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Login Here Signup Here Signup using FacebookA month ago, I decided to go back to be regular vegan, and it was one of the worse decisions about my diet I've ever made. I had gained all the weight I lost while being raw back, lost the will to exercise, and fell into a deep depression. A couple mornings ago, I looked in the mirror and said, "It's time." It's time for me to go back to being raw...and stay there.
In the past, I've battled severe body issues, resulting in bulimia. Being raw totally eradicated that, until I started eating cooked food. It came back with a vengence, and distorted my view of myself. I'm ready to love myself, love my body, love my life. Those are the reasons I'm going raw. Next Sunday, I start with a 24 hour water fast, and then continue on this beautiful journey. Here's the catch...I tried doing it by myself all the other times, and completely failed. This time, I NEED your support. I cannot spend my whole life in turmoil, hating my body, hating myself. Please, help me on the journey to health, happiness, and self-love. So...does anyone want to be my "raw-friend?"
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Comments
liger99, I can totally feel your pain. I've been raw since last May and felt so great throughout the entire summer. I had a lost a bit of weight and felt light and free. But since October I've been doing this yo-yo thing between eating raw and cooked foods, and sometimes not all vegan (cheese). I've gained weight back and feel so sluggish, even though I exercise everyday.
I've also suffered from an eating disorder for a long time (anorexia when I was a teenager, but now binge eating & overexercising). When I'm eating high raw I feel awesome and many of body image issues go away. I am happier and feel better about myself. But now I don't like to leave the house & go out with my friends because I hate the way I feel about myself.
Maybe we can help each other out. I'll be your "raw-friend"!
i will definitely be your raw friend, liger (i feel like we are already friends, avl)! i used to have an eating disorder in high school and some of college. the best book i ever read on this problem was called "making peace with food." my therapist gave it to me to read and it just changed my life. there was a quote in it that basically stopped my destructive eating and exercise patterns- "I finally wanted to be free more than I wanted to be thin." after i read that, i vowed to never starve myself or abuse my body again.
i think something that could help would be to keep a food diary. i started 20 days ago and haven't binged since and that is big for me. I set each day up in 3 sections: Food, Exercise, and Thoughts. my main problem is eating cooked food when it's cold or when i'm bored or starving after school(i'll make up any reason to eat it). i've found that i've drastically cut back on the amount i consume so maybe this method could work for both of you guys.
Hey. Ill. Be your friend I know exactly what you're going throughb I use to be trapped in an addiction to food. Though I'm a bit diff than the other comments I would binge and just binge then get depressed after I prayed about the situation and seeked Christ to deliver me, and he did then I found out about the raw food diet and I tried that and barely had the. Urge to eat so much food because while being raw I knew. I was satisfied and didn't need to binge. Then I stopped being raw for abpout a month now but I'm starting again tody as I type this I can never have my body feel as good as it feels while raw. I've been a vegetarian for 4 years then ate meat for about a month then went raw for a month then went back to eating meat now today I'm starting my raw journey for ever. God bless! Can't wait to hear back from you
Thank you soooo much. Gosh, the ONLY reason I'm not going raw right now is because we don't have a lot of money this week (rent week), so produce is low. My body image as really gone down-I looked in a mirror today at JCPenney, and almost broke down. I'm so ready for this. Has anyone else lost a lot of weight being raw? What about teenagers? I'm 17. Inspirational stories really motivate me. I follow Phillip McCluskey and Angela Stokes, but I also like hearing from the "average joe." Well, no one who is raw is "average," but you know what I mean. ;]
I think I should write out my reasons for being raw:
1. To be skinny
2. To be healthy
3. To be happier with myself
4. T get in touch with nature
5. To have the energy to run
6. To feel, look, and be beautiful
7. To be free from the addictions I have
What are YOUR reasons for being raw?
Liger, I need the same kind of friend. I'm 15 (I suddenly feel rather immature...) and recovering from anorexia.
Eating disorders are... blegh.
I feel the same way- I don't obsess so much over food when I'm higher raw.
I lost somewhere between 75 and 85 pounds, but that was before I went raw.
I transitioned from eating practically nothing, to eating oatmeal, apples, almond butter, veggies, and protein shakes (very small amounts of meat and dairy) so transitioning to raw vegan was very smooth.
Now I'm just trying to get my calorie intake up without...freaking out.
I would love to correspond with someone who is in a similar situation.
Schrip i would love to be your friend. Don't worry about feeling immature. Eating disorders make us wise beyond our years. We need faith in ourselves, and by helping each other, and having a supportive community, we can beat this disease.
