Want to do this

[druid]

I want to go raw. Im obese and miserable. Today Ive had so much caffiene that I am a nervous wreck tonight. So jumpy.

I want to go raw. From looking at the pictures everyone looks so happy and healthy.

Im not sure that I can go raw or have the time to eat enough food, if I do go raw.

help!

[Essensual]

Druid,

I believe you can do this. The fact that you want to do it is a great start. I would recommend as Alissa does that you remove things from you diet a week at a time. 1st week: meats, second week: dairy, third week: sweets etc.,etc.

Visit this site as often as you can. It is soooo supportive and encouraging. Be kind to yourself. Set backs and slip ups happen. Continue to press forward. Ask lots of questions.

[TimmyC]

druid,

I wish you luck in your quest to go raw. For me, I had to make a committment to myself to do it (no one else). At that time 17 days ago I made a decision cold turkey, and did it @ 100%.

I had to do this one day at a time...still do. If I don't it will seem overwhelming to me. Every day I do another raw day is another victory for me....but I can tell you I wouldn't be doing this if I hadn't committed to myself. It's getting easier btw. I don't have so many cravings anymore. There are days, which are really bad, but then there are days I don't have a single one.

I didn't have much raw food in the fridge the day I went raw, or the next day, but after that I went out to the store to buy more of the right foods for me. I don't make anything complicated, at least not yet. Simple foods for me seems to work great. I just eat raw foods when I'm hungry, and that's about it.

I wasn't that happy before raw...believe me. But without my asking, people are telling me I'm a much happier person. All of this in only 16 days.

I'd tell you you ought to do this no matter what, but the reality is that you're the only person to "tell you to do this." Noone else. Just my opinion though.

Take care and good luck!

ps. There are many people on this board who'll help you along the way.

[AutumnBreezColordLeavz]

Hang in there kiddo! Eat through out the day, not meals is what I think works best, that way your not ever really hungry, especially for a hard cheat (ie candybar, icecream, coffee and choc)
Once you get motivated and start to feel different you will be amazed and you will also find that the cravings for sugary sweets are the thing of the past. Fruit sorbets and frozen bananas and puddings we make with raw foods become that substitute without hesitation and they are yummy! Meanwhile, Veggies, Fruit and nuts are fast to grab if you prepare them ASAP from the store. Wash, cut and store them as you think you may need them. In baggies for the road, or if you work in an office with your own space you could have yourself a storage box with the bare neccessities. Plate, bowl, fork-spoon- & knife, sea salt, honey, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and small thing of detergent to wash in sink, handy wipes, and a wash cloth. Now you just bring the food in a bag, You could keep your favorite nuts in a pretty glass container on your desk if you have that type of job with desk, or keep in a plastice bag to keep in purse for emergency. Fruit and veggies cut up and in their bags in fridge to grab as you go out the door. Juice in the morning, or the night before if you are too much of a rush to rinse off machine parts. Best wishes- love and kindness sent your way!

[druid]

Thank you for the responses!

One question. ok. this may lead into many but still.


I am concerned about the fruit intake. All the sugar = not good from what I understand.

[sport]

Dont worry about the fruit for now. Just eat what you want untill you get used to doing without the things that you are used to. 3 weeks ago I sent my best friend (a sad eater) my receipe for green smoothies (has lots of banana in it). She is still a sad eater but starts her day with a green smoothie and has lost 8 Lbs. She is thrilled and can you imagine how much better it would be if she went completely raw. This is going to be wonderfull for you and you are going to be so pleased that you discovered it.

[MAK]

Dont worry about the fruit for now. Just eat what you want untill you get used to doing without the things that you are used to. 3 weeks ago I sent my best friend (a sad eater) my receipe for green smoothies (has lots of banana in it). She is still a sad eater but starts her day with a green smoothie and has lost 8 Lbs. She is thrilled and can you imagine how much better it would be if she went completely raw. This is going to be wonderfull for you and you are going to be so pleased that you discovered it.

