Weight Loss Challenge...... [Archive]

snoops

05-17-2009, 06:22 PM

My addiction is cheese. I made it 2 days last week. Well almost 3 - till the evening!! I am going to see if I can go for longer next week. I would like to start on Tuesday though cause its our May long here. I know Memorial Day is next weekend for you in the US. How diet mentality is that. I'll start after the weekend LOLOL. Anyway I am going to try for Tues through Friday inclusive - NO CHEESE. I feel that if I didn't have the cheese I wouldn't have the crackers and those are the only two things that I am eating that aren't raw!! BIG time addiction though.

So if I can join you on Tuesday lets see if we can get through the week.

Tee42

05-18-2009, 04:35 AM

I'd like to join you. I get terrible cravings for eggs and cheese - not on a daily basis just after a while of being raw. I'm also planning on kicking my black tea habit. It would be nice to do it as part of a group.

Gotta get to work right now but I'll check back and see what you are all up to later.

gabriele

05-18-2009, 07:07 AM

Lannette and snoops,

last night my daughter was given some baklava (sp?) and i stupidly without thinking took a square of it before my brain could scream "NOO!!!" - i don't know what was in it, but i couldn't sleep for the next 4 hours i had such bad heartburn. How dumb was that to eat that, i can't even believe i did it.

Did you ladies see my earlier post where i did some research and found out that milk (and therefore cheese and chocolate) has morphine in it? Apparently the cows produce it naturally and it has a soothing, opiate effect on the baby cows. Also, human milk has morphine in it also. This came out from experiments done in the 1980's, the dairy industry does not want this little tidbit of info to come out!! I also read that cheese is the most concentrated form of dairy and is the hardest to quit and is the most addictive! Don't you feel better just know that?? :)))

My shake this morning was: one banana, one whole carrot (stem and leaves included), one handful of red grapes and a spoonful of flaxseeds (crushed). It helps me to report what i'm eating. Have a good (cheese-free) day! (while i focus on avoiding all chocolate).

Susan123

05-18-2009, 09:00 AM

Chocolate and BREAD are my downfalls... Bread (as you might guess from the caps) is the worst for me. It's everywhere!! I have done well with avoiding chocolate by having my daily Larabars and Raw revolution bars- they are delish!

I've been Veg*n for 11 months so far and getting off from cheese was the hardest thing. It's one of those things you just have to do cold-carrot (not to be confused with cold-turkey ;) ).

I think really changing your mind-set on certain foods helps a great deal!! I became Veg*n overnight after watching "Meet your Meat" on www.goveg.com but it did take me a little while (2 1/2 months) to totally get off from eating an occasional cheese pizza. Best of luck!!

snoops

05-18-2009, 10:00 AM

OK forget starting on Tuesday. I had pizza last night and felt so disgusting, bloated and wicked heartburn that I am with you guys today.

I totally hear you about cheese and addiction. It is really the one thing that it is killing me to give up.

So my goal is not to eat cheese for 5 days. Mon-Fri. Started with a banana, blueberry and strawberry smoothie this morning. Will do a green smoothie for lunch and am going to peruse the salad recipes to plan for dinner. Am making my family a polenta black bean casserole for dinner. I may or may not have a bit of that. It's not raw but it has no addictions in it for me. I am focusing on the cheese this week. 100% raw is in my future though!!

gabriele

05-18-2009, 10:20 AM

way to go Snoops!!! today is better than tomorrow!!!

RawKnitster

05-18-2009, 10:39 AM

I'm over 50 and find it challenging to lose weight. My challenge is to lower the amount of fats in my diet, and get up and move. As with almost every diet I've ever tried the sticking point is, "I can always start tomorrow". Only tomorrow never comes.

My plan for today is eliminate all fats for one day. Yet, in the back of my mind I have a nagging doubt about my ability to do so. Seems like I'm setting myself up for failure before I've even begun.

snoops

05-18-2009, 10:46 AM

Maybe if its just for one day. Just don't try to eliminate them for too long or it will not be healthy for you. We need our good fats. How about trying to eliminate the fats that are addictive for you. Nuts? Avocado? Don't know what you have problems with. Try to have some EVOO on a salad or something like that. Fats satiate us. I know low fat SAD diets are a recipe for disaster.

Just re-read your post. Maybe more important than reducing fats is the getting up and moving thing!! I know I have been out of exercising for a couple months and am getting back into it again. Needing to up my cardio portion. Which helps for calorie burning and giving you that feeling that you don't need to eat garbage!! Not sure how to describe it but that's how it makes me feel. Just go for a walk. Just anything - once a day. There is no tomorrow!! Only today!

RawKnitster

05-18-2009, 11:48 AM

Excellent points, snoops.

Here is something I found in my email box this morning. It is from one of those chain-type emails that my SIL forwarded to me. The following part jumped out at me. Sort of ties in with my lack of commitment towards weight loss.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I plan on,' and 'Someday, when things are settled down a bit.'

We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

Tomorrow never comes. Conditions are never perfect. The time to make it happen is NOW.

snoops

05-18-2009, 11:58 AM

What a coincidence (or not;)) that it was sent to you today. Thank you for sharing it. So true!

The French One

05-18-2009, 12:09 PM

I think really changing your mind-set on certain foods helps a great deal!! I became Veg*n overnight after watching "Meet your Meat" on www.goveg.com but it did take me a little while (2 1/2 months) to totally get off from eating an occasional cheese pizza. Best of luck!!

OMG, I cried when seeing this video. That is just so cruel and horrible. Sure, meat will never look the same. Thank you for the link.

Mary Kay

05-18-2009, 12:39 PM

I'm in! I'm 53, and this a.m. weighed 135....need to lose approx 20 lbs....I want to add that to my signature, but don't have time now.

A friend and I are trying to lose 10 lbs in 6 weeks. Doesn't matter who loses more, or if they lose 10 lbs quicker...this is so we don't drop the weight too quickly. The winner will take the other out to Whole Foods for a salad and juice bar. If we bboth lose 10 lbs, then we just go out to lunch.

Kind of nice to have incentive.

I want to hear about what you folks are eating...your cheats, cravings, or pat you on the back when you're doing well etc. I love the camaraderie here and am grateful to have this group for someone to whom I have to be accountable. Woohoo.

I'm going to totally eliminate dairy due to a vertigo/ear issue, to see if it helps. I'm still going to eat small amts of meat - and eggs. The dairy thing is tough because I make my own kefir, butter and yogurt from raw milk and often want to taste it to see if it's right. I may taste it and spit it out!

Today was day one. Started out with banana, kale spinach smoothie. For lunch had a raw cacao smoothie with raw eggs, coconut water, greens. I'm weaning off a bunch of chocolate I had this wknd so allowed myself the cacao today. Will have less tomorrow, and maybe none the next day. Only for a once-a-week indulgence from here on in.

Good luck ffolks. Thanks for starting this thread.

Mary Kay
p.s. what do all those abbreviations by signatures mean - HW ? Heaviest weight? I know SW is starting weight and GW is Goal Weight, but what about the others?

Susan123

05-18-2009, 02:22 PM

OMG, I cried when seeing this video. That is just so cruel and horrible. Sure, meat will never look the same. Thank you for the link.

You're welcome from me and from the animals you will save by not eating them. You save ~100 animals lives each year you're Vegan!! Before watching Meet your meat I literally had a fridge/freezer full of animal products and could not eat anything after watching that video. I had leftover chicken stir-fry and could not swallow it.

MaryKay- I'd love to weigh 135!! :p You probably don't feel as comfortable at that weight so I totally understand! I *think* HW is high weight or that is why *I* put it in my signature!!

snoops

05-18-2009, 02:25 PM

Well I almost had some toast with peanut butter. But instead I painted my bathroom, which I have been meaning to do for some time now. Maybe I will get a lot of work done this week.

So now I am having a green smoothie with spinach, parsley, cucumber, celery, apple, lemon and lime juice, cinnamon and honey.

Susan123

05-18-2009, 02:26 PM

Oops- I just realized that this is in the "over 50" area... I'm only 41- can I still be participate?

Susan123

05-18-2009, 02:27 PM

Good for you, Snoops!! Painting/housework is a great diversion! I picked weeds this weekend when I wanted to eat!! :D

snoops

05-18-2009, 02:29 PM

Oops- I just realized that this is in the "over 50" area... I'm only 41- can I still be participate?

Of course:D

gabriele

05-18-2009, 02:31 PM

Wow!! So many people here! Of course anyone can join in, who cares if you are over 50 or not???

MaryKay, my left leg weighs more than 135!! I have such a long way to go.....

love reading all these posts, it helps so much reading what others are doing. I had my salad at lunch, and for the first time had my very first LaraBar, ohmygod, was that good!! Wow!! It was key lime pie, it was fabulous.

Keep up the good work!!

snoops

05-18-2009, 02:40 PM

I have such a long way to go.....

l

Don't look at the road ahead, just at the step infront of you;)

joon4yu

05-18-2009, 02:42 PM

i'm so in right now! I want to return to Raw and have been struggling too and i need to release weight for an upcoming surgery (not life threatening). I had the gastric bypass almost 3 yrs ago. I have gained 20lbs i don't want in the past 7-8 months due to working two jobs and stressing. And this is the only healthy way to eat and release weight i choose not to want. My surgery is scheduled for July 31st, giving me time to loose. So, i'm going to Trader Joes, Henry's market and start loading up to eat raw tomorrow, i'll be preparing my gourmet meals all night for tomorrow.

Susan123

05-18-2009, 02:51 PM

Tee42

05-18-2009, 05:20 PM

I'm checking in. I had a good day. I'm kind of tired today because I didn't sleep all that soundly last night. Today is my exercise rest day and I'm going to try to get to bed early. Being overly tired always make me want to eat more than I should.

Today I had:
Half of a Green smoothie made with Kale, a banana, an orange, an apple and a cup of strawberries with 2 tablespoons of flax seed and 3 cups of water.

2 tiny apples and a small avocado (I'm feeling so much more energetic since I added avocado back into my plan.

1/4 cup of raisins and 1/4 cup walnuts (Probably hungry because of being tired.)

Two nori rolls. I'm terrible at rolling and cutting the rolls so I just roll them up and eat them like that without cutting them.

I'm planning on having a half a cup of raw sorbet for dessert.

Looks like a lot I know but I'm concentrating on feeding myself well and raw so I won't be tempted to eat things I shouldn't. Believe it or not I've been slowly losing even with all this food. I still had some tea today but I made it weaker. I'm planning on getting rid of it totally this coming weekend.

Hope everyone has a great evening.

snoops

05-18-2009, 05:35 PM

That doesn't look like a lot at all. I'd be starving if I ate only that in a day!!

Tee42

05-18-2009, 05:40 PM

Really Snoops? It's very filling to me. Not too filling - just right. My smoothie is a full 32 ounces and I ate an entire small avocado.

gabriele

05-18-2009, 07:27 PM

Today I had:
Half of a Green smoothie made with Kale, a banana, an orange, an apple and a cup of strawberries with 2 tablespoons of flax seed and 3 cups of water.

2 tiny apples and a small avocado (I'm feeling so much more energetic since I added avocado back into my plan.

1/4 cup of raisins and 1/4 cup walnuts (Probably hungry because of being tired.)

Two nori rolls. I'm terrible at rolling and cutting the rolls so I just roll them up and eat them like that without cutting them.

I'm planning on having a half a cup of raw sorbet for dessert.

It's really important for me to be reading what everyone else is reading, thanks for including this!!

gabriele

05-18-2009, 07:30 PM

wow, what a dummy i am, i'm trying to quote someone and ended up making it look like my own message. Sorry about that.....i am really not very computer literate here......

Tee42

05-19-2009, 04:34 AM

Gaby, you aren't a dummy. I actually didn't even notice the missing quotes until I read your post. :)

Popping in to wish us all a great day!

gabriele

05-19-2009, 07:03 AM

Well this is embarassing to admit, but this morning, for the first time in a LONG time, i woke up really hungry. So i've obviously been eating way too much food for a long time. :((

now i'm drinking my shake: one banana, handful of blackberries, frozen cherries, some chocolate soy protein powder. yummm

snoops

05-19-2009, 07:56 AM

I am drinking a fruit smoothie right now too. Will make a 32 oz green smoothie, a Larabar and some left over broccoli salad for lunch at work. But I know I will want to eat when I get home while I am making dinner. I have to figure out how to stop that habit. Because after the green smoothie and salad I do not need to eat till dinner.

Hope we all have a good day.

Mary Kay

05-19-2009, 09:02 AM

Gaby,

Not trying to be judgmental here, just FYI, soy protein powder, is generally not organic because it's made with soy protein isolate, which IMO is NOT good stuff and is overly processed. And I've been thinking that any OVERLY processed soy is not good. Maybe you've got some sort of organic soy powder I don't know about though!?

.....if it's not organc soy, it is without a doubt GMO here in the U.S, and is processed using hexane = rocket fuel. I keep chickens and will not even feed them soy unless it is organic.

I do eat small amts of organic cooked soy occasionally: make my own soymilk, tofu and eat tempeh a little more often than the other soy.

But not much, I'm probably about 90 - 95% raw....

And thanks to all of you saying you wished you weighed 135....I've got some pics of me in spandex shots and a bra to prove to you I truly am fat at that weight....LOL. I think I'll post them AFTER I get to my ideal weight!

HTH,

MK

Mary Kay

05-19-2009, 09:56 AM

RE Lara Bars. I don't remember if they are in fact, raw or not! But it is VERY easy to make your own, and you're more holistic by not using all the packaging!

Soak and dry your nuts, and have them on hand. Throw whatever you want into your food processor and grind, I'll even add a little spirulina, spinach, carob, cacao, whatever is dry, then slowly add dates, raisins, dried cherries etc whatever. Maybe a little vanilla and sea salt....I

If you have kids, let them help you roll into shapes...make balls, make flat like the bars etc.

Very rich. very filling. EAT IN MODERATION!!!. I figure this isn't the exact place for this --in the weight loss area, but sounds like there maybe some newbies, and for those who[ve mentioned the Lara Bars....just thought I'd throw it in.

HTH,

Mary Kay

snoops

05-19-2009, 10:39 AM

I've tried some bar type recipes. Never been as good as Larabars and they are just so handy. Expensive but handy!! If I didn't have them around I would be buying a chocolate bar no doubt:o

gabriele

05-19-2009, 10:40 AM

Wow, MaryKay, that is why i am here, to learn these things.

About the soy stuff, this is a case of "we spent all this money and don't want to throw it out". :(( I do believe it might actually be organic but i know that i shouldn't be adding this to my drinks. I just can't see myself tossing it right now. Actually, i just ordered some organic raw cacao powder and i will be adding that to my smoothies in the future!!

Re the Larabars, you are right, i could possibly make them but i am one of those people who really hate cooking and preparing food. (except my smoothies!). I just never liked it. Hmmm, so are dates the predominant ingredient? They seem to be everywhere in those bars. I don't know anything about dates, i am really learning from scratch here.

thanks for all the great info.....

RawKnitster

05-19-2009, 10:56 AM

I don't think yesterday was a good weight loss day for me. I had a green super smoothie for brunch. In the afternoon I snacked on a few bites of this and that, kale chips, and spicy pumpkin seeds. Still later I had a few turkish apricots, pear/walnut cookies dipped in coconut creme. These are raw goodies that I made last week. Very dangerous to have in the house.

I ate a few olives while preparing dinner, which was a big salad with lots of veggies, bok choy, kelp noodles, and a tahini based dressing. After doing the dishes I should have exited the kitchen, instead I reached for the carob fudge in the freezer. I ate 4-5 pieces all the while wishing I had used cacao instead of carob.

If it hadn't been for the snacking I could have called it a good day.

I'd like to bring up a thought or two on Larabars. The bars without chocolate or peanuts are raw. It is easy to make a better tasting homemade larabar, but there is a big downside to making your own, especially if your the only one in the house eating it. I probably eat the equivalent of one or more larabars taste testing the batch. Even if I hide it in the freezer it is still there calling my name. Since I want to lose weight having a batch of homemade larabar type candy is not a good idea. I have very little discipline when it comes to portion control and would likely binge on it. A larabar may not be an ideal raw food but, but it is a controled portion that keeps well.

Since what I've been doing is not working, it is time to switch things up a bit. I did some reading about curing gas, which I have more than my share of. This particular raw food advisor say to stop eating fats with sugar for one week and see if that doesn't help. I'm going to try it. Obviously, eating fats and sugars together is a huge part of why losing weight is such a challenge for me. Taking a break on that level may cure both problems.

It shouldn't be that hard. After all, it is not like I'm never going to get to make raw goodies again. I'm just taking a little break from them.

Wishing everyone a good weight releasing day. :)

snoops

05-19-2009, 11:43 AM

You're so right rawknitster. It shouldn't be that hard. For me and cheese either. It's just a week right!!:o We can do it. I'm with you.

rawgreenwitch

05-19-2009, 12:40 PM

I am in for whatever day, time, or hour.

I have been putting this off till Friday, which I keep telling myself is my start date. This is my birthday and I thought what a gift to myself and a way to start a new beginning.

So everyone lets do it before I need lap band surgery. :eek:

Green Blessings from a raw green witch.

