Started on 4/22
Start Weight: 207
Weight this morning: 201.5 
My first goal is 20 pounds: 187
Overall goal: 140 

Yesterday, I had half a portion of Fry Bread at the National Museum of the American Indian in DC.  Too good.  I love it.  Took a long walk with my doggie and my future step-daughter from Eastern Market down to the National Mall. Great exercise for all.

On Friday I went to a girls night at one of my best friend’s place in DC.  Had some wine and a few sweets.  Didn’t go overboard.

Breakfast: Green smoothie or 1 banana and nuts (raw almonds or cachews)

Lunch: For the most part I have a salad from Chop’t for lunch.  It’s a God send to have this salad place so close to my job

Dinner:  Nut meat on Romaine or Fruit bowl lately.  There are a lot of options but I haven’t been to hungry lately.  I definitely don’t eat late.   I may have a pickle or fruit leather if I’m hungry.

So far so good.  I don’t beat myself up.  This is a lifestyle change, not a diet.  Raw for Life.  Raw foods for a better life.

My goal for this week is 5 pounds.  I’ll keep you posted.

Mainly…

• The circumference of my midsection is smaller.  I can tell because I’m wearing a form-fitting top today and I can really see a difference.
• Let’s just say…more frequent pooping.  LOL
• More energy – I was not tired at midnight last night.  Very strange for a weekday

Haven’t had much of an issue with gas.  In the past adding psyllium husk to my smoothies every few days kept that at bay, so that’s what I’m doing now.  I’m averaging 40-50 oz of water during the day to try to keep any toxic episode at bay.

Transformation takes time and effort.  My body didn’t get all clogged with toxins and fat overnight.  I’m excited about greater health and wellness and I welcome it into my life as I continue my raw foods journey.

This was a very busy time.  I had a presentation on Friday so I was really busy.  I made an effort to NOT eat candy in the office this week.  Tuesday I had a few pieces.  Wed and Thurs I was successful.

Tues

• Grapefruit Juice
• Raw Peanuts
• Large Salad
• Carrot Sticks
• 4 Tootsie Rolls
• Green Smoothie

What I Ate:

• Grapefruit Juice
• Golden Delicious apple
• Baby Carrots
• Large salad from Chop’t
• Sunflower Seeds
• 2 Pickles
• Faux lasagna

One thing I haven’t slacked on has been doing my P90X workouts. I cut my foot in a dressing room yesterday (Long story.  Never get hurt in Macy’s.  Believe me.) and still did Kempo X.  Dedication paid off this morning when I saw the scale was down .5 pounds and the dress I’m wearing looks good.  I guess if you can’t lose pounds, at least lose inches, right?

My goal for today is no office candy or other sweets.  So far so good.  Sugar is a major part of my food addiction.  Raw food is my medication.

That is the only word I’ve been focused on for 2 days.  Why.  Because I’ve been a little down following last week’s high after losing 5.5 pounds.  I’m back to 200 pounds.  I think it’s mainly bloating and water since I always gain 2-3 pounds each time I have a period.  Lots of women experience this, it’s normal.  I know I should just calm down, but I hate it.  I’m just trying to focus and know that it’s not my eating.

What I ate:

Day 10

Orange Juice
Raw Peanuts
Large Spinach Salad
Large Golden Delicious Apple
Faux Nut Meat wrapped in Romaine

Day 11

Grapefruit Juice
Raw Peanuts
Large Spinach Salad with non-raw walnuts
Bag of baby carrots
Faux Nut Meat wrapped in Romaine

Both days I’ve continued to do P90X workouts.  I can’t say I’ve given 100% in my workouts though.  I haven’t wanted to do them because I didn’t feel like it, but I pushed through.  Gotta stay focused on the goal.

