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Login Here Signup Here Signup using FacebookFeeling a little bit down today as just reflecting back over the Easter weekend and am disappointed with some of the choices I made.
I went home for a couple of days and found it pretty tough with loads of treats/choc being handed around. I did make a lovely raw dessert (apple cobbler) which I enjoyed but I also ate some (SAD) chocolate tart, lemon pie and ice cream.
Whilst I am in my own home/work environment, I find it really easy to make the right choices and refuse all kinds of SAD food, but being back with my parents seems to give me this strange kind of 'doesn't count' mentality. Although I'm not 100%, I do normally eat very healthily and at least 70-80% raw.
I was keen to get home and back on the straight and narrow but this didn't work out as got invited out by friends to a picnic yesterday and ended up eating more SAD food. By the time I got home, I had that 'well now I've really blown it' feeling so ended up eating some of my BF's chocolate. :-(
Anyway, I'm back at work today and glad to be back on my usual green smoothie, salad, fruit, etc but thought I'd 'fess up to you guys and try to release some of the negative feelings I have.
Anyone else a similar weekend?
Comments
sv3, that is my weekend in a nutshell except that i live at home!!! haha i'm glad we're feeling the same. i normally never succumb to my parent's food, but i had all the sad food they ate!! i didn't eat meat, but i did have orzo pasta, artichoke dip (god, i know), choc. cake, and cheesecake. i couldn't believe myself. my stomach has been KILLING me these past 2 days and i've only slept 2-3 hours each night. today is a new day though and i'm determined to get back on track!! good luck, my friend.
Thanks joannabanana, it's nice to know I'm not the only one.
I too suffered after eating so much SAD food - my poor stomach wasn't happy!
I guess the main thing is that I know it's a slip and I couldn't wait to get back to raw again, which is obviously the same for you too. :-)
The hard part will be ignoring the vast amount of chocolate my BF has stacked up in the fridge. Think I'll need to rely on a couple of good raw choc treats for the next few days.
Best wishes.
I had the exact same experience too!! I went home for Easter weekend, ate some cheesy pizza Friday night, and some butterfinger minis. Saturday was our Easter feast so I had some mashed potatoes (made with milk and butter) and sweet potatoes (made with milk, butter and eggs), pumpkin pie, grilled veggies (at least vegan, thank God) and some more candy. Then Sunday we went to brunch at Granite City which has a bunch buffet...need I explain more? I felt guilty and my poor body was NOT happy with me but what's important is I realize now exactly how these food affect me and I am not going to give up (neither should either of you). It's important to remember how far you've come so far and also to remember that you're not following any "rules" this is your life and the decisions you make are YOURS. Yes, the raw diet has some "rules" but if you need to bend them to have a good weekend with the family then you aren't going to die and you shouldn't beat yourself up about it. Just pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and keep on with the green smoothies the next day :)
Oh P.S
I'm doing a short 24 hour water fast today to give my body a break and re-focus. I always find it helps if I've strayed a little bit...especially with the immediately after cravings from eating SAD food
I've had issues with food for years and I found that the best advice I've been given was from a gym teacher back in college. She told me that there have been studies done that indicate that people feeling guilty over their food consumption (or in their mind, bad choices) is worse on the body than consuming the food itself. Since then, I've been trying not to mentally punish myself for consciously choosing to eat something that's not what I'd consider a healthy choice.
No I haven't always been successful, especially when I go on a "binge", but perhaps that's just something we always have to keep in mind during these times where we "slip". I don't think being raw/vegan/healthy should be an all or nothing type of lifestyle and the body is very resilient and able to adapt and adjust to many things. My point is, perhaps we should stop punishing ourselves for "slipping" and maybe not even call it that, just call it another choice and go back to our normal, healthy lifestyle as soon as we can.
