Prepped for tomorrow

[VeganWannaBe]

Hello my friends!
Tomorrow is the big day for me & I think I'm all ready to dive into the raw lifestyle. I bought a huge fruit platter & some celery & carrots, along with raw mixed nuts ... still in the shell so I will have to work to eat them! I could really use some specifics though. For instance, I started taking a diet pill a few days ago ... do I stop? How many raw nuts are too much? Do I need to be concerned about portion sizes? I will have more time to check into this site deeper tomorrow I hope. See you then!

[Rawkinlocs]

Welcome Veganwannabe!

Congrats on your decision to give raw a chance! You'll find a lot of support, encouragement and inspiration here...you picked a great place to be as you begin this new chapter of your life.

I can't answer all of your questions, but I'll take a stab at a couple of 'em:

Diet pills - NIX 'em...you won't need 'em...they're not gonna benefit you healthwise...eating raw will help you lose the weight in the best manner for your body.

In the beginning, eat as much raw as you need to keep you sustained. I'll find a link to a thread for you where Alissa gave a REALLY good pep talk about not being so focused on all the "rules" of eating raw when you first transition and that you can always tweak your diet later once you've been raw for some time and feel comfortable with it. Same thing goes for portions...don't worry about it. Eat all you want to keep you feeling satiated so you don't end up eating something you don't intend to eat during this challenge.

Heyyyy...looks like I DID end up addressing all of your questions! Cool :cool:

[CherimoyaMel]

Hi VeganWannabe,

Congratulations on deciding to go raw!

Fruit, celery and carrots are great, the fresher the better. Remember to also eat lots of dark leafy greens. As for nuts, I wouldn't eat more than a small handful a day. Your body starts detoxing when you go raw, and I've been told that too many nuts slow down or stop detox. It's because of the oil.
Generally, I don't concern myself with portion size. My portions are usually very large because it takes quite a bit of raw food to fill me up, and if I'm hungry I'm likely to binge on SAD food. So I eat quite a bit.

Personally, I wouldn't take diet pills. I'd worry about the damage to my health. Besides, I lost weight so easily eating raw foods. There was no need to take diet pills.

I'm sure you'll do great as a raw foodist, but don't knock yourself if you slip up and eat SAD once in awhile. It happens. Just learn from it and move on. It takes quite awhile to make a transition to raw foods. It's a drastic change, but it's entirely worth it!

[Rawkinlocs]

Okay, here's that link I mentioned above: How to Stay Raw (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=452)

I agree with what CherimoyaMel said about nuts but at the same time, keep in mind that when going from a cooked food (and especially SAD) diet to raw, eating plenty of fruits and veggies is crucial BUT there are going to come times when you will want and maybe even NEED something more substantial...something more "filling" until your body adjusts to the lighter full feeling that comes from eating natural whole foods.

So again, if you feel you NEED more nuts to make you more satisfied as to avoid grabbing a bag of chips (like me :o ) then eat them. And this can be in the form of some kind of recipe or just plain.

In time, if you are in tune with and listen to your body, it will make adjustments and you'll know it's time to taper it down a bit.

If you haven't already, I DEFINITELY recommend Alissa's book!

[monkeyboy]

Hi Vegan,


Welcome to your new lifestyle.......

Step 1:eat all you want
Step 2:eat when you are hungry
Step 3:try to stay busy or else all you'll do is think about food
Step 4:get a blender
Step 5: do what you feel is best. the food police are not going to knock at your door if you decide to eat some popcorn.
Step 6: the people on this board are too cool. you will receive good instruction.


Good luck !!!!!!!!!





Peace in the Middle East,

M.B.

[Wrecked Spark]

Excellent posts Rawklinlocs and CherimoyaMel! Well said. I kinda like that someone else has an inkling for potato chippies now and then. Definitely my weak spot :o

[solchile76]

Congrats Veganwannabe! I was just about to post a similar topic. I am ready to start raw on Monday. I am going grocery shopping to stock up. I plan on following Alissa's 4 week plan. My only concern is cost. Can someone give me an average cost for one week of raw essentials? Thanks.

[VeganWannaBe]

Oh my goodness ... I just finished my first raw breakfast with huge success and I am amazingly full! Seedless grapes, cantaloupe, & pineapple ... delish! It seems that I was satisfied with way less food ... is this normal? Either way, it's an awesome feeling to be full without the tummy ache ... so far, this rocks! I know that this is only meal one of day one (although I only had watermelon for dinner last night), but I must state that I already feel better. Am I mental or what ... LOL!

[Rawkinlocs]

Congrats Veganwannabe! I was just about to post a similar topic. I am ready to start raw on Monday. I am going grocery shopping to stock up. I plan on following Alissa's 4 week plan. My only concern is cost. Can someone give me an average cost for one week of raw essentials? Thanks.

Hey Solchile,

Well, it's kinda hard for me to give specific costs because I to combined shopping each week (raw and cooked vegan food) for a family of 6.

