Raw and the Weekend

[ShelShel]

This weekend was all raw again! I made it through my family eating: Italian for lunch on Saturday, Pizza and Wings on Saturday night, and an all you can eat Chinese Buffet on Sunday afternoon...I also cooked them dinner on Sunday night! But I made it through! It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, which means it's really begin to take in my life!
There won't be many more weekends like this one though. I informed my husband when he woke up at 4 am with horrible heartburn...this has got to stop. I love them all so much and just want them to have really good health.
So, my husband promised for this (the starting of transition for him) week he would add eating 1 orange and 1 salad everyday. I told him we will add a few raw foods each week until his digestive system can move up without him hurting himself. I told him it would be gradual, but that it was happening. I love him and having our children half raised...I want many golden years to come together...so, he finally agreed. Thank God! I'm jumping for joy inside! So, his extremely slow transition has started today and my struggling to stay raw weekends...are ending.
How are your weekends? Do you eat with SAD eaters too? Or is your family completely raw, so, you all eat the same foods? If you are raw...do you gain strength from one another when you feel week?
I'm very excited. I know seeing my husband lose weight will really inspire just about everyone in our lives....to eat raw. If he can do it, as much as he is a meat and potatoes man...anyone can. I will keep you all informed.
(We tried this before and made the mistake of jumping in 100 % right away...his digestive system couldn't take it. So, this is wiser for his body...and his state of mind. ;) )
Have a great week! Hope you had a peaceful relaxing raw weekend! :)

[fiddler]

ShelShel,

I'm 100% 811rv and live with my wife, no kids. She's non-raw and eats alot of vegan meals but also eats chicken and cheese on occasion as well as sweets and other junk foods including soda-pop, yadda yadda yadda...

I know where you're coming from as I have other brothers and sisters who eat the SAD. At least my Mom has stuck to her Hallelujah Acres and is thriving on her program.

FWIW, I no longer mention my RAW diet because my family members all know by now what I do and they can see the results for themselves. I try to lead by example. Instead of promoting, pushing, preaching; I pray and offer my support IF and when they ask.

As for bothering me, I have no problems being around SAD food anymore. In fact, I even "occasionally" enjoy some of the smells/aroma :)

[Mango]

I am glad you made it through the weekend all raw. That is great!

The weekends are a real emotional zapper for me. I have been staying all raw for the past 6 weeks and that includes the weekends. Sometimes the food can be extremely tempting but I am managing to make it through.

The hardest part is hearing all the criticism from my family. They have mentioned that I look jaundice and sickly. They think that I obsess about my food and that I am creating eating disorders for my children. My children don't even eat all raw. I educate them and let them make their own decisions about what to eat. I never say it is because you will get fat. I tell them what is healthy and what is not healthy.

The weekends are turning out to be very exhausting for me. I wish that everyone would take the focus off of what I am eating or not eating and leave me alone. Hopefully over time they will get used to it and I will not be the topic of conversation at every meal.

[Jesaroj]

I have had many weekend problems staying raw! The crazy part is that my husband is raw with me, and our children are almost 100% raw (when they're at home and I can urge them to eat better)...BUT we live above my mother-in-law and sister-in-law who like to offer us their food! Before raw, it was great...tasty and free food! But now, it really stinks! They've come around to understanding that we are serious about how we're eating and they don't ask us to dinner too much anymore - in fact they are currently transitioning to vegetarian (because of us!). Last night, however, they offered to take us to a restaurant and we really just couldn't turn them down! We are nearly totally vegan even when we do eat cooked food, but I know cooked is so BAD for us! We went to a Japanese place and I feel good that the kids had miso soup (which is something we have at home) and a bowl of rice and that is all. They didn't even ask for meat!

But I'm so happy for you! It's pretty impressive that you lasted through all those crave-inducing meals. I go back and forth in my ideals between wanting to be nothing but 100% raw, and thinking that I can let myself splurge every once in a while...but certainly I know that it really isn't a splurge because there's nothing good about it (except taste). It's great, too, that your husband is going to increase his raw food! I hope it works for him this time. I definitely feel super lucky that my hubby is in on this with me all the way...I don't know if I'd be able to do it without the company!