The times when I've over-indulged, I went back to smoothies the next day and that helped me feel a whole lot better. Do whatever works best for you, whether it be green smoothies or a 24 water fast as iluvelife is doing or something in between -- what's important is not to punish yourself and listen to your body, I'm sure it will tell you what it wants.
iluvlife, i'm glad to see your positive outlook on this. i love your blog, too. i've tried to leave you comments but the "post comment" button on your site never lets me.
so far today, i've had dates, bananas, and grapes. i'm gonna keep it simple for the next few days until my body gets back to normal. i've also decided to train for a half marathon and need my body to be in tip top shape!!
I have an unpopular perspective, but it isn't the first time I've mentioned it, so here it is again. I've found that when people go raw for personal reasons - health, weight, vanity - without some sort of background or education in veganism (animal benefits, planet benefits, ethical benefits) it's common to slip up like this. The reason is that the same mentality that wants self-improvement also wants self-gratification. The self tends to want things!
When my diet isn't completely about my self, but about something external, I find I have all the motivation in the world. Me wanting dairy isn't more important than the fact that a mother and her baby were separated and enslaved just to provide it for my lust. It's awful to think about participating in that cycle. I can't do it.
A film like "Earthlings" is motivation in DVD format!
By the way, I went to Easter buffet brunch at my uncle's country club, a $30/plate meal, and had fruit and salad - there were piles of pastries, desserts, omelet bars, seafood bars, meat carving stations, and dozens of chafing dishes containing I don't know what. I don't feel like I missed out on anything but misery.
Suasoria, I get your point. I've read what feels like a zillion books in the past 5 years on anything and everything i could find about veganism and raw foods. It's hardly ever the case that someone jumps into raw foods without doing at least a little research. And it's not the lack of knowledge or values that makes us slip up.
Let's think about it like this: If our families all ate raw too then we would have no problem staying completely raw when we visit them. Our culture is really centered around food, and when everyone else is having the pie at Easter dinner, we naturally want to join them. It isn't so much about not knowing what went into the pie, but that we just want to spend time with friends or family and fit in.
I had an Easter slip up, too. My mom filled an Easter basket for me with jelly beans and chocolates, and she and I ate some of the jelly beans together. Then I had a meal with my whole family, and ate cooked green beans, cooked rutabega, baked sweet potato, and tomato salad. It was really good (boy do I miss baked sweet potatoes!), but being raw makes me feel better! So you guys aren't the only ones with Easter slip-ups, and I hope we all get back on track soon bc being raw is awesome!
I agree, Suasaria. Hopefully, once people get into it they will change. At first for me it was all about my health. But now, being immersed in the lifestyle, I just cannot support the industries that are polluting the planet and treating animals like literal objects to be tossed around.
I ate cheese once after being vegan and I felt so ill for three days (violent images in my subconcious, mood swings, crying for no reason, fatigue) that I now cannot eat that kind of stuff purely based on the fact that biologically speaking, it is simply ABSURD to eat cheese and meat.
Thanks for all your helpful comments, I'm taking it all on board.
I agree with you Zemphira about how bad negative/guilty thoughts are on the body and will definitely work on letting those unhelpful feeling go and being far more positive about the whole thing.
I also value your opinion Suasoria, and think you have a good point. The reason I first got into raw was because I wanted to improve my health but had also been unhappy about eating meat for some time so became a vegetarian at the same time. I have considered going vegan but do not think I am quite ready. I consume very little dairy/eggs but you are right about having the correct outlook. Maybe when I feel ready for the next step, I'll watch that DVD you mentioned.
You are right Susan, the emotional pull from our families is strong and there is always the need to connect with them.
Anyway, life is good so I'm going to enjoy it with as much raw food as possible. :-)
To quote a painfull cliche, Today is the first day of the rest of your life! Cut your losses and dive back into a beautiful life of raw, guilt free!
Hey!
