Falling Off The Wagon

[holistica]

I'm so embarrassed to admit this here, but I'm looking for some words of encouragement.

The holidays are here, and there's candy everywhere.

I keep telling myself no. Then I tell myself "oh one piece won't kill me." Then by the end of the day I've said, "screw it, I may as well eat [insert name of whatever other people are eating]."

I get up in the morning, take my probiotics and tall glass of water, cut up some fruit, make a salad, have a smoothie, but by dinner time I'm caving and craving junk.

I was so strong in my convictions, so firm about being 100% raw, but now I'm weak and I don't know what to do.

Any suggestions?

[Veganforlife]

Oh girlfriend...read my latest "coming to revvell-ations post...
will power....take a drink of water instead of succumbing...you CAN and have done this...

[rawrawks]

Honor your process. It is what it is. It is allpart of learning how to go and be and stay raw. It is ok. As it is. We have all done it.

Sometimes eating later is a result of not eating enough early in the day. Or maybe you are a person who will eat one cooked meal a day. Try it all out and see. It is perfect as it is. And no embarassment at all here...haha

Happy raw life to you holistica

[lori ann]

Oh, do not be embarssed at all. This board is very supportive of everyone. Realize it is a journey-when you fall off the wagon dust yourself off and try again. I am not perfect at it that is for sure. I think why it is hard because everyone else around you is eating this sad diet-not really realizing what they are putting in their bodies and it what it does their body. Plus sad food is everywhere and it is like we are swimming up stream. Focus on what you can eat not what you can not. We have been putting this bad food in our bodies for so long that they are addicted to this sad food. So we need to break that addicition by putting great fresh, alive and healthy food in our bodies. If you are craving sweet-find a recipe-this board has many and Alissa's book is amazing. So good luck to you! You can do this!

[rawrawks]

Go to a party, a gathering, sit amongst all the people and their "food" and simply BE with it. Listen, observe, feel the feel of it, the energy (or lack of) there.

I did this yesterday. I saw the chips and lil cute boxes of Dunkin Holes and chips galore and hot dogs etc etc...sorry for the mention of these.

I also listened. I listened as the girl who loaded all those food onto the table was talking about just having joined the gym. I listened to the ailments. I saw the ailments. I saw the toxicities coming out in the form of lack of energy, lack of excitement about life, and people taking issue with others. ALL the signs and symptoms of improper eating were manifested there.

I felt so incredibly grateful to have been informed and turned on (like a floodlight on the darkest night) to raw and living foods! I munched on my fruit salad happliy, not feeling any need to have any of the stuffages (similar to sausages..ie who knows whats in em) and not giving in to the questions about what I was eating or not eating.

That, my friend, is a powerful stand for my health.

[Gab]

I'm with eveyone else here. Hon, don't beat yourself up over this. I moved from another way of eating (macrobiotic) to raw so it was fairly easy, but don't think for one minute I don't slip up once in a while.

When you goof, let it go and start again. When you feel that urge to reach for a candy later, reach for nuts or seeds.

If you can, why not get rid of the SAD foods in the house? Out of sight out of mind... well maybe not out of mind but at least out of reach.

It's a journey. It's not always easy. It's not immediate because of how we all grew up. Think of the good you're doing for yourself. Put off that candy... deep breathing for a few minutes... got out for a walk. Sometimes it just takes getting that urge, that need for instant gratification out of the way and over with.

Instead of reaching for that bad stuff, get on this site, blog, do whatever it takes.

You can do it! We're here cheering for you.

love and hugs ;) ;) ;)

[Gab]

Sorry... forgot to add my original thought. This generally works for me.

Before you put that 'bad' thing in your mouth think about how awful you'll feel about it afterwards. Not just mentally but physically.

I had a small piece of fish last week and boy did I get sick that night and into the next day. Why'd I have it? Don't know. Felt like it I guess....

But I do know that if I ever feel like having another piece of fish (halibut steak to be precise)... that last episode will certainly jump to mind.