Here's to weekends with no cooked food temptation!
~Jessica

[ShelShel]

Fiddler~I'm so glad that you can be around everything and not struggle. That's awesome. I totally agree about not preaching, but leading by example. However, all of my family and my husband's family have seen me eating raw for going on 9 months now...and just recently, even with all my weight loss, they have all said, "I'm glad that is working so good for you...I could never do that. I wouldn't want to!" Bummer.
And when I was bringing up my husband...it's because he's 150 pounds overweight and I'm so afraid of losing him young. I love him just as he is...it's got nothing to do with the weight, but how taxing it is on your heart and other internal organs...I just want him to live a strong healthy life... a long one! :) So, I'm a bit more forceful with him. However, he was so great this morning. He said, "I'm going to leave one of my soda's home today and just bring water." He said he loved me and would really try and make some better choices. When we talked again later he was stopping to get some fruit for a snack. I was thrilled. He knows, from watching me...this is healthy, I eat a ton...and I'm so much happier. But it's just making the decision to everyday that's hard. But he's just starting...and I couldn't be happier.


Mango~Yes, for a while there, it started to really bother me too. The constant bringing up of what's that? Is that all you're eating? Why don't you just splurge while you are out with us? Eating cooked once a week won't hurt! After my 30 day raw challenge this summer...that last sentence is the one that stuck with me...so, I would be 100 % raw all week and on Sunday afternoon...I would have the one cooked meal with all the family. But after 4 weeks of this...my body just wouldn't let me anymore. I would fall asleep about 20 minutes after eating...and I'm talking for about 3 hours. Not good. My husband suggested I just go full force. And outside of 2 bowls of soup in the days right after my wisdom tooth being pulled...I've been 100%. It is really the only way I can eat now. So, like Fiddler...I savored the smell of chinese food...as everyone ate it around me, but I stuck to the cantalope, honeydew and plain lettuce on the salad bar. That's why I was so proud of myself this weekend. I sat through a lot and didn't get that nagging urge to splurge! LOL
Secondly, that constant questioning of your food...your weight...and whatever else they bring up...will eventually fade away. They will stop and it will just seem normal for you. Give them time. (Sometimes...it's a lot of time.) But it does happen.

Keep strong...keep raw and congratulations to anyone else who made it through the weekend raw too!

[ShelShel]

Jessica~ We must have been typing at the same time. :)
Oh...I hear you. Most people don't understand what I'm doing. Family does...but they still think a little here and there won't hurt. LOL...I'll keep trying to inform them otherwise.
You know, like I said in my last post...I too used to "splurge" once a week. But when it was time and body was ready...I totally gave that up too. I still get tempted and crave things, but I don't give in to them. I grab something raw and stuff my face until I'm full! Then when I am full, I can think rationally and know I made the right choice.
I bet you were proud of your kids. Very cool! Thank you for sharing. Good luck on your raw weekends as well!

[fiddler]

ShelShel,

Thanks for sharing your situation and I applaud your efforts. Love is a powerful motivator! May you both find the strength to succeed; I'll pray for you.

It wasn't always easy for me, that's for sure!!! My heart aches at times when I see my family suffer by not eating healthier (i.e. sinus infections, coughs, flu symtoms, asthma, etc...).

Again, best wishes to you and your husband,
Gil

[ShelShel]

Thank you Fiddler. That means so much to us! ;) Thank you for the prayers...and yes, we will succeed together! All our best to you and your family! God Bless!

[mschele]

That is wonderful that you were able to stay raw thru a SAD weekend with your family. So far I have not had one single day of 100% raw. I am trying so hard (maybe not hard enough). I do fine all day, then come 3:00 or so the cravings hit and the fight becomes vicious and I always lose. Yesterday I was good until 8:30 (my husband and kids were out all day). When my husband returned he returned with leftovers from a resturant and homemade cookies that the kids made. I couldn't resist. I had banana ice cream, but it did nothing the satisfy me as the urge to eat the leftovers and cookies became to much. The strange thing is that before attempting to go raw, I always ate healthy and was able to resist much better that I am now.

Good for you for doing it and I think it is wonderful that your husband would like to do it with you.

[lodestar]

all of my family are SAD eaters
my husband works for a large pharma. company
his mother is a nurse
they are big believers in drugs and conventional medicine
i cook for them
i do my own thing
we all live in peace
i try to not bug anyone about what they're eating
they don't say much about my food...they're just glad it's not them
i am happy and feel blessed
they are happy
but i would sure love to share this part of my life with someone who gets it
my walking partner doesn't get it
my loved ones don't get it
i am alone in my search...until i come to this site and share my life with you

thanks...i don't mean to whine.

[ShelShel]

I don't think you are whining. Not at all. The fact of the matter is that most of us are lucky if our immediate families get on board with this lifestyle. Most don't. It's just us...that is why I told Alissa how important this site is to my life and without it...I wouldn't have ever become raw or been able to stay that way. We all need support and thank God for Alissa! ;) I hope someday you will have someone in your life who gets it too!