattern is SO messed up , but I guess thats life before college , now Im off to bed :rolleyes:

[racheljj]

rachel have you thought of asking your girls if they would like to give up a food (like yogurt , pasta ,or cereal) and get theyre own little stash of fruit ,that no one can touch and in that case they can ONLY have theyre fruit-not yours! (whole foods as organic kids apple and orange bags - theyre tasty ,small and inexpensive?)

Interesting idea. My kids have already given up a lot of junks food, though, as we don't eat any dairy products or any wheat products. I'll think about how that could work. I guess they could still give up their healthier versions of cookies and chips as those are really still empty calories. :)

Rachel

[Cinnamon]

Yesterday was a great day with 1 hour on the bike and 1 hour on the treadmill.

Today I plan 30 minutes elliptical, 30 minute group strength training class, and then 1 hour on the treadmill. It is a beautiful day here in Seattle so I plan an afternoon walk at a park too!

And for foods today, fresh orange/grapefruit juice and then a large green juice "to go" for the day! Probably carrot/celery/apple/swiss chard juice... yum!

[racheljj]

Tracy, yes, I'm trying to limit nuts and just eat low-fat fruits and veggies for the summer. I'm doing this to try to eat healthier and to lose weight. :) Nope, I don't like mushrooms. Thanks for the ideas for salty things; I just remembered my kim chi which is salty. Also, thanks for the ideas about preparing food for others. :)

Thanks for the idea, Veganvixen. And, sounds like you're doing great with your workouts!

Glad to hear that you're still hanging in there, Jodi. :)

PS: Everyone be sure to check out Alissa's post on the raw reality show!

I'm looking forward to feeling better today!

Rachel

[Carlene]

Hi, is it too late to join your bootcamp? I started raw for the second time this past Monday. I'm going for 100% with hemp protein mixed in with my morning smoothie.

I think last time salt was a problem for me too Racheljj, but then I read that we should eat at least 4 sticks of celery a day to counter all the potassiam (sp?) in the bananas.

As for exercise, I primarily work from home and right now take my dogs out 4 to six times a day for ten minute walks. Last time, after the fourth day when I was on some raw high, I pushed myself twice with two mile walks through the wash by my house and never fully recupperated, so this time I want to keep the exercise low to start off with and add it as I lose weight (over 100 pounds to go).

I did read Jack LaLanne's book last night, and today started my day with fifteen minutes of stretches. I know he's not totally raw or vegan, but he sure is doing something right so I thought to start with his exercises may be just the fit for my fat bod.

Today is my fourth day 100% raw, and already I've lost 5 pounds and am feeling great.

Hope you'll let be part of the group, I could really use the support.

By the way, next Monday I'm going for lunch at Garbriel Cousens Tree of Life Cafe. That should be an experience.

[racheljj]

Cinamom, You're doing great!

Carlene, Sure, you can join in now. We're happy to have you!

I've been swamped with having two extra kids (my nephews are visiting) in the house this week, but I plan to write more next week. :)

Rachel

[Jodi]

Hello, everyone. I did exercise this morning...cardio for 45 minutes. But, I've had a truly awful day as far as diet. I totaly went back to my regular eating and ate all garbage today. And feel awful for it.

Will do better tomorrow.....definitely.

[VeganVixen]

I did an hour this morning , I however did break down on my FAVORITE tofu cucumber and avo sushi with rice and unari (tufu curd casing stuffed with rice), but it was SO yummy (but NOT raw and Im recovering from that-It hurts a bit ,but I ate it with Kim chi ,so I got some enzymes!!!)and Im leaving home soon and it was nice having sushi with my mom at are favorite sushi place for one of the last times , I felt REALLY happy and thankfull , whats not good about that??? Whats with me! Im craving cooked with this time of change , thakfully its healthy vegan cooked and Ive olny indulged twice within the past 2 months....

[Carlene]

I upped my pace today on all my mini walks with the dogs, and managed another day at 100%. I have been also doing the stop eating by 8:00, sorry, not 7:30 (I lose track of time).

I received Alissa's book today and read it this afternoon. It was well worth the money, very encouraging and straight forward.

I'm motivated. Hope this thread continues.