I'm 19, um going raw today wasnt so sucessful!! but im not gonna beat myself up about it! tomorrows a new day. I lose about 20 or 25 pounds when i was raw but i only did it for about a month!. I loved it i want to go back raw becajuse i hate the way cooked food makes my body feel, and i want to be thin. I've never been thin, and i want to be healthy and i know raw is the best way to go! i have a system, because my mom just started buying my food again, but while i was working and i was raw i would just go to a friends house and eat their fruits or veggies and eat the fruits and veggies i had at home, sometimes get a couple of reciepes but its easy to be raw everyone has a banana or apple in their house lol. We can buy some nuts, and veggies, and juice them.
Exactly. Tomorrow IS a new day! The past and the future are all just illusions. It is our present that matters. Unfortunately, I have to wait until next Sunday to make the full switch, but I'm not going to worry. I'm going to thrive each moment.
I just wanted to comment a little on body image. My background is that I was still 189 pounds a full year after having my second child, but I had been a little overweight even before kids (I'm 5'7" and was around 155 lbs). I used EFT to resolve my emotional issues with food and dropped 50 pounds over the course of a year. Then I went vegetarian, mostly vegan except for a little dairy here and there, and lost a little more. Then I went gluten-free, dairy-free, more raw, etc. and went down to about 125 lbs. After about a year there, I started really disliking the way my body looked. I was skinny but just did not like the way I looked at all. I felt like I had looked better at around 135 lbs and was more "filled-out" and solid then. What I discovered was adding some weight-bearing exercise made all the difference for me. It took several months to really see the difference, but it was so worth it. Now I'm about the same weight, yet my clothes are fitting a little tighter, and it's because of muscle. The big thing is that I like what I see in the mirror so much more. I feel like, it's not just that I know I'm healthy but that I look healthier too. I'm 37 and feel and look better than I ever have in my life. :)
So I just wanted to throw that out there for ya. Good luck to each and every one of you on this journey!!!
I don't think you should fast back into raw. I think you should mono eat oranges or apples or something. Keep your stomach full.
liger: your picture is so beautiful!
I feel your pain, I also had an eating disorder, but i feel good about my body when I'm raw. It's amazing how many wonderful changes this diet can make.Your list of priorites seems a lttle askew to me. I'm not sure "skinny" should be #1; how 'bout "Healthy and radiant".
I'm also a teenager--its nice to see people around my age that are realizing truth and conquering their struggles. I also need a "raw buddy". This post is a godsend.
My goals for raw are similar to yours, but the enviromental benefit makes me delight!
I agree with superfood--fasting is pretty dangerous for people like us who have histories of eating disorders--fasting after/because you've eaten cooked food is more likely to lead to more cooked food, more binges. Why not start your raw life with a nice soup and some nori rolls or something like that? Don't begin with depriving yourself.
I am going to fast on Sunday. I've stayed raw longer and more peacefully after I fasted. Anyways, the Raw Divas program calls for a 24 hour fast to start-Stop eating at 6 PM Saturday, and resume eating at 6 PM Sunday. Saturday I'm probably going to eat all/mostly raw. I'm excited to start.
I feel so trapped in my body right now. That's why being thin is number one. For me, it does represent health. I have a very extreme personality, and I work really well with going at things cold turkey, rather then leaning into things.
I know how to do EFT, I just don't really understand it.
And Lyn, I'd be glad to be your raw buddy
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liger, you can email me if you want to chat about EFT stuff. I'm happy to help any way I can, it made such a huge difference in my life. :) freewitheft@yahoo.com
Aha! I've also got a sort of all-or-nothing attitude. Doesn't help much with an eating disorder... :b
i'll help support you! :) i'll be your RAW bud!
Leslie.
Thank you guys. Last night I had a COMPLETE wake up call. I had to go to the hospital for a psychiatric analysis(I suffer from severe depression), and they had to weigh me. 88kg. 194 lbs.
Complete wake up call.
I have to wait 2 more days before I go completely raw, but i can do it. I'm barely surviving, let alone thriving. It's time to take my life back. And, thank you all for helping with the support. Do any of you suffer from depression?
*raises hand sheepishly*
A previous counselor administered a depression test.
"Severly clinically depressed" was the result.
Liger, I'll definitely be part of your support team! And I'll def admit to having had moderate depression and huge body image issues. Raw was a lifesaver, though, when it came to my struggle with depression. When I'm raw my mind is clear and free...
Also, you may want to look into The Sedona Method... it really helped me let go of most of my bad eating habits and negative feelings about my body.
liger! i'm with you, friend. i've struggled with a binge/ restrict cycle for years. eating high raw is the only thing that truly stabilizes me and helps restore a healthy relationship with food and my body (but i definitely fall off the wagon a lot). it's so tough to break the cycle, i know. hopefully with the support of those around you (and the awesome people on this forum), and your own inner strength and resolution, you'll look back on this as the point when things started to turn around for good!
i too keep a food journal (great suggestion, joannabanana) and force myself to be brutally honest with it. it's been really helpful to go back and re-read how awful i feel when i binge, and how amazing i feel when consistently raw. and while it doesn't work for everyone, an occasional 24- or 36-hour water fast REALLY helps clean me out and start fresh -- almost like hitting a "re-set" button. it can be a longer journey for some people (definitely for me), so remember to be patient and accepting and love yourself like crazy. you are BEAUTIFUL and you WILL reach the awesome level of health you're striving for!