RawKnitster

05-19-2009, 12:47 PM

This is my birthday and I thought what a gift to myself and a way to start a new beginning.

Happy Birthday! Raising my green smoothie glass to you and new beginnings. Cheers!

rawgreenwitch

05-19-2009, 12:58 PM

thanks Rawknitster

love your signature

Here's to hoping that excellent health is seeking us all.

RawKnitster

05-19-2009, 01:04 PM

You're so right rawknitster. It shouldn't be that hard. For me and cheese either. It's just a week right!!:o We can do it. I'm with you.

snoops, we are all in! :)

I just finished my first meal today; smoothie with mango, pineapple, banana, and kale. It tasted great.

Before making the smoothie I was cleaning up my fridge and found a container with two types of cacao treats stuck in the back. They were 2-3 weeks old, but smelled fine. At first I put them back in the fridge hoping they were still good and thinking I would taste them later. Then I grabbed them out and threw them in the compost bin. Whooppee! I feel so freeeeee!

I'm getting excited about the possibility of this being a very good week!

RawKnitster

05-19-2009, 01:07 PM

Here's to hoping that excellent health is seeking us all.

Absolutely! Our bodies want to be healthy and beautiful. And will be.

rawgreenwitch

05-19-2009, 01:25 PM

So it is almost noon here in California.

I am officially claiming it the witching hour for me.

So from this moment on I will be raw. No Cheats.

Is this a week challange?
Being over 50 for me means every week counts at this point. :)

snoops

05-19-2009, 01:29 PM

welcome to our challenge. It's not just for one week. But some of us have made mini goals for this first week. Mine is no cheese. My weakness and addiction and main reason I am not 100% raw.

You go rawknitster!! Chocolate in the compost though??:confused: I thought you shouldn't add fat to compost.

I am drinking my GS wishing I had some crackers or maybe a bagel from the coffee shop downstairs. The GS is filling but not satisfying for me. So will drink it first and maybe the fillingness of it will get my mind off the unsatisfyingness of it:cool:

RawKnitster

05-19-2009, 01:47 PM

My plan is to eliminate eating fats and sugars together for one week simply to prove I can do it. Fat, sugar, and cacao are my weakness. Must overcome. One week at a time.

snoops, our curbside garbage service has some strange rules that went into effect about a year ago. Almost everything except recycling and plastic goes in the compost/yard waste bin. Even meat, fish, and dairy. I would never put any of that in my personal compost.

RawKnitster

05-19-2009, 02:00 PM

I am drinking my GS wishing I had some crackers or maybe a bagel from the coffee shop downstairs. The GS is filling but not satisfying for me. So will drink it first and maybe the fillingness of it will get my mind off the unsatisfyingness of it:cool:

I know what you mean. I think about Victoria Boutenko's advice not to eat anything 40 minutes before or after your green smoothie in order to get the most nutritional benefit from the greens.

I forgot that I put 3 medjool dates in the fruit/kale smoothie I just finished. Very satisfying, but it was sooo good, I wish there was more.

snoops

05-19-2009, 02:29 PM

I dont know why I never thought about dates in a GS. WHat a great idea. SOmetimes I wish mine were a little sweeter. I use honey but maybe a date or two instead!! Awesome. I will try it tomorrow.

gabriele

05-19-2009, 02:41 PM

hmm, i never thought of dates in smoothies either. Thanks! Tired of always using bananas to sweeten them up.

snoops

05-19-2009, 03:02 PM

I tried banana once and thought it was awful. I use apple and some honey. I like bananas in my fruit smoothie but with the greens - ewww.

rawgreenwitch

05-19-2009, 06:47 PM

still staying raw today.
I had a green smoothie for lunch and some nuts and seeds for snack. It will be a big salad for dinner.
Blessings

snoops

05-19-2009, 07:21 PM

and that's 2 days without cheese for me. Yeah.:D

Tee42

05-19-2009, 08:23 PM

Good day today.

Green smoothie
avocado, banana, apple
huge salad with raw dressing
two Chinese cabbage leaves, almond butter, and raw jam
apple, raisins, walnuts and cinnamon and a drizzle of raw agave

RawKnitster

05-19-2009, 10:23 PM

Looks like a good raw day all around. :)

jaydee

05-19-2009, 10:43 PM

Amen! I'm trying to lose some weight and it seems the more I try, the more I gain!! I've had some problems with my ankle so I put working out on hold and got some x-rays taken. Today I got the news that I have arthritis in my ankle! Well, I'm not one to cry so I gotta an extra battle to fight now.

Tee42

05-20-2009, 04:48 AM

Rawknitster, it felt like a good day. I went to bed feeling satisfied but not stuffed.

Jaydee, sorry to hear about your ankle. I actually had signs of arthritis a few months ago - serious signs, like my one baby finger swelling four times its size at the joint. Food is what I use to control it and I can tell you it really works. I didn't think it was possible for a joint to go back to its former size once it was misshapen like that but it's back to normal now and stays normal unless I deviate too much from my plan. Maybe yours will respond too.

gabriele

05-20-2009, 07:46 AM

I'm sitting here this morning sipping my smoothie and there are cookies and cakes piled up everywhere. This being a hospital, we have the worst food, all junk, and it's everywhere.

Everyone else here seems to be doing great!! I am just feeling so tempted again, this is not a good feeling.....

snoops

05-20-2009, 09:21 AM

Oh don't get me wrong. I am not doing so great!! I am just not eating cheese. I seem to have substituted it with, oh just crackers or I bought a bag of chips which I am working my way through.

But I have not cut off any slabs of fat with those crackers and that was my deal for the week. Next week I will take away something else. And no, I won't be buying another bag of chips.:o

One day at a time. One thing at a time. Just keep drinking those green smoothies. Have you tried the dates yet? I will today. Don't even look at that crap they give people in hospitals. That's why they ended up there you know!!:eek:

rawgreenwitch

05-20-2009, 09:23 AM

Gabriele,
Just look at all those sick people around you and tell yourself there is no way you want to end up here in some hospital, besides working of course.

I worked in the health care field my whole life and the last place I want to be is inside some doctors office with a medical condition I could have fixed by eating raw.

I told my doctor after my yearly exam I don't plan on seeing him again and I am not going to be a fixture in his waiting room.
He didn't get it. :confused:

Well you know if you work in a hospital what I am talking about.
Step outside for a break and smell the fresh air. Don't be tempted you can do it. Here for your support.
Blessings.

gabriele

05-20-2009, 09:48 AM

Rawgreenwitch, thanks for the support. The more i learn here, the more amazed i am at what is fed to patients in hospitals. The very place where good nutrition should count the most.

Snoops, great going on the cheese. Your cheese is my chocolate. :( You are right, one thing at a time.

I'm going shopping tonight for some dates (never had them before) and if you think that's strange, here's another one: i have NEVER eaten an avocado in my whole life (55 years!!). I want to eat one, but don't know about ripening them or if i'll like that green, creamy flavor......do you buy them and let them ripen? How long? Then what? I need some avocado counseling here!!

Will also be checking out Naturtint, some natural hair dye from Spain that i see everywhere that gets great reviews.

snoops

05-20-2009, 10:04 AM

You should feel the avocado give a bit when you press it. You may just have to learn when it is ripe by trial and error. It should be creamy when you scoop it out. I just put some salt on it and eat it with a spoon. If its hard to scoop its not ripe enough and trust me you will know when its over ripe:eek: And sometimes you open one that you think will be perfect and its brown and mushy inside. I hate it when that happens.

If you get a good one, eat half and massage the other half onto cut up kale leaves with some olive oil and salt. It is my new favorite salad. Never thought I would eat kale raw (too bitter) till I tried this. You have to massage the leaves though so the avocado is all over them. Then you stand at the sink and lick your hand:D

rawgreenwitch

05-20-2009, 10:25 AM

Being from California I can tell you that the one fruit I can not live without is an avocado.

Last night for dinner I had Arugula, organic red onion, avocado.
Dressing was grape seed oil and and a vegan spice sprinkled on top. Love it soooooo much will also have again for dinner tonight.

Breakfast this morning is raw cereal and almond milk. YUM
I forgot to soak raw oat groats last night, but that is also a great breakfast.
I think the recipe is in Alissa Cohens book.
Will soak tonight for tomorrow.

I think lunch will be collard greens and raw almond butter.
I guess it is apparent that I love food.
Thank Goodness for raw.

Blessings

Mary Kay

05-20-2009, 11:29 AM

Geez, I went to answer RawKnitster on the Lara Bar thing...and here there's like three pages added with comments! I guess a lot of us need to lose some weight!

BTW, RawKnitster, I hear ya' on having the portion control in a pre-packaged thing....Hey, we all do what we've gotta do......

Folks, I've already lost just over two lbs in 2 days!!!!!!! Go figure. I worked out twice and even kind of pigged out yesterday. I'm definitely inspired.

Going out to harvest some wheatgrass and do some wild foraging for some dandelions, creeping charlie, and lots of stinging nettles coming up here in Ohio now. Am learning more about wild foraging. Have a book I bought in 1982, that was still like new. So I took two classes last summer and now betw the garden and wild stuff, will barely have to go buy greens at the grocery store this summer. Next winter I'm building hoop houses to have kale all winter..... I'm trying to be SOOO good.

Thanks for all the inspiration everyone.

Mary Kay

Mary Kay

05-20-2009, 11:37 AM

Gaby, I'm right there with you on the chocolate. I'm weaning and having a little less every day. Frankly though, I'm having some real dairy cravings...We have raw dairy - raw cheese, yogurt, kefir cream.....Oh, man...... I will allow myself some cacao or something once-a-week though. I think it's a great treat. But TREAT is the key word. My opinion...I know some people who believe themselves to be purists won't eat chocolate. I will in moderation. But maybe that's the addict in me talking! LOL.

Mary Kay

RawKnitster

05-20-2009, 11:48 AM

Good Morning to Everyone.

A few thoughts popped up while reading your posts. I would love to share them. Writing and sharing helps me a lot with my own struggle.

About the cravings we get to eat whatever our particular weakness is.... The one thing that worked to keep me raw I am now applying to the weight loss challenge. "Don't indulge the thought". It is from Alissa's book. It really works. Thinking about my cravings or trying to reason with myself about why I should NOT eat something was always a losing argument.

The way I understand it is the subconscious mind does not understand a negative. Think, "I am NOT going to eat any cake", and the image your subconscious mind gets is, "EAT CAKE".

Something else that helps to get past cravings for the junk food that always seems to be around is be determined not to eat any stale store bought baked goods. Think ahead to what wonderful thing you are going to have at your next raw meal.

The longer you go without indulging in your trigger food(s), the less attractive it will seem. Popcorn used to be my trigger food. I would be raw for awhile, then indulge and my raw world would crumble. Now, after a year raw (YEAH! I know it seems like a long time, but it isn't.) I can't stand the smell of popcorn. My husband has been making it lately and it is gross. I open all the windows and wonder how is it that I ever liked that smell.

Sorry, I'm so wordy this morning. Talking about all this is helping me get motivated for another good day. Wishing you all a good day. :)

Mary Kay

05-20-2009, 11:53 AM

Thanks for the inspiration, RawKnitster.

In Alissa's book one of the people wrote how they weren't even going to mention the specific foods that triggered them, so as not to get others started!

Mary Kay

rawgreenwitch

05-20-2009, 11:55 AM

Hi Mary Kay, :)

Recently I completed a class on raw foods. I love or use to love dairy and I can honestly say that I have lost the cravings.
Our raw food teacher turned us on to raw ice cream ALL RAW - check it out in your health food store. If I get a chance I will write down the name as I can not remember right now.
This may help with your dairy craving as it is really filling and expense too, that always helps to curve the craving.
As for the raw cheese, I have purchased but what the heck can you really do with the stuff?
You can't melt it on anything but eat it plain so this helped me give it up.
Well this is just a suggestion and I hope that it helps.
I am really inspired latley to give raw a 100% try as I know from experience that when I did I really lost the weight and felt so good.
Working my way back to health one raw day at a time.
Blessings.

RawKnitster

05-20-2009, 11:57 AM

I think maybe I just mentioned one. Sorry. :o

Mary Kay

05-20-2009, 12:39 PM

Oh Rawknitster...you just shush!!!!I did not mean anything by that statemet about us mentioning the foods......Please!!! HUGS

And Rawgreenwitch...I'm not talking about raw VEGAN cheese...I'm talking about raw dairy cheese. I am not a vegan, an am merely off the dairy as an experiment because I have vertigo/an ear problem and dairy may? be exacerbating it. Will not do any dairy for 6 wks.

I also believe...oh you're all going to hate me, that some cravings are there for a reason. Like you may need a little more fat etc. It's just that it should be REAL food. Now for many, the definitlion of real food is different LOL...Like if it's anything cooked some may consider it poison etc....

Better get off the puter and get some work done....LOL

We're all going to do great today.

Mary Kay

snoops

05-20-2009, 12:51 PM

I like that - "don't indulge the thought". I'm going to try it today.

rawgreenwitch

05-20-2009, 01:52 PM

Mary Kay,

Sorry to hear about your vertigo. :(

I believe I had this same problem last year and to top it off every time I went to lay down I would start spinning out.
I also had a friend who had the same problem. Luckily for me she had gone through it and I didn't feel alone.

It took time but it finally went away. Hope you get good results soon.

Susan123

05-20-2009, 01:59 PM

I haven't had a chance to check in here this week... I've done good with my weight loss since I started the May challenge and I've lost 6.5 pounds so far!! I'm thrilled beyond words!! I need to up (or start) my exercise program as I've always been bad about getting activity in!!

What I really like from Alissas book was "Eat when you're hungry and don't eat when you're not"!! It's soo true and who in the heck thought you could be filled up by raw foods. I was SURE I needed breads/grains to feel full. It's a great *light* feeling I've had since starting raw!! I LOVE it!!

gabriele

05-20-2009, 02:18 PM

Wow, this reminds me of a book i read a while ago, by a psychiatrist, about overeating.....he said that there is a voice in our heads (i know it's in my head, and it's MY voice) and he calls it your SUPER EGO, and this voice is very negative, always saying "go ahead and eat the cake", "you'll never succeed on your diet anyway", or "you will fail anyway, go ahead and cheat". It was very interesting, and helped me for a while. He called this superego "Harriet". He linked it to growing up and being corrected, being criticized, and your superego is that voice in adulthood, blaming and correcting you, and sabotaging your diet. I have to go dig out that book again.

I guess this voice is your inner self taking over what your parents did (correcting you) except that it is very negative .......i know my own voice says these very things, "eat the chocolate, you can start TOMORROW", (it's always tomorrow), or "eat all day long, the diet is ruined today anyway". Always negative and critical. And i have to either ignore the voice or argue with the voice, every day, because this voice wants chocolate every single day. :( I really don't like Harriet very much.

snoops

05-20-2009, 02:47 PM

And i have to either ignore the voice or argue with the voice, every day, because this voice wants chocolate every single day. :( I really don't like Harriet very much.

Oh so much like me...I am so sick of arguing daily with my Harriet. So sick of it. What I'm going to eat, when I'm going to eat. What I just ate and if it was "bad"...I just don't think that "normal" weight people think about food as much as I do.

I was on an antidepressant some years ago - Wellbutrin. It is also an anti obsessive/compulsive. It is used to help people stop smoking as well. Well for the first month or two I never thought about food. It was like, "wow its 2pm and I haven't had lunch yet. Better have something" I lost 10 lbs without even thinking about it. I remember thinking this is how normal people feel about food. Oh if it had only lasted. But of course it was a drug and they don't "fix" anything!!

I would love to find a natural way to turn Harriet off.

rawgreenwitch

05-20-2009, 03:48 PM

Now i know her name- Harriett. :eek:

I am really tired of Harriett -she has driven me insane for years.
How did she get into my head anyway? Who let her in?
She is negative, evil, and self destructing.
She always looks for excuses and gives in very easily.
She is forever looking for the easy way.
Her favorite line is Diet Tomorrow.

Lets come up with a plan to get rid of Harriett.

Now that we know who we are up against can we work together on getting her to leave permanently?

gabriele

05-20-2009, 04:47 PM

The scary thing is........Harriett is US!!! :((

It is your own voice ruining your day/life/diet.

Hmmm, what helped me when i was learning about Harriett was to fight back (in my head of course), when she said "go ahead and eat some chocolate" i said "NO!! go away!! shut up!" and thought to myself "you are the enemy and you don't want what's good for me" and then i ignored her. When i felt like i was fighting back against someone it felt better, otherwise i couldn't understand these impulses to eat.

(i sound like some kind of psycho now)

it seemed to work.

rawgreenwitch

05-20-2009, 05:27 PM

thats OK if you sound like a psycho, just think what people will think as I am walking down the street or where ever I am telling Harriet to shut up. :rolleyes:

This sounds like it just might work.
How is everyone doing so far today?

jaydee

05-20-2009, 08:59 PM

Tee42

05-20-2009, 09:07 PM

This is one super busy thread. I'm having trouble keeping up with it. :)
I had a long challenging day today and wanted to cheat but didn't give in. I wrote a little about it in my blog.

Green smoothie
Avocado, banana and apple
ounce cashews and 3 dates
4 cabbage leaves with raw almond butter and raw jam

Tee42

05-20-2009, 09:15 PM

Thanks for the support, Tee42. Wow! It's good to hear that you've got it under control. I started my workout program today, started taking MSM, and added some flax seed oil in my smoothie so...we'll see!

