princessbee

I'm going to start a course of colonics in the next couple of weeks. looking forward to being deep cleansed.

Already the detox has been harder than I thought but I keep my mind on my goals and persist. So far I haven't broken raw for ten days which is longer than I thought I could go for one stretch of time, originally. I do better going cold turkey... like when I went vegan and tried to ease into it I always found excuses to eat fish or dairy... so cold turkey was the only way to go. I find that, although I decided to head into raw eating dehydrated foods and such to help, already those foods feel 'wrong' to me... like, unnatural. So. The way I figure it is to keep those foods as my treats every couple of weeks or so, if I really badly want it, but to eat wholefoods the rest of the time and my body will soon tell me how it wants to be.

TF1 talks a hard game sometimes... it's pretty intimidating... but he has always been very friendly and supportive to me, a total clueless newbie, and in addition to posting his articles (which speak of his personal experience) he has answered my questions, both at this forum and other forums... I'm glad to see him back here... and it is his words I always keep in mind as I head into raw eating and his amazing story that keeps me focused. no disrespect to you, Zack though.

I think a master cleanse would be a whole other challenge in itself, honestly and this one should be focused on raw eating. I suggested to Robert there be 'tiers' to this challenge... sections in which dehydrated food is allowed, then a section with all raw and then a section with all fruit and people can go for whichever they feel most comfortable with. That way people who want to really go hard can, and people who want to ease into it can as well.

I have been mono eating the last week, pigging out on fruit. it's great. and you certainly notice the difference in how heavy/clogged up you feel. I bought all my favourite fruits and put them in the fridge at work. I don't try and eat all fruits everyday, just a good variety each day. I eat the one type of fruit til I'm satisfied. then a couple of hours later I eat another type of fruit.

congrats you are doing awesomely!

thanks robert! I keep a handwritten journal cos it's easier... but mainly I've been eating juicy fruit with green smoothies, occasional nuts/seeds and some fatty fruits. the only non raw is occasional balsamic vinegar, mineral water and herbal tea but since tuesday i've been 100% raw!

what's involved in running the raw challenge? seven days is too easy! how about thirty?

quite by accident I have now been 95% raw for seven days!!! It's fabulous! I've been sticking mainly to fruits and green smoothies with some raw soups and pasta. I love it. I'm going to continue for another seven days.

falls down and worships at dominic lacasse's altar i love acrobats and gymnasts!

Almost unbeliavbly, the hypnotherapist I chose to help me overcome negative emotional attachments to food and the way I eat is... a RAW VEGAN! http://www.tracieokeefe.com/vegan.htm Holy cow... it must be fate... my first appointment is on Monday. I am excited now!

Not only is the Fruitarian One incredibly inspirational, he is also drop dead gorgeous!!!! A really great read, TF1, your passion shines through and dazzles!

Ok I need to join in! Can we start an awesomely gorgeous vegan/raw chick weight loss support group? I admit I only want to lose max ten kilos (I think that's about 20 pounds or so) but knowing I have support behind me makes all the difference. So far I am on day eleven of not having even a drop of alcohol (my achilles heel!) or junk food and I'm feeling great. But I have this planned for three months! During mardi gras season! I'm super motivated right now but I know it's going to get harder. Should we set a challenge for ourselves as a group? (Is that allowed Robert or are you the only one who can create challenges? )

Hey everyone, what is your favourite raw book and why? Yes I'm picking your brains!

hey Robert, if you do that raw challenge you will find me signing up for it! I am so attracted to raw but at the moment what is stopping me from going there is generally i just throw a simple salad together. well, reading this forum and other raw websites always reminds me the variety of raw food recipes out there... i would love a challenge to give me a push further into that world. doing a fruitarian stint is also very appealing right now. once my detox is done on monday i might just start it then!

