Discovered Treasure Trove.....

So... Great things come from unexpected places! I fully believe this.

So I know that I can be a bit.... snobby....when it comes to certain things. So when Jesse told me that he wanted to go to the Flea Market over the Holiday break... I was like... "Oh, ok. That will be interesting." I just had the picture of this dirty place and people trying to sell their used crap. Then I thought that there might be a chance that I could find an old awesome blender or juicer (since I was looking for one to start my raw again 2010 challenge). So the day after Christmas we woke up semi early (The alarm went off at 6:00am but we didn't get out of bed until 8:00am) and then went to the flea market. There were not alot of vendors there, but we figured that once the holidays were over it will be back to its normal booming self. It was an outdoor market so it was freezing, but what I found was totally worth it. No, I didn't find a juicer or blender, but there were migrant workers there that were selling every kind of fruit and vegetable that you can think of! The carrots were the size of my head. There was fresh cabbages, raddishes, tomatoes, some fuzzy thing that I didn't know what it was. I had to ask! Apparently it is a squash of some sort. A little research and I discovered that it was a chayote squash. I think I might have to try one. I felt like they had almost anything you could imagine and the prices were fantastic. They were selling a huge bag of bananas for $1.00.
The Plan is to stop by the market again Sunday and stock up on food for the week. I take pictures and let you know what we get. (just excuse the phone camera pictures until I get a new digital camera).

I also did get my Juicer, but I went to the evil Walmart for it. :) It isnt the best juicer in the world but it will last me until I save up enough money for a high end one. :)

So only a few more days until the challenge starts. I am really excited!

Nookie Nookie

For an early Christmas present I received the Barnes and Noble Nook from my mother. My sister and I both got one. We actually got really lucky because I think that she ordered them on the first day they came available for pre-order. So we were not subject to the terrible February 1st shipping date that is now the standard for pre-odering. (If you are one of the ones waiting for your nook... it is worth it!) So after all the delays and push-backs that Barnes and noble had, I finally got my nook! I have to admit that it was totally worth the wait. Never having an e-reader before I was very worried that I would not like not having an actual book in my hands. But I was very pleasantly surprised!

It is light weight and does not feel awkward to hold. I find that reading in bed is nice too because my arms are not getting tired from holding up a heavy book while I lay down.

The book selection is great, and have yet to look for a book that I was not able to come across. I was even able to find a few raw books (http://rawagain2010.weebly.com/blog.html) on e-book, so that has been awesome. Barnes and Noble has also starting accepting gift cards for e-books which makes it a lot easier buy me presents. lol.

They also have the Nook set up to where you can put your own pictures on it as your screen saver and wallpaper (pic is of my niece Gabi on Halloween) I was able to put pictures of my sister and nieces. It is nice to see their pictures every time I go to read a book. I miss the terribly and am having a hard time adjusting to their moving away. (I went to visit them over the weekend and it was very hard to leave.) You can also transfer MP3's and PDF files to it, so I have started putting some knitting patterns and raw recipes onto it for easier reference. It really works out great from me since I do not have a printer. This is much easier!

There are also a lot of covers and accessories available on B&N.com. I was to get a back cover, but I am going to wait until they actually start carrying them in the stores before I get one. I want to make sure I can see the actual colors before I purchase them. My sister has said that she would make me a sleeve for it. I am excited about it because hers is absolutely awesome!. I should get that in the mail from her any day now! :) I will post pictures of it once it comes in.

Raw Again 2010 Challenge

Hello to everyone!

So I have talked with a couple of friends who have decided that they too are going to go raw in 2010 starting in January.... (The boyfriend might even give it a go... he is still skeptical.

I am super excited about this and I can't wait to see how I do. The goal is to stay raw for 365 days. This is going to be a very difficult task, but one that is so rewarding once completed.

To celebrate the kick-off of this personal challenge and to get me even more psyched and motivated I have created a website for it. This new site will track my progress, food prep, emotions, inspirational stories, readings, etc. http://rawagain2010.weebly.com/

Please feel free to check out the new site and post comments for any inspiration, books, etc that you have come across that you think I would enjoy. (Any little bit of support will help keep me going all the longer).

I will still post everyday life stuff here, and will do a quick update on my raw again in 2010 progress, so please keep checking back.