You're welcome. I hope you have as much success as I have.

RawKnitster

05-20-2009, 10:18 PM

Feeling challenged at the moment. After dinner is tough. It was an excellent meal (I'm going to blog about it later) and I'm full, full, full. "Harriet" is screaming at me to have a little bite or three of something sweet. I absolutely refuse, yet couldn't trust myself to hang out in the kitchen with the family. Came here to deal with it. Hopefully it will pass. In a few minutes I will go brush my teeth. If my "dessert" fixation has not passed by then I'll take the dog for a walk. Should do that anyway.

Hope everyone had a great day and you are all looking forward to an even better day tomorrow. :)

gabriele

05-21-2009, 07:07 AM

Good morning everyone!! I am sipping my smoothie today: coconut milk, raspberries, banana and flaxseed. I bought some avocados last night, now i'm watching them to see what they do. They are mysterious little buggers aren't they? I don't think they're ripe yet. Also bought the last container of dates, not sure about them either. (Can you tell i've eaten chocolate my whole life? THAT i am an expert on). It's funny when i think how most of us have grown up eating......my mom worked full time her entire life and had dinner on the table every night on time. It was ALWAYS some kind of meat or fish, with some processed potato or rice, and some totally cooked, limp spinach or vegetable barely identifiable. And some processed dessert. She did the best she could, those were considered healthy dinners then. I never had an avocado or actually an artichoke either now that i think of it. I evolved over the years to totally eat chocolate and junk food.

Anyway, my Harriett is totally quiet today, just completely gone, i wonder where she went? What is everyone else up to??

snoops

05-21-2009, 08:44 AM

Determined to have a good day too. I had such wicked heartburn last night. I won't tell you what I had before I went to bed. But its another one off my list. No cheese yet, so that is good but I feel that I am compensating by eating other stuff that I might not have if I had allowed myself a couple pieces of cheese. Its like Harriet is saying, "so, no cheese eh? Well watch me defeat you in other ways". I won't let her win. I will just strike things off the list of what I can eat till I am all raw.

Have a great day everyone. Slap a piece of duct tape over Harriets mouth if she dares make a peep:D

rawgreenwitch

05-21-2009, 08:54 AM

Good Morning,

Looks like a beautiful day here in California as far as the weather.
No earthquakes yet this morning and the state is broke.
When people ask me what state do you live in I always want to say the state of insanity. :D

Perhaps Harriett is originally from California. ;)

I have a frig full of organic oranges so I am trying to figure out if I want to juice them this morning or just eat as a mono meal.

Not much left in the frig as I got rid of anything that Harriett might try to tempt me with and I haven't been shopping since I got back from Colorado visiting my son and daughter-in-law.

I think that I will have my husband take a before picture of me tomorrow, then I will duplicate and scare myself into raw submission. :rolleyes:

Harriett will be posted all over the kitchen - my husband the raw green monster :D will probably give up food all together.

Just trying to be funny this morning.
Really hope you all have a wonderful day.

Green Blessings.

Shoney

05-21-2009, 10:32 AM

Thank you so much for starting this thread!! It's exactly what I need right now. I'm totally addicted to chocolate and cheese. Lovely, lovely Tillamook cheese (oops, sorry, hope I'm not putting temptation out there for you to trip over!)

The cheese thing for me can be beat with the raw version, can't remember the exact recipe but it's sunflower seeds, a red bell pepper, garlic, onion, sea salt, brewer's yeast and water. It's best if the seeds have soaked over night and you use a combination of sunflower seeds and pine nuts. Pine nuts, however, are nearly the price of gold, so maybe there's a substitute I'm not aware of.

Chocolate. It's so sad, but when I make my raw chocolate cookies I am prone to use Hershey's baking powder. I know, I know, I'll consider myself reprimanded for even saying it! I'd love to use the raw chocolate powder, but simply cannot afford it at this time. But my raw cookies are made from raw oats, honey, vanilla, a dash of salt and sesame seeds, and a combination of your favorite nut butters. Clearly not for hourly eating if we're going for weight loss, but when the worst of the cravings hit it has gotten me through. OH, that and dates.

So. My current weight is 167, up 16 pounds from Christmas. My goal weight is 105-117 (I'm short and small boned), though my shorter term goal weight is mid 140s by July 15th.

I look forward to reading more posts, seeing how we all do.

What are your motives for the weight loss?

Mine are simply to be in a thin body for the first time in my life. I've always been a few pounds over, though after my second child was born those "few pounds" became over 30. Yikes! And I'd like to be healthy. The older I get the more it seems that the extra weight makes me look even older than I am.

I also have a treadmill at long last. Plan to use it if I can just figure out where to put the laundry that currently resides there . . .:)

Shoney

05-21-2009, 10:44 AM

i mentioned a food temptation. . .sorry!

Harriet, huh? Yeah, I know her, in fact I think sometimes I AM her because I start the day, the week, month, whatever with all these good goals - like actually using my treadmill, going raw, etc., and in one day the goals are replaced with I can't change, not going to happen, just one more day.

No more "somedays." I'll live in the now, with my avocadoes and raw lemonade and sort-of raw chocolate cookies, with my gargantuan green salads and a zit or three as I detox. I'll live in the now with overeating sometimes on raw because at least I'll BE raw, and when my head and body understand we're going to get enough on raw, it will be relaxed and natural to eat less.

Love this thread. So very encouraging, and lots of others who write a lot. I find writing therapeutic as it helps me sorts my thoughts, glad that seems to be true for others as well.

Hurray for all of us!

snoops

05-21-2009, 10:57 AM

my raw chocolate cookies I am prone to use Hershey's baking powder.

What are your motives for the weight loss?

Would you share the recipe with us?

I have a whole swack of clothes that are size 16. They are "just" too tight. And 18 is a little large. I only need to lose 15 lbs to fit the 16's. Of course 14's would be my goal but even fitting all the 16's I have would be perfect too. That is my motivation. Obviously the top motivation is health but that is my vain motivation!!:D

RawKnitster

05-21-2009, 11:06 AM

Shoney

05-21-2009, 11:27 AM

Well, I um don't have a recipe, just a combination of ingredients I put in the mixer until it tastes right (in general this is how I cook!). I go for a thick chocolate cookie dough texture and taste.

The basic ingredients are:
almond and/or cashew butter, raw oats, dates, honey and/or agave to taste, a dash of sea salt, a tablespoon or two of sesame seeds, and enough chocolate powder to make it as dark as I want it (which tends to be dark!) If it gets too thick add some agave. The first time I made this it was simply from a craving and it was so good I didn't believe I'd ever make baked cookies again.

The sesame adds a nice flavor, the sea salt helps with the "real" cookie taste. I just throw it all in the mixer, putting the almond butter and oats in first, and blast the smithereens out of it. When it tastes the way I want it to, I roll the dough into balls and refrigerate them. They'll stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week if they're securely covered. Mine don't last that long! Another version is to do peanut butter cookies, take out the chocolate and use raw peanut butter instead.

Let me know how it turns out!

rawgreenwitch

05-21-2009, 11:28 AM

my motivation: health
I have see so many around me that I love/loved
but because of their life style habits/choices took on diseases that could of been prevented.

I don't want at my age to be a burden to my family -
what I want, as to quote Auntie Mame, is to live live live.

Everyday I feel stronger in reaching my goal - especially since I joined this thread and site.

Green Blessings.

Shoney

05-21-2009, 11:30 AM

Motives for weight loss. ... There are many because of all the problems associated with obesity.

My biggest motive right now is I'm tired. Just plain tired. I figure the extra weight I carry is the equivalent of lugging around two 30 pound suitcases every minute of every day. Is it any wonder I'm tired? :rolleyes:

I want to be able to walk up stairs briskly without feeling like I'm breathing hard.

I read that overweight people tend to have more muscles because they are essentially weight lifting all day. Can't remember which doctor said that.

Yeah, tired of being tired! And the "little" aches and pains, like my knee will hurt sometimes for no apparent reason. Could it be I' 50 pounds overweight? Duh . . . might have something to do with it!

gabriele

05-21-2009, 11:55 AM

Welcome in here, Shoney! I also read that about overweight people having the one advantage of having strong muscles AND bones because of carrying around all that extra weight. So i must be extremely strong. And because you (and a lot of other people have it) have your goal weight and current weight under your signature i'm going to be brave and post mine, even though it's really embarassing. :((

My reason for losing weight is obviously my health is going to deteriorate if i don't do something right now. I had a cardiac cath a year ago (in the hospital where i work) - long story, found nothing, but it was a health scare and the doc wanted me to take a statin drug. I researched it, and have been reading ever since. Didn't take the drug or any other drug. And in all the reading i did i only recently stumbled across the fact that meat-eating is the single worst source of global warming, i never knew this. I think the general public doesn't know this. For that reason, and love of animals, and for my health, i have quit eating meat, then i discovered the raw philosophy and so on. The best book i've ever read in my life is "Food Revolution" by John Robbins, highly recommended. It just covers everything.

now let me go and figure out how to post my embarassing weights on the bottom here....... ugh

Mary Kay

05-21-2009, 12:00 PM

Shoney and all,

The raw cacao is expensive but a better alternative to Hershey's (which can actually end up being cheaper), is to buy organic cocoa powder from Frontier. One lb is something like $7 - $8.. You can get some raw cacao and raw carob from Alissa and then mix them with the og cocoa powder from Frontier. This is what I'm going to do.

Frontier is an awesome company. They have og spirulina, which is something like $25/lb, of course lots of organic spices, but a couple things which raw foodies would like are spinach powder and dried tomatoes as well as tomato powder. Don't quote me, but the tomatoes are something ike $8/lb, but the tomato powder is something like $15/lb. If you've dried your own tomatoes, you can see how this is a deal. The powder is REALLY handy. Like put it on zucchini chips, spiralize some squash or zuke noodles and sprinkle on, easier on your Vita Mix when making raw spaghetti sauce, than using the dried pieces.... etc etc.
they have dried nettles, dandelion......Youu can make your own (cheaper ) green powders. Of course, fresh is better, but in the winter or when no time etc... Often, when I make raw cookies for my kids I add a bit of spirulina and the spinach powder if out of fresh spinach, no time etc.

Check them out. If you order over $250, it's free shipping. A couple friends and I get together.

HTH,

Mary Kay

Mary Kay

05-21-2009, 12:03 PM

LOL, I hear ya' on the substitution thing. Last night I made almond milk and drank a quart didn't know my belly could fit that much........

I also ate too many nuts yesterday. Sigh...Will be better today though.

Mary Kay

snoops

05-21-2009, 12:04 PM

That's too funny that you posted your weights gaby, because before I got to your post I was thinking oh what the heck - post the weight. Let's have it out there for everyone to see. So I will too.

As for the motivation, I think I posted too quickly earlier. Obviously I wanted to lose weight to look better but with a mother past on from kidney cancer(and she had breast cancer when she was 33), a father dying of prostate cancer, a sister in law (50 years young) dying from gall bladder cancer, I am terrified of the disease and being overweight add to the risk factors for it.

I get so mad (in my mind) at my Dad for how he eats and how he's not taken care of his body (and he was a doctor) and then I realize I had better get my own house in order first.

OK here go the weights:eek::eek::eek::o

Shoney

05-21-2009, 12:06 PM

Shoney

05-21-2009, 12:10 PM

Shoney and all,

The raw cacao is expensive and a better alternative to Hershey's, which can actually end up being cheaper is to buy organic cocoa powder from Frontier. One lb is something like $7 - $8..

THANK YOU!!! I will look into this immediately

snoops

05-21-2009, 12:10 PM

OK, computer illiterate here:o

I edited signature, saved signature, nothing??

Anyone? I finally got an avatar though:rolleyes:

OH - there it is!!!!!!!!! I just had to post again. Opps.

rawgreenwitch

05-21-2009, 12:22 PM

I will have to wait to post my weight as I do not own a scale. I am too scared. :confused:

CW: Unknown
GW: 125-135

gabriele

05-21-2009, 12:55 PM

Just so nobody has to ever feel embarassed, ten years ago i weighed 345 pounds. I lost it all through walking and dieting.

I figure at 250 or so i'm still larger than most of you!! :((

gabriele

05-21-2009, 01:15 PM

ok, i'm getting very frustrated over here.....

i have tried and tried, i can't seem to "quote" anyone.....

i hit the QUOTE button but even when i highlight something it quotes the whole text, and never looks like when other people quote.....

what am i doing wrong? help?

rawgreenwitch

05-21-2009, 01:17 PM

Gabriele - you are a dear to be so honest.

I want to post a picture of me tomorrow and hopefully I won't have to start a new thread as this raw green witch will be - here goes, 60 tomorrow.

I want to stay in the 50 and over.

I want to show what it looks like to be 60 and working towards 100% raw, but I guess I can't do it here. Does anyone know?

Hopefully my before will get me and others motivated for that day when we take the after look even at 60.

snoops

05-21-2009, 01:48 PM

Gaby - hit the quote button and then write what you want below it. If you don't want the whole quote erase what you don't want(ie. highlight and backspace) but do not erase the quote and brackets at the start and finish. Hope that helps.

Re: your high weight - I am awesomely impressed that you lost so much so far. You must feel fantastic. You can keep going, just do it!

Rawgreenwitch - you most certainly do not need to start a new thread. Is it your b-day tomorrow? Stay with us.

Everyone - I am also going to take a "before" picture today but will not post it till I have an after one. LOL

snoops

05-21-2009, 01:52 PM

The cheese thing for me can be beat with the raw version,

Thank you for this - I have cashews soaking right now. I have had the recipe for a while and just never tried it. Maybe it will do it for me. I'll let you know.

gabriele

05-21-2009, 02:26 PM

gabriele

05-21-2009, 02:27 PM

thank you Snoops!!!

i also added smiley faces next to my weights!! this is so much fun....

RawKnitster

05-21-2009, 02:30 PM

As for the motivation, I think I posted too quickly earlier. Obviously I wanted to lose weight to look better but with a mother past on from kidney cancer(and she had breast cancer when she was 33), a father dying of prostate cancer, a sister in law (50 years young) dying from gall bladder cancer, I am terrified of the disease and being overweight add to the risk factors for it.

I'm so sorry that your family is struggling with so much cancer. That is some serious motivation and the best reason ever to eat healthy plant foods.

Have you heard about or read "The China Study"? The short version is that Dr. Campbell has proven eating over 10% of our calories in animal products is where our defense against cancer starts to shut down. I think he said at 22% it completely shuts down and cancer cells run rampant. His findings show that errant genes and predisposition to cancer can be controlled by eliminating animal fats and protein.

RawKnitster

05-21-2009, 02:31 PM

snoops, love the new avatar pic!

snoops

05-21-2009, 02:53 PM

I did just finish "The China Study". A must read for anyone wanting to be healthy and probably what has me even more motivated to stop eating cheese -my only animal protein.

Thanks re: the avatar - Snoopy is my beagle's name.

Off to work. I work 3-7 somedays and that really helps me with the eating - not being home in the late afternoon.

Tee42

05-21-2009, 08:36 PM

i have tried and tried, i can't seem to "quote" anyone.....

I cheat. I cut and paste what I want to quote into the posting box, highlight it and hit the Quote icon and voila! Quote.

Another good day. I'm happily enjoying a string of them.

Green smoothie

Avocado and fruit

Dried apricots and cashews

Cabbage nut butter and jam

Tiny bit of Japanese Delight and was it every delightful. I'll enjoy more tomorrow for lunch or dinner.

I almost bought tea three times this afternoon but in the end I left without it.

Have a good evening everyone. I'm very sleepy and ready for bed.

snoops

05-21-2009, 09:35 PM

hope everyone had a good day. Day 4 no cheese for me:D

I tried the raw cheddar cheese with cashews, bell pepper, nutritional yeast, garlic etc. It was OK. Not cheese by any stretch but OK. I think I could use it as a substitute. It had lemon juice so was quite tart and I like gruyere and swiss type cheeses the best. Now I need to find a good cracker recipe cause I ate it with SAD crackers:o. I have tried a couple raw cracker recipes and not been too excited.

WOW, if I can not eat cheese - that will be huge. I'm so excited.

Going off to research some other fake cheese recipes...

snoops

05-21-2009, 09:36 PM

Cabbage nut butter and jam

do tell...cabbage and nut butter...really??

That almost sounds good, if it didn't sound so weird;)

RawKnitster

05-22-2009, 12:14 AM

Snoops, Good job on Day 4 without cheese!

I like the cheese recipe by Tiggerbounce. Very similiar to the "bomb". I put tigger's sauce in the dehydrator and made american cheese slices. It was so good I ate it right out of the dehydrator.

Raw Chees-its are a super cracker. They have the cheesiness built in. :)

Tee, Good day indeed!

gabriele

05-22-2009, 06:46 AM

Morning everyone, it's Friday!!!

Tee42, you seem to be doing really well. Do you just scoop out the avocado and eat it that way? I'm still observing the ones i bought......

Snoops, i've read that cheese is the hardest thing to give up. And the hardest thing to recreate. For me, the chocolate, and nothing can replace it for me, so i just have to avoid it.