[VeganVixen]

sounds great ,arent dogs GREAT motivaters - who could resist the soft noses ,cute pouty eyes , the mind numbing door scratching.... - lol :rolleyes:

[Carlene]

I had my first big challenge today. My daughter had a barbeque to celebrate her new home. I ended up having to buy all the goods so I added a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables to the list and created two huge platters of raw food. Of everything including the chips and potatoe salad, the fruit went first and I brought a lot. It was easier than I had thought it would be and I made it through the day. I might have eaten more nuts than I should have, oh yeah, I brought a large bowl of raw nuts too, not soaked, but still raw. No one complained. So I made it through my 6th day 100% raw and am very proud of me!

[calee]

That's awesome that you managed the BBQ by planning ahead to take care of your needs. Day 6 is great! You're on your way with a terrific start. Planning ahead is such an important part of staying raw. If we fail to plan, we plan to fail.

[calee]

I think you're doing great VV. I totally get it about having those special times with your mom. Before RAW I looked forward to going out to those special restaurants with my son when he'd come back into the country to visit. Thank goodness he's been living in Thailand and S. Korea so our "visits" are on yahoo these days.

I've eaten raw tuna a few times on a salad while doing my raw challenge. I'm more concerned with raw than vegan because the times i consume fish are so few and far between.

Indulged 2x in 2 months - i think you're doing fabulous!

[calee]

I've had a tough week. Last Saturday my back started hurting me. I did exercise Monday and Tuesday and then on Wednesday made a trip to my chiropractor who I haven't had to see in over 10 years. He told me to lay off for a bit. I'm still recovering from a fall down the stairs. He thought I pushed too hard too quickly. I worked over 60 hours last week on a special project. Several nights i didn't get home until 10:30 so I ate a light snack instead of dinner. I had eaten lunch at noon so really needed something in me before bed. Friday I had two teeth pulled, then went to the office for 7 hours, so I'm totally relaxing and healing this weekend. My hardest activity of the weekend is laundry and going to the farmer's market and deciding what to watch on tivo. I'm planning to start walking again tomorrow morning at 6am. When the chiropractor gives me the go ahead, i'll get down into my gym and begin my weight workouts.

I'm really glad we're doing this challenge. I know this week will be better than last. On a great note, this is day 73 all raw for me!! Hard to believe. My ($&*@!($(! hasn't been moving but yesterday I put on a pair of pants that were tight 2 weeks ago and felt great yesterday. Change is happening and I'm really grateful. ;)

[deedub]

hey Calee that's great about the pants. You go girl!! the scale isn't everything. Hope your back is better.

[calee]

Hi Dee,
So when are we meeting at Ital for dinner? I look forward to seeing you again and sharing raw stories. BTW, I read the thread where you said you were having severe cooked cravings. I really commend you on not caving into the cravings. I'm always surprised when they pass, but they do!

[VeganVixen]

I have been resting this weekend , so tomorow Im going to do 2 hours !!!

sounds like your all doing great!

[Jodi]

I took the day off from exercising. My diet has been less then spectaculor today..will get back on track tomorrow.



Jodi

[Carlene]

Well, I had to go back to my daughters today, but brought food with me to supplement what was left over of the raw from the barbeque. It was pretty funny, the chips, the sandwiches, didn't affect me at all, but then my daughter came out of the kitchen with a diet Coke and my mouth opened to ask her to get one for me. I only drink soda at her house, but it was such a habit when I was there. I was good and had a glass of water instead, but not before chuckling to myself how easy it is to be lured back to the cooked side or rather junk side.

Hey Calee,
You said: My ($&*@!($(! hasn't been moving . Is this something that happens often. I am so bound up I haven't wanted to eat anything this afternoon. It feels like everything I eat is working its way through me in slow mo and just packing up. Any suggestions? I took some physillium an hour ago.

[calee]

Hi Carlene,

It's actually my 2!&%)&!@*(%! scale that hasn't been moving. The rest of me is moving ok. I find that everything moves through me better when I stick to mostly fresh fruits and veggies. When I have dehydrated foods things slow down. I think being really well hydrated really helps. Drink lots of water and eat fresh fruit and it's all sure to move more quickly. When I first started I got Alissa's digestive enzymes and they were terrific. I don't think psyllium is a long term answer as our bodies should move things quickly. Perhaps you're suffering some digestive detox.

