Just started, looking for some support.

[McRow]

Hey everyone, my name is John, I've been raw fooding for a few months now and its been really really tough. I love to cook for others, its one of my passions to give people a good meal. I've continued to cook for my girlfriend, family, and friends, but give myself alternatives.

My roommates are all taco bell-oholics and im pretty much out of the social picture with them because I dont go out to eat with them. One of my roommates is my best friend from high school, I've watched him gain about 40 pounds since we left school 4 years ago, and thats what kind of brought on this diet change for me. I thought maybe he'd do it with me, but thats not the case.

I'm sticking with it because over the last few months i've gained alot of energy, i've been able to get up early in the morning alot easier, not to mention i've been losing some unattractive weight. Once I find some pictures, i'll show a before and after 4 months of raw fooding.

So aside from that, my story is this: I'm surrounded by people who are in no way open to raw foodism, and I'm looking for some support. I'm thinking about starting a blog about my diet and changes to my body. Is that a good way to start?

So anyways, thanks for reading, I'll frequent this board often for recipes and suggestions, and if I discover anything I'll be sure to share. Thanks again

-John

[Care4raw]

WELCOME!!!
Yes, please post your pics, always inspiring.
There's been so many posts through the years about having to share a space with non raw foodies that I wonder if a support thread should be started?You can start it!
Good luck and happy you are here posting!

[Moretta]

Welcome and good luck on your RAWNESS journey.

Please do share your before and after pictures.

[Veganforlife]

John? Dude? You have come to the BEST place. And you know? Take YOUR food when you go out w/your friends....

It's all good!!! :D

[McRow]

for your viewing pleasure, before (im on the right)
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v37/49/47/22805298/n22805298_30328461_3413.jpg


anddd recently...on the right again
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs113.snc1/5127_523663412835_67401307_31141878_464122_n.jpg

[McRow]

John? Dude? You have come to the BEST place. And you know? Take YOUR food when you go out w/your friends....

It's all good!!! :D
Thanks for the warm welcomes, Im not even asked to go out anymore, they just kind of leave, which is lame, and i guess its a whole different issue in itself lol.

[Veganforlife]

WOW! Check you out! Nice transformation. Keep it up!!! You'll encounter a whole new realm of friends! Trust me! ;)

[McRow]

WOW! Check you out! Nice transformation. Keep it up!!! You'll encounter a whole new realm of friends! Trust me! ;)

Thanks! I'm still in school so i'm on the lookout for vegans/rawfoodists who are, for lack of a better word, friendly lol.

[Veganforlife]

We all are, right?

::looks around::

Everyone is shaking their heads - yup!!!

WELCOME!!!

If you eat it (Raw), they will come! LOL!

[McRow]

We all are, right?

::looks around::

Everyone is shaking their heads - yup!!!

WELCOME!!!

If you eat it (Raw), they will come! LOL!

haha fair enough.

[spicyfull]

I wish you everything you need to Stay RAW.......Welcome to MY World.

[Dimond]

Welcome John, you look great! You can make all kinds of raw goodies to share with everyone, if you still like preparing food for others. It's also a good way to get everyone more into eating healthy. You can gradually start adding raw with your cooked foods and don't even tell them until afterwards.

[katchmoleen]

That's what I was thinking. My husband was eating my basil pesto pizza last night, and he told me that he tells about my raw food diet and they are skeptical, as he was at first. But he said, the food has so much more flavor and is really delicious. If he gave up the expensive meat, I would let him have more of the expensive raw stuff, but I have to be choosy to keep the budget down.
So make lots of delicious raw stuff for your friends and keep being a good examplt to them. You look GREAT btw!

[freshlight]

Welcome and thanks for sharing your wonderful progress with us,-you're a star! I don't have any raw friends here either,- you can still enjoy this very special feeling because it's worth it. It's a great idea to start a raw blog,- I'm looking forward to reading it soon :)All the best to you.

[FrannieGreen]

Welcome John, I love the idea of the blog.
Frannie

[rawrawks]

climb aboard the raw food extraordinary train....yay.

Yes I highly reccomend that you document it all because you will wish you did. The changes will be profound so be ready...and write them down.

