Consider the source...

[Alissa]

I just wanted to make light of this really quickly. I donÂ’t have too much time right now to be on the boards but I do check it off and on all the time, even if its just for a few minutes here and there and every time I come on I seem to be hearing all these things like: fruit keeps me from losing weight, I donÂ’t eat any nuts anymore, I have to count calories into fitday in order to keep track and lose weight., etcÂ…

If you donÂ’t agree with me fine, find your way, its ok and everyone needs to do whatÂ’s right for them, but for the new people here or the people that have been on here for a while but still think they need these silly rules and cant seem to find success with raw let me say once again (as I know you oldies here know this is my pet peeve, lol!) donÂ’t say that this diet does not work when your not DOING IT!!!!! Please people!
DonÂ’t go out for pizza or have a steamed potato and rice and then say you need to cut out fruit! DonÂ’t be eating a cooked meal once a week and then blame the nuts for no weight loss!!!!

If you choose to eat 70-80-90 percent raw, thatÂ’s fine, but you cannot say that eating these raw items on a raw diet donÂ’t work for you unless you are RAW!

And calories are not calories. Someone posted in a thread that no matter what you eat if you take in too many calories you will gain and if you eat less you will lose. This is not accurate.
There are about 80 grams of fat in my date nut torte and although I only had about 10 - 15 pounds to lose when I first went raw, I lost it eating this every night! So stop counting CAOLIRES, FATS, CARBS AND PROTIEN!!!!!!! And GO RAW!!!!! 100% raw for 30 days, thatÂ’s it, just make the commitment and you will see results!

Ok, enough of the exclamation points. But really, I want you all to succeed in this. ThatÂ’s why I wrote the book and made the DVDs, but its amazing to me when people claim it doesnÂ’t work but then come to find out they arenÂ’t doing it.

This doesnÂ’t mean you will never fail or you have to be perfect. It does mean however, that if you want results, stop lying to yourself and realize that if you want to actually see and feel results with this in a big way you need to do it!
Best,
Alissa

[RawTruth]

You tell it, girl!

[rawpriestess]

YES!!!!!!

I totally agree.

[dragonfist70]

ME 2!! :cool:

[Alissa]

HAHA! I knew i could count on you guys to agree with this. because you know its the truth, right?
I know you are both successful with raw.
Rawtruth, i know you are 100% raw and you are feeling and showing the effects. Period.
Rawpriestess, i know you mentioned in another post that you cheated a little and didnÂ’t lose weight that week. But you were real about it and knew why.

ItÂ’s about being real with ourselves, you know? Its so easy to justify to ourselves what we do and what we want to do and keep ourselves from seeing the truth.

You know, i have gone through so so many periods with raw food. 18 years ago i went raw and then went off and on for many years, thinking i didnÂ’t want to be too strict with myself and i didnÂ’t want to have it interfere with my social life and my lifestyle. Then i went 100% because i knew i needed healing but i kept going off after 6 months, a year, etc.. because i didnÂ’t change the mind set, i didnÂ’t accept that this was the way i felt best and that i really deserved to do what it the best for me and if no one else liked that then they didnÂ’t deserve to be with me because i do deserve!

At one point i went off raw, of course I was still eating a lot of raw in the morning and most of the time during the day but I would eat a cooked dinner almost every night for about a year. I would fast thinking i needed to get back to raw and then drive myself crazy with the cravings, etc...i took a break from being 100 percent raw because i thought i was getting older and you know what “i was sick of starving myself for the perfect body, i was tired of feeling deprived and i wanted to love myself and eat what i wanted when i wanted'. Well, it took me a long time to realize that loving myself doesn’t always mean allowing myself to have what i crave. Loving myself doesn’t always mean allowing myself to never feel deprived. There are other parts to ourselves that can trip us up, like negative ego and our inner child who feels like she didn’t get something a long time ago and now she wants it. Well, you, as the adult have to make some rules. You as the adult have to react from your adult and decide that sometimes it may not be a good idea to indulge at that moment.

When you learn to move into this space and choose things from your adult self and not your negative ego, your child, your adolescent, your critical parent or whoever else is hiding beneath the surface and running the show (and we all have these fun sides of us people!) then that is when you realize that saying no to your once favorite food when your out with friends one night is so much less satisfaction then the feeling of waking up in the morning and feeling alive, truly alive and vibrant with the most import gift in life that you could give yourself, optimal health.
How much more loving can you get then that?

[RawTruth]

Loving myself doesnÂ’t always mean allowing myself to never feel deprived. There are other parts to ourselves that can trip us up, like negative ego and our inner child who feels like she didnÂ’t get something a long time ago and now she wants it. Well, you, as the adult have to make some rules. You as the adult have to react from your adult and decide that sometimes it may not be a good idea to indulge at that moment.

When you learn to move into this space and choose things from your adult self and not your negative ego, your child, your adolescent, your critical parent or whoever else is hiding beneath the surface and running the show (and we all have these fun sides of us people!) ... How much more loving can you get then that?Exactly!! This is why going raw is so much more than "just" a change of diet. It can impact every area of your life, including assisting in emotional healing ... IF we let it. I, for one, want to be fully present every minute of my life. This wasn't always the case, but being 100% raw is helping me be 100% awake now -- loving myself, making decisions from my true self, present and reporting for duty to my life.

[VeganVixen]

YES , I get what you mean -dont half arse it ,then say the "raw's" not working



but Ive done ALL raw ,not even vinegar ,and had lousy success with nuts ,of course there are people like pialani with candida ,who need less dried fruits , or in order for me to develop gallstones ,my body had to have been VERY fat-sensitive ,so maybe going ALL raw -then tweaking it to personal needs is best -but I do think a lot of people "give up before they try" or "find a way to fail " - It seems almost seems like a subconcious thing....


Also the raw lifestyle IS very flexable!!!!!! I can easily eat stuff that both taste good and makes me feel fanta-bulous!:D

[Sweet lips]

Thanks Alissa for letting us know your journey, it helped me a lot, especially the part in the quotes below. I am really learning to love myself and the part of me that is in other people too, and yes, while we can justify our behaviors, it really doesn't change the reality.

It was refreshing and I thank you for the fresh air today. I got a magic bullet and I am going in the kitchen now to do something great for me, because I love me - linner (lunch and dinner)!





ItÂ’s about being real with ourselves, you know? Its so easy to justify to ourselves what we do and what we want to do and keep ourselves from seeing the truth.

Well, it took me a long time to realize that loving myself doesnÂ’t always mean allowing myself to have what i crave. Loving myself doesnÂ’t always mean allowing myself to never feel deprived. There are other parts to ourselves that can trip us up, like negative ego and our inner child who feels like she didnÂ’t get something a long time ago and now she wants it. Well, you, as the adult have to make some rules. You as the adult have to react from your adult and decide that sometimes it may not be a good idea to indulge at that moment.

When you learn to move into this space and choose things from your adult self and not your negative ego, your child, your adolescent, your critical parent or whoever else is hiding beneath the surface and running the show (and we all have these fun sides of us people!) then that is when you realize that saying no to your once favorite food when your out with friends one night is so much less satisfaction then the feeling of waking up in the morning and feeling alive, truly alive and vibrant with the most import gift in life that you could give yourself, optimal health.
How much more loving can you get then that?

