Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

DAY ONE

Monday was my first day back to 100% raw. The day went well. I had some hunger pangs so I ate when I was hungry. I didn't eat regular meals.
I had:
2 grapefruits
1 raw food bar
1 banana
Huge salad with olive oil/vinegar
3 oranges
8 brazil nuts
small handful of raisins
lots of grapes

That's all I wanted, all I needed.
I worked out at the gym doing weights (45 mins) and then played some ping pong.

I am starting out at 144.6 lbs

Had numerous bowel movements (3). I felt a little sleepy in the afternoon. Took a little nap. Slept well last night.
I feel good this morning. I will attempt to update today's journey tomorrow.

Day Two

Woke up feeling good. Weighed 143.6.
Had to work. I clean a house every other Tuesday. It takes me approx. 4 hrs. I started out good and then got very tired. I ate but it didn't help much. Felt kinda washed out. Finished and came home and took a nap. Got up and had a big salad. Here's what I had for the day.

Green smoothie made with water, kale, red top romaine, hemp protein powder, 5 frozen strawberries, 1/2 banana, squirt of raw honey.
Raw food bar
banana
lots of grapes
huge salad with greens, cuke, green pepper, grape tomatoes, raw sunflower seeds
apple with almond butter
3 oranges

I was really tempted to have some Melba toast with my salad but I talked myself out of it. Glad I did.
Went to bed at 9:30. Really sleepy.
I know that this is the beginning of detox and I have alot to detox out. I am addicted to caffeine and I have been taking OTC drugs for my horrible sinus problems which cause migraines if I don't take them. But I am not taking them so far. I also was eating meat and processed foods for a time.

More tomorrow.

Just a little tip:
I recommend proper food-combining if you want to detox.
http://www.gardendome.com/food_combining.html
http://chetday.com/fcprins.html
Be sure to eat enough calories!
All the best for your detox!

Yeah, I try and watch the food combos. I didn't eat all of that stuff at once. I spread it out through the day. Thanks for the comments.

dunno how you feel about enemas or colonics but during times of detox, especially during the beginning, they are recommended. You can get an enema bag at the hippocrates website for like $5 plus shipping:

http://store.hippocratesinst.org/Enema- ... 57C23.aspx

If you think about it, all the impacted undigested waste in your colon is one thing but then you have you body going into it's bf to remove and break apart toxins on a large scale. This all goes to your colon for elimination.

Between the both of those, the systems of elimination can be overwhelmed and cleansing procedure can help to get rid of this stuff before it gets reabsorbed back into the bloodstream.

Dr. Norman Walker was a big fan of colonics, good guy to read about. He actually invented the first hydraulic press juicer, though I am not about to splurge on a 2000 buck juicer but they have them in juice bars, like liquiteria over here.

http://www.norwalkjuicers.com/

ps. keep up the great work. diet looks spectacular (try some seaweeds and algaes eventually if you desire also) duls is good, spirulina, chlorella wild blue green, etc, etc...

Day three started with a slammer headache. No suprise. Caffeine withdrawal. Thank the Lord it subsided or I wouldn't have been able to do anything.
I felt tired and washed out. Went to the gym anyway and worked out for an hour. Even though I went there tired, I felt really good lifting and gained energy as I went on.
One thing I noticed is that I have a tear duct that has been clogged up for months now and the swelling seems to be going down. I hope that it will be back to normal soon.
Other than periods of tiredness, no noticable detox symptoms yet except for a growly stomach and gas (ugh). 2 bms.
I ordered a Vitamix today. Our old blender (Oster) was losing it ability to make good smoothies so I opted to go for the best. I got the 4500 at a great price. It doesn't have all of the bells and whistles of the 5000 but I don't need anything fancy and this way I can afford to get a good food processor. I'd like to get a dehydrator but I have spent enough money right now. I decided that if I am going to stick with this I need some variety and I need to learn to make some meals for once in awhile. I like to keep it simple but I will need some variety to keep me from straying. I had some cravings yesterday and tried to talk myself into eating something cooked but talked myself out of it again. Whew!!

2 grapefruits
small handful of pumpkin seeds
8 oz of carrot/parsley juice
Huge salad with olive oil/vinegar
lots of grapes
banana
6 dates
2 oranges
raw food bar
plate of 1/2 cuke sliced and 3 large radishes
Green smoothie with romaine, kale, frozen strawberries, 1/2 banana, raw honey, and psyllium husks (I don't like alot of banana in my smoothies, I like to eat them too!!)

The list above is in no particular order and I didn't eat this all at once!!