I spend anywhere from $90 to $180 a week depending. This includes not only raw things, but also vegan chik patties, buns, bread, soy milk, cereal, etc.

There are some staples that you don't have to buy every single week and the week I have to buy "weekly" stuff PLUS the "non-weekly" stuff, it costs me more. Those can be items such as nuts, grains, Bragg's, apple cider vinegar, spices...stuff like that that lasts for a little while before needing to restock on them.

But remember too, I'm shopping not only for myself, but for my dh and kids! If I were just shopping for myself, or even me and dh only, I KNOW my bill would be much lower.

I don't have to buy a lot of nuts because dh and I are the only ones pretty much who eat them or the recipes they are used in (my daughter does if it's dessert and my youngest son will eat some of my dishes). But it's the fruit that I spend a lot on because EVERYONE in the house eats fruit (and some veggies :rolleyes: )

It also depends on what you're buying and where you're buying it from. I've found that Trader Joe's has some things that cost less than others. I can buy their brand of raw almond butter for about $4 a jar where I'd spend twice that at the natural food store for the same size jar of Maranatha brand. But the nuts are cheaper at the natural food store than at Trader Joes.
Also, buying organic costs more. Sometimes I can and sometimes I can't...

If I were you, unless you plan to follow Alissa's plan to the letter, including meals, I'd write down all the recipes you plan to make in a given week and then write down the ingredients. Then, go a store or two (whatever is available in your area) and see what these things will cost. Currently I shop at three stores...Natural Food Patch, Trader Joes and the fruit market.

So I'd say that on average I probably spend (on RAW food) $40 to $80 or so a week DEPENDING on what I need to buy (that whole weekly vs. weekly PLUS non-weekly) thing. And it also depends on how much of the "recipe" items you are buying as opposed to just simple fruit, veggies, nuts and seeds sans all the sundried tomatos, bragg's, etc.

Hope this helps!

[VeganWannaBe]

I am so blessed to have linked up with you all! I can hardly stay away. I have already gleened so much information from my new found friends and I get more motivated with each post. Thank you, thank you, thank you .... from my heart ... THANK YOU!
BTW ... is there a way to know when new posts are submitted automatically or do I just keep checking in?

[VeganWannaBe]

oh yeah ~ buh-bye diet pills!

[VeganWannaBe]

Congrats Veganwannabe! I was just about to post a similar topic. I am ready to start raw on Monday. I am going grocery shopping to stock up. I plan on following Alissa's 4 week plan. My only concern is cost. Can someone give me an average cost for one week of raw essentials? Thanks.

Hey there!
It so nice to know that I'm not the only one on this board making the transition ... my best to you! I just purchased the book online and so look forward to reading it.

[Rawkinlocs]

Hey Veganwannabe (or perhaps you should be called "RawieSOONtobe)

Congrats! I'm glad you are having fun with this and discovering how good it feels to eat raw and living foods! I know you probably have read a lot of us struggling along with cravings, etc...but it always boils down to us KNOWING that we feel BETTER when we're raw.

I had to jump back on track and yesterday while I experienced detox from all the crap I had allowed myself to eat, I feel GREAT today!

I'm also glad to hear you're giving up the diet pills. Just continue to enjoy eating this way and as Alissa mentioned in her book, get rid of that scale and you'll see that one day you're gonna look up and those jeans that were once too tight are gonna fit just right (maybe even falling off of you!!)

This is one of THE best places to be for support and encouragement and advice...so stick close to us...we're all here for you!

Most of us just check in daily (a LOT of times a day actually :o ) Unless I'm mistaken, I don't think there's a feature to be notified of new posts via email or anything like that. But this place IS addicting and you'll find yourself spending a LOT of time here! :D

[solchile76]

Hey Solchile,

Well, it's kinda hard for me to give specific costs because I to combined shopping each week (raw and cooked vegan food) for a family of 6.

I spend anywhere from $90 to $180 a week depending. This includes not only raw things, but also vegan chik patties, buns, bread, soy milk, cereal, etc.

There are some staples that you don't have to buy every single week and the week I have to buy "weekly" stuff PLUS the "non-weekly" stuff, it costs me more. Those can be items such as nuts, grains, Bragg's, apple cider vinegar, spices...stuff like that that lasts for a little while before needing to restock on them.

But remember too, I'm shopping not only for myself, but for my dh and kids! If I were just shopping for myself, or even me and dh only, I KNOW my bill would be much lower.

I don't have to buy a lot of nuts because dh and I are the only ones pretty much who eat them or the recipes they are used in (my daughter does if it's dessert and my youngest son will eat some of my dishes). But it's the fruit that I spend a lot on because EVERYONE in the house eats fruit (and some veggies :rolleyes: )

It also depends on what you're buying and where you're buying it from. I've found that Trader Joe's has some things that cost less than others. I can buy their brand of raw almond butter for about $4 a jar where I'd spend twice that at the natural food store for the same size jar of Maranatha brand. But the nuts are cheaper at the natural food store than at Trader Joes.
Also, buying organic costs more. Sometimes I can and sometimes I can't...

