Top 3 Recommendations to Start/Stay Raw

[Changin]

I am needing help to start (again) and stick to raw as a lifestyle.
Considering my schedule and history ( below) what would you recommend as:
the best 3 pieces of advice
and
the best 3 peices of reading material
to start and stick to raw eating as a lifestyle?

Schedule: I leave home at 7am and often not return until 8-9pm due to classes and social events. I usually have dinner with friends 1-2 nights per week and have to grab something to eat between work and other events at least twice per week. I don't like spending much time in the kitchen. I have a juicer and blender that were once used almost daily.
History: Over a year ago, I jumped into raw and did well - but I was often bloated (smoothies?) and despite drinking lots of water and getting colonics every other week, I was constipated- going days without using bathroom. (At the same time I lost about 20lbs.) I visited naturopath because after weeks of constipation, I developed pain in my right side. She suggested I add "lightly steamed veggies" to my diet, digestive enzymes, oil of oregano & hychloric acid. By the 3rd dose of these, my system was "back on track".
It's since been a long road of on and off attempts to become raw. Whenever I eat at least 50% raw for more than a week, (even when bloated) overall feel and sleep better.
In recent months, I have eaten very little raw or green and have gained a noticible amount of weight. It's time for a change (to raw). Help!

[rawstrength]

Stash fruit, glass bottles of pure water, and bags of raw nuts and seeds at your work. It is quick and easy to eat fruit and nuts out of hand even if you are busy. Make a green smoothie (fruit and greens blended) in the morning to take with you to work. On the weekends, learn to uncook wonderful, fancy raw cuisine to share with your friends. Invite your friends over to your place for dinner and treat them to delicious raw foods.
If you stay 100% raw and get lots of greens, then the initial bloating and constipation from going raw vanishes in a week or so.

Read Living on Live Food (Alissa's book) . Also Victoria Boutenko's Green For Life is really good, too. I don't own many raw books, though. I usually just rely on the internet for my information, and weed out what doesn't work for me. As you become more experienced with raw, you become your own guru, so to speak.

[Dimond]

Tips:
Make food in advance (freeze some).
Stick to mostly simple meals such as smoothies, soups, juices.
Get either thermal containers and/or have a cooler to always have food on hand. Possibly a large cooler for your car and a small one to bring places.
Bonus tips: Use digestive enzymes and probiotics.
Have extras on hand for when you have cravings and nothing appeals to you (such as gourmet meals and dehydrated snacks).

Reading:
The internet has been the best source for me.

[Aleesha Sattva]

Green Smoothie - watered down and made with 'light' greens like baby spinach or simply some spirulina rather than kale or collards etc. every single day
Keep your fridge stalked up with fresh food already cut up so you can toss them into a bag and take them with you.
Buy your absolute favourite fruits and keep them on hand all the time!

This forum - check in daily so you keep on track (best reading material)

All the best on your journey and remember... it's the journey that counts, not the destination. Take it one meal at a time and try to add as much raw as possible to your daily diet.

[Vaclare79]

Green Smoothie - watered down and made with 'light' greens like baby spinach or simply some spirulina rather than kale or collards etc. every single day
Keep your fridge stalked up with fresh food already cut up so you can toss them into a bag and take them with you.
Buy your absolute favourite fruits and keep them on hand all the time!

This forum - check in daily so you keep on track (best reading material)

All the best on your journey and remember... it's the journey that counts, not the destination. Take it one meal at a time and try to add as much raw as possible to your daily diet.

I agree with keeping your fridge "stalked" up lol..
Everyone here has some good advices too. Make those GS and pour them into the mason jars ( find at walmart ) and keep them in your little cooler. Preparing ahead of time really helps a lot when you're busy like that. I noticed that when I get fruit/vegetables like grapes, apples, oranges, pears, cherries, cucumbers, brocolli, cauliflower, or other finger foods like this all you have to do is wash them and cut them up & put into a baggy the night before or when you're leaving.. Most fruit like avocados are already in a "dish" all you have to do is eat it out of its "dish" with a spoon.
You can soak your nuts/seeds overnight and lay them out to dry, put them into bags to bring with you too.
Salads are good too if you make those, just don't put the dressing on it before you're ready to eat it or else it'll be soggy eww..
Raw foods are easier to make in a hurry too because all you have to do is wash it. That's what I really love about raw. So simple.
Even 7-11 carries bananas and some prepackaged fruits as well as walmart so you can run in there and get fruit already cut up if you don't have time to run home. :)
Good luck getting back to raw foods. I know I haven't been doing it long but it has helped me feel better too..

[Changin]

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice. I see something in each response that I can do. I think my next step is to buy a small cooler and those little ice packs that you keep in the freezer so that I can always have something raw with me. The foods will have to be simple, so I'll plan to write a simple menu of fruit, veggies and salads that are easy to grab-n-go. Then I'll go shopping for items and gradually get to juicing & smoothies within the next week. I only have apples in the house now.