RawKnitster, i have to read The China Study, it's next on my list at Amazon. I'm reading Healthy at 100 by John Robbins, same information. Just amazing that all this disease and sickness is connected to eating animal products. Too bad more people don't know about this.....

Tee42

05-22-2009, 08:56 AM

Tee42, you seem to be doing really well. Do you just scoop out the avocado and eat it that way? I'm still observing the ones i bought......

That's exactly what I've been doing. I know it's a lot of fat but for me, where I am in this journey right now it seems to be what I need to stay raw. I tried a very low fat diet and honestly really struggled with it. I just felt awful - flat and tired all the time. I'm not condoning high fat eating but I think I'm still healing and for whatever reason that extra fat is helping.

do tell...cabbage and nut butter...really??

That almost sounds good, if it didn't sound so weird

Yep, Chinese cabbage. I find it to be tender and almost sweet. I love using it as a bread substitute. It's cruciferous and I try to have cruciferous vegetables daily for my joints. That's what really took the swelling down and seems to keep it down.

Snoops, Good job on Day 4 without cheese!

I second the notion! Excellent!

I like the cheese recipe by Tiggerbounce. Very similiar to the "bomb". I put tigger's sauce in the dehydrator and made american cheese slices. It was so good I ate it right out of the dehydrator.

Raw Chees-its are a super cracker. They have the cheesiness built in.

I'm going to have to do a search for these recipes. I seem to be entering into that simpler eating pattern that Alissa talks about in her book but raw crackers are something I really enjoy and the cheese might be nice with vegetables too.

Off to have a green smoothie. I'll check back in later.

rawgreenwitch

05-22-2009, 09:55 AM

good morning everyone.

Doing great had oat groats - raw recipe for breakfast
Lunch will be a chocolate shake - raw recipe.
My grandsons loved this recipe.

Dinner will be at my raw food teachers house a raw pot luck.

I am hoping to have my husband take a before picture of me today. I will also take a picture of the raw strawberry pie I am talking to the pot luck.

More Later.

RawKnitster

05-22-2009, 10:18 AM

If you have any trouble finding the recipes let me know. I think they will pop up with a banana search.

I'm feelng highly motivated and excited about life today. Gotta run.

Everyone have a great, raw weekend.

Mary Kay

05-22-2009, 11:44 AM

RawKnitster, I can't find that cheese recipe by Tiggerbounce and looked ll over the place. You know where it is? .

And yep, my family has also used Romaine (aka Cos) as well as the Chinese cabbage instead of bread for sandwiches. We call them "boats." The kids, 6 y.o. twins, love it when we have "tacos" or we call it "going to Subway" - and I keep everything separate and they get to choose and make their own boats by piling on this-or-that..

I grew some of the Chinese cabbage last year and planted it in August (late) and harvested it after it had been under the snow, then forgot about it in a drawer in the fridge (in a paper bag), and lo and behold, it was still good after 6 or more weeks, except for the outer leaves. Will plant more this fall and store in a tupperware in pine shavings in the root cellar. Very hearty/mild stuff! And boy, even though I totally abused it, it was still good! You al should plant some!

Pls don't be mad at me everyone, but re the China Study etc. Pls look at Dr. Weston Price's studies. In the 1930's he travelled the world over to find the healthiest pple on the planet. He figured they'd be vegetarians.....And was shocked to find the healthiest people did eat a plant-based diet which included small amts of meat/fish, insects, eggs, milk.....er, animal products.

And you know how fruitarians and vegans have had many dental probs and they often talk about the care of their teeth ---these who ate the small amts of animal products in his study, DID NOT brush their teeth at all. They had black/greenish slime on their teeth and NO CAVITIES and their teeth were straight. .

I didn't come here to promote meat eating, I swear! Just wanted the newbies know that there's another side to this. And when looking at the meat studies, you have to look at the quality of the meat, how raised, hormones, deep fried, etc....

Mind you, health or no health, many do not want to eat/use animals in any way for moral reasons ---and I totally respect this. I was a vegetarian for 20 yrs and my dh still is. We were not vegan though.

Mary Kay

Mary Kay

05-22-2009, 11:54 AM

Now that you all hate me!!! LOL, thought I'd post about my weight-loss...since that IS what this thread is supposed to be about!!

I've lost oh 2 1/2 lbs this week. I've cut down on the fat somewhat, but still pigged out on nuts. I'm weaning off chocolate, and am making some choc avocado pudding for the kids and I'm going to have a tiny bit, and this will be my last day of the "wean." I'm going to allow myself some sort of cacao/choc etc once-a-week as a treat ONLY. That will be tough.

Other than that, my only difference is that I've cut out dairy completely. Er, almost completely - yesterday I licked the yogurt spoon....Im still feeling guilty about it. Guilty not because I ate an animal product, but because I'm trying to do an experiment to see if my inner ear whackout is helped by no dairy.

Now I'm thinking that sugar is contributing to it too. Of course, I don't mean sugar, the white stuff, just honey , too many dates, etc.....sigh.

Well, off to have my choc pudding.

Love this group. Don't feel so all alone with it. Thanks everyone.

Mary Kay

Tee42

05-22-2009, 12:30 PM

Cheese Sauce (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=48839)

and

Chees-its (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=39748)

I just put some onion bread in my dehydrator. It's actually a cracker recipe a friend sent me but I take it out of the dehydrator early enough that it has a soft bread-like feel to it.

gabriele

05-22-2009, 03:20 PM

R
Pls don't be mad at me everyone, but re the China Study etc. Pls look at Dr. Weston Price's studies. In the 1930's he travelled the world over to find the healthiest pple on the planet. He figured they'd be vegetarians.....And was shocked to find the healthiest people did eat a plant-based diet which included small amts of meat/fish, insects, eggs, milk.....er, animal products.

Mary Kay

Hmmm, i remember reading the Weston Price website a while back. They believe in meat and egg eating in general, right? My personal belief is that people evolved to eat meat when the had to, to survive, but that our bodies are not designed to digest and process it, the way a carnivore is. Of course, nobody really knows, we are all speculating and trying to figure out the best way.

I also always figured people who ate mostly fruit have dental problems because of the acidic nature and high sugar content of a lot of fruit.

About the meat again, probably those people at so little meat, and had so many veggies and fiber to adequately "wash" it through their intestines, before it had a chance to do any damage.

gabriele

05-22-2009, 03:22 PM

Now that you all hate me!!! LOL, thought I'd post about my weight-loss...since that IS what this thread is supposed to be about!!

I've lost oh 2 1/2 lbs this week.
Mary Kay

Nobody hates you!! I hate censorship, say whatever you like! I won't collapse if someone mentions meat. GREAT job on the 2 1/2 pounds!! Hopefully next saturday i will have something to announce also.

gabriele

05-22-2009, 03:26 PM

I am in for whatever day, time, or hour.

I have been putting this off till Friday, which I keep telling myself is my start date. This is my birthday a

Is today your birthday??? HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, hope you have a great day!!!

rawgreenwitch

05-22-2009, 03:43 PM

Yes, today is my 60th birthday and thank ,thank you for the remembering me my new raw food friend.
I am going to try to get my dh to take a picture of me and of the raw strawberry pie that I am taking tonight to the raw food pot luck.

This is the day of a new beginning for me. Although Harriett has been whispering in my ear for me to START TOMORROW - I have been strong.

Thank You Again,

Patricia

snoops

05-22-2009, 04:37 PM

Happy Birthday Patricia!!

Well I made it 5 days. I don't feel particularly deprived but that is because I compensated by eating other crap. I guess next week I leave the cheese on the forbidden list and add maybe chips and SAD crackers to it. Those are what I ate too much of this week. I think it will be much harder than this week. Maybe not - I'm going to give it a shot.

I was reading through Alissa's book last night looking for more cheese recipes. If you haven't looked at it in a while, I recommend it. It had been about 6 months since I read through it and the testimonials were very encouraging for me. I went to sleep renewed in my fight to be raw. Maybe it should e required reading every night before sleep.

Hope you all have a good weekend. I plan to try the onion bread again, maybe leaving it in a little longer to see if I can get a cracker out of it. I also have 4 perfect avocados waiting for me to do something with them. And its finally to be a nice weekend here so I will be out on my bike burning calories. Will weight in on Monday.

rawgreenwitch

05-22-2009, 05:07 PM

Thanks Snoops for the birthday wish.

I just made a dip with avocados and spinach - it is Alissa's book. I love it.
Chips have always been my downfall - so I have tried switching over to raw flax chips that I purchased and raw Kale chips. Not the same but given time they do replace. I have purchased other raw chips and they are so expensive - maybe this is the trick - they cost so much you finally give up.
Have a wonderful evening.
Patricia

Shoney

05-22-2009, 06:42 PM

Came home today from work with a killer headache that returned after I initially tried to medicate it with Pepsi. duh. Came roaring back to life, sat down and reread 95% of Alissa's book in 2 hours. My baby girl (okay, she's 5, but still) fell asleep and I went to the kitchen thinking I'd get a few things out of the fridge/cupboards and into the garbage.

Here we are an hour or so later, and the fridge is the cleanest it's ever been, the most serious offenders food-wise are in the garbage (3 huge garbage sacks and counting), and I'm realizing just how much raw I really do have! Oddly, the past few months the fridge has been warehousing food we don't eat. Like pork. Eggs. Yuck.

I have reorganized the fridge into fruits, vegetables, and my transition food of organic hummus from the HFS. The things I can't bear to throw away, like cheese and fav deli meat, are on the bottom mentally marked as "dog food."

Didn't weigh myself this morning, but I will tomorrow.

This is it, ladies! I am going 100% raw. No more planning, dreaming or hoping. No more somedays.

My daughter is going out tonight with friends; I plan to go get some goodies like avos and a watermelon, maybe some lemons and more greens. Got to be able to make guac this weekend. I can live on guac and salad for a loooong time.

While I was reading Alissa's book I looked up to notice how messy my room is, like permanently messy in a quasi-functional way. I realized this is how I feel about my whole life: I have a lot of what I want, I just don't have the energy or whatever to keep it organized in a sane manner. That's going to change, it IS changing, and it's started with my fridge.

Who-hoo!

At the HFS I also got some bee pollen to help with my allergies, which have my nose permanently red. Any suggestions for how to use it would be helpful!

Happy weekend everyone!

snoops

05-22-2009, 06:52 PM

You can do it Shoney!! Do it with us:D

Shoney

05-22-2009, 07:02 PM

I'm here, I'm really, really here and feeling it all the way through me. Amazing, even through the detox headache coming off diet caffeinated pop I am joyous when I think of my fridge, when I read people's posts - whether they are having a good day or not, because I know we're all in this together.

Shoney

Tee42

05-22-2009, 07:18 PM

Happy Birthday Patricia!

Shoney, you can do it!

Someone, not sure who at this point made note of the fact that this is actually supposed to be a weight loss thread. That made me wonder whether or not I really should be part of this challenge.

I do want to lose weight BUT it's honestly not my priority right now. I'm more interested in getting off Tea so I can be 100% raw - that's going super well.
I'm also interested in continuing to regain my health. I know that if I do those two things the weight loss will be automatic. I have coincidentally been losing weight - it's verrrry verrrrry slow loss but it's consistent.

I had a really good day today. Good eating overall and very productive.

snoops

05-22-2009, 07:35 PM

Tee42 - whoever needs to be here can be here.

I just had a terrible hour. How can an hour be so bad, ruin my whole day, my whole week?

I love to cook. Not uncook unfortunately - that hasnt done it for me. I love to do gourmet cooking. So I made a recipe for dinner. Not raw. But vegan for me, with added shrimp for my family. Surely one serving wouldn't ruin it for me. Ha.

Polenta with chilis, corn with a red pepper puree. And shrimp for the guys. So I had my serving and then as I was cleaning up I had about three more. The polenta just sucked me into the pot. I can clearly see the addiction when I do things like that. So if I can't just have a bit, what am I going to do about my passion - cooking? My husband always tells my son, don't think your wife will be like this - no one else cooks like this!! LOL

I just feel sick right now. Because I ate so much and because I don't think I can do this. I had really hoped I could be raw all week and then maybe do a couple gourmet meals on the weekends. But not if I eat three servings and feel like crap after. That's not healthy.

I am so sad right now. And you see whenever I do this, I say oh that's OK I'll just start again tomorrow. Always tomorrow:(

I posted this in another thread but it is something we should read here, just in case you don't look elsewhere.

http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/200906-omag-beck-diet

Tee42

05-22-2009, 07:49 PM

Awww Snoops. I'm sorry you had such a rough time. Is it easier for you to not overeat if you're 100%? If so this might be a sign.

If you love gourmet cooking maybe you could get into preparing some of the more complicated Raw desserts and dehydrator recipes.

I'm off to check the other thread you linked to but please know that I'm wishing you well as you move ahead.

gabriele

05-22-2009, 08:00 PM

That made me wonder whether or not I really should be part of this challenge.

I do want to lose weight BUT it's honestly not my priority right now. I'm more interested in getting off Tea so I can be 100% raw - that's going super well.
I'm also interested in continuing to regain my health. I know that if I do those two things the weight loss will be automatic. I have coincidentally been losing weight - it's verrrry verrrrry slow loss but it's consistent.

Please!! Don't you go anywhere!! I think we are all in different places. Different goals. Health is the most important, after all, weight loss will follow....

Tee42

05-22-2009, 08:01 PM

gabriele

05-22-2009, 08:08 PM

Tee42 -
I just had a terrible hour. How can an hour be so bad, ruin my whole day, my whole week?
The polenta just sucked me into the pot.

I just feel sick right now. Because I ate so much and because I don't think I can do this. I had really hoped I could be raw all week and then maybe do a couple gourmet meals on the weekends.

http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/200906-omag-beck-diet

Yeah, this is my problem too, but not with cooked food, with snack food. Always tomorrow, and the disappointment you feel when you blow it again. I read somewhere that it doesn't take days or weeks, but mostly months and YEARS to go completely raw. I mean, i'm 55 years old, it's over half a century of eating SAD food, how can i, or you, completely change this quickly and without slip ups?

You can do this and here's another thought i just had: I always read everywhere (not here though) that willpower will get you nowhere, that you don't need willpower, etc etc, but this thinking doesn't help me, i NEED to have willpower, all the time. There is temptation everywhere, we need to toughen up our willpower if we are easily tempted. I don't think i'm expressing this well...... i mean, if you think it's just going to come easily, to avoid the polenta, then you might slip. If you toughen up your willpower, like exercising, making it stronger every day, that will help, i think.

gabriele

05-22-2009, 08:11 PM

I actually worked through Martha Beck's diet book with a group of women and
found it full of contradiction. She promises to free you from thinking about food but then she has you set up a system that requires that you do nothing but think about food and eating! It felt to me as if I was working on developing an eating disorder.

When I was 100% raw on the other hand I literally ate when I was hungry and pretty much didn't think about food except when deciding what I wanted to prepare each weekend. I had energy to burn, my weight dropped and stabilized and I looked and felt younger. I want that back! Then I went back to school, burned myself out and it all fell apart, which is why I'm not totally raw now.

Sorry everyone for writing so much tonight! But this is so true, we have forgotten how to eat! We are the only animal that doesn't instinctively know what to eat. We rarely know what true hunger is. We have debates on what to eat, what not to eat, when to eat, what to combine it with and we are fixated on it. True, just eat when hungry, i wish i could just do that. Ok, turning off computer now.

Susan123

05-23-2009, 07:23 AM

Great jon on the weight loss, Mary Kay!!

Since going raw (this month) I've lost 6.5 pounds!!

I actually had to go out and get some new clothes yesterday!! Many of my clothes are WAY too big on me. I'm *thrilled* to report that I can now wear a size 10 pants and a medium shirt (mostly, depends on the chest factor). I started off at Goodwill and got a pair of capris and six shirts for $16!! They are all like-new looking and name brands like VanHuesen, Ann Taylor, Worthington, etc. I'm very picky! After Goodwill I went to Kohls and got 2 more pairs of capris (or are they long, long shorts, I don't know) and a $5.40 clearance purse. Now, I need to put my spending bug to rest!! :D I would really like to hit all the thrift stores and see if I can find a juicer (mine died last week). I'm reading "eat to Live" and he stresses smoothies so maybe I should just stick with what I have. Either way, it's fun to thrift shop and see what goodies you can get for such little moolah!!

Last night we went to Jasons Deli and I had the salad bar and ate some cooked food (crackers, seeds and a bit of hummus), but otherwise I've been keeping to the raw all week. I seem to splurge a bit on the weekend and need to *just do it* and KEEP that 5% away from my thoughts!! It seems so hard going out to eat. I feel like I need to pack a "to go" bag of goodies for my car so I'm prepared to be outside of the comforts of my little house!

Have a great weekend, ladies!!

Mary Kay

05-23-2009, 08:50 AM

Susan 123...QUIT BUYING CLOTHES!!!!!

You're only going to shrink out of those too!!! LOL

Good job.

Mary Kay

Mary Kay

05-23-2009, 08:59 AM

AWWW Snoops, Tee42 (Lanette) took the words right out of my mouth. If you love to cook, you can do some awesome raw gourmet stuff.

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with a little cooked polenta - or someone else mentioned cooked hummus...if you can control it.

That being said, I can't control coffee. Never drank much, but had to have one cup-a-day. I can't have it in the house.

