Summary of Week 11 Eating Raw!

This is a week for new developments. Some of them have been developing for a couple of weeks or longer, but I haven't noted them because it takes a while before I decide that something is actually presenting as a true "change" and not just a transitory event. The developments include the following:

THE NOT SO GOOD STUFF

• My hair is thinning around the crown
• I've had "allergy" symptoms for the past couple of weeks or more
• The dark, rough patches of skin on my face (cheeks) have smoothed and lightened considerably

THE GOOD STUFF

• I got my first unsolicited comment from someone who noticed I've lost weight
• My girlfriend made some great living bread and some good raw meals, restoring my faith in the raw food diet

The hair loss seems to me to be directly related to my diet. According to Sparkpeople my diet is very low in protein - we're talking below 30 grams sometimes. I've decided to add protein in the form of more raw cheese (I just bought some raw milk gouda), raw seeds, and grains. As for my allergy-like symptoms, some people might think that these are signs of detox. I'm open to the idea, but I must say that I've had all these symptoms from time to time before going raw, so I'm still inclined to believe I'm having an allergic reaction to something.

OK- I've made a couple of Big Decisions! I've decided that for the time being, I will no longer track my foods on sparkpeople, and I will try not to way myself for about two weeks. I've made these decisions because I want to start transitioning into a more "normal" way of eating, where I learn to trust my own body for signs of hunger and the need for nutrients. I've learned a lot these past three months and am ready to take the training wheels off! So you won't see me logging points or calories or fat grams any longer, although I will state what I ate. If I start gaining weight then I will put the training wheels back on for a little while. Eventually, I hope to free myself from the scale and food tracking. It's kinda scary for me, considering my history, but if I don't do new things, I'm not on an odyssey, am I?


NUTRIENTS

Calories..................................701 to 1468.81
Weight Watcher's Points:.....Average of 28.57 points per day
Fat..........................................19g to 76g
Carbs......................................49g t0 240g
Protein...................................15g to 45g


WEIGHT LOSS
STARTED WEEK AT: 296
ENDED WEEK AT: 294
TOTAL LOST SINCE JANUARY 1ST 2006: 47 lbs.


COMPARISONS TO PREVIOUS SUMMARIES

Compare to week 1
Compare to week 10 (last week)
Compare to week 2
Compare to week 3
Compare to week 4
Compare to week 5
Compare to week 6
Compare to week 7
Compare to week 8
Compare to week 9

Weekly Summary for Week 10 on Raw (YEEEEHAAAW!!!!!)

Yaaaayyyyyy!!!!!!

I'm sorry my scale is so old and cruddy looking but I had to show it again because it says 296! I have reached my first goal of the weight loss part of my raw lifestyle: Getting below 300. I reached my first goal earlier: attaining normal blood pressure during week 7. My next weight goal is to lose 5 lbs more for a total of 50 lbs lost.

Today I will make the living bread. I realized what that aroma is (it's been stronger the past two days): it smells like cheese! Not a pleasant smell emanating from those wheatberries. They don't appear to be bad- in fact, they are very pretty-looking, just stinky. I'll post the breadmaking exercise later.

WEEKLY SUMMARY
My calorie range was smaller this week than last, despite the fact that I still averaged 30 points a day. My carb range was much wider because I ate more carbs. It appears that I'm truly settling into a 2 or 3 lbs per week rate of weight loss that is more irregular than the previous weeks. I'm considering weighing weekly until I reach my 50 lb goal and then only weighing once every two weeks or so. That way I can slowly "train" myself to not rely on the scale as much and learn to trust in what I'm eating and how much I'm eating. It would be pretty amazing for me to lose weight eating raw without using the scale every week. The most amazing thing, however, will be to lose weight without counting points, calories OR watching the scale. That's an experiment for another month, but I definitely want to try it way before I get close to my final goal weight because it's something I'll have to practice for a long time before I feel comfortable. By the time I reach my goal weight I would like to have completely weaned myself off the scale and systematic food counting of any sort.

Now, for the weekly totals.

NUTRIENTS

Calories..................................1221 to 1609
Weight Watcher's Points:.....Average of 30 points per day
Fat..........................................37g to 71g
Carbs......................................70g t0 326g
Protein...................................26g to 42g


WEIGHT LOSS
STARTED WEEK AT: 300
ENDED WEEK AT: 295
TOTAL LOST SINCE JANUARY 1ST 2006: 45 lbs.


