The truth, whole truth & nothing but. . .

[Edevon]

OK, so here's the raw truth of it all. I wanna be Raw but i'm scared.
I'm desperate to lose weight AND i'm getting married early November [more incentive/pressure to lose weight/inches]. I've been researching Raw for a good while now and keep coming to the conclusion that it is the answer for many health benefits AND losing weight. (Fell onto a site about 2 years ago but kept saying, nah - i'll never do it)
Anyhow i'm back here at the starting line again but i feel more likely to actually start. I've ordered a Tribest Personal blender and my plan is to go 70 - 80 days Raw (in mini goals of 20 -30) primarily just doing Green Smoothies.
First, is this feasible? Can/should i go so many days on GS alone? :confused:
Second, will i gain/lose energy as i'm currently tired of being tired daily :(
Thirdly, how much weight/inches can i realistically lose?
Fourthly, (getting ridiculous now), will i get sick if i eat at my own wedding after being on GS for so long? i'm thinking veg & salad anyway but. . . wondering if i should eat a little for the days leading up so my tummy has a chance to get used to something more solid again.

Sorry to ask such a long question but i NEED help. :o

[Livin'onLife]

Just wanted to say welcome, and congratulations on your wedding!!!!:)

[Moretta]

Welcome and congrats. on your wedding.

Sorry, I cannot answer your questions, as I'm so new to this as well, but wanted to say good luck on your journey.

Someone will chime in to answer your questions.

The people here are great and are full of excellent information to help you along the way.

[Eva]

Hmmm, wish I had really good answers to your questions. I'm sorry that I don't. The reason is that different people lose weight differently based on a lot of factors. Raw is SO very healing, and I think you will surely gain health and lose weight if you make the switch. I just don't have anything real and concrete to tell you except that I've been so thrilled at the results even for my small frame that didn't have much excess weight. I just look healthier now.

What about having a raw wedding cake if you really want to do this and be sure to enjoy the day? There are some BEAUTIFUL cakes I've seen pictures of that are raw. I am pretty lazy in the cake department, though...

[Pilgrim]

Welcome. I think you should read some of the before and after posts to get an idea of what to expect.

Personally, I'd get bored with nothing but GS and I'd quit pretty soon. You need to get Alissa's book. She recommends having a lot of raw food on hand, and a wide variety so you don't get bored with it. Good luck!

[Edevon]

Thank you for the well wishes!:D

I do have Alissa's book but i have one of those circular dehydrators so a lot of wha i would love to try won't work in that (lasagne!):(
I was hoping the GS's would kind of give me a wonderful start.

Another question, would my skin break out really bad for the wedding or could it have cleared by then? :eek: Not much for pictures but i Have to take some for then.

[roseyonnex]

Edevon,

Hi there. Congrats on your wedding. That will be a fun day!

I don't really think of the raw "diet" as a diet anymore. It is a healthy way of eating that is a lifestyle change. It is true your body will come into balance and release weight to be its healthiest, but to me that is a side benefit of how great you feel, how good it is for you.

Some people can do it, but I can't just restrict myself to smoothies all the time. Today I had an apple pie and a sunburger with catsup and mustard. It was awesome! I feel satisfied and not over-stuffed and I didn't deprive myself.

Also with this way eating I don't go into violent swings of eating. No more binging, no more really craving this and that. I feel very satisfied all the time, on an even plane, if you will.

I don't think you will get sick eating cooked food at your wedding. But I'm sure there will lots of non-cooked food too, or cooked organic food, so just choose more of that than the other.

[Ilse W.]

I lot of the answers to your questions depend on your current state of health and your intentions. How do you eat right now? Personally, I would never go raw just to lose weight. You would be falling into the same trap as everybody else who ever went on a crash diet. To me RAW is a lifestyle choice. I eat raw, because it's the natural thing for homo sapiens to live on. Fruits of all types along with greens is what our body digests effortlessly. If it's a lifestyle choice, start slowly and build up to 100% raw. Make sure that your wedding feast includes a lot of wonderful raw things. If you just do it to lose weight and intend to go back to SAD after the weight loss, I recommend you start back into your former way of eating a few days before the wedding. I also would make sure I don't give away my fat clothes.