Christmas Time!

I was getting totally bummed out because Christmas was around the corner and I was not feeling the seasonal rush what-so-ever. My sister had moved away from me just in time for the holidays and I didn't have any Christmas decorations at all in my house. The only Christmas-y thing I did this season was to help Jesse (the boyfriend) put up his University of Tennessee Christmas tree that he loves so much.... Yes it is a White tree with orange ornaments, pom poms, and football ornaments. LOL. It is quite breath-taking.... and you can interpret that anyway you would like. lol.

Anyhow, I went to a work Christmas party at a nice restaurant in downtown Chattanooga. That got me feeling a little bit better. At the Christmas party the owner of the company got everyone a $50 gift certificate to Lowe's. I was really bummed out about it and asked Jesse "What the freak (trying not to actually curse anymore) and I going to do with a Lowe's gift certificate. So the next day I was feeling like I would go and look to see if I could get plants to do my terrariums.... Yeah, the ditzy Floridian in me did not take into account that it is winter and Tennesee... so all plants are practically dead (except for orchids and other ones that were kept in the humid indoor garden area. So that was a little bit of a bummer, but as I was walking around outside and freezing my bum off, I passed the christmas tree section and stopped short! They had mini christmas tress that were real! I know I should probably be very upset that a baby tree was cut down to be stuffed into a house, but honestly, The tree was too cute not to adore and I had to have it. It was only $15! SO I got the tree and then made my way to the ornaments sections.

You really would have thought that I was picking out a house, with how long it took me to decided what kind of ornaments I was going to get. Lowe's didn't have a huge selection and I didn't want a very tacky looking tree. So I decided to go with the Apple Theme. I found a tree stick full of apples then I found complimenting red and gold ornaments. I didn't find a tree topper because everything looked cheesy, but I did find mini red bells that I was able to hang all around the tree and all the way to the very top.

I got home and put my tree together, and am very happy to say that I love the result! It really worked to put me into the Christmas spirit.

I am also filling my movie watching regime with Christmas movies. I am planning on watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (I have never seen it). I will have to find a Christmas Story so I can watch that. I have recently watched Love Actually (a wonderful movie for those of you who have not seen it), and I am going to sit down and watch It's a Wonderful Life. I have never seen the whole thing.... last year was actually the first time I had ever seen any of it, and it was the very end. I feel that at 25 years old... (soon to be 26 right after Christmas) this is a shame. So I will be watching the whole thing. I will make Jesse sit and watch it with me! :) He is a good boyfriend, and does not usually gripe about what kind of movies we watch... as long as they arent musicals. What is it with guys and singing?

So It is Christmas time again and though it has taken me a little bit to get into the swing of things, I am ready to go all out!

Raw Food- "Take 1" analysis

I did a little thinking and brainstorming..... The question on my mind was.... "How did I fall off of my raw diet?" I thought that this was important to go over before I dedicated myself to going 100% raw again. The reason being is that 1). If I don't recognize the elements that caused me to slip up then I could possibly slip up again, and 2). The detox symptoms are too severe going 100% raw that I do not want to repeat them again after my next round. I would like trial 2 to be the last/successful attempt at going 100% raw.

-So some things I have learned about my eating habits..... I eat when I am bored. I eat when I am stressed. I let others influence my eating. I have a big "comfort food" Problem (craving something warm and full of carbs), and I am addicted to Ice Cream.

The thing is, is that all of those cravings that I do have can ben satisfied through the raw diet. That was never an issue. I liked the food and I loved experimenting in the kitchen with prepping.

My huge problem was when I started dating. I know that may sound strange... but when you are getting to know someone how do you say to them "Oh I am sorry, I dont eat meat and I don't eat anything cooked..... So where would you like to go out to eat?" So to soothe the awkwardness that explaining my eating preferences would cause; I would go off my diet just for the date. Well, like so many have said... once you go off, it is like a snowball rolling down-hill-- and it doesnt take long to undo all of the hard work that was once done.

So the main thing to do it to start over. Do my reasearch again and make sure that I know everything that I need to know about going raw. My first attempt was a little haphazard. I watched and read the Alissa Cohen DVD and Book, looked online and read the stories of Angela Stokes and others... and was like. I can do that! Though I believe that was the right attitude, it was probably not the best timing or informed decision. I didn't know where to start and just flew by the seat of my pants.

