day 10 of 100: Weigh In

So, because I know that numbers are helpful for folks, I will go ahead and let you know that in the first 10 days of my 100-day raw food challenge, I have, in fact, recycled eight (8) pounds - yay for me! I think I began at 172 and ended the 10 days at 164 - I hope this info helps someone. It's nice to keep track of, though I'm sure I won't be letting go of this kind of a number over every 10 day period. I think it's normal for me though, to let go of this much in the beginning. And so, this is where the challenge really begins....

More interestingly, from my perspective, I felt very dehydrated this evening, so I'm just trying to drink lots of h2o and eat some green grapes (though I think the grape skins might be lending to a dry-mouth feeling, at least).

fair thee well!!!

day 7 of 100: house centipede

Sooo.... we found the most amazing bug in our basement today, apparently it's called a House Centipede. These little creatures have to be one of the most highly evolved bugs of all time - they eat just about any other bug, they have 30 legs when fully grown, can live between 3-7 years of age!, and even more!!! Check him out - we named him Fred (the pillbug's name is Renaissance - hopefully this evening he will provide a snack for Fred!) Fascinating!

day 4 of 100 - Don't Fear the Number!!

So, wanted to touch on the whole weight loss topic briefly. You know, so many of us who are on this raw food journey/transition/challenge are so vehemently trying to avoid paying attention to the number on the scale.

Can I just mention that most of us are not doctors and don't have the tools to measure other factors involved in our health. Sure, there is an internal, subjective measurement tool that we can use that lets us know we're on the right path - our clothes our looser, we feel happier, lighter, our eyes are clearer, and our skin glows. But really, one of the best tools that we have is that number on the scale - it gives us an objective, relative (yes, somewhat vague) indicator of the current level of our health, but it's what we have.

Don't be afraid folks! If you want to see the number change (YES I DO!!), then it's okay and gosh darn right to want that!!!

peace, out. xoxox

day 3 of 100

Day went reasonably well today - had about five bites of my daughter's oatmeal this morning, but other than that, just raw smoothies. Actually, now that I think about it, I'm still not consuming a whole lot of calories - I think my body is still detoxing from the "ice cream debacle" from the other day. Oy. Seriously - if I ever do anything like that to myself again, I mean, I don't even know what to think. That's just fucking stupid.

Anyway.... letting it go... forgiving myself...... :)

The yo-yo thing has, incidentally, been a constant struggle in my life. My hubby and I were raw for 30 days a few months ago in March. We did great! But then, it's like I was eating worse after the 30-day challenge than I was before it. What's up with that??!!

I'm excited because this Wednesday I'm going to be receiving a 2-hour hypnotherapy session with this great lady at my office - I have no idea what to expect, but I'll definitely post something about it here...

snuggles.s.s.s..s.s..s.s

day 2 of 100

Holy Ice Cream, Batman!!!

So, take it from me... don't overeat on this particular food item.

Doing much better now, but extreme thoughts of hospitals, insulin, diabetes, and death were certainly coming to mind.

gee-whiz! Silly me...

100-day RAW food challenge!!! - Day 0

Soooo... Inspired by the lovely Bunny Berry (Rawfu.com and on YouTube), I've decided to begin a 100-day raw food challenge. I'm just starting to feel SUPER ICKY! from all the nasty food-like-substances that I've been consuming over the last, well, lifetime - heh...

I haven't decided if I want to post stats for this one - maybe I'll just make quick mentions of how my symptoms disappear (and appear?) and how much weight I recycle.

Wish me luck!!!!

love for all...........

gathering inspiration...

I am, I am! I'm feeling the inspir-ation coming on again. Probably due to the nasty bladder infection that summoned me home early from work today - eeek!

Starting to look at raw folks' blogs again - thanks all you out there who post your raw transformation, efforts, and experiences online. It really helps us all who are commitment-challenged!!!

So, here I go... what will I do next?

Newest Inspiration

So, I will attempt to go raw on the 1st of May... right? If you don't succeed the first time (or the 100th), try and try and try again. :)

My most recent idea is to open a raw cafe. Now, this certainly won't happen for at least a couple of years. Primarily, I want to completely ween my daughters off of nursing, and having to rely on me for that. Secondly, I want to be raw consistently myself for at least one year before journeying into sort of a point-of-no-return adventure - I mean, if I try it and it doesn't pan out, or if I can't remain raw, then what the hell am I doing? Thirdly, financial abundance is a necessity - have lots of work to do there. Fourth, I must try my darndest to perfect my recipes and get all the measurements and presentation specs down to the tee - sooo important.

