Goodbye Body Fat!

We measured body fat today at boot camp. It is my fourth week and I have lost 4.5% body fat! I am so excited! I did not really expect it to be that much. My trainer told me not to expect such a significant drop every time (we measure every 4 weeks), but I am quite happy with the results so far. One thing that is slightly difficult is that I have actually gained several pounds. I do not want to get hung up on the scale, though. My trainer reminded me that I am gaining lean muscle and bone density (very important for someone with calcium issues). I know he is right, and honestly, the weight isn't as important as feeling healthy and fit. I really do feel as though I have much more energy throughout the entire day. Wayne says he can tell a big difference.

My trainer also said he is not used to seeing someone drop so much body fat in such a short time. I think that has a lot to do with my diet. I am eating mostly raw protein from plant sources (Pea Protein, Hemp Protein, and Source of Life Raw Protein, and raw seeds/nuts) and occasional fish. That being said, the majority of my diet is still raw fruits and vegetables -- probably 80%. I am starting to feel like the outside is beginning to reflect the strong woman that I am on the inside. It feels good!

The Master Cleanse was a bust, or maybe not.

It is 3:34 A.M. and I am writing my blog. Yesterday morning I woke up to a very sick little boy. He is running a pretty high fever, coughing, stuffy nose, and very snotty. He has been kinds puny all week, but yesterday he was especially puny. I have taken him to the doctor and he does not have the flu, an ear infection, or strep, so it is viral and all we can do is wait it out. Needless to say I have tip toed up the stairs a few times to check on him and make sure that he is okay.

Needless to say the Master Cleanse is a bust for me. I only had enough lemons for yesterday morning's lemonade and I needed to go to the grocery store to get more, but there was no way I could take Phillip feeling the way he does, and no way I was going to leave him home without me or Wayne. I had pretty much gotten over the hungry feeling, but I was still pretty tired and cranky -- not good things to try and negotiate when you have a sick baby. So, maybe it is just not for me at this juncture in my life.

I am not saying the Master Cleanse is a bad thing, in fact, I think it has helped many people. But, I am no longer trying to lose weight -- thanks to my raw diet, I reached my goal weight. I did want to see if it would help me achieve some mental and emotional clarity about my life, but I think there are other ways I can do that.

Beginning a raw food diet was a HUGE step for me, and it has literally changed my life for the better in so many ways! At the time it seemed like I was making an extreme move, and I needed to do that because my health was very poor. I did not know what I was going to eat if I couldn't have beef tacos, smothered chicken, french fries, and macaroni and cheese. Not that I didn't eat healthy foods, too; I always had a side salad (covered in blue cheese) and a vegetable side. Now I see the choice to eat raw was not as extreme as it first seemed. Instead of swinging widely to some fad diet (as I had done so many times before) I was making a choice to balance my life with the foods that nature really intended me to eat. I said no more to engineered food -- no refined sugar, processed junk, additive and preservative coated meat and dairy products, or salt infused mixes and sauces -- and returned to simple foods. What seemed extreme at the time was not at all, it was returning to the basics. Where and how did I get so off track? I can think of numerous reasons now that I SAD (Standard American Diet) consumer. Like many Americans I was turning a blind eye to the food industry, and I was telling myself, "If they can sell it in the grocery stores or a restaurant, it can't be that bad for me." I neglected opportunities to learn about how my food got on the table. I was consuming exactly what I was told. I was filling my emptiness, disappointments, and heartaches with fat laden, sugar coated, syrup dripping, salt loaded ANYTHING that looked like it couldn't possible come from a garden or farm. I was so disconnected from my food!

When I started this I had no idea what a turnip looked like, or that there were so many varieties of kale. I did not know that a salad could taste so good without croutons and blue cheese. I did not know you could put berries and nuts on a salad. I had no idea that there were so many different types of greens or sprouts. I did not know what tahini or young coconut was or where to even begin to find them in the grocery store. I did not know I could roll sushi (vegetable, of course), marinate vegetables and not cook them, or make raw cookies. I had no clue that I could prepare an entire meal without using the stove, oven, or microwave. I did not know food, real, natural, food could make such a huge difference in how I felt and looked!

Yesterday, I must say I was a little bit disappointed that I could not stick it out through the Master Cleanse. After all, I did all my research, read the entire book, and thought I was totally prepared. I REALLY wanted the clarity. But, as I sit here typing at what is now 4:18 A.M. I am realizing that perhaps the Master Cleanse gave me exactly what I needed after all. I don't want an extreme diet. I want my food to give me balance, health, taste, and goodness and I have all of that already.

Spread the Raw Love!

Today I went shopping with my mom. It is always fun to shop with mom. It is hard to believe that less than six months ago I was wearing a size 12 (probably should have been a size 14, but I was squeezing into my size 12 so I wouldn't have to buy a bigger size). Today, I was comfortably fitting into a size 6. YAHOO! It is even more fun to shop with mom when I look good in the clothes. It was fun just to play and try on things that I never would even consider before I lost 35 pounds. For instance, today I bought some leggings -- me, in leggings. I would not have been caught dead in leggings 5 months ago. Wayne loved my new things, too!