In my recent search I have found Wendi and Jim Dee. Their success story is awesome and their website is even better. http://www.purejeevan.com/. She also has two eBooks for free... "Raw Foods 101"; and "Raw Food Recipes." Both of these are excellent! If you are looking for good motivation and a how to starting point you should check this out.

I have decided to start looking for raw food groups on the Chattanooga area. IF you know of any, please shout at me and let me know. The best way to stay successful with this, for me, is to surround myself with like-minded who will keep my on my path and talk me down from the ledge when I feel like falling off. If there is not a group in Chattanooga, I might see what I can do about starting one up. Just to get together and talk and go over things... then maybe once a month meeting for a potluck or something. Who knows, but it is an idea worth keeping right now.

My other thing that i am going to do is to keep myself busy. There are a lot of things that I want to get done. I want to work on my paintings... Maybe get an etsy shop up and going. My sister gave me her old sewing machine... so maybe it is time to try that out. I have knitting projects that I need to work on, and I have recently found a new love for terrariums that I am going to explore. I figure that While I am shrinking, I can watch things grow in my place. :) I am also going to make polymer clay figures to put in the terrariums. I figure with all of this craftiness going on it will be hard to think about food.

A couple Terrariums that I love. :)

Having a Hard Time

So Getting back on track has been harder than I would have imagined. When I first decided to gow raw, I just did it. I went 100% over night and ran with it. It was awesome and I felt great. Then for some reason I let boys, stress, and money issues throw me off track. I have recognized the issue and have stated that I need to get back on track, so when then is it so hard to get back to 100% raw when I know how easy it can be? I have this horrible little voice in my head saying.... "Just wait until after the holidays." I hate that voice! It is basically telling me.... "Just wait until you gain another 8 pounds that you released!" I am so mad at myself for letting myself go again.
I am working with a woman now that is motivating me to get back on track and she too is going raw, so I am thinking that between the two of us and the support that we can give each other I will be able to stay on track this time. I am cleaning out my cabinets and going grocery shopping this weekend. Hopefully I will have so fun stuff to post as far as recipes go and things that I am doing to keep me busy.
I have been writing a lot, so that has been a great distraction from food. :) I also just got an exercise bike. So I set that up in my living room in front of the TV and I will ride for a while while I watch a movie. The exercise is what needs to really happen right now. I am starting to feel a little sluggish again and I am bruising really easily. So I need to get he blood circulating again! Between the bike and my Gazelle I should be in good shape. It is too cold in the mornings to go out for a walk so hopefully this will help.
I have a recipe for raw cheese that I will be making. If I do it right I might be able to crackers out of it. We will see how that works out.

I will post more and update on my progess soon. :)

New Punk Haircut

Gotta new haircut... Loving it!

Back On Track!

So as many of you have messaged me about it........I know that you are well aware..... that I have not posted in a while. lol.

I want to lie to you and say that life has been so busy that I have been unable to keep you up to date with all of the fabulous things going on. lol

The truth of the matter is that I got laid off of my job and things snowballed from there. It was too expensive to stay on the raw diet so I have been off of it for a bit. It makes me sad that it is cheaper to eat in a less healthy fashion. What sense does that make?

Anyway.... I am going back on track, so please stick with me. I will be posting new recipes and even a few cooked vegan ones that I will be making on an occasion.

How I am feeling.... Not so great. I mean I don't feel awful, but that energy and happy go lucky outlook that I had every day when I was on the raw diet.... yea, its not there. My heart burn has returned and my fingers are swollen again in the morning. I think that this is important to share to anyone who is on the raw diet and thinking about going off. Yes, the raw diet can seem restricting and overwhelming, but your heath benefits in the long run are well worth the effort. I have gained about about 7 pounds in the month that I have been off this diet completely. So I am starting over and I am very excited about it.

I have found a new job, and it is going great so far. I am working with a woman who is a vegetarian and she is very interested in raw foods, so that is really helping me get back on track.

I have also finished my shrug that I was working on! yay! It fits perfect believe it or not. So for that I am grateful. I would have been very sad if I finished knitting that and it was too big, but the goal is for it to be too big this time next year. It is made from the yarn "Classy" by Dream In Color. It really is a great shrug and a very easy pattern to follow. I have gotten a lot of compliments on it so far.