If I were you, unless you plan to follow Alissa's plan to the letter, including meals, I'd write down all the recipes you plan to make in a given week and then write down the ingredients. Then, go a store or two (whatever is available in your area) and see what these things will cost. Currently I shop at three stores...Natural Food Patch, Trader Joes and the fruit market.

So I'd say that on average I probably spend (on RAW food) $40 to $80 or so a week DEPENDING on what I need to buy (that whole weekly vs. weekly PLUS non-weekly) thing. And it also depends on how much of the "recipe" items you are buying as opposed to just simple fruit, veggies, nuts and seeds sans all the sundried tomatos, bragg's, etc.

Hope this helps!

Yes your information helps a lot. There is a Trader Joe's near me and I will be going there for the raw almond butter, because at the health store it's $7! I eat lots of cashews so I think I will buy them bulk online because they are 4.99 per bag at whole foods. I bought a huge bottle of bragg's a few weeks ago so I'm good on that. I am going to pick a few recipes out of the book that are quick and seem fairly cheap. Thanks again! :D

[VeganWannaBe]

I totally agree with you ... the support here rocks! I already feel so close to you all and that's the way I intend to keep it.
BTW ... the addiction thing ... already there!
Love this.

[Wrecked Spark]

Great post Rawkinlocs... thanks for that info. It's nice to hear how someone else is fairing in the cost department so I can guage my own spending. I live in a really "art-y" type area so there are a lot of natural health professionals, natural health stores and tons of fruit/veggie markets. I don't take it for granted either :)

Welcome VeganWannaBe... I love it here and everyone always has fantastic information or an encouraging word. Perhaps you might like to start a journal in the journaling section... that way you can post your progress and others might like to join in with regards to suggestions and tips. Congrats on dumping those pills!!! You won't need them anyway... :p

Cheers,
Wrecked Spark

[VeganWannaBe]

Hello again,
I have this friend from Florida who I speak with daily. She has been trying to motivate me to lose all this extra weight that I've put on since my backsliding from vegan to SAD. Anyway, she has lost a substantial amount of weight by following a mix of South Beach & Weight Watchers, along with taking 6 diet pills a day, water pills, laxatives, etc. She keeps telling me to eat chicken ... every day more chicken ... chicken, chicken, chicken ... blah, blah, blah. She has to be incredibly unhealthy no matter how small she is now, no?! Well, when I was 100% vegan and kept a constant weight (w/o effort mind you!) of 108 pounds ... I'm only 5'1.5"... for a good 4 years. It was her, along with my so-called concerned family, that started me "thinking" the protein issue by calling me things like "gaunt & green" & throwing Atkins at me, which ended up in my huge downward spiral from health. All this to say ... this Thanksgiving we are going to Florida to visit and she has challenged me to get down from 153.2 (today's weight) to 140.0 by then. The problem is her constant nagging about the darn chicken & protein. She thinks that I am just doing what she calls the "vegan thing" again ... God help her if she knew I was going raw! Sooo ... to not stir the pot, should I just let her think her advice is being acknowledged & when I see her over Thanksgiving let her in on the truth? Since I no longer live near her or my family I feel like I can handle the ridicule for a few days until I am back home again. Example: this morning when we spoke I told her how I had dropped 1.2 pounds from yesterday (the reason why I am still using the scale ...accountabilty to her) and she was sure to let me know that it was only b/c of the chicken ... mind you, I had no animal yesterday & last night's dinner was raw!

[Wrecked Spark]

Ug. Live and let live on this one I think... you could express the truth and your desire not to chat much about it since you're unlikely to agree anyway. You could let her know that you appreciate her concern but that this is something that feels right to you and so you're giving it a go. You could always debate the protein issue with protein found in green leafies, nuts, seeds and a wonderful supplement I love which is Hemp protein (one of the purest forms there is I have come to understand). You could also raise the issue of moral and ethical responsibility and that frankly, you're just not that comfortable eating animals. That should do it (if she's the respectful type, anyway ;) )

I wish you a peaceful trip.

Cheers,
Wrecked Spark

[VeganWannaBe]

Hello Wrecked Spark!
Thanks so much for your insight.
I wish she were a person of respect, however when it comes to food there's no way except her way. In her heart she honestly feels like she is enlightening me ... anyway, she's a sweet gal just very set in her dietary ways & beliefs w/o any obvious openess to change.
Confession: I had some candy today. It made me ill, but I learned my lesson! I'm definitely not giving up ... it was just a small set back is all.
Best wishes my friend ~

[Tanja_swe]

I'd write down all the recipes you plan to make in a given week and then write down the ingredients. Then, go a store or two (whatever is available in your area) and see what these things will cost.

Brilliant idea! I will definetly take this on board! Thank you!