Last half of June 30 day Challenge... 2012

[Aleesha Sattva]

Sorry for the lateness of this thread. I forgot to start one and no one nudged me via email until now to let me know I forgot to begin one.

So... the earlier part of this month is in the May 2012 thread beginning on page 8. And here's where we will carry on...

Welcome welcome welcome!!!

Welcome to the 30 day challenge and welcome to our new monthly format.

This is our monthly challenge thread. We are choosing to do one (or perhaps split into two) continual threads so we can create a community of support within this challenge. You can join this thread at any time during the month. Don't be shy... we love new posters!!! So if you want to join us... please do!

I welcome people who are already 100% raw to join in the conversation - supporting our challengers in their quest!

This thread is specifically for those of you who are eager to commit to 30 consecutive days of eating 100% raw foods and seeing miraculous results!

I will start a new challenge thread on the first of every month. If I forget... send me a quick email and remind me... I'll get the challenge thread online for you quickly.

The focus of the monthly challenge is on staying raw and accountability. Therefore, if you have eaten all raw and then slip up and have something cooked, don't beat yourself up over it or dwell on it - but this is not space to discuss it. You are more than welcome to document it in your journal/blog or ask for help in the discussion area, but it is not necessary (and not allowed) to discuss your slip-up here in the challenge threads, just get right back on track and keep going! This thread is about celebrating what you are eating that IS raw!

I welcome you all to share pics of your dishes, ask questions, share what you are consuming (as long as it's raw). We are here to listen to your emotional and physical challenges. So share share share!!!

OH and the best part of this (not only the support but...) you can subscribe to this thread and get notified every time someone posts to it. This way you will be connected!

So let's get this party started!!!

[robh]

New thread woohoo! :)

Thanks Aleesha. I see the "Send Email" thing. I will give that a shot next time.

[Aleesha Sattva]

thanks :)

[PansyLo]

I didn't actually know how to send an e-mail! It's not the end of the world though, we all still got the support we needed from each other through the May thread!

robh! It's great to see you. If you ever slip up again you'll know next time just to come on here. Everyone does it from time to time, it's just being human. No point in being hard on yourself just jump back in.


Honestly I've really been struggling to even keep high raw. Everything raw I've made lately had just tasted really lousy. I made loads of effort by spending a whole evening "cooking" things up to have in the fridge then struggled to eat even half of them because of how everything turned out. That's only disheartened me to try anything else.

I've been experimenting trying to sprout different things so even though I'm not raw I'm learning something and still going in the right direction.

Not sure how to get back on the wagon though. I'm not eating a sad diet, it's vegan with no overly processed foods. Things like [Trigger warning - cooked foods! Highlight space to read.] porridge with 100% rolled oats and nut milk, vegan casserole with fresh herbs from my garden, rice, soup, occationally gluten free vegan bread. I just cook a lot of things.

I've gained weight through not working anymore and the contraception I'm on. I feel tired all the time, I sleep most of the day. I feel kinda lousy but whenever I try and eat raw I just can't eat any of the crap I make and then I'm super hungry and I'll eat whatever's to hand!

Any tips to resolve this? I want to get back into this 100%.

I want to detox and get fit and feel motivated.

I guess I've had a rough few days with my personal life too.

[MysticTree]

Raw is going well here. Bf is into his second week and is almost certain I am slipping feel good drugs into his food. Lol.

[Purple Fern]

Hi I have just found this site and have been raw for 3 days, I am working on a boat so its not as easy as doing everything at home, juicing and sprouting, dehydrating isn't possible... But I'm sure I still want to get th benefits if 30 days raw... Here are some photos of the meals if been preparing :)

Looking forward to feeling lighter, more energised and getting some support from other people doing the same challenge! x

[LexieW]

Pansy, any idea what's off about the raw food you're making? Is it turning out bad, or are you just not in the mood for it? That happens to me, sometimes. Like "oooh, I have all this stuff in the fridge... and I don't want to eat any of it. In fact, nothing raw sounds good." And when that happens, I fall off the wagon. It might not be much, but I'll eat something I shouldn't and then immediately regret it.

Can you go for a little walk every day? Just going for a walk around the block will energize me. Dry-brushing does this for me too - great way to start the day.

Be kind to yourself (sounds like you already are ).

[PansyLo]

^ I don't know if it's just been some really bad luck with the food I've been trying to make or if it's me! I think it's a bit of both, I've had some definite disasters but some things have worked out fine and still haven't tasted great. Even a really nice dressing that I LOVED before tasted bad.

I'm probably a little unmotivated since I just moved home and don't have a job here yet and I have no money to do anything.

I had a major fall out with my ex flatmate, while it had been coming for a while and I no longer wanted to stay friends with her I still hate confrontation.
My boyfriend confessed that he cheated me while away at the weekend but the way it's actually coming out when I pressed asking about it, it sounds more like he was pretty much sexually assaulted by the girl. It was so minor that even if it was consensual I'd have given him another chance, it's not like he even had to tell me and he did immediately but even though he's acting like it's his fault and I should hate him it really doesn't sound like it is.
Everything I own right now seems to be breaking and I just generally feel like crap!