[Alissa]

yes, absolutely. I have tweaked my diet constantly since being all-raw. It can change with the climate, the amount of working out you do, the stress in your life, etc...

But if you think you cant eat all raw for a month without being deficient in some mineral or some vitamin or that eating all raw, whatever it is, is not better then a cooked food diet, especially the SAD diet, then think again. (Not you personally vegan vixen, i know your a committed rawie :) )

[Alissa]

Hi Sweet lips,
Ya, its interesting isnÂ’t it, the way we lie to ourselves? I did it for so long.

And the way I went full circle to abusing my body and then trying to love myself and never have it feel deprived and never wanting to feel that wanting, and thinking that love meant allowing whatever I felt was right at the time. But I wasnÂ’t taking care of myself or working on my self enough to know that what I wanted at that time was not in my highest good and I wasnÂ’t clear enough to see it.

Anyway, that is a whole other topic! But thatÂ’s the beauty of raw food. It clears you out enough to clear the cobwebs so your issues and baggage rise to the surface and then you have to deal with it. (or go off the diet so you donÂ’t feel anymore and continue to numb out with cooked food)

Its astonishing to me that people try to do therapy with out the physical part or try to do raw foods without dealing with the issues. We are not one-dimensional human beings. Everything we do in one area of our lives effects the other parts. I truly believe that this is why people fail on this diet.

[Ginger]

Awesome awesome & awesome! I especially liked this:

Its astonishing to me that people try to do therapy with out the physical part or try to do raw foods without dealing with the issues. We are not one-dimensional human beings. Everything we do in one area of our lives effects the other parts.
I know quite a few people who think that the mind is so powerful that they can eat whatever & do whatever to the Earth & be ok. While I big time respect the incredible power of the mind & am not knocking it at all, I have to disagree that you can eat/do whatever with no consequences!

[VeganVixen]

Awesome awesome & awesome! I especially liked this:

I know quite a few people who think that the mind is so powerful that they can eat whatever & do whatever to the Earth & be ok. While I big time respect the incredible power of the mind & am not knocking it at all, I have to disagree that you can eat/do whatever with no consequences!



YES ! sorta defies the laws of physics ,huh?

[calee]

Alissa,
Thanks for your post. It's a reminder to me to keep on going one day at a time. I know that eating raw is right for me. I've been raw since April 1st when I started my journal. I've eaten 4 rice paper wrappers around fresh veggies and had salad dressing less times than I can count on one hand. My favorite place to eat out is the raw side of the Whole Foods salad bar. I've upped my exercise to 4 or 5 hours a week. I write in my raw journal faithfully everyday. I sleep, get fresh air and work hard. I do weigh my nuts and keep them to 2-3 oz a day. I don't make recipes except flax crackers, banana ice cream and those yummy caramel coconut cookies that somene posted here.

I'm one of those that just can't lose weight. I'm frankly surprised I haven't jumped ship, for at least one meal, but i'm doing this for my health. In Feb my doc wanted me on meds because my bad cholesterol is a little high. My BP has been running somewhat high for over a year. I told him I wanted 6 months of raw food and exercise before I'd talk about meds. So for me this is a matter of quality of life to stay raw. At 214 pounds I should have lost more than 2 pounds in 86 days of raw.

So what's a girl to do?
lee

[monkeyboy]

Hi Everyone,

Ah.....Alissa is rocking the party...rocking our bodies.

She is correct.

Al Gore may have said he invented the internet but what Alissa says is true.

Stay raw, see results, fall off.....keep trying but don't throw raw foods under the bus.



Peace,


M.B.


King of the A5.

[avanderland]

Thank you for posting this, it is a hint of what is coming in your book, I imagine... I asked about calories because it is hard to imagine not counting them---it is ingrained in us, you must count calories, you must do this... It is nice to hear someone say NO IT IS NOT A MUST... I am starting to transition towards raw as soon as possible (but definitely by August 1st--my 30 day challenge!) with my fiance transitioning more slowly (September is his challenge) and I am looking forward to the freedom that such a diet---lifestyle---seems to bring, after hearing everything that you and most everyone on the boards has said. Thanks again!

[Jodi]

I'm still fairly new here, and I agree totaly! Even tho I still am struggling with changing my lifestlye towards a more raw diet, I do know not to blame raw foods if I am not losing weight. It's my own darn fault if I'm not losing weight! Excellent post, Allisa!


Jodi

[RawTruth]

I'm one of those that just can't lose weight. I'm frankly surprised I haven't jumped ship, for at least one meal, but i'm doing this for my health. In Feb my doc wanted me on meds because my bad cholesterol is a little high. My BP has been running somewhat high for over a year. I told him I wanted 6 months of raw food and exercise before I'd talk about meds. So for me this is a matter of quality of life to stay raw. At 214 pounds I should have lost more than 2 pounds in 86 days of raw.

So what's a girl to do?
leeLee --

Don't despair. The quote below is from Nora Lenz (http://www.rawschool.com) -- she didn't lose any weight until her 5th months ... and look at her now (stupendous story and pictures of her at an unbelievable 47 yrs. old). Just hang in there!!

After 5 months of being 100% raw, I had my first of 3 major cleansing events, which felt like the "flu". I was nauseous, had diarrhea and was extremely weak and faint if I attempted to stand up for more than a couple minutes. The worst of it lasted about a week. I understood enough about what was happening to know that I should not attempt to stop the symptoms with remedies of any sort, but I didn't realize that I should not have continued eating. I had no appetite, so I ate very little, but I was still laboring under the idea that food gives us "strength" and was afraid that doing without it would make me feel even weaker. If I had fasted on water only, the "crisis" would have been over in a couple days at most.

Two weeks after that cleansing episode ended, I started noticing weight loss. Up until that point, I hadn't lost an ounce of weight. Although it was a source of bitter disappointment for me, I had been forced to accept that weight loss might not happen at all because I had noted a few other female raw fooders who carried extra weight (which I now feel is attributable to mistakes they are making with their diets). I wanted to be slim, but it was more important to me to be healthy, so I resolved to stay raw even if I didn't lose weight. By month 8, I had lost all of the extra 30 pounds I had gained since my teens. I got down to 126 pounds (I'm 5'8") and stayed there for about a year.
~ Nora Lenz

[Rawkinlocs]

GREAT thread Alissa!

As usual, very encouraging, uplifting and motivating! :D

[calee]

Thank you for your post. I've read Nora Lenz before and find her to be very inspiring. I think that in the back of my mind I say... but she only had 30 to lose and I have 70+ to lose, so for me it should be happening already.

I think that perhaps I'm supposed to learn my lesson about patience here. Our world is filled with people wanting instant gratification and I'm one of those. I've always had difficulty losing, even lower fat atkins didn't have the weight fly off the way others spoke about. I guess I'm just supposed to see the beauty in each day, regardless of my weight. I just want to be feeling all the health benefits everyone talks about while shedding the unnecessary pounds.

I'll hang in for another day, week, month or year... whatever it takes till my body finds it's balance in good health. At least I know the internal house cleaning is happening today even if I can't see it.

lee

[Sharon in Colorado]

Right on Alissa.