Good luck and I'll put in a good word for you with the BooM Princess when I see her. ;)

[racheljj]

I am so glad to be home and have our house back to ourselves! This weekend, I took my nephews back to my sister. We had a great visit with them but I just got exhausted looking after two extra kids all week (kids who need more of my attention and help since theyÂ’re younger). Plus, it was so hard to cook three meals a day every day all week and then just eat raw. When itÂ’s just my girls, they can easily fix their own breakfast and lunch, and then I just need to fix dinner. I felt like I was preparing food all day last week, and IÂ’m so glad to have a break from that! Although I stayed raw all week, I ate tons of nuts and dehydrated things (many days we ended up eating dinner at seven or eight when we normally eat dinner around six and I didn't have as much time to exercise as I wanted to) so I didnÂ’t lose any weight yet. IÂ’m excited about pulling everything together for this summer boot camp this week! Time to really get started on it for me.

[racheljj]

Wow, Carleen! You did great! You're an inspiration to the rest of us. :)

It sounds like everyone's gotten a fairly good start! I'll be able to participate more fully this week.

Have a wonderful week!

Rachel

[calee]

I'm happy to say that I finished last week with 3.5 hours of exercise and a loss of 2 pounds. YEAH!!! :)

[Carlene]

Today is the first day of my second week 100% raw. Last week I lost 9 pounds. Of course I have a lot to lose and it was my first week, but still I'm excited. I've been doing all my walking and stretching and am feeling great. Today's my big lunch date and unloading 60, 60lb bags of manure for a friend. So I should be sore tomorrow. Nothing is better than soreness from physical labor...or so I always tell myself.

Racheljj: Kudos to you. I have the luxury of only thinking about myself. Staying raw with a family who you have to cook for must be a minute by minute challenge. Stay motivated. Remember it's summer. Fruits, juices, and salads are always wonderful in the summer, so if we all hang out here with each other summer should be a breeze.

[calee]

Carlene,

You are doing simply awesome. Keep up your energy! I'm sure you're exhausted after dealing with all that manure. I hope you're not too sore tomorrow. Take care and keep being an inspiration!

[racheljj]

Calee and Carlene--you're both doing great!

We've just started the second week! How's everyone doing? Anyone need support? Anyone have any advice or inspiration for us? :)

Have fun!

Rachel

[VeganVixen]

Havent "checked in" ,but I did an hour yesterday and an hour today, oh btw - ALL RAW!!!!!

I havent gotten on thr scale , I was getting WAY to obsessed with those numbers ,and defining my self worth by them -Im really too young to be like that!!!! I want to LIVE , not judge myself by a peice of technology! I have however been trying on my 5 jr pants ,and theyre fitting nicely! So somethings working!!!!!!

[twinyoga]

Why is it when you don't eat raw for a week or two that you want to go all raw?! Last week I ate so much raw and felt so light except I also felt a little too unbalanced. So, I said I was going to eat more cooked. Now I want more raw. I get so motivated when I check out how everyone is doing. But the reality is that I really need to be about 50% raw and the rest is whole foods. I haven't been eating any junk food, which I don't like anyway.

Anyway, it looks like all of you are doing great.

I'm practicing my yoga every morning for an hour and then including either a workout at the gym, a walk or a yoga class each day (sometimes all of those combined such as today).

VV...are you moving to Cleveland soon?

[Jodi]

Hi everyone! My workouts are going well...usually 45 minutes to an hour each day. I did take a break on Sunday.

My diet...I'm struggling. I'm still determined to try and get at least 75% raw, but for some reason I am really struggling......



Jodi

[Carlene]

Hi Everyone, Just want to check in and say I'm doing great. This morning I woke up at 4AM. I had so much energy, one walk with the dogs wasn't enough, by 8:30 we had been out 4 times. Levels stayed that high all day. Those struggling are going to hate me for saying this, but raw is by far the easiest diet I have ever been on. Maybe easy isn't the word, maybe it's perfect fit. Of course I'm only into my second week, but with each day I feel more and more as if this is my normal way of eating. I have some problems with raw vegetables, but I figure I'll get used to it. The weight is falling off, the energy is soaring, I'm just loving it.

Let me add one other thing. I think having this forum to come to each night to kind of check in with is really helping. I don't feel alone in this, I don't feel like I've tripped onto some weird cultish thing. The honesty of the forum reminds me everyday, if I'm not perfect it's okay, I can be perfect tomorrow.

[VeganVixen]

great to hear jodi! I get what you mean , one reason Ive never had terrible cravings or veered off much (or far) is b/c its just been SO perfect ,like how could you not be raw - of course everybody is different ,and everybody has different reactions to sad food so Im not saying its a peice of cake (no pun intended) or everyone!Bt it proves that raw IS possible!!!!

