Raw Food Diet Weight Loss

Hey Jana!

My name is Vivian Mutua and I have struggled with weight loss for a long time. I'm very frustrated and I'm sad about the fact that I can't stick to anything (any diet). I'm not gonna lie and say that I've tried everything as the famous cliche holds. I just wanted to ask for your help. I trust the raw diet and know it really works. Tel me more about your program.

I appreciate your help. Can't wait to hear from you!
T'care!

V

Hey Vivian

Your timing is great - I am doing an Autumn cleanse and you can do it with me!

We can encourage each other and have some fun while losing weight and gaining energy!

Check your email I just sent you some information.

Jana

Jana~

I have done many cleanses and was a raw foodie in 2007 for about 6 months and LOVED the way I looked and felt. Then in 2008 I have been plagued with injuries (I am SUPER active, or was before all started falling apart) and stress with being a small business owner and I have been eating horribly! I am not going to say I don't know how I put on the 15 lbs I have, I know how~I have used food to drown my depression and now it is a vicious cycle! I am depressed because I put on weight and I put on weight because I am depressed! I would love to have a little extra support and give support to others. When are you beginning your cleanse? Is it too late to join?

Thank you!

Hey Kristi

I just sent you an email detailing how to sign up for the free cleanse.

It starts today! So yes you can still do it with us. This will be great - the more the merrier!

Jana

Hey Jana,

I don't really know where to start. I used to be overweight, and then managed to get down to my ideal weight with a program called weight loss for idiots in the course of a year. Then I lost some more weight after that, but just naturally and with lots of exercise. I was really enjoying all the compliments I was getting and I guess that's why I just kept going. I started College in Canada not too long ago. Originally I'm from Germany, but I went to school in England, for two years, graduated High School there and then took a gap year. When I started college I weighed 54 kilos, I think that's about 118 pounds, but I'm not sure.

I restricted my food intake even more I guess, and my weight dropped to 50 kilos. I didn't tell my Mom about that, but she came with me when I first went over to Canada, and she probably knew I was sick before I realized. I had a blood test done at some point here and the doctor thought i might be anemic. When I told my Mom about that she got really worried and she said she'd been talking to a psychologist, and that she knew exactly what was wrong with me, but she never actually spelled it out, which made it much worse actually. I've realized that I definitely had anorexia to some extent. Saying this here feels weird because this is the first time I'm actually writing it. I got myself a personal trainer and she's put me on a nutrition plan, but I have developed this terrible habit all of a sudden where i overeat all kinds of crap. What triggered it was that i messed up a midterm on friday that i'd studied for really really hard, literally for hours on end, and I neglected everything else for it. I have so much work to do but I'm really not coping well at all right now, and I have a terrible viral infection as well at the moment, so I'm really in no condition to be studying hard, but I have no choice. I'm a complete perfectionist, so i hate messing up.

Anyway, I really need to stop overeating, and I feel like my system needs a healthy detox to get clean again, I've already gained lots of fat back, but the unhealthy belly kind. When I read your story I just thought you might be able to relate to my situation a little bit… I hope you can help me! I'm sorry this is so long!

Please help me!

Malvina

Hi Malvina -

My heart went out to you as I read your email.

I sure can relate to stress and food issues and I totally understand about when your personal trainer put you on a eating plan how you it caused you to have episodes of wanting to overeat food — that is what always happens to me when I am on any kind of plan that feels too restrictive.

I can't be on a super detailed planned diet anymore.

That is why I love eating a raw food diet. For some reason I rarely feel like I am missing out because I eat so many nutritious delicious foods that really satisfy.

I am not perfect with any particular plan. I still eat some goodies or cooked food once in a while…and my weight is at a healthy slim level without starving. It is so nice to fit comfortably in my favorite clothes and to not have food be such a big deal in my life.

In the past, my day would suck if I overate or ate fatty high calorie foods And on days when I was "good" with food I felt happy. I hated that food determined whether I was happy or sad with myself for the day.

Now I am much more calm and centered. Thank God!

You can do a cleanse with me and ready my diaries about the cleanses I do and the way I now eat that fuels my body.

