So last night was the breaking of our fast! I had only fresh raw juices and water for 22 days, and Greg had days of the same mixed with days of only fruits & veggies. It was interesting to eat last night! After 3 weeks of nothing solid, it was odd! I has soaked prunes, so nothing too delicious! LOL! But I wanted to make sure my digestive system didn't revolt! I also had a bit of warmed miso broth, my first try at that. Today I haven't eaten yet, but I don't usually eat until early afternoon anyway. I plan to take it easy though, I don't want to send my body into shock! I have some more soaked prunes, so I'll start with that & then a simple green smoothie with a smidge of coconut oil. :o) Greg's transition isn't as slow, but he ate during the 22 days! Now he can add in olives & nuts again, as well as raw recipes! :o)
I released 10 pounds during the fast, and I'm cautious too eat many nuts and oils since I don't want to put much of it back on! I just need to take it slowly is all. I'll be back to eating any yummy raw creation I can think of in no time!! So, I did make it below 200 pounds!! WooHoo!! This morning I weighed in at 191! Greg released 5 pounds during the fast, and a bit more at the beginning of the month.
So, the fast itself was amazing! We had extra church services filled with a lot of prayer. It was great. When you sacrifice your flesh (not eating, or giving up something you enjoy) and let your spirit lead, it's really cool! It allows you to really get closer to God and for Him to draw closer to you. It doesn't get any better than that!!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Monday, January 14, 2008
5 months raw!!!!
Has it really been 5 months already? My goodness. Time flies when you're having fun!! We're feeling great! It's day 6 of our fast. I'm doing a 22 day juice & water fast, Greg is doing 22 days of fasting but he's alternating days of only juices & water with days of only fruits & veggies. So far we've really been enjoying it. Especially on a spiritual level. It's a bonus to know it's great for our health as well!
So, the 5 month stats! Yay!!
Greg now weighs 165 pounds! Woah!! He released 13 pounds this past month. His grand total is 75 pounds released so far in the last 5 months!! :o) He's gone from a size 40 pants to a 34 (which are now getting baggy).
I now weigh 201 pounds - I released 14 pounds this month. My grand total is 68 pounds released in the last 5 months!! :o) I've gone from a size 24 to a size 16! I fit in size XL shirts! I'll never need to shop in the plus size section again!!! I've lost 8 inches this past month for a total of 59 inches total.
Maybe someday soon some of those inches will come from my upper arms! I keep hoping those will change, perhaps that's one of the last things to lose? When I see before and after photos I always check double chins and upper arms. ;o) My neck is looking better than I had thought it would, and I'm thrilled to have a neck now! But the upper arms are a concern!
And I have to mention my weight being 201 pounds! I can't wait to get below 200! I was SO hoping I would do it by 5 months. But I know it's coming soon! In January of 2006 I weighed 296 pounds, so I'm very close to 100 pounds released from my highest weight 2 years ago. WooHoo!
To everyone who's been keeping up with our progress, and sending messages & leaving comments- We both want to say, thank you so much for your encouragement! The support we've received from all of you is incredible & we truly appreciate it!
Here are the photos. I didn't have any shirts that weren't baggy, but it was the best I could do!
So, the 5 month stats! Yay!!
Greg now weighs 165 pounds! Woah!! He released 13 pounds this past month. His grand total is 75 pounds released so far in the last 5 months!! :o) He's gone from a size 40 pants to a 34 (which are now getting baggy).
I now weigh 201 pounds - I released 14 pounds this month. My grand total is 68 pounds released in the last 5 months!! :o) I've gone from a size 24 to a size 16! I fit in size XL shirts! I'll never need to shop in the plus size section again!!! I've lost 8 inches this past month for a total of 59 inches total.
Maybe someday soon some of those inches will come from my upper arms! I keep hoping those will change, perhaps that's one of the last things to lose? When I see before and after photos I always check double chins and upper arms. ;o) My neck is looking better than I had thought it would, and I'm thrilled to have a neck now! But the upper arms are a concern!
And I have to mention my weight being 201 pounds! I can't wait to get below 200! I was SO hoping I would do it by 5 months. But I know it's coming soon! In January of 2006 I weighed 296 pounds, so I'm very close to 100 pounds released from my highest weight 2 years ago. WooHoo!
To everyone who's been keeping up with our progress, and sending messages & leaving comments- We both want to say, thank you so much for your encouragement! The support we've received from all of you is incredible & we truly appreciate it!