Show your family how delicious uncooked food can be. Take a few pics of some of your gourmet meals and post'em for us too. K?

Mary Kay

Mary Kay

05-23-2009, 09:00 AM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU....

YOU GO GIRL!

Mary Kay

Mary Kay

05-23-2009, 09:02 AM

About the meat again, probably those people at so little meat, and had so many veggies and fiber to adequately "wash" it through their intestines, before it had a chance to do any damage.[/QUOTE]

But he also studied those that didn't eat meat etc, and found those that ate some were healthier.

Sorry to debate!! That being said though, we do have access to more. and we have more knowledge. I think you can be of optimum health by being vegan, but IMO it's easier to get everything you need by eating a little meat etc. And then there's the moral thing. You just can't argue with someone's morals.

So I'm not really against you....LOL...

MK

snoops

05-23-2009, 09:31 AM

snoops

05-23-2009, 09:31 AM

gaby, have you tried the avocado yet??

Shoney

05-23-2009, 10:18 AM

Wonderful morning. Hadn't weighed myself in a couple days because with all theo vereating I was doing, just didn't want to know.

After my grocery shopping trip last night I made some inredible guac, had a couple bites, wasnt' really hungry. Then chopped up a watermelon for my daughter and had several bites. Terrible food combining, alas. BUT. This morning I got on the scale, prepared to see a truly scary number. Not. 165!! How I have lost 2 pounds on less than 24 hours raw is a mysetery to me; but I take it as God saying Yes! This is the way you're supposed to eat!!

Been studying Alissa's book again; keep coming across those parts where she says that eating any amount of cooked food is feeding the addiction; leaves the door open for us to slip back.

That makes me SO glad I did such a thorough job on my fridge last night. No, not all the nasties are out of the house, but I have food prepared and have reorganized the kitchen around raw eating, and frankly the idea of cooked food makes me feel a bit nauseous.

This morning upon awakening I had half a teaspoon of bee pollen (very good for you, hope it will cure my allergies). Awhile later I had a large bowl of watermelon, and a minute ago I had a taste of the guac when I got some for my daughter.

Will post the rest of today's eats later.

Raw is the way to go!!

SusanF

05-23-2009, 10:23 AM

Hi all! I would like to join you if you don't mind. I have been on and off raw foods for eight years. There is something about the concept and the science behind eating this way that just feels intuitively right for me. I just can't seem to maintain it. BUT - I just had a birthday, (not 50 yet - 48) and I want to change my story. I have to change it. I can't live an obese, unhealthy lifestyle for one more day. My options/choices/style/energy are all affected and limited by my addiction to cooked foods. I am living an inauthentic life and I don't want to do it anymore. I'm eliminating some things and adding green smoothies between now and June 1st, then I will try the 30-day challenge. You all are so supportive and kind to each other, I just had to come out of "lurker" status and wish us all good luck!

snoops

05-23-2009, 11:19 AM

Welcome and good luck to you too. I may start the June 30 day challenge with you. It seems so ridiculous that I am scared to commit to 30 days. Its only food for heavens sake and only a month. What am I scared of.

Maybe failure?:o

SusanF

05-23-2009, 11:41 AM

Hi Snoops, thanks for the welcome! For me, the fear of failure is crushing, because I feel reminded that I am not in control of my choices and that's a scary place to be. I hate the idea that, once again, this "new diet" will just be another opportunity to discover that I am dysfunctional. That makes it tough for me to start any kind of challenge. It's not ridiculous to hesitate. But - I just have to keep trying. The alternative has become unthinkable for me. Reading other peoples blogs has helped alot.

Susan123

05-23-2009, 01:26 PM

Hi, Susan from Susan!! :D As silly as this sounds, I'm thinking of posting to the 30 day challenge again in June.

I was 99% raw this month and I feel soo good about this way of eating, but it can be a challenge here and there. I need to get over the hurdles and keep doing what was working.

snoops

05-23-2009, 01:27 PM

What you just said says it all for me too:o

Doing nothing is unthinkable.

To June 1 then...

snoops

05-23-2009, 01:28 PM

PS Susan's, I'm a Sue:D

gabriele

05-23-2009, 02:20 PM

Since going raw (this month) I've lost 6.5 pounds!!

I actually had to go out and get some new clothes yesterday!!!

fantastic!!! i am jealous

gabriele

05-23-2009, 02:23 PM

gaby, have you tried the avocado yet??

ok, you are reading my mind.

i'm googling avocado smoothies, apparently it is some kind of specialty in Asia.....i don't think i like it "as is"......

anybody ever make an avocado smoothie???

gabriele

05-23-2009, 02:25 PM

This morning I got on the scale, prepared to see a truly scary number. Not. 165!! How I have lost 2 pounds on less than 24 hours raw is a mysetery to me;

This morning upon awakening I had half a teaspoon of bee pollen (very good for you, hope it will cure my allergies).!

Great job on the 2 pounds!! Question: if you are allergic to bees, will you be allergic to bee pollen products? (is this a dumb question?)

gabriele

05-23-2009, 02:29 PM

Shoney

05-23-2009, 06:23 PM

Hey ladies! How's it going?

My food intake today is as follows:

Had half tsp. bee pollen and 24 oz. or so of lemon water first thing

Breakfast was a large bowl of watermelon

Lunch was organic greens with guac, a little hummus, also had a good teaspoon of organic coconut oil/cream, a couple bites of Larabar, and throughout the afternoon drank 44 oz. of raw limeade.

Felt really good after lunch, then it got confusing. I wanted to eat, wasn't hungry, had a major craving for banana shake. Mid-afternoon I had a delicious mango, then this evening I am working my way through a blender full (5 cups) of banana shake.

May have another small salad in a bit, not sure.

Posting all this in my blog, but putting it here for accountability! :)

Susan123

05-23-2009, 06:55 PM

Posting all this in my blog, but putting it here for accountability! :)

Is your blog locked from comments?? I saw what you ate there (and here) and was going to comment that it looks like a lot of liquid and not a whole lot of food (IMO).

I did BAD today. I was raw, but I ate A LOT and I'm not even PMSing!! ;)

On the way back from the NFS I ate a whole bag of Go Raw crackers. Does that tell you anything?? :eek: I did have some dried apples for dinner, but otherwise I'm "fasting" until the morning...

Shoney

05-23-2009, 07:37 PM

Great job on the 2 pounds!! Question: if you are allergic to bees, will you be allergic to bee pollen products? (is this a dumb question?)

No such thing as a dumb question! It does seem strange to eat pollen, I realize, but my mom used to use it to control her allergies. Mine have been so bad since moving to Oklahoma, and I don't want to depend on antihistamines forever.

Bee pollen also has enzymes and a host of other goodies for us. I'll look into the bee pollen thing some more, see if I can get you more factual info!

Shoney

05-23-2009, 07:41 PM

Here's a quick summary:

Allergy attacks brought on by pollen are normally produced by wind-carried pollens, and not by bee-collected pollens. Wind-generated pollens usually stimulate a cleansing process throughout the entire respiratory tract, especially among those who consume excessive quantities of mucus-producing foods during the winter months.

Bee pollen may be safely administered by everyone, even those persons who are prone to allergies such as hayfever, as they will usually suffer no ill-effects. Allergenic properties are always neutralized by the nectar and enzymes secreted by the bees. Raw honey has been specifically recommended by many professional allergists as having an immunizing effect upon the majority of pollen-stimulated allergies. This is usually a direct result of the pollen and related substances that are found in both unfiltered and uncooked honey which, when ingested, form a natural oral immunization against allergies.

And the website: http://www.alternativescentral.com/beepollen.htm

Shoney

05-23-2009, 07:53 PM

Is your blog locked from comments?? I saw what you ate there (and here) and was going to comment that it looks like a lot of liquid and not a whole lot of food (IMO).

I did BAD today. I was raw, but I ate A LOT and I'm not even PMSing!! ;)

On the way back from the NFS I ate a whole bag of Go Raw crackers. Does that tell you anything?? :eek: I did have some dried apples for dinner, but otherwise I'm "fasting" until the morning...

you didn't do "BAD," Read Alissa's book!! I think sometimes the idea that we have to restrict ourselves leads to the binge we're trying to prevent!

Nope, my blog shouldn't be blocked from comments, but I'll go check.

Hey, look, I'm a sprout now!! :)

Susan123

05-23-2009, 08:26 PM

Congrats, Sprout!! I think I'm almost a seed!!

Susan123

05-23-2009, 08:26 PM

LOL!! I just became a seed!!

gabriele

05-23-2009, 09:14 PM

Here's a quick summary:

And the website: http://www.alternativescentral.com/beepollen.htm

Wow, thanks for the information. That is one comprehensive website, pretty amazing how much nutrition is in bee pollen. Have to do more research into this...

Mary Kay

05-24-2009, 08:10 AM

RE Bee pollen - I used to be a beekeeper.....someone already mentioned that it can help those with pollen allergies - especially if you can find local bee pollen. And it is best to start out slow because you can have a reaction to it. So just start out with tiny amts, and gradually increase.

I don't particularly like the taste, but have some in the fridge, and haven't been using it, but now you've inspired me.....

So, thanks!

Mary Kay

Mary Kay

05-24-2009, 08:22 AM

Good News and Bad News for my weight loss challenge:

Good: I feel real ACCOUNTABILITY here, and when I resisted chocolate twice yesterday, just couldn't wait to tell all of you! I made dh a raw choc semi-green smoothie, and dd some raw choc brownies. I did taste the brownies to make sure they were right and spit it out. So what's that....semi-bulimia? LOL

Bad: I'm eating too many nuts/fats. And I'm drinking too much almond milk. Got on the scale and was shocked this a.m. I'[m back at 135, which is where I started on Mon, and by Thurs had lost 2 1/2 lbs. Geez. Shouldn't be a surprise thugh as I was just saying yesterday how I havn't felt hungry at all.....DUH!

I'm going to rectify this by cutting way back on fats, and going to stop eating by 7 p.m. Which is tough, as dh doesn't get home till after 7.

Mon is weigh-in day for me...hope I can lose a lb by tomorrow, so I can at least have lost something this week!

Mary Kay

Mary Kay

05-24-2009, 08:29 AM

Gaby, you can just put avocados in your smoothies to thicken them. For yourself, just like 1/3 avocado. IF you want a thick smoothie.

Avocados mushed around a salad or mixed in with your dressing makes a nice creamy dressing.

Of course there's always guacamole,

And my fave: choc pudding. But I know you're not doing choc either, maybe you'll try it with carob?

A couple yrs ago, I was 51 and was on an avocado binge - eating maybe five avocados a week. I had just stopped nursing my twins too - They were almost four! And two weeks later, got pregnant! But with 51 y.o. eggs (probably had grey hairs on them), of course, I m/c'd. I believe that good fats, such as in avocados help to balance your hormones.

But I've read that you should never eat more than half an avocado at a time because your liver has a hard time processing it at one sitting, and then you will gain weight.

HTH,

Mary Kay
p.s. my twins' first solid food was avocado!

gabriele

05-24-2009, 09:07 AM

RE Bee pollen - I used to be a beekeeper.....someone already mentioned that it can help allergies - especially if you can find local bee pollen. And it is best to start out slow because you can have a reaction to it. So just start out with tiny amts, and gradually increase.

Hmmm, i once stepped on a bee and my entire leg swelled up to twice it's normal size and i missed a week of school, it was so painful, i couldn't even stand on it. But......i never had any trouble breathing. I would love to try it but am a little scared...

gabriele

05-24-2009, 09:13 AM

RE: Avocados:

Gaby, you can just put avocados in your smoothies to thicken them. For yourself, just like 1/3 avocado. IF you want a thick smoothie.

Avocados mushed around a salad or mixed in with your dressing makes a nice creamy dressing.

Of course there's always guacamole,

And my fave: choc pudding. But I know you're not doing choc either, maybe you'll try it with carob?

I was 51 and was on an avocado binge - eating maybe five avocados a week. I had just stopped nursing my twins too! They were almost four! And two weeks later, got pregnant! I believe the fats in avocados really help to balance hormones! But with 51 y.o. eggs (probably had grey hairs on them), of course, I m/c'd.

But I've read that you should never eat more than half an avocado at a time because your liver has a hard time processing it at one sitting, and then you will gain weight.

HTH,

Mary Kay
p.s. my twins' first solid food was avocado!

Wow, pretty amazing story. Well, i put an entire big avocado in a NOT raw smoothie......it had coconut milk and some organic sugar, with some ice cubes, and it was amazing, the Vitamix blended it to a consistency of ice cream, but i can see how one large one would be too much. Good for you that you resisted that chocolate, Mary Kay, that is good willpower.

Mary Kay

05-24-2009, 12:04 PM

I'm going to go back and edit my post Gaby because bee pollen helps with pollen allergies....All I said was "allergies." The theory being that you take a little every day and then gradually build up a resistance to whatever pollen is ailing you. that's why it's better to get from a local beekeeper. .

Now bee venom and bee pollen are two very different things. The venom is produced internally, whereas the pollen is merely gathered from flowers. The bee does nothing to the pollen except transport it.

To obtain it, the beekeepers put a small fence-like thing with tiny holes for the bees to enter the hive. It's such a tight squeeze, that the pollen squeezes off. They do not /cannot deprive te bees or the bees will die, so the beekeepers give the bees such a nice home that they can produce extra.

So this would have nothing to do with your bee-sting allergies.

Make sense?

And girlfriend, I'm going to yell at you!!!!!!!!! Get rid of the frickin sugar!!! Since you have a Vita-Mix, you can throw in raisins or dates (remove the pits) and at least obtain some benefits while sweetening stuff! (((HUGS)))

And you don't need canned coconut milk either. VERY easy to use dried coconut, mixed with water - blend in your vita-mix and strain...Voila. Save the coconut pulp to add to other stuff...raw cookies etc. Of course fresh is best, but time-consuming and not always obtainable.

When I make coconut milk to drink, I add a little sweetener, and some sea salt. You could even use dates/raisins etc. for this too.

HTH, Better go get something done today!

Mary Kay

gabriele

05-24-2009, 12:15 PM

I
So this would have nothing to do with your bee-sting allergies.

Make sense?

And girlfriend, I'm going to yell at you!!!!!!!!! Get rid of the frickin sugar!!! Since you have a Vita-Mix, you can throw in raisins or dates (remove the pits) and at least obtain some benefits while sweetening stuff! (((HUGS)))

And you don't need canned coconut milk either. VERY easy to use dried coconut, mixed with water - blend in your vita-mix and strain...Voila. Save the coconut pulp to add to other stuff...raw cookies etc. Of course fresh is best, but time-consuming and not always obtainable.

When I make coconut milk to drink, I add a little sweetener, and some sea salt. You could even use dates/raisins etc. for this too.

HTH, Better go get something done today!

Mary Kay

Ok, that makes sense about the bee pollen. You know, i have dates and i sweetened up a raspberry smoothie just this morning with them, why am i using sugar?? :(( And the coconut milk, why can't they make this stuff without all the processing, or is that the coconut "water" you find in cans? Geesh. This is all hard to learn, there is so much to learn, and right when you think you've got something healthy you find out it's not at all.

Susan123

05-24-2009, 02:12 PM

And you don't need canned coconut milk either. VERY easy to use dried coconut, mixed with water - blend in your vita-mix and strain...Voila. Save the coconut pulp to add to other stuff...raw cookies etc. Of course fresh is best, but time-consuming and not always obtainable.

MaryKay- you are a wealth of information!! I have dried (raw) coconut and never thought of blending it with water to make coconut milk...

Gaby- Do you use bananas in your smoothies? Those buggars are darn sweet for me. I keep them on the counter until they are VERY ripe, them peel them and freeze them in pieces (usually 2-3 pieces per banana).

After my day yesterday of what I thought was horrible eating I LOST a pound. I couldn't believe it when I stepped on the scale this morning.

Today so far-
B- Green smoothie (bananas, strawberries, blueberries and spinach/romaine lettuce)

L- Salad at a friends house. She invited me over at church so I wasn't prepared and ate bottled dressing.. Salad consisted of romaine, cilantro, bit of basil, cucumbers, tomatoes (some fresh, some sun-dried and with oil), pecans, fresh corn... Oh, MY!! I have never had fresh corn before and it was the BOMB!! I MUST go to the store this week and get some fresh corn for my salads!!

S- I'm going to go open a cantaloupe and snack on that this afternoon.

D- I have oodles of ripe tomatoes so I'll make a nice tomato salad.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend! Thank God we're a free country because of the brave men and women of the armed services!!

Mary Kay

05-24-2009, 05:26 PM

Canned coconut milk has more of the fat in it...is thick, whereas coconut water isd just the water. By buying either, you're wasting resources (cans etc) and they are heated and pasteurized. Better to buy some coconut in bulk and use that. Coconut will literally keep for a couple yrs before the oils in it go rancid. So it's good to find a good price through a food co-op.

Most places around the U.S. are serviced by United Food Co-op. They're generally good for buying bulk items, but not often good for the small stuff. United services Whole Foods, so you could probably email/call them and see if there are other groups in your area. I don't think? they're going to allow any new groups to start, but may be wrong....