I'm probably the one who suggests fitday.com, but only for the folks doing raw for a while who are concerned about not losing weight after doing raw for so long or wanting to avoid fat because of candida. Also, not to use fitday.com everyday, but just to plug in the numbers for a few days, just to see what they're taking in.

However, when first going raw, it's much too difficult for most of us to eat a certain way, so for at least the first month, it's much easier to eat whatever you want, as long as it's raw.

I still wonder though, because I believe it trips me up, about the non-raw condiments (nama shoyu, vinegar, seasonings, etc.), should those not be included during the first month. I've found that after the first month, I still can't wean off that stuff. Would it be easier to start off truly raw for most folk?

[Revvell]

I still wonder though, because I believe it trips me up, about the non-raw condiments (nama shoyu, vinegar, seasonings, etc.), should those not be included during the first month. I've found that after the first month, I still can't wean off that stuff. Would it be easier to start off truly raw for most folk?

For me, it was easier using the "non-raw" condiments. After my body adjusted and started taking delight in the taste of the pure food itself, I rarely find myself adding any condiments of any kind OR making much in the "gourmet" style.

Give it a shot Sharon ~ eat what you want, whenever you want ~ non-raw condiments and all. As your body becomes purer and cleaner, it will not want so much in the way of seasonings. It's what I tell people who smoke, drink, etc. Don't concern yourself with it. As your body cleanses, it doesn't want that stuff anymore. The body evolves to a higher, purer level and putting "bad" stuff in it, it becomes a mind thing ~ craving ~ and not a body craving. The mind sometimes has to catch up with the body though.

Revvell

[RawTruth]

Also, not to use fitday.com everyday, but just to plug in the numbers for a few days, just to see what they're taking in. .... but ... why? Even consulting fitday.com occasionally is counter to the essence of what Alissa is saying, isn't it? It's still not trusting the basic philosophy and would be keeping us tied into an artificial construct and away from trusting our bodies and the truth in nature's bounty

[Sharon in Colorado]

Some athletes use it as a guide to make sure they are getting their proper amounts of carbs. There is importance to the calonutrient ratios to certain people. Dr. Doug Graham, Frederic Pautanaude and even Nora espouse the importance of a good balance. I know that shouldn't be a big focus with newbies, especially when we want to concentrate on staying raw in the beginning but it is something to think about down the line. We hear about people who are raw for a length of time who run into problems and tend to blame it all on the raw food rather than try to tweak the elements of where their calories are coming from. Just my thoughts on what I've learned from reading other's experience, not necessarily from my own experience.

[maraw]

I read once that it is most important to feed your body what it needs and craves. Once I removed sugars and refined breads from my diet (in doing the 30-day challenge), I found that I just craved avocados, and I was a little worried at the time about eating too much fat. I really could eat 4 or 5 a day, even more sometimes. But that leveled off with time, but I still eat at least 2 a day. I have found though that my weight comes off more easily if I don't have a really nut-heavy meal at night (we tend to eat very late at my house). I still lose, just not as quickly. But truthfully, I am now at around 45 days raw, and sometimes, I don't really want to eat dinner. I just have a banana or even a large glass of water at dinner time and I'm done. Isn't that funny/wonderful?

To add a twist to this thread: I have a friend who is quite heavy. She has been on a paid "diet plan" now for many months - without great results I might add. Her counselor told her not to eat bananas, carrots, nuts, avocados, and red or yellow bell peppers because of the bad sugars and fats in them. I wanted to just die. My friend lives the most unhealthy lifestyle, eating wise, of anyone I know, and she is being brain-washed into believing that these great sources of proteins, Omega-3 fats, and vitamins are bad for her. Then she goes and has a chicken sandwich and a soda for lunch at McDs and that's OK with the diet people. Our entire society is convinced that vegetable-based sugars and fats are bad, but the junk you buy in the drive through or store is good. We are conditioned to count calories and consider fats when trying to lose weight. But that all has to be released from the mind if you are going to get healthy. To feed your body well and create good health, eat what feels right and tastes good. I have been living on the mock salmon pate - which is basically walnuts and red bell pepper. In a little over a month, I have lost 21 lbs and I have never felt better about myself in my entire life. All this and eating fat and sugar to boot!

Go Alissa - and thanks for the support.

[RawTruth]

Good for you, Maraw.

[annieH]

Maraw !! you know the same thing has happened to me.... over a period of time now i have gotten to the point where i dont eat dinner. sometimes I have a spinach salad but most times i just have water.
i find on a raw doet i am just not that hungry. i give myself the option to eat but then when i go to reach for something i find i dont really care if i eat it or not... so i dont.
when i was eating cooked food that NEVER would happen... i was hungry ALL the time.
so now i wonder why this is going on.
maybe when some peoples bodies get what they need .... they dont feel the need for more and thus...no hunger.

anyway....it certainly is interesting

[VeganVixen]

LOL , that reminds me of a freind who told me that my (I was cooked then)
veggie/brown rice sushi was making me fat -while she was downing PORK RINDS!!!! :eek:

[rawpriestess]

Even before I was raw, I ate alot of fruit, and I remember this one woman who must have weighed 450 pounds comment negatively on my fruit eating, while she had a pocket full of vending machine goodies and two pops in her hands.

[vegggeeemom]

Another good thread I had to bump.

Sorry if you all get annoyed, but I know that some don't have time to search and I thought this was worthy of bumping.

[kmik]

Hey Pam... Thanks! I would never have dug this up, but it's excellent :D

[Ariannah]

Thanks for bumping up this thread!
It's so wonderful to be on a way of life where we don't have to worry about these things!

[ReneeSC]

I have been living on the mock salmon pate - which is basically walnuts and red bell pepper. In a little over a month, I have lost 21 lbs and I have never felt better about myself in my entire life. All this and eating fat and sugar to boot!

Go Alissa - and thanks for the support.


_________________-

And this is why I maintain that we keep on the path of eat what you want until it doesn't agree with you anymore - or if ever did - or experiment with it another way.

I understand that certain folks just cannot have certain things or certain things certain ways. That's great! That's personalization. For example: I cannot have a fruit smoothy in the morning without having a protein source with it or shortly thereafter it because of my blood sugar ( at the moment. that could change at any time ), while other people haven't trouble with that at all. That doesn't make one way better than another, that just makes it tailored.

I like the tailored look. Don't you?

[TimmyC]

This is my favorite part.



.................."If you donÂ’t agree with me fine, find your way, its ok and everyone needs to do whatÂ’s right for them, but for the new people here or the people that have been on here for a while but still think they need these silly rules and cant seem to find success with raw let me say once again (as I know you oldies here know this is my pet peeve, lol!) donÂ’t say that this diet does not work when your not DOING IT!!!!! Please people!
DonÂ’t go out for pizza or have a steamed potato and rice and then say you need to cut out fruit! DonÂ’t be eating a cooked meal once a week and then blame the nuts for no weight loss!!!!

If you choose to eat 70-80-90 percent raw, thatÂ’s fine, but you cannot say that eating these raw items on a raw diet donÂ’t work for you unless you are RAW!.........................."


Best,
Alissa

[dhammala]

What a great post.. Alissa you rock! Thanks for all you have done!

