30 Day Raw Challenge, Before & After

[hillarylouise]

I've posted pics of myself before and after the 30 day raw challenge on my blog, here.

It's amazing the total transformation--I'm a different size and shape, but my skin texture has also change dramatically, and I feel emotionally balanced and have a lot more energy for exercise. I do notice that when I'm ready to go to sleep nothing will stop me--I crash like a stone and sleep like a baby.

Attached are some shots that show the weight loss quite clearly.

[deberaw]

WOW!!! You look amazing!!! What did your food plan look like? i.e. anything Raw, or limited nuts etc. etc......truly inspiring...I need to get back to 100% and you are motivating me! Deb

[Honeybee]

You look FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!

[rawstrength]

Congrats!! You look stunning!

[Aleesha Sattva]

isn't raw wonderful!!!!

keep working it... another 30 days!!!

[maui_butterfly]

that is AMAZING!!!!! you must be thrilled. heck, i'm thrilled FOR you!

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S

[tanishamarshall]

You look great!!!!

[hillarylouise]

WOW!!! You look amazing!!! What did your food plan look like? i.e. anything Raw, or limited nuts etc. etc......truly inspiring...I need to get back to 100% and you are motivating me! Deb

Deb, I really didn't restrict myself beyond striving to be as raw as possible. I also ate a bit of sashimi here and there, about once a week, so wasn't entirely vegan, though no eggs or dairy. I didn't tend to cheat, to my surprise. I gave myself more slack at the outset than I ended up using. Most days I was at 90%-100% raw. That said, I'm not religious about it: if I'm out at a nice restaurant I don't worry about exactly what is in the balsamic dressing or if the sprinkling of nuts are toasted. And I go to people's houses for dinner seldom enough that I will eat whatever they have the grace to serve me, even if it's just a few bites, discreetly avoiding the potatoes and cake, etc.--fortunately I'm the one in my circle who likes to cook, so it hasn't happened yet!

My routine is pretty simple: I have a Green Smoothie every morning, and most days I spend some time midday tackling some kind of creative recipe ahead of time for dinner, like raw lasagne--being able to have sophisticated cuisine keeps it interesting for me, as I love to cook. For lunch I either hit the raw bar at Whole Foods or have leftovers from dinner or a salad--or else I get full tasting dinner as I'm making it. It may be obvious from this that I work at home, which makes it a lot easier.

I have always leaned naturally toward high protein and low carb (I was never a big bread eater), and so I do eat a lot of nuts and greens, and not all that much fruit, usually just the morning smoothie and maybe a nectarine or plum during the day. I experimented with high fruit for a couple of days, to try that approach, and just didn't enjoy it or like how I felt. After the first week or so, I did make an effort to stop snacking on nuts all day, and try to limit them to recipes, so that I wouldn't accidentally ingest 5000 calories sitting at the computer.

[Aleesha Sattva]

so... are you going to stay raw or was it just for thirty days?

[hillarylouise]

so... are you going to stay raw or was it just for thirty days?

I can't imagine going back! My partner is doing his first thirty days now...

[Avacado7]

Very inspiring! Way to go!!!

[monkapotapus]

Congratulations on your amazing transformation!

[Aleesha Sattva]

I can't imagine going back! My partner is doing his first thirty days now...

oh that's great! i got the impression (don't know how) that it was your 30 day challenge and you were done. :P

i'm glad to hear you are staying with health!

[deberaw]

...Sounds great! Thank you for sharing your info.....It sounds like that would work for me...I love to cook too, and having a raw recipe for dinner, even a few times a week is good...it's the cooking for kids/family that gets me astray at times....but my hubby just said he wants to get back to eating mostly raw...hooray!......

p.s. Hi Aleesha!;)

[Anastazia]

Congrats, you look wonderful! It's amazing what just 30 days raw can do!
~Anastazia~