Raw for 30 days Today!

[lauraq8]

Hi, I just discovered this forum, and I am excited to participate here. I have been eating raw, about 90% for 30 days today! I started on January 12th, and today is my one month mark. I jumped into the raw food diet nearly 100% from the start. I started a journal about my experience, what I was eating, how I was feeling at www.rawfooddietlife.com. I have experienced some ups and downs, but mostly ups. I am somewhat hypermanaged by my scale, which I do not like. I was excited to lose those "last ten pounds" which I have found to be somewhat elusive. In the first two weeks on the "diet", I really should say "lifestyle" (I do not ever like to say I am on a diet), I dropped 7 pounds, and was ecstatic. I should mention I am 5'3" and this morning my weight was 126 (it had been down to 123 in the second week on the diet).

At first, I was not hungry AT ALL, and felt totally satisfied and nourished. Then I got a little hungrier, and I starting adding a lot more raw items as I was exploring the recipes, etc., and was eating things like raw cheeses, making raw brownies, eating sprouted breads and crackers, etc., and found my weight bouncing all over the place, up a few pounds, down a few pounds, back and forth. I also did not give up two things, morning coffee, and wine at social occasions.

I am going to keep up the raw lifestyle, and am planning on taking Alissa's Raw Certification class so I can learn more. I see that are a lot of different ways to approach this lifestyle, and I am really interested in all ideas, but finding out what works best for me and my body, since we are all unique. I am wondering also if others have experienced this up and down with their weight, like I have. Thanks for any input.

[Veganforlife]

You RAWk!!!!!!!!!! YAY YOU! Congrads!

[mattshor]

Hi, lauraq8! Welcome to the board. Looking forward to hearing more from you and sharing your journey. Let us know if you do the class and how you like it. All the best!

[ruffsongraw]

Lauraq8
congrats!!! you are week ahead of me, i am three wks 100% today!!! (about 80% for three wks prior).
yay!!!!! it IS really a lifestyle--very different!! and at times is IS difficult, esp as i am learning...there is so much to learn too!
thanks for sharing!!
goodluck!!

jen

[lauraq8]

Hi Everyone! Very nice welcome, thank you so much. Obviously only one month into it, I am just learning the "raw politics" of it all. I understand there are many different theories, and I am personally am eating raw cheese, and occasional raw fish, like once a week, and sprouted bread (not considered 100% raw but close I understand). I work out six days a week, 1-2 hours, doing a mix of cardio, strength training, running. I have made a couple of raw meals for friends, and they are amazed that it is considered "raw." People really do react funny though when you tell them what you are doing. Probably the biggest compliment I received so far this past month was from my sister who said to me at a party, "I don't know what you are doing to your skin, but whatever it is, keep it up, your face looks amazing." When I told her about the raw diet, she just about fell over. It was great.

Anyway, I think I have to figure out a better way to eat more veggies, although I eat them every day, I have been leaning on the fruits, nuts, avocado, adn raw crackers and breads a bit much, and that is probably why my weight loss has stalled at 124-126. I would like to get down to 118, although some of my friends say that is too thin, I don't think so. I am not obsessive about it, just a challenge.

Thanks again for the warm welcome!

Laura.

[RaeVynn]

Hi Laura!

To work more veggies in, check out green smoothies... basically, you toss a banana into the blender with a handful of dark green leafies, maybe half a lemon, some frozen berries, and two cups water. Whirl away, until it's a smoothie. You want, idealy, to have 40% greens, 60% fruit, but I sometimes have it the other way around.

A couple of these each day, and you'll be AMAZED at how good you feel! :p

[lauraq8]

Hah, this is too funny RaeVyn. I was just googling, "raw food green smoothies" trying to find a recipe, and voila, I see this post from you. I was wondering if I could just throw some spinach in a blender, cuz I do not have a juicer. I am going to do this today after my run!! Excited to have this recipe, thank you!. Tonight I a making a raw dinner for my niece, well nearly 100%, I will put chicken in her salad and leave mine with avocado and nuts. She is excited to see what I come up with. I am going to serve appetizers, soup, salad, entre and dessert, all raw. I better get those brownies in the fridge! Hah!

Laura.

[jacsam]

It's great to have you here.....welcome!

[freshlight]

Hi Laura, congrats on your 30 days! Have fun :)
Eva

[spicyfull]

30 Down and a LifeTime to Go..Congratulations.

[Frugal Raw]

Welcome!!! I wish you the best of rawesome health!!!

[lauraq8]

So last night I had my niece over for dinner, and I made her a raw dinner (well she had chicken in her entree because I didn't want to freak her out). For appetizers, we had zucchini hummus, black olives, guacamole, green apple slices, cucumber slices and carrots for dipping, two types of raw cheese, and I put out two kinds of crackers, one was a cooked cracker, and the other raw. She opted for the raw ones, and loved it. Then for dinner I made lettuce boats filled with tomatoes, sprouts, raw salad dressing that I made and I put chicken in hers, and raw ahi in mine. She LOVED it. For dessert, I made raw brownies topped with frozen whipped banana and fresh strawberries. She was saying over and over again, this is delicious! It was really kinda cute. Oh, we did drink wine throughout the night, I know, but we had FUN, FUN, FUN. One thing I have noticed is that it is PRICEY to buy things like raw flaxseed cracker. I am paying $8.00 for a 6-oz bag. So I am going to have to buy myself a dehydrator if I am going to get my crunch on somewhere! I am posting the recipes for the zucchini hummus which is amazing, and the brownies, which are beyond amazing on my blog if anyone wants to know, they are really terrific.

www.rawfooddietlife.com

[Frugal Raw]

sounds wonderful!! It's so great to share in their reactions, isn't it?

[Katie P]

Congrats! A great way to get in your veggies....something I like to do....Make a big salad with a whole bunch of veggies on it. I tend to do that b/c I crave alot of fruit but still want to get in alot of greens where I can. Try that. I think the scale is the ruler of all evil LOL so I don't weigh, but I do think I fluctuate alot also. Something I like to think of if I'm having a bloated day or whatever is how healthy I feel & I hang on to that & hope for the healing in my body to allow weight loss when the time is right.
Good luck!