Obese Raw Foodists - July '08 [Archive]

Frugal Raw

07-02-2008, 06:24 AM

Hey Everyone!

I only have a few short minutes before I run out the door for class, but I wanted to keep this thread going:D.

Yesterday was my first day in CNA class, and I am loving it! We ended the day watching a video of some of the things we'll be doing in clinicals and then life and I have to say, I teared up a bit on some of them - thinking about the differences I'll soon be making in like lives. I am also feeling very drawn to going to work at the VA hospital. I had thought I wanted to go work at the psych ward, but I'm sensing that isn't where I am supposed to be. I'm hoping to do my clinicals at the VA - signing up for that possibility today.

I've also experienced an energy shift this week - I am much more conscientious about what and how much I am eating and looking for places and times to get out and walk. The past couple of months have been absolute hell; bad foods, erratic exercise, depression, waking up in pain again - glad that's over with!

My eldest son and his fiance are moving in with me on July 4th!!! I have to say I'm getting a bit excited:) They're coming from Texas. They're extreme carnivores - THIS should be interesting! I bought a big BBQ grill in hope that they'll eat healthier when they get here and will cook the majority of their meats outside. I am also going to try to get my son to start eating some simple salads - you know, make mine, and offer him a little. She won't touch them at this point. (what - me??? agenda??? YOU BET!!!)

So everybody sound off! How's your July going??

D'vorah

07-02-2008, 10:27 PM

I did a green smoothie challenge last month, but fell off the wagon again big time. I'll never control my weight on SAD, that's for sure, so I'm jumping back in with a short Master Cleanse and then back to smoothies. I need to get alkaline.

I'm completely an emotional eater, which I wasn't when I was younger. To combat that, I bought a book / CD combo that utilizes self-hypnosis for weight control. So far, the book completely resonates with me, and I'm feeling some hope.

One of the things that I'm realizing is, I have to actually do something that's ceremonial / ritual in nature. When my kids were very young, they wanted to bring big sticks and things of that nature into the house. If I took them away from the children, they were heart-broken and would cry like crazy and have temper tantrums, but, if I stopped them at the door and had them say "bye-bye" to the sticks, they were content and willing to leave them outside for the next day's play time. So, in a like manner, I need to say "bye-bye" to the things that still have a hold on me. I say I want to be raw, I believe myself to be raw at heart, even when I'm full-on SAD. But I'm not living raw.

I'd be grateful for support. My emotional triggers are at an all-time high, and I'm in a lot of pain. One son is finishing high school at a boarding school on the far side of the contintent, another kid is in Iraq, two others are in college out of town, and add an unsupportive spouse, and a difficult and lop-sided marriage.

Deborah

carolg

07-02-2008, 10:50 PM

Frugal,
How exciting for the new beginning. I wish you the very best. I never saw my brain wirred for CNA or nursing environment. Nor do I have the stomach for it. I love helping people however. Keep us posted.

Deborah,
Wow, sounds like you have lots of irons in the fire. Maybe the returning son will be a nice lift for you. I'm married a long time and I realize my husband can only meet a few of my needs and I am grateful for that. The rest is up to me and I have been stuck for a long time. If we plan to have retirement money I have to get something going as he just works/pays bills and never thinks about future. It's a seasonal business. Regardless I am sharing and suggesting that my husband does his best as he wants to and that's it. I can't change him.

Feel free to email me behind scenes.

carolg

Frugal Raw

07-03-2008, 06:05 PM

Thanks carolg:) I am LOVING my classes! My only regret is not having gone this route sooner! I did get the clinicals scheduled at the VA hospital and I'm really looking forward to that. This week we started learning how to take vitals. It was so loud in the room that I couldn't hear the bp, but I did perfectly on pulse and respiration counts. I also had one of the cleanest pairs of hands in the room:D. Off to hit the books!!

Aleesha Sattva

07-04-2008, 11:28 PM

you may want to listen... it's only available for a little bit longer and it's worth an hour of your time...

angela stokes talks about her weight release:

http://renegadehealth.com/angela-stokes.php

Frugal Raw

07-13-2008, 04:14 AM

Hey Everyone - Just checking in! I've already blogged about my first day of CNA clinicals - but I will tell you that I am loving it! This is one of the most meaningful things I have ever done in my life...