So next time you feel like having whatever, take a deep breath and remember what the last time made you feel like. :eek: :eek:

[notwell]

two words: raw candy.

[snoops]

two more words... preparation (well ok only 1 word)

Raw candy for sure but make sure you have a bunch of stuff made up. I do exactly the same thing. Good intentions in the the morning and most of the day, then at night WHAM. But if the raw goodies are there I am more likely to grab them.

[rich.sachs]

That's a lot of response in two hours. You can't ask for more than that, and a lot of verbiage that any raw foodist, like myself, can relate to. It helps me just to read all the people who understand the issue. My take on it is you have to go through your process with food, cooked food, raw food, any food. I'm back because I'm at a point in my life where I believe I've played with and "enjoyed" every experience I can with non-raw food, and now I want to try the real peace that opens up for me when I'm 100% raw. But I'm only at this point today because as I look back over my years, I believe that I've done everything else that I want to do, in terms of living experiences that incorporate cooked food, and I truly want to eat raw and experience that life now.

[DeborahB]

Oh holistica I feel your pain.

It IS hard. Whislt your body still craves those foods it's hard to say no when there is so much temptation around.
I've been raw for 3 years and it's only in the last year that my body doesn't desire junk foods and sweets, it wasn't easy but there are ways you can help yourself.

Try making your own tasty raw treats. Spend a day making cookies and biscuits and store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
Make raw chocolate, raw desserts and other sweet treats.
Find substitutes for the junky treats and it will be so much easier.

You can do it :)

[DeborahB]

Go to a party, a gathering, sit amongst all the people and their "food" and simply BE with it. Listen, observe, feel the feel of it, the energy (or lack of) there.

I did this yesterday. I saw the chips and lil cute boxes of Dunkin Holes and chips galore and hot dogs etc etc...sorry for the mention of these.

I also listened. I listened as the girl who loaded all those food onto the table was talking about just having joined the gym. I listened to the ailments. I saw the ailments. I saw the toxicities coming out in the form of lack of energy, lack of excitement about life, and people taking issue with others. ALL the signs and symptoms of improper eating were manifested there.

I felt so incredibly grateful to have been informed and turned on (like a floodlight on the darkest night) to raw and living foods! I munched on my fruit salad happliy, not feeling any need to have any of the stuffages (similar to sausages..ie who knows whats in em) and not giving in to the questions about what I was eating or not eating.

That, my friend, is a powerful stand for my health.

Excellent advice!

[anniez]

For me, it is imperative that I take the time to prepare tasty food. When I love myself enough to do that, the cravings pretty much go away. If I just eat fruit and salads, I would fall off the wagon right now! I eat only fruit in the morning but for lunch I had carrot and celery sticks with Alissa's Banana-Avo Dip and her Flax Crackers and Salmon Pate. I'm stuffed and not at all interested in anything SAD. Try it, it may work for you, too!

Annie

[laura-jane]

I totally agree with Snoops. I never leave the house without nuts and fruit--enough to last for days. PREPARATION IS KEY to avoiding slip-ups.

I also see being 100% raw as an investment in myself and my tastebuds. I do not want to screw up the love I have developed for fruits and vegetables. It took me awhile to get to this stage of loving fruits and veg, and I don't want to screw that up by eating SAD foods. I wrote a longer diatribe about not screwing up your tastebuds (http://therawtarian.com/dont-screw-up-your-palate/) on my blog.

Don't worry about what has happened. Focus on the future and what you want and what you're doing this for.

[Danah Kissiq]

make your own raw candies. i saw them online!
i think there is raw peanut butter cup, raw chocolate chip cookies, raw bars. i would say make a lot of these so at least you "cheat" raw.
maybe raw chocolate bar.. raw chocolate ice cream almost as sweet as SAD ones.

sorry to hear you are going through this. i can just imagine how you feel after all that green and crunch

[anniez]

holistica - are are you doing? Check in with us, please!

Annie

[Revvell]

*grabs Holistica and drags her back up onto the wagon.* See? There ya go! :)