[smoothiegirl]

Congratulations!!! Don't be scared. You could begin to incorporate more raw foods into your diet to release some weight. Drink plenty of water. I left off b/fast when I started and just drank a green smoothie/ Got me used to greens and fruits. Then started snacking on faw foods. Then got rid of the rest of the cooked when I found recipes. After your wedding you and your new hubby could go raw together. It might be easier to try after your wedding-not as much stress. You would have more time to focus on what you are eating instead of grabbing and going. The wedding and the planning of the wedding itself can be a big stress factor and a huge temptation with all of the food. Do this for a lifestyle change instead of a quick fix. I can almost guarantee that if you decide to go raw to lose weight and go back to cooked you will gain all of the weight you lost back.

[joyfulmama]

Valerie Winters did a green smoothie experiment (sadly the blog has been taken down). She went 6 months I think of only green smoothies and lost 125 lbs. so it can be done. I have 140 lbs to lose. I have green smoothies for breakfast and dinner with a salad, nuts, flax crackers, guacamole whatever for lunch..
hope this helps

[Bananna]

Hi Edevon!
Something like getting married is a great short-term motivator I suppose....:D

You can do green smoothies, as someone mentioned the lady who lost all that weight. I remember her saying near the end though that she was getting bored of it and was loosing sight of the reasoning behind not chewing anything. She rationaled, 'what's the difference between drinking a salad and eating a salad'...not necessarily nutritionally, but calorically...no difference if it's the same ingredients right? So she missed just chewing her fruit etc. ...and from there I guess the experiment ended...noone knows what she's doing these days. :confused:

I think it's fine if you set a lofty goal as you set out above, but have a back up plan and a back up plan for that back up plan too. Why don't you do something more like: Do a green smoothie 'fast' like you mentioned for a month, or a week or two....just to kick start your weight loss, keep things simple, etc. Then allow yourself to throw a salad in midday, or some stuffed mushrooms and so on once you Begin to lose interest in the previous regime. I know a few people on here pretty much always eat like that (GS, salad, GS).

You could play around with loads of different patterns and routines.

If you do happen to do all GS between now and then, and you want to eat at your wedding, I would absolutely start eating prior to. I would stick with raw before and during your wedding however, if for acne than no other reason.:o

[Edevon]

Thank you all so much for your advice.:)
Currently i don't eat any 'flesh' products except fish and chicken on occassions - has been this way for 24 years. Eggs are 3 -4 times a year thing (usually the christmas cake) and i only drink soymilk.
I already love fruits & veggies so i guess its a matter of stepping up my game rather than changing all the rules. As for the wedding catering, i will be the only raw person there so it will have to be a salad affair for me!
I don't plan to eat SAD after the wedding but just possibly less strict - maybe 60-70% raw instead of 100% - occassional steamed veggies, a bite or two here and there of other things. Flour is NOT my friend (constipates me) so no big worries with consumption there, just want to be a little more relaxed at the wedding and after. I was planning for raw-solid food integration about a week or two before the date, to prepare my tummy.
My intended fully supports me (bless him) and is game to try anything i prepare but doesn't think he can go 100% raw (he didn't eat vegetables before this year) - i will have to be his model!
As for the fat clothes, i plan to give away/burn them! I never want to be this size EVER again. I am only 5'3" and weigh 190lb.
Maybe the way to go is try what some others are doing, GS for breakfast and dinner and a major salad for lunch.
Healthwise i have to make this work for me. I'm always tired and long for that burst of elongated energy i have read about, my feet swell if i am inactive for too long, and have recently started having right knee pain. :mad:
My back is already weak from a work injury and we hope/plan to start a family soon after we are married. I NEED to be healthy.
I believe raw IS the answer, but i dont want to obsess about it and then fail miserably :(