One book that has helped me a lot with eating right and getting healthy and slim is http://tinyurl.com/80-10-10Diet

Also I learned a lot about which detox was best for me at http://rawdetoxweightloss.com

I wish you the very best, Malvina.

Jana

Hi,

I've struggled with binge eating and have been controlled by food addiction/obsession for about 10 years (I'm 22 and currently about 30 lbs overweight - always up and down). I've tried all kinds of restrictive and extremely structured diets which seem to perpetuate the fast/binge cycle. I've eating only raw fruits and vegetables a couple of times over the past couple of years but only for about 30 days at a time. My energy was amazing, face clear and glowing, felt good about my body but simultaneously was mentally crazy because of cravings for food. My question to you is do you think someone with my history/relationship with food can successfully stay on a raw food regime? I have tried to go back on raw foods many times hence but never stay on it long. Incidentally I've recently tried eating a low-carb(no processed foods) high protein, high fat diet and felt significantly fewer cravings and freedom from the obsession with food but have not seen the weight results I want. So I'm not sure if it is only harmful for someone like me to keep attempting raw foods although I wish there was a way for me to eat this way long-term, and not be controlled by food/bingeing. It seems like many people on raw foods experience binges (even if they were not already prone to that!!) so I would love to hear how you have recovered from food controlling you.
Thank you.

Hey all you raw fooders,

Are any of you up for another raw fruit and veggie cleanse - sort of a last - minute Christmas detox? I'm starting mine tomorrow!

Happy cleansing if you decide to do it!

Malvina

Malvina -

Great Idea!

I am doing a cleanse starting Tuesday - Dec 2nd.

I love how I feel when I eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies and I am excited about going into the New Year feeling great.

Malvina - keep in touch during your cleanse and we can encourage each other.

Anybody else want to join us?

Jana

Jana -

It's ( r )awesome you're doing this cleanse with me! How was your first day? Mine was hard, coz I've been eating some junk lately….oh those cravings!

I'm sure my body was happy about the green lemonade I had yesterday. Then I also had some watrmelon. ( at this time of year I still found some - yay! )

I'm using twitter to track my food intake. If you want you can add me - littleme88.

Malvina

Hey Malvina-
I did horrible yesterday (the 1st) so I started anew today.

Yes…the junk I ate over Thanksgiving did not do my body or mind any favors.

It is funny how cravings kick in and almost feel like they overpower our good sense about what we know is right for our bodies.

I am so grateful that I know what health feels and looks like so I can quickly get back on track with healthy foods and healthy living.

I am not too good with keeping up on twitter but I will try to log in and check out what you are doing. I have not figured out how to add you….I am so not a techie gal!

Hope your 2nd day of cleansing rawks!

Jana

Hey Jana -

Oh wow I'm glad I'm not the only one that got off track, although I don't exactly feel great about it…. I sort of messed up today - I was only going to have fat - free fruits and veggies during this cleanse, but then that avocado just looked too appealing and I had it for dinner.
( I'm back home in Germany right now so my 2nd day is already over ).

Mhh, I think it might be harder to cleanse in winter for some reason… Never mind, new luck tomorrow. I will just avoid the scale for a few more days…

I'm not techie either - and I haven't really been tracking too well so far anyway. I've added you though, so I could just send you a message.

Good luck with starting over! We can do this!

Malvina

Hi Malvina

We can do this! Yes, I think it is much harder to cleanse in the winter. I feel colder so I tend to want warm food to warm me up and comfort me.

I don't think I have ever gone through a raw cleanse without having an avocado or two or three! I still lose weight and feel great even when I have an avocado so I don't beat myself up too bad when I have them….there are much worse things we could eat, right?

My goal with this cleanse is to eat only raw fruits and veggies like I did with the program at
http://RawDetoxWeightLoss.com
I may sneak in an avocado - but my plan is to not have any nuts or seeds until after the cleanse.

I will get plenty of protein and other nutrients that I need from all the fruits and veggies and greens I will enjoy.

Hey - I found some watermelon in the store here too. I LOVE watermelon so I will enjoy some for breakfast tomorrow, maybe.