HTH,

Mary Kay, who's going to find a local source for young coconuts. Well not grown locally ....I think most young coconut is dipped in formaldehyde though....sigh. But this wouldn't leach all the way inside, and if this is all I can get, I may? go for it. Anyone know a good source that ships around the country? I'd like some occasionally, not on a regular basis. I feel guilty about the shipping....LOL

Mary Kay

05-24-2009, 05:31 PM

Susan 123, just noticed you're from FL...You should be able to find lots around you!

And just realized some newbies may not know the diff betw young coconuts and reg coconuts. Young ones are way soft inside. You can scoop out the meat and there's more coconut water inside. Google it, there are lots of vids to show you how to open them.

HTH,

MK

Susan123

05-24-2009, 06:16 PM

I'm not sure I would be able to open the ones I've seen around here. Shoot- I don't know if I could open the young "thai" coconuts I've seen on youtube, either...

I only have one palm tree in my yard and it's not the type that makes coconuts or maybe it's to young to make them- I don't know...

Shoney

05-24-2009, 08:21 PM

Hey ladies! Since starting bee pollen a couple days ago I notice I don't sneeze as much in the morning, and that alone is worth taking it!

My weight this morning still 165, but I don't expect it to stay there. lol

Today's food intake was:

8a.m. bee pollen and a few sips of limeade
12:30 small bowl watermelon
1 p.m. bee pollen and a few more ounces limeade
2 p.m. mango, 44 ounces raw limeade, 1/2 date (dog got the other half), 2 Maca capsules, 2-3 bites of salad then realized I was thirsty, not hungry, hence all the limeade
5:30 p.m. 1 small banana

Definitely don't feel as bloated yesterday, though the headache has worsened as the day has gone on. Also had a pretty stressful day, but here at the end of it I am thankful because it enabled me to work through some things that have bugged me for a long time.

Had a bite of salad just now, tasted pretty good so I may have some more.

Tee42

05-24-2009, 09:48 PM

Quick check in for me. No weight loss this week but I am not upset. I am seeing other positive changes especially in my skin and hair. I know things are changing from the inside out.

Interesting discussion on Bee Pollen.

Mary Kay

05-25-2009, 07:17 AM

Mary Kay

05-25-2009, 07:32 AM

Well it's Mon and it's my weekly weigh in: After all was said and done, I did lose 2 lbs. Am now 133. Geez, I was going up and down two lbs within a day, here and there....sigh....I know to some of you, that doesn't sound like a lot of weight, but I'm only 5 ft 3, small boned and have big boobs and a huge belly. It's all in my middle. The unhealthy apple shape, not the healthier pear shape.

But I'm happy I at least lost something. I didn't go hungry and ate too late at night. Will do better this week.

And Gaby, now it's a new week, so I get to have chocolate one time this week! Woohoo! I may allow myself some after I lose a lb --or as some other reward --if I work out or something.

I did make raw chocolate ice cream yesterday....tasted it and didn't spit it out. Had probably two 3 or 4 TBSP. My confession. It was made with raw cream, so I blew it on two counts: no dairy and chocolate. I did enjoy it though and am not beating myself up about it, but felt obligated to fess up.

.Mary Kay

Mary Kay

05-25-2009, 07:34 AM

Any of you giving yourselves little rewards? I remember seeing on Oprah yrs ago, all these women that lost over 100 lbs. One said that for every five lbs, she'd allow herself a hot fudge sundae....Well, I'm not condoning that, but am thinking having little rewards here and there (unless you're an addict, and can't have a certain thing - or it's out-and-out BAD), that a little reward might be a good thing - give you incentive, as well as not depriving you TOO much.

What do you think?

Mary Kay.

gabriele

05-25-2009, 08:01 AM

Morning everyone,

this is the first holiday i've taken off in I don't know how many years!! (work in a hospital). It is sooooo humid here though, it's giving me a headache.

Good for you MaryKay about those 2 pounds, it's probably tough for you because, even at 5'3", you are way down there and every pound is harder and harder to lose, right? About rewards, i love to buy clothes the next size down, unfortunately after a lifetime of dieting i have a closet full of every size from size 6 up to 22. :((( ANd you have great restraint with the once a week chocolate, good for you, it would be like giving me heroin if i was an addict, i could not stop there.

Shoney, i've read a lot about the bee pollen but i guess i will pass on that. You know infinitely more on this topic than i do. I feel funny taking this pollen away from bees and then also their honey (which i have).......how do they survive if we take away their royal jelly, honey and pollen? I have read that sometimes they are given sugar water to survive while we take away these things. Maybe i'm being weird here, don't know....

Susan123, yes i love bananas in my smoothies, i've started using dates also. Also, I can't imagine myself ever opening a coconut, i've seen it on YouTube, you have to be kidding me!! A big problem for me in general is i am a convenience food person, i don't enjoy preparing food, playing with it, cooking, it's just not me. When i make a smoothie in the morning i feel like i've made a huge accomplishment!! So it can be a disadvantage.

Well, i've been walking about 2 miles every day, this is hard for me because of my size, it really takes a toll on me, especially in this humidity. Hope everyone has a nice holiday today!!

Susan123

05-25-2009, 08:24 AM

MaryKay- I'm 5 feet (and a half inch) so I hear you on being a short one. I'm actually bigger built (shoulders/muscles). I would look quite thin at your current weight. I've also got the big boobs and belly. Geez- what a combo! I look a lot like my avatar!! LOL!

Gaby- I don't even own a cleaver knife to open a coconut!! I'm with you and enjoy the convience of easy foods.

Shoney- That doesn't sound like much food yesterday- are you fasting?

I'm just finishing my green smoothie and am going to hop on my treadmill for a bit... I've got to get more active!! It's great "chatting" with you ladies!! :)

Shoney

05-25-2009, 09:15 AM

Shoney,

Maybe we should call you "Limey."

I just recently heard that limes will not eat away at the enamel on your teeth like lemons. Anyone know if that's true?

How are you making your limeade?

And geez, that doesn't sound like much to eat...You just HAVE to be losing eating like that!!! You hungry?

Mary Kay

Call me whatever you want! Hadn't heard about limes not eating away tooth enamel, if that's true I will def. stop using lemons because I have had some major problems with my teeth - had a skin and bone graft done in March. Very unpleasant.

It doesn't sound like a lot to eat, I know, but I always feel "done" when I stop. And as soon as I want to eat again, I do. I'm not putting any restrictions on myself, but I have noticed this weekend I didn't want any nuts (had a handful of macadamias on Friday), though I've been averaging half an avo a day. Haven't had any other fat, oh, except the organic coconut cream stuff. This weekend it's primarily been fruit and a few salads. And lots of "limeade."

The limeade is simple - I take 44 ounces tap water and the juice of a lime, maybe part of a lemon, and a tablespoon or two of honey. It helps to have part of that 44 ounces be hot water to dilute the honey. Add ice, or put in the fridge for awhile, and I'm good to go. It's not very sweet, not a "true" limeade, but I like the taste and it helps me stay hydrated.

This morning I weighed in at 163. I've lost 4 pounds since Thursday or Friday. 4!!!! And I haven't felt restricted AT ALL, nor have I exercised apart from a few situps and leg lifts last night, which felt really good. I do feel a little shaky right now, but nothing unpleasant, and can feel my body is in high weight loss mode. I have never lost weight like this on raw before, and I think the difference is I'm not eating seed cheese or my raw cookies, just don't have the stuff to make it right now. Didn't sleep too well last night, weird dreams, but then yesterday was a very odd day.

Sorry for the long post!

Shoney

05-25-2009, 09:17 AM

[QUOTE=Susan123;529011]

Shoney- That doesn't sound like much food yesterday- are you fasting?

QUOTE]

Nope, Susan, I'm not fasting, just eating what I want. Weird, huh? I have to say, though, it's a relief to have those binge cravings gone. I'm not sure what prompts me to eat right now, just that feeling of oh, I need to eat. Have had a stomach growl or two but getting there is not my goal.

And the weight loss has been incredible. Does it stay like this? Will I continue to just want fruits and salads and watery limeade for a few weeks?? I have no idea what to expect, but am so grateful because my body is already changing . . .

snoops

05-25-2009, 10:12 AM

Hi girls. Well I lost 1.5 lbs when I weighed in this morning. I'm not terribly excited about it because I am up and down a couple pounds depending on the day etc. I will feel better when I break the 220mark. Maybe next week. I was also not really very good this past week. I must say I almost made it not eating any cheese. It felt OK all week not to have any even though I ate more of other stuff to compensate. I was shredding cheddar for my guys fajitas last night and I cut myself a couple of pieces. It didn't even taste good - I prefer sharper cheeses but I ate it anyway:o:(

So I start this week with a renewed plan to not eat cheese and I am going to try very hard not to eat chips and crackers. Will just not buy any for one week. My family will have to deal.

And today I am going to try to just have liquids. Fruit smoothie for breakfast, green smoothie for lunch, maybe an almond butter chocolate one for later in the day. Just to kick start the week. I go into this week more determined than last in part due to all your commitment and successes.

Thank you for being here and writing about your trials and successes.

snoops

05-25-2009, 01:27 PM

gaby -good work on the walking 2 miles everyday. It will get easier and easier and I think it more important than what you eat or don't. See Revvells post in the lifestyles section. Fat or Fit?

Susan123

05-25-2009, 01:44 PM

I did 25 minutes on my treadmill this morning! It was set at 3.4 speed and an incline of 1.5. I felt the burn, now just to keep it up.

I tried the yoga video, but didn't feel very limber. It was supposed to be a begineers video, but it was an older vidoe so I'm not sure if it was a good fit for me... I should have probably watched it first (like the video suggested :) ) before I jumped right into it...

I'm off to check that fit or fat thread.

snoops

05-25-2009, 02:33 PM

Good work on the treadmill Susan. I see you read Revvells posts. Its in the Raw and Living Food discussion section for those who haven't found it based on my poor directions earlier!!

I am due to work out today but I have my period and my body is saying just rest today!! So instead I am perusing raw food blogs!! Oh ya great thing to be doing when I am trying to just have liquids today!!

On that note so far I had a fruit smoothie with blueberries, strawberries and bananas. A couple hours later, my throat felt a little sore so I juiced 2 grapefruits and an orange. Am going to make a choco almond butter banana smoothie now. Then a green one to take to work. I feel strong so maybe will make it through the day.

Wow that'll be a first in a while.

gabriele

05-25-2009, 02:46 PM

This morning I weighed in at 163. I've lost 4 pounds since Thursday or Friday. 4!!!! And I haven't felt restricted AT ALL,

Yippee!!!! great job!!!

gabriele

05-25-2009, 02:51 PM

gaby -good work on the walking 2 miles everyday. It will get easier and easier and I think it more important than what you eat or don't. See Revvells post in the lifestyles section. Fat or Fit?

Good job on the 1 1/2 pounds, it's something. I was getting dressed this morning and really pulled some muscle on my right side, i felt it all the way down my leg. yuck. i've been laying around all day with a hot water bottle. It is so sore.

snoops

05-25-2009, 03:12 PM

gabriele

05-25-2009, 06:57 PM

Don't use heat on it gaby. You want to ice it. It will keep the inflammation down and will allow it to heal faster. Heat sometimes feels better but always ice an injury. This from my boss the chiropractor and the 3 massage therapists in my office.

thank you, i will do this. i wonder what it is when you bend over and feel this searing pain? A muscle, a tendon, a ligament? I do this every 6 months or so on either side of my body, i am sure it is the extra weight i'm carrying.

Mary Kay

05-25-2009, 08:36 PM

Gaby,

More bee stuff ad nauseum!

That is a misconception you have about the beekeepers taking away the bees' honey and then substituting it with sugar water. A beekeeper will only sub that in a weak colony in the spring. A good beekeeper would not take so much in the fall so that they could not overwinter....It would only be given to a weak colony who probably didn't have any honey taken, and just couldn't get it together to produce enough for the spring.
I kept bees for maybe six or seven yrs. I did have one weak colony once, and opted to give them honey from another hive. This is generally a big no-no because you can pass disease from one to another. That is why in most cases, most beekeepers would give some sugar water instead.

It wouldn't make sense for a beekeeper to mistreat his bees because they would not be healthy. A beekeeper will only take EXTRA away from a hive. They are given such awesome conditions in which to live, that they are able to produce extra.....

Even so, I understand how some people just don't want to use anything produced by an animal, and I do respect that.

HTH,

Enjoy your honey! But make sure it is RAW. Just like almonds and cashews, just cuz it says it's raw, I don't think this means it is necessarily so. You want totally unheated honey.

Mary Kay

Shoney

05-26-2009, 11:14 AM

Honey is def. on my shopping list today! And limes!

No weight loss this morning, sure it's because of the 2 pieces of bread I had yesterday. SOOOO not worth it!! If you're being tempted by cooked food right now, just think about how gross it will be to taste something you know is dead and will just sit in your stomach until your body can finally heave it into your gut were it will do you almost no good. Gross!!!

I can really feel a difference in my body - my hands are losing their puffiness, my nails seem to be growing again. Put on a pair of jeans I haven't been able to wear in 5 or 6 months this morning!

So far today I've had a banana (breakfast), handful of macadamia nuts (snack) and about a third of a fresh pineapple (lunch?).

My energy fluctuates, overall my focus is a bit better but I still feel like a foggy klutz a lot of the time. Getting easier to control my mood swings and not take everything so stinkin' personally!

No zits yet, thank goodness. I hate breaking out.

Anyhoo, there's the Shoney update for this morning! Look forward to hearing how you all are doing. Remember: cooked food is not worth it!! :)

Mary Kay

05-26-2009, 11:35 AM

Shoney,

So, are you thinking you may get zits because of the bread?

Are you thinking it's acne- regular zits? Might be rosacea. Don't remember if we discussed this, but at your age, it would seem more logical to be rosacea.

I have rosacea and do have reactions to certain foods.

I discussed rosacea with someone...don't remember if it was you...sorry if it was and here I'm asking you again!

Mary Kay

gabriele

05-26-2009, 05:26 PM

Hey ladies,

still here, was very busy at work today due to being off on the holiday. Twisted something in my back but it's much better now.

Hey Mary Kay, about bees again........i do have honey. And i'm sure that when you were a beekeeper you knew what you were doing and treated your bees well. But you ask, "why would a beekeeper mistreat his bees because that would make them unhealthy"....well, that would explain the entire meat industry!! :(( All those animals are mistreated, they are all unhealthy, and people eat them anyway. Maybe bees are different, because unlike animals they have to be kept alive to produce the product. I hope they survive, i hear that their numbers are diminishing around the world due to pesticides used by farmers and if they should ever die off completely, we will have no food left to eat at all, because we need them for their pollination activities. So let's hope the little bees will be ok.

What's everyone doing today??

Mary Kay

05-26-2009, 07:05 PM

Hey Gaby, I was missing you this morning! I totally agree with you re the animals by factory farms just looked at as a product.....And with the bees they HAVE to treat them well, or no honey. Fortunately for the bees, they have to allow them to roam free or they wouldn't get a product.

But that's different with chickens. They still abuse them, and they still produce a product. It's sickening.

Well, let's not get started cuz we'll all rant and rave!!!!

I'm so darned busy, yet I keep checking in on this thread. This is THE thread I check - want to see how everyone else is, and for selfish reasons.

It's almost 8:00p.m. and I never went and gathered any wheatgrass or wild greens today and this is going to be my dinner....an apple, a carrot, wheatgrass, stinging nettles, and stuff from the garden: kale, lamb's quarters, dandelions, even a littlle fresh oregano.....I'll put a splash of our own apple cider(dh is an apple farmer) in the bottom of the Vita Mix, then throw the rest in. Blend. Strain in a nutmilk bag. Even my kids like this. I think it's so cool, that everything except the carrot is from our yard/orchard.

This is a real tasty way to get wheatgrass in --just in case any of you never thought of it. We call it applegrass juice.

Mary Kay

snoops

05-26-2009, 07:16 PM

Mary Kay - I have never tried wheatgrass and I would like to. Do you have to grow it yourself or can you buy it and juice it or just buy the juice (as my juicer is in for repairs:()

Had a good day today and yesterday. Drank smoothies most of the day then had dinner with family. Some non raw:o

But - I am totally off cheese I think. I don't automatically go for it anymore. Still doing extra other stuff to compensate, but less than last week. I am so excited. That wasn't that hard. I do miss the flavor but am thinking Fat or Fit??! I can look at it as a slab of bad fat now. Cool.

I go for blood work tomorrow. Had my well woman yearly and mentioned that I didn't eat meat:eek: So on top of glucose, cholesterol, etc she is testing my iron level, B12, and I asked for vitamin D levels. I will be interested to see VitD as I have been supplementing with 2000 IU for the past year. They had better be in the high normal range.

I'm kind of liking just doing smoothies most of the day. Its so much easier just not to start - do you know what I mean??

Mary Kay

05-26-2009, 07:17 PM

Susan, your treadmill (you go girl!) inspired me to write about my mini workout today. I haven't worked out in a week. I rode my bike to deliver some paperwork to our accountant...Only 1 1/2 mi away, but there's a good-size hill, and while I'm really slowly struggling my way up it and really feeling cool about the fact that I'm working out, some guy on a bike blows past me like I'm not even moving.....I see him coming in my rearview mirror on my helmet and before he even passes me say, "Now you're making me feel bad." and he waves.....