[twinyoga]

I also think that raw is quite easy if you're prepared for it and don't try too hard. When I first went raw, I loved it and one week just flew by. My own nerves and insecurities is what usually makes me go back to cooking.

Now I've accepted the fact that raw is a long process and I will always be a little bit raw or sometimes all raw, knowing that it will fluctuate with my life.

[Cinnamon]

Just checking in! Sounds like everyone is doing really well too!

My daily weekday goal of 2 hours of exercise has been working out great, then on the weekends I get a bit less (or more) and I am feeling great! Today was 2 hours on the treadmill, I usually mix it up a bit more but every time I started to get off to head to another piece of cardio equipment someone else beat me to it! That is okay, I could stay on the treadmill for hours anyway with a good book to read!

I'm getting into a better eating routine in the morning now too. I have a banana before I head to the health club and that holds me just fine until I get home. Then I make a huge green smoothie (love having the fresh greens growing in the garden to use!) and this lasts me until mid-afternoon when I make some fresh juice with greens, carrots, apple, and what ever else I want in it.

I'm still binge eating a bit in the evenings but usually stick to stopping my eating by 7:30 or 8:00 so that is a good thing! Always room for improvement!

I enjoy reading how everyone else is doing, keep up the good work!

[VeganVixen]

hey , here is a good article that I got rom my yoga newsletter ,it might be helpful for those of you struggling to keep the exercise up....

My Yoga Journal June 14, 2005 — Issue 156
Your weekly dose of yoga tips, information, and advice.

Commitment to Practice

Lately, my yoga mat has been more a source of self-reproach than renewal. A fixture beside my desk in its unassuming brown Prana bag, it silently questions my choice of finishing a project over going to a lunchtime yoga class. It's waiting for me when I arrive at work without having completed my morning meditation. It hasn't been unrolled in days, and it's ticked off.

I've tried to make deals with it. "Now look," I say, "if you sit quietly and let me finish the newsletter, I promise I'll take you to class tomorrow." But tomorrow becomes the next day, then the next. Before I know it, it's been nearly a week with my mat untouched, my mind at unrest, and my body in protest.

When we know we are capable of committing to a regular practice for weeks or even months, why do we sometimes find ourselves suddenly derailed? A trusted teacher once assured me that I'm not alone in this pattern; most yogis have gone through periods of deep connection, followed by an unplanned withdrawal from practice. Without the discomfort of separation, he said, we wouldn't realize how integral our practice is to our well-being.

Whether you're in a waxing or waning period of your own practice, may you be kind to yourself, observe how you feel, and know that you're not alone.

Namaste,
Andrea Kowalski

[Carlene]

Well VV, that was appropriate for more than just yoga. Thanks for sharing.

[Carlene]

I've upped my exercise. Yesterday and today, I did an hour of walking in the morning. Yesterday it zapped my energy, but today so far I'm feeling great. This is bootcamp right? It's not supposed to be easy?

I've stopped losing weight since I started walking more, but that is natural for me. It's like my body freaks whenever it expends more energy than normal and hordes all the fat. Sometimes for months, I'm hoping this time only for days. I have the next four days working form home, so I'm hoping by next Tuesday the bod will be used to it and the weight will start to fall again.

I'll still be doing my six walks a day. The dogs don't care how long each walk is, they just want to go every hour and half or if I can ignore them every two hours.

How is everyone else doing?

[Jodi]

Hi, everyone. Sorry I have posted much in the last couple of days. I've been busy...and also been struggling with trying to stay raw. I did workout for an hour this morning. My diets has gone to pot, but I'm going to recommit tomorrow. I have all the tools now and lots of books...it would be stupid of me to give up now.