I disagree with this statement. Totally wrong advice for the obese person, whose main goal right now is to lose weight. Yes do it fruits in moderation, but low glycemic index fruits (apple, pears, plums and few others). Definitely not bananas. I repeat again sugar is sugar.
Even now being slender (BMI – 19) for years I do not eat any high (over 50) GI foods, because of the stress on pancreas. Sugar (sweet taste) just like a salt is an addiction.
In case of the overweight person GI should be not higher than 40.
Do some research on Internet.
Sorry for the contrary opinion.

[sport]

"Sorry for the contrary opinion."
Dont be a bit sorry. That is what we are all here for.
I was coming from the point of view that everyone's biggest hurdle seems to be the ability to give up cooked foods and I feel that the easiest way to do it is to enjoy the alternative as much as possible. Once you have mastered that then you should tackle the next hurdle. The longest journey starts with a single step. I agree that if a person finds it within their capabilities to go all out immediatly then it is the best way but she should not be too hard on herself or she will become discoureged too easily.

[TimmyC]

From a losing weight perspective I feel that my green smoothies (60/40 split between green fruits and green vegetables) is making all the difference. I usually put two green sour apples with either a whole bunch of Kale, or a huge thing of broccoli. When I'm done making it it's about 32 oz. I feel great every day I have one. It's filling, it doesn't make me crave more food of any kind, and when I wake up the next day I usually feel fantastic.

[MAK]

From a losing weight perspective I feel that my green smoothies (60/40 split between green fruits and green vegetables) is making all the difference. I usually put two green sour apples with either a whole bunch of Kale, or a huge thing of broccoli. When I'm done making it it's about 32 oz. I feel great every day I have one. It's filling, it doesn't make me crave more food of any kind, and when I wake up the next day I usually feel fantastic.

You are definetly doing the right thing. I amnot a big fan of smoothies (rather eat the whole fruit or veggie), but if it helps you, go for it. Individual bodies require individual aproach. The bottm line - limitation on sugars, no starches and no refined carbos. Good like to you, man.

[Arky]

Why no starches? I've yet to hear a truly convincing (non-dogmatic) argument against starch consumption. Starch gets a bad rap in the raw food movement but is widely accepted elsewhere (e.g. macrobiotics) and may serve to balance intake of other substances, such as sugars and fats, in terms of satisfying daily caloric requirements. This is a critical issue given the low caloric density of many raw foods, which is great for short-term weightloss and cleansing, but requires serious consideration for maintaining longterm health (it may, of course, be achieved without starches, provided the diet is carefully structured not to exceed fats or sugars, but this is not an argument against starches in itself).


J.

[sweetgoddess]

druid, do you have Alissa's book Living on Live Food?
If not, will you get it?
Alissa has many, many years of experience helping people adopt a raw food lifestyle, in turn losing weight, gaining energy and inner joy and curing diease and chronic pain.

Her Living on Live Food philosophy is, when beginning a raw diet, eat as much as you want of whatever you want that is raw, much as sport stated. This serves a VERY valuable purpose. Jumping from emotional overeating to a spartan diet of all greens and a few fruits is setting yourself up for failure.
The first part of adopting a raw and living food diet, which is exploring living food as the only nutrition you need, getting used to a new way of doing and viewing things, getting used to a new sensation of "full", will also bring up the mental and emotional challenges that caused your obesity to begin with. This is a time to eat all the variety of raw food while you deal with these things that come up. The lovely mind!

As you work through this, your body will begin, from the living food, to cleanse and repair itself. It will begin with its highest priority, and emptying out your fat cells will be in its rightful place on that list. Weight will come off, mood and energy will change...and so much more will change to.
Then, you can fine tune raw and what you choose to eat to serve specific purposes.