Dear Lord, continue to protect me from all easter candy. Amen.  LOL

Day 7 was really busy.  As of the morning I was 197 pounds.  I had a lot to do on Sunday and I had by baby with me (my Peekapoo, Daisy).  Went to Eastern Market in DC to check out the fresh produce and had Fresh Lemonade and some fruit to start the day.  Later I realized that I actually should have bought some fruit to take with me so I ended up eating some dried fruit strips in the afternoon.  Got home and had a nice green smoothie with 2 bananas, mango, and spinach.  Ended the night with raw nuts (peanuts, sunflower seeds, and cashews) with a little sea salt sprinkled on them.  My water intake could have been better but I tried to make up for it before bed.  Did P90X with my baby and went to bed very tired.

I wasn’t really that hungry.  I think I was stressed out by my taxes (That I didn’t start on until Sat).  Ugh…Maryland taxes are HIGH!  Couple that with Aunt Flo at the door with my monthly and you get a recipe for diet hell.  Normally I would have grabbed for chocolate or ice cream, but the cravings weren’t there and I thank goodness!  That is real change for me.  I’m no longer coping with life’s challenges with food.  I’m facing life and living it.

I see wellness manifesting in my life.

I snacked for lunch (2 nut/date balls and a pickle.  I know, weird right).

I ended up eating a couple of bites of my boyfriend’s shrimp/pesto/quinoa/wild rice/sugar peas dish.  It’s a dish I always made for him and it’s one of my favorites.  In keeping with the challenge, I didn’t beat myself up, but I did want to be honest and tell the world.

At the start of day six I was 198 and as of day 7 I’m 197.  Just proves that just by doing 70-80% raw you can still see changes.  Whoo Hoo.

Yesterday as also my rest day on P90X.  Back to exercise today.

Oh Fast Food, You almost got me, but I won.  Nothing like sitting in the drive through with ice cream on your mind (because anything else would smell like fast food and my boyfriend would know) and having an epiphany.   I realized that I was listening to the old, sick, sad me and that the real me was the one behind the wheel.  I drove away with a smile on my lips and peace in my heart.

What I ate:

• Grapefruit juice
• Handful of raw peanuts
• Bag of baby carrots (my tummy hurt after this.  Ow.  Felt better after I got my salad.)
• Large Lunch Salad
• 1 mini Almond Joy
• 2 raw nut/date balls (not really hungry last night)

I woke up this morning at 200 pounds (down from 202.5 on monday).  Very happy about that.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxdHN_GtC2c]

Oh my goodness.  I really want to be this wise and be able to inspire people too.  There are so many people like me who have suffered from the “Corporate Kitchen” and food addiction and have looked for answers everywhere.  When I went raw 2 years ago it was the best thing EVER!  I know it’s part of the answer, a large part.  However, education is just as important.  I have to educate myself so that my new habits become a lifestyle.  There is so much to learn, but it all rings true to me.

What I’ve eaten today:

• Green Smoothie – 2 bananas, spinach, cup and 1/2 of frozen mango
• Baby Carrots as a snack

Mood – I was very calm this morning.  As the day goes on I’m feeling a little irritable because I can’t run to food…my normal coping mechanism.

I needed some time to really immerse myself in the real reasons why I’m making this change. I needed to really understand what I was eating. I needed to revisit how so much of my favorite food really isn’t food and what that means to my health down the line. I don’t want to be sick, have diabetes, cancer, etc. Of course, I’m not saying that absolutely can’t happen to someone on a raw food path…but if you take care of your body and feed it “REAL” food, you have a better chance of living without disease.

So, since I was going to be off for 2 days I basically stayed in the house and ate raw for 2 days. On Nov 26 I was 181 pounds. Today 6 days later I’m 173. It clicked for me. Real food, natural food vs. Processed, sugar enriched food with no real nutritional value. It has really clicked for me. And the best thing…I don’t feel like I’m missing anything. I’m am fully aware of how I’m making a positive change and not a change fueled by vanity and wanting to be thin.

In this state I believe I will be able to carry on and be healthy. I’m not desiring the faux foods I used to love. I’m not 100% raw. I’ve had some salmon in these 6 days…with a very simple preparation. I think I’ll eventually be 100%, but my daily goal right now is 80-90% and I’ve been hitting that consistently.