On the raw side of things - thankfully the cafeteria has a well-stocked salad bar! LOL!! We're only allowed 30 minutes for lunch and breaks are nearly non-existant...my feet were killing me when I got home last night but I was so happy and even more fullfilled:)

ManyLittles

07-30-2008, 04:40 PM

Okay, I'm back (again)! Well, one thing you can say for me is that at least I keep coming back!

I've been trying to get back onto raw all month, and it hasn't happened. I started a few days, but my parents were visiting, and kept bringing home cookies "for the kids". Yes, I told them I really didn't want them to have stuff like that, or at the very least, have it on a rare occasion. I also mentioned it wasn't helping me. I know it's my decision if I eat junk, but I'm also aware of my weaknesses:o , which is why I don't like stuff like soda and junk food in my house.

They're gone now, which is good, so I can "clean out" my house. :cool: We're not doing raw for the kids right now. We just can't afford it.

My back pain has kicked in horrendously. :( I was in so much pain last night, and I know it's from the sugar. If I don't eat sugar, the pain is much less, and if I'm raw it virtually disappears. So I need to ramp up to raw.

I think I mentioned before that we are expecting again. Of course, I am precariously close to my highest weight ever (sigh) so I need to watch things closely if I want to stay below the 300 mark. That is my personal fear, crossing that line. You know how it is, we all have a line we just DON'T want to cross...

The nurse at my perinatal appointment told me not to gain more than 15 pounds. That's insulting. :mad: Just because I'm fat, I'm supposed to gain less than the normal amount? I've read the books...you gain that much just from the baby, extra fluids, etc. Not to mention my smallest baby was 9 lbs, and that was only because he was two weeks early and I was on raw. If the baby is 9 lbs, plus I gain 50% blood volume, how the heck am I supposed to gain less than 15 pounds, unless I actually lose weight? Sheesh! I suppose I should be glad in one way...if I was a normal weight, and went raw, I'd probably lose weight, and the doctor would freak out, and harass me non-stop for jeopardizing the baby. Since I'm so heavy, if I lose a little bit, the doctor doesn't care at all. Fortunately I have the same doctor, so he's fine with the whole raw thing.

Anyway, I [I]am[I] looking forward to seeing how the pregnancy goes if I do almost the whole thing 95% raw. Last time it was mostly just the last trimester. I have to say that the recovery time from that c-section was phenomenal--I've never recovered so easily! So I suppose it's possible that I might gain only 15 pounds overall, if I stay raw. That would be nice!

Well, that's what's up with me. I hope you all are doing well in your raw lifestyle.

Frugal Raw

07-31-2008, 05:45 AM

Congratulations on your little one, ManyLittles:D This has been a tough month for me as well - hoping for a better August!

I've started working out again and am back on high raw. I am feeling SOOOOO much the better for it, too. I was in a world of pain, and now it's not only almost gone, I'm getting my drive and energy back:)

I'm in orientation for my new CNA work - about to finally really step into those shoes and I'm thrilled! I'm finally where I belong and fit:D.

ManyLittles

08-01-2008, 02:10 PM

Yep, I know all about that energy thing. I am sooooo tired right now. I promised myself breakfast would be raw, but I was so hungry by the time I got up, that I caved and had cooked. Not much, but...okay, I admit I had a couple of cookies. My husband got them for me last night. I'm telling him tonight not to bring any more junk or cooked food home for me.

On the upside, I just had a banana instead of cooked food for a snack. I'm going to make myself a smoothie before the kids get up from nap. If I can just stick to raw for a day or two, I know the raw cravings will kick in. Last night I had vegetarian indian frozen meals for dinner. They were good, but I felt so stuffed and bloated and icky afterwards. I remember the feeling after eating a raw meal...satisfied and energetic, but never stuffed or tired. I miss that feeling.

Good luck with your CNA orientation. You'll need the energy for that job! I looked into doing that when I was first married, but then I had a bunch of kids really quick. No time for anything else, lol! I think I would have been really great at serving others and lifting spirits, but not so good at the puke and blood stuff. ;-)

Elisabeth

08-01-2008, 02:42 PM

I'm definitely obese, lol. Can I chime in in here?