Good deal. Please read this...it was posted here but I couldnt find it....hope it helps.

Do You Ever Feel Lonely?
05/28/08, New York, NY


“Always follow the highest you know.”
—J.J. Dewey, The Immortal

Do you ever feel lonely as you pursue the higher truths of this diet-lifestyle? Well, you’re not alone. If I had a tomato for everyone who has recently described to me this aspect of cleansing, I could make a batch of gazpacho big enough for all of you!

I am the first to admit that turning your back on the common ways of thinking, living and eating is challenging. I’ve felt deeply lonely at times. I’ve cursed having to give up certain foods and drinks, and I’ve felt massive disapproval from the crowd for questioning commonly accepted beliefs. But the incomparable bliss that comes with living according to your highest good is more than worth it!

Whenever you move away from the herd mentality and toward advanced knowledge, you initially experience a sense of loss, deprivation, and solitude. This is the moment when “the knight comes face-to-face with the dragon.” You may either run from it and return to the comfort of the herd or slay it and heed your soul’s deepest desire for growth. Of course, it’s scary to face the dragon. It takes courage to stand up to the social norms—the parents, friends, spouses, and authority figures—and say, “I’m no longer going to conform to what everyone else does because it is not serving my highest good.”


So many of you are coming to the realization that all that you’ve been told about food, health, the origins of illness, and the methods of correcting them are wrong. That is not an easy place to find yourself in, when the rest of the world appears to be going along quite happily with all the nonsense. When other people appear effortlessly healthy and thin despite their mainstream diets, you might wonder why you have chosen this path or why you must work harder than others.

What you forget is that these other people, all appearances aside, are not functioning well: they need their coffee or their cigarettes or their drugs to keep them going. You have no idea what they do to create the appearance of being okay. I work with models, actresses, socialites and 99% of the time the story is the same: they either eat next to nothing (and purge when they eat more) or live off of chemical stimulation. It’s not helpful to compare yourself to them.

Try not to let self-doubt and fear lead you to the most uncomfortable place of all—the depths of loneliness, where you are stuck looking at the truth while still slumming it with the herd. If you do find yourself there, take the opportunity to slay the dragon! It’s a matter of personal choice. You can continue to follow the path of least resistance (the herd) or you can exercise intelligent resistance and choose the higher path.

In truth you are not alone. It's time to recognize each other and feel a part of a very special community. When you discover how many brilliant, hip, highly educated people have come to the same conclusions you have, you will be able to leap up and slay the dragon faster that I can open a young coconut! Of course, it’s not exactly that easy, nor is it supposed to be. You are the frontline of this movement, clearing the path for those who will follow and need your guidance.

Whenever you feel torn about the changes you’re making, remember that the herd is blindly following a path of destruction, led by an even blinder authority whose rules strip each individual of his or her power. It takes courage and a sense of personal responsibility to follow this higher path, but it will empower you and lead you to a life of beauty, truth and radiance.

Follow your soul’s impulse to leave the herd and soar on the wings of independence and advanced knowledge to the light!

I support you always,

Natalia
link http://www.detoxtheworld.com/blog-detail.php?ID=36

[BethMO]

Hi John! Just looking at the photos should be enough for you to know you are doing what is best for you (also thanks for posting them as I am knew and LOVE seeing how this way of eating transforms a person!) Are you 100% raw? If not perhaps if you feel you need to be out with these friends and you cannot happily abstane from the taco Bell food perhaps you could have a certain dish that you feel is "okay" to indulge in on occasion. If you can abstane from it and still happily hang out at their food haunts go for it just fill up on your raw before heading out. After you find/make raw recipes and get a few favorites make them up for your friends when they come over and if it is not to their liking let them get some take out or something. But don't push it on them you are a great example just by seeing how healthy you are (you are brimming with it!) Also welcome to the forum lots of great reading and info to be had here.

[freshlight]

Wow, rawrawks, thanks so much for posting this beautiful text. It's so true.....thank you!

[rawrawks]

You are welcome...someone else posted it today but I could not find that one so I reposted here for John.

[McRow]

Thanks for that, it was really encouraging.

[Frugal Raw]

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