COMPARISONS TO PREVIOUS SUMMARIES

Compare to week 1
Compare to week 9 (last week)
Compare to week 2
Compare to week 3
Compare to week 4
Compare to week 5
Compare to week 6
Compare to week 7
Compare to week 8

WEEKLY SUMMARY for Week 9 of My Raw Odyssey

A DECENT WEEK

This week I had my first meal at a non-raw/non-salad bar restaurant, and things went really well. I had one of the healthier choices on the menu, made a few adjustments to it, and everything was fine. No cravings, no bingeing, no feelings of guilt or deprivation. That's success!

I've gotten a few pieces of advice on the blogs for how to make my meals more tasty. Ren suggests flavors like chili pepper and wasabi (I love wasabi!) for my sushi. Good idea- I don't know why I've stayed away from wasabi all this time. I was probably concentrating too much on the nama shoyu for all my flavor.

Chubbiegirl, who is gluten free, suggests I do what she does:

"i take half of an avocado (all of this is diced or in it's small natural state), red pepper, carrots, a slice of onion-or chives, corn (i use organic frozen), pistachios, and raisins. then i mix up a dressing of honey, cilantro, jalapeno, salt, apple cider vinegar, lime and olive oil. i just whip it up in the blender or small chopper. it should be sweet and spicey. i dress the veggie mix with this and spoon it into a red cabbage leaf. it's super yummy.you could use any salad veggie you like. i've also used snap peas, cucumber, etc... the dressing can also be varied. try nama shoyu or braggs with sesame oil for flavor".

That sounds great! Thanks a lot for that idea.

THIS WEEK'S WEIGHT LOSS

I lost only 1 pound this week. I'm happy in general, but of course disappointed that the weight that I have made "magical" (299) was not achieved this week. But it's pretty cool that I lost a pound despite the increase in my fat intake and point count- I ate more food this week than I have in a while, and feel great. If I wanted to lose weight more quickly, I could probably go back to eating only fruit for breakfast because I usually end up eating fewer points that day. I've found myself de-emphasizing the fruit breakfast in order to get higher-fat foods in. Despite my desire to lose weight quickly, I prefer to feel satisfied after a good meal; I really don't want this to feel like "dieting," where I deliberately eat less even though I'm hungry. To this end I will strive to:

• Continue to count points instead of calories

Since I'm eating raw, I don't worry about "bad food" and "good food" in my diet the way I did when eating SAD, so I can focus on eating enough to feel satisfied and to be healthy. Points are working better for me than calories in this regard.

• Have fruit for breakfast

This gives me a good start for the day. I'm less hungry first thing in the morning so a light meal like fruit works great before 10 a.m. I can save my fattier meals for when I need them in the afternoon. I just have to make sure I eat enough!

• Consider losing the scale for a while

Ren, who gives me lots of good advice on the blog, mentioned that I should stop looking at the scale. I've tried that in the past, and it is very helpful for people who are obsessed with their weight loss (or with reaching 299 lbs!). I should try it because concentrating too much on the scale turns my raw odyssey into more of an old-style weight-loss diet than a new lifestyle. Of course, I switched to raw primarily to lose weight, so I have a keen interest in my progress. How to deal with these two issues? Well, since an addiction to the scale is counter productive, I will probably ween myself off it. Don't know how yet, but I'll figure something out. SAD habits die hard!

NUTRIENTS

Calories..................................1008 to 1758
Weight Watcher's Points:.....Average of 30 points per day
Fat..........................................52g to 77g
Carbs......................................80g to 177g
Protein...................................24g to 55g


WEIGHT LOSS
STARTED WEEK AT: 301
ENDED WEEK AT: 300
TOTAL LOST SINCE JANUARY 1ST 2006: 42 lbs.


COMPARISONS TO PREVIOUS SUMMARIES

Compare to week 1
Compare to last week
Compare to week 2
Compare to week 3
Compare to week 4
Compare to week 5
Compare to week 6
Compare to week 7

Summary of my 8th Week Raw

PROGRESS FOR WEEK 8

• This week was very experimental for me. I switched to counting points late last week, which had a greater impact on my eating than I thought it would. I found myself striving to eat more in order to make my point count. This backfired a couple of times when I simply ate too much and felt uncomfortable. I had trouble making the 32 point minimum at first, but I've exceeded it at least twice this week. This is because my fat intake went up, leading me to have a couple of days where my calories were higher than even sparkpeople recommends. Yet, I've lost FOUR (count 'em) FOUR pounds this week, bringing me to 40 lbs lost in 8 weeks. That's 5 lbs a week, average.
• I visited the gym once- but only once! I haven't figured out how to work that into my busy student's schedule. I didn't have a wonderful time, but I can definitely see the benefits I would reap if I could spend time on physical fitness. Perhaps I'll start walking around my block between study sessions.
  

