trouble transitioning

[Lidia]

Hi,
any advice please on transitioning to raw foods
for the past month i've been having a really hard time eating raw for more then a 2-3 days
Thanks sincerely,
Lidia

[steveoregon]

Lidia, more info will help you get more answers:

(1) what percentage of raw are you now?
(2) are you trying to go 100% raw overnight?
(3) what do you mean by "a really hard time"?

Any details on the kind of food you eat now, vs your diet during when you switch to raw will help others give you advice.

.

[spicyfull]

Eat Fresh WHOLE Foods........Fruits, Salads, keep it Simple.

[gs4life]

lidia,
i find that when i have a craving, if i eat a piece of sweet fruit (banana, mango, peach) i feel instantly satisfied. green smoothies also help with cravings if that's what's going on.

[Zaphirah]

Green smoothies make transisitioning SO much better. Also, for me I have to tell myself that I love myself enough to do what's BEST for me. I struggled with raw for 2 years. I, in a certain way, FOUGHT raw. I did it, but not cheerfully. I looked at it as a last resort "diet", so altho I was doing it my heart wasn't in it. Then last sept it just clicked. I had no problems for 9 months-then I thought I should eat cooked grains 1-2x a week...it snowballed from there and 3 months later I had gained 7 pounds and found myself eating a cold hot dog from the fridge!

My advice is to devise a plan-tell yourself that you will drink green smoothies for breakfast for 7 days-and don't worry about the rest. Then after 7 days tell yourself you will have a green smoothie for breakfast and a delicious giant salad for lunch-all you can eat. Then the following week add in raw snacks. Then finally go 100% in 4-5 weeks. I know AC says go raw overnight, but I found that difficult , as I have lots of stress ful responsibilties in my house and rarely get 5 min for myself-so planning all these new foods, changing my old thought patterns, losing weight, exercising, and still maintain my household and childcare was too overwhelming to do all in 1 night. Phase it in and phase out old stuff like chocolate or coffee.

Best of Health to you my dear!

[shashibala]

I think going raw all at once is very powerful, but not everyone feels comfortable with that radical change. It depends where you are right now. I would begin by eliminating sugars and refined starches. (baked goods, breads, cereal,....) These foods are damaging to our bodies and metabolisms and cause cravings. There are some transition foods that work for some people such as brown rice, sprouted grain wraps and breads. I personally can't tolerate grains. They ignite cravings for me!
Then add in as much raw food as you can. Eat raw foods at every opportunity. Your body will begin to want them! Eat lots of dark leafy greens. If you are still eating meat or dairy, they can be eliminated next. You might want to read Victoria Boutenko's book
12 Steps to Raw Food. I wish you all the best!

[Emma-Liza]

I transitioned the way Zaphirah describes and it worked really well for me. I began to feel so much better that I couldn't wait to go 100%. I was eager and happy about it, not white-knuckling it! I also began to lose weight during the transition, even though my dinners were still sometimes horribly SAD. That was a big motivator!

I respect completely the cold turkey approach. You just need to know which type person you are! I tend to be happier encouraging myself rather than giving myself a kick in the pants (what an image!). :D

[Veganforlife]

Do you have Alissa's book and DVDs? She goes into this in detail. Also provides a menu planner for 30 days. Set a goal and stick to it! You can do it!