Hellooooo!

[Olive]

Hi all!

I'm starting the 30 day challenge on November 1st (my 30th birthday!) and this looks like a fabulous place for support! I've been vegan for a number of years, but I've felt the pull to go raw for awhile now. Just feels like the right thing to do to take care of my body. In preparation, I've been trying a number of Alissa's recipes and I'm quite impressed! Zucchini actually filling the pasta craving . . . who knew?!?! Let's see . . . a little about me. I live in the San Francisco bay area, I'm about done getting my degree in transpersonal psychology (I'm going to be a therapist), I have five cats and a box turtle, I love to swim and hike, and my one pop culture addiction is The Simpsons. Don't have tv, but I have a dvd player so I watch the first four seasons frequently! I do have a few questions that I hope some people have experience with!

*I have a serious amount of weight to lose (100+). I keep reading everywhere that going raw, even with a decent amount of nuts and avocados to start with, that people lose weight. I currently have a moderate fat, pretty whole foods vegan diet and my weight loss is pretty small. I'm nervous that I won't lose weight . . . any thoughts?

*Has anyone come across studies or scientific info about the healthfulness of a living/raw foods diet? I guess I want to know about enzymes and the acid/alkaline stuff from well-conducted studies.

*My third question was on budgets, but it seems someone just asked my very question! I have $200 a month to spend on food, so it's relieving to see that people manage okay on that amount. I do have a thing for tropical fruit and the more expensive nuts (pine and macadamia), so we'll see how it goes. I'm hoping to swing as much organic as possible. Oh, for those of you with a Costco nearby, they sell tubs of organic spring mix for super cheap, at least around here!

I look forward to getting to know you all better and to starting my raw path!

In light,

Olive

[Rawkinlocs]

Hi Olive and welcome!! Congrats on getting started on the challenge and yes, this is a very supportive board to be a part of as you attempt to do this.

I'm not an expert, but I'll take a gentle stab at your questions:

1. You WILL lose weight, but try not to let that be your primary focus when first starting out. It's gonna happen eventually, but concentrate on getting past any thing that may try to inhibit you from being raw..at FIRST. Once you're past all that stuff, then you can start tweaking your diet and cutting down on the fat, etc. But I'm sure Alissa or others will come and give you some advice on this!

2. Nah, I haven't gotten into studies, etc. Maybe someone else can help ya out there!

3. Yep! You already found the thread I would've pointed you to regarding budgets!

[Sadii]

Hey Olive,

Welcome! I lost 20 lbs. right away (that leaves me with about 40 or 50 to go. At first, I did eat as much as I wanted, and then later I cut back on the fats. Like you though, no matter what I did with my diet before raw, I couldn't lose more than a few lbs. I think that if you have a lot of toxins in your body, you can't lose too fast, your body just won't, and can't handle it! I think that your liver and kidneys can't deal with it. Maybe someone else knows for sure, but that's my take on the subject. Lots of good luck to you, and again, welcome!

[Jay]

Hi Olive, :)
and welcome to this forum!

I'm pretty new here myself, but have been high raw now for about 85 days (11 weeks).
The first month I lost a lot of weight, but I made sure to be carefull about eating too much nuts and stuff, because I know it's a bit of an addiction with me, macadamias are so goooood! :D
I lost more then 30 pounds already, and like you, should lose about 60 more, to be on a weight again where I was happy with in the past.

So like I said, the first month the weight loss was really spectacular, but shouldn't be the main focus here, your health comes first, the weight loss is a wonderfull side effect, hehe!

I did notice that along the way, my weight stabilised a few weeks, so it was kind of frustrating to notice I wasn't losing any more. But after a few weeks, the weight started dropping again, gradually.
I think now I lose about 0.44 pounds a day (200 gram)...

But anyways, see what the others have to say, but I can't wait to read your journal, and I wish you the best of luck!! :)

[flutterfly]

Welcome ;) you will love it here and we will love having you here.

[Sweet lips]

Welcome Olive,

How are you - I love this group and clearly have benefitted from the support and ((((())))) hugs that come across the wire. I am typically very positive and am enjoying myself. Hadn't been 100% raw for a moment, but the picture my daughter sent to me and I received last night, made me re-think what I am doing. My arem looked like a normal persons thigh or a lumberjacks arm with no cuts. Talk about reality! So as I sip my green juice this morning and readingFasting to Freedom, I am going to be satisfied with raw, besides eating cooked food is not helping, but could actually be my last type of meals, if I don't GET A GRIP :eek:

BTW my birthday is Oct 29, happy early birthday!

[ehartmanf]

Hi Olive and welcome to this gorup. It will be wonderful to read about your progress. I am in my 12th week of being raw and I am loving it! I have occasional cravings, mostly for bread and cheese, but am otherwise doing great. I don't weigh myself often, but know for sure that I have lost at least 13 pounds. I'll weigh myself at the end of October.

I love the way I feel and it gets better all the time. I need to work on increasing my excercise. Right now I am doing 30 minutes on my rebounder on most days.

I don't think I've addressed any of your questions, but I know others will. Welcome! :D

[Olive]

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts! I thought of another question today (I have a rather curious mind :) ). Do you worry about food safety? It occurred to me that I'm leaving food in the dehydrator over night. Any food poisoning issues?

I'm really excited to get started, going raw will be such a nice birthday present! In the meantime, I'm eating some of my favorite cooked foods, so I don't have regrets. Only 12 days to go!

Olive

[twinyoga]

Hi. I'm Debbie, Mom of seven month old twins.

I was trying raw before I got pregnant. Now, I'm going back to it. I've been 100% for two days and hope to keep going.

Personally, I think becoming raw is more of a mental struggle than physical. Everyone here is very supportive.

Good luck.

[FEELIN'GOOD]

Hi Olive!

Glad to have you in the group! I have started my 30 day challenge yesterday... and CHALLENGE it is! But you know what gets me through this is seeing all the pills my mom is taking for EVERYTHING! I don't want to be that way... My mom thinks her doctor is a God or something taking everything he says like the bible... but all he ever says is 'take these and call me in a few days.' It kills me! I'm hoping that my going RAW will encourge her to see its benefits. And I want to feel the buzz again! That feeling is incredible! I felt it the first few days I was going raw, then detox kicked in... sad to say, it isn't fun. But you have to let your body work and be patient.

Good luck, and your at the right place! Welcome!