:D

pinkkpanthur

08-01-2008, 02:45 PM

ManyLittles

08-01-2008, 11:31 PM

Elizabeth--absolutely, you don't even have to ask! I see you lost 19 pounds. Was that on raw, or are you literally just starting? Welcome!

Frugal Raw

08-02-2008, 10:09 AM

This may be counter to a lot of what you find on this site, so take it with a grain of salt like everything you hear. But I lost 75 lbs. on the SAD. Didn't make a single adjustment to my diet until I got past 50 lbs. It's all about portions. Growing up I used to grab a bag of Reeses cups (and just to clarify, I am not making the assumption that anyone here does this!) and thoroughly enjoy 6 or 7 in the span of an hour while watching a movie. WHOA! Now even if I still enjoyed Reeses, I could probably only finish half a one before I get full. That's because the calories in 1/2 of a Reeses cup are the same as a 1/2 cup of watermelon and a spoonful of sesame seeds. The water and sesame seeds are just better for your body, but it will run off of calories no matter what kind it gets. So, with the exception of people with genuine metabolic deficiencies, all you need to lose weight is being very mindful of how your food tastes. The second the taste alters and it's not quite as juicy or sweet or you notice yourself eating faster, stop.

Again, just some friendly advice. For more on the topic, I recommend 7 Habits of Naturally Slim People (I think that's the title. That book saved my life and set me on the path to an appropriate relationship with food) and just ignore all the slightly un-vegan friendly information. We're looking at psychology here, not just nutrition.

peace :)

Hey -

Alissa makes this point as well on her DVD - that you "can" lose weight on SAD - but the point is, how nutrient depleted will you be when all is said and done? I think her reference is that you can lose weight eating nothing but donuts - but what will that do for your body? With portion control, calories follow suite, and if you're going to limit the number of calories day-to-day, eating raw and living foods maximizes not only the bulk amount you can take in, leaving you feeling less deprived - but also maximizes the nutrient value for less caloric intake.

Good for you, tho on your success! Take it however is best for you:D. I've lost weight on a portion-controlled lacto-veg diet as well as on raw and the differences in how I have felt, how my psyche has responded, and in my energy levels has been night and day, with raw winning hands down.

Best of rawesome health to you!

joyfulmama

08-02-2008, 10:15 AM

I have 140 lbs to lose. just started yesterday..

Frugal Raw

08-02-2008, 10:20 AM

Good luck with your CNA orientation. You'll need the energy for that job! ...I think I would have been really great at serving others and lifting spirits, but not so good at the puke and blood stuff. ;-)

Thanks:D I've been on the floors at my hospital for a day and a half, and I love it! I already can't get the patients out of my head and tomorrow can't come soon enough - that's my next shift! I've purposefully asked to be scheduled every-other-day my first couple of weeks so I can ease into the rigors of the job. I know my body will be thanking me for it, even if it leaves my mind so restless.

A friend of mine (an in-home caregiver) has asked me to come hang out with her this evening, and I'm hoping I can. I'm waiting on a call from the hubster to find out how he's doing today, and if he'll mind calling me on her phones if he should need me this evening.

I'm really surprised at how the blood and needles aren't bothering me - I am actually finding them fascinating. I was assisting in ICU for a little while yesterday, and I'm hoping to be there all day tomorrow - there's SO much to learn, and I want to just take it all in at once;) I haven't had to deal with puke yet, but there's been a fair bit of incontinence, which also hasn't bothered me at all. I even got to assist with installing a rectal catheter yesterday - which is something I didn't even know existed! I can't wait to get to Nursing school!!!!

Frugal Raw

08-02-2008, 10:20 AM

I have 140 lbs to lose. just started yesterday..

Welcome!! Glad to have you joining in with us:)

Frugal Raw

08-02-2008, 10:21 AM

I'm definitely obese, lol. Can I chime in in here?

:D

Absolutely!! Glad to have you:)

Frugal Raw

08-02-2008, 10:24 AM

fyi - I thought since this thread didn't get very big, I'd just change the thread name to include August, rather than begin a whole new string.