My mom is also becoming a green smoothie expert. Since she has been here I have been making her a green smoothie every morning. This morning she said she wanted to show off her own skills and she made me a green smoothie with peaches, bananas, spinach, a little raw agave, and some cinnamon. It makes me very happy to be able to share my new lifestyle with my family! Wayne, my mom, and my dad are all looking and feeling better. Wayne's brother is also trying some new and healthier foods and has added a lot more fresh fruits and veggies to his diet. He is pleased with the results and is excited that he feels healthier. I am going to continue to spread the raw love!

On the Go

It has been raining and raining like you would not believe here today! We have joked that we will soon have an infinity pool in our back yard. The rain makes it hard to get around in Dallas because nothing drains very well, but it is hard to complain because we need it so badly! We actually enjoyed being out in the rain today, taking our time (no one in Dallas takes their time while driving unless forced to do so by Mother Nature).

We had a very busy day and were out running lots of errands. I have recently found these raw food bars that I like to tuck in my purse when I know I will be out and about. They are "Go RAW" bars -- I love the real live flax bar and the spirulina bar, but they are all good. I bought one of each flavor a few weeks ago and tried them all. Wayne had his first one today and he really liked it, too. He had the pumpkin seed one. Since many of you ask about the cost of eating raw, I will tell you they are a bit more expensive than your average meal replacement bar. That being said, they are not very expensive at all if you eat it as a meal replacement. I also think about all of the good things I am putting in my body vs. the chemicals and "fake food" I would be eating in an average meal replacement bar. These make me feel great about what I am putting in my body.

Oh, before I forget, I have to tell you about Wayne's success. Yesterday we went shopping and Wayne was able to fit into a 34 inch waist pair of jeans. He was so excited! He said, "It is actually fun to shop for clothes again. For those of you who don't know, Wayne is 6 feet 6 inches tall and he has not worn a 34 inch waist since high school! In his words, "One thing about eating raw is that it is something that sticks; it is not like any regular diet. I look better, I feel better, my face is clear, no more greasy skin or little pimples on my forehead, and my hair feels thicker, too. The benefits make me want to keep doing it." He went on to say, "I never thought I would eat raw foods or like them, but I do." I am so happy for him and happy that we can share this lifestyle with each other, our family, our friends, and with you.

Happy Anniversary to me!

Yesterday was my 16th wedding anniversary. Wayne took off of work and we ran some errands, planned some remodeling of Jake's bathroom, and went to Phillip's "meet and greet" at Kindergarten. It was a busy day. We did manage to make some time to have dinner together alone last night. Then we did a little shopping because both of us have lost so much weight that our clothes are not fitting very well these days. I know it doesn't sound very romantic, but it was a lot of fun!

I tried on a size 6 pair of jeans which fit perfectly! I wore a size 6 on our wedding day. When I comfortably put my hands in the pockets, I had such a sense of confidence and accomplishment! Two years ago I thought I would never again wear a size 6 in my life! Despite eating and never cheating on "South Beach" or "The Zone" and hours of exercise, my body was stuck in an unhealthy state of being. I felt horrible and my body reflected on the outside how I was feeling on the inside. Yesterday, when I looked in the mirror, I liked what I saw. Not only did I fit into the jeans, but I FIT back into my life as a wife, a mother, a friend, and a woman. What I saw in the mirror was a reflection of what I was feeling inside -- a vibrant and healthy young woman who has the world by the tail. It has been a long time since I felt that way.

I was so inspired by our shopping excursion that when we got home I decided to try on the dress that I wore as we left our wedding reception 16 years ago. Yes, I have kept it in my closet all of these years for sentimental reasons and as "my skinny dress." Funny thing is, it was a little bit big. Fitting into that dress was wonderful, but not near as satisfying as I thought it would be -- I can't believe I wore shoulder pads that big! lol. I will try and post pictures later.

I cannot believe we have been married for 16 years! I feel so blessed to be with Wayne. Eating Raw has given me my life back and I can't wait to see what the next 16 years will bring! I have a feeling that the best is yet to come.

first post

This is my first post.  I can't believe I am actually on here!  Just to tell you a little bit about me -- I am 35 years old.  Two years ago I had a complete thyroidectomy after 2 tumors were discovered.  A biopsy revealed that 1 of the tumors was probable cancer.  The surgery went well,  but shortly after surgery I began experiencing major complications.   Long story short, my parathyroid gland checked out and my body would no longer regulate calcium.  You cannot live without calcium.  Replacing my thyroid hormones turned out to be very easy, but regulating my calcium has been a long and arduous process.  The year after surgery I experienced major depression, exhaustion, numbness and severe muscle contractions in my arms and legs, and I got every virus or bug that was floating around.  Year two was riddled with more complications including 7 kidney stones and multiple kidney filtering problems.  That surgery changed my entire life.  I was too tired or too sick to exercise and the weight just piled on.  I was tired of this ruling my life!  I was tired of being a victim!  I was tired of being given one medication to help one thing and having that same medication mess up another part of my body!  That is when I happened to hear a local news story on a woman who began a raw diet after being diagnosed with breast cancer and having considerable health benefits from it.  I began researching everything I could find, and then I just went for it.  I was eating about 70% raw when I went to hear Angela Stokes speak.  It was very informative and motivating.  I have been nearly completely raw since then and cannot believe how much better I look and feel!  I started this blog to track my journey.  I hope you enjoy following it!  I can't wait to see what will happen next -- I think the best is yet to come!