But now, as you begin, allow yourself the beginning process as outlined by Alissa. Eat what you want that is raw and living, do not deprive yourself, because your mind and your emotions will revolt at this point. Do not worry about G.I indexes, calories, carb grams, etc......that diet mentality has not served. Allow the freedom of living on live food to serve you now.

Trust the process Alissa has outlined after many, many years of working with a huge variety of people. Experience, and a lot of it are behind her suggestions.

So eat whatever fruit speaks to you, whatever greens do, whatever dishes do etc. Eat what you want, as much as you want, when you want. Period.
That is how to begin.
It will get you started in a way you can handle and it will give you results so quickly, I assure you. Down the road, as your body cleanses and your mental patterns change, your body will be able to signal to you what it wants and needs. And you will be able to hear it.

This way of eating is a huge gift. It is calling to you, do you see? For a reason. Do it. Do not let fear stand in your way. We can and will help.
It can and will change your life. You deserve it. It is not hard, it is not anything your mind is having you believe.

Experience it.

Blessings to you~
Carmel

[rawpriestess]

When I went raw, I just ate whatever I wanted, fruit, nuts, veggies, gourmet foods, etc, and I lost 34 pounds in 30 days. It was fantastic, I am still losing, I've fallen off the raw wagon, but I just pick myself up. I know that, for me, I MUST be 100% raw, or I will have cravings.

Each person is different, each person is unique. Only you will know what works for you, but we all have to start somewhere. And eating fresh fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds, is the place to start.

Do like Alissa says, after all, she has helped hundreds of people go and stay raw, she saved my life. And that is a fact.

Get her book, or get it from the library, it is invaluable, with information, testimonials, (that was the part I keep reading and re-reading, so inspiring) and recipes to live for. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

But, if you just want to start right now, then go out and buy any fruits, and veggies, and raw nuts that you like, and just start there.

Eat some peaches, or strawberries, or bananas or mangos, if you like it, buy it, make a fruit salad, or jus cut up some fruit, and arrange on a plate, and make it look pretty, and just eat it, it is that simple.

You will probably have cravings, when that happens, come here, tell us what you are craving, and we will probably have a recipe that will help.

The most important thing to remember in the beginning is to eat enough to make you full, so you won't eat any SAD food.

Most people who start eating the raw food lifestyle way, will try to limit their intake of foods, don't do that. Eat as much as you want, this keeps your from eating SAD, and you will, after a few days or a week, not want to eat the old cooked foods, but make sure you eat plenty of raw foods.

I can't stress this enough.

When you have fresh, ripe raw fruits and nuts and veggies in the house, eat them, and enjoy them, eat a whole pineapple if you want, eat 10 bananas, whatever you want, after you've been raw a few weeks or months, you can think about your intake, but even now, after 4 years on and off raw, I eat what I want, I never think about how much of what I am eating, I just eat what I want, and that is it. Your body will tell you what it wants.

But right now, and during the first few days or weeks, your body will lie to you, and tell you to eat old cooked stuff, don't listen to it. Just keep eating fresh, ripe, raw delicious fruits and nuts and veggies.

[ReneeSC]

I'm on the side of Alissa and SG on this:

I'm an up and down diabetic - soon to be NONdiabetic/nonhypo, too.
I had other problems compounding it all, also. I was not full-blown diabetic most days, and thus refused any medications, so my docs just told me to "behave yourself!." :) Insulin saves lives, I've had it before.. but.. I'd rather never see it again!

I _was_ concerned with the glycemic index when I first began; which is why I checked my weight constantly to see how my body was metabolizing foods.

Once I detoxed off of carbohydrates, refined sugars, chemicals, meats/shellfish, and a host of other things I'm not sure I wanna know I consumed, my glycemic index internally began to stabilize no matter what I ate. Now, was it "perfect". No. But I knew I was going through a serious process of detox, and I was _not_ going to make it through if I didn't ingest something with a natural fructose combined with natural fats. I had to replace what I eliminated with it's raw counterpart. That, of course, was _me_, I realize, but from what I've read in many places, that's been the experience of many people in my position, even those on insulin.