I mean, what better job to have and what better place to be? In my own raw cafe, working my bootie off and blissing out on my amazing creations?

I envision this..... Finding the PERFECT space for my cafe venture, having abundant funding, acquiring sustainable and recyclable and earth-donated materials, having a brief but varied menu to start and expanding that over time........ Waking up at 5am (just because I have amazing, incessant energy and I loooove waking up in the mornings now and taking advantage of the WHOLE day!!!) and going to jog for an hour...... Go into work and start the food prep for the day and get the cafe ready to open....... Go home and hang out with my girls for breakfast, before they are off to the Waldorf School each morning....... Head back to work, open up to cafe, and invite loving, healthy energy into my space, serving people and advising them on their journey to health......... Have an extra comfy room, or two, in order to practice my massage and colon hydrotherapy.......... Greeting my husband as he comes in for lunch every day after picking the girls up from school - they pig out on some healthy cuisine that I've whipped up for them and they tell me about their day with excitement and enthusiasm because they absolutely loooove their school, their classmates, their teachers, and their school/work projects........ My employee(s) take over for the afternoon/early eve as my family and I go home to get things in order, do some light chores, then go to the park to play and frolic, blow bubbles and play on the slides and swings....... Then, nap time for them around 3pm and my husband and I get to cuddle for an hour or two.......... Then, everyone wakes up and we have a family dinner, after which, I head back to the restaurant for dinner service, desserts, closing, and cleaning - out by 9pm, latest, to come back home and read/draw/create with my daughters and send them off to a happy-dream-filled-night of slumber...... I remain awake until 1am, loving and appreciating the life I have and the goals that I have accomplished with my husband........ We fantasize about the next vacation we want to take and put that energy out to the Universe, wanting to make it a reality soon......... Sleep for four or five hours then do it all again the next day!!!

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH................. Really, I know that this much work is difficult, but doesn't it just sound beautiful?! Perfect?! That's me, I guess - the Idealist. Here and now, I put these thoughts out there to the Universe, willing this reality to be mine in a matter of a few years time from now (or less!).

In other news, I have actually taken a good step to making this dream a reality for me. I've started a meetup group in Denver for both Raw and Cooked Vegans, called Denver RCV group at meetup.com. I'll be hosting potlucks at our home every other Thursday, from 4-6pm. Soooo excited to just get some folks in here, helping me to stay on the raw path more consistently, getting my name out in the community as a supporter of this lifestyle movement, and just socializing with some folks who have similar interests/goals with my own.

Anyhoo, must be off - that late night/early morning bedtime looms for me and I have a very busy massage-filled weekend ahead of me.

Love.....

19 days IN

Hey y'all!

So, doing well here - have had sort of another cold come up - is it detox?? Perhaps a wee bug that I've managed to pick up from one of my clients? I would think that my immune system is getting stronger so I wouldn't be as sensitive to these things, but perhaps because of the whole "tearing down and rebuilding (maybe not so much rebuilding quite yet)" effect, my immunity is somewhat lessened at the moment. Anyhow, still feeling better than I did yesterday - eeek? I actually ended up eating some bites of my daughter's tomato soup (not raw), thinking that if it is indeed, some sort of detox effects, then perhaps the soup would slow them down. So... woke up feeling much better this morning. But yes, yes, I know... I just procrastinate the inevitable in the search for ultimate cleanliness - no worries peeps!

Also, jumped on the scale this morning, and noticed that my weight number is down to 157!! Now, I'm not a huge weight-number-person, mind you, but it's nice to know that almost 20 lbs of stuff has been recycled by my body and that I don't have all that hanging on me, and I don't have to carry it around - makes one so endlessly exhausted!! Noticing that my clothes are starting to just feel looser, which is nice. Most importantly, I'm finding that I'm in better spirits overall and I have more energy to play with my girls - yay, and sigh of relief... aaaaahhhhhhh......