Here are the photos. I didn't have any shirts that weren't baggy, but it was the best I could do!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
2008!
Wow, where has the time gone? I know I should pop in here more often to update! I apologize to anyone who might be disappointed when they don't see a recent post. I know I feel that way when I peruse the blogs I like! I'm a busy mama though, doing my best!! :o)
So, we made it through the holidays! Or first season of holidays 100% raw. Yay! I t feels like this big accomplishment! LOL! I loved it, but Greg felt sentimental about missing the traditional foods part of celebrations.
I know some members of my family also felt a bit "robbed", like they couldn't fully enjoy times with us because we weren't sharing the same foods. I'm not saying that's right, or wrong. Just being honest. On that same wavelength, Greg said he sometimes feels isolated, like he can't participate in stuff with buddies because so much is centered around food.
For instance, if your a vegetarian, chances are if you go out with your friends, there's an option at the restaurant for you. If your an alcoholic and all your friends want to hang out in a bar, you can order club soda. Not the easiest thing, I'm sure, but the option is there. That's probably a poor example. For us, we can order a salad at a restaurant, but only if we bring our own dressing or just squeeze lemon on it. And we're not at the point of enjoying greens and lemon juice yet. :op So it's not anything spontaneous. Like hanging out after work one night. And it doesn't make anyone feel comfortable when we sit there with an empty place setting. No matter how positive our attitudes are, it makes others feel uncomfortable. Anyway, I just thought Id' throw that out there in the spirit of full disclosure since I haven't put a lot out there about the struggles associated with this lifestyle. Honestly, we haven't had too many struggles, but these issues do come up.
Here's my take. If the people that love us truly love us, and they do- then they enjoy our company, not just the fact that we would all eat the same food. But this year, for the holidays, Greg felt like he would spend way too much time feeling sad about the foods he loved in the past but is choosing not to eat now. So instead of enjoying the festivities, he would be having an inner struggle of why he wants those foods versus why he's chosen not to eat them. Basically, just being a downer and not having much fun himself. Thankfully, I haven't had this struggle. It's like God just took all of that from me, and I thank Him for that. I'm not sure how strong I could be in the face of the temptations if they were still tempting to me. I could have smelled the ham and sweet potatoes and apple pie and not be phased by it. I still can' believe that's true, but it has been so far, praise God! I mean I was addicted folks, really addicted to junk, and just SAD foods in general. I guess the good Lord knew I needed those chains broken so I could succeed at this. I admire Greg so much, because he still wants those foods, even though he was never addicted to them. He's confronted with temptation more than I am on a daily basis, and he's still 100% successful at this! That's amazing! And he'll tell you, it's God that gets the glory for that as well. When Greg is weak, God is stronger! We're doing this in obedience to Him and He has blessed the journey!
Now, don't misunderstand- we had a wonderful holiday season, really. But with it being our first one raw, it was an adjustment. That's all. Still joyful & we really focused on the true reason for the season. It wasn't awful, there were no tears, or hurt feelings. I don't mean to make it sound like that at all. It 's just that the holidays are such a ingrained thing in most of us, since childhood, and this was very different than the past 30 something years!
So next year, I really hope Greg has come to point where he won't feel sad about what he won't be eating. That way we can be with family while they're eating & really enjoy our own food, and enjoy the fellowship!! I'm praying that this happens! And that my girls won't sit there asking for every bit of "junk food" available in front of others who have that look on their face like we're depriving our children of so much just by telling them no, that's not very healthy. Like giving them nasty junk foods is a great thing!? Ugh! But that's a whole 'nuther post! :o) LOL!
Anyway- tomorrow begins our 21 day fast! We attend 2 churches, and one of them does this each year in January! We're so excited to join in!! Amazing things can happen when you're fasting and praying like that! I'm buying an inexpensive juicer tonight in order to make it a true juice fast the raw way!! Our first ever. Lots of church members are fasting on fruits and veggies, but- that's our daily diet! LOL! So smoothie fasting was an idea, but I'd much rather juice fast. I've heard excellent things about it . I kept hoping I could afford the juicer I really want and spent so much time researching. However, I have a $50 budget if I want to actually afford all the produce that would go into the juicer over 21 days!!! Wish us luck! We're expecting miracles!!
So I'll close with the family Christmas pic of this year! Happy New Year everyone!!!! Peace & love to all!