I am sorry if I have disappointed you all, but know that I will be back and I will be on track. Please stick with me.

Produce Keepers

Sorry I have not posted in so long. I have moved and it has taken a while to get back in the groove of things. But I am almost all situated and will post pictures of my new place very soon. I love it and am very pleased with how things are coming along.

~~~~~So I was having problems with my produce, especially my lettuce going bad before I could finish it. The lettuce would turn soggy or my berries would get moldy. And though this is unpleasant to look at, it is also annoying cause, as many of you know, produce is not exactly the cheapest thing to live on.... and you want it to last as long as possible.

I found Produce Keepers. They extend the shelf live of your fruits and vegetables. I discovered these things while walking around the store in boredom. I thought these were the coolest things.... I know it doesn't take much to get me excited. They can be divided into two sections or not, and you can open the vent or close them. You put your lettice, berries, and just about anything esle (produce) that usually stores in the fridge. You put a little water at that bottom and put in the fridge. It works wonders. My lettuce is still crisp and has not shown the least bit of wilting. My grapes are amazing, and my strawberries are still bright red. I am loving these things. They run about $15 each but they are totally worth the investment if you want to give them a try. (And they look really good in the fridge as well.)

I find that making my salads is a lot easier and enjoyable now too. I just go in and take a handful of lettuce from the bucket and put on my toppings. So much easier then chopping it as i go. And fruit, It is all already clean, just grab and go. I love it! It is making life so much more simple.

I found these at Walmart, I am not sure where else they would sell them, but keep you eye out for them and give them a shot if you can. I am not sorry that I did.

What Under 200 Feels Like!

I am under 200 pounds! Holy Crap! I am amazed and so freakin happy I can't even tell you. Considering I started at my heaviest at 238 pounds. Started on raw when at 231 pounds. Now I am under 200 pounds! WOW!!!!

So How I look: (I think that I look healthy and beautiful...and that takes a lot for me to say)

How I looked: (uumm.... Lets not even go there...)

How I Feel: (Sassy and Sexy as Hell!)

Ok I am done with the photos I promise! lol. I am just so excited at the difference. Can you believe it? I feel great and I am totally psyched. I never really thought that I would be able to get this far and keep going.

Broccoli in Hoisini Sauce with Parsnip Rice

OMG. This was delicious! Russell James is an absolute genius. I subscribed to Russell James' The Raw Chef newsletter and I have not really tried to make anything before this recipe. This one seemed like it was easy enough for me to give it a go, and boy am I glad that I did. And who would have thought that parsnips instead of rice would be so yummy. I honestly cannot say enough good things about this recipe.

If you want to check out his other recipes, you can find them at: http://therawchefblog.com/category/raw-recipes. I am going to try many more. His desserts look amazing!

(And notice that I finally got plain white plates! haha)

Pistachio Pesto and Kelp Noodle Salad

I got this recipes from Ani Phyo's Ani's Raw Kitchen. It was really good. I was surprised how good the kelp noodles were. I am not going to lie, I was a little iffy about the whole thing. But the pesto and really tasty and the kelp noodles and mixed greens were a nice combination. I probably should have picked a different type of tomato to garnish, the cherry tomatoes I got were not ripe enough and they threw off the taste, but the dish was a lot better once I got rid of them. lol.
You can find this recipe and many many more at Ani's website, and the link is: http://www.aniphyo.com/2008/08/25/pistachio-pesto-with-kelp-noodles/ (See below for recipe)

Pistachio Pesto Makes 1 cup

1/2 Tablespoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pistachio
2 cups basil, fresh, lightly packed
1 Tablespoon lemon juice, from about 1 lemon
1/2 cup avocado, about 1/2 of an avo
1 Tablespoon olive oil

In your food processor, place garlic, salt, and pistachios, and process into small pieces. Next, add your basil, and process to mix. Add your lemon juice, avocado, and olive oil and process to mix well. Toss with your Kelp Noodle Salad, below.


Kelp Noodle Salad Makes 4 servings

4 cups Kelp Noodles4 cups herb or spring mix, lightly packed

Place noodles and greens in a mixing bowl, and toss with 1 cup of Pistachio Pesto.

Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho

I wanted to try to make soup. I was never one for a cold soup- always being afraid to try it. So I decided that I was going to try this Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho from Sarma Melngailis' book Raw Food Real World. The end result was AMAZING. It really was like summertime in a bowl. I was worried about mixing all of the peppers and onions with my watermelon, but it was a very nice combination, and the cucumber in the recipe added a nice cooling taste to the soup. I will definitely be making this often. It is one of the best things I have tried to make.

They have a very similar recipe available online at: http://www.peaceful-organic-planet.com/support-files/watermelongazpacho.pdf (See below for recipe)

No Cook Yummy Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho

Makes 4 cool and delicious servings

3 cups watermelon seeded/puree in blender
1 cup watermelon diced small
1 cup seeded tomato/diced small
1 cup peeled seeded cucumber diced small
½ cup red or green bell pepper/diced small
2 tbsp lime juice
1 small handful cilantro leaves
1 tsp minced ginger
1/2 small jalapeno seeded and minced
1 green onion, mince 1 inch of the green and all the white
1 tsp sea salt
fresh black pepper
Mix the pureed watermelon with the diced watermelon, tomatoes, cucumber,
bell pepper, lime juice, cilantro, ginger, jalapeno & green onion. Take a ladle
and put it into chilled soup bowls and serve.

I am sorry about the picture as well. I am going to have to get a nicer set of dishes to display what I make.

Strawberry Picking

A couple of weeks ago I decided that I wanted to go and pick strawberries. I went online and found that I had a U-Pick place about 5 minutes from my house! How lucky was that. So I went and had a great time. I wish that I could have brought my nieces. I don't know if they have ever been to a farm, but I know they would have had a really good time. They had a little school going for the little kids where the owner was taking them around showing them all of the different things they grew there, and how to tell when the fruit was ready to be picked and so on. It was so cute to see them all running around. One of the little boys got stung by a bee though and it nearly broke my heart!

So I have been strawberry picking before, but not since I was a little girl. This was my first experience, and I have to say that I will be going back. Strawberries are over, but the blueberries and blackberries should be ready to pick soon. The Name of the farm was Crabtree Farm, and I really have to admit that it was so beautiful there. I can't wait to go back. The prices were not bad at all, much better than you pay at the produce stand, and everyone was super friendly. So as long as you do not mind sweating a little and getting dirty, I would totally say, Go with your family or by yourself! Hopefully I will be back this week... we shall see.

I have almost depleted my supply of fresh strawberries... That really makes me sad. I thought I would be good for a little bit with how many I was able to find. Guess it is back to the grocery store and produce stand for the time being.... though they wont be as pretty as the ones I picked myself... though I am probably bias. lol.

Plateau

So I have finally hit a plateau.... This really sucks!

I am not too sure what to do, but I will have to figure something out. I have not lost any weight in two weeks now... and whats most frustrating is I am only 3 pounds away from my goal of being under 200 pounds.

I told myself I was not going to blog again until I could tell everyone that I ws finally under 200 pounds, but I dont know how long it is going to take me to get off of this plateau.

I guess all I can do is to just push through it and hope that I start losing again soon.

43 Days Raw

I have been raw for 43 days! Can you believe how amazing that sounds!!!

I am feeling great, my clothes are getting very baggy on me, and I am able to fit in some things that I have not been able to pull the tag off of in years. That is fantastic.

I am starting to feel like a whole new person. My face is getting clearer and clearer week by week, and it is noticeably thinner. They guys at work have told me that I am looking great!(and for guys that says a lot that they even noticed). I am so close to my goals that I am obsessed now with seeing them through! I am going to do this and I am going to rock at it!

My brother-in-law surprised me yesterday. I was sitting at his house and he told me that he was telling the girls at work (I used to work at the same place as he does) that I was doing well and that I have lost so much weight. He told them that I am not dieting per say, but that I have changed the way I eat completely, and that he doesn't know if he could do it, but that I was doing great at it! That really meant a lot to me. Mark never says anything that he doesn't mean, and this is the first time that he has ever mentioned my progress to me. I must be on the right track.

So Last week I got my heavy duty Gazelle exercise machine. I love it! I sweat like crazy on it and I really think that it is doing the job! My weigh-in today was better than it has been in weeks.