[rawredbone]

I just wanted to make light of this really quickly. I donÂ’t have too much time right now to be on the boards but I do check it off and on all the time, even if its just for a few minutes here and there and every time I come on I seem to be hearing all these things like: fruit keeps me from losing weight, I donÂ’t eat any nuts anymore, I have to count calories into fitday in order to keep track and lose weight., etcÂ…

If you donÂ’t agree with me fine, find your way, its ok and everyone needs to do whatÂ’s right for them, but for the new people here or the people that have been on here for a while but still think they need these silly rules and cant seem to find success with raw let me say once again (as I know you oldies here know this is my pet peeve, lol!) donÂ’t say that this diet does not work when your not DOING IT!!!!! Please people!
DonÂ’t go out for pizza or have a steamed potato and rice and then say you need to cut out fruit! DonÂ’t be eating a cooked meal once a week and then blame the nuts for no weight loss!!!!

If you choose to eat 70-80-90 percent raw, thatÂ’s fine, but you cannot say that eating these raw items on a raw diet donÂ’t work for you unless you are RAW!

And calories are not calories. Someone posted in a thread that no matter what you eat if you take in too many calories you will gain and if you eat less you will lose. This is not accurate.
There are about 80 grams of fat in my date nut torte and although I only had about 10 - 15 pounds to lose when I first went raw, I lost it eating this every night! So stop counting CAOLIRES, FATS, CARBS AND PROTIEN!!!!!!! And GO RAW!!!!! 100% raw for 30 days, thatÂ’s it, just make the commitment and you will see results!

Ok, enough of the exclamation points. But really, I want you all to succeed in this. ThatÂ’s why I wrote the book and made the DVDs, but its amazing to me when people claim it doesnÂ’t work but then come to find out they arenÂ’t doing it.

This doesnÂ’t mean you will never fail or you have to be perfect. It does mean however, that if you want results, stop lying to yourself and realize that if you want to actually see and feel results with this in a big way you need to do it!
Best,
Alissa


AMEN!!!!! Alissa girl you RaWk. My body thanks and I thank you. May God continue to pour blessing upon you

[Rawadventures]

Someone just pointed this thread out to me today and I wanted to say "Thanks" to Alissa for starting it! As someone else said, it is very motivating! I am currently enjoying learning all sorts of new things from Alissa's book and trying new, simple recipes. So far I have fallen in love with the spanish rice and spicy fries - oh and that indian spinach dip.

Anyway, I am one of those people that after being 100% with no slip ups for 50+ days suddenly had major financial issues and stress issues and ended up having some cooked here and there. I did, at first, only had a plain baked potato or some brown rice, but then those moments would hit me and i would find myself picking at this or that. Of course I would always feel bad afterwards and regret it, but I am human and weak at times. I feel like there are people who get tired of hearing some of us say that we slipped or that we are weak and just think that we would just be able to do it with no slip ups, but some of us do struggle.

Anyway, I really enjoyed reading this whole thread. It is good to know that Alissa even struggled at times, but then came to the realization that she had to do what was best for her body. Even for her, it was a process. For some of us, even though we KNOW it's right, it still takes re-training and many times of picking ourselves up and going on... going forward.

I like Timmyc's analogy of running the race and that we wouldn't start the race over each time we tripped and fell, but that we would just continue on. I have had a lot of struggles with myself - mentally and spiritually - but I know where I want to be and no matter what anyone thinks or how many doubts I come across, I know that I will succeed!

Whew, all this rambling, but this is a great post and I will be rereading it often just to remind myself! Thanks!

[levamssg]

Great thread! Thanks Alissa!!

I know for me, I eat what I crave. Period. I did this when I started out raw because I didn't really know any better. I found it works for me, so why change?
Haven't really studied up on food combining and such. I figure my body knows what what should go with what moreso than I do.

I'm on a Kale kick right now --don't know why but I can't get through a day without a HUGE kale salad -- gotta have it. I got some sideways looks when I bought THREE POUNDS of kale today at the local market. (Huge bagful). And to think a mere few months ago I didn't even Like kale!

[Sunshine9]

While I think that when new to raw, doing it 100% without rules is effective for weight loss, it may not be effective for deep cleansing of the body. A lot of people turn to raw to heal disease, and it seems that it would take significantly longer (if ever) for the body to heal if the diet was focused mostly on nut-heavy recipes and very sweet fruit. Nuts are acidic, and while healthy and have a lot of benefits, they arenÂ’t going to provide the healing a sick body might need.

And in some cases, I think that eating some cooked food IS healthier than some raw things. I think eating steamed broccoli or kale for dinner would make my body feel much better than raw cheesecake every night.
Just my thoughts for the momentÂ…I currently am 100% and i plan on staying here unless my body says otherwise, but I don't believe the notion that just because something is raw that it is healthy.

[Raw_Medic]

Well, it took me a long time to realize that loving myself doesnÂ’t always mean allowing myself to have what i crave. Loving myself doesnÂ’t always mean allowing myself to never feel deprived. There are other parts to ourselves that can trip us up, like negative ego and our inner child who feels like she didnÂ’t get something a long time ago and now she wants it. Well, you, as the adult have to make some rules. You as the adult have to react from your adult and decide that sometimes it may not be a good idea to indulge at that moment.

Alissa,

Thank you for this. I recently had a slip and needed to be reminded that my being raw is an act of self love. Now when I have those cravings I can remind myself that although I feel deprivation...it's love. Thanks!

Ursula

[twinee1]

If you donÂ’t agree with me fine, find your way, its ok and everyone needs to do whatÂ’s right for them, but for the new people here or the people that have been on here for a while but still think they need these silly rules and cant seem to find success with raw let me say once again (as I know you oldies here know this is my pet peeve, lol!) donÂ’t say that this diet does not work when your not DOING IT!!!!! Please people!

This is a good thread. I had to read it a few times before I considered posting.

I think a key here on this site is the fact that there are so many of us who ARE NEW...and many of us may be transitioning or others like me, already totally raw. Some are still on SAD seeking..ordering the DVD and resources based on what they are finding here...positive results seen in postings by the not newbies.

So I am going to stick up for all of those who have made observations, or slightly "not accurate" statements as those still looking for answers as they see their bodies go through a miriad of changes as they go from SAD to Raw. It can be a confusing time...especially as you search around various boards sites, books on the subject.

I believe it is natural for us to seek, question and test out old (taught) belief systems. So while some my be annoyed when one of us ' newbies ' posts an inacurrate statement..or Un-enlightened statement :confused: others here are kind and loving to step in and nudge me, others in the right direction.

A good example is I am 44...and I started counting calories, obsessive about my body since 14 !!! So now I have been using fitday for 4 years on the urging of my trainer...so now I have 30 years of counting calories and macro nutrient habits to undo. I am still changing my in-grained habits and have been off fitday for almost a week...

My two cents...

Leslie

[TimmyC]

IMO at least after the first few weeks, people's bodies know what's up, and it's telling 'em what to do. I think balance is the key. It's communicated to oneself through ones mind. The innerself speaks loud and clear as long as it's listend to.

So i say this: listen to your body get on the program for 30 days, be balanced, and be true. If you fall down, get back up and continue....and there's hundreds of people on here to help with that.