Here are my conclusions:
1) Even with the higher fat intake I lost 4 lbs. I'm not planning to continue with high fat, but if it happens, I'll be monitoring to see if it inhibits weight loss as many people believe

2) I need to start scouting around for new recipes so that boredom doesn't lead me away from raw.

3) There are definitely some negatives for me in eating raw: the work involved in preparing vegetables and fruit, the monotony of resorting to the same easily-prepared meals for two weeks or more, and the challenges of finding foods in non-raw restaurants. It really makes me wonder how hard it'll be to stay 99% raw for the remainder of my weight loss, let alone the rest of my life! (I normally don't care for the percentage label but I want acknowledge that I the bulgur I put in my taboule isn't "raw", even though I buy it uncooked from Whole Foods and only soak it. Also, the chickpeas in the store-bought hummus isn't raw. I haven't yet found raw hummus that I can afford.)

4) My motivation to stay raw stems mainly from my weight loss - I'm now only 2 pounds away from the 200s - and from obvious health gains, like my blood pressure improvement.

5) My next weight goal is 299 lbs. The goal following that is a total weight loss of 50 lbs.

6) I am making two new efforts: I will strive to drink more water and to add exercise, somehow, into my schedule.


WEEK 8 FOOD SUMMARY

NUTRIENTS

Calories.......................949 to 1522
Fat...............................19g to 84g
Carbs...........................124g to 290g
Protein.........................10g to 49g


WEIGHT LOSS 4 lbs
STARTED WEEK AT: 305
ENDED WEEK AT: 301
TOTAL POUNDS LOST SINCE JANUARY 1ST 2006: 40 lbs!!


COMPARISONS

Compare to week 1
Compare to last week
Compare to week 2
Compare to week 3
Compare to week 4
Compare to week 5
Compare to week 6

WEEKLY SUMMARY OF MY 7th WEEK EATING RAW FOODS

NUTRIENTS

Calories.......................1026 to 1460
Fat...............................30 g to 69g
Carbs...........................100g to 222g
Protein.........................29g to 44g

I noticed that with the switch to points, my fat and carb intake went up over the week while my protein intake went down. My calorie intake went up, but less steeply. These seem to reflect the fact that I was trying to increase my daily points with higher-calorie foods so that I wouldn't have to eat a greater volume of food, and that the higher calorie foods tended to be higher in fat and carbs (avocados and dates, for example). My protein intake is lower than sparkpeople.com recommends for me, but as we all know, there is some disagreement about how much protein the body really needs.

Anyway, this week I exercised for the first time and am not the worse for wear. I thought I'd be in a lot of pain, but I didn't really exert myself that much- I just used muscles that have started to atrophy. I hope to be able to create a regular workout schedule, between going to class, studying, work and family. I lost 4 lbs this week, which is great. I should be out of the 300s in a couple of weeks!!! That'll really make me feel that I am on my way to lasting health.

Truth to tell, I find that I am really more interested in getting this weight off right now than anything else. I feel I have the luxury of not having to concentrate so much on my nutrients right now because eating raw and taking my vitamins feels so good and healthy to me (except for that pesky fiber problem!!) I don't have cravings and don't binge anymore, so I don't worry anymore about eating junk or eating too much. I really believe that a visit to the doctor will confirm that I am healthier compared to last winter. I think that I'll concentrate more on the weight loss, eating what I'm eating now and adding exercise. Later in the year - like winter time, when I'm much lighter and therefore more mobile, flexible and able, I'll put more energy into the actual variety of foods I eat. A real nutritional emphasis rather than a weight loss emphasis.


STARTED WEEK AT: 309
WEIGHT LOSS 4 lbs
ENDED WEEK AT: 305
TOTAL POUNDS LOST SINCE JANUARY 1ST 2006: 36 lbs.


