Before and After

[holistica]

I can't believe the difference when I look back now!

BEFORE (250lbs. 2001, 225lbs. 2006)

http://angiebear.webatu.com/pictures/Basking1.jpg

http://angiebear.webatu.com/pictures/GothMeSmall.jpg

AFTER (150lbs. 2008, 135lbs. 2009)

http://angiebear.webatu.com/pictures/angie2.jpg

http://angiebear.webatu.com/pictures/Copyrighted.jpg

[GlimR]

Thanks for sharing these~ You look great. How long have you been raw and how much weight have you lost...we love to know all the details!!:D
...and welcome~

PS..off topic...did you like The Lady of Avalon as much as The Mists?

[holistica]

Thanks for sharing these~ You look great. How long have you been raw and how much weight have you lost...we love to know all the details!!:D
...and welcome~

PS..off topic...did you like The Lady of Avalon as much as The Mists?
Thank you!

I've been raw since February 2007. I guess I put that in the "intro" area and left it out here. Sorry about that!

I haven't gotten to reading The Lady yet. I wish I had more time to read. :(

[Aleesha Sattva]

congrats... you looked younger and younger and younger in those pics - almost like you posted them backwards LOL

[holistica]

congrats... you looked younger and younger and younger in those pics - almost like you posted them backwards LOL

Thank you! I never really realized that before...

[BethMO]

WOWZA WOWZA! Another inspiration, thanks for sharing the pictures I want to be another sucess story on here a few months down the line!

[snoops]

PS..off topic...did you like The Lady of Avalon as much as The Mists?

None of the books after Mists were anywhere near as good!! IMO

And holistica - what a transformation. You look fabulous!!

[katchmoleen]

Great Job!!!!!! What an encouragement to all of us just starting out. Do you follow any raw program such as 80-10-10 or mostly fruit, etc etc or do you just enjoy the bounty of raw? How about health improvement? More testimony please!

[holistica]

Great Job!!!!!! What an encouragement to all of us just starting out. Do you follow any raw program such as 80-10-10 or mostly fruit, etc etc or do you just enjoy the bounty of raw? How about health improvement? More testimony please!

Interesting questions!

Here's a bit of a break-down of how an "average" raw day goes for me.

8am: Full glass of water and probiotics. That's 2 capsules of All Flora (http://www.newchapter.com/products/probiotic-all-flora) washed down with filtered water.

Breakfast (between 8:30 and 10): 2 apples, a tablespoon of honey, and a 16 oz. mug of tea (herbal, white, or green) with honey added after it cools OR a green smoothie (4 cups or so)

Lunch (2pmish): A green smoothie if I didn't have one for breakfast OR 2 apples and a Pure or Larabar. OR a huge salad. Lots of water, Mutli-vitamin (http://www.thevitamincode.com/Formulas/MultivitaminFormulas/Women/tabid/1312/Default.aspx) and Estrotone (http://www.newchapter.com/products/estrotone).

Dinner (5:30pm): A big salad or something "gourmet" out of Alissa's book. I LOVE the guacamole in portobella mushroom caps! Another Estrotone (http://www.newchapter.com/products/estrotone).

I generally don't eat after 8pm. If I'm hungry at times other than "meal" times, I just munch away on whatever is raw. I like to eat spoonfulls of honey, Alissa's raw fudge balls, and Alissa's raw cheesecake, just the filling with a spoon! I'm a big fan of apples, so those are snacks sometimes, as are button mushrooms, and tomato wedges with a little celtic sea salt. I also drink tea, which some raw foodists take issue with, but it still has its health benefits. Additionally, I sweeten with honey after the tea has cooled so that I'm not destroying the enzymes in the honey.

What I always tell "newbies" that come to me for advice on starting out is that if they're hungry, they should just eat, eat, eat, as long as it's raw. After a while you will find that a few apples and some honey or fudge will sustains you for a long time. Just make sure you get lots of salads and green smoothies in right off. They have the nutrient-dense power to keep your body sustained longer without having to pig out.

Just enjoy all the raw food you can. As you detox, your body will crave what it needs instead of craving chocolate cake (or whatever your guilty cooked pleasure used to be) like it used to.

[Veganforlife]

Check you out girl! WOWIE!!!!!!!!!!!! Love the Raw transformation, don't you? ;)

[FrannieGreen]

Holistica,
Congrats. Your pictures are amazing. What a tranformation!
You are definately an inspiration.
Frannie

[holistica]

Check you out girl! WOWIE!!!!!!!!!!!! Love the Raw transformation, don't you? ;)

I sure do! And that's why I keep reaching for that banana...

[holistica]

Holistica,
Congrats. Your pictures are amazing. What a tranformation!
You are definately an inspiration.
Frannie

Thank you!

[freshlight]

Simply beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing

[margoss]

Gosh girl...you look 15 yrs younger!! I use to live in St Albans in 89-90. Very pretty up there but wayyyy too cold for me.

[holistica]

Simply beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing

Thanks for listening! It's nice to know that there's someone out there eating raw. It's hard to keep perspective while I'm picking at my salad and everyone around me is drinking beer and eating pepperoni pizza!

