on the diet, off the diet :(

[gypwytch]

I went mostly raw & grain free for 3 days, felt great and there were no cravings. Then my nephew & wife came to visit and I fell off the diet, even though I had gone shopping and laid the best of plans to be able to stay with it. For the last two days I've been eating everything in sight and craving everything as well. Going to start fresh again tomorrow and hopefully stay on. I've tried a few of the smoothie recipes and was pleasantly surprised at how good they were, the spinach, apple, & ginger root being my fav.. I've requested several books from the library, and will hopefully find some good recipes and ideas in them to add to the small collection I've started.

[jacsam]

Hopefully the library has Alissa's book and DVD....in my opinion, they really are the best and cover all the aspects of raw food. They are well worth buying and having in your personal library.....her book not only tells you all the in's and out's of the raw food lifestyle, answering every question you could have.....it also has almost 300 recipes. Good Luck!!!!

[betty boop]

What worked for me was simply adding green smoothies to my SAD diet. My body quickly told me it didn't want meat, sweets, grains or dairy anymore and I started craving veggies and green smoothies instead of SAD foods within a week. I actually found the transition quite easy.

[gypwytch]

I tried to find Alissa's book and DVD in the library catalogue but they don't have it. I'm going to buy it at some point, but don't have the extra cash right now, hopefully in a few weeks I'll get to order it. In the meantime I've been scouring the net, looking at raw vegan sites and finding a recipe here and there, there was a raw hummus on one that was quite tastey. :)

[ShelShel]

I find that if I never give up...it's ok. No matter how many times you drift or come back to raw, as long as you return...you are still on the journey.;)
Just keep trying. It will come to you as you persevere.

I had been raw 8 months straight in 2006 and have floundered off and on since. Then yesterday...I'm back at it. :) Good for you...that you keep coming back and aren't willing to throw your hands up in the air and give up all together.

It really, really is worth the effort. After a few weeks, my cravings all but disappear. Perhaps yours will do the same.

Good luck. Keep up the great work! :)

[tzip]

Who hasn't yo-yoed like you describe? It's happened to me so often if it wasn't so sad I'd be laughing. I feel great when I'm all raw (my longest was 52 days straight) but one bite of something cooked and it's all over for me until the next round.
What's my advice? Accept there will be off times but try to get it all out of your system as soon as you're able and jump back in full force.
I just see it as just another challenge of life. Without these struggles our lives would be pretty boring.
Much success...

[mstrish]

I agree with everyone who posted. It's a journey. I have had some SAD deviations but that doesn't take away from the days I was 100% raw. Keep going and add green smoothies and more fruits to munch on and you will pick it back up.

[jesslcochran]

I find that if I never give up...it's ok. No matter how many times you drift or come back to raw, as long as you return...you are still on the journey.;)
Just keep trying. It will come to you as you persevere.

This is oh so true. I've been off and on raw for a while now. The longest I was raw was for 7 months back in 2004-2005. The shortest has been a day.

I never give up. I know that raw is the best for me. I've found that I stay raw more when I have raw deserts ready. If I'm craving something sweet I eat a slice of a raw cake (like the Date Nut Torte or raw apple pie a friend showed me how to do). Or I eat raw crackers that I made (almond & flax seed are my favs). Or I eat a raw granola that I make (mix in some berries and yummy!). Things like that keep me raw longer.

Though for me it usually takes just one bite of something cooked and I fall off the wagon. But I always get back on.

*hugs*
Jess

[gypwytch]

I think for now I'm just going to make sure I have at least one raw meal a day, and after awhile make it two meals a day. I always have trouble getting my veggies, with the smoothies it makes things alot easier. Living with my parents makes it difficult to eat different, especially since my brother got divorced and kinda halfways moved back in. Their favourite way of cooking is with the frying pan and lots of oil. :(