Totally blew it!

[mama's_gone_raw]

I've been mostly raw for 10 days, and have felt so good. Unfortunately I blew it big time last night. My daughter is about to graduate from high school. So, last night we went to the senior's awards program. She got two awards, so ofcourse we went out to dinner to celebrate. She wanted to go to this great pizza place, and the rest is bad history........ I ate 3 pieces of SAD (but delicious) pizza. Anyway, I hope to get back on track today.
We have alot of parties, celebrations, and graduation coming up soon, so I'm nervous that I might blow it so badly that I won't be able to recover!!:o

[lodestar]

our award ceremony is tonight which revolves around a dinner. my husband and daughter have tickets to eat the SAD ... i will be hanging out in the lobby and when the meal is over they will call me to join them for the awards ceremony. hope it won't be too awkward, but i didn't want to pay $21 bucks to push a bunch of SAD food around on a plate. maybe i'll pick up some raw nori rolls that i love and bring them into the dinner explaining that i am on a restricted diet.

i pretty much face the same thing tomorrow night when we go to a high school seminary council graduation dinner. dang. but the real focus here is celebrating my daughter so i will remember this.

don't feel too bad. i hope you enjoyed your pizza. we can only do our best to live and let live. xox

[Gossy]

The way I tend to avoid "failure" at things like this is over-planning and making sure to bring my own stuff. It might seem awkward at first, but I find people are usually receptive once you explain "I choose to follow a diet plan without certain foods and brought my own juice/smoothie/snacks to avoid being tempted to eat other things!" This requires you planning out some portable goodies for yourself and bringing them with you, if you can.

Celebratory occasions are rough. This weekend is my brother's birthday and all my local family is getting together to, of course, eat!, to celebrate. Speaking of which I just remembered I forgot to get him his present. WOOPS. Glad this thread reminded me, I can go after work today now lol. ANYWAY . . . I already warned said family, when they asked what I wanted to eat, that I'd be providing my own foods because I was now on a raw food diet and didn't want to inconvenience them with having to run out and get bunches of raw things. Of course now I've decided to fast so I'm super glad I didn't ask them to buy stuff! The fam was super understanding though, and even curious!, about what I was doing. At the same time, if I maybe slip and have a bite of some delicious potato dish I know is being made/brought, that I LOVE, I shallnt beat myself up. Such is life. And a tiny portion of something un-raw (additionally, its not fried or full of cocaine or anything - so there could be worse!) won't likely kill me. I'll suffer any continuing detox I may have and drink extra water and let it go. Beating myself up is just as bad for my body as eating the SAD foods sometimes.

Good luck with your celebration events and keep on raw'ing it up! :)

[Revvell]

You'll always "recover". Thing is, as has been said, eat before you go; bring your own OR, do as I do ~ contact the organizers, tell them the issue. If it's at a restaurant, the restaurant will usually accommodate as will many host/esses.

[Scott_TRFHDM]

I realize everyone has a different point of view but why not just enjoy the occasion for what it is. Don't beat yourself up over a non raw meal. Right now I am about 50% raw I want to get to 99% really bad but I will not beat my self down for it. i stay as positive about this as I can. I just started eating raw as much as I can about a month ago.

I'm happy as a clam knowing I am feeding my body life more than I ever have before. I don't feel any benefits yet but I know they're coming. Don't Worry Be Happy.

[Katie P]

Mama's gone raw......consider where you're at to be perfect, because from here you have the possibility of eating raw. & If you slip again, then there is still possibility to pick it right back up!!!! Don't beat yourself up, you can do this :)

It does take some preparation tho. If you think you might cave, make sure you eat something beforehand so the chances of slipping will be less. Pack trail mix, bring a peice of fruit, or a bag of nuts to help out.

Also, one thing that helps me is to look @ SAD food like this "if I eat that, I'll really stress out my body"....then I don't even want it b/c I don't want my body to have to work so hard @ getting rid of it that my body can't do other things b/c it's stressed. Hope that helps dear!

[lovenlife]

It happens....onward and upward!

[VeGenesis]

Unfortunately I blew it big time last night.

Try not to be a food police... :eek: Don't punish yourself... You blew it, you made a mistake or you had and experiment! I forgive you! :) Did that help?

The fact that you like or love something that is not good for you just shows how much we are brainwashed to believe it taste good... But wait...

It taste good to be 200 pounds lighter! (I Know!)

It taste good to be over and done with a dozen serious illnesses! (I Know!)

I also know my weakness is emotional stress, not celebrations. I have celebrations whipped - this is how I handle it...

For me, it really helped when I became "Lan the VeGenesist!" (and the only one on the Planet - now two with my Honeybun!) I have a practiced little speech that goes...