I had the exact same weekend.....was pretty good until Sat afternoon where I ended up having chocolate brownie, chocolate egg pizza more chocolate.....such rubbish!! I also suffered from agonising stomach pains on Monday night and couldnt sleep....why did I put my body through this?!!.....suppose I felt guilty not eating "normal" food since it was Easter! My blood sugar has been like a rollercoaster and feeling so bloated and fat....yuck! Back on the raw foods today though and feeling a bit better......least we can support everyone through this :) Love and Light 2u all! :) X
Yup, I had that weekend. But I enjoyed every bit of my SAD food and savored my Easter chocolate! I knew I would never be able to resist it all, so I indulged and enjoyed. I knew once Monday came, a strict green smoothie cleanse would start to feel good and light and energetic again. And I DO! Added some long walks also. Feel great!
http://bumpshack.com/2009/04/14/do-not-order-domino’s-pizza-gross-video/
Here is a link to look at when a craving hits. Its funny how we trust strangers to make our food. Some people think gross things are funny. i don't get it. Today being conceited is cool and being gross is funny? Seriously, i couldn't even watch it. i read the description and that was enough.
Great comments, just to add my two cents...
I find mindfulness exercises help. There are lots of interpretations/writings on "mindfulness" as a practice, but it's really at its basic level a kind of "self-radar" -- how do I feel right now? physically? emotionally? mentally? This can make you aware of the triggers that are pushing you to eat a particular SAD food. Sometimes just a quick check-in before eating can save you from putting something in your body that you know is bad for you.
And if you've already done so, it's a matter of not judging yourself. See how you feel, watch how you experience the consumption of those foods -- chocolate bunnies or whatever. Observing ourselves without judgment is something we rarely manage to do; it's always "I was good" or "I was bad." And if we judge, rather than observe, we just end up feeling awful.
So instead, weekends of eating SAD food can be information:
I ate Mom's pie because I felt...empty / in need of connection / left out / just plain hungry. And it made me feel...too full / heavy / uncomfortable / unable to participate because I felt awful.
That's information.
Just watch how you feel, check in with yourself, and use the information you gain.
Judgment doesn't help; information does.
Return to what you know makes you feel light, contented, and happy.
Thanks KarinaFirebreather, you make a lot of sense!
Its a slow process switching to raw but i definetly binge less and less on treats now than I did before. Every once in a while when I have no willpower. AVL, i had the exact same feelings. My heart was pounding and I got a headache and felt very anxious, like I needed to take a nap or walk to feel relaxed. BUT I was at work, so I just put my head down lol. If anything, the sickness is a great reminder to stop doing it....
Ya, I know that the sickness is a great reminder! However, sometimes I "forget" how I felt the last time and the cycle continues! Oh man, I hope that one day I will learn from my mistakes & I can stop bingeing on crap.
I know this is an old post but I was digging through all the old forums trying to find something to help myself :-/ I too need to vent and let out all my negativity. I have been high raw...doing sooo well. This afternoon I binged on extremely sweet maple coated almonds (store bought) I feel so sick its just ridiculous. For what its worth, everyone's comments have been very encouraging. :) But I want to die right now, the stomach pains are incredible :(( Ok, enough complaining on my part. I'm going to go finish the rest of my green smoothie in fridge now.
Kitty, I feel your pain. I had a binge yesterday on Ritz crackers, and I ate 1/2 a large box. I felt so sick from the gluten and the salt. I also felt very anxious and I wanted to die :(
I went for a 2 hour walk in order to calm myself down (yup, it took 2 hours for my anxiety to somewhat go away).
Today I focused on eating only fruit & vegetables with a tiny bit of fat and I stayed away from all temptations and I kept myself busy all day.
I hope you feel better soon :)
Ive had similar days to this, somedays i end up eating too much hummus and other heavier foods and i feel horrible and smell :( im taking it simple again, cutting back and drinking lots of tea. High fruits for me the next couple days!
It's really strange seeing this topic pop up again! I'd totally forgottern I'd posted it and it's a really nice reminder to see how far I've come.
I'm going home to my folks for Xmas and they know I'm vegan now so they won't be trying to feed my anything I don't want.
I've also come a long way with being kinder to myself if I have a bad day. I rarely eat badly, but if I do (normally the day after I've had a drink), I just remind myself that I'll be back to normal the next day and not to stress myself out.
I guess it really does take time to adjust to this way of life but it does get easier and I'm so much happier than I used to be.