COMPARISONS
Compare to week 1
Compare to last week
Compare to week 2
Compare to week 3
Compare to week 4
Compre to week 5

February 24th- 7 Weeks Raw

(Photo: Fenugreek seeds)

Today I've had no cramps in my side, no diarrhea - Yippee!! finallyfaith recommended I eat fermented foods to help me resolve that problem in the future. I'd be very interested in knowing more about that, finallyfaith- how do you think they will help me? The only fermented food I've tried since becoming raw is Kombucha tea. Is that one of the foods you'd recommend? I'd be willing to try it, but not the gingerade (ugh -I still remember writing item #3 in my first raw week summary about that!). Ren suggests drinking aloe gel and also practicing proper breathing techniques. I do breathe improperly- and shallowly, too. Maybe I should do yoga.

Ausjulie - you asked how I count my calories. Currently I go to NutritionData.com because I'm counting points. There, you can save all the foods you eat for a meal into a "pantry" and then easily calculate your nutrients for an entire meal at once rather than calculating ingredients separately. Another site I use is sparkpeople.com, which I use as an exercise and diet journal.

Finally, happy birthday all of you with upcoming birthdays - that includes annaconda and dazzle (I love these screen names!!).

And now, back to the books!

TODAY'S MEALS

BREAKFAST - Smoothie
Mangos, 2/3
Banana, 1 large
Raspberries, 1 cup
Vitamin
5 points

LUNCH
None

DINNER
Olive Oil, 2 tsp
Blue Cheese, 2 oz
Spring mix of lettuces
Red Ripe Tomatoes, 1 cup
Avocados, California 1/2
Taboule Salad, 1/2 cup
Garlic
12 points

SNACKS
Orange Juice, 2 cup
Another salad
12 points

TOTAL: 29 points

Weekly Summary for Week 6 of Raw Foods

This week was a strange one, gaining and losing a couple of pounds there in the middle and ending up the same as last week. But it's only strange when comparing it to my previous weeks on Raw- not in comparison to my history of weight loss. Indeed, the previous few weeks on Raw have been the strangest weeks of my life! In the past when I've lost weight I've lost the largest amount on the first week, and then I gradually settle down to about 2 lbs a week. Losing 10 or 12 lbs in a month was a good thing! So losing 32 lbs in less than 2 months on Raw is extraordinary for me.

Why didn't I lose anything this week? Whenever this happens to dieters there are scores of reasons given: "you didn't drink enough water", "your body is adjusting", "you ate too much fat" "you didn't eat enough" "you ate too much." Well, it's too soon to look back and see what might have been the cause, if one is ever able to be discerned. I'm not going to make adjustments to my diet based on one week of not losing anything. First of all, 32 lbs!!!! Second of all, weight is not the only indicator of improving health; my headaches have disappeared, today I can zip up a pair of pants that I could barely get around me on January 1st, and I haven't had that pain on the sides of my tongue since last year. Good health encompasses all body parts (and your mental health, too!)

SUMMARY
This week was a bust as far as weight loss. It was good as far as the increased variety I've introduced into my menu, and my ability to stay raw despite barbecues and all sorts of treats in the house. I have proven that these days, old temptations tempt me no longer. I haven't done a single thing that I regret so far. Yaaay!!

NUTRIENTS FOR THE WEEK

Calories.......................1186 to 1450
Fat...............................19 g to 49
Carbs...........................132g to 270g
Protein.........................17g to 43g


WEIGHT LOSS 0 lbs
STARTED WEEK AT: 309
ENDED WEEK AT: 309
TOTAL POUNDS LOST SINCE JANUARY 1ST 2006: 32 lbs.


PROGRESS CHECK

Compare to week 1
Compare to last week
Compare to week 2
Compare to week 3
Compare to week 4

February 12, 2006 WEEK 5: It's the Weekly Raw Weigh-In Show!

This week my calories never dipped below 1200. My fat intake was higher than I'd planned, but it doesn't seem to matter as far as weight loss goes. I can't tell you what it means to my arteries to eat 62 grams of plant fat, but raw foodists will tell you that it isn't the least bit harmful. I haven't made that doctor's appointment yet, but it's on my agenda to get all my levels checked. I'll report my cholesterol and blood pressure, etc. as soon as I get 'em.

Here is the weekly summary with the weight loss reported below.