So...how's your August?

pinkkpanthur

08-02-2008, 03:33 PM

I totally agree! I really just support moderation more than anything and I did lose plenty of weight while eating mostly processed breads and dairy. But even increasing my raw intake to about 50% of my diet (where as before we were looking at maybe 10%) I feel way better. Thank God for all the wonderfully complete foods he put on this earth for us :)

joyfulmama

08-02-2008, 04:47 PM

I can't recommend more to increase greens.. If you increase your greens and decrease nuts/seeds you will find the weight will come off quicker. Think of Val Winters from the greensmoothieexperiment- who lost 125 lbs in about 6 months from just green smoothies. The only nuts/seeds that I consume daily is flax seeds. I do have a bit of avocado each day- at lunch but the rest of my diet is greens or fruit. I have a bit green smoothie for breakfast, a big salad for lunch with some guac and flax crackers and more smoothie for dinner with some added fruit if I get hungry again..
Everyone I have met who have lost a lot of weight on a raw food diet in a short period of time did so by increasing greens and decreasing nuts/seeds (leaving them for special occasions).. I have also met a lot of people who have struggled to lose weight on raw but are eating larges amounts of nuts and seeds daily.. they lose but it takes so much longer.
Just my 2 cents.. which probably isn't worth much :-)

joyfulmama

08-02-2008, 06:02 PM

Mattye Lee, I just checked out your frugal raw ebook.. I will be ordering soon! It looks awesome..

ManyLittles

08-03-2008, 03:25 AM

Well, I did mostly raw today. All I had that was cooked was a sandwich and soup. It wasn't exactly an easy day, either. I had a hair appointment first thing this morning, and forgot to take the smoothie I made the night before with me. So on the way to my next errand, fast food was calling my name.

But I ignored it, driving an hour to the only health food store in the area that has raw items. I had a smoothie there and a small cup of organic soup. I skipped the bread. After the long, sleepy drive home (having only 1 hour of sleep the night before), I had a smoothie. It was a rough afternoon, the kids were really loud and wild. Later I had the sandwich, because I was feeling really hungry and needed something ASAP to keep me from going crazy and turning to junk. This evening I had to drive to another town to go to the hardware store, Walmart, another health food store, and a regular grocery store. Walmart was a little tough, I had to go past the chocolate and cookies and repeat to myself "poison, poison, poison..." LOL. It helped, though. The rest of the night I had raw trail mix, Larabars, smoothies, and a fruit salad.

One thing that drives me crazy on raw, especially in the beginning, is eating to satisfaction, then finding myself hungry an hour later. Especially when so much work goes into food preparation! I think that's my downfall...I'm too tired to cut up more food, so I let myself get too hungry, then I lose control and just decide to grab cooked food "just this once" (yeah, right). Oh, if only I could win the lottery and hire my own raw chef. :D

All in all, I think it was a successful day. I'm eager to see if I lose any weight tomorrow. I know I'm retaining a lot of water that should drop off easily. But I'm not expecting too much for tomorrow. I haven't gotten much sleep, which is essential for that scale to go down, and I didn't go all raw. So who knows. But I'm happy with how well I did, considering how hard it's been to get myself back into the game.

Frugal Raw

08-03-2008, 04:47 AM

Mattye Lee, I just checked out your frugal raw ebook.. I will be ordering soon! It looks awesome..

Thank you! I appreciate ya!