He was going up it so effortlessly.

And I thought of sharing it with all of you, how when you are fit, it IS easier. And I think it's easier to stay fit.

Sigh. Hey, we're at least working out. And we're all losing weight. Yay for us.

Want to find that Fit or Fat thread. Thanks.

Mary Kay

Shoney

05-26-2009, 08:07 PM

I don't know what's going on, but I am NOT complaining! I am having no blood sugar crashes, no "shakes," and my desire to binge is zero.

Today I had:
a.m. water with lemon
8 a.m. small banana (very ripe, it was perfect!)
9 a.m. handful of raw macadamia nuts
10:45 about one third of a pineapple
4:45 p.m. 5 cups of a blueberry shake made with half a pound of fresh blueberries, a TBSP or more of raw organic honey (finally found some!), ice and water enough to make it 5 cups.
Now it is 8 p.m. and I am drinking 44 oz. water with juice of 1 lime and, of course, that raw honey! Also eating a small salad with half an avocado, a few slices of raw yellow squash. It is light and perfect, especially on a hot day like today.

At work today I didn't even pay attention to what they cooked for the kids; I don't recall even smelling it! Was worried that the pineapple wouldn't hold me all day, but it did! And when I got home I wasn't that desperate hungry that drives me to eat even while I'm making dinner.

Looking forward to the scale tomorrow morning. Have found that if I weigh every day, I am much less likely to panic if I eat something "bad." And it gives me a number, you know? I can face the day knowing what I weigh, and make the choice for that number to go up or down.

At the grocery store today I got 10 more limes, a pound of iceberg salad, a pound each of strawberries and blueberries, 1 cantaloupe, 1 yellow squash (sooo good raw with vinegar!) and some celery. Oh, and the raw honey. What a find!!

Tonight for exercise I went to ballroom dance practice. Love it!

Susan123

05-27-2009, 04:35 AM

This thread is so encouraging and enjoyable!!

This was my post from yesterday from the monthly challenge post...

Something WEIRD happened this morning. I was getting ready for work and felt like my hands were swelling. My palms were BRIGHT red, swollen and painful. I popped some of my green vitamin supplements and 2 B-12s (I'm bad about taking them).... Then my tongue started to swell up. No kidding my tongue was taking over my mouth. I had to take some Benadryl. Luckily I have an employer that was very gracious and let me stay home today. I still feel a bit off kilter- a bit dizzy and just off.... The only thing that was different was that I peeled a pineapple (without washing it first) and ate some of it last night. It seemed not quite ripe. FWIW- it was organic from my lovely co-op!! Other than that, *nothing* had changed.

After dropping the kiddos off at school I went to the grocery store to have them peel and core the other pineapple. This is FUNNY- they were going to charge me $3 to core and peel the pineapple, but I declined. Then the produce manager showed me a slicer tool they sell for $9.99. I said Nah- I'll just mangle this one like I did the pineapple yesterday. He gave the tool to me for FREE!! I loooove my Publix grocery stores. Since finding my NFS and the co-op I give them WAY less money each week, but their service is just the bomb! When I got home I put the not-so-ripe pineapple in the compost... I'm not taking any chances!!

Anyhoo- so far today-
B- Green smoothie (part of it was leftover and while eating it that is when I started swelling up, but I had all the same foods before (frozen berries)...weird...

S- Lots of watermelon and a bit of pineapple (no reaction).

L- I'll eat the salad I was going to take to work later on.

S- More watermelon, I'm sure!

D- Salmon pate I made last night...

Have a great raw day, folks!!

I felt waaay better after taking 2 doses of behadryl. I didn't get back on the treadmill as I really stayed close to the couch for comfort yesterday. I pan to get back on the treadmill after work tonight....

MK- I'm glad I could encourage you. WTG on that hill!! I don't think I could bike 1.5 miles even downhill!! :D Of course the fact that I need to buy a bike first would be the first reason....

Gotta run and get ready for work

gabriele

05-27-2009, 07:07 AM

[QUOTE=Mary Kay;529498]Hey Gaby, I was missing you this morning! I totally agree with you re the animals by factory farms just looked at as a product.....And with the bees they HAVE to treat them well, or no honey. Fortunately for the bees, they have to allow them to roam free or they wouldn't get a product.

But that's different with chickens. They still abuse them, and they still produce a product. It's sickening.

Well, let's not get started cuz we'll all rant and rave!!!!

We are the bee sisters!!!

gabriele

05-27-2009, 07:11 AM

I go for blood work tomorrow. Had my well woman yearly and mentioned that I didn't eat meat:eek: So on top of glucose, cholesterol, etc she is testing my iron level, B12, and I asked for vitamin D levels. I will be interested to see VitD as I have been supplementing with 2000 IU for the past year. They had better be in the high normal range.

I'm kind of liking just doing smoothies most of the day. Its so much easier just not to start - do you know what I mean??

I cannot wait to hear about your results, be sure to let us know!!! I also supplement with Vitamin D. I also agree with the smoothie thing, this is the easiest thing for me to do, since i don't like to cook or prepare food (i know, i am weird). Even when my kids were little, i didn't enjoy cooking, so much work and it's all gone so fast. I admire women who enjoy doing it, i envy them, but it's just not in me.

gabriele

05-27-2009, 07:18 AM

Mary Kay, way to go with the bike ride, so what if that guy zipped past you, you still did it. When i walk really OLD people zip past me too, i walk like a turtle. My husband moans and groans at my pace, but at least i'm out there. So good job!!

Wow Shoney, you really seem to be doing well and eating so little!! I bet you lose weight tomorrow.

Susan123 weird reaction, whatever it was, hope you are feeling all better now.

Shoney

05-27-2009, 12:25 PM

another pound gone.

let myself get too hungry today, not intentionally, just didn't bring enough to work. so I ate a bit non-raw for lunch. had half a pound of blueberries and lime water for breakfast.

took the numbers off my signature because I want to focus on the number of pounds gone, not what I am at any given moment.

have a great day!!

snoops

05-28-2009, 08:27 AM

B A D day yesterday. :( Don't even want to discuss it. Carrying on today. How is everyone else doing??

gabriele

05-28-2009, 12:01 PM

Snoops, quit copying me!!! ((( i also had a bad day yesterday))))

yech......

getting ready to eat a gigantic salad today.

snoops

05-28-2009, 12:47 PM

LOLOLOLOL:p

gabriele

05-28-2009, 01:56 PM

snoops

05-29-2009, 11:26 AM

So I got home from a workout session with my trainer. Worked hard and felt like maybe it would be OK to treat myself to a piece of toast and peanut butter. I even had the bread in the toaster. I took it out and put it away and had half an avocado and a Larabar. I choose FIT!!:D not FAT:p

somelikeitraw

05-29-2009, 11:49 AM

It's me again, the chocolate addict. I'm sitting here reading an article about milk chocolate, and how, since it has milk, obviously it is a big no-no (and for other reasons).....and i love cows, and animals, so then WHY oh WHY can't my brain catch up to my brain and stop eating and thinking about milk chocolate? This one item is always my downfall, and it IS an addiction for me. :(( Why, if i know in my head that this is so bad for so many reasons, can i NOT kick this habit? I am so frustrated by this.

Please don't suggest substitutions, i've tried them, nothing can substitute for a Lindt bar. It's not the same, maybe i need a lobotomy........

so frustrated here...

Oh, gabriele! I feel your pain! I am a recovering chocoholic. It took reading a couple of articles (click here (http://www.living-foods.com/articles/cacao.html) and here (http://www.living-foods.com/articles/toxiccacao.html)) on chocolate to get me to give it up. I wasn't hooked on Lindt milk chocolate but on Green & Black's organic 87% dark. Still, there is stuff in chocolate, even raw chocolate, that just isn't that good for a person. I have successfully survived without chocolate for two months, three days, 17 hours, 47 minutes and 28 seconds (can we say SERIOUS CHOCOHOLIC? :eek:) and find that the cravings are getting less and less. If only my family didn't have it in front of me it would be even easier :rolleyes:. You are absolutely right that there are no substitutes for chocolate, sorry.

I wish you strength and fortitude in your efforts to give up one more unhealthy vice.
It helped me to think that chocolate has been around a lot longer than I have and if, sometime in the future, I really want to eat some, it will likely still be around.
Feel free to contact me if you need to be talked off the ledge ;).
All my best from one chocoholic to another.

gabriele

05-29-2009, 01:51 PM

gabriele

05-29-2009, 01:54 PM

Oh, gabriele! I feel your pain! I am a recovering chocoholic. It took reading a couple of articles (click here (http://www.living-foods.com/articles/cacao.html) and here (http://www.living-foods.com/articles/toxiccacao.html)) on chocolate to get me to give it up. I wasn't hooked on Lindt milk chocolate but on Green & Black's organic 87% dark. Still, there is stuff in chocolate, even raw chocolate, that just isn't that good for a person. I have successfully survived without chocolate for two months, three days, 17 hours, 47 minutes and 28 seconds (can we say SERIOUS CHOCOHOLIC? :eek:) and find that the cravings are getting less and less. If only my family didn't have it in front of me it would be even easier :rolleyes:. You are absolutely right that there are no substitutes for chocolate, sorry.

I wish you strength and fortitude in your efforts to give up one more unhealthy vice.
It helped me to think that chocolate has been around a lot longer than I have and if, sometime in the future, I really want to eat some, it will likely still be around.
Feel free to contact me if you need to be talked off the ledge ;).
All my best from one chocoholic to another.

There should be an 800 number for chocoholics. Thank you for your post, i will immediately go and read those links. I already know i shouldn't be eating chocolate, and the abuse of cows that give the milk, etc etc, i know it all, and still the addiction is stronger. I don't know if you saw my earlier post, regarding the fact that in the 1980's they found traces of MORPHINE in chocolate, and not man-made, but made from the cows.......the narcotic and natural effect is to make the baby calves happy and content (and addicted) to drinking mom's milk. They also found this in human milk. So that's my explanation. :(( gotta go read your links now....

gabriele

05-29-2009, 01:59 PM

Oh, gabriele! I feel your pain! I am a recovering chocoholic. It took reading a couple of articles (click here (http://www.living-foods.com/articles/cacao.html) and here (http://www.living-foods.com/articles/toxiccacao.html)) on chocolate to get me to give it up.

Here's what part of the article said: (you know what gets to me is that i am a voracious reader, and all these "experts" have been telling us that raw cocoa is so healthy, even a "super" food! Who are we supposed to believe?? Anyway, here it is:

No animal in nature will eat it unless tricked into it with milk or sugar.
If you can convince an animal to eat it then it greatly shortens their life span if it doesn’t kill them immediately.
The native people who ate it only ate the fruit of the theobroma (which contains all the benefits and none of the detriments) and only used the cacao seed as an addition to their psychedelic brew ahyuwasca and as a medicine in emergencies.
Native people did not eat it as a food nor as a supplement, only for sacred use.
Cacao is one of the most addictive substances known
Cacao is super toxic to the liver
It acts as a stimulant and agitates the kidneys and adrenal glands. This can cause: insomnia, nightmares, waking up in the middle of the night, shakes, and extreme energy shifts
It is extremely clogging due to the toxins carried in the oils contained within. Plus the fat chains are highly complex and require tons of work to break down.
The result of long term use is a high level of liver and blood toxicity which can cause extreme mood swings, angry outbursts, violence, depression, paranoia, & dizziness.
In some cases of long term use, there are also psychological effects that range from addictive tendencies, sexual dysfunction, violent outbursts, lack of reasoning, and decreased will.
At mega does of 40 plus beans, it acts as a hallucinogen and can cause many effects attributed to LSD or Hashish

RawKnitster

05-29-2009, 02:27 PM

I've been missing in action lately, but I'm still challenging myself to lose more weight. I was doing a 3 day green smoothie fast until my Sister-In-Law gifted me with some amazing greens picked fresh from her garden. I had to try some in a salad, and dehyrdrate the kale with a bit of olive oil and sea salt. Soooo Good!!! Finishing them up today. Other than that I'm all smoothie!

To celebrate one year raw and give myself incentive to release more weight I posted before and after pictures here (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=50880).

Everybody hang in there and have a great RAW Weekend!!!! :D

gabriele

05-29-2009, 02:59 PM

Other than that I'm all smoothie!

To celebrate one year raw and give myself incentive to release more weight I posted before and after pictures here (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=50880).

Everybody hang in there and have a great RAW Weekend!!!! :D

Well you just look fabulous RawKnitster. Good for you. I really am floundering here, i am going to commit right now to doing all smoothies for this weekend (i mean, you did raw for one year!!!). This is big for me. I have my avocados, bananas, blackberries, flaxseeds, red grapes, spinach, i can do this!!

gabriele

05-29-2009, 03:01 PM

Ok, here's a question. I have a smoothie in the morning (take it to work with me).

What if i want to drink another one for lunch? Will the standard smoothie survive in a fridge for 5 hours without getting yucky?? Obviously i can't make it at work. Do i need to squirt some lemon juice in it for the color? Boy, if i can do that, that would really help me....

snoops

05-29-2009, 03:56 PM

I do put lemon juice in my GS. I take it to work and it is good for hours in a fridge.

Rawknitster - awesome photos. You look younger!!

I am trying a new smoothie recipe:

12oz of water
8 oz of frozen blueberries
1 banana
1 TB Agave Nectar
2 TB hemp seeds
2 Large handfuls of baby spinach
Pinch of sea salt
Handful of Ice

Blend the water and hemp seeds alone on high until white and creamy. Add the banana, agave, spinach and salt and blend again on high until smooth. Last, add the frozen blueberries and ice if you want it, and blend on medium until well blended and smooth. Serve immediately.

I'll let you know where I got it and if it's good in a while after I've made it!!

RawKnitster

05-29-2009, 04:31 PM

Thank you gaby! Good luck on the smoothie fast. You can do it! Even after a year raw, a 3 day smoothie fast is still a challenge for me, but well worth it. It's only 3 days, right?

In the morning I like simple smoothies, usually an orange, banana, spinach, kale, and a green food powder. Sometimes I'll add frozen strawberries. I put the extra in a glass jar and keep it cold. It will keep all day. I've even kept it until the next day. Using blueberries will cause it to thicken in storage.

Later in the afternoon I like superfood smoothies. White coconut, OR nut milk, OR an apple and pear, with green food powders, hemp seeds, goji berries, aloe vera, maca, chlorella, spirulina, E3Live, bee pollen, honey, sometimes cacao nibs, and a little frozen fruit or ice. I'm sure it is an aquired taste, but I love it. It has been my experience that these smoothies do NOT keep well under any circumstances.

When doing a smoothie fast I usually want a savory smoothie in the evening. No fruit, just greens and watery veggies like tomatoes and cucumbers with a little zip added, maybe some sea salt, cumin, a tiny piece of garlic and/or hot pepper. Avocado will cut the spiciness nicely.

My smoothies are all over the place. Varitey is the spice of life. ;)

RawKnitster

05-29-2009, 04:33 PM

Thank you snoops!! Looking younger is great! Feeling younger is even better!

snoops

05-29-2009, 04:38 PM

Oh wow, that's what i call willpower. Good for you!!!

what is your favorite larabar flavor??

It felt soooo good to put that piece of bread back in the bag. I am still feeling good about it 5 hours later!!

And I just did a similar thing now. Was having the aformentioned green or shall I say purple smoothie and was going to have just a small handful of corn chips. I put the bag away and had a handful of the go raw sunflower flax snacks. There was a thread about them some weeks ago. I thought at first they were way to expensive ($9) 3 oz bag here in Canada for only tasting OK. But they saved me here. I saw them in the pantry and grabbed them instead of the chips. Not as good but salty and crunchy and they did the job. I hadn't planned on buying them again but I may now to have on hand for times like these. I NEEDED something crunchy and carrots weren't going to cut it!!

My favorite Larabar is the chocolate coconut chew and the coconut cream pie. I'm sure they aren't all raw but they work for me for now. The cashew cookie is OK too.

snoops

05-29-2009, 04:44 PM

So the blueberry hemp smoothie was good. Would have it again.

Here is a link to the site I got the recipe from. It is a vegan site - not raw but there is a whole bunch of raw recipes. Brendon Brazier the triathlete posts there and a bunch of the vegan and raw chefs.

http://gliving.com/

Click on greenchefs and on a menu down to the right there is a raw recipe link. There are some fabulous looking recipes there. Very gourmet of course but maybe that is what I need to experiment with.

The rest of the site has green living articles and just a bunch of other cool stuff. I spent about three hours the other day surfing around in it.

gabriele

05-29-2009, 06:03 PM

Later in the afternoon I like superfood smoothies. White coconut, OR nut milk, OR an apple and pear, with green food powders, hemp seeds, goji berries, aloe vera, maca, chlorella, spirulina, E3Live, bee pollen, honey, sometimes cacao nibs, and a little frozen fruit or ice. I'm sure it is an aquired taste, but I love it. It has been my experience that these smoothies do NOT keep well under any circumstances.

W;)

so what is it that doesn't keep well i wonder? why does your super smoothie NOT keep well but the fruity one does keep all day?

