New To Raw!

[Greeneyedbelle19]

Hi All,

IÂ’m new to Raw and Excited to get started! IÂ’m only 21 but have tried just about Everything to loose weight! IÂ’ve been heavy since about 6th grade, and now have around 100 pounds to loose. My parents are worried about my health, with the medical history my family has. I also am worried about my health, but would like to be able to fit into the Clothes I Like, and have more self esteem. I have struggled with constant tension headaches for around 8 years now, about 2 years ago I started going to the chiropractor and have received some relief. However not total relief. IÂ’ve done all sorts of reading and research into diets and weight loss plans, but nothing has ever made as much sense to me as the raw diet. Raw just makes sense! And after seeing all the before and after pictures and reading all the testimonials I knew going raw was what I needed to do! I know my weight holds me back from doing a lot of things and being my true self. It also holds me back from pursuing my dreams and the goals that have been placed in my heart. I canÂ’t wait to see where going raw takes me!

I also made a deal with my dad to go on the diet with me! IÂ’m excited to see what it can do for him also! He has struggled with some medical issues for awhile, and even been up to Mayo Clinic to see anyone could help him there. HeÂ’s a Big Meat and Potatoes person, so this is a Big thing for him! :) But IÂ’m excited that he is willing to do this with me!

If anyone has any ideas to keep it interesting for us that would be great! I also was wondering if anyone was from around Elkhart Indiana, and knew of any good places to shop? Just let me know! Thanks! :p

[emmaann]

CONGRATS to you for finding and researching RAW FOODS!! Alissa's site is very very informative and can answer all your questions you have. She has wonderful recipes here and ideas to keep things interestng.

You may find that eating raw foods is so much more tastey than cooked anyway. I find much more variety eating this way. Cooked foods all taste the same and when eating raw foods, your taste changes and will prefer a plate of fruit or veggies over a bag of chips any day!!

Support seems to be the key for me. Making sure you have a buddy (great your dad is willing to step out with you and try this). Getting a raw food buddy and their phone number to call and talk to them is a great way to stay raw also.

Always have raw foods available at all times. And when you head out for the day or afternoon be sure and carry a RAW FOOD YUMMY BAG with you. Example Raisins, few nuts, raw food treats (you will learn to make), bananas, apples, oranges.

AND never let your self get hungry.......eat CONSTANTLY make sure its raw.

Keep dehydrated foods at a minium and nuts as well.

Soak up as much info as you can and as each day you eat raw is a day closer to feeling outstanding!!

Best to you and your dad.

smiles,

ac

[happy_kauai]

Welcome Greeneyedbelle19!

i'm so happy for you that you came across raw foods! I'm new to this too and I'm also very excited to see where raw takes me.
I'm also happy that you found this site, everyone here is so supportive and it's great to be able to discuss things with people who are on the same journey as we are.

Are you going to take the 30 day challenge? If you do I really suggest getting Alissa's book and DVD. We've bought several raw food books so far, but my favorite is Alissa's "Living on Live Food." The recipes are really easy and accessible, there are lots where you don't need a dehydrator or vita mix - plus she helps you circumvent obstacles such as overnight soaking and sprouting. Her emphasis is on easy quick raw foods. So I definately suggest that if you were to invest in only one book, to get hers.

Good luck to you and your father! But, be prepared to stick with it even if he doesn't - I say this cause my mom is supposed to do it with me, but I have since found that her level of committment is nowhere near mine yet. Hopefully I can inspire her by being an example!

:)

[fiddler]

The first month can be the most challenging because you'll likely have some detoxification happening. Try to have a positive approach in learning new recipes that are easy to prepare. It is important not to overwhelm yourself early on with complicated raw food dishes. With me, it was like a VICTORY every time I successfully created a dish I liked.

Alissa's book and DVD were helpful to me early on. In fact, I just loaned out my Alissa book and dvd to a friend and neighbor.

Try to read as much as possible on this lifestyle. Any of the Boutenko books as well as Paul Nison books are excellent. Also, I recommend the www.hacres.com (http://www.hacres.com) site. You should sign up for the quarterly Hallelujah Acres newsletter for free. Its nice to see that positive newsletter arrive -- I look forward to each issue.

Good luck to you and have fun!

[sweetgoddess]

Welcome to the forum and my best wishes to you and your dad. How wonderful that you can team up and support each other. You will find a lot of information and ideas on this forum, as well as a lot of encouragement.
All my best to you and your dad on your raw adventure! It is a huge gift waiting to be discovered.

Warmly~
Carmel

[Greeneyedbelle19]

Thanks for all the support!
My dad has decided now that he isnÂ’t going to do the 'diet' with me. :(
I donÂ’t think he even ate 100% raw for one day! Whatever, he told me he would still buy my groceries for me if I wanted to continue. (IÂ’m a poor college student, so I probably wouldnÂ’t be able to stay raw otherwise) IÂ’m bummed a little cus it would have helped me to have him do it with me, but IÂ’m still excited about it! :) I love to experiment with recipes and try my own recipes, I canÂ’t wait till I start getting familiar with Raw food! :)
Thanks Again for the support! Camilla

[JJACK]

Sorry to hear about your dad. Perhaps you can show him how wonderful this lifestyle is... I am in my 40's and I am encouraging my daughter, 13, to join me after Thanksgiving. I think it would be easier for her that we are doing it together.

Keep coming to the boards for support. Perhaps there is someone at school who is raw. You will feel so good if you just give this lifestyle a chance.

Let us know how you are doing.

jj

[TimmyC]

Congratulations!! I wish you well on your raw journey! One thing that I want to mention now that you say your dad isn't going to do this with you is that you need to do it for yourself, and you probably already know that. I know it probably would have been ideal with someone near you doing it with you, but don't let that fact deter you from accomplishing your goal.

For me, my wife was going to do this with me, but she's not been able to do 100% (not even close :) ). Yes it is disappointing, but I realized that this is my gift to myself. And I know that force never works so I am just going to lead by example and hope they come with me. If they don't that's ok, it's a choice they're making, but my choice is raw...and I'm sticking to it.

Good luck to you!

Tim