*tummy rumbles* would love the recipes to these if you wouldn't mind sharing! *hopeful*

WHAT I WANT: To tone up and improve muscle To strip fat from my whole body, particularly my waist, stomach, hips, thighs and bottom Clean up my digestive system Improve strength and flexibility Improve dance and performance skills Improve my fitness and endurance Improve my skills on the pole Change my eating habits To lose between 5-10 kilos of fat To improve overall health HOW I WILL ACHIEVE THIS: Following the outlined eating plans Cardio 4-6 times/week, pole 4-6 times/week and at least three abdominal workouts per week Stretch 4-6 times a week Take additional dance classes and be consistent with attendance Pole three times a week Maintain diet and exercise and eat vegan - with emphasis on raw food Not drink alcohol or 'cheat' in other ways on the diet I will drink two litres of water per day

hehehe! When I devised my three month detox plan at the end of last year I urged my caffeine guzzling, dairy chugging, meat gorging boyfriend to do it with me. He suffers from insomnia due to being jumped up on caffeine, bloat, poor skin, yo yo weight loss/gain (like me, he has psychological issues with food that leads to bingeing for a few months than frantically exercising/dieting), fatigue, etc etc not to mention the worst of all - ADDICTION TO MEAT! Ever since we started going out he has staunchly maintained he will not go vego, no way, no how. Well, after I suggested he join me on the detox he just went no way that's too hardcore... a couple of weeks later he approached me and said after considerable thought he would do the first 15 days of the detox with me. Well I congratulated him and said that's fantastic, good on you! And then, without putting on too much pressure, managed to talk him around to the next 14 day section... one month, in the bag! At the moment he is focusing just on accomplishing that month and wants to go back to healthy meat based diet afterwards (is there any such thing??) But I'm hoping by then he'll be on the bandwagon for the following 8 weeks... because today he emailed me this: On a really positive note - I am feeling really physically well. My skin looks clearer, my eyes are clear and I feel clean on the inside. I am still getting cravings here and there but none that last for heaps of time so it is ok Day Nine of him being a VEGAN without caffeine, sugar, preservatives, or any other nasties, preparing his own food at home (he eats out three meals a day normally!) which he never thought he could do in his life. I'm so proud... and hopeful that the health benefits he notices will lead to him being even more amenable to adopting a different style of life. I don't even care if he elects to eat fish/chicken a couple of times a week, I know he will be healthier and happier with a largely plant-based diet. So maybe you could all throw him some kudos/personal success stories I can show him that might help inspire him further! THANK YOU!

do you soak or straight from the package? ta!