Weight 143.6
More tomorrow!

PS- No colonics for me. I am taking Herbal Fiberblend which cleans you out. I've used it before.
I am also taking barley grass (powered) but I plan on getting some dulse. Thanks for the comments guys.

I have been sleeping fitfully. I keep waking up at intervals during the night. I am not sure why but this too shall pass.
Day 4 went well. Still feeling a little tired. Other than that, no problems. I had to work in the morning and felt a little weary after work. I clean houses and businesses part time. Yesterday I cleaned for 2 hrs.
No cravings so far which makes it alot easier. Hope they stay away but I am sure they won't. One day at a time. I am making no plans for tomorrow and I am not trying to out think this.

Green Lemonade
Raw food bar
4 kiwis
Grapes
plate of cucumber, grape tomatoes, radishes, and sugar snap peas (these were yummy) Didn't feel like having any salad dressing
small handfull of raisins
Green smoothie with romaine, spinach, banana, wild blueberries, hemp protein powder, raw honey
2 oranges
carrot/parsley juice
barley grass powder in water

Weight 142.4

Make sure you getting lots of rest, sleep and eating enough calories when you're transition
You're doing great..
Are you reading any books ?

Day 5- I woke up stuffed up but it cleared out as I got up and moved around. I wish that all of the mucus would hurry up and clear out. I think that I am the mucus queen. It hasn't been bothering me much but I know that it is in there!!

Felt really tired in the afternoon. Took a nap. I am still waking up alot at night. Not sure why my sleep is so disturbed. I have been going to bed no later than 10pm and getting up at about 5:30am.
I went to the gym and worked out for about 45 mins on free weights.

Green lemonade
raw food bar
salad bar at Ruby Tuesday
small dessert cup of almonds, brazil nuts, and raisins
Green smoothie
3 oranges
grapes

Not too hungry so far and not many cravings.
I have been averaging a little more than 1,400 cals a day. I try to eat now only when I am hungry in my stomach and not mouth hunger. I am learning to tell the difference.

I am reading books like Mucusless Diet System, Doug Grahams 80/10/10, Raw Foods by Boutenko, and the Live Food Factor by Schenck. I have read other books before when I first tried to go raw last year and fell off of the wagon hard.

Weighed 142.8 this morning.

Day 6
Still eating raw!! Felt very weary today but pushed through it. I went to the gym and walked on the treadmill on an incline program for 30 mins. Later in the afternoon I went back to the gym and played ping pong for an hour with my friend. No other detox symptoms other than being tired. I am taking naps during the day. Still waking up during the night alot so that would account for some of my sleepiness.
I was also a caffeine junkie so I suspect that the tiredness may have something to do with my caffeine withdrawal. I was drinking two energy drinks a day and up to 5 mugs of coffee!!

2 grapefruits
banana
barley grass powder in water
red pear
grapes
smoothie with coconut water, frozen pineapple, frozen banana, and a touch of raw honey
2 small handfuls of raw trail mix
huge salad with 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and braggs vinegar
3 oranges

Weight- 142.8

Onward and upward. Today will be a week!!

Day 7- Not so tired today even though I am still waking up at intervals during the night. My dogs got me up at 5:30 to go out. Ugh.
Except for going to church I just rested today and watched the Daytona 500. Yee Haw. Nascar's back!!! Feeling good. Reading Doug Graham's 80/10/10 book. I like it and agree with alot that he says.

Green lemonade
Carrot/spinach juice
Banana
Raw food bar
Smoothie with kale, romaine, frozen banana, frozen strawberries, psyllium flakes
plate of cuke slices, radishes, grape tomatoes, and sugar snap peas
2 star fruits
4 kiwi
3 oranges
10 olives

Weight 142.2

Day 8
Woke up a little stuffy. Other than that, I did not feel as tired although I am not getting a full night's rest yet. I worked out with free weights at the gym for an hour and felt really strong.

2 bananas blended with frozen wild blueberries
Carrot/turnip greens juice
2 grapefruits
2 oranges
Banana
Carrot/radish greens juice
mango
huge salad with olive oil/vinegar
1/2 raw food bar
raisins

Not much else to report. Just perking along!!
Weight- 142.8

DAY NINE

I slept better last night than I have in awhile. I only woke up once and went right back to sleep. I have been going to bed at about 10pm and rising at about 5:30.

My husband and I went to Raleigh, NC (about 70 miles from us) to go to Whole Foods. I bought tons of fruit. I got tree-ripened nectarines, plums, clementines, Medjool dates, apples, and tons of bananas. I also got organic mangos, 2 for $3 so I bought 6 of them. Yum. We also had lunch there. I had a plate of fresh fruit.