Jodi

[Nutcase]

Hey y'all. Reading through the board it seems I'm in season to be 'back'. I made it like 85 days all raw including a stressful week overseas but then I had a medical issue which severely restricted my diet and after that was over (I thank God for it being over) I went haywire over cooked foods... During spring, can you believe it? Just when the raw food was going to be getting really good!! Anyhow, I'm back to biking 25 miles a day but I've been eating like a maniac and I want to be lighter and I want everything to taste wonderful like it did when I was raw. So this bootcamp thing is going to be a motivator to stay on track. Rachel, thanks for getting this gang together. And the rest of you --it's great to see all your names again, and a few new ones!! And just a little note for those fighting bed gravity (2 times the strength of normal gravity) in the 4-5 AM hours-- I've been getting up between 4 and 5 most of my adult life, and it's very important to make sure you get enough rest and sleep soundly at night. If you're buzzing around the house at 11 or 11:30, even if you're disciplined enough to get up and exercise at 4:30, you are working at such a sleep deficite that you're harming your ability to function. I say this because I noticed I had to force myself to calm down eating raw, slowing down earlier in the evening to make my bed time or I ended up way in the hole. Oh, I would bounce up at 4:15 as normal but my brain function was off and my attitude was a little grumpy (though you might get a different view if you asked the gang that work for me. They just thought I had months of PMS...) Anyway, early risers have to be careful.

Gosh it's good to catch up with everyone...

Nutcase

[VeganVixen]

Oh today I ate mostly raw , I havent gone into houston for a week and am suffering b/c of it ,I finished the last of my 4 full bags of grapes (in two days :eek: ) and all my miso is gone :( , so I did it I cheated!!!! I had atleast a cup of popcorn (low fat ) and feel dead becase of it!!!! but I could have don worse , atleast popcorn is mostly air and isnt a "sad dish" ...but still -yuck it burned my tongue!

[Carlene]

Yesterday was a good day. I'm back at losing weight, and feeling thinner. After my hour walk in the morning, we ended up doing 8 more laps around the property throughout the day. It seems the more we walk, the less time between walks before the dogs start bugging me to go again, and I must admit I'm getting adictted and can't wait myself. Just finished our hour this morning. I'm finding that instead of half waking in the morning and wanting to go back to bed, as soon as I open my eyes I'm up eager to get going. This morning I was up and stretched before the dogs.

[racheljj]

Hi, I hope you all had a great weekend. A friend just emailed me about something her husband read recently. There was an experiment done: Two groups of seeds, one watered with regular water and one watered with microwave water (which was then cooled). Everything else in the experiment was the same. The seeds watered with the microwave water didn't grow. Pretty scary. Maybe we should try the experiment ourselves (for those of us who still have microwaves in our home LOL)?

Anyway, I'm excited about this week of eating raw and exercising!

Rachel

[calee]

I worked way too many hours last week and was exhausted all week. I did eat all raw. I did exercise 5x for at least an hour each time. I did eat compulsively yesterday and I know I ate too much food, even if it was all raw. I did gain 1 pound. UGH!

I started this morning with an hour walk at 6am. I'm ready for my day and my week of eating raw and exercising!

Let's all make this a good week! Don't forget to drink your water in the summer heat.

[Carlene]

Good Monday everyone. I've decided to keep my walking to 2 hrs a day. An hour and a half in the moring before the heat and then half an hour around sundown. Of course on days I'm working from home there will always be those short 10 minute walks to keep the dogs happy. Today it is supposed to hit 107, so I think they may change their minds on how often they want to go outside.

I picked up my row machine from my daughters yesterday and plan to add some rowing to my daily routine.

On a side note. It's been two weeks raw for me, and my appetite is decreasing. Yesterday I had forgotten to eat until around 10AM. I have to watch that, but still I don't think I'll need to eat as much as I was. No dieting of course, but no worrying either that I'm not eating enough.

[VeganVixen]

YEAY!!!! im SO proud of everyone , today I stayed up all night ,then did a 6am workout - Im very proud!!!!!

Then today I went into houston (we do this once a week)and had a raw cuke/seaweed salad , *some* grilled eggplant (I didnt have much , lol but its still very odd that im eating ANY cooked ,but my body felt like some so I had it ,oh well Im young and NOT perfect) and tonight raw kombucha and yummy living miso :)

Im going back on the ALL raw (excluding balsalmic,miso (living) and mustard) and Ill be great :D!!!!

I feel SO good ,Im screaming it from the roof !!!!!!

btw , Im either trying out for the soccer team or the equestrian college team,depending on which college I go to(also Im going to take a ballet as my extraculicular class) -so I HAVE TO get in shape ,Im upping it to 2 hours tomorow !!!!

[Jodi]

Good morning! VV, I dont' know how you can stay up all night and still workout! I know I could never do that! Good for you.

Anyway, my diet is doing better. I'm eating much more raw, especially since I switched from rolled oats to raw oatmeal in the morning. Yesterday I would say I was 80 percent raw.