So just a little more than a week to go, I think, and I'll be complete with the 30 days. And thus begs the question: Will I continue with this for 60 or more? Will I take a break? Well, truth be told, breaks are difficult for me. It's that whole "all-or-nothing" mentality. Just my personality and I have to work with it, rather than trying to fit something else in there that doesn't work. Have to say though that I've had a few cravings popping up. Cooked potatoes, Indian food - just the high-carb stuff, me thinks. Finding that if I can just keep my caloric intake up that I should be fine. If I don't think about the cravings too much, I seem to manage to stave them off. But ya know? If I end up taking a break, I'm okay with that too, at the moment. We'll just have to see how I feel when the actual moment arrives.

Peas for peace... j.

Haven't Been 'Round in a While

So, here I am... here it is...

I suppose I've been hibernating, you might say. Eating horribly, of course, and am just at the tail end of a horrible, horrible cold. Can't remember the last time I had such a bad one. Better out than in, eh?

So, new year, new goals. OK, same goals, but shifted, and with rewards!!! I thought of a great reward system for accomplishing my time-length (in days) of staying with raw foods - something I've always wanted and just haven't had reason yet to delve into... TATTOOS!!! I know, I'm nuts. But it's a GOOD nuts, alright?! Trust me.

So, this coming Monday, 23 February 2009, will be Day 1 (again), and my reward for the first 30 days of raw, uninterrupted, shall be a lovely tattoo on my upper-left arm/shoulder/deltoids. I know what it's going to say already, but let's just wait to see how all things progress, shall we?

SO excited!!!! I suppose I'd just be trading one addiction for another here, huh?

Well, maybe tattoos are a little higher on the scale of health when it comes to being compared with cooked nastinesses.

Cheers, and good luck to me!!

Day 10 - Just Cuz

I guess my voice wanted to come out today. Yes, I'm allowing myself to be a goof because it's fun, and it's the most genuine form of being human and unique and creative and beautiful that we all possess.


Cheers!

Day 9 - Groundedness

So, firstly, I forgot to add the current BMI, according to FitDay.com, with my current weight, I am at 28.32 % body fat. Going down!!! Now if only I could get to the gym someday. heh.

Updated Stats

Ok, I guess today IS actually Day 8 - hah. Got to sleep at about 5am, and got myself 2 hours of sleep total, but I'm not feeling too horrible this morning. Made myself a good smoothie with spinach, banana, grapefruit, cacao nibs, and agave - good wake up drink.

So, here are the digits:

Weight: 165 (9 lbs. lost in total)

Measurements

Neck:		same
Bicep:		lost 0.5 in.
Forearm:		same
Chest:		same
Waist:		lost 2 in.
Hips:		same
Thigh:		gain 0.5 in.
Calf:		lost 0.5 in.

So, that's the scoop. I'll try to get in another vid before leaving this week, and I'll try to at least keep track of my measurements each week, even if I don't end up posting them until after my return.

Have a warm day!

Day 8 - Sort of

And... check out the AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL raw cheesecake I created and constructed... soooooo yummy in the tummy!









Ingredients (without measurements, cuz my crazy, right brain just can't handle measuring stuff!):

Crust - hazelnuts (filberts), brazil nuts, sprouted and dehydrated buckwheat, and dates in the food processor

Filling - coconut creme (young coconut meatput through the Green Star Juicer), soaked pine nuts (pignolas?), dry raw macadamia nuts, agave, vanilla, and lemon juice blended in our Blend-Tec on the lowest speed possible cuz it was super, duper thick

Topping - blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and yummy carob sauce (carob powder (cooked because that's just all I had on me at the time), olive oil, agave, pinch of salt)


Mmmmmmm mmm!!!

Peace, love, sleeeeep!!!

Jeannie

Day 5 - Pina Colada Night!

Also, just want to add in some "before" photos of myself - mostly for my own reference, and so I don't have to go hunting them down later, I know right where they are. :) This is definitely the heaviest I've ever been!!! But not for long... phew! I am strongly feeling like starting raw foods now, when I did, saved me from potentially having to receive knee surgery in a month or two - yipes!!!

As I mentioned, I will do my best to update my stats/numbers once per week, but as far as photos, mainly because you (or maybe just I) can't notice a difference week-to-week, I'll just post new photos once per month.