Help me get started!

[lahandrews]

After years of wanting to transition to a vegan or raw food diet, I am finally really considering taking the plunge. However, I know I cannot jump right into such a severe change. I have been eating rather unhealthily in the past month- meat, high fat dairy, fried foods, starches, sugars-and have gained unwanted weight. I am rather active so I am not overweight, but have gained inches around my waist, butt, and thighs. How can I safely transition to this diet so that I can resist my cravings for starches, fat, and sugar? I also want to build muscle mass while losing weight so that I do not sacrifice my metabolism. I need some structure, motivation, and guidance here to get myself back on a healthy diet of mostly raw foods.
Also, should I invest in a juicer, sprouter, or dehydrator?

[Rawkinlocs]

...I need some structure, motivation, and guidance here to get myself back on a healthy diet of mostly raw foods.
Also, should I invest in a juicer, sprouter, or dehydrator?

You may not need a juicer or a sprouter but a dehydrator will definitely come in handy to make breads and crackers to help with those starch cravings. As for the structure, motivation and guidance, I'd say one of the best investments you could make would be in Alissa's book and DVD (if you don't already own them)!

Congrats on your decision to begin taking your life and your health back!

[lahandrews]

I checked out Alissa's book online and am wondering if it gives a good transition plan. I know that I cannot jump into eating only raw foods. I have a serious addiction to cooked foods. I was even thinking of trying to go vegan/vegetarian first, but then I could still eat potato chips and candy so maybe that wouldn't work. I am wondering how the raw diet gives you the freedom to travel and to live with family or friends that follow a normal american diet. I have doubts that I can make this work with my lifestyle. I want to spend some more time in India and Nepal and can't expect to follow this rigid diet there.

[zeeraw]

Have you read Harvey Diamond's Fit for Life books? I've just read them over the weekend. He suggests eating fruit up until 12.00 (as this is the body's elimintation cycle) and then for lunch and dinner you can have cooked food but make sure you eat it with a salad. He is also into food combining such as you can't eat protein with starch.

I find when I eat alot of fruit (which I do every day) it helps me with cravings. Even though I say this I have been eating alot of junk at dinner time - I eat 100%raw everyday until I come home from work and even though I'm not craving burgers/chips/chocolate etc.. I go and eat them and I'm unsure of why? Must get to the bottom of that.

I also have a six step program for going raw. In condensed form it is:

STEP 1: Eat a piece of fruit before each meal, wait 10-30minutes before you eat your meal to let the fruit digest.

STEP 2: replace your normal cooked breakfast with only fruit.

STEP 3: replace your lunch with mainly fruit

STEP 4: Pick one day a week where you only eat raw food all day

STEP 5: Reduce cooked meals to only 3 days a week

STEP 6: 100% raw.

You progress through the steps at your own pace and only move on when you're ready.

Hope this helps out. :)
Z

[RawTruth]

Hello and welcome. I strongly suggest you buy Alissa's book -- it answers the questions that we have when we begin on this raw life. What I like is that it gives a full, overall picture whereas jumping around to websites is not complete and often gives contradictory and inaccurate information.

It's good that you know yourself well enough to know that you need to transition to raw. That self-knowledge has bee discussed here many times. I, personally, am an all or nothing type and Alissa's 30 Day Challenge worked the best for me.

Also, there are members of this forum who live outside of the U.S. and some who have traveled throughout the world. They might be resources for you to consult before you travel so you can know what to expect and how to plan for the reality of it.

[tracyinfo]

Rose Lee Calabro has a book called "Living in the Raw" which has a transitional suggested diet. It is similar to what zeeraw wrote. Weekly transitions! Also, you can feel free to stay at a particular weeks suggested diet, if you are having problems advancing to the next weeks suggestions.

Good Luck and hope this helps.

[oodlesofoilsetc]

If you want motivation, instruction, extraordinarily good recipes and lots of fun too, buy Alissa's book and DVD asap! I suggest doing this before you invest in or think about any food equipment or another book! You can easily not buy another book for years with just these two tools (and lots of tips from the generous people here).

'til later,
Jillian from North Dakota

[NewGTGuy]

I also want to build muscle mass while losing weight so that I do not sacrifice my metabolism.

Alissa addresses this in her book and DVD (which is very well done btw). She states that we don't gain muscle by eating tons of protein but by consuming amino acids. Makes sense if you ask me. When is the last time you saw a horse eat a cow. ;)


How can I safely transition to this diet so that I can resist my cravings for starches, fat, and sugar?

Alissa also addresses this. When you transistion to a raw vegan diet your taste buds will change and many of our SAD cravings vanish...

Good luck! You've made the right choice!

Brian

[RawTruth]

I also want to build muscle mass while losing weight so that I do not sacrifice my metabolism. I didn't address this part of your post. You diet isn't going to build muscle mass -- do you or are you interested in lifting weights? That's still one of the best ways to build muscles!

[VeganVixen]

do you have a food processor , that is pretty important!

[Revvell]

What does this mean to you please?

Revvell


....so that I do not sacrifice my metabolism.

[lahandrews]

What does this mean to you please?

Revvell



when i lose weight, i want to lose fat and not muscle so i just want to make sure that i will be getting enough calories so that my metabolism doesn;t decrease and i continue to build muscle. i lift weights three times a week, jog, and do yoga.