When good vegans go bad

In dire need of some help! I have fallen off the wagon - only one week raw- and want to know how to get back on and STAY on. What motivates you? What kept you going when the evil claws of your former self started banging their angry weapons and arguments. My stomach is aching and I feel like my head is spinning. I need a RAW-tervention! Thanks!

Comments

  • rawlizardrawlizard Raw Newbie

    Maybe you need to have a slower start. I am not sure if you are new to raw or not, but I think most of us have fallen off the wagon more than once. The key for me is not to crucify myself every time i eat something cooked.

    Perhaps you should start by having one raw meal a day as a permanent thing. Eliminate junk altogether and allow yourself some leash with things that are healthier and also taste good. I don't know, a slice of ezequiel bread with tomatoes and avocados (instead of a hamburger), or some banana ice cream with a hint of maple syrup (instead of a regular banana split). Start by making healthier choices by finding things that satisfy you and that also taste good to you. Think twiced before putting potato chips in your mouth, and instead get some air popped popcorn...

    The replacing technique gave me the benefit of a transition period and made me stronger and aware that I am capable of making better choices. If you do fall for a piece of cake, decide to eat half of a regular portion, and then move on. Part of it is training your will power and also realizing that being raw is a decision that you make every day, every meal, at any place, and it is all yours to make.

    Good luck.

  • LilEarthMuffinLilEarthMuffin Raw Newbie

    I agree with rawlizard, you might need to do a more gentle transistion into 100 raw. Not everyone can just do it cold turkey. Most importantly is to not beat yourself up, everyone falls "off the wagon" sometime, all you can do is just get back up and keep going.

    To combat cravings I would always carry around fresh fruits and veggies for snacking, and made sure that i was never hungry. remember that you and you alone has control what goes into your body. once you have made the concious decision to stay with a healthier lifestyle your old vice items wont affect you anymore.

    Good luck!

     

  • Ditto.

    In the new book Raw Food Works (i highly recommend it!) one of the chapters is about the spectrum from SAD to raw/living. the author says that it is important to go through each step, especially whole food vegan, on your way to raw. I think that really helped me. A good support system is also a good way to go, or a coach.

    Best of Luck!

  • eechoeecho Raw Newbie

    Read a lot. Read read read. You have to stay excited about what you are doing. I've been raw for almost two years and still read "introductory" raw books just to keep up my motivation levels. This is especially important in the absence of a raw community or others who motivate your health goals in person.

    Along with this, subscribe to daily blogs and youtube videos. Personally, I watch daily videos by Paul Nison, Matt Monarch, and Kevin Gianni. This makes you feel connected to the community and is also educational.

  • sarawsaraw Raw Newbie

    I struggle to stay on the wagon as well.

    Each time I try to stick with it, I learn more about myself. I end up feeling really gross, mean, and just no energy when I eat poorly. It might take me YEARS to get the hang of it, but that is OK. At least I am making the effort, because some raw food is better than NO raw food!

    If you are a writer, definitely journal about your experiences. Write about how you feel when you are raw, and when you are not. Over time, you will get the bigger picture.

    I should add that I LOVE the book, The Live Food Factor. This book has some amazing reasons for eating a raw food diet. I just love, love, love it!

  • ambiguousambiguous Raw Newbie

    I made a very slow transition, setting a date months in the future when I wanted to be 100%, and worked my way up to it, enjoying my favorite cooked foods along the way. I went 100% raw earlier than my set date, since my body was clean enough to feel how crappy I felt after eating cooked foods I thought I liked. I simply did not want to eat those foods anymore. It's been over three years and I've never "fallen off the wagon," and never had any but the faintest craving, easily satisfied by a raw substitute.

    I think that a mistake a lot of folks make is trying to be too strict in the beginning. If and when you go all raw, just get in the habit of eating all raw all the time without starving yourself, and you'll naturally work your way towards a healthier raw diet. And if you feel like you just can't give something up (popcorn, beer, lentil soup), then try being all raw except for that one cooked food you love. No one is keeping score except for you.

  • SuasoriaSuasoria Raw Newbie

    Which wagon did you fall off of? The raw wagon or the vegan wagon? I've not fallen off the vegan wagon because I consider eliminating animal suffering to be more important than my own wants. Focusing on something outside of yourself/your ego and the satisfaction of your own desires is always a good idea. Don't fall off the vegan wagon...for the sake of animals.

    If you fall off the raw wagon, big deal. Tomorrow is a new day. Why not just forgive yourself? (The "evil claws of your former self" with "their angry weapons and arguments?" Seriously?)

    I really like Shakes13t's advice about all the steps.

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