New here

[AJ Bodine]

Hi, my name is AJ. I'm a 36 yo, soon to be 37 yo from southern Wisconsin where I woke up this morning to a thermometer that said 42, brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I have a 5 yo son, who claims to be 50% raw, although I'm not sure about that some days. We are a homeschooling family and hoping in the next few years to be considering a climate change to warmer year round weather. I love to garden and travel and read.

I have been reading, learning, experimenting with raw for the past two years. I'd have times when I'd be high raw only to fall back. Every time I did though, I didn't consider it a failure, it was actually one step closer to my goal of going 100%. I've always known that raw is forgiving and it was there for me when I was ready to come back. I kept learning more, trying new things and in a short time, I knew that eventually, I was going to give up cooked foods. I just didn't know when.

It wasn't until recently, after reading more of Alissa's words and some newly emerging intelligent women in the raw food movement that things started to click for me. It took a more down to earth message than I was used to reading about, to put it all in perspective for me. I'm now in day 59 of being 100% raw.

I say this, although early on I had two minor slips during my heavy transition time. On day 11, I ate a bean burrito, only to wake up with extremely puffy skin all over my face and joints that ached and burned. My illness came back overnight and I felt old again. It was a vegan burrito, and I knew right then that the grains I had eaten my entire life were mostly responsible for the pain I felt and the aging on my face.

In this 59 days, I've lost weight, my looks have changed, I no longer experience joint pain, I can run again, my fingernails are long and strong, etc. .the list of benefits are actually getting too long to write out, but you get the point!

My cooked food cravings are very rare now. I'm mostly only interested in raw unless I get into a situation where an emotion comes into play. Like I see a place where my husband and I shared a special meal and then I think, oh, I wish I could eat there again. But I realize it's an emotional thing and I tell myself that I like me, much better this way! Healthy and getting better by the day.

I'm very fortuanate, my husband is also 100% and so is my Mom and Aunt. I'm starting to meet other raw foodists through the various websites I visit. I won't spend any time at sites that have debating over who's way of eating raw is correct. I surround myself with support. It's rare that I even tell anyone that I'm raw. Unless I truly know they will be supportive, I don't bother, as I don't know that I'm capable of handling having to defend myself yet. I'm sure there will come a day though, I know I'm getting stronger mentally.

Thank you for reading my long intro. I'm planning to begin a journal here with pictures. I have a pictures of my husband and I the day before we went all raw. We were at the height of disgusting as we had just completed a long move and had lived on garbage for a while there. (stress) We also have our one month photos too that I'm going to share. I hate having to put those before pics up! :) I should mention that Rob, (dh), has lost 35 pounds now. I don't know how much I've lost as I don't get on a scale, but I have lost clothing sizes, which I'll be happy to share at a later date.

AJ

[Rawkinlocs]

Love, love, LOVE your story! Welcome AJ!

I love the things you stated in this post...very inspirational and encouraging.

Thank you for sharing. Yes, that is wonderful that you have a husband who is also 100% raw and I can totally relate to what you said about not telling others as to not have to go into defending yourself. I feel the exact same way, especially knowing how many of my family members are.

Some of my friends know and they are very supportive and usually just say things like, "That's great...but I don't think I could ever do that".

Well, again, glad to have you here and I look forward to your journal and pictures!

[Kristi]

Thank you for sharing this with is. It is motivational to us all as I've never met anyone who hasn't struggled with it at some point. It is wonderful so much of your family shares in the rawness. I struggle with having to cook everyday for the family. It's like an alcoholic working as a bartender. I can't push it on them. I eat my stuff and they eat theirs but as caregiver, I prepare things for them. I try to make it as good as it can be and offer many raw food choices or offer many cooked veggies which are better than a processed box o' something.

It was 49 here in sunny Fort Wayne, IN. I'm not looking forward to the snow. Although I'd hate to leave my friends and family I do secretly hope for my husband to job transfer to a warm climate! I do love autumn thought....the changing leaves, milder temps......not cold, mild....70s....ha! and of course football........Go Packers! We are huge Packer fans! We love the Dells also.

Congrats on your success! So glad you have the wonderful at home support! I have great support but there's nothing like someone eating the same way as you do! Can't wait to see your before and after pictures!

[Helen Of Tennessee]

Hi AJ,

So glad you posted over here and shared your story. I can't wait to see your pictures as you progress. Although I have seen your picture already, I still don't have any idea what your DH lookes like. Would like an idea before we meet you in November.

I also didn't know about your fingernails. That's great. There are so many benefits that we get from eating raw or high raw that we just don't think about. That's what's so nice about journaling . . . to remind us of all the benefits, or to look back to what we suffered when not eating raw. Sometimes I forget how painful my neck could be until I do something like eat a large quanity of cooked potatoes - Ow!!!!! It's a quick reminder.