I'm going to go another 30 Days Challenge because I'm going to refine my diet now ( which I'll probably continue to do for the rest of my life ); I've hit the point where I can control things better because I'm IN more control.

I realize that Gabriel Cousins and many others have insisted that those with a sugar problem should not eat high-raw-fructose/natural carbohydrate. I respect their opinion. But I had to do what I could handle in the beginning.
Detox for me was a painful process.

If I decide to start to change my glycemic intake, I might have to see another detox process . Ugh. I'm going to have a bunch of blood work done before I do that, though. If my pancreas has stabilized, I will not ammend any further.

[Carlene]

I eat a lot of fruit, everday. I don't care for bananas, so I only have one a day, so I can't say how they affect blood sugar. For me, I was heading quickly towards diabetis (my father died from it). I was obese (now I'm just fat). Whether it is from the weight loss or all the fruit, I couldn't say, but my blood sugar has dropped ten points. I am now back in the non-diabetic range. Thanks to raw. If you are worried about it, get a blood test kit and watch it yourself. It took a while before I started seeing results, but they did come.

As for your desire to go raw. Do it. In a little over 4 months I've lost 81 pounds and gained twenty years with bounds of energy. Has it always been easy, no. But it has been rewarding. Not to mention it probably saved my life.

If you don't want to be obese anymore than this could be your miracle cure. Stop thinking about what you are giving up and focus on how much you will gain. Health, fitness, self-respect and most importantly joy. Nothing worth having is easy. Make up your mind it is what you want and then enjoy it.

[druid]

About carbohydrates. Isnt this the human body main preferred source of energy?


Thanks for the replies :)

and thanks in advance

[druid]

I eat a lot of fruit, everday. I don't care for bananas, so I only have one a day, so I can't say how they affect blood sugar. For me, I was heading quickly towards diabetis (my father died from it). I was obese (now I'm just fat). Whether it is from the weight loss or all the fruit, I couldn't say, but my blood sugar has dropped ten points. I am now back in the non-diabetic range. Thanks to raw. If you are worried about it, get a blood test kit and watch it yourself. It took a while before I started seeing results, but they did come.

As for your desire to go raw. Do it. In a little over 4 months I've lost 81 pounds and gained twenty years with bounds of energy. Has it always been easy, no. But it has been rewarding. Not to mention it probably saved my life.

If you don't want to be obese anymore than this could be your miracle cure. Stop thinking about what you are giving up and focus on how much you will gain. Health, fitness, self-respect and most importantly joy. Nothing worth having is easy. Make up your mind it is what you want and then enjoy it.


Please dont take this wrong and its not pointed towards you.


Losing large amounts of weight in short periods of time is against just about every medical standard that can be found.

Is this safe to lose like that?

[sweetgoddess]

Yes, druid you are correct. Carbohydrates are the body and the brains energy source.

BTW~ "against just about every medical standard that can be found."
Medical standards regarding nutrition are so, so limited. Please do not accept those as absolute truth. Medical standards arent exactly helping people lose weight and find balance with food. Quite the opposite. So dont be afraid to go against the grain.

Check out Allison and Yanni 's jurnals. They have lost over 100 lbs each.
I have lost almost 60.

I just went back over your original post, as this thread seems to have strayed.
You stated...
"Im not sure that I can go raw or have the time to eat enough food, if I do go raw."

I wish we could convince you druid. But we cannot. We can share our experiences with you and that is all. You have to reach a point where you accept what is possible, and where you want to fully do it. None of us can give you that.

I hope you find what you are looking for.
Blessings~
Carmel

[ReneeSC]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About carbohydrates. Isnt this the human body main preferred source of energy?