[Douglas]

I love this raw program it Rocks big time. I am down 22 lbs and I have lots more to go, but I know this way it is all coming off. Once and for all Doug in Calif.............. :eek: :) ;) :D

[RawTruth]

IMO at least after the first few weeks, people's bodies know what's up, and it's telling 'em what to do. TimmyC - I totally agree with everything you said in this post ... except this part. I do know what you're getting at, I think, but some people have had eating disorders and deep food issues for so long that they take longer than a few weeks or a month to get in touch with their bodies. I even know a few people who have been raw for over 3 years (!) who still struggle with what their "head" and mouth want and what their bodies truly need. My experience with myself and other people I've worked with is that this is highly individual. I'm only mentioning this because, as has been stated already - there are many new people on here right now, I don't want them to have unrealistic expectations or even feel like they're failed bedcause their bodies don't yet know "what's up." So, for some, it takes longer. Basically, it takes as long as it takes -- it's different for each of us.

[TimmyC]

You may be right....This was just my opinion, and I still believe what I said...people can take it for what it's worth . I'm not the most knowledgable one here as I'm sure you and many others are.

Tim

[RawFoodieMom]

TimmyC - I totally agree with everything you said in this post ... except this part. I do know what you're getting at, I think, but some people have had eating disorders and deep food issues for so long that they take longer than a few weeks or a month to get in touch with their bodies. I even know a few people who have been raw for over 3 years (!) who still struggle with what their "head" and mouth want and what their bodies truly need. My experience with myself and other people I've worked with is that this is highly individual. I'm only mentioning this because, as has been stated already - there are many new people on here right now, I don't want them to have unrealistic expectations or even feel like they're failed bedcause their bodies don't yet know "what's up." So, for some, it takes longer. Basically, it takes as long as it takes -- it's different for each of us.

Thanks RawTruth! I had actually been wondering about this. Many people seem to know what their body wants and I have no clue. I guess it's due to decades of yo-yo dieting!! Now I know I'm not alone, and it won't bother me anymore. I'll just eat raw, and know that one day maybe my head will not interfere with my body telling me what it wants! I'm not going to worry about when that day is going to come. :)

Debra

[Sillybloss]

I agree with RawTruth, too! I'm really toxic inside and those toxins talk to me A LOT! Until I get them all cleared out, I don't believe my urges are necessarity healthy ones. I use rational thinking to determine if I should follow it. For example, if I'm CRAVING sweets, I don't figure that means I NEED a piece of fruit! If anything, I figure I NEED a green drink (to kill off those buggers!)

[RawFoodieMom]

I agree with RawTruth, too! I'm really toxic inside and those toxins talk to me A LOT! Until I get them all cleared out, I don't believe my urges are necessarity healthy ones. I use rational thinking to determine if I should follow it. For example, if I'm CRAVING sweets, I don't figure that means I NEED a piece of fruit! If anything, I figure I NEED a green drink (to kill off those buggers!)

Hmmmm! This is really interesting, and I think that's a GREAT way of thinking. I'm going to try this. If I think it might be a craving for something my mind wants and not my body I will do the same thing and try and counter my want with something that will satisfy my body. Then if I still crave whatever it was I will have it but make it raw of course... :) Because continually ignoring a craving I think is a recipe for disaster... :rolleyes:

Debra

[Revvell]

What I have been seeing is, so many people here are "trying" to heal themselves with food only. In my personal experience and with those I've worked with, unless the mental and emotional issues are addressed, for many, they make it a battle. I keep seeing the word "struggle". I'm suggesting, stop struggling (for those who are not willing or able financially to seek help to address the m & e). Just eat as you will, do what you will with the outcome of going raw vegan. Keep it a process not a "have" to TODAY! Make it easy, make it enjoyable. Play with your food!

It's much easier for those of us who have handled our food issues previously. I had to learn how to enjoy food ~ as nutrients for the body ~ not for comfort eating, not for emotional placating, etc. Once I got that down, eating for nourishment as well as enjoyment has been sooooo much easier.

R.

[Sharon in Colorado]

Some people I know can't go without any kind of animal protein for more than a few days. They keep thinking their bodies are trying to tell them they "need" to eat meat. Never understood that. Would wonder how they would to in a dire situation, like stuck on a tropical island with nothing but coconuts and bananas.

I remember watching the news after the Katrina hurricane where one of the service folks said "all we have here for people to eat are fruits and vegetables" as if it was a bad thing.

Sorry to veer...

[calee]

Hi everyone,
I want to jump in here because I think it's a great thread. I use raw food as my food plan and expect it to nourish my body. I choose to go to Overeaters Anonymous to heal my emotional and spiritual needs, simply because I know I have issues with food and have used it for decades to do things other than nourish my body. I started eating high raw last fall and went on a 100 day challenge on April 1st. I ate 100% raw and didn't lose a pound. Was I bummed or what? You bet. I went to China at the end of July and ate cooked food and found it really difficult to get back to 100% so joined the 90 day challenge (75 for me because I'm leaving the country again). Doing a challenge really helps me. Again during the forst 30 days, no weight loss. I write my food and don't lie so I was feeling devastated and very much like a failure. I started PMing with someone here who has encouraged me in wonderful ways. I've been able to let go of my need to eat as much and try to center more on what my body, not my mind needs. After a week, I'm starting to feel more clarity.

So do I think that our bodies tell us what we need? I can only speak for myself and say that my mind told my body that it needed way too much fruit. I'm not yet to the place to fly blindly by what my compulsive mind tells me. I hope I can come back here soon and say that I'm 100% in tune with the mind/body connection, but for now I need to have a plan of eating that will nourish me and help me get this weight off. 50+ years of eating compulsively is tough to retrain..... but I know that raw is my path and I'm sticking to it!

Happy Sunday!

[twinee1]

What I have been seeing is, so many people here are "trying" to heal themselves with food only. In my personal experience and with those I've worked with, unless the mental and emotional issues are addressed, for many, they make it a battle. I keep seeing the word "struggle". I'm suggesting, stop struggling (for those who are not willing or able financially to seek help to address the m & e). Just eat as you will, do what you will with the outcome of going raw vegan. Keep it a process not a "have" to TODAY! Make it easy, make it enjoyable. Play with your food!

It's much easier for those of us who have handled our food issues previously. I had to learn how to enjoy food ~ as nutrients for the body ~ not for comfort eating, not for emotional placating, etc. Once I got that down, eating for nourishment as well as enjoyment has been sooooo much easier.

R.


This is a great point we tend to overlook. It is not only the diet that needs to be changed, many times it is as much about the emotional and mental issues that need to be delt with.

Coming from a history of dieting, under eating and maintianing a un-healthly low body weight (I never was "anorexic" in the clinical sense ) I had issues that I had to deal with in my own self image and my view of food, or fear of !

The diet was secondary to what I needed to "heal". Now I do not "struggle" with my diet and I have come to that place Tim speaks of. But it was a journey and for those who are new here it is one more aspect of this Lifestyle. It seems to me that as we embark on the Raw/Living Lifestyle the various M & E issues we all have come to the surface and you will need to deal with them. I think it will naturally work out if you stick with it !!

Make sense ?

[RawTruth]

That's what's so amazing about the raw and living foods lifestyle -- when you go all raw, it affects every aspect of your life. It's miraculous.