NUTRIENTS

Calories.......................1207 to 1321
Fat...............................31 g to 62g
Carbs...........................145g to 205g
Protein.........................23g to 50g

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Iron - Still consistently too low, even with the vitamins I take because they don't provide the RDA. I need to eat more of the foods that have iron, or I'll have to rely on supplements, which I hate to do. Not just because I prefer to get my nutrients from foods, but because iron pills taste like a set of keys.
Sodium- I like salt! Most days my sodium intake is well within the RDA, but on two days at the beginning of the week I was above that. Even with that, however, I've seen a huge improvement in my sodium intake since January 1st 2006. Since high blood pressure is a concern for me and it runs in my family, I have to watch how much sodium I take in.

WEIGHT LOSS 4 lbs
STARTED WEEK AT: 313
ENDED WEEK AT: 309
TOTAL POUNDS LOST SINCE JANUARY 1ST 2006: 32 lbs.


NEW FEATURE
Comparisons motivate me, so I decided to incorporate them into my weekly summaries. So if you want to see how I did this week compared to last week or even all the way back to the first weigh-in, just click on the links below.

Compare to Week 1
Compare to week 2
Compare to week 3
Compare to week 4

Weekly Summary for Week 5 Eating Raw: 3 more pounds down!

I'm so happy to have lost 3 lbs! Although I was a little concerned about the 869-calorie day, I found that my average daily calories came to 1212. That's pretty cool, as far as I'm concerned. This gives me hope that things may balance themselves out on their own without my worrying too much.

Here is the summary of foods and weight progress. For the sake of brevity I'm going to start leaving out some of the counts, although I still track them on Sparkpeople. I am leaving out B12 because I've already established that I don't get enough from food alone. I'm leaving in the iron because I really didn't notice that I'm not getting enough. I've been anemic in the past (and I was planning on giving blood next week!)

NUTRIENTS

Fat ranges from............ approx 32 to 82 grams

Protein...........................approx 28 to 44 gms

Carbs............................approx 90g to 212g

Calories.........................869 to 1387

Iron...............................approx 35% to 65%

WEIGHT LOSS 3 lbs

STARTED WEEK AT: 316

ENDED WEEK AT: 313

TOTAL POUNDS LOST SINCE JANUARY 1ST 2006: 28 lbs.

Weekly Summary for Week Four on Raw

NOTES

I cut down on hummus and saw an immediate improvement in that pesky intestinal problem I've been dealing with. I'm sad because I really like hummus! But I feel better without its side effects.

I ate more fats than I planned this this week

I visited a great raw food restaurant and found raw nori and nama shoyu, plus "bread" that really is raw.

I got a bunch of culinary toys: a blender, a citrus juicer, a spiral slicer, a digital scale and a dehydrator. I love all of them, but I still want to eat as many whole, fresh foods as possible. The dehydrator while help me with school because it'll be nice to take dried fruits with me. I will also start making smoothies with the blender.

Although I haven't experienced what people call detox, don't feel closer to nature or more spiritual, and don't have any new "electric" feelings inside me from going raw, I can say that my depressive mood has lifted.

A Word about Depression
If any of you has ever been depressed, you might have had experiences like mine. I created something like a groove in my brain - this worn down path I kept automatically treading that was full of negative thoughts and imagery. I used to think about death- my own, my loved ones... I would think up all sorts of sad and terrible things that could happen to me. I imagined failing at school or on the job. I had my "favorite" little depression fantasies that I'd go over again and again before I went to sleep at night and in the morning when I woke up. Those negative thoughts went around and around and I was used to them and thought they were normal. (When I met with a therapist I learned otherwise).

Interestingly, since going raw, I notice that thinking those old thoughts no longer give me any of that - I don't know the word... comfort? That "comfortable" feeling you get when you go over the same thoughts over and over. They might be sad thoughts, but they are YOUR thoughts and you're used to them. But lately I find it more difficult to think those old thoughts. They don't do much for me anymore. This past week I actually made the effort to sustain my negative thinking and I couldn't do it- it felt foreign! All I can say is that it seems that my depression has lifted and that when my mind tries to drift back to that negative thinking, it finds no satisfaction because those thoughts are not needed any longer. If "needed" is the right word. Does anyone know what I mean? Not being depressed opens my mind up to new possibilities, like maybe I will reach my weight and fitness goals! Maybe I will succeed this time! Hey, maybe that's a form of detox- I'm detoxing my mind!! Without medication!

