Old Rawbie In Need Of Help

[ShelShel]

I began eating raw Feb. 2006...stayed 100% if not extremely high raw for several years and this last year...crashed. I've been struggling to get back to 100% all year...no luck. I keep bouncing back and forth here and I need some inspirational thoughts on how to get back to raw and stay there. Any takers???

[Tsurugi_Oni]

Take a visit to all of your local grocery stores and farmers markets. Look at all that raw goodness and dream what you can do with all those goodies.

Like today, at my local asian grocery store they would sell a box of 80 persimmons for $30. 16 mangoes in summer for $10. Bean sprouts for 33c a pound. Stroll down to the farmers market and there are 30lb boxes of dark greens for around 50c a pound.

I dream of all the smoothies I could make. I imagine having 10 boxes of produce sitting in my basement, waiting for me to choose the lucky ones to come to me with school.

[Green_Woman]

I, like you, have stayed 100% or High Raw for long periods of time.... ultimately, the inspiration to stick it out long term comes from within.

For me, I deal with alot of pain every month (sometimes all month long, sometimes just every few weeks) from Endometriosis, as well as a host of allergies and intolerances to virtually everything under the sun when I'm NOT Raw!!!

When I am mostly RAW, the pain goes down, the allergies begin to fade, and sometimes I even have a 90% pain-free month. :D

Now I am 100% RAW and I'm going to be giving it a loooong trial to see if (as I already suspect) I can COMPLETELY heal my body of Endo and other things. :D

So for me, PAIN was my initial motivator... and it definitely came from within. But I have other motivation as well and still more developing.... I want to protect my corner of the Earth and raw foods are lower impact than cooked. I want to be consistent with my views, and vegan lifestyle is ultra-consistent. I want to be healthy and whole - and raw foods are WHOLE FOODS!

There's so much more... but I remember you from the Old Days, ShelShel, and I think this will resonate with you: your motivation must come from within.... only temporary inspiration can come from others. :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

how about writing a list. on one side you can list all the reasons you want to keep eating cooked. on the other side... all the reasons for eating raw.

see where you stand. after all... there's no ONE right way to do this... you need to find YOUR right way. (((hugs)))

[Mary Kay]

Green Woman
(Sorry to hijack this thread!) I know a thing or two about endo....Are you also doing progesterone and eating lots of cruciferous veggies?

Holler, if I could be of some help.

Mary Kay

[andra]

Hi ShelShel :)

I always enjoyed reading your blog; I dont know if you found blogging inspirational or not but if it helped, maybe you could start again?

Anyway, just wanted to wish you luck on your journey :)

andra

[ShelShel]

Thanks everyone. As always...wonderful ideas! Thank you. :)
And yes, I love blogging. I keep starting a raw blog and then deleting it when I'm not doing good. :rolleyes: Perhaps if I had the strength to stick with that...even when I'm not doing good...I could find reasons that I slip.;)

Very inspirational guys! Thanks!

Ps...my first roommate had endo...and so I feel for you and your pain. Hope that raw rawks your world and makes you whole.

(((HUGS))) ya'll!:D

[andra]

Well, I certainly can understand your motivations for blogging and then deleting BUT maybe just keep blogging no matter what. Frankly, the humanness is very humbling and strangely motivating for me as I am also a very imperfect person on this journey and it is nice to know that others are plodding forward despite stumbles. :)

Hugs,

andra

[Green_Woman]

Shel - Don't delete your Blog just because you have a bad day! Write on the bad days, write on the good days, and just write, write, write every day. I know for me, personally, writing is therapy AND it helps me sort out my intentions and thoughts...

[Moretta]

Welcome back and good luck on your RAWNESS journey.

[klomasius]

Yeah, keep the blog, it will be good for both you and those reading it to fully understand that humans are humans. :)

I have some questions for you as I'm really curious. You were 100% raw for several years, what set off the non raw episode?

Also, did you get cravings while you were 100% raw?

I've been high raw since around 2004 and 100% raw for just on a year now. I honestly haven't had any cravings at all (except for sort of want but not craving where my partner made fresh tomato soup from some excess tomatoes and I thought 'wow that smells good' but realised I could make almost the exact same thing raw).

I'm hesitant to say this as I know people do struggle, but it's been so easy for me, no problems at all (except for some detox).

Perhaps if you can discuss it here, we can get to the root of the problem between us all.

But whatever the case, just remember you haven't 'failed' you've only taken a break from succeeding. :)

[Bananna]

Green Woman...I have endo too and have noticed a great improvement when I'm all raw, and pain is one of my more obvious motivators as well, but you do need more than running Away from things...I find. I think. Because I can't seem to go for more than a couple of months to date. Both this year...both times because my daily living experience just got that bad that I got SOOOO fed up, that the game was over.

Shelshel..I would like to second the list. A quitting smoking strategy is to make a list of all the reasons why you want to quit...read it several times a day and whenever you're weak. Then have a tall glass of water. You'll be cured if you can just do those two things...I myself have yet to apply this to going raw but I think it's a sound principle and I will employ it this next time...except maybe instead of water I might have some fruit.