joyfulmama

08-03-2008, 09:53 AM

Many Littles, I have 6 children so I know what you mean.. here are a few tips. Cut up more than you need and put in the fridge for later. I always make at least 1 serving extra of smoothie for me to have for dinner. when I cut up veggies for salad I cut up enough for a few days. I posted a flax seed cracker that is really easy- I got 40 crackers from 1 batch (and nothing expensive in them). I think in total 10 crackers were eaten yesterday between dh having a couple of them, the older kids trying it and me having some for lunch. I have a huge salad for lunch. I have a container of sliced cucumbers and red onions in the fridge. So all I have to cut up is the romaine lettuce. I make enough vinaigrette for 2 days.. and guacamole- I make enough for several days. So for lunch I have a large salad topped with cucumbers, red onion and my vinaigrette with a side of guacomole and flax seed crackers.
Last night I noticed I was really hungry but it was almost bed time. So I drank a glass of water and that did the trick.
For thick satisfying meals I can't recommend more some avocado's.. on a salad or as guac topped on flax crackers.. it fills you up.. Also- I love portabello mushrooms topped with mashed avocado. I marinate the mushrooms in olive oil with chopped garlic, pepper and salt. then I place on the dehydrator try- after an hour I brush with the marinade again (I do this every hour until done). If you want it for lunch start at breakfast, if you want for dinner start at lunch.. it comes out warm and soft.. yum! I have also heard of putting the mushrooms and marinade in a ziplock and placing in the sun outside for a few hours.- the heat of summer will soften them up.
It is all about being prepared. If you are going out make sure you at least have some fruit with you. lara bars would be good in a pinch.

ManyLittles

08-04-2008, 04:00 PM

Thanks, Joyfulmama, for the suggestions. I agree, cutting up stuff ahead of time is great. I've done it before, and it does make all the difference. The problem is, it takes forever. When I can make myself do it, it's great, because I end up with a lot less wasted produce. Maybe I can get my husband to sit down with me tonight and help. He told me last time we did that, that he was shocked at how tiring it was to spend an hour chopping and peeling, and he understands now why I hate it so much, lol. I told him, add being pregnant and having a heart condition to that, and you can imagine how tired I am when I do it!

But he did say he'd help whenever I needed it, so maybe tonight we'll do it. Having the veggies chopped ahead is really great, because I can make a quick salad, instead of putting it off and putting it off, and then being starving. I should definitely make some crackers like you said. I'm a little reluctant, because the last time was a gelatinous, flax-seedy mess! I learned some tricks since then, and it shouldn't be so bad, but I still don't look forward to it.

I definitely need some avocadoes. They go bad so quick though. I always buy some, then they go bad before I get to them.

Last night I was tempted to have a piece of my husband's frozen pizza, but I held off. Instead, we made a double recipe of my coco-orange brownie recipe. They were good, although I made them with walnuts instead of cashews. They are much better with cashews. Someday I should make a huge batch of them and freeze them for occasional treats.

Oh, and I've lost two pounds since starting raw. I'm still not high raw...probably 70%. I'm guessing I've got at least ten pounds of water to lose, maybe more. I can't get my wedding ring on anymore, but I'm guessing I will within a week. They want to test my blood sugar at my next perinatal appointment, so hopefully it will be good at that point.

joyfulmama

08-04-2008, 04:32 PM

Some more tips.. when I buy avocados I always get them in various stages of ripeness. then I don't have them all go soft at once.. but with 3 of us loving guacamole I am not concerned about it going bad :-) as for chopping I enlist the older kids to help. I also have a food processer with a slicing blade that helps a great deal. I cut up a ton of cucumbers today- should have used it! darn.. it did take me a while but in the end it is worth it.
crackers. go look up my flax seed crackers in the recipe section. They are delish! and thin. I didn't soak them at all. and they turned out just fine. Next time though I think I will grind up part of the flax seeds into flax meal. but I just love them. I have about 6 a day- they fill me up with my salad. I have smoothies for breakfast and dinner.
tonight I am throwing in a beet with the greens and a zucchini into my already made green smoothie- I was blessed with a ton of organic zucchini, yellow squash, lettuces and beets today.. gotta use them up.

ManyLittles

08-06-2008, 01:56 PM

I should use my slicing blade on my processor too. Problem is, my husband put it away somewhere and doesn't remember where.

I always go for the firmest avocados, because I rarely use them right away. A lot of times we have to get them at our local supermarket that carries organic, and theirs are always in a bag. (My poor husband...repeatedly seeing a $6 bag of avocados go bad, and he still lets me buy them!) Good news is, I fed two avocados to the kids last night, used 3 for guacamole (3 was way too many), and I'm thinking of using one tonight for a dessert or pasta sauce. So I may use a whole bag for once, lol!