Here is the summary for this week:

NUTRIENTS

Fat ranges from............ approx 45 to 85 grams

Protein...........................approx 35 to 55 gms

Calcium.........................approx 0% to 800% RDA

Magnesium....................approx 39% to 165% RDA

Folate............................approx25% to 175% RDA

Carbs............................approx 100g to 220g

Cholesterol....................approx 0 mg to 60 mg

Potassium.....................approx 1000 mg to 4000 mg

Calories.........................887 to 1589

B12 ...............................5.83% to 100%

Iron...............................approx 0% to 200%

Water.............................average= 5 glasses a day.

WEIGHT LOSS

STARTED WEEK AT: 323

ENDED WEEK AT: 316

TOTAL POUNDS LOST SINCE JANUARY 1ST 2006: 25 lbs.

Weekly Summary: Week Three

Good results this week!

NUTRIENTS

-Fat ranges from………… 28 to 56 grams

-Protein………………………28 to 41 gms

-Calcium……………………14% to 1,545% RDA (high percentages are due to vitamins)

-Magnesium……………….38% to 107% RDA

-Folate…………………….. 30% to 97% RDA

-Carbs……………………….152g to 216g

-Cholesterol………………..0mg (No cheese!!)

-Potassium………………….1,281mg to 3,270mg (This is low, even with the Centrum

-Calories…………………….1203 to 1508

-B12 ………………………….0% to 100% (0% is due to no animal products. When I take Centrum, I'm at 100%)

-Iron………………………….31% to 150% I only get enough when I take Centrum

-Fiber...............................36g to 50g My Sparkpeople chart tells me this is too much. My intestines would tend to agree!

-Vitamin C........................I get enough regardless of whether I take a Centrum

-Vitamin E........................I don't get enough if I don't take a vitamin

-Vitamin D.......................I get more than enough on vitamin days, not enough without the Centrum

-Zinc................................I get enough only with the Centrum.

WEIGHT LOSS

STARTED WEEK AT: 323 ENDED WEEK AT: 319

TOTAL POUNDS LOST SINCE JANUARY 1ST 2006: 22

CHANGES NOTICED THIS WEEK

My back still hurts terribly in the morning, but it wasn't quite as bad this week as last week.

I don't think my eyes watered at all this week, but I still sneeze occasionally in the mornings.

My tongue hasn't hurt ONCE since I started eating raw!

My lowgrade morning headaches have greatly abated, especially this past week.

I find that I'm not drinking my 8 glasses of water a day. I've read that there is so much liquid contained in the foods we eat on a raw diet that I don't need 8 glasses, but I will still strive to drink at least 6 per day. It is difficult, though.

This week I've adjusted to eating fruit in the morning, but the lower calories have caused me to end the day below my 1,200 calorie minimum. Maybe I'll get some nuts to increase my caloric intake.

Apples appear to give me a stomach ache.

FOODS CONSUMED
The same as last week, plus

nori (seaweed)

portabello mushroom

raw cacao nibs (which I'm still VERY undecided about)

CONCLUSION

I believe my weightloss picked up because I've lowered my overall caloric intake. Last week I lost two pounds eating more per day. I definitely don't plan on eating less than 1,200 to 1,300 calories per day.

I'm concerned about getting enough vitamins and minerals from foods. I cannot fault a raw lifestyle for not providing me with my vitamins and minerals because I really haven't taken enough time to investigate which foods would be good sources of these nutrients (although I've concluded that my B12 needs will only be satisfied by a multivitamin).

I'm still suffering from low-grade diarrhea, which is getting tiresome. I'm not sure how to tackle that, since plant foods naturally have a lot of fiber. I hope I don't just have to get used to it. I should probably go a day or so with no hummus and see what happens, but at the moment, I can't imagine a day without my hummus! That tells you how varied my menu is- not very.

I had a rough time when I was running low on funds and groceries, which caused me to eat the same exact foods for every meal. However, I still love taboule and hummus and bought more of it. The hummus is still not raw, but when I get my blender I will try sprouting some garbanzo beans and seeing if I can make my own, just to try it.

My next goal is to increase the variety of foods in my menu. It's harder than I thought. To that end I am looking to buy an raw cookbook (also called "Uncook Books").


HAVE A HEALTHY DAY, EVERYONE!!

Weekly Summary for Week Two

I’ve lost two more pounds, started taking vitamins, and seen some more changes.