This is where we want to be, so what exactly are we waiting for? ;)

[ShelShel]

This is such a good thread, thank you all for joining in. ;)
Let me say that I have been blogging here on this forum and haven't deleted it. I feel like if anyone is to understand me...it's all of you! :p But my personal raw blog on blogspot is linked to all our other family blogs. I don't want my extended family or close friends reading it and seeing my struggles.

In answer to how did I stray...no...I never had cravings that pulled me off. I missed fellowship over food. Period. We got together with friends and family a lot during a certain period of our lives and every time we did...my eating got in the way. "Where are we all eating or meeting? That depends...where can Shel eat?" or Woohoo...another salad while others are having all my favorite cooked foods. Isn't this fun? Not. So I no longer wanted to go. Then I was sad for missing my friends. I began to have just occasional foods to share in the moment. Pretty soon I had fallen off the wagon.

I seemed ok for about three or four months not really gaining too much back, but over the last 6 I have have gained back half of what I originally lost. :( And I can't seem to stick with it when I try to eat raw.

I know some on the forum would say get new friends or stop hanging around those that bring you down, but that's not the answer for me. They aren't trying to bring me down...they are enjoying life and want me to be a part of it. And most importantly, I want to be with them all. It's not one person or event or even food. It's just life going on all around me.

I'm so busy working full time now...and when I was raw for those few years...I was a stay at home mom. That was so much easier. I could really plan my foods and exercise. I can't do a lot of that now. At least. It's a lot more work than it was.

I know it seems like a lot of excuses, but I'm trying to figure out what are the differences between now and then. Perhaps then I'll know what to change now and get back on a track I'm happier with.

Thanks again for letting me ramble. It's helping! ((((HUGS)))))

[Zella Juice]

I slipped too when I went back to work full time. The thing that is working for me is to just drink water or maybe a smoothie or fresh juice during the day and that's it. Then have my raw meal at the end of the day. Since I am so busy working I am trying to use it to my advantage to keep me from eating the bad stuff. If you get too hungry during the day don't get discouraged cause eventually your body gets used to it. I eat enough calories at the end of the day so I don't worry about it. Plus I can still stand to lose a few pounds so it's all good.

Sometimes I might slip and have a baked potato but it's at the end of the day so I can't do that much damage. But I have been noticing that I just want a salad because it has more flavor. I make my own red sauce to go on it along with some avocado. The red sauce is tomatoes, carrots, fresh basil, dates, Italian seasoning, and a bit of curry powder mixed up in the food processor. Having that savory sauce makes me feel really satisfied. I sometimes sprinkle on some garlic powder. I am trying to go without salt and that helps. Even though it's not raw. I feel a lot better when I don't have salt. I lost 15 pounds in one month by just cutting it out.

Ok, that's enough rambling.

[Mary Kay]

What great support you are getting ShelShel. Everyone is quite inspirational.

Mary Kay

[klomasius]

Ah I see, it's the old socialisation chestnut.

Nah, you shouldn't change friends, if they are understanding and supportive then why would you? :)

I get the whole socialising difficulty, but for me I've turned it around and on many occasions I can bring my own food, so I try and bring things I can share that would be a hit.

At other times when it's going out to a cafe or restaurant, I see it as a fun challenge. I can usually get a salad almost anywhere, and then there's fresh juices or combos of juice. I find it fun to sneak in salad dressings and find places I can eat at.

But even when it's just going to be a boring plain old salad once again, I've come to the realisation that being with friends and socialising is just that, enjoying the company of lovely people and having fun! I often eat beforehand which helps too.

You'll figure it out, and you'll get your mojo back!

[ShelShel]

You are so smart! That is totally a trick I used to use! I would eat before I went out. I used to bring stuff with me too. Like stuffed dates or an avocado. How did I manage to forget helpful stuff like that?!?!?! :p Thank you for reminding me of that! ;)

You guys are so supportive. Thank you all!

[revdrcyn]

How about doing the 30-day challenge? Also, following Alissa's 30-day plan in the book - having lots of delicious foods already prepared in advance.

Right now, Green Smoothies are keeping me on track!

Sending you lots of Love.

[Thick]

Shelshel,

I really understand. It's like dropping out of school. At first it's just one class(meal) skipped, one test unprepared for... then it's easy to get caught in an overwhelming self deprecating cycle.

The good news is, you can go back to school=) Start over with raw 101 with yourself--reread old threads(and YOUR old posts), reread Alissa's book, make lists of foods that sound good to you now.

Once you've defined yourself to yourself as a cheater/slipper/failure it can be hard to change your mind. Once you see eating junk as a "break" or vacation from all the stress of trying your best--coupled with all of other life's stresses--it can be hard to be the raw food police for yourself. Once you get a couple of days of raw under your belt it will be easier. Try to see it as a treat and a blessing that you CAN eat raw foods.