[rawpriestess]

WOW,

I just re-read this by Alissa, it was in the first page of this thread:
*******************
But thatÂ’s the beauty of raw food. It clears you out enough to clear the cobwebs so your issues and baggage rise to the surface and then you have to deal with it. (or go off the diet so you donÂ’t feel anymore and continue to numb out with cooked food)

Its astonishing to me that people try to do therapy with out the physical part or try to do raw foods without dealing with the issues. We are not one-dimensional human beings. Everything we do in one area of our lives effects the other parts. I truly believe that this is why people fail on this diet.
****************

That is exactly what I have done over and over again, I go raw for a few weeks then back to cooked, then raw a couple of months, then back to cooked, then raw a month, then back to cooked.

Oh my Goddess.

Now, I KNOW all of this stuff, but it is so much easier to see it when it is happening with someone else.

I have been doing this, just as I am starting to feel like I truly have a handle on my "issues" up they pop again, and I manifest a "reason" to eat cooked.

Wow, and I am soooo creative in my reasons. LOL

Life is a process, and we are all moving, some of us forward, others back.

WOW, Alissa, you sure know how to pinpoint it.

Now, this is another cool thing, I've read this post about a dozen times, and never once, even saw this part of it, I guess when the student is ready, the teacher appears.

Thanks Teach (Alissa),

and many blessings,
Christine.

[Sharon in Colorado]

Back to the original topic, I personally never understood how some folks tend to think raw doesn't work for them when they haven't tried it for long enough, or they weren't all raw. I'm not talking about long term raw fooders with problems, I'm talking about the folks who are trial-running it.

I haven't seen my cholesterol get lowered enough but you know what? I am the first to admit that the past few years I've been at this, I haven't been raw for more than 3 months at a time. And when I *have* been raw for that long, my cholesterol did get lowered substantially (240 is LOW for me, when it is usually in the mid 300's), even when I was eating too many fats. That told me that it was working, and a little extra tweaking of my raw diet would produce the results I was looking for.

But I blame nothing but myself for not continuing, and starting over so many times, not the diet. Never the diet!

So there.

[Alissa]

Bumping up. Please read my post in here for those of you who have a fear of eating 'whatever you want' and other peoples post as this may help some of you.

[karenisraw]

I think Alissa is right. Don't get flipped out becuase you had a slow week. I had a week where I cheated and had sushi and I gained weight that week. I also had a period where I was 100% and craved avocados and was worried about gaining but ate them anyway because I craved them. The following week I really did not find the avocados appealing. So it all balanced out. I started to really listen to my body about whether I really wanted something or if I was just going for the nuts out of a daily habit.

I know this. I have never EVER lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks much less felt satisfied and full and happy. I also know this, if I go back to SAD, I gain weight and get depressed. SAD or happy. SAD or happy. There is no denying that giving it a fair chance is worth a few slow weeks here and there, not to mention all of the health benefits. The health risks on SAD are a fact.

K
:p :p :p

[misslinda]

TRUE THAT ALISSA! ** does raw dance ** :p

[divaitalia]

Can someone please tell me what "bump it up" means or "bumping it?"

I have not heard that one yet.

Thanks in advance,
Divaitalia ;)

[Shivananda]

"Bump it" or "bump it up," simply means to post a new reply into a thread for the purpose of bringing it up to the top of the list of most recently posted threads. That gives fresh exposure to old threads that are still relevant.

[RawFoodieMom]

Thanks for bumping this thread again, Alissa. :) It's such a wonderful thread and though I've read it a few times I always seem to get something new out of it. :) I can always use a refresher on this topic. It's so true, and it's very easy to start analyzing what we eat on raw, especially since people are so critical "you can't just eat salad all the time!!!". But we really don't need to. Just eat what you think your body needs, or what you need to stay raw and not eat sad food, and your body will start craving what's best for it! :)

[divaitalia]

Shiva,

Thanks for the info ;)

Divaitalia

[sunshine star]

Wow-what a great thread!!
Fantastic.
I had been raw for a year and then fell off the wagon. I think a main reason was I tried to limit myself!! Now I am on day 2 of 100% raw and had just eaten some walnuts and raisins and felt gulity!!...even though I've read alissa's book-somethings get worked into your mind that it is hard to escape. But so glad this thread got the bump today...like a little angel in the my ear whispering "you're on the right path"

CHEERS

[theresaann]

ho ho! this is so true. Absolutely-this week i've been feeling irritable and craving cooked food, but not really-mostly just feeling *MAD*. I realized that's the raw working-it's raising my vibration and emotions that I've kept supressed with cooked foods are coming up and I've got a beautiful opportunity to do some forgiveness work-which I'm doin'.

Yes, we've GOT to have some way of owning and forgiving our issues along WITH raw to heal truly. Praying helps me a lot...

[Rawtwists]

This is my favorite thread because it reminds me to just eat all raw, have fun, see the results for myself....Thanks Alissa!

[Alissa]

bump.......

[rawnora]

Lee,
I just wanted to add that since I wrote that passage, I've lost an additional 16 pounds, which makes my total weight loss about 45 pounds. So there's not so much difference between your situation and mine. It doesn't matter, however. The amount of weight a person needs to lose or gain doesn't make him/her any different than anyone else. Bodies get really good at storing fuel, and they do that in response to all the extra food we eat. Some will even keep storing weight even after they go raw because we all overeat when we first go raw. It's practically impossible not to. It's easy to get discouraged unless you understand that although your body may continue to temporarily maintain too much weight, the healing that is taking place will allow your body's processes to normalize in time. ALL processes will ultimately normalize, including the ability to carry the appropriate reserves. Healing is slow. It might take months or even years before it happens. A person who understands this will be better able to perservere without feeling like s/he's not getting out of the diet what s/he's putting into it.

Some bodies don't store fuel well at all, and although it's less common, you'll sometimes hear skinny people complaining that no matter how much they eat, they can't gain weight. The same metabolic dysfunctioning causes both problems. The underlying cause of the dysfunction is food choices and other unhealthy lifestyle habits. A person can't heal his/her problem of carrying too much weight by just decreasing the number of calories s/he eats in the same way that this alone will not allow full recovery from other physical ails, like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc. Eating less of the bad stuff can allow the body to get a leg up, but what has to be done to provide complete recovery is complete removal of the causes of the problem (although this doesn't have to happen overnight or even quickly). We here all know what those are (cooked foods, not enough rest, too little exercise, etc.). That's not to say that some people won't lose weight by going 50% raw, or just decreasing calories. It happens all the time. But there are others who go 100% raw, eat very well, and still don't lose weight. It doesn't mean weightloss will never come. It just means that in those people the body has become very good at storing weight, and it will take a bit longer for it to get back to functioning properly.

What Alissa says is true that many people who complain about not losing weight on a raw food diet aren't understanding that they are sabotaging themselves with regular indulgence in cooked food, even if they're eating very well 90% of the time. When we clean up our diets, the membranes through which nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream are made thinner and more permeable. If a person makes a habit of eating very well for 6 days and then has a binge on day 7, the unhealthy foods that are eaten will be more easily absorbed into the body and the result will be symptoms and weight gain. What that means is, ironically, the better your diet is on your good days, the more the bad days will hurt you!

I'm not making a case for going 100% raw quickly. What I'm actually saying is that slow, moderate changes are better than making changes so fast that you find yourself bingeing regularly. Slow changes are more permanent and easier on the body but they require more patience, and a lot of people just don't have that much patience. So, that's why we have so many people going raw, not getting results as quickly as they want them, and then blaming the diet and giving up.