On a scary note...I had gone down four pounds total, then today....I GAINED 2.4 POUNDS!!!! What the heck?! :eek: Usually that kind of thing is because I cheated and ate cooked, or I'm overdue for a trip to the bathroom (if you know what I mean), but nothing like that. I did eat some cooked yesterday, but less than any day before that. The only thing I ate cooked were the tortilla chips I used with the guacamole. I did eat a lot of guacamole, and I know it's high in calories--but 2.4 pounds? Could I really have gained that much from just the guac? :confused:

By the way, I didn't care too much for the guacamole recipe. (Sorry Alissa!) It's not bad at all, just not as flavorful as I like. I did increase the other ingredients to make up for the extra avocado I used. Maybe next time I'll just make a batch of Alissa's salsa, which is great, and mix some into the mashed avocados. That would probably be just what I'm looking for.

joyfulmama

08-06-2008, 07:10 PM

I just made guacamole.. I used about 10 -11 avocados.. yep.. and you better believe we will eat it all! In my food processor I put in about 6 -10 cloves of garlic, 1/2 red onion, 1 jalepeno, 1 habenero and 1 seranno pepper, 2 bunches of cilantro (we love cilantro!) and chop this up. then add the avocados and lots of lime, a bit of celctic sea salt. blend up.. adjust salt and lime if needed. It is good.. I love it on salad.
as for weight gain.. don't fret. you are pregnant. you will have hormonal changes that will fluxuate your weight. just keep eating healthy.
I can't imagine how you could not consume 6 avocados.. oh and somewhere there is a recipe for chocolate pudding that uses avocados as the base. you could try that.

ManyLittles

08-07-2008, 12:02 AM

Mostly I don't use up the avocados because I just don't get around to it right away, and by the time I do, they've all gone bad. It only takes a few days. I gave my kids some of the guacamole for dinner tonight. They loved it, even though it was actually pretty spicy (I had added a bunch of stuff to make it more to my liking).

Unfortunately, in my situation, I do have to fret. I'm already really heavy, and just found out I have a heart condition. So the more I weigh, the worse it is for my heart. I'm not even far along yet, and I'm already having a hard time breathing, etc. If I were thinner and didn't have to worry about my heart, I wouldn't care about my weight. But hopefully you're right, and it's just a fluctuation, not an actual gain. It's going to be a long nine months! ;-)

joyfulmama

08-07-2008, 10:50 AM

I have 140 lbs to lose so I understand. I was also well over 100 lbs overweight when I had my last 3 children so I doubly understand.
I would increase your greens.. I have smoothies twice a day and a huge salad with sprouts, flax crackers and guac for lunch. I can see it in my face already that I have lost weight- though weigh in is not until tomorrow. I will let you all know how much I lost my first week..
by the way- I read years ago in a Dr McDougall book (low fat vegan) that the more repititious you get in your eating the more weight you will lose.

pinkkpanthur

08-07-2008, 12:16 PM

try to weigh yourself once a week, instead of once a day. Not only did this eventually help me stop obsessing about my weight instead of my strength and how I feel, but our weight often fluctuates ... A LOT. Water retention and who knows what else. And it can be disheartening when you weight yourself one day, eat nothing but salads and smoothies (which are awesome, but that's not the point) for three days and get back on to see you've gained 5 lbs. Happens to me all the time, but when I weigh myself once a week or even less, I can guage my progress by more important things like the fact that it's getting much easier to hold a handstand ;)

And I don't know what your diet looks like, but the healthiest raw fooders/vegans seem to limit their fat intake (simply because your body doesn't need much) and just eat tons of fresh produce. And again, without passing judgement on anybody (I'm terribly guilty of sometimes sacrificing my health for what seems to taste best), it is entirely possible to gain weight on raw if you eat beyond fullness anyway. There are different levels of fullness. You don't want to eat until the next bite might make you puke. You want to stop when things stop smelling intoxicating :) and the colors aren't as exciting and the food basically falls out of favor with your senses. Eating is a sensual thing. Watch for it. You'll see it and when it happens, it always amazes me that the body knows exactly what it needs and how much.