So here are the results:

Current Weight: 204.2 pounds

Weight Loss for the week: 4.2 pounds

Total Weight Loss for the 43 days: 26.8 pounds.

I am totally pumped with the results and have a whole new focus. I might even be under the 200 pound mark next week! I hope so! All I know is that it is NOT far away at all.

So come back soon, check on my progress, and hopefully later today or tomorrow I will have postings of my domestic life from last week (picking strawberries and adventures with my new raw book!)

Thank you everyone for all of your support! I wouldn't have gotten this far without it.

Weigh In and More....

So Another week is Done. Time seems to be flying by. I can't believe it. I have now done over a month raw. That still seems so unreal to me.

Today is the 35th day. I weighed in this morning at 208.4 pounds. That is a weekly total of 2.6 pounds. And an overall total of 22.6 pounds. Not too bad. I am noticing that the weight loss is starting to taper down. Each week I am losing less and less. I guess that makes sense. You body does eventually hit a plateau. I am going to step up the exercising bit. I am getting a Gazelle today. I am very excited about it. I have been trying to clear room for a little workout corner in my apartment. I think I almost have it. lol. So hopefully that will help me out a lot. I have decided to give the progress photos a break for a few weeks. I will just try to post them at monthly intervals now. So hopefully the next photos I post will be at day 60.

I got a new book! I am so excited. I finally had to give the Alissa Cohen book and DVD back to my friend April. I figured that I had had it over a month, so it was time. lol. So I got my very own book. I decided to go with the book Raw Food Real World. I am loving it. It has so many colorful pages, pictures of recipe in the book, and a lot of informational things. I am very happy with it. Sarma, the lady who coauthored the book, has a 2nd edition on coming out this month. I am going to have to refrain from buying it until I get my use out of this one. lol. I will post my cooking adventure from my new book as I go through it. I foresee some interesting outcomes.

Day 28...

Progress has Definitely Been Made!

Today it Friday, the 29th of May. I have completed 27 days 100% raw, and today is my 28thday. I can't even begin to tell you happy it makes me that I have made it this far and I see no need to give up my new raw lifestyle.

This week was not all sunshine though! I had a tough week. Everyone around me tempted me with food that I couldnt eat, and I was about to break. I thought that preparing some dishes would help me.... yeah not so much because everything I tried to make come out tasting terrible. I guess what they say is true... your emotions go into your cooking (uncooking in this case). But I made it through the week, and I even tried to make a Date Nut Torte from Alissa Cohen's book. It turned out AMAZING! So Yummy! And it was just what I needed to get me back into motivtation. Now all I need to do is make everything else just as well. lol. I tried making hummus, not good at all. I don't know what I did wrong, and I love hummus. Oh well. I will need to work on that.

So here is my progress:

Current weight: 211.0 pounds

Weight loss for the week: 3.3 pounds

Total Weight loss: 20 pounds.

Ailments now gone: Restless sleep, poor circulation, painful numbness in my arms and legs, painful gas, swollen feet and hands.

On another note... I usually have very weak nails that i can't keep long... they are growing and are strong as ever. I am taking care of them and am very please with how pretty they are.

So here are my progress photos. I will post from my 1st day and from today only.

Day 1 Day 28

Day 1 Day 28

Day 1 Day 28

Day 1 Day 28

I think you can definitely see Progress! I can't wait to see day 1 compared to Day 60!

Day 21 Weigh-In and Progress Photos!

Today is my 21st day of being raw.

I can't believe I have made it almost a whole month. One more week to do. I am totally psyched about that.

I am doing well, though the past couple of days I have had major cravings. I want a bacon cheeseburge or japanese hibachi. Random! But I am not going to give in.

This weekend I am going with my sister and brother-in-law to his sister's house. I will bring my own food and I am going to make a date nut torte to bring with me for everyone. If they like it great, if not, then it is more for me. lol.

So on with the progress. I am currently 214.3 pounds. That is about 3.4 pounds down this week and about 16.7 pounds for the 3 weeks I have been 100% Raw. (I say 'about' because who knows for sure with the scale).

Progress photos now: (I dont know if you will be able to see progress as I switched from my tshirt to a tank top cause you couldn't tell anything body wise with the tshirt. Hopefully the tank top will help to track progress a little better)

Day 1, Day 14, Day 21

Day 1, Day 14, Day 21

Day 1, Day 14, Day 21