Nice discussion, thanks for letting me participate! I don't check this board very often so if anyone has questions, they are welcome to post them on the RawSchool discussion list (I'm going to crosspost my comments above). Best of luck, Lee.

Nora
www.RawSchool.com

[misslinda]

Nora, I have visited your site before!

I know that at one time you had been at your low point weight.........went back up to 126 and now you are saying you lost an additional 16 lbs does that mean your body is doing more healing and going back to low point ??

I ask b/c I just started a fast BUT prior to that, I started to added more fats to prevent more weightloss......do you think your weightloss is a result of cleansing vs maintainence diet?

[rawpriestess]

I thought I would bump this up, as it is so very important for us all to read, in additiona to any new rawbies out there.

[PhoeniX]

I find it surprising that so many people seem to want to restrict themselves while eating RAW foods. I guess many of you weren't eating nearly as much rubbish as I was. I once went a full year eating nothing but takeout for dinner (ie. McDs, KFC, and Burger King etc.). Literally, until I was so bored with it that I couldn't bear to put it into my mouth. It was nothing to eat 2 or 3 chocolate bars a day and it would be a strange day when I didn't eat any!

So I know, for myself, without a shadow of a doubt that even if I eat fruit all day long and as many nuts and I want and tons of avacado that it is a lot better than what I would expect to be eating off RAW. So I find that as soon as people start mentioning counting calories or cutting back on a certain type of food I see it as a sure fire way of sending me back to eating rubbish and know that I need to ignore it.

Through our lives, we become really good at judging ourselves and being really 'tough' and 'disciplined' with ourselves and this seems normal, but I promise you that if you were that tough on the people around you then they would run away from you pretty fast! It is okay to be kind to yourself, you don't need to be your own jailor.

J.

[swiss_miss]

Hi Pheonix just thought I'd share my view on this. Calorie counting shouldnt be done for those just starting raw(unless they are comfortable with it) and it should only be done by those who dont feel resticted, obssesed or bound by it. For me calorie counting works just as a way of keeping track of things but it certianly isnt anything to obsess about. After making a habit of having lots of junky stuff, calorie counting is not a good idea. Just get used to raw on your own terms and then make the changes as you see fit. Everyone is different so just do what you are comfortable with. :)

[PhoeniX]

Thanks swiss_miss

[misslinda]

I tend to view things alittle more intricately for my body......

Myself I have deep healing to do as my condition had worsened since adding more fats as fats do slow down the healing process. So I am choosing to speed that process up.....autoimmune is very tedious and draining as I what I am dealing with.

For me, it's not about restricting or cutting back it's about making decisions with more precision and clarity for what I am going thru so I can hurry up and GRUB :D

[RawFoodieMom]

Hi guys...

I hope no one minds me bumping up this thread... There have been a lot of people in the past few days posting about how they're tracking their food intake on fitday.com, and worried about eating too many nuts or advocados. So I thought this thread might help shed some light on Alissa's views on this, it's a great thread! :)

Debra

[rawpriestess]

thank you Rawfoodiemom, this is such a good thread

[gatorgrrl]

yes it is a good thread.

[dhammala]

worried about eating too many nuts or advocados


LOL.. I found a recipe the other day for something that is JUST HEAVEN. I have been eating it and ONLY it for three days now, breakfast lunch and dinner. Can't stop. It is so good. And I am still loosing weight and feeling great.

My modified version (source below) is like this:

1/2c walnuts
1/2c almonds
1/2c pecans
1/2c cashews
1/2c cacao nibs
1/2c raisins
2tblsp cacoa powder
2tblsp cinnamon
4tblsp honey
1tblsp agave

Chop up the nuts. Mix all in a bowl. I like it cold.

Source: http://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/2006/05/gabes_goodies_m.html

[RawFoodieMom]

dhammala, ohhhh, that does sound good!! Thanks for sharing the link!
It's great to hear you're doing so well. :)

Debra

[Shan]

Cool.

I know this is only Day 13 for me, but I can say already that THAT is why I love Raw.... no counting, measuring or COOKING...LOL. When I crave it, I eat it. This is the best 'diet' I've ever tried, because it's not a diet, it's a way of life. It's the first 'diet' I've tried that I haven't had uncontrollable cravings. I feel in control for the first time. It's just so nice and EASY!

[RawFoodieMom]

bowie, thanks for bumping up this thread. Everytime I read it, it inspires me. :)

Debra

[friendlyfeline]

Hello,
I'm new to the boards AND the raw food diet. I got Alissa's book at a raw food support group that I attended and decided to jump in with both feet. I've been intrigued by it since seeing Alissa on Tyra Bank's show and this seemed like the next step I was looking for in my personal better-fication plan:) I have been on the diet for 3 days and am feeling great so far. The detox was very difficult the first day and on and off the last two, but in between i feel really amazing and my body is so happy with me it's ridiculous! I'm really wanting to take the next step and get a dehydrator. At the support group someone had made a version of Alissa's strawberry crepes and they were so delicious. Well, just wanted to say hi and try to connect with some other like minded souls. I'm doing this with my husband also and even though he's not eating 100 percent raw, I have noticed he is much more mentally alert (as am I). We are hoping this will help as he suffers from a bruise on the brain which results in him having frontal lobe syndrome that can be very difficult to manage. Happy Raw everyone and thanks to Alissa--you are making a huge change in my life and I am grateful that you shared your knowledge.

[Cinnamon]

my date nut torte and although I only had about 10 - 15 pounds to lose when I first went raw, I lost it eating this every night! So stop counting CAOLIRES, FATS, CARBS AND PROTIEN!!!!!!! And GO RAW!!!!! 100% raw for 30 days, thatÂ’s it, just make the commitment and you will see results!

I loved re-reading this thread this morning especially this part of Alissa's opening post. It inspired me to make a lovely Date Nut Torte this morning and I will not feel the least bit guilty when I am eating some of it for dinner tonight!

Thank you for bumping this post up again, it is well worth reading and re-reading. I am constantly making eating raw complicated and needed to remind myself (again) to KISS (keep it simple silly)!

[Lay-Lay]

Gotta love those almonds!!! YUMMY, (with cranberries, hehe :D)

[nzgirl]

Thanks for bumping this. I admit I'm a nut fearing, fitday tracking monster. It doesn't help that my mother just saw me soaking some nuts and started going on and on and on about how they're fattening and I better watch out. Perfect timing that I saw this thread. I'm trying to do away with my fears and guilt. Alissa's post helps.

[RowanC]

Thanks, Alissa, for saying what needs to be said.
Sometimes I get so frustrated with people, I just want to strangle them.
I guess that's why I wouldn't make a good psychotherapist.
They'd find people buried in my basement! :D

When I first went on Raw I ate your blueberry cheesecake for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and lost weight. So I know it works.

Anyway.. good thread.. thanks!

[Rawkinlocs]

Bumping up...please read and focus on Alissa's first post in this thread.

[lalakis]

After reading much of this thread I just wanted to comment on how grateful I am to have found the raw lifestyle at the age of 21, I feel like the changes I am making at this stage in life are like "insurance" for later!