And I'll add a family picture from May 7 2005 for comparison. 2 1/2 years ago, what a difference! I was even larger than when I started the raw food lifestyle 5 months ago. I believe I was around 290 pounds or so. UGH!
So, we made it through the holidays! Or first season of holidays 100% raw. Yay! I t feels like this big accomplishment! LOL! I loved it, but Greg felt sentimental about missing the traditional foods part of celebrations.
I know some members of my family also felt a bit "robbed", like they couldn't fully enjoy times with us because we weren't sharing the same foods. I'm not saying that's right, or wrong. Just being honest. On that same wavelength, Greg said he sometimes feels isolated, like he can't participate in stuff with buddies because so much is centered around food.
For instance, if your a vegetarian, chances are if you go out with your friends, there's an option at the restaurant for you. If your an alcoholic and all your friends want to hang out in a bar, you can order club soda. Not the easiest thing, I'm sure, but the option is there. That's probably a poor example. For us, we can order a salad at a restaurant, but only if we bring our own dressing or just squeeze lemon on it. And we're not at the point of enjoying greens and lemon juice yet. :op So it's not anything spontaneous. Like hanging out after work one night. And it doesn't make anyone feel comfortable when we sit there with an empty place setting. No matter how positive our attitudes are, it makes others feel uncomfortable. Anyway, I just thought Id' throw that out there in the spirit of full disclosure since I haven't put a lot out there about the struggles associated with this lifestyle. Honestly, we haven't had too many struggles, but these issues do come up.
Here's my take. If the people that love us truly love us, and they do- then they enjoy our company, not just the fact that we would all eat the same food. But this year, for the holidays, Greg felt like he would spend way too much time feeling sad about the foods he loved in the past but is choosing not to eat now. So instead of enjoying the festivities, he would be having an inner struggle of why he wants those foods versus why he's chosen not to eat them. Basically, just being a downer and not having much fun himself. Thankfully, I haven't had this struggle. It's like God just took all of that from me, and I thank Him for that. I'm not sure how strong I could be in the face of the temptations if they were still tempting to me. I could have smelled the ham and sweet potatoes and apple pie and not be phased by it. I still can' believe that's true, but it has been so far, praise God! I mean I was addicted folks, really addicted to junk, and just SAD foods in general. I guess the good Lord knew I needed those chains broken so I could succeed at this. I admire Greg so much, because he still wants those foods, even though he was never addicted to them. He's confronted with temptation more than I am on a daily basis, and he's still 100% successful at this! That's amazing! And he'll tell you, it's God that gets the glory for that as well. When Greg is weak, God is stronger! We're doing this in obedience to Him and He has blessed the journey!
Now, don't misunderstand- we had a wonderful holiday season, really. But with it being our first one raw, it was an adjustment. That's all. Still joyful & we really focused on the true reason for the season. It wasn't awful, there were no tears, or hurt feelings. I don't mean to make it sound like that at all. It 's just that the holidays are such a ingrained thing in most of us, since childhood, and this was very different than the past 30 something years!
So next year, I really hope Greg has come to point where he won't feel sad about what he won't be eating. That way we can be with family while they're eating & really enjoy our own food, and enjoy the fellowship!! I'm praying that this happens! And that my girls won't sit there asking for every bit of "junk food" available in front of others who have that look on their face like we're depriving our children of so much just by telling them no, that's not very healthy. Like giving them nasty junk foods is a great thing!? Ugh! But that's a whole 'nuther post! :o) LOL!
Anyway- tomorrow begins our 21 day fast! We attend 2 churches, and one of them does this each year in January! We're so excited to join in!! Amazing things can happen when you're fasting and praying like that! I'm buying an inexpensive juicer tonight in order to make it a true juice fast the raw way!! Our first ever. Lots of church members are fasting on fruits and veggies, but- that's our daily diet! LOL! So smoothie fasting was an idea, but I'd much rather juice fast. I've heard excellent things about it . I kept hoping I could afford the juicer I really want and spent so much time researching. However, I have a $50 budget if I want to actually afford all the produce that would go into the juicer over 21 days!!! Wish us luck! We're expecting miracles!!
So I'll close with the family Christmas pic of this year! Happy New Year everyone!!!! Peace & love to all!
And I'll add a family picture from May 7 2005 for comparison. 2 1/2 years ago, what a difference! I was even larger than when I started the raw food lifestyle 5 months ago. I believe I was around 290 pounds or so. UGH!
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