I worked out this morning. Kind of a cardio/weights thing.

Gotta run...work today.

Jodi

[racheljj]

Sounds like you are all doing great! I finally ate the way I wanted to yesterday (all fruits and veggies)!

But, I was such a grouch yesterday! That's one thing that I don't like about eating only raw foods (at least during the transition period)--I yell at my kids and can't handle anything at all. It's no fun for any of us. :( Anyone else experience this? Hope I'm in a better mood today. :)

Rachel

[VeganVixen]

Good morning! VV, I dont' know how you can stay up all night and still workout! I know I could never do that! Good for you.


Jodi

I have NO idea how I can either :confused: !

I want to go into the medical feild so ,if I do maybe its a blessing :confused:

I did the SAME thing today ,ate ALL raw!

I feel WAY to tired to do 2 hours ,so Ill start tomorow :D

[VeganVixen]

Is it too late to join?


NEVER!!!!! Glad to have you! :D

[VeganVixen]

I stayed up ALL last night , and did 2 hours of exercise this morning!!!!!

Even though my internal clock is messed up , I get a lot of energy and for lack of a better word "structure" from my work outs ,so Im happy :) !

[racheljj]

Hi, Peanut. Glad to have you join us! :)

In doing some reflection, I thought of a way that might help me stay all raw. Two of my main problems involve feeling too hungry and feeling like I have too much sugar in my body (craving saltier things)—basically my body isn’t balanced and I feel hungry. To combat those two issues, I am going to add more greens, fat and protein in my diet (my body doesn’t do well with nuts so I found another solution). I plan to start my mornings with some sort of green smoothie or juice to get my greens in for the day. That way, I can feel more balanced all day and not worry about what I eat (of raw foods) the rest of the day. When I next get hungry in the afternoons, I’m going to make my variation of Shazzie's Super Smoothie (http://www.shazzie.com/raw/articles/style_03_04/). For this, I use one frozen banana, one other piece of fruit, two dates (or some raw honey or raw agave nectar), one inch piece of ginger root, one carrot, raw hemp seeds or hemp seed protein, the juice of two oranges (or water if I don’t have oranges around) and one teaspoon each of maca powder, flax oil (or grounded flax seeds) and coconut oil. I just remembered today that this smoothie feels me up much more and helps me stay more balanced physically and emotionally. Any time I get hungry the rest of the day I’ll just eat some fruit or veggies. I know I still have the issue of wanting to eat cooked foods with other people and the cooked foods I prepare for my family; however, I think it will really help me to deal with those situations if I’m not hungry and if I feel more satisfied and balanced.

The only other thing that would really help right now is for me to find something for a snack for work at night. We take a break at seven-thirty, and my students all eat crunchy, salty things like chips. I need something crunchy and salty thatÂ’s raw to eat during that time.

IÂ’m feeling much more hopeful about things today.

[VeganVixen]

hey ,sonds like your doing great rachell , I did an hour today (AFTER A LONG NIGHT/MID DAY SLEEP -LOL!) and cleaned the house (some people are coming to stay for a while) for around three hours -now every thing is decluttered and nice - I didnt do the extra hour cause I felt those three cleaning hours were going to require extra energy

[Jodi]

I was a bum yesterday and did not get up for my early morning workout. So, I made sure to get my butt up this morning and worked out for an hour. My diet is going so-so. I am trying to eat at least 75% raw a day.

Today I have to go to the doctor for a biopsy on a rash I've had on my breast since last fall. So, my workouts may be curtailed for the weekend.

Later!

Jodi

[Carlene]

Just checking in to say I'm still going strong. I didn't walk this morning because I was finishing up a liver cleanse, but this afternoon I helped load and unload manure and then helped spread it, so I got some nice strength type of exercise in. Tomorrow back to my regular routine.

Rachel, try eating more celery. The sodium will help balance out the sweets in your diet and curb some of the salt cravings. Also the other day, I think it was Raw Priestess, posted a recipe for dehydrated chips she said tasted like Cheese Its. Add some celtic salt and you have your snack.

[VeganVixen]

My tummy felt yucky today (like it was full of yesterdays food ) so I "fasted" with miso broth ,I didnt exercise like usual ,but I went on a 15 minute run !

[racheljj]

Hi, guys. My computer crashed, and I'm just now getting back online. How's everyone doing?

Rachel

[VeganVixen]

Im doing GREAT ,Ive been exercising an hour every week day ;) .