I think of my mother especially, who was used to being thin her whole life on a SAD diet, she has gained some weight this past year and is extremely depressed about it. HOWEVER she continues to eat the same things....and then feels guilty...and beats herself up over not going to the gym enough. As if it were that simple!

I am trying to encourage her to up the "rawness" but I don't think she has yet reached the point where enough is enough.

Switching to a raw foods diet is probably the greatest decision any human being could make....no matter how unhealthy your diet previously was. I have been a vegan for the past year and already ate tons of salads and fruit, but have noticed definite changes within myself by becoming totally raw. I would NEVER switch back. I truly believe "you are what you eat". There is no guilt involved, no shame, no emotional attachment involved with diet when eating raw. It means total freedom!

Freedom to spend time thinking about more than going out to eat, or ohmygoshiatesomuch, or general judgement when it comes to weight and food. The negativity goes right out the window! Freedom to focus on greater things in life...more positive things...for myself part of the raw foods journey has been deepening my yoga practice into more spiritual realms. It's amazing how every choice we make is interconnected.

Living compassionately (for self and all other living things) is what it's all about.

Okay Im rambling! But again, thank you to everyone for the support and non-judgement.

We are so lucky!

[britaniefaith]

I'm so glad you are on the boards Alissa!!

I agree with you but I get so frustrated because I have been 100% raw for over a month now and am GAINING weight... after having as many deserts and raw dishes as I wanted to help my cravings for cooked sweet potatoes and fish, etc I noticed the lbs packing on so I've since cut out the nuts and dried fruits and have been binging terribly by the time I get home due to restricting so much througout the day. I've also noticed my candida getting bad and am just SO confused on what to do. cut out sweet fruits and still eat fats or cut out the fats and eat as much fruit as I want.

I also try to have a ton of green smoothies but find they dont satisfy me at all and right after drinking a huge glass of a smoothie, I am STILL hungry. so it gets confusing and frustrating because I am 100% and dont understand why this is happening. SHouldnt I feel engergized and light and clear-headed by now? not so frustrated and bloated and depressed???

I completely believe in eating this way, I just dont know why I'm not getting the same positive effects as so many others...

[bowie]

bump......

[beppa66]

I'm on day 12 and I am so thankful for finding this. It's like night and day, my energy, mood, sleep, etc. have all improved so much! I am choosing not even to focus on how much weight is coming off because it feels so good. I'm just happy now...the last time I remember feeling this way was when I was 11 or 12.

Thanks Alissa, I am a firm believer in 100%!!!

[Anastasia Alston]

Thanks Alissa! Being a new trainer with a lifelong interest in health & nutrition, it can really boggle the mind that I can eat whatever I want (& not just because I work out 5 - 6 days a week) & still have a ton of energy. I was just at the gym this morning & I had to weigh myself (something I rarely do) because one of the clients at the physical therapist's office where I volunteer a few days a week asked me if I had lost weight. Sure enough, by eating whatever I felt like eating, I have lost 15 pounds!!! I didn't even go raw for any weight issues. Sure I wanted to loose a few pounds, but so long as I could still fit a small (yep, even at 180 lbs. I could easily fit into a small - go figure) I was happy enough. This just blows me away that in 2 weeks I could easy-peasy loose 15 lbs. with no diet & hardly any exercise compared to what I normally do.

It's also SO true about raw & dealing with the "stuff" that comes up; I have been battling demons in a big way since going raw! It's a good thing that I've already got healthy & empowering practices in my life to help me deal with them or I'd be TOAST!:D I never had food issues, but I did have plenty of other issues that couldn't hide beneath the extra weight that "for some odd reason" either didn't want to come off or wouldn't stay off once it left; it was like it went on vacation or something! <lol> Thankfully when I went raw, I did it all the way. The first day I was raw all day, had a cooked snack at night & felt horrible afterwards; I decided right then & there that I would go 100%, 'cause transitioning would have done me no good. I just happen to be blessed with one of those passionate "all-or-nothing" kinds of personalities! <lol> And it turns out that Alissa is definitely RIGHT; there's no way I would have kept it up if I had to count calories, weigh servings, worry about what foods are okay with what.... Alissa's way is easy & fun. Thanks again, Alissa! :)

- Stasi

[Queen Bean]

Britaniefaith. You look absolutely fabulous.

I have found 'just eating whatever as long as it's raw' doesn't work for me either. It's not so much a weight thing, as an energy thing. It's a kind of clarity of consciousness I get if I set certain parameters on how I eat raw. I do best if I only eat fruit in the morning. I am back to eating 7 meals a day. (7am, 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm and 7pm or roundabout.) I skip meals if I don't feel like eating. I've tried every possible permutation of raw eating I can think of, but this seems to work best for me. The 1pm, 3pm and 5pm meals can be any combination of fruit or vegetables - juices, smoothies, salads, mono-eating... The 7pm meal can be whatever I like, as long it is acceptably raw...nuts if I want them, tahini and carrot sticks, nut milks, dehydrated foods if I want (not that I have a dehydrator). But I'm not 100% raw. I hope to be someday. The all-or-nothing approach doesn't work for me. I understand what Alissa is saying. It is better to eat whatever you want, as long as it is raw, that to slip back into eating cooked food. But maybe you could start refining your raw parameters if it is not too uncomfortable. I think if most of your meals are raw fresh (not frozen) fruit and vegetables, you won't gain weight (obviously a balance between fruit and vegetables / greens / sprouts). I find that if the last meal of the day is a heavier raw food meal, then you have something to look forward to and you tend to be more satisfied afterwards, than if you woke up eating a raw cheesecake or something. But if you had that to look forward to at the end of the day then it may make it easier staying raw. Whatever the case, we are all different. What works for one person, may not resonate with another. I know I feel much better if I eat lighter foods earlier in the day...and the more dense (not necessarily heavy) meal in the evening.

[bowie]

bumping.....please focus on the first post written by Alissa;)

[beppa66]

Raw works for me!!!

[Yeshia]

Thank you for the post I totally agree. This new lifestyle, 28 days raw so far, is changing my life and saving my sanity!

Yeshia

xoxoxo:)

[StarFire]

RAW FOODS BABY http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/thexcited.gif !!!!

ABSOLUTLEY works for me too!!! Eating raw foods as taught in Alissa's book - has changed my life.... it's like alissa says.... just give it 30 days.... I did it - - and I'm so glad I did.... http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/smiley_loveshower.gif

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/naked.jpg

[EZ rider]

Going bananas about raw has been like coming out from under a cloud and into the sunshine for me.

[bellabella]

Thank you for this Alissa. I'm going back tomorrow . . . this was refreshing and powerful. My friend and I are going to be raw buddies here in Ottawa, Canada, providing support for eachother in the 30 day challenge.

[Liserpiece]

THANK YOU ALISSA!!
This is so true, going only part way makes a big difference! I now know that adding just brown rice and beans, a vacation thing :o , makes a huge difference. I don't have any weight to loose, but I felt terrible, much like I did before going raw... tired, moody, HUNGRY, which led to eating way too much. 100% provides my body with everything it needs and nothing it doesn't.
Thank you again for all you have given, you are a GIFT!

[shine72]

bump, bump, bump!

[Alissa]

bump...............

[bowie]

bumping...............