19 days and Counting

Today is my 19th day of being raw!

I am feeling great. Though I think that my weight loss has slowed down significantly. Though I can't tell from looking in the mirror, so I wont know anything for sure until Friday morning weigh-in. I have taken on exercising to help with my whole getting healthy kick! I am so freakin! sore. lol. Yesterday I went for a walk, I don't even know how far I walked. At some point I looked at my clock and was like... wow... you need to turn around and go back to your car. But I walked down on our riverwalk and over our pedestrian bridge. It was a very nice outing. I am going to have to have to buy a pedometer so that I know how far I am going. What I think was such a long walk might have only been like two miles. LOL. I have no idea. I will need to fix that. I have also started doing Cardio kickboxing tape. Jillian Michaels makes it. It is awesome. It really kicked my butt, but I am going to try to stick with it. With that, walking, and Yoga, I think I am doing pretty good with the exercising.

I had an awesome salad. I marinated cucumbers in apple cider vinegar and olive oil. Cut up romaine lettuce, red cabbage, roma tomatoes, raw peanuts, and then in the middle I put a tablespoon of raw hummus and sprinkled a little sea salt over the entire thing to taste. It was amazing. I didn't think I would like a salad that much, especially with so little dressing on it. But I think I am hooked to how good it tastes. I looks really pretty too with all of the colors.

On a knitting note:

My shrug is coming along very nicely. I am now working on my left sleeve. I am very proud that I am still going with it, especially since I have a terrible habit of scrapping projects cause they take too long. But I am still going and like my diet, I am determined to see this all the way through. I can't wait until I can post pictures of me wearing it. Now all I have to do is have enough energy after I kick my butt working out to really sit down and knit for the rest of the night so that I can get it done.

Motivation!

I have been shopping on etsy for things to get once I reach my goals. It is a great motivator, and there are so many great shops! I found a vintage style bathing suit that i am so in love with. I have been wanting one like it since High school. So that is on my life. There is also a pair of ballet flats that I have my eye on... and to make that even better my sister said that she would sew me a skirt to go with them (she totally rocks). So now I need to find so nice fabric for my skirt. There is also a store on etsy that makes really pretty panties. And I am just going to have to buy a couple a pairs when my butt is not so big. lol.

I am very excited that I am shedding this old skin and getting a new one very slowly. I am becoming a confident and beautiful individual. I can't wait to see the end transformation. I am already impressed with just the 18 completed days thus far.

I am still going strong...

Day 14 Progress Photos

Time For Weigh-In and Progress Photos!

Today is my 14th day of being 100% raw. And as each day passes I am more and more addicted to it. I love how I am feeling and how I am looking.

I will keep this post short today and just post my progress.

I am currently 217.7 pounds. That is 4.7 pounds for the week and a total of 13.3 pounds for the two weeks I have been raw. That is pretty amazing!

Day1

Day 14

Day 11 Feeling Great

Still feeling great!

I am feeling great. I am still totally psyched about my new way of life.

I decided that I might blog about something non "diet" related today!

I saw a great movie... that was also kind of sad. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I know a lot of people didn't want to see it, and Brad Pitt got a bad rap, or maybe the movie got a bad rap because of Brad Pitt. lol. Either way it was very good and totally worth seeing. Some of you might know that the movie is based on the Short story buy F. Scott Fitzgerald. I thought it was well done, and a touching love story. And for everyone who says... It looked weird.... Well Yeah. How can it not be weird, it is about a baby that is born old and then spends his life aging in reverse. LOL. Nothing normal about that!

I am going to try to finish up a painting that I have been working on. It is halfway done, I just lost my focus on it a while back, but now I am feeling motivated to finish it. Once it is done and I am happy with it I will post the picture of it.

I am also going to work on finishing my shrug. Tonight has been deemed Knit night. So I am going to get to it.

Day 11 is done, and I couldn't be more motivated to keep going!

Raw Day 10

Day 10!

Woowhoo! Ten Days Raw. That is so exciting... I am in double digits! And the best part is that I am still going strong!

