Fell off the raw wagon - feel terrible

[stiletto]

Hi All,
I was doing so well over the summer, but the fall came and I started craving soups, tofu, grilled veggies and, most of all, popcorn. I gained 6 pounds. I'm bloated and gass from all the beans. I look and feel terrible. I've decided to go back on totally raw, but I feel like I "undid" all the good work I did over the summer. My body was so ripped and now I look like a fat slob. Everyone is probably saying "I told you you couldn't keep that crazy diet up" and they were right. I got tired of dehydrating stuff and sprouting stuff for three days just to come up with a handful of chips.........or going to parties and constantly starving the whole time. I sing in restaurants and supper clubs and food is everywhere! Where I live is so totally unsavvy, that even the health food stores don't have many options.

Thanks for letting me rant and complain. I'll write back with a more positive response once I feel better and have been raw for a few weeks. Anyone else experience this??

Peace,
Stiletto

[brookegoeden]

You are not alone! Happens all the time to me too. I figure that the days I am 100% raw are better than never at all. Also, I have discovered a secret that helps me feel fuller and less impulsive when I eat: larabars. They are 100% raw and are a great subsitute after meals for a desert. They taste great and there is no guilt attached. I take them with me in the morning and have one for breakfast (holds me over, i swear until NOON) and the other I save "just in case" the candy bowl comes out at work or everyone around me is stuffing themselves with pizza, donuts and whatever else they eat. I love them. I went to TraderJoe's last night and they were $1.29, which is pocket change compared to the 5+ bucks I used to blow on garbage for breakfast!!

Keep your chin up! Some people are able to go raw cold turkey, for others it takes time. Either way, making healthier food choices is great!

Hope this helps!
Have a nice weekend,
Brooke G

[jax]

I was raw from Jan until early April then I started eating cooked foods again here and there, just a little. By May I was totally cooked again! I have gained about 15 lbs or so and I feel totally gross! My fibro symptoms have returned gradually over the last 6 months along with the weight. I went 100% raw on Monday and I am not having fun yet. Detox is aweful, I'm tired, cranky and have pain everywhere! TGIF! At least the weekend is here and I can rest all I need and I intend to keep things very simple until I feel better. The up side is, I will feel better soon and eventually feel Great again!! Hang in there, it's so worth it! :)

sincerely, Jax

[happy_kauai]

I know exactly how you guys feel. I just went through a 5 day water fast last week, and then life took a crazy turn and I binged on popcorn and breads for the last 4 days. I am amazed at how different I have become in just four days. I went from feeling "high" and on top of the world, not to mention I had lost 11 lbs. - and now I feel depressed and puffy and achey, and I've gained 7 lbs. back! The great thing is that I now know that it's not ME who is inherintly terrible, lousy, and hopeless, it's the toxins and awful food that i've put in my body that makes me think that I am terrible, lousy, and hopeless. That realization really makes ALL the difference - it lets me know exactly how to take back control.

As for undoing all the good that we had accomplished before, I don't think that's true. I think we gain much more than just weight loss and health on this diet, we also gain confidence that we have control over our ability to reach our true potential. Our setbacks and failures inform us as to what we did wrong, so that next time we can adjust our selves and do it right! :)

[twinee1]

Hi All,
I was doing so well over the summer, but the fall came and I started craving soups, tofu, grilled veggies and, most of all, popcorn. I gained 6 pounds. I'm bloated and gass from all the beans. I look and feel terrible. I've decided to go back on totally raw, but I feel like I "undid" all the good work I did over the summer. My body was so ripped and now I look like a fat slob. Everyone is probably saying "I told you you couldn't keep that crazy diet up" and they were right. I got tired of dehydrating stuff and sprouting stuff for three days just to come up with a handful of chips.........or going to parties and constantly starving the whole time. I sing in restaurants and supper clubs and food is everywhere! Where I live is so totally unsavvy, that even the health food stores don't have many options.

Thanks for letting me rant and complain. I'll write back with a more positive response once I feel better and have been raw for a few weeks. Anyone else experience this??

Peace,
Stiletto

So how you feeling now ?

I think one thing you may want to do, based on your rant, is decide at what level you want to be Raw. I think it can be benefical, successful at various levels. That is the key to sucess.

I find it easy to be 90-100% raw due to my lifestyle, schedule, hate to cook..and for the most part dislike the unknowns (perservatives and pesticides) of most restaurant food. I was brought up in a farming community where veggies were abundant, my mom dried and froze and canned (yeah that was cooked) the harvest...and we know what went on in the slaughter house...so for me Raw vegan is easy.

If your senerio is not mine (we are each influenced differently) then that is fine...if certain foods tempt you allow yourself some freedom to eat a certain amt. of cooked food...sucess will come from that. Over time you may decided you feel BETTER Raw, vs cooked.

It is nice to be ripped, but coming from a competitive figure competitor for 5 years now, that look is hard to maintain..so do not beat yourself up to much !! Find what makes you happy...and be happy. Don't base what YOU WANT TO DO on the observations of others.

Oh and BTW no need to dehydrate and all that you can do Simple Raw ! Just wash it and go !!!!!!!!

Life is short..and precious.

Blessing to you..Leslie

[JJACK]

Hi. Don't put yourself down. You gained a lot from your earlier Raw lifestyle. That is a bonus because you know what you can achive by being raw. Take a day or two and focus on what you want and what it will take to get you there. Have some plan on how to achieve it and what pitfalls to avoid.

You said you would update us in a couple of weeks. Don't wait. Use these boards to get the motivation and the support you need. You came to the boards for others to listen and now allow others to help motivate you.

Remember that negative thoughts are not good for your journey. Every choice is a chance to make a better choice.

jj

[VeggieMel]

I'm in the same boat. I'm still eating partly raw, but I'm also eating a lot of cooked food, some dairy and some junk. I've gone up a pants size, my skin doesn't look as good as it used to, I've become depressed and I'm sleeping all the time, I look bad, and my fribro symptoms are getting worse.

You're not alone. We'll get back on track. Maybe there should be a board just for people who have fallen off raw, so we can comiserate together :-)

Wishing you well.

[FreshAir]

Just jump back on the wagon, you'll feel better after just one day of fresh fruit and veggies! Thank you to every person that shares with all of us when they fall off the wagon. It's not easy, and I want you to know how much you help me stay raw by reminding me how I'll feel if I go back to SAD stuff. You also remind me that I am accountable to ME at the end of every day! I still fall off once in a while, but certainly not like I would if I didn't have this wonderful bunch of supportive people here. I could never have found my way on raw without everyone who takes the time to write in to this forum every day.....thank you!!