"Hello, I am a VeGenesist and I do not eat that stuff. I NEED (because I am a VeGenesist) to eat raw, uncooked vegetables. Can you provide that to my exact specification, or shall I plan on bringing my own meal?"

They do not have the foggiest idea of what I am talking about - they always say it is fine for me to bring my own meal - no charge! After all everyone I am with is paying and eating!

Believe me, they deal with diet restricted people all the time! People with serious allergies (my cousin is very allergic to corn and my friend can die eating a strawberry!) People with diabetes have special needs too... People with Celiac Disease cannot have anything made from Wheat, Barley, or Rye. I am often asked if that is something like Halal (Muslim) or Kosher (Jewish), I just smile say "something like that!"

Case in point, last year we had quite a bit of out of town company at our house during our anniversary - they insisted we go out, and they wanted to go to the Mall to Sunburst Chicken! As soon as we got there I asked to speak to the manager, gave my little speech, he said it was ok for me to get something from Pizza Hut (an all veggie salad) so I got two take outs. We had brought our own dressing. Back to Sunburst - their chicken was just being served... The Waiter asked if we would transfer our salad from the take out trays to very nice plates - of theirs - no charge! We had a great time and only later realized they did not want us eating in Sunburst out of containers that said "Pizza Hut" all over them, in bright red letters!

The point is, any place that is serving food runs into a LOT of diet restricted people. You are not the first! Just matter-of-factually tell people who you are and that you are willing to solve THEIR PROBLEM of not having food you can eat by bringing your own. They will thank you!

Keep in mind that someone that can die from eating peanuts or strawberries, or will vomit from eating corn, or have sever tummy pain from eating gluten, is NOT going to have any problem talking about this! When I tell people that I am a VeGenesist and I cannot eat something - this guy is picturing in his mind red and blue lights of an ambulance flashing and picking up some convulsing person off the floor onto a stretcher... and as this person is being wheeled out people are talking about that he was fine - until he ate the food! (Not really good for business I would imagine!)

That manager had no idea what I am talking about! He pictures the worst! But it would be very rude for him to ask me about it specifically!

Use what ever you can think up. I MUST eat an "anti-enzyme free diet!" (Translation - a raw food diet that is full of enzymes! No dead anti-enzyme food!) I tried this once and the guy looked at me and said, "Oh right!, What can we do about this?" Duh, let me bring my own food to this dinner for 200! "Oh sure, that would be fine! No charge!" He sure doesn't want an acute case of "antienzymeitis" on his hands! (Picture ambulance scaring away customers! :eek: )

But you really do not have to say anything if you just use the right words. "I CANNOT eat this stuff!" "I MUST eat raw veggies!" It just helps to have the reason of being a VeGenesist - something they have no idea about!

Hope this helps!

I wonder what other people do...

[CathyA.]

acute antienzymietis. cute...love that.

[LiveLife]

"anti-enzyme free diet!"

I love it! LOL :P

mama's_gone_raw,

Any journey will have temptations and slip ups. It is how you get yourself up and moving again that gets you to where you want to be. Everyone has mentioned some great advice and I do the same (ie eat a snack before I go and bring my own food with me or phone the restaurant ahead of time to see what options they have there for me). Also, if you forgive yourself it is easier to move forward and to achieve what it is you seek. Try not to be too hard on yourself because that can make your journey harder and that creates free radicals in your body if you are being stressed out. So take a deep breath, forgive yourself and keep on going! You have the right attitude, I know you will do well! :)

[mama's_gone_raw]

Thanks to everyone for their words of encouragement!! I appreciate everyone's suggestions! I certainly cannot risk an episode of "acute antienzymeitis" so I'll definitely be prepared next time! Thanks again to all. The support here is awesome.

[bananarama]

I don't think I have any words of encouragement that haven't already been posted here. I just wanna share my own personal experience with temptation...

I have 2 different strategies: stuffing myself silly w/ raw b4 I go out so I won't want to eat, and if I really want to eat for whatever reason I just choose the best choices on the menu. The most important thing really is just not stressing yourself out over eating something not-so-good, and not beaning up on yourself afterwards. The stress/self-punishing thoughs can often kill you b4 the food will!!! I know this from personal experience. If I slip up, I can get hooked on cooked food again, but I know that I can always overcome the cravings (usually in 3 days) and get back on raw. Remember... it's all good! :D

[CathyA.]

I agree with bananarama. Don't beat yourself up.

[lovenlife]

an acute case of "antienzymeitis OH MY>>>>I dont want to have that one for sure....hahaahaha Lan u r a hoot!