Here's to both of us doing a great cleanse before Christmas - we can do it Malvina and we will feel so good the longer we stick with it.

Have a great night in Germany!
Jana

Hi Jana -

I just woke up and it's snowing!! I'm bound to hear something like - you're crazy to eat raw when it's this cold - from my family… but hey, never mind, I'm not doing it for them. So yes, there's definitely worse things we could eat…

I'm off for some breakfast, and then I'll hit the gym for some nice cardio!!

Oh by the way, I haven't figured out how you can add me on twitter either. I tried sending you a message, but that didn't work. I think you need people's email adds to add them, but I'm not sure… never mind.

Anyway, have a great day!

Malvina

Hi Malvina -

So far so good for me on the cleanse.

I am sticking with fruits and veggies.

I also do some exercise every day. It might be running, pilates, yoga, weight training. I just mix it up and make sure I break a sweat every day. It feels so good.

I lived in Alaska for most of my life….so I can relate to the snow. Brrrr..

Well have a great day - and know that I will be doing this raw fruit and vegetable cleanse right along with you.

Whenever I do these cleanses I always plan to do it for at least 7 days. I would prefer to do 14 days but I don't want to stress myself out about it - then I go back into that mentality of having to be "perfect" and follow a plan which does not work for me.

Doing a fruit and vegetable diet cleanse where I can eat all I want of fruits and veggies does not feel confining to me so I am more able to stick with it and allow my body to reap all the wonderful benefits of cleansing — like weight loss, fat loss, increased energy, renewed joyful mindset, feeling of accomplishment, self control, less desires and cravings for unhealthy food, etc.

Have a wonderful day!
Jana

Hi Jana -

I had a good day of cleansing today, too. I've had a bit of a detox headache today, but that's no surprise considering how badly I'd been treating my body with my food choices..

It really sounds like we have very similar histories health - wise. I've decided to leave the perfectionist attitude behind,too, because whenever I've tried to be perfect in the past I ended up getting even further away from my goals. It's been a tough year for me, but if I've learned anything from it it's that in order to be perfect we just have to stop trying to be… Wow, this was supposed t be less of a ramble, sorry. But you know what I mean.

Anyway, I'm so glad we're doing this together!

Have a great night!

Malvina

Hey Jana!

I just wanted to wish you a merry Christmas and lots of love! I hope you're doing ok and are having a great time with your family and loved ones!

Take care!

Malvina

Malvina -

You are such a sweetheart! Thanks so much for your Merry Christmas wishes. I wish you the same — lots of joy, happiness and love for Christmas and your New Year!

Let's make 2009 the healthiest year in every area of our lives - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

All the best,
Jana

Hi Jana!

I hope you're doing great! Have you heard about The Biggest Loser Pledge ? I just found out about it and thought it could be useful for your website.

Program Details
For every pound you lose during the Pound For Pound Challenge, Pound For Pound will donate 10¢ to Feeding America™ - enough to provide one pound of groceries to a local food bank.
Do not participate if you’re pregnant or if weight loss is not appropriate for you. Always contact your doctor before starting any weight loss program. Even if some weight loss is appropriate for you, please do not engage in excessive weight loss. The maximum number of pounds that can be pledged and ultimately counted toward the Pound For Pound Challenge donation is capped at two pounds per week from your chosen start date (no earlier than December 15) through the date you report your weight loss. Again, make sure your doctor agrees with your weight loss plan.
Pledges accepted through April 27, 2009. Come back to report your final weight loss between April 1 - May 5, 2009.
PLEDGE NOW TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Report your final results between 4/1/09 and 5/5/09.

I think this is so motivating for anybody who wants or needs to lose weight! And if you do it the raw food way it's easy, too!

Ok, hopefully some people will read this and decide to get involved!

Take care!

Hugs,

Malvina

Malvina -
Thanks for this info. I am a HUGE Biggest Loser Show Fan. I can relate so much to the struggles of the people on the show and I am so excited to watch them break through and see success with weight loss.

For more information about the pound for pound challenge to help stock food banks that help the needy go to http://pfpchallenge.com/

Thanks again Malvina — so good to hear from you — I hope your January is going well!!

Hugs back to you,
Jana