WEEKLY SUMMARY

NOTE
I started taking Centrum and Calcium Citrate this week, but I don’t remember to do it daily. I’ve also decided to track nutrients that raw vegans/vegetarians are said to be low in: B12, calcium and Iron. I notice that I am very low in these nutrients unless I take a vitamin.(I was probably low in these things while eating the Standard American Diet, too).
NUTRIENTS

-Fat ranges from………… 57 to 73 grams

-Protein………………………49 to 63 gms

-Calcium……………………17% to 836% RDA (due to vitamins)

-Magnesium……………….7% to 100% RDA

-Folate…………………….. 5% to 71% RDA

-Carbs……………………….117g to 272g

-Cholesterol………………..29mg to 119mg

-Potassium………………….390mg to 2,912mg

-Calories…………………….1344 to 1979

-B12 ………………………….3.9% to 103%

-Iron………………………….8% to 146%

-Water………………………..average= 6 glasses a day.

WEIGHT LOSS

STARTED WEEK AT: 325

ENDED WEEK AT: 323

TOTAL POUNDS LOST SINCE JANUARY 1ST 2006: 18

CHANGES NOTICED THIS WEEK

I’m remembering to take vitamins (Centrum and Calcium Citrate) more often. On those days, my RDA for calcium, B12 and vitamins D and E are met are almost met. I’d like to improve my diet so that I get more vitamins and minerals from my foods.

I have been waking up earlier in the morning, ready to get out of bed. Instead of waking up between 9 and 10 a.m., I wake up refreshed as early as 5:30, even if I went to bed at midnight. Thus far I’ve chosen to stay in bed and listen to the radio, but I think I’ll start getting out of bed and celebrating the extra waking hours. This is great because it comes just in time for the new college semester when I need extra studying hours.

I had bad sinus pain this morning- this is not common for me.

My eyes have been watering less and less.

No more jaw pain!! I used to have terrible pain from all the sweets I was consuming. I’d take a sip of Pepsi or bite into some candy and could feel the sugar entering my molars and causing immediate, intense pain. Cold beverages did that to me as well- that initial shock of cold was horrible. But since January 1st I’ve had NO pain whatsoever! I know my cavities haven’t suddenly disappeared, but the quality of the foods I eat now are definitely different. SInce I’ve increased my fruit, however, I’ll have to really keep up on brushing my teeth and drinking water to rinse the sugars off. I hear of many fruitarians who report bad teeth due to the sugar content of fruit.

I still have the intestinal problem but it hasn’t been as bad as last week.

I have to mention that my lower back pain seems to have worsened. I don’t know if that’s my imagination or what. Guess I’d better see a doctor. I’ve been eschewing my usual Alleve, but it’s really bad some days- especially first thing in the morning. I just want to make sure it’s not something other than weight-related.

FOODS CONSUMED

Pretty much the same as last week. I’ve removed cauliflower, cabbage and jicama because I can’t stand them right now. I added sprouted bread, which I really like and which has not sparked any food cravings or desire to overeat at all. I’ve eaten the rest of my cheese and won’t buy any more for awhile since that does spark cravings. I’ve found that while I can eat sprouts, the seeds themselves are just too bitter for my palate.

January 8th WEEKLY SUMMARY FOR WEEK ONE

<>(note: somehow this post got lost, it seems, so I've reposted it).

WEEKLY SUMMARY

NUTRIENTS

Calories.........................ranged from 1500 to 1800

Water.............................average= 6 glasses a day.

An average of 42% of my calories came from fat

An average of 46% came from carbs

An average of 12% came from protein

WEIGHT LOSS

STARTED WEEK AT: 341

ENDED WEEK AT: 325

TOTAL POUNDS LOST: 16

A Summary of My First Raw Week

NUTRIENTS

Calories…………………….ranged from 1500 to 1800

Water………………………..average= 6 glasses a day.

An average of 42% of my calories came from fat

An average of 46% came from carbs

An average of 12% came from protein

WEIGHT LOSS

STARTED WEEK AT: 341

ENDED WEEK AT: 325

TOTAL POUNDS LOST: 16

SUMMARY OF CHANGES NOTICED THIS WEEK

1) Tongue was coated with some sort of brownish/greenish layer I had to brush off. This lessened during the week but I’m left often with a strange feeling that something is on the back of my tongue- like when the skin from a bean lies flat on your tongue and you can’t get it off easily!