The food thing started before this personal stuff but the personal stuff sure ain't helping my mood.

[MysticTree]

sounds more like he was pretty much sexually assaulted by the girl

I'm sure her side of the story would be different. Be careful how much you take as truth when you are hearing only one side. What is your zinc intake like? That can affect taste and have you eaten pine nuts lately?

[robh]

Purple Fern, best of luck being raw while working on a boat. That sounds difficult.

MysticTree, your boyfriend is going raw? That's awesome. "Slipping him feel good drugs" - that's funny. When I try to tell people how awesome it feels to be raw, they just look a me funny. That is cool that your boyfriend is experiencing the benefits.

PansyLo, to be honest, I have stopped preparing food (for the most part). I haven't used my dehydrator in a long time. I only use my blender when I'm making salad dressing. Eating something tasty is as simple as picking up a piece of fruit and eating it. If you don't mind me making the observation, it sounds like you are a little frustrated in general. It sounds like circumstances have you down a little bit. Remember things always turn up. If you want to get back into raw in a simple way, think about foods you can eat without preparing them. Grab a carrot, a stalk of celery, an apple, a handful of almonds, etc. Once you get back on raw, your outlook will become more positive and life, in general, will be easier to deal with (at least that's how it works for me).

Things are going well for me, outside of being sick. This is the first time I've been sick after going raw. This particular bug has been diagnosed as strep throat twice and as a double ear infection (three different people each with an excuse for the doctor to give them antibiotics). I think it's just a nasty virus. I haven't taken any drugs, but this bug is bad. I no longer show symptoms when most colds and flus that go around. My body just crushes them now. This one, however, had me up last night with a raging fever. The fever finally broke and I can tell them I'm on the mend now. It seems like I will be over this in 3 days or so (without the aid of medicine). My wife is showing symptoms now. I'm curious how long it's going to take a non-raw person to get over it. The baby was on two different antibiotics for two weeks before he got better.

Other than that I'm good. I dropped down to 255 lbs this morning. Yesterday, I drank 4 liters of water (couldn't get enough). So I was able to drop 5 lbs of water and 3 lbs of weight overnight. Not sure how that works. I'm thinking the fever and the sickness had something to do with it. It's pretty cool though. To think that I may see 240-something in the next month or so is encouraging.

Anyway, my eating patterns are pretty basic. For breakfast, I eat 3-4 pieces of fruit and some chia pudding stuff with agave, raisins and craisins. For Lunch, I eat 3-4 more pieces of fruit and more chia seeds with almonds and nutritional yest. I typically snack on another piece of fruit or two before dinner. Dinner is a salad with whatever wacking dressing I make that day.

I soak cashews and macadamia nuts and then blend them into a creamy liquid. I call this my "dressing base". I just toss it in the fridge. When it comes time to make my salad, I take this creamy base and make a new dressing every night. Monday night was an onion and cilantro dressing. Tuesday was a creamy sun-dried tomato dressing. Tonight, I'm thinking south of the border: base + tomato, onion powder, raw garlic, cumin, jalapeños, cayenne pepper - stuff along those lines. I really like being able to make something new every night. Variety is nice.

Good luck everyone

[MysticTree]

Robh
Yeah he said he would try it for a week and now he's in week 2.
His plan was to finish at the end of week 2 cos he was missing bread but he's now saying that he hasn't any plans at the moment to go back to "other food"

Your dressing base sounds good. A variety of good dressings is such a boon to raw food eating.

[robh]

MysticTree, Sounds like he is hooked to me.

[MysticTree]

MysticTree, Sounds like he is hooked to me.

for the time being. The winter will be the pivot point.

[LexieW]

Pansy, sorry to hear about all the drama going on - stuff like that can easily trigger cravings for old, SAD comfort foods.

Hang in there, it will get better. And as far as the boyfriend - I believe in forgiveness, and I believe that no one knows the dynamics of your relationship better than you. Keep your eyes open, do what you feel is right, whatever that is. Everything else will sort itself out.

robh, that dressing base idea sounds awesome! I'm so trying that.

[PansyLo]

As far as my relationship I don't need advice. :)
I'm not daft, I'll be fine. I'm a pretty good judge of character and I always know in my heart when something is fishy even if I don't want to believe it. Here I just don't get that feeling at all. I just wanted to kind of explain that that's one of the reasons I'm feeling down and all over the place right now.

I think I will try just eating very very simply. Not preparing meals just eating fresh fruit and veg a hand full of nuts, some simply prepared fresh juice. There's lots of great stuff in season just now. I had the worlds most delicious strawberries today!

I haven't eaten any pine nuts lately but I have eaten them loads of times and never noticed anything with things tasting odd. I've just had an epiphany that it's maybe related to the new birth control pills I'm using. Things tasting odd can definitely be a hormonal thing and my eating habits in general have been totally thrown off by it.