Going out to eat has been a big problem for me, too. Now, I've been thankful when we go that I don't have to prepare and clean up the meal my family is eating. I can eat the salad or whatever and then have something else later on if I am still hungry.

It's like being sleepy--you can be sleepy and not have to go to sleep right away.and you can be hungry and not have to eat right away, too=)

I really care about you and I'm glad you have the courage to ask for help. Some people just never come back. Like DZM once said, raw is like the hotel California-you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave=)!

[klomasius]

I second the reading of your old posts, that's a GREAT idea!

[ShelShel]

Thanks everyone! You are the best. :) (((HUGS)))

[4forme]

ShelShel,
I always enjoyed reading your stories and was bummed when you deleted your blog. I have much of the same difficulties, unfortunately. At first, it was very difficult to stay raw do to major cravings from candida. But now that it's gone, I have no cravings but struggle because of the social aspect of it. My hubby is SAD eater all-the-way! And he has stuck with me through thick and thin, but it seems the healthier I want to be, the worse he takes care of himself. And, family/friends going out to eat, or going to thier houses, it just feels rude sometimes not eating what they have prepared for the family or gathering. Now, I have lots of food allergies/intolerances so i get out of most of the stuff, but not all.
Like you, I have started and stopped more times than i wish to admit. But, I really beleive that raw is the best for me! After the Thanksgiving gorge of food (which i couldn't even finish my plate i was so full!), my stomach felt like it had a 10lb peice of lead in it! Today, my body aches, and I want to sleep! And I didn't have any of the desserts! Just meats and veggies. Can't imagine if I had eaten everything-blah!
All this to say, I guess, I completely understand where you are at and I am starting over just like you. A new long time rawbie. My journey began 2 1/2 yrs ago, and yet, I am at square 1 all over again this morning. Truthfully, it feels excellent to know how my body reacts to certain foods and how I know I feel so fantastic with raw foods nourishing my body!!
Blessings to you as you continue on and keep blogging! I love to hear how you are doing, good, bad and ugly. :-)

[LemonFlower]

I don't know what kind of area you live in, but I live near Houston, TX and, believe it or not, there are raw food groups here :-) I find it very helpful and inspirational to go to raw food meetups (meetup.com), and raw food "uncooking" classes. It's great to be around others that eat this way, and it helps some with the socialization aspect of eating differently than most people. I do not have years of raw eating under my belt, but I first tried it over two years ago. I was raw for exactly 30 days before I started incorporating cooked foods and threw it all out the window. Since then, I have had many -few-day 100% raw stretches, but that's it.

This year, after halloween, I had just had it. I felt fat, sick, old, and horrible and knew I could help myself. On the way home from my Grandpa's house (5hrs away), I had a Rawkin radio marathon. I re-inspired myself and really gave myself a gut-check with the all-or-nothing thinking that I've demonstrated in my life over and over again. This is something that I am striving to change in my life to make myself a better person. I want to see more shades of my life than black and white. For me, this means that if I choose to eat something cooked, it doesn't mean that I need to go crazy and eat everything in sight because I already blew it. It means I made a choice. I've made a couple of these choices since Haloween, but didn't feel guitly or off-track or "off the wagon". I simply chose to eat raw afterwards.

This feels much better to me and feels more like something I can incorporate into my lifestyle.

Going out with others is still a challenge for me. I'm hoping that's something that I will be better able to enjoy as eating this way becomes more a way of life to me and less something that requires a lot of thought and energy.

Thanks so much for bringing this up! I'm getting lots of ideas from all of your responses.

Much Love,
Katy

[BDraw]

Wow. I too am coming back after being "all raw" and slipping away. I just wrote a message on the over 50's site. All of the advice you are getting is good -- I need it! I think I'll attempt to follow it, starting with going to read all my old post, the ones I wrote when things were easy. And I'll consider the blogging idea.???

I especially like the comment: "But whatever the case, just remember you haven't 'failed' you've only taken a break from succeeding." (Thanks klomasius.)

Maybe those of us coming back can encourage each other in our recommitment to better eating and being good to ourselves.

[shashibala]

Shel, You were such an inspiration to me when i began! I have also, over time, modified my all raw diet. This is usually to be able to be relaxed around other people, not due to cravings. I just don't always want to be rigidly focused on food. I eat mostly raw, most of the time,but sometimes will have a cooked soup or cooked beans.I feel best when i eat all raw, for sure, though. I find it helps to be quite strict about avoiding the foods that make me feel terrible. These are, for me, grains and dairy. I consider myself a raw foodist who occasionally eats something cooked within the parameters i have set up for myself. When i get too far from my comfort zone, i find a few days of fasting brings me back. I wish you all the best!

[chilove]

Hi ShelShel,

You did it before so you know you can do it again! :-) Really, you have the power!

Check out this post I just put up about staying raw during the holidays, it has some good tips on how to resist those cooked cravings:

http://rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=55465

You can do it!!!

Blessings,

Audrey