2) The diarrhea that started on day 3 still hasn’t abated totally, but I have had no more stomach pain, just an occasional stitch in my lower right abdomen.

3) I felt queasy one day and couldn’t pinpoint the reason, although I, probably unfairly, associate it with the raw cauliflower I had that day since it was so unpleasant to eat. The second time I felt ill was when I drank that Kombucha gingerade. I still haven’t finished the bottle (nor have I eaten raw cauliflower again).

4) My eyes usually water for a while every morning, as if I’m crying. This has lessened to either: no tearing, much-shortened tearing episodes, absolutely no tearing (a couple of mornings).

5) I’m in a better mood than I have been in a long time. Although not a huge change, it’s a glimmer of hope.

6) I’ve been free of compulsive eating all week- this removes a large amount of stress from my life.

7) My face developed two small patches with lighter pigmentation, one on each side of my mouth. This hasn’t changed in the 24 hours sinced I noticed it.

8) My skin is less alligatory - this is likely due to the huge increase in the amount of water I drink.

FOODS CONSUMED

Goji Berries

Kombucha Gingerade (Never again. Never, ever again).

Black sesame tahini - still don’t know how to use it. I just eat it as-is.

Raw sharp cheddar (Fiscalini)

Raw Trail Mix

Sea Salt

Flaxseed crackers - good for dip and to smear with the black tahini.

Sprouted fenugreek - very bitter. I might not buy this again.

taboule - has become a staple.

banana

cherries

papaya

Hummus - another staple in my diet, although I haven’t tried any raw kinds yet.

alfalfa sprouts

avocados - yet another staple, contributing to my high-fat raw diet!

cabbage- tried it once but didn’t really like it as a wrap because cabbage is bitter.

cilantro- I just love cilantro. I could just bury my face in it and inhale all day.

cucumbers - these went into my taboule, but I also sliced them and piled them with hummus and taboule.

limes - for dressing and also for the guacamole.

parsley - for the taboule

jicama- I didn’t like this. I tried to use it like a cracker. I may buy it again for salad.

extra virgin, first cold pressed olive oil

pine nuts- boring.

red onions

Bob’s Red Mill bulgar- I’ll probably try sprouted quinoa when this bag runs out.

garlic - Another favorite. I love everything about garlic except biting into a raw clove (ouch!!)

1 pomegranate- this is a new favorite of mine. Too bad they are so expensive.

apples - I’m not an apple fan, but they are convenient.

orange- I do not like citrus, but orange juice is bearable.

tomatoes- a staple.

cauliflower- Can you say B I T T E R? Ugh.

tahini - I don’t like it too much, but enough to keep experimenting with it.

FOODS I DIDN’T EAT

red bell pepper - it went bad

a small watermelon- it was in bad shape when I bought it (I’m not good at choosing melons)

a “young” coconut - it went bad and shot coconut water onto my kitchen counter!

sun-dried tomatoes- don’t know what to do with them yet

Mango- not ripe yet

Organic Wild Rice - don’t know what to do it yet

sprouted mixed beans-don’t know what to do them yet

Veganaise- shouldn’t have even listed this- I’m not gonna eat it! My friend will use it.

ROUNDUP

It’s funny; I began the week feeling some trepidation about raw food- can I live on taboule every daggone day? How come raw food has to be so bitter? But my tastes are already adjusting to the bitterness of such things as sprouted seeds and tahini, and I really like taboule. In fact, I think that as long as I make the taboule a bit different each time, I won’t get tired of it. I’ve had new textures and flavors, some good, some not so good. I haven’t gone through “detox”, unless you want to call the skin thing and the diarrhea detox. I don’t. I haven’t had any major cravings (except a short-lived one for salt early on) or desires to binge.

I will need to learn how to buy food when it’s ripe or almost ripe so that I can time when to eat them, rather than wasting money on veggies and fruits gone bad. Some of my uneaten items will need to be incorporated into meals or recipes of some kind and just haven’t found anything I like yet. I’m looking forward to eating that mango!

I think my fat intake is too high, but since I lost 16 lbs this week (a record for me!!) I’m not gonna complain right now. I do need to work on finding ways to bring up my calcium and B12. For now I’m taking Centrum. (That Kombucha tea has some b-12 in it, for those of you who are interested).

Conclusion: This week gets a thumbs up!