I found my energy much better today. Not as sleepy nor did I feel as much fatigue as before.

2 oranges
1 grapefruit
1 banana

plate of assorted fruit (melon, strawberries, grapes, and pineapple
8 medjool dates (awesome)

carrot/turnip & radish greens juice

huge salad with 1/2 tbsp of olive oil/raw vinegar
20 almonds
2 nectarines

Weight 142

No cravings for cooked foods yet nor for grain products. That used to be my biggest craving. I used to eat tons of rice, cereals, and crackers.
My candida problems have seemed to clear up. I stopped taking one of my acidopholus pills. I used to take two a day. Now I am down to one. I am also phasing out my supplements. I want to finish what I have so as not to waste them. I don't feel a need for them anymore.
I still take powdered barley grass but I will stop that when I finish it.
I have not needed anything to clean out my bowels as I am eliminating fine and I am taking in about 50 grams of fiber a day.
Onward and upward!!

Day 10
Had another good nights rest, again only waking up once and I went right back to sleep.
Tons of energy this morning. Went to the gym and worked with free weights for an hour. Felt really strong and I didn't bonk like I usually do. Then I came home and did housework. My house is going to be so clean!!
My gums are getting better. They used to bleed and they have been receeding. That seems to have stopped.

2 bananas
1/2 raw food bar
lots of grapes

2 juicy mangos
Green smoothie with romaine, kale, strawberries and 2 bananas, water

Carrot/turnip greens juice (turnip greens are a great source of calcium and helps to rebuild teeth)

3 dates
Huge salad- 1/2 tbsp olive oil/raw vinegar

2 oranges
very small handful of grapes

Weight 142.2

I keep my weight every day(which I don't normally do) to show others that the scale can fluctuate as you lose or retain fluid day by day. A better reflection of weight loss is the tape measure.
I took my measurements at the beginning of this journey and I will re-take them at the end of the month and record them here.
Also, I am not doing this raw journey to lose weight. I believe that that is the wrong motive. If we are eating raw JUST to lose weight, we will most likely fail.
This is not a weight loss diet, it is a lifestyle. We will most likely lose unwanted, unneeded fat but our goal should be optimal health and a sharpening of our spiritual life. I first tried to eat raw just to lose weight and I didn't stick with it. This time is different.

Day 11

Ok, Day 11 under my belt. Last night was the first night that I really had any cravings. I wanted a package of melba toast so bad. Yup, that's right, melba toast of all things. I guess that I just wanted something crunchy that was made of wheat. My nemesis.
Anyway, I held out. I try and keep my fats low so I just had a very small handful of raw pumpkin seeds and that seemed to satisfy me.

When I was eating a SAD diet, I was eating ALOT of fat. Then when I tried my first raw experience I was eating ALOT of fat. I didn't realize how much until I started to keep account on Fitday. Wow, I was eating approx. 50 to 60% of my diet as fat. Granted it was "good" fat but fat is fat. And if I was eating that much fat, it meant that I was only getting about 30% of my diet as carbs! Not much fuel for my body to burn and I lift weights.

Now while that may work for some folks, it doesn't work for me!! I am not criticizing anyone who chooses to eat high fat raw (or low carb raw) because each one has a different body and each one has to find his/her own way.

So anyway, I am trying to keep at about 10% to 14% fat a day. I find that I have much more energy this time around and I don't crave as much as I used to. I am stronger in the gym than I have been in a long time. So, I will stick with this way.

My energy has really kicked in. My sinuses have not been acting up since I started back raw. No more migraines. Hallelujah!! My clogged tear duct has healed. I used to have terrible ridges in my fingernails. They are not gone but I notice that they have smoothed out alot. Not sure what ridges in the nails mean but I have heard that it means low thyroid production.

2 grapefruit
4 clementines

raw apricot/coconut bar

3 plums
3 nectarines
1 banana
dried apricots

green lemonade

3 medjool dates
small handful of raw pumpkin seeds

plateful of radishes, cukes, grape tomatoes, and cabbage-no dressing

Weight- 142.2

Listen to your body!! Who knows your body better that you. There is alot of conflicting info out there. For every 5 people that I can find for something, I can find 5 people who are against it. So use your own brain and listen to your own body. Don't overthink this. It's not that hard. Stop running from one thing to another. Pick a way to eat and stick with it and maybe just refine and fine tune your diet as you go along.