[holistica]

Gosh girl...you look 15 yrs younger!! I use to live in St Albans in 89-90. Very pretty up there but wayyyy too cold for me.

15 years. Wow. That means I probably didn't look like a college undergrad in the first picture, hunh?

I like the cold. It's a good excuse to cuddle. ;)

[Raw Angel Mom]

Wow, the butterfly in your came out from her cocoon!

I am so happy for you, what a success you have been.
Bravo, you look absolutely astonishing.

Great work!

[holistica]

Wow, the butterfly in your came out from her cocoon!

I am so happy for you, what a success you have been.
Bravo, you look absolutely astonishing.

Great work!

Thank you!

I love butterflies...

[Pking]

Very awesome buddy. Well done & keep it up.

[freshlight]

Thanks for listening! It's nice to know that there's someone out there eating raw. It's hard to keep perspective while I'm picking at my salad and everyone around me is drinking beer and eating pepperoni pizza!

just change your perspective and think about how lucky you are because you chose the best for yourself,-hey, you are worth it!

[holistica]

just change your perspective and think about how lucky you are because you chose the best for yourself,-hey, you are worth it!

I never thought of it that way...

Thanks!

[Shine]

You look fantastic!! Thank you for being here and being an inspiration. What a glow you have about you now! :)

Went to school in Burlington (well, Winooski...), love the State and the weather!!!

Great job YOU!!

[holistica]

You look fantastic!! Thank you for being here and being an inspiration. What a glow you have about you now! :)

Went to school in Burlington (well, Winooski...), love the State and the weather!!!

Great job YOU!!

Thanks!

I've lived in VT all my life, but I just moved north this past May. I had never even been to Burlington until this past February. I'll be moving there in 2 years, and I'm hoping to get back into a natural food store as a manager... What school did you go to?

[Shine]

I went to St. Michaels. I loved Burlington - well the North in general!! I would move back there in a heartbeat if we didn't have so many close ties in ME now :) burlington is a great town - good energy!!

I would love to get a job in a NFS. Actually tring to save some cash to become a member of the local co-op. Bit more of a drive from the NFS I go to now...but I like the idea of a co-op.

[holistica]

I went to St. Michaels. I loved Burlington - well the North in general!! I would move back there in a heartbeat if we didn't have so many close ties in ME now :) burlington is a great town - good energy!!

I would love to get a job in a NFS. Actually tring to save some cash to become a member of the local co-op. Bit more of a drive from the NFS I go to now...but I like the idea of a co-op.

I'm a member of a co-op 2 hours away, heh. I've been too bashful to ask for my "lifetime" membership fee back so that I can use the money to get a membership closer to home...

[rawrawks]

woweeeeeeeeee ....raw works and if people dont beeleeevit just look at you now!!!

beautyfull raw life to you!!!

[holistica]

woweeeeeeeeee ....raw works and if people dont beeleeevit just look at you now!!!

beautyfull raw life to you!!!

Thank you! I've been enjoying the raw life for over two years now and I still love it so much!

[kidkid]

you look so great girl! But i have to say that that first 'before' picture is so beautiful as well! It looks like a beautiful day. whoever took that picture captured a really lovely moment.
I grew up in essex junction, VT, myself. New England woohoo!

[holistica]

you look so great girl! But i have to say that that first 'before' picture is so beautiful as well! It looks like a beautiful day. whoever took that picture captured a really lovely moment.
I grew up in essex junction, VT, myself. New England woohoo!

Thank you!

That picture was take in college by a friend I met my first year. She did have a nice touch with a camera.

[qfmother]

You look amazing! Thanks for sharing, it gives me lots of motivation to continue when I see such a dramatic transformation.

[holistica]

You look amazing! Thanks for sharing, it gives me lots of motivation to continue when I see such a dramatic transformation.

Thank you! I'm glad I can help the community just by being here. :)

[Emmanuelle]

holistica, you have made a fantastic transformation! You look so whole and at ease with yourself, I love it :D

[Raw Creator]

Holistica, what an accomplishment - such an inspiring post! From what you write, it sounds as though you found joy through the journey (and continue to do so) :)

A beautiful transformation indeed! Thank you for sharing this,

ps: I too love the fudge balls I used to get from Alissa! - alas I no longer see them available. Recently tried UliMana's, thinking they would be comparable. Unfortunately, not the same creamy, chocolate goodness I remember Alissa's having :(

[RawHeaven]

Thank you so much for the inspiration you've demonstrated by being you. You so inspire fire in me to keep going! You are beautiful.

[thatgirlfit85]

You're transformation is truly inspiring. I will be coming back to your post when I feel weak!

[ViolinCyndee]

You're transformation is truly inspiring. I will be coming back to your post when I feel weak!

Agree!! Great way to keep us all on track! :D

[freelee]

WOw very inspiring!! You have shaved years off as well as the lbs, thanks for sharing X

[groberts1998]

There was a for sure BABE hiding in there!

[melia]

Wow you're looking great! And you look so pretty and radiant and happy in that last picture!! :) Thanks for posting, it was actually all the before/after pictures I saw of Raw foodists that made me start this lifestyle so I can get healthy! Because I saw that all of you started out about where I was!