I did it. I took the first step. I went raw today. I felt so bad last night, just crying and crying.It occured to me that I don't have to "wait" and be raw. I can just do it now. I had a "eureka" moment. I've been "asleep" for the past few months, and finally woke up. I'm excited for my future now, very excited. I don't feel hopeless anymore. It's amazing how a change in diet can totally transform your life.
schrip, thats exactly what i got. Depression is no fun. But, its bearable. Friday a see a psychiatrist to new meds. I had an adverse side effect to depression meds, and i need a new prescription. It's my goal to completely be off my medication, and I know raw will help/
Susan, I'll definately check out that method. I need help with emotional eating, even when i eat raw
Brookie...THANK YOU. You're awesome. For the first time in a long time, i actually DO feel beautiful!
You guys are ALL so wonderful!!! I'm glad I have this site.
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My second day raw. I feel empowered, beautiful...and tired! I forgot what detoxing was like. I'm making conscious, healthy decisions, and I love it! I'm out of this depressive hole, and I feel great.
Question: What do you feel about eating later at night? What time do you usually stop eating?
Bethany,
Hey girl I've been following up on you and I'm so proud of you! Keep up the good work. I'm personally in a hole myself and trying to get out of it. Yeah it totally sucks. If I'm not raw, I'm thinking about raw. It's kinda obvious what the answer is for myself but you know, sometimes I just don't "get it." I need a Eureka moment like you *smile.*
But when I was 100% raw for a while, I felt my best whenever I stopped eating at least 3 hours before bedtime. I was always hungry but it eventually went away and I woke up with much more energy. That's why I did it, because I heard that your body needs to "fast" at night and you'll wake up with a lot of energy and then break your fast with breakfast. I did that and I felt great. I would recommend it if only I weren't such a hypocrite. LOL but we're all on a different journey to health and happiness.
Proud of you!
liger, I agree with chattanoog that I definitely feel better when I don't eat for a while before bed. But then, I definitely have leaky gut and other issues that fasting helps with, so I wouldn't expect otherwise. Glad to hear you're feeling good emotionally, even if the physical detox has you dragging a bit. This, too, shall pass! ;)
Hey Sharla! Thank you sooooo much! I'm glad we talk about our journey's; it really helps. I'm finally doing it! It's like watching a child walk for the first time. =)
I have to consciously tell myself WHY I should eat raw, and not cooked. If I don't , I may fll into the "pain-pleasure" trap, like I used to. I have to tell myself, "Is this one cracker/cheese/bread/rice/etc worth the tears, weight gain, self-hatred, and depression?"
And the answer is always: NO! It is not worth it.
I'll probably stop eating around 7 PM...since I'm a little kid ( ;-] )...and go to bed early. I'm sure that I will feel much better if I do so.
Qustion: What do you guys do about cravings? What about if you are in a social situation?
Thank you!!
Hey what about if you just dont put too much pressure on you and just eat raw when you can, and non-raw when there is social events, thats it and that is reasonable.
You wont recover any eating disorder by eating only raw, you have to make peace with yourself and with the food, because if not you still get crazy about everything you are eating and this is not a resolved problem to me, it can be worst because you stop having social situations because of raw (??)!!!
Think about how you can forgive yourself even if you are not perfect, and learn to love you the way you are and the way the world is!!
Its so beautiful!!
aw, fonky, you're wonderful!
It IS about self-love, and these past few months, I've totally lost that. But, being raw, coupled with positive affirmations, meditating, and giving to others, is really helping. I feel confident now, and I have unwavering faith that I will reach my goals.
oh my gosh!!! im so happy you did !!! :D gahhhhh i cant keep up! i started then stopped. im in nursing school right now!! at the end of the day im stressed and loose control... i feel so dissapointed in myself!! but you did it, and i'm gonna do it too!
Don't be dissapointed in yourself, pastel...that's what really got to me. I would eat and eat cooked food, feel guilty and dissapointed, and then eat again! No wonder I gained the weight back. You can do it, pastel, I believe in you!
It's only been three days, and the change in my demeanor, clarity, moods have been STAGGARING!!!!
Anyone who says being raw is "unhealthy" is full of poo, and have no idea what they're talking about. I am proof of how instantaneously going raw can help you!
I'm proud of you, liger.
I think I've finally hit some major-er detox.
I'm so...irritable. If something isn't exactly right for how I feel at that very moment, I get frustrated and whiny and blah.
Also, I think my skin is breaking out a little.
But I LOVE being raw!