Today I was able to wear a skirt and shirt to work that I have not been able to fit into for MONTHS! "OMG IT FITS!!!!" was yelled this morning, I was so excited. I even wore heels to work to celebrate, and my legs and feet didn't get one cramp in them. When I got to work everyone was like, "Wow, you look really nice today." Considering I work with all men, that really says something.

Joel, one of the guys I work with told me today, "I have noticed a change in you...I am kind of proud!" That made me laugh. Joel is all about me being raw. He thinks that it is great that I am getting healthy and that I am so pumped about it. Every day he tells me to stick with it and keep going. He really does help to keep me motivated. He rocks!

All in all I am feeling great today! I am retaining water which really sucks but that is ok. I was told that I needed to drink more water to flush it all out... So I did... I have had like 92oz of water today.. I have been running back and forth to the bathroom all day. I think that might mean that it is working.

I got a dehydrator over the weekend. I am not impressed with it. It actually sucks. It has no temperature gage or dial, so I am going to be returning. It was a major disappointment.

On the food front, my grandmother sent me a recipe for a Tangy Tomato and Mango Salad. I gave it a shot substituting some things and it was excellent. I can't believe how good tomato and mango tasted together with green onions, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar. AMAZING. I am definitely going to make that a habit. It was very satisfying. I sprinkled a little sea salt over it too. Yum! For my night snack I stuffed dates with almond butter and then I drizzled them with honey. So good, and addicting. I am going to have to be careful with these cause I could eat them like candy! I think I am going to try to make fudge balls this weekend... we shall see.

I went to the gym today after work. YAY me. I found a community gym that only charges $1 a visit. So I was like... what the heck! The regular gyms around here charge $60-$80 a month with a 2 year contract... so I figured with $1 a day whenever I go and then $14 yoga class once a week, with no contract or start up fees, I am doing pretty good! I hate paying for a gym membership and then you going like maybe 5 times in the month. Such a waste. I think this will suit very nicely. It is a very decent gym too.

Positive changes..... In the last 10 days my mood has drastically improved. I am happier than I have ever been. Things aren't bothering me like the used to. I wake up with a smile and I can't wait to start my day. I am also sleeping better. The weight is coming off, though I am trying not to obsess over what the scale says. My acne is clearing up. All of my pimples are gone now, and the dark spots and scars on my face are starting to fade. Being raw is like a body miracle! I am loving everything about it.

I can't wait to post my first set of progress photos so I can actually SEE how I am doing.

Week two is going to be a piece of cake! I am totally ready!

100% Raw for 1 Week!!!!

I have been 100% Raw for 1 Week!

7 days! I am totally psyched. I can't believe the difference in how I feel in just one week.

Last night I came home and decided that I was going to prepare a dinner that took a little bit of prep work. So I decided to make Pesto Pasta. I have to admit that I was nervous if I would like it. I just couldn't see how, when you are used to eating regular pasta, zucchini would fit the bill. But I made it anyhow and OMG How delicious was that! It was so good. I can't get over it. It was a perfect way to complete my Raw Week 1. I garnished the top of my pesto with diced tomatoe and sea salt. I will definitly be making that again. I got the recipe from a raw magazine called Purely Delicious, and you can actually view their recipes online at http://www.purelydelicious.net/. They Have thier magazines for sale on there too for $6.25 and issue and there is no shipping charge.

Last night I also took a night for just me. To pamper myself. I did my hair and unwound! Painted my toe nails, plucked my eyebrows (NOT VERY RELAXING)!!!, and read a book. It was so nice. It made all of this seem just that much better. I feel like I am glowing!

To Celebrate 1 one week raw I went to Yoga Class this morning. I was so nervous going in, but it was an awesome experience. I love the class. I had a male instructor which I was not expecting, and there were 4 other students in the class, 2 male and 2 female. It was a nice mix. Everyone was friendly, and since it was a beginners class there was no pressure to impress anyone. I worked my hardest but at the end of it all I had a huge smile on my face because I felt like I had accomplished something and started my weekend off right. It is a wonderful feeling. I will be going back to class next Saturday as well. What a great workout. I sweat more than I do when I am out walking. I was so surpised. Totally worth it. My body is a little sore from everything, but that is a small price to pay.

Week two is going to go just as famously as Week 1 did. I just know it!