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View Full Version : Here's my raw story...



amyambro1
05-21-2008, 01:04 PM
When I went from coffee and soda drinking and meat eater to raw in June 2007 overnight, I honestly thought I would never eat cooked food again. I had a deep fear of eating cooked food, like it was an addiction I was trying to overcome. I had the nightmares about making mistakes and everything! It became easier and easier as time went on, and before I knew it, I was 100% raw for 7.5 months. I looked and felt better than ever. I was still having some problems dealing with emotions - switching back and forth between smoking or overeating raw, but always felt wonderful and healthy, like never before.

Then for some strange reason, it started to creep back into my brain that it was okay to try cooked food again. I didn't want to, but if I had to do it, I would. (?)

So I went with some good friends to New York City for one week over New Years Eve. I brought all my own food and just expected to stay raw. The longer we were there, the longer I felt like ti would be okay to splurge with a little cooked food. We were going out to eat A LOT, and when we finally went out for sushi I decided I couldn't resist. I just had to eat some sushi!
It didn't seem to effect me much physically. I didn't feel any more tired or in any pain.

I also began running out of my own food. After that sushi, it hit me suddenly like a ton of bricks. My addiction to cooked food had completely taken over. Suddenly it was okay for me to eat whatever, and I made a promise to myself that as soon as I came home from the trip, I'd go right back to eating raw.

When I came home, I did go back to eating all raw, but I didn't have that fear anymore. Suddenly I felt like if the opportunity were to arise, it would be ok to eat some cooked food. So very slowly, I crept back into more and more SAD food. I didn't want to, but it was suddenly really hard to control! Then I would eat mostly raw, and binge on chocolate. I would eat raw all day, and then at the end of the day, sneak out to the gas station and buy 2 or 3 candy bars, eating them as fast as possible! I knew that there were feelings arising in me that I thought chocolate could cure. Even with daily meditation, it was still difficult for me to get through the emotions.

For 2 or 3 months now, I have been eating mostly raw and then binging on really bad food, but avoiding any big cooked meals. The only cooked food I've been eating is serious junk, like cookies, cake, chocolate bars, and so on. But the rest is raw! It's out of control!

My birthday was Monday, and my friends took me out for birthday cake at TGI Fridays. I first ate spinach and artichoke dip with very greasy tortilla chips, and devoured an entire piece of oreo chocolate cake. I woke up yesterday in the worst condition ever. My body was so weak, I couldn't get out of bed, I had a dreadful headache, hot w/ cold sweats, a terrible fever! Couldn't eat anything! Nauseated. Haven't felt so sick since long before going raw.

Well, I feel that I've hit rock bottom. I feel a bit better today, but I'm going in later for a colonic to hopefully get rid of the rest. Then it's back to raw. I realize I have to deal with the uncomfortable emotions differently, in a healthier way, so I'm just going to keep meditating, watching my mind, and stop myself before acting on my uncomfortable mind.

Raene
05-21-2008, 01:12 PM
Hang in there. We all struggle...cooked food really is the biggest addiction you'll ever overcome. This board is honestly the best thing that's ever happened to me in my raw life as I've found so much support and comfort as well as great tips and ideas for staying raw. I wish you all the best.

Veganforlife
05-21-2008, 01:50 PM
Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again. Not a big deal. You KNOW how you feel when raw, just keep that in your head and it's NOT okay to eat cooked...

oai
05-21-2008, 02:19 PM
thank you for posting your story. it resonates a great deal with me. stay strong, and treat yourself well! :)

Apasaraw
05-22-2008, 11:10 AM
Thinking of you...Don't worry about the past...it's a new day! :)
Sending hugs!

Theogirl
05-22-2008, 09:11 PM
My non-raw DH recommended to me that instead of saying “I’m raw vegan” and then having to explain to people why what and how, and then if you eat something you’re not supposed to, all the reasons why you made an exception… if people ask why you’re eating just a salad or something, just say “I try to eat healthy”. Then that’s your only boundary and YOU make the choices within those boundaries, not the masses! Kind of works for ones own psyche as well – totally takes the pressure off! That shift in labeling has been the biggest help in me staying mostly raw. Otherwise I was feeling like it was 100% raw and vegan or why even bother.

snufkin
05-23-2008, 07:34 AM
I don't remember exactly where I read this bit of info but I found it very helpful. I think it may have been on the living-food forums

bare (bear!?) with me as I try to word it!

Progress will not come about while you allow grey areas to exist. Meaning that if you think something is okay, or allowed once in a while, then you will never overcome it. So, your thinking that cooked food (esp. junk food) is okay occasionally will make it nearly impossible for you to completely be free of it. That includes the way you speak to other people (a form of accountability). If you say to someone that eating cooked foods is okay once in a while you are advocating it for them AND yourself (maybe subconsciously??). Your actions, words and your thoughts have to be in the positive or negative about something for there to be any change about them. If you keep it in limbo then it's just kind of roaming around without direction. "Cooked food and especially junk food is not what I want. It is not okay."

On the other end of it, if you want more of something you have to think that what it is you want more of is good. It is positive, allowed, full of joy and you need to be concerned with increasing it to move away from the negative (formerly gray) things.

so i guess the point of this is that if 100% raw is your ultimate goal then you have to make a firm decision and form a permanent confirmation that cooked food is not okay and not allowed. By making these decisions we help ourselves make changes.

I think I made sense?!?! :confused: At least I tried! lol! Hope it helped you somewhat! It did for me.

amyambro1
05-23-2008, 01:32 PM
This is all very supportive and helpful advice. It's true, the problem started when I thought it might be "okay" to have a little cooked food, whereas before, it was completely NOT okay, and that was what helped me to stay raw. I have been 100% for the past couple of days, feeling back to my old lively raw self again, but finally realizing I truly do have to start facing emotions that are popping up once and for all, not over eating raw, not smoking a cig. now and again, not chowing down on fudge balls and chocolatey larabars, but seeing what is REALLY going on. It's quite entertaining to take a true look at the mind and see what is going on in there. Thanks everyone for all your love. That's why I love RFT. And hey, keep sending the love if you want to!!!
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