Tee42

05-29-2009, 07:53 PM

Hi Ladies,

I've been very busy so I've been blogging but haven't checked in here. I switched up my food a bit dropping the fat levels quite a bit. It's been a very positive change! My weight loss started back up, my cravings are gone and I feel full and satisfied with the foods I'm eating. I doubt if I'll ever get my fat percentage down to 10% but the 13-15% I'm eating seems to be a good place to pause for now.

Hope everyone has a good evening and a better weekend!

gabriele

05-29-2009, 08:58 PM

Susan123

05-30-2009, 06:43 AM

Hi, ladies!! I was super busy at work yesterday and at home last night so I didn't make it over to say hello!! Soooo- hello!! :D

Gaby- I never knew how BAD cacoa actually was... I eat a bit of chocolate almost everyday (usually a Larabar). My favorite larabar is the chocolate coconut (I think it's 90% raw). The others I like are the cashew, banana, and coconut creme... There are only a couple that I DON'T like.

Somelikeit raw-- Thanks for doing all the research for us!!

I won't just WON'T do dairy again, but chocolate almond milk or any non-dairy chocolate is (was) fair game in my book. I've been Vegan since June 1st, 2008 (Monday is my anniversary!!). My one year veggieversary was in March.

RawKnitster- Great job on the fast!! Your smoothie combinations sound (ummm) interesting!! I haven't done any supplements yet. Wonder if/when I need to do that. I eat lots of seeds and nuts lately. Which is probably why my weight loss is at a stand-still... Your photos are such an inspiration!!

Snoops- You were soo good for putting that bread back!! I'm so proud of you!! You get the gold star for the week!! I'll have to get some hemp and try that smoothie you posted!! I've always got oodles of blueberries in the freezer!!

Lannette- Please do share your food choice secrets with us!! :D

I tried to isolate what I ate when my hands/ tongue swelled up so bad, but so far I haven't had any more problems. After talking to the other nurses at work it wouldn't have been the pineapple from the night before because when you have an allergic reaction it's alomst instantly. I was drinking my darn green smoothie when it happened!! DUH!!

Here's my food list from yesterday---
B-Green smoothie (spinach, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, banana).

S-Banana

L- Kale salad with olives, tomatoes and some slivered almonds

S-Apple and Larabar

D- Salad bar at Jasons deli. I ate 95% raw- I did put a small scoop of their bean salad on my huge green salad. I used olive oil/ basalmic vinegar and I stayed away from the crackers, unlike my last visit there...

S- Watermelon

I have a ladies conference/ luncheon at my church today. Luckily the lunch portion of the even is a "salad bar". I'm going to make some salad dressing and maybe stash a larbar for the drive home in case it's all icebery lettuce and I leave still hungry. I'll let you know how it goes!! :D

gabriele

05-30-2009, 01:09 PM

Hello ladies,

this is a little off-topic, but i am gathering that there are a a few nurses here!! I am not a nurse, but have worked in a hospital my whole life, and i love love love nurses. My mother worked in a hospital too, not as a nurse either, and i was surrounded my whole life by her friends, all nurses, they are incredible, intuitive, wonderful people and i just wanted to say "thank you" for what you do. If any of you have Showtime on cable, there's a new show called "Jackie the Nurse" with Edie Falco and it is fabulous. I just saw the first episode.

RawKnitster

05-30-2009, 05:01 PM

gaby, I don't know why the superfood smoothies don't keep. They feel powerful (might be my perception of them), but they are not that tasty. The few that I've saved for later thickened and turned nasty.

Susan, Thank you! I posted the photos to inspire myself, putting it out there to reinforce my commitment, and make sure I don't go back to my old habits. It makes me happy to know that you, and perhaps others find inspiration in them, too!!!!! :D

About the superfood smoothies....my version is extreme, and probably not necessary. I like to try different things to see what works. I'm having them frequently right now, but only one a day, and not every day. The one supplement I take everyday is Vitamineral Green (same as Alissa's Green Powder). A heaping Tablespoon provides 4.4 grams protein, 33% RDA of Calcium, and 150% RDA of Iron. Good stuff!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!!! :D

Susan123

05-31-2009, 07:39 AM

Gaby- thank you so much!! I'm an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) and just love my job of caring for people!! Even though I'm in an outpatient clinic and we don't see our patients for a long time (like if they were staying in a hospital) it's very rewarding.

Yesterday I did well at the ladies luncheon yesterday. They had salad for an appetizer (darn that I forgot my homemade dressing so I used the raspberry vinegarette. Then for the "main course" they had croissants with egg salad or chicken salad and FRUIT- all this lovely fresh fruit- strawberries, melons, grapes, pineapple... I FILLED my plate with fruit. It was delish!!

Then for dinner I had a bit of go-raw granola with (non-raw) almond milk. I was so hungry by that time and didn't wait for my brain to signal being full and had 2 romaine "sandwiches" with the salmon pate from Alissa book and some sprouts. I'm trying to limit my fats, but I seem to need more "satisfaction" from the fats. I must my addicted to fats!! :cool: Now that I think of it other than my one Larabar in the afternoon, that was my only fat for the day... Ohhh, I'm not sure, but I think that was my only fat. Maybe I need to travel with a small notebook and write down what I'm eating so I can SEE it in writing...

Have a blessed Sunday, everyone!! :):)

SusanF

05-31-2009, 01:06 PM

Hi All! I haven't posted in a few weeks, but I am ready to try the June 30-day challenge if anyone else is up for it! I would like to post here as well, you all are such an inspiration and so supportive of each other. I am not quite 50, but I think 48 is pretty close!

I have Alissa's book, and have used many of her recipes in the past. (This is not my first attempt at the 30-day challenge.) I was wondering if any of you who have been at this for a while would mind sharing raw foods or "recipes" that you simply can't do without. I'm trying to set myself up for sucess here!

Thanks!

snoops

05-31-2009, 09:15 PM

Pretty sure I didn't lose any weight this week. Not such a great week. Still no cheese which I am happy about. I don't really miss it. Well I have had some, in a couple casseroles (not raw:o) but that was minimal. Didn't cut any big fat slabs to eat with crackers and that was my big downfall.

I plan to try part of the 30 day challenge. I am aiming for 5 days. 30 scares me too much just yet!!:o So tomorrow for 5 days - all raw. Now that's not really the truth because there are a couple things I do that are not all raw. I use almond milk from the store, eat Larabars. These things I may change eventually but for now raw to me is no dairy, no grains, no sugars. The no meat goes without saying. I am not vegan yet but am vegetarian.

I will be blogging and posting here because I will need to vent and get support. I hope to get under 220 in the 5 days. Guess that will depend on how many of the luscious avocados that I just bought I eat!!
Let's all have a great week.

Tee42

06-01-2009, 04:26 AM

Hi Ladies,

I just wanted to say hello and let you know that I will be reading your thread and popping in from time to time but intend to join the 30 day challenge. I'm feeling very nervous about taking this step and it feels kind of silly to feel nervous but there is no time like the present!

Have a great day everyone!

Susan123

06-01-2009, 04:39 AM

My weight loss is at a stand-still (like since week one). I'm moving more and more so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong... I know I consume a few too many nuts/seeds. I need to work on that...

gabriele

06-01-2009, 07:19 AM

I will be blogging and posting here because I will need to vent and get support. I hope to get under 220 in the 5 days. Guess that will depend on how many of the luscious avocados that I just bought I eat!!
Let's all have a great week.

To everyone doing that 30 day challenge, please do keep posting here!! I am loving all your emails.

I had a pretty good weekend, i actually made it through without any chocolate. I wish i could have a weight report, that's actually why i started this thread, to lose weight.......i'm aiming for next saturday. I used to weigh myself every day, but i got depressed doing that. Every little fluctuation got me down. So once a week is all i can handle. Also, we walked a bit this weekend also, i'm still not loving the walking, but it was a beautiful weekend.

jane b

06-01-2009, 08:30 AM

Just signed on this morning and still transitioning. I'm ready for a challenge although I have a trip to AZ in about a week to see the kids/grands.

How exactly does this work?

jane b

gabriele

06-01-2009, 09:10 AM

Just signed on this morning and still transitioning. I'm ready for a challenge although I have a trip to AZ in about a week to see the kids/grands.

How exactly does this work?

jane b

If you're referring to the June Challenge, i don't know.

If you're referring to this thread, the weight loss challenge, it's just a supportive group of people trying to lose weight, with lots of interesting posts. So, either way, welcome!!

gabriele

06-01-2009, 09:11 AM

I plan to try part of the 30 day challenge. I am aiming for 5 days. 30 scares me too much just yet!!:o So tomorrow for 5 days - all raw. .

Snoops, please keep posting to us here, about your progress! I am very interested.

snoops

06-01-2009, 09:17 AM

I am only going to post here and in my blog. I'm only doing 5 days so won't post in the 30 day June challenge. Maybe next month. Like Tee42 says - 30 days scares me. Isn't that silly.

Oh ya - weighed myself this morning - 224:mad:

gabriele

06-01-2009, 10:33 AM

Susan123

06-01-2009, 11:32 AM

Hang in there, ladies!! We all gained weight one pound at a time. It'll take time to disappear...

I have a good report-
--Today marks my one year Anniversary of becoming Vegan (my Veggievesary was in March)!! I'm not sure how I'll celebrate. I think I ate enough raw pate yesterday for dinner to celebrate for today!! ;)

I'm not 100% sure I'm going to be able to stay (or chose to stay) 100% raw. It was a hard month with only losing weight the first week. I've recently read Dr. Furhams "Eat to Live" and I'm going to try the lower-fat Vegan for a while. He suggests a plant-based diet with very limited cooked foods (sweet potatoes, beans, whole-grains like quinoa/brown rice). I think my "fat" tooth (like my sweet tooth) can get ahead of me. Can I still post here??

gabriele

06-01-2009, 11:47 AM

I'm not 100% sure I'm going to be able to stay (or chose to stay) 100% raw. It was a hard month with only losing weight the first week. I've recently read Dr. Furhams "Eat to Live" and I'm going to try the lower-fat Vegan for a while. He suggests a plant-based diet with very limited cooked foods (sweet potatoes, beans, whole-grains like quinoa/brown rice). I think my "fat" tooth (like my sweet tooth) can get ahead of me. an I still post here??

Susan123, i love Dr. Fuhrman's site. Of course you can still post here. And congratulations on the one year anniversary, that's great.

i am stuck.....i cannot find a good salad dressing. I want to make it myself, but don't like preparing food, it has to be simple. I tried a honey/mustard/vinegar one just now that i made, blechhhh, yuck, i can't even figure out how to fix this. I really need to eat my salads at lunch time, but i don't really like vegetables and salads so the dressing is crucial. :((

Susan123

06-01-2009, 01:32 PM

Gaby- Maybe try a few different types of vinegars. My grocer has a generic organic basalmic that is yummy... I've also used Braggs Apple cider vinegar which I've enjoyed.
Here's the recipe I adapted from Jenny Cornbleet's Easy Raw foods for 1 or 2: 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp of vinegar (generous), a pinch of salt, 1/2 tsp of dijon type mustard and a few twist of pepper...

See why I need to decrease my oil intake? ;) I would use a tbsp per salad for lunch and then for dinner eat another salad with more oils on it.

gabriele

06-01-2009, 05:25 PM

somelikeitraw

06-01-2009, 08:34 PM

Wow Ladies! You totally rawk!

Ohm'gosh RawKnitster! You look so much younger and happier too! Love the savory smoothies! Gonna have to try those.

Gaby - congratulations on being chocolate free! It seems to get easier with time. Sometimes I re-read those articles to keep me strong. One of these days I am going to experiment with carob even though it will never replace "the forbidden fruit", LOL.

What a great group here!
I've been raw (very nearly 100% but not quite) for 4 months tomorrow. I have gone from not being able to button my 18 wide jeans to comfortably wearing a size 16 (not wide!). My weight has gone from 242 to 200, as of a few days ago. I also can't weigh myself everyday or depression sets in. I don't have a designated 'before' picture, I'm looking for a photo that I can stand enough to post on the before and after thread, although, I'm not anywhere near after yet.

I'll pop in from time to time to see how y'all are doing and post my progress.

gabriele

06-02-2009, 09:47 AM

How's everyone doing today? How about those 30 day challenges?? Same here, nothing new. Didn't walk yesterday, felt very dizzy. Feel better today.

Somelikeitraw: i never did like carob, i tried and tried, i ended up throwing it out. It just can't compare, you know what i mean?

not much else going on around here this morning yet....

snoops

06-02-2009, 08:25 PM

Being good all day - I am blogging if you want to read it! I just got back from the grocery store. Husband heated up a meat pie. It smelled so good when I came in and I dont like or eat meat!!!:eek:

So I had half an avocado, some nuts, some olives. Hows that for satisfying my fat craving.

That should hold me for the evening anyway. Day 2 done!!

How was everyone else. I see the posting is slowing down.

Mary Kay

06-02-2009, 10:56 PM

I swear, whenever I'm good about eating something, or bad, I think of how I'm going to tell all of you ladies...I've just been so busy I haven't checked in. Actually, I've tried to check in a couple times and my puter keeps "freezing." RawKnitster, it's frozen when I've tried to click on your before and after pictures. You wrote "click here" and the darn thing freezes. Darn. Everyone is talking about your pics and I've tried oh, maybe three times. Gave up for tonight so I could write all of you.

Mon (yesterday) was my weigh in day. I lost another lb last wk. I'm having a challenge with a friend who weighs exactly 10 lbs more than I, and she has lost the same amt! I had a moderate workout load. At least I worked out some, but not enough.

Gaby, I've gone through maybe a lb of carob this past week trying to substitute (I agree, it ain't the same) ....sigh.....And I did have my one day of chocolate per week on Friday....but stretched it out to two. I even found a chocolate chip on the floor , which wasn't very clean, and ate it. Sigh.

I've been good about the no dairy thing until tonight. I make my own butter from raw cream and I ate some as an experiment. (Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it! LOL) My ear/vertigo thing has been a tiny bit better this week - possibly due to no dairy, so wanted to see if some butter would affect it. I ate a good 3 tablesppoons. Sorry if that disgusts you! I just crave fat!

And Shoney, is there some reason you do so many limes? Or do you just like'em? I always do lemons but rarely limes. Maybe I'll get some and I'll be thinking of you when I use them in juices!

Oh, and I forgot to tell you all: I went to my first raw potluck last night. I am SO there whenever they have them from now on. Of course I ate too much, and of course, there was some imprper food combining, but I just loved it. Next time, I'm bringing my family--this will be our night out. You all probably have some raw potlucks if you live near a big city, I'd presume. I found this one on meetup.com I've been high raw for two years, and maybe three yrs ago I tried to start a raw potluck group but failed. And then I never made the time to go to the ones I found as they were kind of far.

Figures though, Sun night I planned on giving up tomatoes (nightshades) for a month to see if that helps my rosacea. Son-of-a-gun, don't you know there's a huge casserole dish of raw lasagna. Shoot. I couldn't resist. I did scrape off as many of the tomatoes as I could though.

For those of you who don't like to cook, I agree that green smoothies are the way to go. You can do a great cleanse with only raw green smoothies and no protein or fat.

I actually led a 30 -day raw green smoothie cleanse. Here's the Yahoo group, if interested:

http://healthgroups.yahoo.com/goingrawforthirtydays/

I swear, it's not as hard as you may think. and you won't beleve this, but I've also done raw-juice fasts that lasted five and six weeks. It's actually EASIER to do one of these because your digestion shuts down and you're not hungry. But it's harder in other ways.

Sorry so long. I was missing writing here (and reading your stuff!). Oh, and you'll see, I've finally taken time to figure out how to do a signature. Will do a profile etc sooner or later.

XOXOXO,

Mary Kay

Mary Kay

06-02-2009, 10:58 PM

LOL, I finally get a pic and it's so teeny, I hope you all can make it out....Geez. That's my six y.o. daughter who has a twin bro.

Mary Kay

gabriele

06-03-2009, 07:27 AM

gabriele

06-03-2009, 07:37 AM

Oh Mary Kay, love your long posts. I think it's very cute that you picked up a chocolate chip off the floor and ate it (i would have done the same thing)!!

I am also dizzy, have been for years, it comes and goes, i'm just used to it. I figure, nobody can fix it without drugs, and i'm not going there.

I also don't like cooking, never have, so making a smoothie for me feels like i'm preparing a gourmet meal. Mine are mostly fruit, though. I usually eat a large salad at lunch. Biggest problem is STILL chocolate cravings, very strong ones too. :(

Mary Kay

06-03-2009, 08:54 AM

Gaby, you simply must throw some greens in your smoothies! Just a handful of spinach here, a stalk of celery (makes it "sort of" salty) etc etc. We're striving for 40% of our food coming from greens. You won't even really taste them!

MK

Mary Kay

06-03-2009, 09:00 AM

I'm assuming it's because it's hard enough for most people to go raw for 30 days, let alone turn it into a cleanse, but why not make it a cleanse? For those of you doing it

By eliminating all fat and protein your body goes into a state of autolysis, whereby cells seek out protein and fat from other cells, and go for the crappy, weak, diseased ones rather than your heart, brain etc. Thereby cleansing.

Again, I'm sure it's hard enough for some of you to just think about high raw, let alone cutting out the other stuff, but just wanted to throw it out there.

Or maybe try it for a few days here and there throughout the 30 days.

Mary Kay