Druid:

I'm only going to lightly touch on the refined/unrefined carbohydrate issue. There are many more here likely to discuss with you what they know about the other sources of energy our bodies use.

There are different sources of carbohydrates ( of which I didn't make the distinction in my last reply.. I'm sorry. ). To answer your question straight up -Carbohydrates are only _one_ source of our body's energy fuels. Our bodies are complex, and it prefers more-complex( non altered ) proteins and enzymes, along with 'oses from SIMPLE sources. That's where things tend to get a bit upside-down-ya..

People have use complicated sources ( called refinement and preparation methods ) of natural carbohydrates - making complex carbs into simple carbs; which = SUGAR ( -OSE ) in the blood during metabolism. This has caused a serious problem of non-insulin uptake in the blood... From many of the sources I've read recently - the USA has an epidemic of non-detectected/tested insulin resistance because of the massive amounts of refined ( oxymoron when it comes to food ! ) sugars, cereal grains, water, and animal feeds that are marketed and consumed daily. It's a mess, basically.

More and more people have been diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetic conditions in the last ... 20 years (?) than since they've been keeping count.

A tested theory ( not yet culinary law. lol ):
When you remove the complicated ( refined and high-heat prepared ) versions of carbohydrates, you'll see a leveling of blood sugar - even if you were to eat high-glycemic fruits/veggies along with it. Is that true 100% of the time? Probably not. What is? Not much.

It's pretty much accepted that once the body detoxes, it will stabilize and you can add in more glycemic foods ( if you've removed them at first ), and keep stable as long as you keep off of refined _anything_. How long this takes in each person, I'm sure, is quite different depending on how sick they really are. With or without insulin would have to be on an individual basis.

Certainly no one would advocate any person throw away your insulin or take yourself off of it by yourself. Insulin dependence is a serious, serious medical condition and needs to be monitored in every diabetic until, God willing!, you're released from the "monkey" of it's dependence.
Somoene could find themselves tempted to back off of their insulin or to stop taking it because they feel they're doing better, but.. while that might have worked for ( that! ) person they read about in a book somewhere, it could kill another.
Use wisdom.

[druid]

So how can I prepare myself to go raw?

Im vegetarian, have been for 3 years. I dont smoke, drink, or do drugs.

I would like to get Alissa's book perhaps on payday, which is the 30th.

If I wanted to go 100 percent tomorrow for this challenge. What foods give the most carbs? I need the energy. hehe

If I feel that I am getting dizzy or feel bad this will be for not. so I need to prepare(go get) the right foods for tomorrow.

[rawpriestess]

there is nothing to prepare yourself for, you simply go to the produce dept and buy all the fresh ripe luscious fruits, and veggies that you love.

then take them home and eat them, you can make salads and you can simply eat just whatever you want.

If you buy Alissa's book, you will have 290 fantastic raw food recipes, but until then, just eat all that you want that if fresh, ripe and raw.

it really is that easy.

[druid]

there is nothing to prepare yourself for, you simply go to the produce dept and buy all the fresh ripe luscious fruits, and veggies that you love.

then take them home and eat them, you can make salads and you can simply eat just whatever you want.

If you buy Alissa's book, you will have 290 fantastic raw food recipes, but until then, just eat all that you want that if fresh, ripe and raw.

it really is that easy.


I will order the book Friday evening. I am interested in this and too scared of the shape Im in to not do this.

[deedub]

Yeah. Just eat all the raw food that you want. Most of the current "wisdom" on nutrition is based on the consumption of cooked food. Which scientist have known since the 1930s cause the body to react as if a toxin had been ingested. 100% Raw is on the cutting edge. The world is not flat. Maybe we don't need all those calories, all that protein. Maybe everything that modern science and doctors have to say is wrong or misguided. Don't know. What I do know is that I did not worry about all that stuff I just ate raw food. When it got rough I came here for support and got it. I have lost a lot of weight and am still losing and I don't think I have ever felt more ALIVE.