December 16, 2009

No More Cheese?? Say Wha?!





What can I say…I love cheese! Or at least I used to. I think back to before my Raw foodie came alive and I used to consume two to three string cheese’s every day. I ordered a small Ledo’s pizza at least once a week and if I could put cheese on it I would and I always had bags and blocks of cheese in my fridge. I'd take it any way...mac 'n cheese, grilled cheese, cheese pizza, cheese sauce for broccoli or potatoes, fondue, nachos, if it had cheese on it and minimal meat I'd eat eat! lol


Even when I first transitioned to this point, I spent at least $25-$30 at Wholefoods on raw goat cheese and I made sure I took some with me every day to work and ate some in the evenings too. Last week I finally threw out three blocks of molded cheddar, mozzarella and swiss. The only regret I had was the money I put in the trash can.


I've only been transitioning to Raw for about two months now and I've never felt better! It's amazing to see how cravings and addictions can go away so quickly. My sister actually turned me onto Raw. She lives in LA, works for Bikram Choudhury and every time she comes home to the east coast to visit, she always has some new kind of green food/mix/elixir with her. Her influence on me was incredible; I saw her go from the "fat sister" to being the smallest one out of all four of us! (yes…four girls!). But more important than her weight loss is her health. She began to suffer from severe Colitis in 1998 and was in the hospital a few times because it was so extreme. Around that time as well she broke out with severe acne. I can honestly tell you that she no longer suffers from either and is looking so healthy and glowing.


It was enough for me. Just going to the gym and working out, even doing Bikram, wasn't going to change the INSIDE of my body that I was poisoning. I ALWAYS had a bottle of Vodka in my freezer and would pour a glass everyday when I got home. I was a heavy drinker in social settings as well. And I thought I was the healthiest one of my group because I didn't eat meat or pork!! lol I was/am a smoker as well and had cheese one everything I ate. It took me two years to gain 30lbs...the majority probably all in early 2008. I was out way too much, eating bar food, drinking cider beer (with a whopping 200 calories a bottle!!! so times that by 6 and do the math!). I was so frustrated with myself and was always coming up with some new idea to get in shape and lose my fat stuck to my belly that my family is cursed with.


My highest point was 175lbs (even in September 09) and to be honest I wasn't even that high when I was pregnant with any of my kids! My sister has been forwarding me information since Labor Day weekend, when she was last home, and her friend Nwenna Kai is one of the blogs I began reading and following. I finally sat down and evaluated everything (for about 5 minutes because it didn't take very long) and I made the investment I needed.


It wasn't weights or a new yoga cd, but a juicer, books, and fresh organic produce that I had to commit to buying on a weekly basis. I feel alive! I feel happy. I am obsessed with Green Lemonade in the morning and must drink at least 32 oz of it before anything else goes in my tummy. Well...scratch that because I am also obsessed with bee pollen and take a tbsp of that in the morning while I'm juicing. Juicing is almost orgasmic to me and I appreciate the benefits especially since I don't like smoothies in the least. Never have. In fact, I still have a HUGE tub (vat even) of protein powder under my kitchen sink that I thought would help me drop pounds and feel energized. I made MAYBE one.


What's been important for me so far is my love of "cooking" I've never minded being in the kitchen and I love making food every day. I enjoy cutting and chopping everything I'm taking in to work with me the next day. My coworkers may look at me funny, or friends may (they have and do) tell me that it's not healthy to lose so much weight so quickly and every time I try to explain WEIGHT=WASTE they just look at me like I'm an Alien.


I've currently lost 15lbs since I began and I am only moving forward from here. I'm not 100% yet. With my addiction to cheese I'm weaning off with Raw goat cheese but I love it too so we'll how I do. Other than that I'm sticking to mostly Alkalizing foods and I'm good :) I hardly want a Camel Light these days and when I do give in it's so gross I don't finish it...I haven't bought a bottle of Vodka in over two weeks and I went to the Farmer's Market yesterday and my favorite item for lunch was still there and I swear it made my nose turn up! I know I just wrote a book but fingers weren't listening to my head!


Thank you to Bunny, my sister Colleen, Nwenna, and everyone on RawFu for the support, advice, recipes, photos, etc. I don't think I would have lasted this long without you all.