ManyLittles

08-07-2008, 02:13 PM

pinkkpanthur-I won't be weighing myself once a week. I know a lot of people do that, but I'd rather see the up and down variation than to wait a whole week, expecting a drop, but see a gain because I happened to choose a day when I was retaining water. I don't worry too much when I eat great and gain a bit. I assume that is a water gain.

Limiting my fat intake while I'm pregnant would be a very bad idea. From what everyone has said who has been raw and pregnant, it's important on a raw vegan diet to get enough fat while you're pregnant. Granted, I won't make guacamole again, or if I do, I'll use only one guacamole and split it with my husband. I know I need avocados and nuts while pregnant, but the avocados are pretty sneaky with all those calories.

I have never eaten until I was ready to vomit, even when on SAD foods. Beyond fullness, yes, because the food rarely gave my body the signal of satisfaction. But I never ate to the point of almost getting sick...I knew enough to realize when I had eaten a little too much. Most people I talk to find it impossible to even eat beyond satisfaction on raw, and I agree. Raw cues my body naturally, so I know when I'm satisfied. It really isn't possible for me to overeat on raw. (On amount...if I ate avocados all day, obviously I'd be going over on calories.)

Joyfulmama- sounds like you're around where I'm at, or a little less. I need to lose at least 140. I'd love to lose more, but I'd be pretty ecstatic with that much. Then I just need a tummy tuck. ;) After 5 (soon to be 6) c-sections and all this weight gain, I could carry a child like a kangaroo in all the hanging skin! Yuck.

I'm not even going to talk about the junky dinner I had last night. :rolleyes: But I ate raw all the rest of the day, and started out today immediately with a superfood smoothie. It was soooo good. :p It had cacao, goji berries, coconut oil, hemp seed protein powder, a handful of spinach, two oranges, two bananas, some frozen peaches, some frozen cherries, and a little bit of frozen strawberries. It was really good! Cacao and cherries are a great combo, and the strawberries really added a lot too. I didn't even notice the hemp seed, which normally I taste in smoothies and don't like it. I think the cacao and cherries went a long way in covering up the hemp flavor. I normally take a long time eating my smoothies, but this one went down fast, it was so good. Next time I'm going to up the greens and maybe add a bit more hemp.

I can't wait til we can afford some more superfoods, like maca and camu camu berries. I don't take maca when I'm not pregnant (I do NOT need help in the fertility department, lol) but now that I'm pregnant, I'm ready to try it.

Hey, where is all the other obese raw foodists? It's getting kind of lonely in our thread!

joyfulmama

08-07-2008, 02:57 PM

I weighed in at 274.2 a week ago tomorrow. I have had 5 c-sections too so I totally understand about the extra skin on the tummy problem! Have you tried saving enough smoothie to have for dinner? having it already made has helped me to stay focused. My older 2 make dinner or we all have smoothies.
I do the biggest meal at lunch.. today we had nectarines, grapes, I had a bowl of cut up zucchini and cucumber with red onion, topped with lentil sprouts.. a handful of grape tomatoes. topped with vinaigrette and guacamole. for dinner will be smoothies.

Anastazia

08-07-2008, 06:04 PM

Hi!
It's been really nice to read about what you've all been up to! Sorry I've been awol, been diving in head first at RawFu, (100 days 100% raw challenge), we're on day 7, & I've already let go of 13.5 pounds! I'm beginning to feel better by the day, too, being down 45 now from my highest weight...(353lbs now!)

...I'm back & forth with the how often to weigh in thing, it really inspires & motivates me to get on the scale each day cuz I'm losing fast still, but if it slows down, I think I'll return to once a week...

...as for loose skin after getting the weight off, I'm really praying that all the things I'm doing...{working out, strengthening the underlying muscles, skin brushing}...& the fact that those that have gone before have said losing lots of weight this way is different than losing it other ways, that raw heals on a cellular level & the skin naturally tightens up way more...

...well, my hope & prayer is that I will not need surgery afterwards, even though my highest weight was 398!

But if I do, I do...I'm goona give it time, once I've reached my goal, to see if it tones up more, as I've heard it has for others, even for the next few years!