<>< Helen of Tennessee

[lil]

Hi AJ!

Nice to see you here! Even though you may be looking for inspiration, your story is also inspirational!

Good luck with the journal and looking forward to your posts.

[mwjeepster]

Wow, fabulous that you have so much support at home!!! I have a supportive dh who eats salads with me on the weekends, but my 20 yo dd just rolls her eyes to heaven... she thinks I am on diet 8,573... can't blame her, in a way it's true - but I feel deep within myself that this is the last stop for me - I LOVE eating this way! I am still absolutely blown away by how delicious fruit is and how gorgeous my salads... it's as if I were truly blind before going raw - and suddenly I'm not. I've only been doing this for 16 days, but already I've noticed I really have no cravings either. I worry about how I'm going to handle special days like his and my birthdays - but that's not for a while yet, so I'm sure I'll figure something out before then.

Great to have you on board!
Melissa

[ConsciousCuisine]

Aj, Vegan Bean Burritos were my main comfort food. Beans, potatoes, sometimes Mexican rice, always lots of guacamole and lots of salsa! Sure, it was on a whole wheat sprouted tortilla, but the potatoes and beans are like pure sugar to my system and basically, I was self-medicating to boost my srotonin and calm/sedate myself. It sure worked! After long days of stressful work, juggling my schedule and my daughters various classes, auditions and the like and dealing with more junk (I won't recall the negativty, just suffice it to say I worked way too much and still do) I would have dinner at night sometimes, a few hours before bed and it would allow me to fall asleep! (No wonder, that bad food combined, starch and fat bomb was such a burden on my digestive system that I passed out from the drain on my system!) It is a challenge when you are used to eating to sedate and Live foods do *not* sedate, they invigorate! It takes some getting used to...

But I digress! Good for you, welcome and you are blessed to have a Raw family! :)

[thunderdancer]

Hi AJ,

Thanks from me too for writing such a brill intro!
I figured out the same thing about grains too.. My asthma and allergie all went when I went raw and when I slipped up on bread it came back, eventually even rice makes me 'feel' my chest. Amazing how my drs never considered diet a player, if it were up to them i'd be on drugs all my life, bizarre.

Thats just AWESOME that you have family who are raw too, WOW!

Thanks again!
I'm looking forward to your piccies and journal too

[Analeah]

Hello AJ and welcome! I couldn't give a better welcome than everyone else just did but let me just say I once again that it's great to have you here and I look forward to getting to know ya through the posts!

[AJ Bodine]

Thanks everyone, you are all so exhuberant in your welcome greetings. This is going to be a great site to hang out at. Rawkinlocs, the people that I have told have all made the exact same statement, "great for you, but I could never do that". Is there a handbook that people follow when learning about new things that make them uncomfortable? They all seem to have the same response!

However, in their defense, August 2002 I heard this crazy guy on the radio talking about how he's only eaten plant food for the past 7 years and I cracked up thinking, this guy is nuts! I didn't know at the time that a seed had been planted! David Wolfe started something that I couldn't forget about. Soon after, I read "Eating for Beauty", and I knew I'd never be the same again. I'm very grateful to him. He's changed my entire life.

AJ

[Curtis]

Hello AJ and welcome!

[rawjojo]

Hey A.J.

Welcome to the best support group ever! I am so fortunate to have found this site and I am sure you will feel the same. Great to have you and your experience here. I loved your story and can't wait to hear more.

p.s. I can relate to the yucky cold, I'm in snowy ohio!
rawjojo

[AJ Bodine]

rawjojo,

I lived in Ohio for 5 years. I went to Akron for a while and lived in Monroe Falls (near Kent/Stow area). I haven't been back there in at least 12 years, how is it going around NE Ohio? Did they ever finish the Flats in Cleveland? I partied there when the renovation was in it's early stages.

I was also a big Indians fan and went to the World Series at Jacob's Field in 1995, so I guess that's the last time I was there, actually 9 years ago. I was on TV too with my sign in the 4th inning!

Ok, enough about my memories in Ohio, I had a lot of great experiences there, however, next time I move, it's going to be to a warmer climate. I have a thing for the mountains and can't wait to head down south again!

We will have to commiserate with one another during the long cold winter this year! It's supposed to be a very bad one this year, so I'm hearing.

AJ

[Sweet lips]

;) Welcome AJ,

Be blessed in your comings and your goings

[NWgal]

Welcom to you A.J. :)

Loved your story... glad you have joined. I love it here and in sure you will as well!!