I really really love how much I learn from this forum and the amazing knowledge people have, but then it ends up breaking my brain because I am so confused as to what to do that would best help me lose the 5-10 kilos I so very much want to. I'm hoping I can get some good advice. After a stop-start last year I did a great deal of planning and thinking and am currently in the second week of my three-month planned detox/weight loss. I'm using a herbal detox kit for the first 15 days, followed by a herbal weight loss kit for another 14 (though I am thinking of extending that to 28 ). After that It's the Eat to Live 6 week eating plan. (for those who don't know it it, I will paste it at the end of this entry). A few things are to be constant throughout this process: - No animal products - No processed food - No cheats Last year I identified, through various means, several factors which could've been contributing to my lack of weight loss... poor digestion, the pill, anxiety (leading to bingeing) inconsistency (too many cheats on weekends). I'm off the pill, doing the detox to help with my digestion (and will be going straight onto a probiotic once it's done), going to hypnotherapy for the anxiety and to examine my psychological relationship with food and well, the inconsistency you can see above how i've elected to deal with that. I also went and had my thyroid checked but need to get the results. It was also suggested on this forum I might've been not eating enough for the amount of exercise I was doing. That, I'm not as sure how to deal with as I am a Burlesque performer and take multiple dance classes to help my performing skills... and I only have so much room in my tummy! During the Eat to Live phase I am planning to be largely raw with lots of different fruits and green smoothies. But the detox and slim kit came with a recommended diet that I have been following. An example of what I eat daily at the moment: - Rolled oats, no milk, with some fibre mix and some fruit (blueberries, strawberries, banana) - A couple of pieces of fruit (usually 3 though) - A big salad - mixed greens, spring onion, avocado, mix of beans, sprouts, mushrooms, tomato, cucumber) - More fruit - Steamed green vegies with lentils, or quinoa and homemade tomato sauce with capsicum (bell pepper), mushrooms and eggplant. For a treat, gluten free or wholemeal pasta with vegetables such as artichoke roasted in a little olive oil with garlic. Exercise... now this is where I am mostly mixed up (although suggestions to diet are of course appreciated). Fat burning is the name of the game! At the moment I am doing 4 - 5 twenty minute interval cardio sessions on the ellipitical... they are pretty intense and run on consecutive days, Monday to Friday. For weight training, for the moment I am working out on my pole at home twice a week, but want to build that up to five. I also do swing dancing and a pole dance class once a week. NOW... by the end of March, I will be in 5 dance classes a week - swing, pole, bellydancing, ballet and tap. To work on my ab strength - which I desperately need for pole more than anything else as it is the weakest part of my body - I am doing a pilates ab workout about ten minutes long that includes 100s about three time s a week. Oh, and as much as possible, I am walking to and from the gym (15 minutes either way) and to and from work (half an hour either way). The thing that factors in here is time. I work a dayjob and have my own business as well. So, at the moment it is 5.30am - 6.00am rises to make sure I get to the gym for my cardio before getting home for abs and pole workout before work. After work it's a dance class or private work so it's hard to get to the gym then (and I prefer to do cardio in the mornings). Otherwise I would do longer cardio. I also just bought Slim in 6" DVDs which sound fabulous but because I just paid up my gym membership for the next three months, I don't know when I'm going to squeeze them in! Is twelve weeks a reasonable amount of time to expect to lose 6 kilos following the above? Of course, I plan NOT to go back to the old way of eating after that, but continue with mostly raw eating and maintaining the exercise with just one big treat (at a 5 star restaurant) once a month or so and a glass of champers here and there (I have a glamour souse rep to maintain!) If you made it this far... THANK YOU for your time. It's appreciated. If you even comment... well, wow thank you even more!!!! I know it's a lot to get through. Love for all of you! And here is the eat to live plan... for those who want to see it. of course you should still buy the book because it has stacks of incredible information! UNLIMITED eat as much as you want - all raw vegetables, including raw carrots (goal: 1lb dauly) - cooked green vegetables (goal 1lb daily) - beans, legumes, bean sprouts and tofu (1 cup daily) - fresh fruit (at least 4 daily) - eggplant, mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes LIMITED not more than one serving (1 cup) per day - cooked starchy vegetables or whole grains (butternut or acorn squash, corn, potatoes, rice, cooked carrots, sweet potatoes, breads, cereals) - raw nuts and seeds (1. oz max per day) - avocado (2 ox. max per day - ground flaxseed (1 tablespoon per day) OFF-LIMITS - dairy products - animal products - between-meal snacks - fruit juice, dried fruit

And, if so, how?

wonderful info! even though i just had a big yummy raw salad i am feeling hungry... truly, fruit is nature's candy and i've been greatly enjoying a lot of it lately! as for dates... at the moment i am nursing a serious addiction! i adore them. but i feel guilty for eating five in a go... i can't believe anyone eats more than that!!!

What a quick response! Thanks everyone, it's great to be back here amongst such healthy and motivated folk!

WOW! Amazing work everyone! You all look sensational! What a great inspiration! I voted for bunnylalu because I am so impressed by her dramatic changes and courage.

Everyone has most likely forgotten me! I am back after a couple of months absence, in which life was just too busy and too high stress and anxiety for forum visits. During this time my fitness regime fell apart and thusly so did my fitness level... returning to it has been a super shock I can tell you. I am kicking off 2007 with a detox which is so far going well. Aiming for twelve weeks, no cheats, lots of exercise to build back up to my former level. Thought I would come back here for all the great things I learn and to keep me motivated!