I'd still rather be a healthy weight & have loose skin than be the weight I've been!
I've also been learning, resisting, & finally accepting that ONLY 100% is going to keep the scale moving, for me...when I've eaten just a little (even fairly healthy!) cooked, the weight starts to pile back on! It's soooo not worth it, my body seems to be in healing mode & anything but 100% raw just slows it down...

...so it's full steam ahead! It is easier in the summer, with the abundance of fresh produce available! But I'm planning ahead for the winter, like a squirrel storing it's nuts!

My financial limitations have always made it hard for me to stay raw in the winter, but I'm trying to stock up on things, including things I'm dehydrating now, while I can afford to get them, & hopefully before the summer ends I can go the farmer's maret & get TONS of apples & stuff that stores longer (it's sooo nice to have a cold room!)

I hope you're all persevering, doing all you know to do every day to keep the progress happening! No matter what speed the changes come, if we just keep movin' in the right direction, eventually we'll get there...it doesn't even really matter when!

I look back now on the time I've 'wasted' (though I know I was transitioning, learning, changing, healing, even in my struggles...) & yes, I wish I'd been able/ready to do then what I'm doing now...but there's a time for everything, & it just doesn't happen before it's time....I'm starting to realize it's 99.9% in the mind!!!

I just decided, "No more fooling around with this! I KNOW it works! TIme to JUST DO IT & deal with whatever comes up in whatever way I have to besides breaking raw!" ...& it's working! Something in my mindset, my heart, my WILL shifted, & the struggle has ended, it's suddenly sooooo much easier to resist the foods I know were harming me, that I once wanted to eat, but now know the price paid is just too high for a few moments of so-called pleasure, that leave me feeling horrible afterwards!

Anyways, don't mind me, just bouncin' off the walls with energy, & wanted to share, catch up, & encourage you all to keep persevering!!!

Hope you're having a really Rawtabulous day!!!!

~Anastazia~

joyfulmama

08-07-2008, 08:47 PM

Anastazia, nice to hear from you.. tomorrow is day 7 for me- 100%.. I don't know if will stay 100% forever but I needed a jump start- I want to get a good chunk of weight off before I go back to less than 100%.

ManyLittles

08-07-2008, 11:23 PM

Anastazia--Good for you!! I wish I could go 100%. I've toyed with the idea, since the one time I went 100%, I had little to no detox symptoms. But who knows if it would be the same the second time around, and I don't want to risk passing detoxifying crud onto the baby. Especially not the first trimester!

I'll have to settle for high raw. IF I ever get there...still more like 70% most of the time. 13.5 pounds in a week is great! Glad you're doing so well.

I'm with you--stocking up in the summer is a great idea. We'd planned on cutting up and freezing a lot of stuff. But now we're broke and my freezer is in storage. *sigh* Oh well, I guess I'll have to pay winter prices.

Most stuff has come down somewhat in price. Not as much as expected, of course, with the gas prices. But what is up with the red peppers? Am I the only one who isn't seeing a price drop in red bell peppers? Strawberries are back down to $4/lb. for organic, so why are the red peppers still $6/lb.? And why the heck do they charge $2/pound more just because they're red?! Sheesh!

Okay, done venting on the red bell pepper industry. Keep up the good work, Anastazia!

ManyLittles

08-07-2008, 11:38 PM

Oh, and I'm very proud of myself tonight. I stuffed myself full of smoothies in order to stave off my craving to have junk delivered to my house again for my dinner (at least until it was too late to order, lol). I did it!

Joyfulmama- that's a good idea, saving some smoothie for dinner. I keep trying to, but it never makes it that long, lol. I've also tried making some for the next morning. Sometimes that works. Sometimes I'm up in the middle of the night drinking it though. ;-) Pregnancy is a nocturnal nightmare...my body demands tons of water and at least one snack throughout the night. Then I'm too awake to be able to get back to sleep! I'm thinking of using a mini-fridge as my nightstand. LOL. Lots of nice cold water and snacks, and no trips to the kitchen! :D

I made a second pitcher of that great smoothie I had earlier today. I drank it right up over the course of an hour. Yes, a whole vita-mix full! :o I've never gone through so much smoothie before. Maybe I'll make a whole pitcher full tonight, for tomorrow morning, then another whole pitcher full tomorrow for lunch.